The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-04
UNCLE TOMS CABIN"

We published last week an account OF the
.,urrecedented sale of Uncle Toms Capih IN
Iceland If ANYTHING, the sensation created
80 i there is greater than that produced by 1t
- The People and the aristocracy, the
.ommon reader and the critic, are aiike in'er-
.,a IN II Il has already been reviewed IN
tbair leading papers, and will soon be taken
80 no the ouarterlies. We happen to know
tbot the author is daily receiving letters OF con-
,.otulaton from the most distinguished lite
Tarv people of Britain, so that she is IN no
danger of being hurt by the weekly abuse OF
the New York Observer
The following extract of an article in the
british and Foreign Anti-SlaUery Reporter,
confirms an opinion previously expressed by
the New York EUeaing Post, as to the manner
in which the work so rapidly took possession oil
the country. 1t did not come forth from The
nress as an unknown book, but had been
slowly creating powerful interest by Its ap-
pearance in a largely circulated weekly paper,
during a period of eight months. Those who
read it in parts, were anxious TO nave 'he
whole of it. On railroads steamboats,, at hotels,
fragmentary portions OF it were seen by tray
oilers. Subscribers would lend to their neigh
bors, and talk Of nothing but Uncle Tom
In this way, public expectation was excited,
and when the book was issued from the press,
TIA merits already everywhere known, secured
Cor Il an UNPRECEDENTED demand.
But to the extract from the Reporter:
The circumstances connected with the rap
"A sale and widely extended influence of IN
Gle Toms Cabin exceeding, perhaps, that of
any other work which has issued from the
press, are not generally known in this country
From the very first moment of its publication
in the United States, in the volume form, per-
feet fuOre was created, entirely unprecedent-
ed OF course this could not have arisen in
the absence of some exciting cause as the de-
mand arose before the reviews had appeared
in the public press Ere the first edition was
out of the hands of the publisher, the demand
became so great that both paper-makers and
printers were compelled to work night and
day and with all their efforts they were un-
able to keep up sufficient supply. In eight
weeks fifty thousand copies, making one hun
ureQ Thousand VOluIllcS, lSSucU lIOtl lhnuS VI
thepublisher, and at a price considerably beyond
that charged for the reprints circulated in this
country Up to this time, above one hundred
thousand copies have been sold, and the de-
mand is still very great Perhaps, a number
considerably beyond that of the United States
is in circulation in this country. uncle Tom,
then made his first bow to the public in the
month OF June, 1851, in the columns of the
National Era, an Anti Slavery paper, publish
ed in the city of Washington, and which is
generally considered to be one Of the most in
fuential in the United States. The Era, at
that period, enjoyed circulation of $4,000
copies weekly, which has since been increased,
partly we believe through Mrs. Stoves work,
to 10000 copies weekly and we are happy to
find that so valuable an adjunct to the Anti
Slavery cauae is still increasing its readers and
its influence. appearing, as at did, from week
TO week, IN chapters, or sections, during period
Of ten months, an interest ioas ercited through
out the country, which mag account an some
measure for the extraordinary demand for the
work in 50 short period"
As the great merits of the work were not
generally known till some time after it had be-
gun to appear in our paper, it is but proper to
say that it had not much effect on our circula-
ton though, should the author now commence
another similar work in the Era, we have no
doubt its effect in this way would be most de-
cided