UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

he
48 KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
Nor is the pitiful lieto be regarded which images of fathers draggedfrom theirfamilies
says that these unhappy mothers and fathers, to be sold into slavery, and of babes torn
husbands and -wives, do not feel when the from the breasts of weepingmothers,are
most sacred ties are thus severed. Every constantly presentedbefore the minds of
the peopleas scenes of every-daylifein
day and hour bears livingwitness of the
falsehoodof this slanderțhe more falsebecauseAmerica.
The author can only say, sorrowfully,
spoken of a race peculiarly affectionate, that it isonlythe truth which is thus
and strong, vivacious and vehement,in the
expression of their feelings.
The case which the writer supposedof
the woman's throwingherselfoverboard is
not by any means a singular one. Witness differencebetween us and foreign nations is,
the following recent fact,which appearedthat we have got used to it,and theyhave
under the head of
not. The thinghas been done,and done
ANOTHER INCIDENT FOR
"
UNCLE
TOM'S CABIN."
and whilst within sight of the town, justbefore
landing, the negro caused his wife to divide their
things, as thoughresigned to the intended separation,
and then,taking a moment when his
master's back was turned,ran forward and jumped
into the river. Of course he sank,and his master
was several hundred dollars poorer than a moment
before. That was all ; at least,scarcely any one
mentioned it the next morning. I was obliged to
getmy information from the deck hands,and did
not hear a remark concerning it in the cabin. In
justice to the master, I should say, that after the
An American gentleman from Italy, complaining
of the effect of "Uncle Tom's
Cabin" on the Italian mind, states that
presented.
These thingsare, every day,part and
parcel of one of the most thrivingtrades
that is carried on in America. The only
again,day after day, and year after year,
reported and lamented over in every variety
of way; but it is going on this day with
The editorialcorrespondent of the Oneida,(N.
Y.) Telegraph,writingfrom a steamer on the
Mississippi river,gives the following sad more briskness than ever before,and such
story :
"
scenes
At
as we have described are enacted
Louisville,
as the author will prove when she
a gentleman took passage,
havingwith him a family of husband, oftener,
blacks,"
wife and children. The master was bound for comes to the chapteron the internal slavetrade.
Memphis,Tenn., at which placehe intended to
take all exceptthe man ashore. The latter was
hand-cuffed,
althoug his master said The incidentin thissame
nothing
chapterwhich
of his intention, the negro
made up his mind, from describesthe scene where the wife of the
appearances,
as well as from the remarks of those unfortunate article, catalogued as "John
around him,that he was destined for the Southern
aged 30," rushed
mdrket. We reached Memphisduring the on board the boat and
night, threw her arms around him,with moans and
lamentations, was a real incident. The
gentlemanwho related it was so stirred in
his spirit at the sightțhat he addressed the
trader in the exact words which the writer
representsthe young minister as having
used in her narrative.
My friend,how can
you, how dare you, carry
on a trade like this 1 Look at those poor
creatures
! Here I am, rejoicing in my
heart that I
occurrence he disclaimed any intention to
am
separate going home to my wife and child ; and the
them.
same bell which is the
Appearances, however, are quiteagainst
signal to carry me onward
him, if I have been rightly informed. This sad towards them will part this poor man and his
affair needs no comment. It is wife forever.
an argument,
Depend upon it, God will bring
however, that I might have used to-day, with you into judgmentfor this.
some effect, whilst talkingwith a highly-intelligent
Southerner of the evilsof slavery Ḥe had
If that gentlemanhas read the work,"
been reading Uncle Totn's Cabin,and spokeof it as perhapshe has before now,
"
has
as a novel,which,like other romances, was well
probablyrecognized his own words. One
calculated to excite the sympathies, by the recital
of heart-touching incidents which never had an existence,
affecting incident in the narrative, as it
except in the imagination of the writer." reallyoccurred,oughtto be mentioned. The
wife was passionately bemoaning her husband's
Instances have occurred where mothers,
whose children were about to be sold from from all that he held dear țo be sold to the
them,have,in their desperation, murdered hard usage of a Southern plantation. The
theirown offspring, to save them from this husband,in reply, used that very simple but
worst kind of orphanage.A case of this sublime expression which the writer has
kind has been recently triedin the United placedin the mouth of Uncle Tom, in similar
"
States,and was alluded to,a week or two circumstances : There :llbe the same
ago, by Mr. Giddings, in his speech on the God there that there is here."
floorof Congress.
One other incident mentioned in " Uncle
Tom's Cabin" may, perhaps, be as well
fate,as about to be forever separated'
verifiedin this place as in any other.
The case of old Prue was related by a