"A Brilliant Anti-Slavery Novel," Douglass Monthly, Dec 1860

Douglass Monthly (1858-1863) was one of the four papers published by Frederick Douglass.  This paper is a valuable resource for understanding abolitionism and anti-slavery ideas of the day.

A review of "Harrington:  A Story of True Love" was included in the December 1860 issue.

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William Douglas O''Connor, Ritz & Hastings, Boston, Mass. at  Vangobot

 William Douglass O'Connor was a friend of Walt Whitman, but often debated over O'Connor's ideas about about civil rights issues of African Americans and women.  You can see an reflection of his views early on in his characterization of the slave owner LaFitte, Josephine, William Tassle, the overseer, and the slave, Anthony.

"Ah, no, dear Josephine," he interrupted. "Decidedly you are wrong. Go to court—swear that you hate me, loathe me, abhor me—swear that life is insupportable with me, and plead for release, and the blessed old law will tell you that you are living, and must live, in holy matrimony! Go to any southern State—go to South Carolina, and state my refined and delicate cruelty. Why, Judge Somebody or other, in the next State, boasts that it is the unfading honor, as he calls it, of South Carolina, that she never has granted a divorce for any cause whatever. Well, go North—go to New York, for instance. Why, their great Panjandrum up there, the 'Tribune' man—what's his name—Greeley—he will tell you that you are living, and must live, in holy matrimony. Bless him!" said Mr. Lafitte, piously. "I love him. I love him well. I hate him for his Abolitionism: I love him for his views on holy matrimony. I hate him because he tries to weaken my power over my slaves: I love him because he tries to strengthen my power over you, my angel. So do the rest of them. Go to any State you like, and they will all tell you that you are living, and must live, in holy matrimony." (Lafitte to his wife, Josephine) Harrington:  A Story of True Love, page 18.  The novel is below.  See also the Walt Whitman Archive: Disciples.

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"Douglass' Monthly." Google Books. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://books.google.com/books?id=O5oLAAAAIAAJ&q=Harrington: a story of true love douglass monthly&dq=Harrington: a story of true love douglass monthly&hl=en&ei=CC4-Td_TE4O88gaP2uTmCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA>.