Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-31
SOUTHERN HISTORY
Annual Meeting Of the Association
Bearing That Name.
TOPICS OF THE SEVERAL PAPERS READ
Unpublished Letter From the Late
Harriet Beecher Stowe.
THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS


The Southern History Association held
rs second annual meeting last evening at
Columbian University, when several papers
of graft interest were read. officers for
the ensuing year were elected.
The meeting was called to order by DR..
J. l.. NJ Curry, in the absence of the presi-
dent, eX-Postmaster General Wilson. DR..
Colyer Merriwether, secretary of the asso-
citation. made his annual report. He said
three quarterly magazines had been pub
lished by the association. making 336 pages
of historical matter which had been pre-
served. The association, he said, had no
deLt
Prof. w. NJ. Baskerville of the Vanderbilt
University, who was to read a paper on
Southern Literature of the Last Decade"
and Prof. T. Pc Harrison of Davidson Col
lege, whose paper was on 1.-The Journal of
Peietiah Webster were absent. but they
had sent their papers, which will be pub
lished in the associations magazine.
The first paper read was by DR.. Stephen
b. Weeks of this city. whose subject was
Mrs Stoves Reasons for Uncle Tom s
Cabin. introducing an unpublished letter
written by Mrs. Stowe to Daniel R. Good
1Oe. who published the "Abolitionist' in
North Carolina. a number of years before
the war. DR.. Weeks said that the south
ern people. for more than sixty years of
the history of the republic, had done more
10 advance the cause of emancipation than
had the north. During this period. he said.
nearly all the leaders in the south favored
doing away with slavery, though they diff
fered in regard to the method by which it
should be accomplished. The under
ground railroad" he said. had been put in
effect in 1919 by southern Quakers.
Mrs. stoves Letter.
He then presented the following hitherto
unpublished letter. written by Harriet
Beecher Stowe to Mr.. Goodloe, as stated
in the foregoing:
"ANDOVER, February 0, 81.
'.Mr Goodloe:
Dear Sir: The more I think of your un-
dertaking the more / am interested In It,
1t has been my earnest desire to address
myself to southern minds. for 1 have al
ways believed that there was, slumbering
at the south, energy enough to reform Its
evils could it only be aroused.
1T has seemed to me that many who
have attacked the system have not under
stood the southern character, nor appre-
ciated what s really good in 1t. 1 think
1 have. at least / have tried--lurin,y This
whole investigation-to balance my mind by
keeping before it the most agreeable pat
terms of southern life and character. While
at the south 1 am regarded with so much
bitterness as their aecuseE ut the bar Of
the world, am sure l have every dispo-
sition IN my heart to he their advocate.
that Is. in ali things which ere defcnsihie.
Il; seems 10 me that truly noble minds
ought to consider that n. best friendship
which refuses to defend their faults. but
rather treats them as excrescences which
ought to be severed, and what is true of
individuals is true of countries.
Il respect and admire the true chivalric
noble ideal of the southern man. and there
Tore, more Indignantly reprobate all that
which Is no part of him, being the result
OF an unnatural institution, and therein 1
,,IJ,-
than those who undertake to defend faults
and all.
THE same is true of my country I fix
my heart on the bright ideal of America
as she should be. and therefore condemn
most unsparingly that part of her course
ane conduct which is unworthy of this
ideal If l did not think there was good
erorgh In America and good enough in the
south to bear this sitting process l would
rot think either of them worth living for.
Tries to Make a Dfstinction.
Il have endeavored, both in my story
and in this key which is to follow to sep
arate the system from the men, but 1
cannot hope. after all, that such a dread
ful set of facts as the latter book contains
can be spread before the world without
exciting some reaction. 1 cannot hope to
be regarded as friend. and must comfort
myself with the simple pleasure of feeling
friendly.
1T certainly cannot be agreeable to have
such things brought out about ones coun-
try, and j. as an American. expect to feel
very unpleasantly about it when I get to
Europe, but then i do not see any way
that cancer can be cut out without Civ
Ing pain, and / am ready to suffer my
part of the disgrace as an American, in
the hope of getting rid of it the quicker.
One thing is certain. that far as made
impressions in England. they have been
favorable TO individual slave holders
though so very adverse to the system.
Many of my correspondents have told
me this. and in my expected visit to Eng
land and the continent, 1t will be my eff
fort to do this still farther. The very deep
est and highest class of minds in England,
such men as Bishop. Whetely, Lord Den
man, the Earls of Shaftesbury and Car
Isle, Arthur Helps, Charles Kingsley and
others are feeling very deeply upon this
subject. Their feelings resemble those OF
brother or friend. who see in some friend
or brother, otherwise highly esteemed.
some course OF conduct which they think
is fraught with the gravest consequences,
so that while uncertain how to speak they
can scarce forbear speaking. / have been
In correspondence with them, and know
how deeply they feel. They feel that tile
honor of Christianity is involved in K.
They feel. moreover, that the very safety
is involved in it, and they are men who
would deprecate an evil to this country as
an evil TO their own.
The Moral Influence.
THE influence of such men, when fully in
possession of the facts Of the case, Will
form a background of moral influence which
i think will be very valuable to you south
ern reformers. For example, the city OF
Charleston is in perfect state of blockade
as to the admission of any discussion from
the northern free states. and yet I saw adj
vertised by Il bookseller there all the lead
ing English reviews, each one of which has
had within few months a very decided
article upon slavery. The one In Black
wood. 1 think. has a good many valuable
statistics.
Now. one of my objects in England and
the continent is to put this class of minds
IN a position to understand the efforts made
by such men as Cassius Clay and yourself,
not that l consider you coming al all
under the same category as to character,
but You are each endeayoring. in your own
characteristic manner, to effect similar
object.
There is, besides all this, In England
some considerable well-meaning but Ill
guided enthusiasm on this subject, which
these men could qualify and guide. So far
from the slavery question separating the
two countries. l think that the wise and
good IN England, who really love and ad-
mire our institutions. and who, being neith-