Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands, vol 1 | Page 5

from the breast of its fainting mother; which
leaves the young and innocent female a helpless and almost inevitable
victim of a licentiousness controlled by no law and checked by no
public opinion,--it is surely as feminine as it is Christian to sympathize
with her in her perilous task, and to rejoice that she has shed such a
vivid light on enormities which can exist only while unknown or
unbelieved. We acknowledge with regret and shame that that fatal
system was introduced into America by Great Britain; but having in our
colonies returned from our devious paths, we may without presumption,
in the spirit of friendly suggestion, implore our honored transatlantic
friends to do the same. The ladies of Great Britain have been
admonished by their fair sisters in America, (and I am sure they are
bound to take the admonition in good part,) that there are social evils in
our own country demanding our special vigilance and care. This is
most true; but it is also true that the deepest sympathies and most
strenuous efforts are directed, in the first instance, to the evils which
exist among ourselves, and that the rays of benevolence which flash
across the Atlantic are often but the indication of the intensity of the
bright flame which is shedding light and heat on all in its immediate
vicinity. I believe this is the case with most of those who have taken a
prominent part in this great movement. I am sure it is preeminently the
case with respect to many of those by whom you are surrounded; and I
hardly know a more miserable fallacy, by which sensible men allow
themselves to be deluded, than that which assumes that every emotion
of sympathy which is kindled by objects abroad is abstracted from our
sympathies at home. All experience points to a directly opposite
conclusion; and surely the divine command, 'to go into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature,' should put to shame and
silence the specious but transparent selfishness which would contract
the limits of human sympathy, and veil itself under the garb of superior
sagacity. But I must not detain you by any further observations. Allow
me, in the name of the associated ladies, to present you with this small
memorial of great regard, and to tender to you their and my best wishes
for your health and happiness while you are sojourning among us, for
the blessing of God on your children during your absence, and for your
safe return to your native country when your mission shall be

accomplished. I have just been requested to state the following
particulars: In December last, a few ladies met in this place to consider
the best plan of obtaining signatures in Liverpool to an address to the
women of America on the subject of negro slavery, in substance
coinciding with the one so nobly proposed and carried forward by Lord
Shaftesbury. At this meeting it was suggested that it would be a sincere
gratification to many if some testimonial could be presented to Mrs.
Stowe which would indicate the sense, almost universally entertained,
that she had been the instrument in the hands of God of arousing the
slumbering sympathies of this country in behalf of the suffering slave.
It was felt desirable to render the expression of such a feeling as
general as possible; and to effect this it was resolved that a subscription
should be set on foot, consisting of contributions of one penny and
upwards, with a view to raise a testimonial, to be presented to Mrs.
Stowe by the ladies of Liverpool, as an expression of their grateful
appreciation of her valuable services in the cause of the negro, and as a
token of admiration for the genius and of high esteem for the
philanthropy and Christian feeling which animate her great work,
Uncle Tom's Cabin. It ought, perhaps, to be added, that some friends,
not residents of Liverpool, have united in this tribute. As many of the
ladies connected with the effort to obtain signatures to the address may
not be aware of the whole number appended, they may be interested in
knowing that they amounted in all to twenty-one thousand nine
hundred and fifty-three. Of these, twenty thousand nine hundred and
thirty-six were obtained by ladies in Liverpool, from their friends either
in this neighborhood or at a distance; and one thousand and seventeen
were sent to the committee in London from other parts, by those who
preferred our form of address. The total number of signatures from all
parts of the kingdom to Lord Shaftesbury's address was upwards of five
hundred thousand."
PROFESSOR STOWE then said, "On behalf of Mrs. Stowe I will read
from her pen the response to your generous offering: 'It is