The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-03
A HISTORY OF THE STORY OF
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.

To tie Editor Referring this morn
ing to the death of Mrs Stowe, you
say of her story Uncle Toms Cabin
1T was an over-drawn picture and
gave a wrong impression of Southern
slaye-owners. | think you must have
given only a cursory, or careless
reading of the book: for to me it seem
ed, as | read it, that her purpose was
10 present the slave-owners as anna
bic and honorable, while exhibiting the
inevitable evils of the system. Mr.
Selby, of Kentucky, is represented as
a gentleman of kindly nature, who was
under the necessity of selling Uncle
Tom, to pay his debts. The negro
trader who purchased him, we must
infer from his idiomatic speech. was
from Ohio, or further north; and GER
talnly not Southerner. st. Clair, /
believe the name was, the New Orleans
gentleman to whom Haley, the trader
sold Tom, was a heightened Southern
gentleman, and kind, indulgent mas
ter to the old negro. But st. Clair
went out to a hotel one evening, be-
came involved in a quarrel, and was
killed. This sad event broke ND the
happy family to which Uncle Tom
belonged, and he was sold to a Red
River planter, named Lagree. This
monster of cruelty was a Vermonter
The Southerners connected with the
story are gentlemen. The Northern
ers, a negro-trader and a fiend Mrs.
Stoves purpose was to show how the
system of slavery, in the most favora-
BILE hands, was liable to result in in
stances of cruel separations of fami-
lies, and other hardships, and some
times, in crimes, like that of Lagree
| was well acquainted with the edi-
tor and proprietor of the National
Era, DIR. Gamaliel Bailey, and learned
from him how the story of Uncle Tom
came to be written. Mrs Stowe had
before written short stories for the
Era, and was therefore known to the
editor as a fine writer He sent her
in the summer of 1851, one hundred
dollars, and requested her to write a
story for the Era. He expected a
short one, of course, of only a few
columns. But the story pleased his
readers, and he received many letters.
expressing the hope that it would be
continued. His subscription list began
to increase, also. So the Doctor sent
the author another hundred dollars
and requested her to write on. An
other and another hundred were sent
until the story was completed, emit
tied ''Uncle Toms Cabin, or Life A
mong the Lowly"
The popularity of the story caused
the subscription list of the Era to be
doubled. It was completed during the
year 1851, and was soon brought out
by Boston publisher named Jewett,
whose fortune it made. Mrs. Stowe
was made independent by her share
in the profits; but Jewett realized
twice as much as did the author. She
received liberal sums, also, from Eu-
ropean publishers, who, in the absence
of an international copyright. gener-
ously divided profits with her.
Prior to the civil war, the upper
classes of Great Britain professed to
hold slavery in great adherence. Anti
slavery was the wedge used bv
them for irving the Union asunder.
But when the war came on, they went
over to the other side and supported
secession. Tt was while they were
turning UP the whites of their eyes at
the wickedness fo slavery, however, that
they brought Uncle Toms Cabin into
use as a political engine, by their
Exeter Hall gatherings. In 1852, 1T is
remembered, the anti-slavery cause,
in this country, was at discount;
and Uncle Toms Cabin was little read
outside the limited circle OF the anti
slavery people. But Exeter Hall, Lon
don. with the Duchess of Switzerland
at it's head, brought Uncle Tom into
notice as a political campaigner. Prior
IN that time it was read and vept over
by Southern ladies'.
I am very respectfully,
DANIEL r.. GOODLOE.