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LITERATURE.
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[ Jnclb Tom ' s Cabin ; or Negro Life among the Slave States op America . By Harriet Beecher . Stowe . London-George JRoutledge , Farringdon-street . * "God of aU right , how long Shall priestly robbers at thine altar stand Lifting in prayer to thee the bloody hand ' And haughty brow of wrong ? Hoarse , horrible , and strong , Rises to Heaven that agonizing cry Filling the arches of the hollow sky , How loxg , Oh God , how lojig ?" " Must we be told that Freedom stands On Slavery ' s dark foundations strong—On breaking hearts and fettered hands On robbery , and crime , and wrong ? That all our fathers taught is vain—That Freedom ' s emblem is the chain ?" « Speak out in acts , the time forwauds Has passed , and deeds alone suffice : to ieloud clan # of meeting swords , The softer music dies ! Act ! act in God ' s name while ye may Smite ! smite the nation ' s leprous limb t Throw open to the light of day " The bondsman ' s cell , and break awav The chains the State has bound on him "
Thus sings the American poet Whittier , whose brave and vehement heart Ws the garb of quakerdom , and shows the living- man , and the true warrior in the cause of humanity whenever he sin-s about slavery , while his splendid thono-hte rush from his mind like bolts of steel welded white-hot in a SSSfr 5 ? S *™ , Tllen tfe is Longfellow , whose leadings for the
p oppressed negro slave are as the sweet and holy voice of a sister . And Lowell , whose bright wit , and genuine Yankee humonr , play havoc with the cause of the slaveholders The sharp and barbed arrows of his sarcasm and scorn stick in-emovabl y in the wonnds which they inflict on the hydra-headed beast . And with these are joined a brave company of heroic hearts and noble natures , who speak with tongues of fire in speech and song , and carry on the battle of freedom with a zeal and bravery worthy of the grand old pilgrim fathers . They are encircling the walls of this hideous tyranny , which are doomed to fall before them as surely as the walls of Jericho before the Israehtish
warnors oi old . In this brave band the honoured names of ( . xamson and Townshend , Giddings and Loavitt , Perry and Clapp , Follen and Douglass , and a thousand others deserve warm mention of us , and the eternal thanks of mankind . Honour to you and blessings on you , dear brothers , for your gallant strife in the cause of " the poor crushed slave ! Thanks , the heart ' s best and proudest thanks , to you for nursing the old pilgrim spirit and keeping alive m your hearts the old heroic lire , and proclaimin g in your deeds the old Saxon hatred of slavery . ° We are proud to welcome the authoress of " Uncle IWs
Cabnr as a great and worthy champion in a great and worthy cause . " Uncle Tom ' s Cabin" is a book which strong men will read with weeping eyes . It will call the blood up hot from the heart , and make it run red lava through the veins . It is a terrible book—terrible in the awful Dantean distinctness with which it depicts the workings of the slavery-curse . It is a true book ; true , in bein ^ of the right " grit" and grain . It is a beautiful book ; beautiful , in its tearful tenderness ; and what marvellous smiting tenderness it has ! it
must make the waters of kindness gush from the rockiest heart . What a bright and beautiful creation is that spirit-child , Eva St . Clair ! one of those beings who , like a smile of sunshine , seem to visit the earth under some heavenly promise that will not stay long . Sweet , rainbow of the storm that glitters upon us through falling tears ! And then what glancing lights of negro mirth , which seem to make the gloom of slavery more horrible , as the lightning reveals the darkness of night ! We have nothing but thanks for the woman who can witch the world with such a love for the 5
nigger' as she makes us feel for " Uncle Tom , " and who drops such a crown of glory on the dark and branded brow . In reviewing this book , criticism will run into eulogy . We do not marvel at the extraordinary success it has had in America and we trust it will have as large a sale in England . Everybody should read it . " It will be impossible to do justice to it in extracts . But , who will not buy it for one shilling ? Here , however , are a few specimens : —
THE HUMANE ( 1 ) SLAVEDEALER . " * These critters an ' t like white folks you know ; they gets over things , only manage right . JVow , they say / said Haley , assuming a candid and confidential air , * that this kind o' trade is hardening to the feelings ; but I never found it so . Fact is , I never could do thiugs up the way some fellers manage the business . I ' ve seen ' em as would pull a woman ' s child out of her arms , and set him up to sell , and she screeehin' like mad all the time;—very bad policy—damages the article—makes ' em quite unfit for service
sometimes . I knew a real handsome gal once , in Orleans , as was entirely ruined by this sort o' handling . The fellow that was trading for her didn't want her baby ; and she was one of your real high sort when her blood was up . I tell you , she squeezed tip her child in her arms , and talked , and went on real awful . It kinder makes my blood run cold to think on ' fc ; and when they carried off the child , and locked her up , she jest went ravin' mad , and died in a week . Clear waste , sir , of a thousand dollars , just jor tcant ofmanagment , —there's where ti $ . It's always best to do the humane thing , sir ; that ' s been my experience . '
Now there was Tom Loker , my old partner , down in Katchez ; he was a clever fellow , Tom was , only the very devil with niggers—on pr inciple ' twas you see , for a better-hearted feller never broke bread ; 'twas his system , sir . I used to talk to Tom . « W hy , Tom / I used to say , ' when your gals takes on and cry , what ' s the use o' crackin' on ' em over the head , and knockin ' on ' em round ? It ' s ridiculous , ' says I , ' and don't do no sort o '
good . Why I don't see no harm in their cryin' / says I ; 'it is natur / says I , ' and if natur can ' t blow off one way , it will another . Besides , Tom / says I , 'it jest spiles your gals ; they get sickly , and down in the mouth ; and sometimes they gets ugly—particular yellow girls do , and it ' s the devil and all gettin' on ' em broke in . Now / says I , ' why can't you kinder coax ' em up , and speak ' em fair ? Depend on if , Tom , a little humanity , thrown
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along , goes a heap further than all your jawin' and crackin' j and it pays better / says I , ' depend on ' t . ' But Tom couldn ' t get the hang on ' t ; and he spiled so many for me , that I had to break ott with him , though he was a good-hearted fellow , and as fair a business hand as is going . '" THE ESCAPE OF A FEMALE SLAVE . "Sam tumbled up accordingly , dextrously contriving to tickle Andy as he did so , which occasioned Andy to split out into a laugh greatly to Haley ' s indignation , who made a cut at him with his riding-whip .
" ^ s ' stonfehsdat yev , Andy , ' said Sam , with awful gravity , ibis yer * a sens business , Andy . Yer musn ' t be a makin' came . Thw yer an ' t no way to help mas ' r . ' "' I shall take the straight road to the river / said Haley decidedly , after they had come to the boundaries of the estate . 1 know the way of all of ' em—they make tracks for the underground . ' J " Sartin / said Sam , 'dat ' s de idee . Mas'r Haley hits de thing right in de middle . Now , der ' s two roads to de river—de dirt road and der pike—which mas ' r mean to take ?'
" Andy looked up innocently at Sam , surprised at hearin « this new geographical fact , but instantly confirmed what he said by a vehement reiteration . li Cause / said Sam , 'I'd rather be 'dined to ' magine that Lizy d take de dirt road , bein / it ' s the least travelled . ' ' Haley , notwithstanding that he was a very old bird , and naturally inclined to be suspicious of chaff , was rather brought up by this view of the case . " * If yer warn ' t both on yer such cussed liars , now ! ' said he contemplatively , as be pondered a moment .
The pensive , reflective tone in which this was spoken appeared to amuse Andy prodigiously , and he drew a little behind and shook so as apparently to run a great risk of falling off his horse , while Sam ' s face was immovably composed into the most doleful gravity . "' Course , ' said Sam , ' mas ' r can do as he'd rather ; go de straight road , if mas ' r think best—it ' s all one to us . Now , when I study ' pon it , I think de straight road de best deridedli / . ' "' She would naturally go a lonesome way / said Haley , thinking aloud , not minding Sam's remark .
' ' Dar an ' t no say in' / said Sam ; ' gals is pecular . They never does nothing ye thinks they will ; mose gen'lly the contrar . Gal ' s is nat'Uy made contrary ; and so , if you thinks they've gone one road , it is sartiu you'd better go t ' other , and then you'll be sure to find ' em . Now , my private ' pinion is , Lizy took der dirt road ; so I think we'd better take de straight one . ' " This profound generic view of the female sex did not seem to dispose Haley particularly to the straight road ; and he announced decidedly that he should go the other , and asked Sam when they should come to it .
" ' A little piece ahead / said Sam , giving a winlc to Andy with the eye which was on Andy ' s side of the head ; and he added gravely , 'but I ' ve studded on de matter , and I ' m quite dar we ought not to go dat ar way . I nebber been over it no way . It ' s despit lonesome , and we might lose our way—wliar we'd came to . de Lord only knows . ' " ' Nevertheless / said Haley , ' I shall go that way . ' " ' Now I think on ' t , I think I hearn ' em tell that dat ar road was all fenced up and down bv der creek , and thar- an ' t it Andy ? ' ' '
" Andy wasn't certain , he'd only ' hearn tell' about that road but never been over it . In short , he was strictly non-committal . "Haley , accustomed to strike the balance of probabilities between lies of greater or lesser magnitude , thought that it lay in favour of the dirt road aforesaid . The mention of the thing he thought he perceived was involuntary on Sam ' s part at first ; and his confused attempts to dissuade him he set down to a desperate lying , on second thoughts , as being unwilling to implicate Eliza . " When , therefore , Sam indicated the road , Haley plunged briskly into it , followed by Sam and Andv .
" Now the road , in iact , was an old one that had formerly been a thoroughfare to the river , but abandoned for many years after the laying of the new pike . It was open for about an hour ' s ride , and after that it was cut across by various farms and fences . Sam knew this fact perfectly well ; indeed , the road hart been' so long closed up that Andy had never heard of it . He therefore rode along witli an air of dutiful submission , only groaning and vociferating occasionally that 'twas ' desp't rough , and bad for Jerry ' s foot . ' "' Now , I jest give yer warning / said Haley , ' I know yer ; yer won't get rne to turn off this yer road , with all yer fussin 'so vou shet up !'
" J Mas ' r will go his own way !' said Sam , with rueful submission , at the same time winking most portentously to Andy , whose delight was now very near the explosive point . " Sam was in wonderful spirits ; professed to keep a very brisk look-out—at one time e \ claiming that he saw ' a gal ' s bonnet' on the top of some distant eminence , or calling to Andy ' if that thar wasn't Lizy down in the hollow '—always making these exclamations in some rough or craggy part of the road , where the sudden
quickening of speed was a special inconvenience to a ! l parties concerned , and thus keeping Haley in a state of constant commotion . " After riding about an hour in this way , the whole party made a precipitate and tumultuous descent into a barnyard belonging to a large farming establishment . Not a soul was in sight , all the hands being employed in the fields ; but , as the barn stood conspicuously and plainly square across the road , it was evident that their journey in that direction had reached a decided finale .
" Wan'tdatar whatltclled mas ' r ? ' said Sam . with an air of injured innocence . ' How does strange gentlemen ' spect to know more about a country dan de natives born and raised ?' « ' You rascal , ' said Haley , ' you knew all about this . ' " * Didn't I tell yer I know'd and yer wouldn't believe me ? I telled mas ' r ' twas all shet up , and fenced up , and I didn't 'spect we could get through—Andy heard me . ' " It was all too true to be disputed , and the unlucky man had to pocket his wrath with the best grace he was able , and all three faced to the right about , and took up their line of march for the highway . * * * *
"A thousand lives seemed to be concentrated in that one moment to Eliza . Her room opened by a side door to the river . She caught her child , and sprang down the steps towards it . The trader caught a full glimpse of her , just as she was disappearing down the bank ; and throwing himself from his horse , and calling loudly on Sam and Andy , he was after her like a hound after a deer . In that dizzy moment her feet to her scarce seeni to touch the ground , and a moment brought her to the water ' s edge . Right on behind they came ; and , nerved with strength such as God gives only to the desperate , with one wild cry and flying leap she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore , on to the raft of ice beyond . It was a desperate leap—impossible
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to anything but madness and despair ; and Haley , Sam , and Andy instinctively cried out , and lifted up their hands as she did it . ; " The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her weight came on it , but she stayed there not a moment . With wild cries and desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake ;—stumbling—leaping—slippingspringing upwards again ! Her shoes are gone—her stockings cut from her feet—while blood marked every step ; but she saw nothing , felt nothing , till dimly , as in a dream , she saw the Ohio side , and a man helping her up the bank . '" Yer a brave gal , now whoever ye ar ! ' said the man , with an oath . '
"Eliza recognised the voice and face of a man who owned a farm not far from her old home . " Haley had stood a perfectly-amazed spectator of the scene , till Eliza had disappeared up the bank , when lie turned a blank inquiring look on Sam and Andy . " That ar was a tol ' able fair stroke of business / said Sam "' The gal ' s got seven devils in her , I believe / said Haley ' How like a wild-cat she jumped !' "' Wai now / said Sam , scratching his head , « I hope mas ' r ' 11 ' sense us tryin' dat ai- road . Don't think I feel spry enou ° h for dat ar , no way ! ' and Sam gave a hoarse chuckle . ° "' You laugh ! ' said the trader , with a growl .
' Lord bless you , mas'r , I couldn't help it , now / said Sam , giving way to the long pent-up delight of his soul . « She looked so curi ' s , a leapin' and springin '—ice a crackin '—and only to hear her—plump ! ker chunk ! ker splash ! Spring ! Lord ! how she goes it ! ' and Sam and Andy laughed till the tears rolled down their cheeks . " ' I'll make you laugh t'other side yer mouths ! ' said ' the trader laying about their heads with his riding-whip . "Both ducked , and ran shouting up the bank , and were on their horses before he was up .
Good evening , mas ' r !' said Sam , with much gravity . 'I berry much ' spect missis be anxious 'bout Jerry . Mas ' r Halev won t want us no longer . Missis wouldn't hear of our ridin' the critters over Lizy ' s bridge to-night ; ' and , with a facetious poke into Andy s rife , he started off , followed by the latter , at full speed —their shouts of laughter coming faintly on the wind . " "Uncle Tom" has been sold from a good , master into slavery "down south /' and his young "Mas ' r Georo-e" is absent at the time : he , however , follows " Uncle Tom " of whom he is very fond , and this is the '
LAST PARTING . " Tom was sitting- very mournfully on the outside of the shop Suddenly he heard the quick , short click of a horse ' s hoof behind him ; and , before he could fairly awake from his surprise , youn » - Master George sprang into the waa ^ on , threw his arms tumuftuously round his neck , and was sobbing and scolding with ener ° v " ' I declare , it ' s real mean ! I don ' t care what " they say , a ^ ny of 'em ! It ' s a nasty , mean shame ! If I was a man , they shouldn't do it—they should not so . " said George , with a kind of subdued howl . " ' 0 , Mas'r George ! this does me good ! ' said Tom . ' I couldn ' t bar to go off without seein' ye ! It does me real good , ye can't tell !• Here Tom made some movement of his feet , and George ' s eves fell on the fetters . °
" What a shame ! ' he exclaimed , lifting his hands . ' I'll knock that old fellow down—I will !'
" ' No you won t , Mas'r George , and you must not talk so loud . It won ' t , help me any , to . anger him . ' " ' Well , I won ' t , then , for your sake ; but only to think of itisn't it a shame ? They never sent for me , nor sent me any word , and , if it hadn't been for Tom Lincon , I shouldn ' t have heard it . I tell you , I blew ' em up well , all of ' em , at home !' " ' That ar wasn ' t right , I ' m feard , Mas ' r George . ' "' Can't help it ! I say it ' s a shame ! Look here , Uncle Tom / said ho , turning his back to the shop , and speaking in a mysterious tone , ' I ' ve Brought you my dollar !' " 'Oh ! I couldn't think o' takin' on't , Mas ' r George , no ways in the world ! ' said Tom , quite moved .
"' But you shall take it !' said George . ' Look here ; I told Aunt Chloe I'd do it , and she advised me just to make a hole in it , and put a string through , so you couid hang it round your neck , and keep it out of sight ; else this mean scamp would take it away . I tell ye , Tom , I want to blow him up ! it would do me good !'
. " * No , don't , Mas'r George , for it won't do me any good . ' " Well , I won ' t for your sake , ' said George , busily tying his dollar round Tom ' s neck ; 'but there , now , button your coat tight over it , and keep if ., and remember , every time you see it , that I'll come down after you , and bring you ' back . Aunt Chloe and I have been talking about it . I told her not to fear ; I'll see to it , and I'll tease father's life out , if he don ' t do it . ' " ' 0 , Mas ' r George , ye mustn ' t talk so 'bout yev father !' " ' Lor , Uncle Tom , I don ' t mean anything bad . '
' And now , Mas ' r George / said Tom , ' ye must be a good boy ; member how many hearts is sot on ye . Al ' ays keep close to yer mother . Don't be gettin' into any of them foolish ways boys has of gettin' too big to mind their mothers . Tell ye what , Mas ' r George , the Lord gives good many things twice over ; but he don't give ye a mother but once . Ye'll never see sich , another woman , Mas ' r George , if ye live to be a hundred years old . So , now , you hold on her , thar ' s my good boy—you will now , won ' t ye ? "' Yes , I will , Uncle Tom / said George seriously .
' And be careful of yer speaking , Mas ' r George . Young boys , when they come to your age , is wilful , sometimes—it ' s natur they should be . But real gentlemen , such as I hopes you'll be , never lets fall no words that isn't ' spectful to their parents . Yc an ' t 'fended , Mas ' r George V "' , indeed , Uncle Tom ; you always did give me good advice . ' " 'l ' s older , ye know / said Tom , stroking the boy ' s fine , curly head with his laree . stvonp" h » nr \ hn * enn . i ?>;™ . ;« r . ,. « : „« „„ * i ' head with his largestrong handbut speaking in voice tender
,, , , a as as a woman ' s , ' and I sees all that ' s bound up in you . 0 , Mas ' r George , you has everything—larnin ' , privileges , veadin ' , writin ' —and you'll grow up to be a great , learned , good man , and all the people on the place and your mother and father' 11 be so proud on ye ! Be a good mas ' r , like yer father ; and be a Christian , like yer mother . 'Member yer Creator in the days o' ver youth , Mas ' r George . " f
J ' I'll be real good , Uncle Tom , I tell you / said George . ' I ' m going to be a , first-rater ; and don ' t you be ' discouraged . I' 11 have you back to the place , yet . As I lold Aunt Chloe this morning , I'Jl build your house all over , and you shall have a room for a parlour with a carpet on it , when I ' m a man . Oh , you'll have good times yet !' " Haley now came to the door , with the handcuffs in his bauds . <{ * Well , good-by , Uncle Tom ; keep a stiff upper lip / said George .
Literature.
LITERATURE .
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AuaasT 14 , 1852 . THE g QF FREED 0 M . . JLO
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Aug. 14, 1852, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1691/page/13/
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