Books Should Be Free Loyal Books Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads |
|
A Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin or, An Essay on Slavery By: A. Woodward |
---|
![]()
OR, AN ESSAY ON SLAVERY, BY A. WOODWARD, M.D. CINCINNATI:
PUBLISHED BY APPLEGATE & CO.
1853
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853,
BY A. WOODWARD, M.D.,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States,
for the District of Indiana.
PREFACE.
For the last two years a "still small voice" has constantly whispered
to me, in private and in public, at home and abroad, saying, write!
It was in vain that I strove to quiet this inward monitor by pleading
incapacity, poverty, want of time, &c.; he heeded not my excuses. I
inquired what would become of my dependant family, should I relinquish
the practice of my profession and engage in other pursuits? He
answered, "Put thy trust in the Lord, and write! " I yielded not to
his monitions, but continued with unabated ardor the practice of my
profession, until the latter part of autumn, 1852, when I was suddenly
prostrated by disease, and forced to desist from the practice of
medicine. I then commenced as soon as I was able, the preparation of a
work, which I contemplated bringing before the public at some future
period, provided I should live. In accordance with the plan of the
proposed work, an essay on African slavery was to close the volume.
After I had finished about a hundred pages manuscript, in order, the
question of African slavery in the United States suddenly thrust
itself upon my mind with such force, that I found it somewhat
difficult to investigate any other subject. My mind at the time was
enervated by disease, and by no means well disciplined. Hence I could
not control it. For this reason, I at once concluded to draw up a
skeleton or outline of my essay on slavery; after which I contemplated
resuming my work in regular order. It was about this time that my
health rapidly declined, and I became so feeble that I could not sit
at my table more than one or two hours in twenty four. In this
condition, by a slow process, I finished from chapter i, to the close
of chapter xiii. The Introduction was written afterwards, to supply
some obvious defects in that portion of the work alluded to. None need tell me that there are defects and imperfections in the
work. I am well aware of the fact, but could not remedy them without
re writing the whole, and that was impracticable under the
circumstances. Critics need not trouble themselves about its defects
as a literary production, as I lay no claim to merit on that ground.
Having been actively engaged in the practice of an arduous and
perplexing profession for the last twenty five years, I am aware that
my qualifications for authorship must be somewhat defective. I was
moreover forced to write, when my corporeal system was exhausted, and
my mental powers oppressed by a complication of diseases. There are
not many, I conceive, who will find any difficulty in clearly
comprehending the ideas I intended to convey; if so, my object is
accomplished. The work was written under disadvantageous circumstances; but such as
it is, I cast it out on the great sea of public opinion to abide its
fate. If good is accomplished thereby, I shall rejoice; but if it is
destined to sink into oblivion, I shall console myself with the
reflection that I had no other object in writing, but the correction
of error and the welfare of my fellow creatures. I may err, but I
appeal to "the searcher of all hearts" for the purity of my motives
and intentions. Whatever may be the effects of this work on the public
mind; light and truth were my aim, and the best interests of my fellow
beings, my sole object. I appear before the public with reluctance, and am exceedingly
mortified that it has fallen to my lot to treat any portion of my
fellow citizens with severity; but I am nevertheless prepared to meet
the sneers and frowns of those implicated. I shall offer no apology
for the harsh language which will be occasionally found in this
volume; as a desperate disease requires an active remedy. If I could,
however, have re written the work, I would have changed, in some
places, the phraseology... Continue reading book >>
|
This book is in genre |
---|
History |
eBook links |
---|
Wikipedia – A. Woodward |
Wikipedia – A Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin or, An Essay on Slavery |
eBook Downloads | |
---|---|
ePUB eBook • iBooks for iPhone and iPad • Nook • Sony Reader |
Kindle eBook • Mobi file format for Kindle |
Read eBook • Load eBook in browser |
Text File eBook • Computers • Windows • Mac |
Review this book |
---|