The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-19

great siucs that period, though the latter IL not
now what II ought to be-"
Black and white orators amaigamatiou, aud
alternsted In this convention. Fred. Douglas
was, it said, heard with more pleasure than
even another orator, the Hon. Mr.. Julian, an ex-
member Of Congress from Indiana.
EASTERN AGITATION.
From The National Era
"DRAYroN AND SAYREs.-The Boston Liber-
dfcr, in an article commenting with some sever
| ty upon Mr.. Summers silence on the slavery
question says:
80 In January last, petition for the release of
Drayton aud Sayres from their dreadful i'm
prisonment in Washington, signed by nearly
three hundred persons, was forwarded to Mr..
Sumner, to be laid before the Senate but he
has not yet thought proper to comply with the
wishes OF the petitioners, or to give them any
son for not doing 30 We know that they feel
not less aggrieved than surprised at his course
ave happen to know that it was from no
dsrespect to the petitioners, and no unworthy
per onal motive, that Mr.. Sumner did not pre-
sent the petition. On consultation with several
of the Ant-Slayery members of Congress, and
with persons specially interested in the case of
the unfortunate prisoners, the opinion was unani
nous that any agitation Of The subject in Con
SfcSS ~ IhESENI NOuu HUcCf tsrY UVJuCOT6U{n
OTHER AND MORE PROMISING MOVEMENTS IN THE
CASE.
swirl our friends throughout the country ac
cept from us the assurance that all that can be
done for the unfortunate men is now being done
IN Washington; and, should all this fail, we
will apprize them of the fact
III is To be regretted that Mr. Sumner did not
take measures to inform the petitioners Of the
disposition Of their memorial but we submit,
in all candor, that, knowing the Senator's since
rity OF character and devotion to the best inter
ests Of his race, this neglect or inadvertence
cannot Justify any questioning of his integrity"
To agitate Just now for the release of Dray-
ton and Sayrcs, incarcerated here for high crimes
against the peace and order, as we'll as progress
of our, society, would affect very unfavorably
other and s2sore promising movements. What
they are we all know--hitching the Wing party
to the Juggernaut of Abolition aud Anti-Slave-
ry
The Massachusetts senate, we may add here
| (Abotion Democracy have passed a bill virtual
| ly multiplying the fugitive slave law, which has
been defeated (by National Whgs) by only
eleven majority in the house of representatives
"a body composed of several hundred persons,
| believe. Here is about the oldest State of the
Union on the very verge of multiplying both the
| gress.
CENTRAL AGITATION.
From The Report of The Proceedings of The Anti
| .SlIpery Society held in Neio York The past
| neck.
sUNcLE TOMS CABIN-Dr. Mcclure Smith.
| (negro,) then moved the following resolutions :
"Reso.red, That the warm thanks of this
meeting be presented to Mrs. Harriet Beeeher
Stowe, for writing the inimitably beautiful and
truthful story called Uncle TOMS Cabin and
that We rejoice that the Almighty is awakening
the finest literary talent of the country to Law
| their best offerings on the altar of human free
| dom; and
"'Resolued. That we earnestly call upon the
women of the United States earnestly and zeal
ously to follow in the glorious path laid out for
| them by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Grace Green
wood, and Lydia M. Child
CDR. Smith eulogised Uncle Toms Cabin,
and said its success-unexampled as it was
proved the depth and bredth of the anti-slavery
feeling in this country. The writer had touched
a vein richer than California gold, and would be
followed by host Of Grub street imita.ors If
there was romance in the country, it was in the
relations between masters and slaves, and in the
mixed relations growing out of them. He then
proceeded, at some length to criticse the critic.
of the Literary World, who had turned this
eautiful story into ridicule, while he pulled a
world Of fiction, on the other side, without
merit or invention.
"Mr Lewis Tappan said Mr.. Jewett had sold
thousand copies of the work every day since
it was published, or $4,000 copies in eight weeks
"a sale that was unparalleled in the whole world.
Look at the humble origin of this book. Dr.
Bailey one day at my house said, think will
get Mrs. Stowe to write a story for my paper,
Qor DIR. Bailey put stories in his paper, just as
parents put pills into preserves for their child
ren) He wrote her note, and enclosed her a
300 BILL She sent him No. of Uncle Tom
for the National Era, and said she would finish
it in three numbers. She was astonished herself
at the way it looked in print In month or
two he sent her 5000 more and so went on
the tale till she completed the work. Mrs.
Stowe is now in Brooklyn, and was here yester-
day. She told ME that, when the fugitive slave
law came out, her pillow was wet every nght
with her tears, and if any book was ever written
from the effect OF prayer. it was that book |
introduced her last nightto Uncle Toms grand
son. She is going to write more, and others
are going to rival her. A distinguished gentle
man in Massachusetts ia writing a tale on the
fugitive slave law.
CDR. McCune Smith.-It is suggested by a
gentleman here that it is Daniel Webster.
! Great laughter.
Mr.. Tappan.-Lad;es can do much good by
writing. For instance, the book of Mrs Mich
olson, on Ireland, was very valuable. The Irish
were not blacks, but they had wrongs. OBJ.
serve the lady is in the room, and congratulate
her on this work. Then there is the work of
Mrs. Child, in the very title of which there is
genius An Appeal in behalf of Americans
called Africans President Day, of Yale Col
lege, man of eighty years of age, boasted that
he had never read novel, yet he was caught
with Uncle Tom It is not fiction, but
narrative of facts in the form of fiction. A
lawyer told me that the escape of Eliza over the
Ohio river was too extravagant to be true.
| I" Mr.. Cook-It is true | know The man
that helped her over the river.
"Mr. Tappan.-A lawyer-one of the most
distinguished members of the Union Safety Com
mtteetold mo that he verify believed that
book had broken down their cause Great
laughter. Already an edition is being brought
| In, nd I t,, ~,