UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

although
not
KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
68
cannot preventthe final severance of the most
endearing ties of kindred. The illustration given
by Mrs. Stowe, in the sale of Uncle Tom by Mr.
Shelby, is a very
common case. Pecuniaryembarrassment
that all who are parties to the system are not
is a most fruitful source of misfortune to
necessarily culpable Ịt is a highvirtue in St.
the slave as well as the master ; and instances of Clare to purchaseUncle Tom. He is actuated by
family ties broken from this cause are of dailyno selfish or impropermotive. Moved by a desire
occurrence.
to gratify his daughter, and promptedby his own
It oftenhappens that great abuses exist in violation
humane feelings, liepurchasesa slave,in order to
of law,and
thorities rescue him from a hard fate on the plantations. If
in spiteof the efFortsofthe au-
such is the case with
to suppress them ;
drunkenness,gambling, and other vices. But here
states,
is a law common to all the slave-holding
which upholds and gives countenance to the wrongdoer,
while its blackest terrors are reserved for
those who would interpose to protectthe innocent.
It may be said that it was the dutyof St.Clare
Statesmen of elevated and honorable characters,
to emancipate Uncle Tom ; but the wealth of the
from a vague
notion of state necessity, Rothschilds would not enable a man to act out his
have defended this law in the abstract, while they benevolent instinctsat such a price. And if such
would, without hesitation, condemn every instance was his duty, is it not equallythe duty of every
of its application as unjust.
monied man in the free states to attend the New
In one respect I am glad to see it publicly Orleans slave-mart with the same benevolent purpose
denied that the familiesof slaves are separated ; in view 1 It seems to me that to purchasea
for while it argues
a disreputable want of*candor, j slave with the purpose of savinghim from a hard
it at the same time evinces a commendable sense and
of shame,and induces the hope that the I cruel fate,and without any view to emancijpation,
is itselfa goodaction. If the slaveshould
public
opinion at the South will not much longertolerate subsequently become able to redeem himself,it
this most odious,though not essential, partof the would doubtlessbe the dutyof the owner to emancipate
system of slavery.
him ; and it would be but even-handed
In this connection I will call to your recollection justiceto sec down every dollar of the slave's earnings,
a remark of the editorof the Southern Press,in above the expense of his maintenancețo his
one of the last numbers of that paper,
which acknowledges
credit,until the pricepaidfor him should be fully
the existenceof the abuse in question, restored. This is all that justicecould exact of
and recommends its correction. He says
:
the slave-holder.
"
The South has a great moral conflic to wage ; Those who have railed against
" Uncle Tom's
and it is for her to put
on the most invulnerable Cabin" as an incendiary publication have singularly
moral panoply. Hence it is her duty, as well as (supposing that they have read the book)overlooked
interest, to mitigate or remove whatever of evilthat
the moral of the hero's life. Uncle Tom is
"
results incidentally from the institution. The the most faithfulof servants. He literally obeyed
separation of husband and wife,parent and child, in all things"his " masters according to the
is one of these evils, which we know is generally flesh ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but
avoided and repudiated there cases
"
in singleness of heart,fearingGod." If his conduct
sometimes occur which we observe are seizedby exhibits the slightestdeparture from a literal
fulfilment of this injunction of Scripture,
these Northern fanaticsas characteristicillustrations
of the system. Now we can see no great evil it is in a case which must command the approbation
or inconvenience, but much good, in the prohibition
of the most rigidcasuist ; for the injunction
by law of such occurrences. Let the husband of obedience extends,of course, onlyto lawful
and wife be sold together, and the parents and commands. It is only when the monster
minor children. Such a law would affect but Legreecommands him to inflictundeserved chastisement
slightly the generalvalue or availability of slave
upon his fellow-servants, that Uncle Tom
and would preventin some cases the vioence
done to the feelings of such connections by
of escaping into Ohio with the young
refuses obedience. He would not listen to a
proposition
ftroperty,
saleseither compulsory or voluntary. We are satisfied
woman Eliza,on the night after theywere sold
that it would be beneficialto the master and by Mr. Shelby to the trader Haley. He thought
slave to promotemarriage, and the observance of it would be bad faithto his late master,whom he
all its duties and relations."
had nursed in his arms, and mightbe the means
Much as I have differed with the editorof the of bringing him into difficulty. He offered no
Southern Press in his generalviews of publicresistance to Haley,and obeyed even Legree in
policy, I am disposed to forgive him pasterrors in
every legitimate command. But when he wasrequiredto
be the instrument of his master's
consideration of his publicacknowledgment of
this " incidentalevil,"and his frank recommendation
cruelty, he chose rather to die,with the courage
of its removal. A Southern newspaper less and resolutionof a Christian martyr, than to save
devoted than the Southern Press to the maintenance
his lifeby a guiltycompliance.Such was Uncle
of slavery would be "
seriously compromisedTom a bad examplefor the imitation of man
by such a suggestion, and its advice would be or master. I am, sir, very respectfully,
far less likely to be heeded. I think,therefore,
Your ob't serv't,
that Mr. Fisher deserves the thanks of every good
Damel R. Goodloe.
man, North and South,for thus boldlypointing out A. M. Gangewer, Esq.,
the necessity of reform.
Washington, D. C.
The picture which Mrs. Stowe has drawn of slavery
The writer has received permission to
as an institution is anythingbut favorable.
She has illustrated the frightful cruelty and publish the following extract from a letter
oppression
that must resultfrom a law which gives
5
to one class of society
almost absolute and
irresponsible
power over another. Yet the very machinery
she has employed for this purpose shows
he had not been a slave-holderbefore, it was now
his dutyto become one. This,I think,is the moral
to be drawn from the story of St. Clare ; and the
South have a righ to claim the authorityof Mrs.
Stowe
in defence of slave-holding, to this extent.
received by a ladyat the North from the