whole, and view it correctly, Uncle Tom's Cabin is a gross
misrepresentation. The book has placed the people of this country in a
false position; in a ridiculous attitude before the world. There may
be some truth in her statements--barely enough to give them
plausibility among the thoughtless, inconsiderate and uninformed; and
those whose minds are warped by prejudice. Horrid and revolting
occurrences, such as are detailed in her book, have sometimes occurred
among slaveholders, but they have been rare, and are now more rare
than formerly. They are but exceptions to general rules; why then
present them to the world under circumstances, and in a style and
manner, that will make an impression on the minds of a majority of
uninformed readers, that they are every day occurrences; that a large
portion, if not a majority of the slaveholders are involved in the
charges specified. How does such a procedure, on the part of Mrs.
Stowe, comport with the great principles of truth and justice; which
should have been her guide while writing on so grave a subject!
Wherever man possesses power over his fellow man, throughout the
length and breadth of the habitable globe, there are occasional
instances of brutality and barbarism, too shocking for recital; and
that deeds dark, dolorous and infamous, should sometimes be
perpetrated by American slaveholders, is nothing strange. But is it
just, is it right, for her to present slaveholders in the United
States, _en masse_, to the whole civilized world, as a set of
God-forsaken, heaven-daring, hell-deserving barbarians? That Uncle
Tom's Cabin will make this impression on the minds of most of its
readers, who are uninformed as to the institution of slavery in this
country, is obvious to any one who will carefully read it. I resided
in the slave States forty-four years, and can testify that few,
comparatively very few, were guilty of separating wives and husbands,
parents and children, and that a majority--yes a very large majority