«In my opinion, it is you considerate, humane men, that are responsible for all the brutality and outrage wrought by these wretches; because, if it were not for your sanction and influence, the whole system could not keep foothold for an hour. If there were no planters except such as that one,» said he, pointing with his finger to Legree, who stood with his back to them, «the whole thing would go down like a millstone. It is your respectability and humanity that licenses and protects his brutality.»

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

In the midst of life we are in death,'" said Miss Ophelia.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

In Tom's hurried exchange, he had not forgotten to transfer his cherished Bible to his pocket. It was well he did so; for Mr. Legree, having refitted Tom's handcuffs, proceeded deliberately to investigate the contents of his pockets. He drew out a silk handkerchief, and put it into his own pocket. Several little trifles, which Tom had treasured, chiefly because they had amused Eva, he looked upon with a contemptuous grunt, and tossed them over his shoulder into the river. Tom's Methodist hymn-book, which, in his hurry, he had forgotten, he now held up and turned over. "Humph! Pious, to be sure. So, what's yer name, —you belong to the church, eh?" "Yes, Mas'r," said Tom, firmly. "Well, I'll soon have that out of you. I have none o' yer bawling, praying, singing niggers on my place; so remember. Now, mind yourself," he said, with a stamp and a fierce glance of his gray eye, directed at Tom, "I'm your church now! You understand, —you've got to be as I say." Something within the silent black man answered No! And, as if repeated by an invisible voice, came the words of an old prophetic scroll, as Eva had often read them to him, —"Fear not! For I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by my name. Thou art MINE!

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

I tell you," said Augustine, "if there is anything that revealed with the strength of a divine law in our times, it is that the masses are to rise, and the under class becomes the upper one.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

It is a great mistake to suppose that a woman with no heart will be an easy creditor in the exchange of affection. There is no on earth a more merciless extractor of love from others than a thoroughly selfish woman; and the more unlovely she grows, the more jealously, and scrupulously she extracts love, to the uttermost farthing.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

It is with the oppressed, enslaved, African race that I cast in my lot; and if I wished anything, I would wish myself two shades darker, rather than one lighter.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

It's a shameful, wicked, abominable law, and I'll break it, for one, the first time I get a chance; and I hope I shall have a chance, I do! Things have got to a pretty pass, if a woman can't give a warm supper and a bed to poor, starving creatures, just because they are slaves, and have been abused and oppressed all their lives, poor things!"... "Now, John, I don't know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the desolate; and that Bible I mean to follow.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

It's pretty generally understood that men don't aspire after the absolute right, but only to do about as well as the rest of the world. Now, when anyone speaks up, like a man, and says slavery is necessary to us, we can't get along without it, we should be beggared if we give it up, and, of course, we mean to hold on to it, —this is strong, clear, well-defined language; it has the respectability of truth to it; and, if we may judge by their practice, the majority of the world will bear us out in it. But when he begins to put on a long face, and snuffle, and quote Scripture, I incline to think he isn't much better than he should be.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

«It's true, Christian-like or not; and is about as Christian-like as most other things in the world,» said Alfred.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe

It takes years and maturity to make the discovery that the power of faith is nobler than the power of doubt; and that there is celestial wisdom in the ingenuous propensity to trust, which belongs to honest and noble natures.

— Harriet Beecher Stowe