The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-09

"Queechy,D made up for the most part of the
pecuiiar chit-chat and social portraiture of wha,
we suppose we must accept-from the general
similarity OF Representations a true reelection
of domestic life in the United States. But
there is in "Dred," as in "Uncle Tom.n mas
sages of such remarkable power as entirely to
separate these works from the class to which
in other respects they bear so strong a resem
blance. There are whole chapters in "Dred,'
as we shall presently show, of intellectual power
of the very highest kind that has ever poured
itself into shapes of romance.
The main difference between "Uncle Tom "
and bred" is, that while the former was
purely social. the latter, though still relating to
modern times, Is in Its more serious parts of a
historical cast. The story of Dredn is such
one as Scott might have seized on, if he had
been born in the United States. bred ia the
son of slave, Denmark Vesey by name. who
having obtained his freedom, became the head
of a conspiracy in South Carolina for liberatinp
the black population. bred was a lad of four
teen when Vesey was executed; he saw his
father die, and was himself sold to q distan,
plantation. But his nature was untameable
he struck his overseer dead, took to the swamps
and was never more heard Of In this romance
an imaginary career is shaped out for him, CON
sistent with the few known facts of his HISTORY,
Though the story of bred is but an episode in
the book, 1t is by far the most important portion
the parts in which he appears being written in
style OF masculine eloquence, which is ALWAYS
in the highest degree impressive, and often
rises to sublimity.
| To the author of this book belongs the meri,
OF being the first to perceive the elements OF
romance involved in the very existence of a
slave population, in the midst of free commu
nifty In modern times. 1t follows, from the
state OF society in the Southern States, that the
two races must blend and minge with each
other, until accident, rather than any radical
| difference in mental constitution, determines
the mighty alternative of admission into the
ranks OF Slavery or Freedom. The offspring
OF planter by female slave, perhaps herseli
mulatto of extraordinary gifts, may be equal
or superior to the children born to him in law
full wedlock. They may even receive the same
kind of education and training, their earlier
years may be fostered with the same tenderness
but they may nevertheless grow up slaves, denied
the commonest rights of humanity, be liable to
be bought and sold like cattle, and to be over.
tasked logged, tortured, ground to death, al
the Will OF caprlclous or cruel master. Such
state OF society must contain within itself ma.
| terals OF romance of the most striking charac
ter, as it is impossible to conceive any human
condition where greater scope is afforded for
unrestrained will on one side, or for deeper suf
fering, with all the feelings and passions which
the last extreme of anguish brings with it, on
the other. The immense popularity of Uncle
Tom was, we think, principally attributable
to Its being the first work of any pretension.
which skilfully employed those materials OF
romance for purposes of fiction, and made the
modern world aware that the slave States OF
4 me ,aA IL Al G..
ic emotion, pity and terror
The social sketches in the present romance
are not equal to those in the previous produc-
ton of the author. There are no characters 90
so original as Uncle Tom and Topsy. and the
book wants the freshness which so greatly con-
tributed to the popularity of its predecessor
But the narrative is scarcely less exciting, and
we think it altogether calculated to sustain the
| reputation of the author. Of the innumerable
limitations which "Uncle Tom" gave birth to-
not one exhibited trace of that vital power
by which it was distinguished.
| We regard that power as the more wonderful
since we find no sign of it in any of the pre-
vious productions of Mrs. Stowe We looked for
some indications of it in her work on England
but we found not passage to establish identi-
ty OF intellect with the author of Uncle Tom. p
We are still more puzzled with "Dred." The
qualities OF mind revealed in it are so opposed
and even irreconcilable, that we can hardly be.
lieve them to exist in the same intellect. For
while we find large amount of purely trivial
writing-not free from affectation, and mingled
with all kinds of faults in style-we find in il
also passages where close, concentrated, logical
thought, with thrilling passion, sublime i'm.
agery, and intense aspiration. are expressed in
composition OF the purest English and most
harmonious periods.
The question irresistibly forced on our mind
by perusal of +" bred is: Can Mrs. Stowe
be the unassisted author OF the romances which
bear her name? If she be, her mind is the
greatest psychological marvel of which we
know any example. Such union of triviality
with power, of massive, solid intellect with
mere artificial prettiness and accomplishment
is lncomprehensibe to US.
! Is 1t not probable that some one or more OF
those earnest minds which are laboring for the
overthrow of Slavery in the United States might
be willing to assist Mrs. Stowe in influencing
the public mind by fiction, though unwilling
to appear openly in the work? We have all
heard of the underground railway in the States
may not there be press worked by some agen.
cy equally secret2 There was something like
organization in the means taken to give uni.
versal publicity to "Uncle Tom" "The Key u
|
Mrs. Stowe has written all that bears her name
she Is one OF the most wonderful Of all female
wrters.
Our surmise that Mrs. Stowe has been largely
assisted in the composition Of these works, is
founded on internal evidence alone. We sus-
pect that there is an American Junius behind
the curtain, exulting in his impenetrable secre-
cy, and in the sensation he has excited. We
should like to know something more Of Mr..
Beecher Stowe than we do at present. is he a
man of vigorous talent, or is he only Mrs. Stoves
husband? In the hubbub of her notoriety, he
has modestly kept himself in the shade. Mrs.
Stowe is no doubt a very clever, intelligent
writer, and possessed of that talent natural to
feminine minds, of quickly seizing prominences
of character and of deliueating manners. But
we cannot SO easily believe that she possesses
the imaginative power, the muscular energy of
sentiment, the logical sense, the perception OF
fundamental truth, and the mastery of the Eng
lish tongue, which are found in parts of this
remarkable book. If the whole be hers, she is
gifted with genius rarely, indeed, accorded to
woman. The appearance of diversity of style
is so strong, that we incline to the opinion that
two pens, at least, have been engaged in the
composition.
AS bred does not appear until the narrative
is far advanced, and he has then little con-
nection with the other personages of the story,
the book is rather a collection of sketches than
regularly-constructed tale. 1t reflects vari-
GUS scenes of Southern life-the negro charac-
tiers, as in uncle Tom" appearing to be drawn
with great fidelity. Though always amusing,
the parts of the book want cohesion, and hence
it is somewhat oatchy.
From the Leader.
In this story, the action of the cholera is far
more powerful than the action of Slavery. Of