The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-04-30
Mrs. Stoves Novel.

We have no opinion 10 eApLes9 VIVA ~
spect to the great political problem, which
has been long, and is now befOrethe Amerl'
can people for solution nor upon the great
principles interviewer with the web Of nc
tion in this tale. Wehave our own convie-
tions on the subject, (as who has notf
which, in the proper time and place. we
have no delicacy in expressing. But we
think there will be no objection, to relieving
the uniformity of our columns, by oeca-
sional digressions from our main design
and therefore, shall give our own imper-
feet thoughts on the literary merits Of the
volume.
Ifthe design of fiction be, "tO hold the
mirror up to nature" to present the ideal
characters, talking and acting precisely as
the supposed originals would talk and act,
under like circumstances, then, as far as our
experience goes, Mrs. Stowe is equalled by
few, surpassed by none. We have heard,
indeed, that Scott has drawn the character
istics Of his own country with great truth,
but we do not consider ourselves qualified
to decide whether Dandie Dinmont and An
drew Fairservice be delineatiOns true to ma
ture. The same is true with respect to
Cooper's favorite " Leather StOcking;" the
peculiarities of the aboriginal raceare al
most unknown to the public. Weare there.
fore at loss to determine upon the fidelity
of resemblance. But the negro race we have
among US, and Uncle Tom meets us at the
first interview, as an old acquaintance. His
language we may hear every day in the
streets of our Southern cities, and occa-
sionally in the Northern, though there hiss
been much improvement, of late years, in
negro English, where facilities Of education
have been afforded to that part of our popu-
lation. The fatal proximity of the sublime
and ridiculous has been often in our mind
while reading this work. We could not fol-
low the author, threading her path through
the lowest depths of feeling, and over the
| loftiest elevation of religious ecstacy, Will
: no better security of foothold than the com
mon negro patois, which had been hithert'
y appropriated by low buffoOnery, withou
n being struck with feaEful admiration. ]
y seemed like trayersing the glaciers of th
l. Alps on skates. We expected that on tn
C. death of Eva and st. Clair, Tom would haE
T. been manumitted, and the story ended.
appeared like temerity for the author
neglect so fair an opportunity to escape ii
r hazard of fall But we are satisfied tht
ne the tragic catastrophe was an essential pa
,r of the authors design, and necessary to i
le moral effect. Yet we should not ha,
10 been unwilling to have found the concl
at sion of less aggravated interest
d. "No man," says Lord Jeffrey, couI
p have written the Letters of Madam de S
a. vigne, or the novels Of Miss Austin, or IL
U Hymns and Early Lessons of Mrs. Ba
aa bauld, or the Conversations of Mrs. Ma
,ts Get" To the list, we will, with his lor
k ships permission, add the novel of MI
.c. Stowe, We might quote farther, and clai
'ur for the author all the praise that the crit
Ike has lavished on these writer's, though v
ey have some doubt about saying that "h
to performance is essentially and iateasely
cir minnie"
we
ia We suppose, then, Mrs Stowe must
40 called the fair author; though we do n
w know whether she be fair or brown. o
1r thing we do know-Mahomet and his Kor
er, be burned-she has soul, a feeling, ger
hit rous, magnanimous soul. There may
tly there ought to be some offset for SO hi
la. endowment like Addison, in conversatit
APP though she has her guinea in her pock
we she may not have change for shilli
my Like poor Goldsmith, she may talk lik
"a -. parrot. Our devotion is proof against e1
bor that; she writes like an angel-and we W
in to have our claim Of precedence among
ED. innumerable host Of rivals, in the curr
uu- phrase, distinctly understood :" that,
a reader of the Era, we assert our pl
among the first fifteen thousand of her
mirers, X