The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-28
MRS. STOWE AND HER NEW BOOK.

MRS. STOWE AND HER NEW BOOK
A KEY TO UNCLE TOMS CABIN. By Harriet BOecher
Stowe Boston Published by Jewott 4 Co, For
sale at the office of the National Era, by Lewis
Clephane, and by the bookstores generally.
The long promised book is at last published
1t embodes the original facts and documents
upon which Uncle Toms Cabin was founded
and forms volume of 262 pages. We were
among those who were inclined to doubt the
expediency of such work. The story spoke
for itself, and its truthfulness was attested
by the heart of Humanity. Admit the posses
sion of absolute power, such as the Slave Code
oonfers on the master, and just such conse-
quences must follow as are portrayed in Mrs.
Stoves novel No man who understands what
human nature is, and knows how to reason, and
is not warped by prejudice, will deny this. He
who does deny it, will scarcely be convinced by
any documentary evidence that can be pro-
duced He will raise precisely the same OBJ
jections to the facts that he raised against
the representations in the story-namely that
they are so constructed and arrayed as to con-
vey false impression Fer this reason, and
because we apprehended that the collection of
such facts and documents as could be easily
collected and submitted to the Public, might
arouse the bitter antagonism of the South, and
close its heart to the more winning appeals of
Mrs. Stowe through her fictitious narrative We
could have wished that she had let her assail-
ants contradict and silence themselves, and
given us another work of the class to which
Uncle Toms Cabin belongs. And this we
know would have been more in accordance
with her taste She says, with great truth we
doubt not, that " this work is one which has
been written with no pleasure, and with much
pain In fictitious writing, it is possible to find
refuge from the hOrrid and the terrible, by in
venting scenes and characters of more pleas
ing nature. No such resource is open in q
work of fact and the subject Of this work is
one on which the truth, if told at oil, must
needs be very dreadful There is no bright
side to Slavery, as such. Those scenes which
are made bright by the generosity and kind
ness Of masters and mistresses would be bright
er still if the element of Slavery were with
drawn. There is nothing picturesque Or beau
tiful in the family attachment of old servants,
which is not to be found in countries where
these servants are legally free. n
Slavery therefore, is not the element which
forms the picturesque and beautiful Of South
ern life"
Mrs. Stowe was aware that if she did not
undertake work of this SORT somebody else
would and she preferred to do it herself,
rather than have it done in an intolerant and
severe spirit She has discharged what she
considered her duty, with fidelity, ability, and
kindness She demonstrates her accurate knowl.
edge of the law of Slavery, and her familiarity
with its practical workings There is not o
character in Uncle Toms Cabin for which she
does not find counterpart, not an incident for
which she does not present parallel. 1t is
sheer nonsense to question the facts and docu-
ments she submits for the accompanying evil
dence is such, that if Shareholders assa il, they
but repudiate their own testimony. Through
out the work, she takes every legitimate
occasion to relieve the dark picture, by bring
ing out what lie excellent in Southern charac-
ter and institutions. Her war is not on the
Southern People, but on system which is in
trissically barbarous and exceptional among
the institutions of our country She assumes
for human nature in the North no superior
virtue She does not sit in judgment upon
character, but upon institutions; and by an
array of facts not to be questioned, furnished
by Shareholders themselves she demonstrates
that all that is peculiar to Slavery, as distin-
gushing it from free labor, is I" evil, and only
evil, and that continually"
And is this surprising Have the American
People yet to learn that Freedom is the right
of man, and the necessary condition TO Pro-
gress That Slavery is state Of violence,
degrading to human nature, and an obstacle to
all progress! That Free Labor is a blessing,
and Slave Labor curse Can any American,
who has not forgotten that our Fathers re-
belled against the British Government because
it asserted the right-not to convert them into
property, but-to appropriate to its own use
portion of their property, without their con-
sent, and justified their rebellion by Affirming
the equal rights Of all men to life, liberty,
property, and happiness, deny that the Law
which subjects one man to tho will, and for the
paramount benefit of another, making not only
his earnings but himself body and soul, the
property of that other, is and must be, "eyil,
only evil, and that continually" And yet for
proclaiming ana proving this truth, Mrs. Stowe
will fall under the bitterest maledictions of
portion Of her countrymen. She will be
charged with fanaticism, with bigotry, with
want Of patriotism, with treason against the
Union fanaticism, because she believes Des-
potism sin against God and man bigotry.
because she believes Slave Labor is evil, and
Free Labor good hatred Of her country, be-
cause she seeks her country's advancement by
the removal Of her country's curse treason
against the Union, because she has devoted hsr
noblest energies to the overthrow Of the ons
great Evil that disturbs its harmony and jeop-
ards It's existence.
But she can afford TO be abused. The very
isrOcty Of her enemies bears witness to her
power the world Acknowledges her genius,
and oppressed, down. troddsn Humanity every
where win rse up and call her blessed. She
will Iva her fana cc~av.- bv; uhtao;o ara hor !