Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-09-03
How "Unclc Toms Cab
in'' Excited the People.


Washington, that "Uncle Toms
Cabin" first appeared; The result of
bargain, i'm which the consideration
was insignificant, for story illustra.
tion of the folly, and madness, and
wickedness of slavery, aud particu-
larly of the Fugitive Slave Law.
The time was propitious. The Era"
fairly lesped into circulation all
over the country. AS the story un-
raveled itself week by week, and the
characters and incidents grew In In
terest with the unfolding of the plot,
the paper was everywhere awaited
with impatience. In every college
of the North, In thousands of fami-
lies, the story was read to classes, or
clubs, and around domestic hearths,
and then sent to bring like gratifica-
ton to other classes, and clubs, and
firesides. Before the publication
was half done In the Era" the in
terest In 1t among the cultivated
families of the North was we'll nigh
universal. Before the death of poor
st. Clair was evolved, thousands of
people were nore deeply concerned
for the welfare of Uncle Tom than
had ever been deeply concerned for
the welfare of Henry Clay or of DAN
iel Webster. When the.. work was
published In book form the demand
could not be supplied. Every copy
served the purpose OF o score OF
copies. The writer hereof then at
college, was SO fortunate as to secure
the very first copy" He read 1t to
three families, and some OF the neigh
bors, including not less than seventy
five persons. He ordered more copies,
and read the work three or four times
over to good audiences, and saw that
the extra copies were doing similar
heavy duty. His own copies of the
work were surely read by and to as
many as one thousand souls, all OF
which from that time forth became
determined enemies of human sla-
very. And thus 1t was all over the
North. There was an /" Uncle Tom,
excitement an " Uncle Tom" .f,tror,
the like of which had never been
known I'm the history of literature,
and has since been equaled only by
the wonderful demand for newspa-
pers during the war of emancipation.
Within six months over one hundred
aud fifty thousand copies had been
sold In America, and ID had been read
or listened to by millions of persons.
The London publishers sold two hum
dred and forty thousand copies In one
month! It was speedily translated
into every European language and
into some of the languages OF Asia.
Before intelligence of the death OF
the statesman of Marshfield had
reached the antipodes, 1t Is probable
that more than one hundred millions
of human beings had wept over the
death Of /" Uncle Tom"
This rrodigious success Of |" Uncle
Toms Cabin" was not due to the for
tuitous general interest I'm the subject
of which 1t treated. A score OF
works appeared soon after the publ
cation Of Mrs. Stoves story, treating
of the same subject. They complete.
ly failed. !" Uncle Toms Cabin,'
achieved Its remarkable success be.
cause 1t deserved 1t. It Is a most
consummate work OF art. Not i'm
the greatest work of Dickens, not In
the greatest work of Scott, has gen ius
grouped together more varied charac-
ters or placed them In more interest
Ing scenes. Not I'm the most artistic
work OF either of those great story
writers does every character and
every incident help on the general
movement Of the plot, and bring
about the denouement, more natural
/ ly than does every character and
every incident I'm "Uncle Toms
Cabin" In no oti.er story are there
characters which draw forth more
earnest sympathy and love, or more
earnest destitation, and there are
none which are more true to nature.
But the greatness Of this artists
genius did not stop here. 1t inspired
the characters IL created with almost
miraculous tower. They exhibited
slavery not Only as they were indi-
vidually concerned Herewith, but
they held up to view the whole sys.
tenn, SO that \ could he seen with the
minds eye IN all its terrible nature
corrupung commerce, destroying do
messic happiness, degrading politics,
enfeebling statesmanshps, imbruting
|. men and women sinking great ma