The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-23
WASHINGTON. d. C.
From Frasers Magazine.
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.

A story of negro life in the Slave States, from
the pen of an American authoress, Mrs. Stowe,
under the title Of Uncle TOMS Cabin or, Life
among the L0tciy, has lately made great i'm
preston in the United States. Fifty thousand
copies, we are told, were sold in about eight
weeks: two editions in a cheap form have al
ready appeared in this country, and there is
no doubt from the startling nature of its incl
dents and the talent with which it is written
that UnCie TOMS Cabin will be extensively read
and much discussed here. The book has elicit
ed a letter to the American friend who sent it
him, from distinguished English author, who
has given much attention to the question Of
Slavery, and to the condition, present and flu
ture, Of the English peasantry. This letter we
have been favored with permission to reprint,
and we are happy TO avail ourselves of the OPP
pOrtunity Of drawing our readers attention to
the admirable reflections and suggestions it
contains 1t is as follows:
July 9, 1852.
My DEAR SIR: ! have to offer you my
thanks for sending me Il very remarkable book
Uncle Toms Cabin, which followed on the re-
ceipt of your letter of the 25th of April last.
The book horrifes and haunts me- and
cannot help writing to you somewhat at large
upon it.
You will perhaps be surprised at my saying
the book horrifes me: for from the interest
you have taken in the same subjects which
have cared for. YOU know well what horrors of
various kinds about slavery, about the dwell
ngs OF the poor, and about various sanitary
matters, must have waded through Indeed
when | look back upon the man was when
first left college how devoted to the most alb
stract studies, and how fnstidious as regarded
everything that was physically repulsive | am
sometimes amazed that should have been able
TO go through the dense masses of recorded
filth, misery. and cruelty which | have had to
encounter | think, if they could have been
shown me all at once, like the tale of life told
in some magic glass | should have shrunk out
of the world in horror But so | suppose it
would be- if any one Of us were to see in one
condensed view the aspect and fortunes AYE
even the prosperous Ones) Of his future career
Well | have somehow or other cOntrved to
get through these horrors; but, like many a
medical man who does not become Injured to
the suheringS of his patients, ! am still nearly
as sensitive rs ever and should, upon Goethe 5
principle of putting aside unnecessary excite
ment which tends to disturb real work have
avoided reading the book you sent me, if had
been aware of the nature Of its contents But
am glad have read it,
Many readers and reviewers will, | have no
doubt, ut once explain the book to themselves
and make their minds comparatively speaking,
easy upon it, by saying that it contains gross
exaggerations, and that it gives no fair ac-
count of slavery in America. am, unfortu-
nately, but too well acquainted with the rec
Ords of slavery in most parts of the New World
and under nations differing very much from
30 L. Ill
self in this way. In truth unless by some
special Providence planters were imbued with
angelic nature, of which there is at present no
evidence before u.s. | cannot see how the state
of things can be much otherwise than as it is
described to be in this fearful book, which
seems to have set all America again thinking
about slavery | have seen something of what
il called the world and have Il large ac-
quantancc with men in all classes of life, from
the highest to the lowest in this country; and
think know about fire persons who might
be intrused with the supreme authority over
their felow-creatures which is given by law to
the STAKEHOLDER, Unfortunately in many
slave State
Ii has always surprised me that anybody
should wish to have that power There is
converse to everything. Power implies respon-
sbllity; and ! must say that innumerabe cubic
feet of collected dollars would scarcely recon
ellie me to the possession of supreme power over
the health, wealth education and social duties |
OF several hundred human beings committed to
my charge. Very few of us are sane enough to |
be Entrusted with such power; and, indeed in
reference to this, | think it is very important
TO notice that there are throughout the world, |
unless your world differs very much from ours,
many persons of that dubious sanity that al
though the law cannot interfere with them
they are lamcntably unfit to have the manage
ment of lnanmate property, much more of live
property Of any kind, infinitely more Of inteli-
gent human beings
But if there be no exaggeratiOn, or Mt least
no such oXaggeTaton rs would seriously impair
the merits OF the work, AZ regards the condi-
ton Of slaves in America, there is | am sorry
to say, an cXaggeratiOn in the statements which
are made in the course of the volume, and are
not contradlcted respecting the condition of
the English aborer.
1t is worth while to make some reply to these
statements, for it is not the magnitude of an
error so much as the number of people who
hold it which renders it important and danger
Gus. have no doubt there are many shrewd
people in your country who say and many
shallow people in both countries who echo the
saying that there is very little substantial DIFF
ference between the condition Of the English
laborer and that of the American slave. There
is, however, even in our poorest districts and in
the worst of times, all the difference that exists
between humanity and barbarism between
the dgnfed Suffering of a man oppressed by
untOward circumstances and the abject wretch
edness of another driven about like beast
in short between manhood and brutehood
! wish that such writer as the authoress of
this work could live little time in the country
in England and really see for herself what
these rustic labOrers are like. She would find
that, under their occasionally stolid appear
ance, and with their clumsy gait there IL an
intelligence, Il patience, an aptitude TO learn.
Il capacity for reasonable obedience and n ge,,--
eral gentleness OF blood and nature which
would NIGHTLY aStOnish her She would even
find especially among the women, n grace and
sweetness of demcanOr which would remind
her ct the highest breeding She il evidently
pcrpexcd 10 account to herself for the permits
sion Of the existence of slaves, 10 little do their
lives appear to give room for the purposes of
humanity shc would have no such doubt what
ever III contemplating the life of the British
peasant or the British workman. She would
see that his life fulfilled sufficiently the cond-
tons OF humanity to render 1t a means of at
tanning to considerable sef-culture, of exercis
ing the deepest sellrestraint of approaching
aud working out what is most beautiful in the
affections and the duties of free citizen.
1t is fact easily ascertained by looking ut
the map, that England is an isand--not a very
large island--and consequently that we have
not an indefinite power of settling our people
upon new lands Let those who have this
power see that they use it well, and that their
institutions correspond to the greatness of their
resources and their felicity in that respect
The writer Of the book we are considering
must not imagine that it is general rule for
the nnnr in Ennlnnl IN Ln ..nnnna;do-ai ~. ~.