The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-10-21

the facts at the time believe still that the form
of words used in "Uncle Toms Cabin u coulC
be traced back to DR.. Parker. That this Is
mistake, have no doubt but it serves to show
one of the perplexitics there to be encountered
Laboring under this feeling she offered Il
word her card thus I" | am authorized by Or
Parker to state " &C., and again: Il take pleas
ure in stating, upon the authority OF Dr. far
ker, that he has been misrepresented, and mas
never used language" sc. But DIR. Parker
was disinclined to such forms, and wished her
to say that she was satisfied that he had never
used such language" &c. But while Mrs
Stowe hesitated as to the extent OF her admis-
sions she had not for moment hesltancy as
to public PREPARATION.
She gave orders to her publisher for the era
sion of DR.. Parker's name, and, her health SUI
fering under this accumulated excitement, she
left for New Haven, promising, as soon as she
could become tranquil in the qIietude OF a
friends home, to draw up and send me her
card as she finally would publish it. This she
did, and on the 5th of June | received it.
must plead guilty to delay of few days
in representing her card to DR.. Parker. Aside
from the care of pastoral charge like mine, |
was on the eve of visit to the West and in
the various preparations | let my sisters letter
slip my memory until the 10th Of June. During
this delay, Dr. Parker not unnaturally became
impatient and addressed the following letter
to Professor Stowe
DR.. Parker 10 Professor Store.
New YORK, June 5, 1852.
DEAR SIR: Yours of the 29th of May came
to hand on Monday last | then hoped that
Mrs. Stowe would do me Justice, and no fur
Their correspondence would be necessary
am disappointed.
In reply to yours, | will proceed to give you
a succinct history of the whole matter down to
the present date After my first letter to Mrs
Stowe, under date of 9Th of May waited till
the 10Th for reply, and received none. then
addressed to her second communication.
going more into details in respect to the wrong
inflicted on me. waited until the oath No
answer. | then addressed TO her third letter
begging her not to compel me to a course which
would bring us into conflict before the public
On the evening of the 25th, not having heard
from Mrs. Stowe, applied, by the advice Of
my friends to Mr. Benz. F. Butler, to act as my
counsel. | received, the next day, response
from Mrs. Stowe, intimating that she had
mailed reply to my second letter, on the Sat
urday previous, which was the 22d. In this
letter of Mrs. Stowe Il mean the answer to my
third She in effect, re-afirmed the libel, and
asserted that it was her conviction, derived
from facts and documents, and iving acitneSses,
that an issue before the public would be far
more unfortunate for me than for herself
My counsel, in the mean time, investigated
the whole case, and expressed decided Opin-
ION that the paragraph referred to in Mrs
Stoves book was clearly libellous; but, in the
hope that the matter might yet be amicably ad-
Justed without the necessity of legal issue, he
at his own instance, though with my consent.
solicited a conference with his friend, MIR. Bar
ney, not as a lawyer, but as a Christian, and
as friend of himself and also of the Rev H.
w. Beecher Mr.. Barney's kind Offices were
secured. In consequence, as | suppose, of his
interpOsition, Mr. n. w. Beecher called on my
counsel, and soon after Mrs Stowe addressed
to me communication of q different and more
hopeful tOne-a letter containing concessions,
carefully guarded indeed, but still concessions,
with a request that would call and see her.
| received this on the 29th of MAY. and on
the same day received, through the mail. the
letter referred to as having been mailed on
the 22d. In my reply to Mrs Stoves re-
quest for an interview, addressed to her
note declining the interview, and ordered it
sent by mail. subsequently, and on the same
day, changed my purpose as thinking it more
kind to grant her request for personal inter-
view, and ordered the letter stopped but the
letter, am sorry to say, was afterwards sent
by mistake, which did not learn till the even
ing after our interview. On the following Mon
day, called on Mrs. Stowe. She proposed
herself, and drew up card cOnceding that
injustice had been done me, and offered to pub
| lsh 1t. But she insisted on adding to the con-
cesslons other matter relating to what she
considered my position in respect to the subject
of slavery.
To this demurred, and drew brief state
ment that would be satisfactory to me, allow
ing her. of course, to say anything she chose
in justification of her motives She did not OBJ
ject to my statement, yet was unwilling to
mike that statement alone but insisted on con.
Meeting with it a representation of what she
deemed my actual position in relation to sla
very, thus drawing off attention from the as
pect of simple retraction of the wrong. This
! could not accept as satisfactory She with.
drew her card, but promised to write me from
New Haven. | have received nothing The
letter that DR.. Beecher thought would be salts.
factory, presume was not sent me-
You are mistaken about the testimony which
you fancy may be found to substantate Mrs
Stoves allegation. An attempt to prove it will
only aggravate the libel What | require is,
that without any side issue, without mixing up
of this libel with other matters, Mrs. Stowe
should simply do me Justice by retracting it.
IL you wish any further conference about it.
. please write me Immediately.
Yours, respectfully, JOEL PARKER.
Reu. c, f. Stowe, d. d.
To this Prof Stove replied as follows:
Prot. Stowe 10 Dr. Parker.
BowDoTN COLLEGE, June I, 1852
Yours of the 5th inst | have Just taken from
the Office. | am disappointed by it, for sup
posed, from Mrs. Stoves last note to me- the
business was adjusted ! am sure she thought
so. | shall Immediately consult her father, and
| hope very soon to see her. | will write you
again in a few days the result of these consult
atoms, and if need be will come on and see
you know she is q Christian woman. and
desires only to do right-and trust you are a
Christian man, and have only the same desire
1t would be an everlasting disgrace to all par
ties concerned, and to the church of Christ a
grievous scandal to have any public quarrel on
this subject 1t can and it must be settled
privately. DR.. Beecher and myself are both
good friends to you, and of course we both love
Mrs Stowe AZ our own hearts blood Be pa
'icho, tiei, iii you Heir rum mo again,
Truly, yours, c. f. Stowe.
Req. Joel Parker, d. d.
This closes Mrs Stoves active connection
with the negotiation, and introduces the letters
which have appeared in the Tribune and In
dependent, and which DIR. Parker charges me
with writing, and with publishing without his
knowledge or consent.
Before giving the history of that, | wish to
make few remarks upon the history now
gone over
1t appears, then
Tint Mrs. Sto.ro had hnI nnthinx 10 d1