ical moment, that Uncle Tom's Cabin came to our
relief, and it settled the difficulty. It proved to our satisfaction,
that these Southern people were infinitely worse than ourselves. We
now found but little difficulty in persuading ourselves that we were
really Christians. We then had Southern men just where we had long
been trying to place them. We had nothing then to do, but to compare
ourselves with them; and the result of the whole matter was, Mrs.
Stowe had made them out so much worse than ourselves, that we were
forced to the conclusion, that we were good Christians at last.
Mrs. Stowe was a shrewd Yankee woman, and seeing the difficulties and
embarrassments in which we were involved, and being in need of a
little money, and knowing that we were willing to pay almost any price
for something that would flatter ourselves, and blacken the characters
of Southern people; she wrote her book. We received it with transports
of joy, and cried aloud at the top of our voices, HUZZA FOR MADAM
STOWE, _and her incomparable negro novel_; viz., Uncle Tom's Cabin, or
Life among the Lowly. And so we go, in England and America! This is a
marvelous world, and it is inhabited by a wondrous species of animals,
called man!
The conclusion of the whole matter is, abolitionism is little else at
last, but hypocritical self-righteous phariseism, and Mrs. Stowe wrote
her book to flatter their pride, indulge their whims, tickle their
fancies, and pick their pockets. I have remarked, that this is a
marvelous world, and among the many wondrous things that fall under
our observation, there is nothing more remarkable than Yankee
ingenuity! The Southern people, it is true, receive the proceeds of
the labor of the slaves, but then, they must first expend money in
raising them; feed and clothe them in health, nurse them in sickness,
and provide for them in old age. But Mrs. Stowe without contributing
anything for their support, has made more money out of them within the
last year, than any half dozen sugar planters in the State of
Louisiana! This is truly a wondrous speculation in negroes.
"But all their works they do," (says our Saviour,) "to be seen of
men." "But God shall bring every work into judgment." And if our
motives are selfish, or impure, we incur the risk of falling under the
condemnation of a just and holy God. Too many "make clean the outside
of the cup and platter, but within, they are full of extortion and
excess."
There are
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