THE KEY
to
UNCLE TOM'S CABIN; presenting
THE ORIGINAL FACTS AND DOCUMENTS UPON WHICH
THE STORY IS FOUNDED.
together with
CORROBORATIVE STATEMENTS
VERIFYING THE TRUTH OF THE WORK. by
HARRIET BEECHER STOWE,
author of “uncle tom's cabin.” LONDON:
CLARKE, BEETON, AND CO., 148, FLEET STREET;
and
THOMAS BOSWORTH, REGENT STREET.
[The Author reserves the right of Translation of this Work.]
E
449
S8961
1853
12084
london:
salisbury, beeton, and co., printers, bouverie street;
and primrose hill, fleet street.
Preface.
The work which the writer here presents to the public is
one which has been written with no pleasure, and with much
pain.
In fictitious writing, it is possible to find refuge from the
hard and the terrible, by inventing scenes and characters of a
more pleasing nature. No such resource is open in a work
of fact; and the subject of this work is one on which the
truth, if told at all, must needs be very dreadful. There is
no bright side to slavery, as such. Those scenes which are
made bright by the generosity and kindness of masters and
mistresses, would be brighter still if the element of slavery
were withdrawn. There is nothing picturesque or beautiful in
the family attachment of old servants, which is not to be found
in countries where these servants are legally free. The tenants
on an English estate are often more fond and faithful than if
they were slaves. Slavery, therefore, is not the element which
forms the picturesque and beautiful of Southern life. What is
peculiar to slavery, and distinguishes it from free servitude, is
evil, and only evil, and that continually.
In preparing this work, it has grown much beyond the
author's original design. It has so far overrun its limits that
she has been obliged to omit one whole department--that of the
characteristics and developments of the coloured race in various
countries and circumstances. This is more properly the subject
for a volume; and she hopes that such an one will soon be pre-
pared by a friend to whom she has transferred her materials.
The author desires to express her thanks particularly to those
legal gentlemen who have given her their assistance and support
in the legal part of the discussion. She also desires to thank
those at the North, and at the South, who have kindly furnished
materials for her use. Many more have been supplied than
could possibly be used. The book is actually selected out of a
mountain of materials.
The great object of the author in writing has been to bring
this subject of slavery, as a moral and religious question, before
the minds of all those who profess to be followers of Christ in
America. A minute history has been given of the action of
the various denominations on this subject.
The writer has aimed, as far as possible, to say what is true,
and only that, without regard to the effect which it may have
upon any person or party. She hopes that what she has
said will be examined without bitterness--in that serious and
earnest spirit which is appropriate for the examination of so
very serious a subject. It would be vain for her to indulge the
hope of being wholly free from error. In the wide field which
she has been called to go over, there is a possibility of many
mistakes. She can only say that she has used the most honest
and earnest endeavours to learn the truth.
The book is commended to the candid attention and earnest
unite their prayers that Christendom may be delivered from so
great an evil as slavery!
Contents.
page.
PART I. Introductory...1
Mr. Haley...2
Mr. and Mrs. Shelby...8
George Harris...17
Eliza...34
Unole Tom...37
Miss Ophelia...51
Marie St. Clare...57
St. Clare...61
Legree...68
Select Incidents of Lawful Trade...84
Topsy...91
The Quakers...98
The Spirit of St. Clare...109
PART II. Introductory...124
What is Slavery?...132
Souther v. Commonwealth--the ne plus ultra of Legal
Humanity...149
Protective Statutes...156
Protective Acts of South Carolina and Louisiana.--
The Iron Collar of Louisiana and North Carolina...165
Protective Acts with regard to Food and Raiment...171
The Execution of Justice...177
The good old Times...
Moderate Correction and Accidental Death...193
Principles established.--State v. Legree; a Case not in
the Books...199
The Triumph of Justice over Law...201
A Comparison of the Roman Law of Slavery with the
American...207
The Men better than their Laws...213
The Hebrew Slave-law compared with the American
Slave-law...223
Slavery is Despotism...233
PART III. Does Public Opinion protect the Slave?...239
Public Opinion formed by Education...249
Separation of Families...257
The Slave-trade...279
Select Incidents of Lawful Trade, or Facts stranger
than Fiction...298
Milly Edmondson...306
Emily Russell...331
Kidnapping...340
Slaves as they are, on Testimony of Owners...346
Poor White Trash...365
PART IV. The Influence of the American Church on Slavery...381
Martyrdom...439
Servitude in the Primitive Church compared with
American Slavery...450
Is the System of Religion which is taught the Slave
the Gospel?...480
What is to be done?...493
KEY TO UNCLE TOM'S CABIN.
CHAPTER I.
At different times, doubt has been expressed whether the
scenes and characters pourtrayed in “Uncle Tom's Cabin” con-
vey a fair representation of slavery as it at present exists. This
work, more, perhaps, than any other work of fiction that ever
was written, has been a collection and arrangement of real
incidents, of actions really performed, of words and expressions
really uttered, grouped together with reference to a general result,
in the same manner that the mosaic artist groups his frag-
ments of various stones into one general picture. His is a
mosaic of gems--this is a mosaic of facts.
Artistically considered, it might not be best to point out
in which quarry and from which region each fragment of the
mosaic picture had its origin; and it is equally unartist
ic to
real warp and woof it is woven, and with what real colouring
dyed. But the book had a purpose entirely transcending the
artistic one, and accordingly encounters at the hands of the
public demands not usually made on fictitious works. It is
treated as a reality--sifted, tried, and tested, as a reality; and
therefore as a reality it may be proper that it should be
defended.
The writer acknowledges that the book is a very inadequate
representation of slavery; and it is so, necessarily, for this
reason--that slavery, in some of its workings, is too dreadful
for the purposes of art. A work which should represent it
strictly as it is would be a work which could not be read; and
all works which ever mean to give pleasure must draw a veil
somewhere, or they cannot succeed.
The author will now proceed along the course of the story,
from the first page, and develope, as far as possible, the incidents
by which different parts were suggested.
CHAPTER II.
MR. HALEY.
In the very first chapter of the book we encounter the cha-
racter of the negro-trader, Mr. Haley. His name stands at the
head of this chapter as the representative of all the different
characters introduced in the work which exhibit the trader, the
kidnapper, the negro-catcher, the negro-whipper, and all the
other inevitable auxiliaries and indispensable appendages of what
is often called the “divinely-instituted relation” of slavery. The
author's first personal observation of this class of beings was
somewhat as follows:
Several years ago, while one morning employed in the duties
of the nursery, a coloured woman was announced. She was
ushered into the nursery, and the author thought, on first survey,
that a more surly, unpromising face she had never seen. The
woman was thoroughly black, thickset, firmly built, and with
strongly-marked African features. Those who have been accus-
tomed to read the expressions of the African face know what a
peculiar effect is produced by a lowering, desponding expression
upon its dark features. It is like the shadow of a thunder-cloud.
Unlike her race generally, the woman did not smile when smiled
upon, nor utter any pleasant remark in reply to such as were
addressed to her. The youngest pet of the nursery, a boy about
three years old, walked up, and laid his little hand on her knee,
and seemed astonished not to meet the quick smile which the
negro almost always has in reserve for the little child. The
writer thought her very cross and disagreeable, and, after a few
moments' silence, asked, with perhaps a little impatience, “Do
you want anything of me to-day?”
“Here are some papers,” said the woman, pushing them
towards her; “perhaps you would read them.”
The first paper opened was a letter from a negro-trader in
Kentucky, stating concisely that he had waited about as long as
he could for her child; that he wanted to start for the South,
and must get it off his hands; that, if she would send him two
hundred dollars before the end of the week, she should have it;
if not, that he would set it up at auction, at the court-house
door on Saturday. He added, also, that he might have got
more than that for the child, but that he was willing to let her
have it cheap.
“What sort of man is this?” said the author to the woman,
when she had done reading the letter.
“Dunno, ma'am; great Christian I know--member of the
Methodist church, anyhow.”
The expression of sullen irony with which this was said was a
thing to be remembered.
“And how old is this child?” said the author to her.
The woman looked at the little boy who had been standing at
her knee with an expressive glance, and said, “She will be three
years old this summer.”
On further inquiry into the history of the woman, it appeared
that she had been set free by the will of her owners; that the
child was legally entitled to freedom, but had been seized on by
the heirs of the estate. She was poor and friendless, without
money to maintain a suit, and the heirs, of course, threw the
child into the hands of the trader. The necessary sum, it may
be added, was all raised in the small neighbourhood which then
surrounded the Lane Theological Seminary, and the child was
redeemed.
If the public would like a specimen of the correspondence
which passes between these worthies, who are the principal
reliance of the community for supporting and extending the
institution of slavery, the following may be interesting as a matter
of literary curiosity. It was forwarded by Mr. M. J. Thomas, of
Philadelphia, to the National Era, and stated by him to be “a
copy taken verbatim from the original, found among the papers
of the person to whom it was addressed, at the time of his arrest
and conviction, for passing a variety of counterfeit bank-
notes:”--
Poolsville, Montgomery Co., Md.,
March 24, 1831.
Dear Sir,--I arrived home in safety with Louisa, John having been rescued
from me, out of a two-storey window, at twelve o'clock at night. I offered a reward
of fifty dollars, and have him here safe in jail. The persons who took him, brought
him to Fredericktown jail. I wish you to write to no person in this State but
myself. Kephart and myself are determined to go the whole hog for any negro
you can find, and you must give me the earliest information, as soon as you do
find any. Enclosed you will receive a handbill, and I can make a good bargain
if you can find them. I will, in all cases, as soon as a negro runs off, send you a
handbill immediately, so that you may be on the look-out. Please tell the
constable to go on with the sale of John's property; and, when the money is
made, I will send on an order to you for it. Please attend to this for me; like-
wise write to me, and inform me of any negro you think has run away--no matter
where you think he has come from, nor how far--and I will try to find out his
master. Let me know where you think he is from, with all particular marks,
and if I don't find his master, Joe's dead!
Write to me about the crooked-fingered negro, and let me know which hand
and which finger, colour, &c.; likewise any mark the fellow has who says he got
away from the negro-buyer, with his height and colour, or any other you think
has run off.
Give my respects to your partner, and be sure you write to no person but my-
self. If any person writes to you, you can inform me of it, and I will try to buy
from them. I think we can make money, if we do business together; for I have
plenty of money, if you can find plenty of negroes. Let we know if Daniel is still
where he was, and if you have heard anything of Francis since I left you. Accept
for myself my regard and esteem.
Reuben B. Carlley.
John C. Saunders.
This letter strikingly
illustrates the character of these fellow-
patriots with whom the great men of our land have been acting
in conjunction, in carrying out the beneficent provisions of the
Fugitive Slave Law.
With regard to the Kephart named in this letter, the com-
munity of Boston may have a special interest to know further
particulars, as he was one of the dignitaries sent from the
South to assist the good citizens of that place in the religious
and patriotic enterprise of 1851, at the time that Shadrach was
unfortunately rescued. It, therefore, may be well to introduce
somewhat particularly John Kephart, as sketched by Richard
H. Dana, Jun., one of the lawyers employed in the defence of
the perpetrators of the rescue:--
I shall never forget John Caphart. I have been eleven years at the bar, and in
that time have seen many developments of vice and hardness, but I never met
with anything so cold-blooded as the testimony of that man. John Caphart is a
tall, sallow man, of about fifty, with jet-black hair, a restless, dark eye, and an
anxious, care-worn look, which, had there been enough of moral element in the
expression, might be called melancholy. His frame was strong, and in youth he
had evidently been powerful, but he was not robust. Yet there was a calm, cruel
look, a power of will and a quickness of muscular action, which still render him a
terror in his vocation.
In the manner of giving in his testimony, there was no bluster or outward
show of insolence. His contempt for the humane feelings of the audience and
community about him was too true to require any assumption of that kind. He
neither paraded nor attempted to conceal the worst features of his calling. He
treated it as a matter of business, which he knew the community shuddered at,