The Law and the Spirit

In August 1948, when Whittaker Chambers began his testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, I was not unduly disturbed; nor did I reckon that anything would happen except that a majority of the American people would be grateful to him for pointing out the dangers which surrounded them.

At that time I was living in the parish house of my church in New York City and, each time elections came along, voting the straight Democratic ticket. My life seemed to be going along smoothly, and I had no way of knowing that there was going to be a profound upheaval in a number of directions. That upheaval began during Christmas week 1948, when I spent long hours with one of the Hiss lawyers, McLean, and the detective who had been hired by the Hiss defense.

GL

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Grace Lumpkin

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Whittaker Chambers

In August 1948, when Whittaker Chambers began his testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, I was not unduly disturbed; nor did I reckon that anything would happen except that a majority of the American people would be grateful to him for pointing out the dangers which surrounded them.

At that time I was living in the parish house of my church in New York City and, each time elections came along, voting the straight Democratic ticket. My life seemed to be going along smoothly, and I had no way of knowing that there was going to be a profound upheaval in a number of directions. That upheaval began during Christmas week 1948, when I spent long hours with one of the Hiss lawyers, McLean, and the detective who had been hired by the Hiss defense.