The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-05-24
HARRIET BEEOHBR STOVES FACTS vs.,
HER FANCY.

ted more than any other woman has done to
the uufouuded and unjust prejudice in the
North against Southern people. Her "Uncle
Toms Cabin has been one Of the most pro
lifcgenerators of that foolish ,illiberal and un
christian feeling OF selfrighteousness which
has led so many Northern people to thAnl
God that they we're not as other men, in th
South, whom they conceived to DO barbarian
and ignoramuses. No man ever honestly
thought this who had any k1lotoledgs Of The
people of the Southern states. Those who
have been most intense have generally pos
sessed thu least personal knowledge Of the
character aud manners Of those whom theJ
conceived il to be their duty to anathAme
tie. Mrs. Stowe NAV be taken rs the rep
resentative of this large class Of Northern
people. For years she has drawn on hci
Imagination aud prejudiced accounts o.
willfli yi.iifers Of the Southern people, fot
her opinion OF them. Since the war she has
resided great part of her time in Florida
where she has had for neighborS the people
whom she has delighted TO denounce IL
her southern home she has acquired know!
edge these people from the best sonrces--
personal contact and daily association with
them in their homes and in the practical
concerns Of life. 10 recent number OF the
Hayh and Home she does something to
atone for the mountains Of prejudice aud
wrong she has beaped up against them, and
draws contrast between the native Flori
dams sd the educated, civilized Northern
travellers, which would not be an uniting
appendix to "Uucle Toms Cabin" She
says:
LIVING where we do in Florida Just now,
We happen 70 b. in state that has come 10
be declared trampiur ground for tour.
lsts 4 great deal has been SAID and written
about Florida, aud the tide Of fashion brings
this way a ceaseiess food Of people, many
Of whom, We regret 70 say, in packing their
trunks have left out that very pleasant hrtI-
Gle We alluded to ordinary good manners
which alone can make people agreeable and
welcome wherever they go. The native
Fiyrdlaus, sometimes called Crackers, while
10 many respects they live in great rough
mes, and simplicity are, so far as we have
observed them, people Of essential good
manners Gro 70 see them IN their own
homes and YOU are always kindly received.
The best they have to give IN the house IS
offered freely. Ifyou are helatcd sud must
spend the sht IN a cabin, the only bed wi.
be freely vacated to the stranger. la the
same manner il he calls 20 see you, be is
simple and quiet he conhdes IN your hO5pI
tally and good intentions he asks no i'm
pertinent questions, and goes his way in
time, and does not print any account OF what
he has seen in paper We have never
been in a native FIor,dIan's house without
being offered something as al expression Of
good will and kindness most commonly a
glass Of good milk and flowers end we
must say that we are a little ashamed to put
our Floridan friends along side of the 70
called cultivated people who are manIirsting
themselves to US from the North.
We have the good or illfortuuc 10 live in
an orange grove, but fifteen miles above
Jacksonville Our family has had Oppor-
tunity TO make some observations not very
Creditabla 10 Northern civilization
Let US imagine ourselves now 10 be per
sons in country residence on the North
Riyer-say at Peekskill or FiskIll-wou.d It
be considered the thing 70 have an eXcur-
sion party landed opposite to you, and come
up in full force, and take possession OF the |
ground opposite your house and then send
investigating parties to look into the win
lows Of your house, on the North or the
South, or the East and the West, shouting {
backward and forward to each other, any =,
interior discoveries which they have made
ia these researohes2 Yet the thing has
been practiced in our case by parties Of en-
erpri-iug tourists. An invited gentleman
reading in the yerandah is reused by the
sight of three or four female noses hattened
against the window panes of his bed cham
Der, apparently discussing his private ar
engagements there. Rousing himself he
goes forth and requests the fair inspectors
to leave. They are indignant at his want
Of polteness and inform him that if Mrs
Stowe we're they would be treated very DIFF
fe5eutly. They have read Mrs. Stowrs
writings and heard the Rev Henry Ward
3eecher preach and if this does not give
hem title to look into every window Of
lis house they should like to know what q
would. d
Then it ia very pleasant, retired, as the i
amjIy usually are to the most secluded por g
lOu o., her house on these OCCASIONS to hear .
he various opinions shouted backward and
Onward, as for example ~ don't see
hat this is so very much of place after
here but the orange grove, and +
and the live oaks and the river view. Don't I
seem to be should want to live here. e
Courteous reader, this harsh declaration
vas the only pleasing one that caught our y
ars. Now, as the family habituay resid. /
NJ IN the house have been obliged to sus. =
ain these impertnenCies while the house
las been being built, and the grounds are 3
necessarily encountered with q Debris Of L
ioiuers benches and lumber, it may be well {
a committee of Northern mat.
rons and newspaper reporters, out on a ram.
page, and feeling an artless freedom to put
their heads iuto every cupboard, aud closet
TO hit the lid of every box and look into
every barrel, aud declare joyously to each
other what they found there, could not have
been pleasing accessory TO therlabors. We |
rather think that Mrs. Smith and Mrs Jones |
and others who have been parties to such |
explorations would feel themselves grieved !
II On some morning when the house is being |
turned ont of doors, for yearly house
cleaning, an excursion party of idle people,
should be let loose upon them TO examine |
AMI report luto all their secret household |
procet4ng. We have not been in this |
way the Only sufferers on the river.
~~-------s-z-----
Newspaper Assaults upon Public Men.
The Chicago Times Of Sunday contains
the annexed article On The subject Of news.
paper assaults upon public men which