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Show lG NOTES ON Africa is Northern and Eastern Africa; and the same l1istory tells us that that Mrica has "for centuries lain" (whether "bound and bleeding," or otherwise,) at the foot, not of "civilized and Christianized humanity," but of fanatical, Mussulman barbarism. And the same history tells us further, that the only Africa that has anything to do with Uncle Tom's Cabin is that Africa which for the last three ·or four centuries has furnished America with slaves and that that Africa, so far from having been reduced ~o its present degraded condition by European and American Christendom, (which is what the author means, if she means anything to the purpose,) is, to say the least, no lower in the scale of degradation now, than when discovered by the Portuguese four centuries ago. But perhaps the Africa of our author is, not the Africa beyond the ocean, but the African race here ; for she tells us (vol. 2, p. 302,) that they" have more (the italics arc her own) than the rights of common men" here; that they "have the claim of an injured race for repnration." And again. (p. 318~) she puts the question, "Docs not every American Chr1stzan owe to the African race some effort at reparation for the wrongs that the American nation has br_ought upon them?" And again, she says, (p. 321,) " If th1s persecuted race," &c. . Well, let it he so. But, observe, it is Africa, not here and there •an African,-it is " this persecuted race," not here and there a persecuted individual; for one hundred, or one thousand, or even ten thousand, bleeding negroes, do not make "bleeding Africa," any more than one swallow makes a summer. According to our author, then, the African has been deteriorated by his bondage here. She means this or her language is mere declamation. ' But iJl this so ? Let us look into it a little. Arc there UNCLE TOM'S CARIN. 17 any Uncle ~:rom's in Africa, or even any B1ack Sam's? Are there any B--'s, (see vol. 2, p. 320,) or C--'s, or K-.-'s, or G--'s, or \\r--•s, or G. D--'s, there? Nay, rather, arc not ninety-nine in every one hundred of the negroes here, ages in \l,dvance of ninety-nine in every one hundred there, in the onward march of humanity. (Sec Appendix, B.) And to what is aH this owing? To what but to American slavery, and to the humanizing influences with which, as a ?·ace, they have been brought into contact under it? But for American slavery, they had been now as degraded as "the African in his native ranges," or had not been at aiL Say I this of myself? Nay, our author says the very same. "'Yl1en an enlightened nnd Christianized community shall have, on the shores of Africa, laws, bnguage and literature, drawn from among us, rn:;t.y then the scenes of the house of bondage be to them like the remembrance of Egypt to the Israelite,-a motive of thankfulness to Him who hath redeemed them!" (Preface, p. 8.) This is genuine good sense, and it is refreshing to meet with it; but then it puzzles rno about the other paragraph, for it follows from it that the Africa of the preface is not the African race here. 'Vhat, then, in tho name of wonder, is it? I cannot tell. Reader, can you? Nay, can the nuthor hcrself?-And this, too, is in the sober preface! NoTE. 3.-THE SLAVE-TRADE. But I ha-ve not yet done with the preface. Here is :mother choice bit of rhetoric: "'rhanks be to God, the world has nt last outlived the slave-trade." I would to God that this thanksgiving were not premature; but when I sec, by almost cyery arrival from tho African coast, that the accursed traffic is still carried on, as 3 ]I'll· |