The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-15
F. HOpkinSOn Smith Says it Was a
ViciouSBOOk and Helped to Bring
On the Civil War.

New York. Jan. i5.-when Mrs. Har-
riet Beeohcr stowe. In ante-bellum days.
spread before the American reading pub
lie the pages OF "Uncle Toms Cabin" To
stir the tears OF youthful Northerners
and fire the blood OF their fathers, people
above Mason and Dixon's line believed
that she had done great work for .hu-
msnity in general and the slave in partic-
ular
Many thoHsands believe so still. II.
Hopkinson Smith. who was southerner
before he was an author. says the book
was vicious book and "a criminal mis-
take"
.The matter comes right down TO the
question OF .gusb.' said Mr.. Smith yes
terday False sentiment does more
harm In this world than anything else"
Mr.. Smith feels that the south was ma
ligned by "Uncle Toms Cabin" and We
hemently protests against the northern
assumption that Elizas flight across ice
cakes, pursued by bloodhounds. or the
death OF Uncle Tom himself Is typical OF
4 conditions which the civil war ended.
He gave emphatic expression TO his
views hast Thursday before the Newton
club in Boston. and though the descend.
ants OF the Pilgrim Fathers responded
with the kind OF silence that Is poetically
called dead Mr.. Smith has since re-
cetved letters from Boston commendi.g q
his attitude.
In his home at No. $50 East Thirty
fourth street. yesterday, Mr. Smith
spoke with much earnestness.
. Uncle Toms Cabin he said. did
~ much as any one thing to precipitate
the civil war. IL was vicious, appalling,
criminal mistake. IL gave distorted view
view of the south IL made northern peo-
pile believe that southcrners were cruel
20 the slave.
MADE COMPROMISE IMPOSSIBLE. E"
'The very reason why a compromise
between the north and south was impos-
sible was because books Of that sort wore
written. The northerners believed that
slavery was causing the negroes terrible
suffering The sontherner believed that
the norfherner was coming down 20 take
his property away from him That situa-
tIon brought about the war"
WHAT about the question OF state
rights
another name for the Same thing"
said Mr.. Smith "'rhe southern man felt
that the north had no right 20 take away
his slave without paying for him. HIS
right OF property was just az sacred In
his negro as In his mule. 7 don't believe
ia slavery. From the sentimental stand
point I don't think one man ought TO be
another mans property But think how'
many millions OF dollars the government
would have saved had the southerncrs
been paid for their slaves and how
many lives"
- Mr. Smith strobe up and down tho room
as he spoke. He stopped moment bcfplo
the glowing logs in his fireplace, knocx-
ed or a lit OF cigarette ASH and ex-
claimed:
Mrs. stowe went down into the south.
stayed there few months. and came
back TO write an utterly false view of
the southern situation. She wont To fnd
material 20 justify the northern position.
and OF course she found II. The other side
OF the qiiestionrthe happy. care free.
contented lives OF the majority of the re-
grocs-she quite Ignored
"aIind YOU. have nothing against Mrs
Stowe. She WAS the dearest svoetcst Did
lady IN the world I remember meeting
her IL was jnst before her miad .e.aa
10 fail but she was still a charming o1
women. But II she did not see he other
side she could not have opened her eyes,
for II was there TO see
I'VE had no one TO reply 80 that hook
There we're no means OF gettiDx our re
ply published in the north. n anA thing
U0It WIZ trHdNfV lN~D n nfNrpAfHfF Hit-
patch from RichmOnd. which avesy ons
believed untrue
But Nrs Stoves book was an inter
estiig romance II was read All ovcr the
country. and Is 20 rend today Ths pregses
are continually turning out thnusauds OF
copies of n. aud II has been PLAYED AZ "A
drama all through the United states and
is constantly being played
KNOW NOTHING OF AFFECTION
"Peoric 60 20 sec those dramatic rer-
sions-thc negro lashed hunted by dogs-
and they see cruelty 10 the slave Ell
through a. They don't know anv h.ns OF
the affection that existed between the
sorfhern masters and their siatos. Jrst
step this way and look al this portrait
In the hallway leading f5m Mr.
Smiths studio an old time pipaouraph
hung IN a frame upon the Wall. I. shove Cd
rrizzled. smiling darky. evidently long
past his allotted three score yeara Add
ten. with the words "Daddy Bulv strif.
bicd IN small script beneath The original
Of that little portrait has nrnrci a
"Cfud' between tho covcts 81 Colonel
Carter Of Cartersviile." and thus tIav.d
an afnisble and respectful sancno panza
10 the courfly old southern Don luiSot.
~hom Mr.. Smith made famous
THAT was my fathers body servant.
old Daddy Billy SD the writer rernn-
i1csatis 'He used TO carry me Va lis