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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1880)
March, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. UNCJl.K TOM'S CABIN. HV A1C.USTA Al.l.KN. upon the nation and realized for what our bravo soldiers were lighting, it This is a book of which the world CUt) lieVCI the, foi Ulei) and women Will ever have hearts to feel the woes of mankind. They will ever have siy lis to breathe for oppressed humanity, and tears to shed for dwarfed distorted man hood. Though the great work for which the book was created, is done, neither this fact nor its age has dimmed the lustre of its merit or its literary ex cellence. It was, I think, the first hook ever . read by me. It was brought into our family during the time when this na tion was living the scenes of the last blood-stained epoch of its history; when the dark nail of slavery over shadowed the land; when scarcely person could be found in the North who had not given some dear one to battle in the cause of liberty; when household! were weeping over loved members, who were among the fallen ; and when the whole country was but a scene of bleeding hearts and bitter desolation. When even news of the foe's defeat was hailed with joy chastened and sub dued by the thought that the precious life-blood Of hundreds had been poured out to purchase the sacred victory. It was during such times 11s these that " Uncle Tom's Cabin" found its way into our country home: a home in which trashy novels met with neither welcome nor uuarler. With what breathless interest every member of that family, from the gray-haired man to the little child, listeiiid to the read ing of that book! And when the last chapter was finished my child-mind was not satisfied. 1 took it up, and by skipping the longest words and bravely wrestling with those of medium length, mastered it for myself. Nor did one such reading suffice hut again and again the precious book was read from first to hist. How I thought about it! How I studied ill and what grand lea sons I learned from its pages. I saw so plain!)' the MM and the woman beneath the black skin of the slave. I felt the bond of brotherhood between the races. Child, though I was, my heart burned at the injustice of slavery, and bled 01 1 1 the knowledge of its cruellies. As I learned from this book, the true nature of the mighty curse which rested raised up within me such a passionate love of Country! and such a strong feel ing of patriotism as nothing cite COulu have awakened. I loved that book in my childhood, and I have never outgrow n my interest in it. Ever since the year it became a part of our library, 1 have, once or twice in the course of the twelve. month, taken it from the shelf, ami again pondered its truths; laughed at the rare humor Hashing out here and there, and wept over the sad pictures so touch- Ingly portrayed. Many works of fiction are written for the sole unloose of Uftlnff the purse with gold, or of wreathing the author's brow with the laurels of fame. Not so with "Uncle Tom's Cabin." If such had been the case, ( i oil's blessing would not have gone with it as it did. Its author is a noble Christian woman. Her sympathies, for years before the book was written, were with the race in bondage. Hut dining that time Harriet Itecchcr Stowe little dreamed that hi-r white hand was to do more toward breaking the iron chain of the oppressor, and freeing the slaves of the South, than any oilier single hand in the whole world. I tut so it was to be And I rcinicc to-day, thai a WOtMH t hand did the mighty work. in 1850 the Fugitive Slave lav was passed. A law which croVwtd tin Died Scott decision and was even more infamous than that. Never, since the formation of oar Government, has Congress passed any other law, which so overshadowed America with dh rrace, as the one which had for ils aim the converting of all the peopll "I nation Into Negro hunters, and slav holders' servant.. Mis. Stowe's soul cried out against such a measure, am when the found that it was support! by humane men and women in the North, she said, " These people do not know what slavery is!" and she deter mined that they should know. I'm she, hcisiii, would strip it of its painted mask, and hold its hideous fcatuies up to the iew of the whole world. With mind fdled with this noble thought and with heart bleeding for the op- I pressed, she set about her lask. All are familiar with The story of the do mestic nature of her labor, its conse quently slow progress, the final publi- Cation of the book, and the wonderful sales following. It was eagerly sought by people of all classes. The national question changed from " How are vou?"to "Have you read Uncle Tom's Cabin?" li win read with equal Interest by old and young. Christian parents read it to their children. Even those who looked with scorn upon any thing of 11 religious nature read and praised that book, a book rich in Itible truths; abounding in sweet lessons of faith and fruit In God ; breathing of Christ and unfolding Christianity in its every page. Ministers of the Gospel) who for veal s had nol read 11 Hue of fiction, read and re-read that hook, pronouncing its ifluenCO for good all-powerful. Anti- lavery men and women read it, and aw in it the dawn of 11 new era in the nation's history. Slave-holders read it and cursed this woman, who dared to write it, for they too saw what the re- nil must he. Negroes read it, and praised Cod with oveillowing hearts for the woman " whose loving sympa thy for their race could be felt pulsing dong every line." Certain it is, that no other work 01 neiion lias ever exerted an iulliieiice for good equal to thai of this book. Its political inllucncc has been gn at. That alone would have rendered it praiseworthy. As gront u politician as I, old I'almerston said, " 1 havi not read a novel for thirty years, nit I have read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' three times; not alone lor the sake of the story, hut for the statesmanship Oflt" It ile. ill the death-blow lo the Kllgi live Slave law. Nothing else could have done the WOrk so speedily anil Kocfieel Itally. It Opened the eyes of millions, ami caused llu 111 lo look upon the sys tem of slaver) In its true light It made 1 linn ..mils of COnVeftl to the anli slavery cause, It stilled the hearts of Abolitionists and spurred them to ac tion in the great strife which followed; and which, as the world knows, result ed In the bunting of fetters and chains; 1 he 8 mancipation of an enslaved people; and the uplifting and dispelling of the daikest cloud that ever stretched its murky darkness latween America and the Sun of Uighteousness. The miser is the great oiiginal chest protector. Why do hens always lay eggs in day time ? They arc roosters at night.