New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-22

Of
! friend the gentleman from Kentucky" LOWS Clarke
| o-os.od tbat while IL would DO safe to speak OF
! slavc .a5a gentleman in Boston, Mr. Bryan proDaDy
know NJ well as any that such remark III hentuchy
/ vould bring trouble upon him. in tna1 CohVehton'
made ND OF men Of prominence, character ana en ,e
sIavehodcr and the fugitive slave were et 10 nSh'
80 Io,o They believed that of all who were present
| there was DO man who could 40 appropriately "resuo
WITH the cbampon OF tho "patrlarchcal institution rs
e itlye slave who had tested all Its benehts' Inc
nrucpt papers Of BOstonat that time IL was Unpopular
IN say Good word for anti Slayery meh-Ih ton ho1'
morur gs editions gave tho battle To Lewis Carhc wiz"
ont besItation agreeing that Of the two gentlemen from
! Kentucky" the slave was the Ihahtcl VI '"0
| the clos @ Of the debate.
In ,st, clarke took M his residence with A. H. sahord
Of Cambridgepor and remained there five or SIX years
Mrs Stafford was pdaughter Of the Rev d.
and when in Boston, in attendance at the May
ries Mrs Stowe made her home at that hdy mouse
was here that Mrs. stowe came upon the ueorEe i"i
of her future novel Her conversations with Carhe were
feoent and be was closely questioned by her as 10 us
use in Kentucky From these conversations came INTO
life most OF the characters who aftorWard TOOK up theH
residence I'm tie Cabin Of Uncle Tom; they were SO to
speak, all acquaintance Of Lewis CLARKE Mrs oto"e
noted down the facts she gained; and when clarke ae
ward saw the information he had given reproduced ana
ENLARGED unon in Mrs Stoves book, he told her that he
would have given her further facts If he had known the
use she Intended TO put them to; and she replied that she
had preserved them without any definite purpose, Dut
with the thought that perhaps they might be some DAY
useful OF such material this, and thus collected MIS-
Stowe bu the foundation for the structure which has
| become so famous.
Gained from George Harris brief account Of his
associates In the cabin. Uncle Tom, whose name Is
nseparaJy connected with the story, and over whose
uncompromisng pety and cruel suherings so many
men, women and children have wept Is entitled to the
first consideration. He is compound character JOSIAH
| Henson and Samuel Peter were the two men VINO com
bincd to mako the perfect Uncle TOnl-Henson repre-
scutipc e religious clement OF the character, Peter the
tragcal termination Of pious lfe Henson was native
OF MARYLAND but went TO Kentucky several years before
Clarke left the state His character fairly represented
in Uncle Tom. To the most shameful abuse ana cruelty
he submitted with Christian resignation year after year.
hoping for better things at the hands Of his masters
Tley took advantage Of his known integrity to place
important trusts in his hands, and he mover betrayed
them But the better times he hoped for did not COME
and ore day. when there seemed to DC q vacancy III
Northern communities which he could I'LL, he went up
North 10 m It. Those who have shed bitter tears oVcr
his cruel death at the hands OF Legee, may be stu fur
thcr greved to know that Uncle Tom not IN Heaven
hut in Canada. lie is still preaching as Methodist at
Dawn settlement in Canada built up by fugitlYes from
the benign institution Of Slavery He nearly 100 years
of age but q few weeks since was reported wei ana
rugged When he left Kentucky he was no longer the
Uncle Tom of Mrs Stowe. Upon his career at that point
|
plous and faithful negro who, for a slight odense, was
hung up by the hands aud whipped in turn by the
MASTER overseer and of the walters until his back
was torn pieces and he died soon aftorward HIS last
words addressed to tho who attended him, were;
"Teu massa he has killed me at last for notbngi but
God will forgive him will" These are ethe words OF
Mrs stoves Uncle Tom; and to the fidelity OF the nara
tive Lewis Clarke who witness Of the patient life OF
the pou Henson and OF the death Of the Christian Peter
testiaes SO the tears OF sympathetic men and women
were not shed over imaginary suaerings.
TIE ESCAPE OF ELIZA.
striking incident Of the story and which Is made
the subject Of thrilling tabeau in the play is the cross
Ing If the Ohio, by Eliza who, with her child in her
arm4 springs floating cake Of ice to another
until reaches the northern Shore while the pursuing
slave catchers to the Kentucky side OF the river
lust in time to see her accOmplshyher most hazardous
passage The story of this terrific crossing Is not c
ons though Eliza was the wife Of George Harris as
Is represented. She came from his neghborhood in
Kentucky was acquaintance OF his, and he has seen
her since her escape AS she started from the Ken
tucly side on tia. memorable occasion, she cast aside
garment on the bank order to deceive her pursuers into
the belief that she had made the attempt to cross aud had
drowned but before she they came in sight
and the stratagem OF no avail Her name other than
! Eliza Mr.. Clarke cannot now recall.
! Emmene who refused to accept the unhallOwed love
OF Legree on the Louisiana plantation, character
drawn from fe the original being Della sister Of
/
! Octoroons, OF remarkable beauty, and fell into the
clutches of rascay brute when sod with the rest Of her
brothers and sisters at the division OF her dead grand
fathers estate. She, earnest and sincere Christian
scorned his advances aud defed him. in spite Of the
terrible scOurgng to which she was subjected in con-
sequence As he could not overcome her resolution he
her in drove to be sold in EewOrleans Her pur
chaser there was named Cova who took her to Mexico
emancpated, and married her. Her husband soon died
and left her fortune. She did not long survive him.
and endeavored, I'm her will, to direct the disposition Of
her property for the ransom Of her brothers and sisters
but as slaves could not receive property directly or in
directly the money went into the Treasury Of the State
| Of Louisiana.
Mr. Clarke IS not so clear TO the original OF little Eva
There were often her countepar among chdren OF the
stockholders who were panied to sec, and protested
against the hardshps inflicted their fathers slaves
&c. too the South swarmed with the eervescent Topseys
OF spontaneous growth and with the Marks and LOCKERS
and Haeys of which the story treats Their originals
were to be found everywhere and like the ST. Glars Of
the story and Legree Miss Ophea, et a were created
the embodiment OF certain sentiments principles and
pursuits, to which the system of Slavery gave birth
And here dismiss them all into shadowald to record
briefly the later career Of George Harris.
Several years the Hon. Gerrit Smith gave to col
ored and other settlers hundreds of farms of from 40 to
/ $50 each, in Essex County, New York. George
Harris declares that the purpose of this act before
made public, was to settle colony there to drill in mill
tary tactics, In order In due time to take part In scheme
Of which the raid at Harpers Ferry was an imperfect
illustration. Tue Immediate neghbOrhood Of the friendly
soil Of Canada, ii was believed would afford opportunity
for rapid exit from the authority Of the United States
in case the American eagle should chance to fix Jealous
eye upon the enterprise John Brown was participant
in the councils OF this colony. But the scheme failed
account Of the cold climate, which it impossible for
the accustomed 10 the bamy airs of the SOUTH to
live there. When, in after years, John Brown held
council Of war in Detroit, which adjourned to Chatham,
! in Canada, and there decided upon the at
! tack at Harper's Ferry, Mr.. Clarke was present,
| likely TO succeed, and declined TO take part in it.
In 1882 Mr. Clarke took up hs abode at East Sandwich
Canada about three miles east ofDetrot and established
lrrtuge for runaway slaves Sometimes they came
scanly along and at other times he would count IS such
members OF his family He depended principally on his