The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-08-14

tore L SnOuIu uOt dIluuc u IN
had it not been made the theme OF angry
debate in Congress, and thus contributed to
stir Southern resentment against the Black
leaders who endorsed and clrcu-
lated his book. The intense feeling then
Prevailing may be illustrated by the clrcum-
stance that when Helper addressed some
remark to Hon. Burton Craige, representing
the Salisbury District, the old gentleman
arose in wrath and punctuated his reply with
his stick, causing lively connection on the
floor of Congress.
BECOMES AN AUTHOR
Upon his return from California in lS54-5,
young Helper wrote a book called the
= Land of Gold" which he endeavored to
have printed in the South, but failed.
Roger A. Pryor, then one OF the editors OF
the Enquirer, says He came to Rich
mond, a l~ong-legged rustic, with a book with
a taking title, land Lord Byron said all
books should have a taking title called
The Golden Age He produced the MSS,
and persisted in reading SO far as the ener-
gies of humanity were competent to endure
the infection. He told the editor that he
had been North to get it published, but that
Northern publishers were very unjust to
Southern genius. He said they did not
appreciate our intellect, would not buy the
Golden Age" nor give 1t decent atten-
ton that the Northern people were unj ust,
were scoundrels, and wouldn't appreciate
any Southern work. He wanted the South
ern editor to publish. but the latter candidly
criticised it and declined to accept, and SO
the book vanished from Richmond" This
experience satisfied Helperof the slim chance
for achieving fame as a Southern author.
If a man should arise with all the genius of
Shakespeare, or Dickens, or Fielding, or of
IL 4l.oo .n,,hcnl ,,l rIa,11 cnaa1- fra.,
the South-"he would not receive enough
to pay cost of publication. If printed at
the South, his book would never be seen or
heard of, and published at the North, would
not be read
Reasoning after such fashion, and filed
with antipathy for shareholders, that is to
| say, the Weather and more socially promi-
nent class thereof, the ambitious youth re-
| solved to remove his residence, his pen, and
his politics, to the North side of the Poto-
mae. Nay more. 1t was about this period
that Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stoves SANDER
Gus fabrication-'' Uncle Toms Cubin," Ca
book which even yet breeds poison in the
minds of those accustomed to viewing the
South through Northern spectacles), was
having immense sale at the North, and illus
trating by its unparalleled popularity not
only the prevalence of Abolition sentiments,
but also the speediest "cross-cut = to literary
fame.
Helper, taking cue from Mrs. Stoves
sensational success, FASTENED to get up a
volume. ostensibly written in behalf of the
non-slave-holding whites of the South, but
in reality designed to out-EIerod the Adolf
ton Herods themselves, in abuse OF South
erners. A book of this character, he fore
saw, would derive special notoriety from the
circumstance of its authorship; being a
pretended oppose of the : folly and wicked
ness OF slavery by an eX-slave-hOlder. 1t
would arouse universal denunciation at the
South, which, IN more than inverse ratio,
would give it popularity at the North. That
such were the author expectations may be
inferred from Frank p. Blair letter, stating
that-"M Mr.. Helper came to me at Silver
Spring, to examine his book, and recommend
1t rs q moIk to be encouraged Jy ReDubLta
After perusal, | told him it was Objectionable
in many particulars, and he Promised me IN
acI1ttng lie tcOuM omit, or utter, tie matter
objected TO-"
From which we see that the young author
offered his production to the Abolition lead
ers, as a book that Ito use Blair's guarded
ianguage,) ought to be encouraged by Re
pubilcans;' even agreeing to cut and trim
it to suit their purposes.
DOPTE AS A CAMPAIGN A
For several months the 'impending cris-
is" declined to impend, except as a dead
failure on the booksellers shelves; but even
tually the abolition agitators were led to see
what q treasure was offered them and Help
er, to his delight, received a proposal to
print one hundred thousand copies Of his
compendium for free distribution throughout
the North. An immense tide of immigra-
ton was then rolling upon our shores, not
only building up new States, hut adding
dozens Of ongressmen from the other States.
Ignorant OF our politics, but long deluded by
fabricated stories about slavery, it was easy
to poison the minds of the newcomers with
such a book, filing them as full of hatred of
the South as ifthey had been reared to hate
her, as Caleb Gushing, of Mass, said the
little New Englanders were reared.
10 obtain funds to circulate the work. a
printed circular was passed around among
the faithful, containing the following expla-
nation:
i. No other volume now before the public
Is III all rpSnpctS ca yrnll o.1,,I,.l