Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-06-08

= tiOn.-The year of 1850 was a remarkab
). period in the political history of this coul
try, and was crowded with startling inc
d dents. The slavery question waged wit
all the madness of a cyclone in both brancl
# es of our national legislature. Mr.. Cha
was then in the full orbed splendor of hi
national fame, and early in February of thu
year presented to the Senate series of res
olutions which, after promising the desira
bleness for the peace, concord and harmon,
: of the Union, and settlement of all ques
: tons relating TO slavery, offered his famou
compromise, which, among other matters @
, import, declared that it was inexpedient t,
J abolish slavery in the District of Columb
whilst that Institution existed in MARYLAND
without the consent Of that State, the con
sent of the District, and without just com
pensation to the owners; aud further, tina
Congress had no power to abolish or pro
hibit the trade of slaves between the slave
holding States, but that the admission OF
exclusion Of slaves, brought from one to an.
other of them, depends exclusively upon
tnelr own particular laws.
The debate upon these resolutions was
one Of the most famous of the Senate of the
United States during the period when states
men of massive intellect were upon the
theatre of action. Mr.. Clay led off in pow
erful speech in support Of the resolutions
and was followed by Webster, Cass, Seward,
Douglas, Mason, Benton, Hunter and others.
Mr.. Calhoun, who was PROSTATE at the time
with his last sickness, prepared speech,
which was read by Senator Hunter. Fol-
lowing the debate the memorable committee
of thirteen was appointed, of which Mr..
Clay was chairman, and subsequently dur
ing that year and among the important
measures emanating from that committee
upon the slavery question and acted upon
by Congress was the passage of the fugitive
slave bill
The passage of this bill, the position which
distinguished men in both branches of Con-
gress had assumed pending its discussion,
called forth the most violent excavations
from Northern fanatics and the Free Soil
party generally The institution of slavery
was assaulted atevery point, it was preached
from the pulpit, proclaimed from the hust-
ings; no language was too severe in depict
ing its cruelty, no misrepresentation of the
Southesn people was too sweeping, no curse
was sufficiently deep and damnable.
About this time there was published in
Washington city an Abolition newspaper
called the National Era, edited by one Bal
ley, "A noted Aboitionist, and which had the
moral and financial support Of Joshua r.
Giddings, Owen Lovejoy, John G. Fremont
and Others Of the same school. 1t was the
proiessed organ Of that party which pro-
claimed that "the Constitution was an
agreement with hell"
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, born, Graded
and reared midst the noxious isms and false
philanthropy of State which boasts of its
Plymouth rock-a woman evidently Of some
talent, much mental culture and considera-
BILE Yankee shrewdness, with nervous hatred,
anxiety and haste, aided in kinding the
flames of prejudice against the people Of the
South and their institutions, and watched
with equally nervous pleasure the progress
of the flames.
Mrs. Stowe understood the temperament
of the people Of the North, as she was &C.
quainted with their habits, it had been n
kind Of pous study Of hers, and doubtless
the hours of her toll had been stimulated by
her brother, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, who
has done so much to strengthen the chris
tan morals of the world. q Quick in per-
ception as she was facile and persuasive in
Imagination, she was not slow in realizing
the effect that all this misrepresentation had
brought about at the North--that IL was
not confined alone 10 her orthodox school of
politicians, but that it had permeated all
classes of society aud reached all shades of
politicians. She saw that the mind of the
Northern people was at fever heat, that it
was ready for the warm reception Of any
sensation which was founded upon the cru
elites and wrongs of slavery and the en-
forcement OF the fugitive slave act That il
would be doubly so when it appeared in the
form of sensational romance, the leading
characters taken from those of the negro
cabin Of Southern plantation, embellished
with pathetic sentences and abOundng in
vulgar ISLANDERS and insinuations against
Southern planters who were her peers in
morals and Intelligence, her superiors by
birth and in social position
Mrs Stowe further realized that il would
not do 10 have any such proposed work
make its appearance amidst the fanatic ism
Of her ice bound home, but since il was 10
treat of the wrongs Of an institution which
existed in tropical Cline and in order that II
could have some Of the aroma aud romance
of the country where the scenes were to be
placed, il must emanate near as possible from
the home of her characters and the places Of
incidents related in the work. Sue dare not
send such poisonous manuscripts 81 the
South 10 be printed it would not do 10 have
it printed at home and appear as though il
came from the South. The National Era
suggested itself; it was good idea, it was
the acknowledged organ of the Free Soil
party, it was published at Washington city,
the capital of the nation, surrounded by
slave territory, and the place where Con-
gress had recently perpetrated the "great
wrong" in the passage of the fugitive slave
act. Washington was admirably adapted
as the theatre whence such work should
make its exit.
The work must have significant name,
such one as would be a reflex Of the con
tents of the book. Mrs. Stowe had doubt
less, in some obscure corner of her walks of
puritanical charity, crossed an old colored
man by the name of"Uncle Tom" How
propitious all the circumstances attending
the iifillment Of the cherished dream OF her
life She had TIN. material an exnressivp