Chapter XLI: Part II: The Renaissance of Slavery

I. Southern Imperialism: Shift in attitude towards
slavery--consequences to Jeffersonian democracy. The Black
Belt--reasons why cotton became king. Reaction of
the South to imperialism. Jefferson Davis--his
character 61

II. Winds of Political Doctrine

I. Three streams of thought: Virginia humanitarianism,
western individualism, Carolina imperialism. Increasing
dominance of the third. Rise of a defensive
strategy; appeal to the Constitution 67

II. John C. Calhoun--Realist. His influence--destroyed
Jeffersonianism for the new South. A southern Puritan.
His early career--a nationalist. The year 1828
a turning-point--recognition of the danger of democracy
to slavery. Two lines of defense: states rights,
constitutional checks. Amplification of the second by
extension of the principle of the veto. Failure of
existing checks to protect minorities. Fallacy in the
conception of democratic majorities--an obscuring
of the economic basis of politics. Doctrine of the
concurrent majority. Conception of democracy--an
attack on theory of natural rights. His objective a
Greek democracy. Likeness to John Adams 69

III. Alexander H. Stephens--Constitutionalist: The man--passion
for freedom under law. His localism expressed
in states rights. A confirmed liberal--fear of extra-legal
powers. His _Constitutional View of the War
between the States_. Theory of the terminable nature of
compact--doctrine of good will. A political thinker,
rather than economic. Position on slavery 82

IV. Francis Lieber--A New-Modeled Federalism: A German
liberal influenced by English constitutional
practice and the common law. His doctrine of historical
evolution. Liberty founded in institutional self-government.
A _laissez-faire_ conception of the political state 93

III. The Dream of a Greek Democracy

I. Difficulty of the southern position. A reply to northern
industrialism--civilization and labor exploitation.
Contrast between wage-slavery and black slavery--certain
advantages of the latter. Southern replies to
_Uncle Tom’s Cabin_ 99

II. William J. Grayson: _The Hireling and the Slave_ as a
southern document. A contrast: the wretchedness
of the wage-slave in industrial centers; the contentment
of the black slave on the plantation. His attack
on Abolitionists 103

IV. Adventures in _Belles-Lettres_

I. Old Charleston: The capital of the planters--aristocratic,
Puritan, Victorian. Traditional home of Federalism.
Culture old-fashioned. A distinguished
society 109

II. William Crafts--Charleston Wit: A southern Robert
Treat Paine, seeking to domesticate Boston culture
in Charleston. His work 112

III. Hugh Swinton Legaré--Intellectual: A southern
Puritan. His career. A legal scholar, interpreting
politics in terms of the common law. A lexolater,
contemptuous of political philosophers. A juridical
romantic. Accepted the economics of _laissez faire_
and capitalism. Pessimistic in regard to the South.
Hostile to Nullification and Calhoun. The weakness
of slavery 114

IV. William Gilmore Simms: A plebeian snubbed by
Charleston, yet loyal to the Charleston parochialisms.
A realist hampered by the current romanticisms.
The most virile figure of the old South. A rich
and generous nature--likeness to Fielding. The
picaresque note in his work. Reasons for his exploitation
of “blood-pudding.” Lieutenant Porgy. His
two major themes: his special frontier compared with
Cooper’s; his revolutionary tales. His treatment of
the Indian. _The Yemassee_, compared with Cooper.
Later life 125