The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-04
THE REPU BhIC
WASHINGTON:
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY !. 1853
The Stowe Progress.

In"ulloPic purpose VI oosdining the moral Inter-
vention of other countries to correct what she
considers social grievance in her own. We
are not surprised that she should be received
by her British co-laborers with every demon
stration of delight. Her testimony will be held
as national admission that the cruel imputations
upon the virtue and humanity of nearly ak
millions Of American citizens is correct. It
will be besides productive of round sum in
money and adulation.
In her triumphal tour there will be but one
opinion expressed, and that will be confirmed
by the Rev. Mr.. STOWE, who goes along to
testify and take up collections.
We have nothing to say against the proba-
billty of the pathetic story which has created
such extraordinary feeling. If society contained
no such monsters as are therein depicted, it
would have reached state of purity beyond
the hopes Of any practical moralist. Nor
is there any thing new in the attempt to
correct social evil by fictitious presentations.
The moral of one of BULwER's most popular
works was to show the cruel impolcy of the
penal system of England. SUE taught in
novel the iniquities of religious ambition; and
DICKENS is now showing the ruin wrought by
English equity.
But the injustice of abolition consists in as
sumng that the extreme cases of wrong grouped
by Mrs. Stowe is fair representation of South
ern society in the United States.
Suppose another Mrs. Kossuth should come
from England, having written book wherein
were compounded every case of social wrong
contained in English fiction; the low villainy Of
Black George-the criminal Vaccinations of
Sir George Thornville-the servile fidelity of
Callum Beg-the mental miseries of Oliver
Twist-the total obliteration of all moral per-
ccptions in Nancy or Sykes-the illiterate stu
pidity of Jeames Plush. Suppose she should
add, in the appendix of her work, that sixty
thousand persons in London have no home, no
Ineligible language; that they live in sin, be-
cause they cannot afford the legal expense of
the matrimonial ceremony, and that their ideas
of the Christian religion are such that cos.
termonger, upon hearing some explanation of
the humility enjoined by the Bible, replied, that
"If Jesus, or any other chap, were to slap hin,
on the cheek, he should pitch into him-of
course;" whilst others were as ignorant of the
primary truths of astronomy as any negro on
the coast of Coromandel.
Suppose she should demonstrate that every
every twentieth person houseless vagabond,
and every twentieth woman prostitute, thus
proving that nearly one-sixth of her people be-
longed to those interesting classes.
Would any one admit that the characters
constituted fair illustration of the virtue, ed
ucation, language, animal comforts, or social
condition of England? Or would not every
sensible adviser say, "My good lady, you give
a very deplorable description of your own
country, and we think. that as patriotism, like
charity, begins at home, you should confne
your efforts at present to alleviating the sin
and suffering which you have described"
Such mission would be but fair counter
part of the motives with which our evangelical
incendary puts on her bonnet and goes abroad
for the purp pose of spreading an international
scandal.
The visit of Mrs. SrowE will be peculiarly
opportune. The Westminster Reuieap halls
the advent of her book with joy, and counsels
continuous agitation which shall result in
abolishing American slavery. 1t takes a very
profound view of our Constitution, and having
found that the word ''slave" does not occur in
that instrument, argues that these colOred "per-
sons" are the fellow-citizens of the abolition
list, and that he can therefore constitutionally
agitate for their emancipation.
The Rerie,c likewise says that the polti-
cal contest upon the Wilmot proviso proves that
the Union was too strong for secession, and
that therefore the growing majorities of the
free States must soon enfranchise their fellow
citizens now engaged in making cotton without
compensation. True, the reviewer knows little
Of American politics. Still less of American
patriotism. But he will be just as glad when
he shall have "the pride and pleasure" of be-
ing introduced to the fair authoress; and the
Rev. Mr.. Stowe having conferred with him
upon the best way of carrying fire and sword
into Mr.. STowE's own country. will perhaps
ple'ge himselfto burn blue lights when the
liberating expedition shall arrive. He has ex-
pressed the opinion that slavery has made its
last struggle on the Fugitive Slave law, and
must termi nate either by legislation or revolu-
ton.
But we were struck few days since with
a sagacious opinion advanced by a contempt
rary, which the Review would do well to con
slider.
The sympathy shown for the oppressed char
acters in Uncle Toms Cabin by the people Of
Europe is irrespective of race. They see
there described picture of their own degrade
ton. They establish an analogy between the
slavery of castles and that of color. They long
to throw off their servitude to the monarch, the
nobleman, the priest, or the landlord, and weep
over Uncle Tom through sympathy for each
other rather than for their transatlantic breth-
rem in black livery
SO the European politicians, who encourage
Mrs. Stowe that they may dissolve this Union,
or break down the culture of cotton by slave la
Dor, that "the vast manufacturers of Lancashire
shall no longer be dependent upon single
source of supply" had better take care lest, in
bo clo VOC Of tho Micciceip mi