The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-06

ECHOES OF UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
A short time ago all the Boston news
papers received and. some of them pub
lished the following singular document:
Know all men by these presents that 1.
j. Milton Clarke, of Cambridge, in the
county of Middlesex, and Commonwealth
OF Massachusetts,, late messenger in the
United States subtreasury at Boston, fear
ing that certain matters, stories, and So
called anecdotes, supposed to be connected
with the early history of my life. may be
published after my death, and thereby
cause annoyance and embarrassment TO
my children and relatives, do hereby pro-
hibit the printing and publishing of any
thing relating to my life. except such facts
as may be given out by my family after
ny death.
This is done in justice to my relatives and
family, because such stories and anecdotes
are overdrawn and misleading.
This was signed John Milton Clarke and
sworn to. Clarke, 1t appears, is a light
colored negro. once a slave, who in a state
ment published a few years ago said: "If
my brother. Louis Clarke, and I had not
been born Uncle Toms Cabin would
never lave been written" He said his
brother was the original George Harris of
the story, that Uncle Tom was a slave
named Sam Pete. whom his brother saw
whipped TO death in Kentucky, and that
j. Milton Clarke's young mistress, a white
girl, was the original Eva of the story.
Clarke told 4 long story about escaping
from slavery in Kentucky to Cincinnati,
o., where he made the acquaintance of
Salmon p. Chase and John Sherman, then
going to New York, where he met Mil
lard Fillmore, young Roscoe Conkling and
other men then or afterwards of note, and
finally going to Boston. with his brother,
where they both remained. His brother
went to live with Mr.. Sanford, a son-in-
law of old DIR. Lyman Beecher, at Cam
bridge, and in that way it was said Mrs,
Stowe became acquainted with the history
of the Clarkes and obtained from them
some of the characters and incidents OF her
great story.
There may be a modicum of truth in
Ciarke's story, but there is probably a
good deal of fiction. In the period referred
TO, the last two decades preceding the war,
escaped slaves were numerous in the
North, and many of them had had strange
experiences. Mrs. Stowe was in a position
W lCdu VI Htdf VI MANY Oh THESE eA-
periences, and while some of them may
have suggested scenes or incidents in her
story it is not likely she followed them
very closely. 1t is even probable that she
met some of the fugitives, but she would
rot be likely to take any one person as
the original of a character in her story.
Many persons have claimed to be the
-.-s-- ~ ~
author of the story is on record. Many
years ago, when there was some newspa-
FER discussion on the subject, the writer
of this article addressed a letter of inquiry
to Mrs. Stowe and received the following
reply. dated Saco, Me-, July 81. 1852. She
wrote:
In reply to your inquiries 1 will say that
the character of Uncle Tom was not the
biography of any one man.. The first sug-
gestion of it came to me while in Walnut
cook to her husband. a slave, i'm Kentucky.
She told me he was so faithful that his
watched to Cincinnati to market the farm
produce. Now this, according to the laws
of Ohio. gave the man his freedom, since
II any master brought or sent his slave into
Ohio he became free, de facto. But she said
her husband had given his word as a Chris
tan to his master that he would not take
| advantage of the law, his master promising
him from year to year that he would give
him his freedom. Whether he ever got it or
not L know not. 1t was some four or five
years after, when the fugitive slave law
made me DESTROYS of showing what slavery
Was that | conceived the plan of writing
After / had begun the story L got, at the
anti-slavery rooms in Boston, the auto
biography of Josiah Henson. and intro
| duced some of it's most striking Incidents
into my story. The good people of England
gave my friend Josiah enthusiastic well
nnnNA nc h ITnn1n ~ Of fhA pforxr
though he was alive and well and likely
long TO live, while the Uncle Tom of the
story was buried in a martyrs grave.
From this it is evident that no one per-
son stood exclusively for Uncle Tom. OF
the two persons mentioned by Mrs. Stowe
as suggesting the character, her colored
cooks husband in Kentucky and Josiah
Henson, she does not appear ever to have
seen either. 1t is probable the claims Of
other persons as the originals of particular
characters in the story have quite as little
or even less foundation. The characters
were made to fit the institution of slavery,
which Mrs. Stowe was attacking, and of
which her knowledge, aided by her genius,
enabled her to draw a true and realistic
picture. 1t will be noticed, she says the
passage of the fugitive slave law first gave
60
her the idea of writing the story. The
fugitive slave law was passed in 1850, and
Uncle Toms Cabin was published seri-
ally in 1S5l-52, and in book form in March,
1852. There is nothing in these dates to in
| dictate that Mrs. Stowe obtained any of the
materials of her story from the Clarkes
between 1910 and 1850. Certainly there is no
ground for j. Milton Clarke's statement
that if he and his brother had not been
| born 'Uncle Tom Cabin would never
| nave been written. It's writing was foreor-
dained. and the fugitive slave law precipi-
tated 1t.
To GIVE NAN A CHANCE.
When woman takes up the cause of man
in her club discussions look out for re-
E-~-- -l.re 80 a. Cls1.,~ -