The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-12-15
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
Bishop Wilmer Shows the Good in
the Book to be Southern and the
Evil Northern.
(Baltiuo e SUM

political anu ilOIdl---loihcutcu huu
focused aud folsted upon the people of
these United States for long genera
tons to come, in large part by Mrs.
Stoves book. Uncle Toms Cabin"
make it especially timely just now to
lay before the public pithy and point
ed, careful and logical analysis Of that
book by distinguished Southern bish-
op. the Rt. Rev. Richard H. Wilmer,
still bishop of Alabama. The nara
tive was had years ago from the bish-
ops lips.
Shortly after the close of the war
between the States of the Union the
bishop met with gentleman from the
North, and in the course of the con-
versation was asked whether he had
read Mrs. Stoves book. "Of course l
have" said the bishop. 1t is very
remarkable as work Of fiction, Zine,
irony.) for if the book pretends to de-
scribe the condition Of the slave in the
South as generally existing, and not ex-
ceptionally, then it is pretty much a
work of falsehood. And l venture TO
say" continued the bishop. ''few have
extracted its truest aud deepest and
most consistent meaniEy.'
LAS how?" replied the interlocutor.
''In this way responded the bishop.
In the first place, who was the hero
of the stOry?'
"Why, Uncle Tom, of course,'' was
the reply, "a most conspicuous charac-
ter for honesty, fidelity and piety; one
Of the finest characters | have ever
read off,
"Precsely so,' said the bishop, "and
was not this man slave and reared
under that condition, a condition tend
ing to and producing by patient de-
"rees in the native African the instinct
of obedience to lawful and kindly au-
thority, out Of which instinct sprang
reverence and faith aud dutifuiness?
so, according to Mrs. Stoves testi-
mony, doubtless unintended, but none
the less, perhaps the more, emphatic
and valuable, slavery was not incom-
patible with very high type of integ
rlty and piety in the slave.'
Musing for moment the reply was
made: "Of course, l must admit that
much; it is set forth in the book"
Now for the second point said the
bishop. please tell me who was the
conspicuous, most loveable womanly
character in the whole book?''
Eva" was the answer, lone Of the
most lovely of the sex, gentle, kind, re-
fined, a most attractive, womanly char
acter.'
"Was not Eva d slave holder, de-
scended from long line of such gen.
tlewomen?' queried the bishop.
"Yes, she was,'' was the reply.
Then you will perceive that these
noble women represented a refinement
which was defended and honored when
the fathers and sous of the South left
their homes in the keepings of the
slaves, while they fought on the battle.
fields Of Virginia, and the behavior O
these slaves over the whole South be-
lied the 'suggestio falsi' of Uncle Tom
Cabin. You must admit that womanly
refinement and worshipful influence
was not inconsistent with slave owner
ship
Il may not deny that was the ad
mission, ''for 80 has Mrs. Stowe an
nounced to the world"
"Now, once more and finally,' con
tinued Bishop Wilmer, "who was thu
william of the plot---the execrabl
wretch?''
"Why, Legree,' hesitatingly an.
with somewhat indignation, faltere'
the Northern brother.
And who was this man?'' was tn
next question. WAS he not a North
ern- thorn man who comes South and, @
course, mismanaged and, according t
the testimony, most cruelty maltreate
the slaves, as did not such families a
that of Eva?"
Il never read the book from tina
standpoint" was the slowly uttered re
spouse, Il never thought of it at all i
that way
f "Just so," was the final words of tn
bishop. The whole trouble in th
, whole matter from start to finish ha
, come from ignorant or designing ms
t liciousness and selfishness or informed
, ding outsiders who have not hesitate
, to put bungling fingers to most delcat
= civil, political and social mach.ner,
: and the wretched result is before tn
= world.
/ almost all of the beautiful result
. ant Of that by-gone condition is rapid
+ passing away forever---the faithful Of
' nurse, the decent and comely servan
t reverence, obedience, faithfulness-
loving care for them all in sickness an
in health--Uncle Toms piety vanish
ing. And what instead? Conflicts
&. races, animosity aud distrust, suffrae
without sense, religion without moral
service without reverence, the old W.
between oppressive capital and discol
tented labor"
W. c. BUTLER.
Andrew Carnegie says trade do,
nor care copper about the flag.