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SEPARATION OF A FAMILY.

Another painful case occurred not very long since in this county. A widow lady, having a female slave with two children, was about removing from this county to Alabama. The husband of the colored woman, himself a slave, likewise lived in this county. Both master and mistress, and their two slaves, were professors of religion, members of the same identical church, and that a Presbyterian church. The widow lady applied to her church session for a certificate of her good standing. The session felt it would be wrong to grant her request, unless she would make such arrangements as not to separate husband and wife, parents and children. The pastor of the church and others interested themselves in the case; and the owner of the black man offered to give what was thought a reasonable price for his wife and two children. The widow lady, on being applied to, to accede to this proposition, refused; and when her Christian sympathies were appealed to, she replied, that her friends need not trouble themselves about her concerns, she could attend to her own business while she had her senses, &c. Shortly after, she sold her black woman to a most wicked man, the keeper of a grog-shop, and with the children, (the youngest of whom was but eleven months old, torn from the breast,) moved out of the country; leaving husband and wife together, but separating parents and children. She was of course suspended from the church. It was said that the purchaser of the woman agreed, when he bought her, not to sell her again without her consent. However this may be, an opportunity offered a few weeks after, and he sold her to be carried to a far country. Her husband, overwhelmed with grief, followed her the first evening after her departure, and asked leave to spend the night with her. Even that favor her inhuinan master utterly refused. And as the disconsolate husband stood without, his ears were saluted with the infernal voice of the tyrant, Chain her down! CHAIN HER DOWN!! The poor slave now lives in this town. His narration of the bitterness of his grief is enough to melt a heart of stone. Previous to his separation from his two children, he had lost a child by death. His affliction, he says, was nothing, when compared with that of having his two living children torn from him for life. This last he thought as much as he could bear. But tenfold greater was the agony of grief, when the conjugal ties were broken for ever, and he was awakened to the painful consciousness of the fact, that his beloved wife was torn from his embraces, and carried where he should never see her more! Bereft thus of his wife and children, his only consolation is in the promises of the gospel.-Published in the Millennial Trumpeter, Maryville, Tennessee.

FLOGGING TO DEATH.

A slave in Georgia sought refuge in the swampy forest from the despotism which he could not brook, and kept himself concealed in places which a refugee slave alone would voluntarily inhabit, until the ragings of hunger overcame him, and he crept back to the plantation.

The overseer received him with wrath, and regardless of his anguish and his entreaties, securing him with cords, flogged him without pity.-The underling's arm grew weary-at length the tortured slave was writhing in his blood. Just then came in the master. He seized the lash, and pursued the outrage. "Pray, Massa," feebly screamed the perishing slave. What was prayer to the slavemaster? Uncurbed despotism was afloat-who can utter its horrors? The sufferer's cries became more and more feeble, even the convulsions of his quivering flesh subsided-he felt no more; but the tyrant was inflamed with new rage at the passiveness of his object, and swore and drove the lash with more vengeful nerve; but in vain. The spirit had returned to Him who gave it--the voice was silent, and the flesh was dead.

The cause was tried in Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia. I had the account from a public officer, who was engaged in the trial. A white man having been present, the facts as above stated were proved. But the jury and the judge, as well as the murderer, were slaveholders.-The law was without difficulty evaded; and the murderer walks abroad without stain, glorying in the freedom of his country!

AMALGAMATION.

A kind slave-master, in one of the Carolinas, had a large family of various colors, some enslaved, some free. One of the slaves was his favorite daughter; she grew

LETTER TO MR. TAPPAN.

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up beautiful, elegant, and much accomplished. Dying, he willed his heir, her brother, to provide for her handsomely, and make her free. But her brother was a slave-master, and she was a slave. He kept and debauched her. It would be unlawful even to speak of such things, were it not taking the part of tyrants to conceal them. At the end of four or five years he got tired of her, and that notorious slave-dealer, Woolfolk, coming down to collect a drove, he sold his sister to him. "There is her cottage," said he to Woolfolk; "she is a violent woman. I don't like to go near her; go and carry her off by yourself." Woolfolk strode into the cottage, told her the fact, and ordered her to prepare. She was dreadfully agitated. He urged her to hasten. She rose and said, "White man, I don't believe you. I don't believe that my brother would thus sell me and his children. I will not believe unless he come himself." Woolfolk coolly went and required her brother's presence. The seducer, the tyrant, came, and, standing at the door, confirmed the slave-dealer's report. "And is it true? and have you indeed sold me?" she exclaimed, "is it really possible? Look at this child; don't you see in every feature the lineaments of its father; don't you know that your blood flows in its veins-have you-have you sold me?" The terrible fact was repeated by her master. "These children," she said, with a voice only half articulate, "never shall be slaves." "Never mind about that," said Woolfolk, go and get ready; I shall only wait a few minutes longer." She retired with her children; the two white men continued alone; they waited-she returned not: they grew tired of waiting, and followed her to her chamber; there they found their victims beyond the reach of human wickedness, bedded in their blood. CHARLES STUART.

LETTER TO MR. TAPPAN.

From Mississippi.-I have studied the state of things here now for years, coolly and deliberately, as I was passing by a cotton field, where about fifty negroes were at work, I heard the driver with a rough oath, order one that was near him, who seemed to be laboring to the extent of his power, to "lie down." In a moment he was obeyed; and he commenced whipping the offender upon his naked back, and continued to the amount of about twenty lashes, with a heavy raw-hide whip, the crack of which might have been heard more than half a mile. Nor did the females escape. For although I stopped scarcely fifteen minutes, no less then three were whipped in the same manner; and that so severely, I was strongly inclined to interfere.

You may be assured, sir, that I remained not unmoved. I could no longer look on such cruelty; but turned away and rode on while the echoes of the lash were reverberating in the woods around me. Such scenes have long since become familiar to me. But then the full effect was not lost; and I shall never forget to my latest day, the mingled feelings of pity, horror, and indignation, that took possession of my mind. I involuntarily exclaimed, O God of my fathers! how dost thou permit such things to defile our land! be merciful to us! and visit us not in justice for all our iniquities and the iniquities of our fathers!

As I passed on I soon found that I had escaped from one horrible scene only to witness another. A planter with whom I was well acquainted, had caught a negro without a pass. And at the moment I was passing by, he was in the act of fastening his feet and hands to the trees, having previously made him take off all his clothing except his trowsers. When he had sufficiently secured this poor creature, he beat him for several minutes with a green switch more than six feet long: while he was writhing with anguish, endeavoring in vain to break the cords with which he was bound, and incessantly crying out, Lord, master! Do pardon me this time! Do, master, have mercy! These expressions have recurred to me a thousand times since, and although they came from one, that is not considered among the sons of men, yet I think they are well worthy of remembrance, as they might lead a wise man to consider whether such shall receive mercy from the righteous Judge, as never showed mercy to their fellow men.

At length I arrived at the dwelling of a planter of my acquaintance with whom I passed the night. At about eight o'clock in the evening I heard the barking of several dogs, mingled with the most agonizing cries that I ever heard from any

human being. Soon after, the gentleman came in, and began to apologize, by saying that two of his runaway slaves had just been brought home, and as he had previously tried every species of punishment upon them without effect, he knew not what else to add except to set his bloodhounds upon them. "And," continued he, "one of them has been so badly bitten that he has been trying to die. I am only sorry that he did not; for then I should not have been further troubled with him. If he lives, I intend to send him to Natchez or to New Orleans to work with the ball and chain."

From this last remark I understood that private individuals have the right of thus subjecting their unmanageable slaves. I have since seen numbers of these "ball and chain" men, both in Natchez and New Orleans, but I do not know whether there were any among them except the state convicts.

As the summer was drawing towards a close, and the yellow fever beginning to prevail in town, I went to reside some months in the country. This was the cotton picking season, during which the planters say, there is a greater necessity for flogging than at any other time. And I can assure you that as I have set in my window night after night while the cotton was being weighed, I have heard the crack of the whip, without much intermission, for a whole hour, from no less than three plantations, some of which were a full mile distant.

I found that the slaves were kept in the field from daylight until dark, and then if they had not gathered, what the master or overseer thought sufficient, they were subjected to the lash.

Many, by such treatment; are induced to run away and take up their lodging in the woods. I do not say that all who run away are thus closely pressed. But I do know that many are; and I have known no less than a dozen desert at a time from the same plantation, in consequence of the overseer's forcing them to work to the extent of their power, and then whipping them for not having done more.

But suppose that they run away-what is to become of them in the forest? If they cannot steal, they must perish of hunger-if the nights are cold, their feet will be frozen; for if they make a fire they may be discovered, and be shot at. If they attempt to leave the country, their chance of success is about nothing. They must return, be whipped—if old offenders, wear the collar, perhaps be branded, and fare worse than before.

Do you believe it, sir, not six months since, I saw a number of my Christian neighbors, packing up provisions, as I supposed, for a deer hunt; but as I was about offering myself to the party, I learned that their powder and balls were destined to a very different purpose; it was, in short, the design of the party to bring home a number of runaway slaves, or to shoot them if they should not be able to get possession of them in any other way.

You will ask, is not this murder? Call it, sir, by what name you please, such are the facts-many are shot every year; and that too while the masters say they treat their slaves well.

But let me turn your attention to another species of cruelty. About a year since, I knew a certain slave who had deserted his master, to be caught and for the first night fastened in the stocks. In those same stocks from which at midnight I have heard cries of distress, while the master slept, and was dreaming perhaps of drinking wine and of discussing the price of cotton. On the next morning he was chained in an immoveable posture, and branded in both cheeks, with red hot stamps of iron. Such are the tender mercies of men who love wealth, and are determined to obtain it at any price.

Suffer me to add another to the list of enormities, and I will not offend you with

more.

There was, some time since, brought to trial in this town, a planter residing about fifteen miles distant, for whipping his slave to death. You will suppose of course that he was punished. No, sir, he was acquitted, although there could be no doubt of the fact. I heard the tale of murder from a man who was acquainted with all the circumstances. "I was," said he, "passing along the road near the burying ground of the plantation, about nine o'clock at night, when I saw several lights gleaming through the woods-and as I approached, in order to see what was doing, I beheld the coroner of Natchez with a number of men, standing around the body of a young female, which by the torches seemed almost perfectly white. On inquiry I learned that the master had so unmercifully beaten this girl that she died under the opera

CASES OF CRUELTY.

137 tion. And that also he had so severely punished another of his slaves that he was but just alive.

But, sir, you must not suppose that there are no laws for the protection of the slave. There are such laws; but of what avail they are, I have not yet been able to understand. It has always appeared to me that the masters are as independent as though there were no other beings in the creation but their slaves and themselves. And you know, sir, how dangerous it would be to entrust unlimited power to any set of men-however upright they might be at the time-for they would be sure to abuse it, especially if it had reference entirely to their own interest.

Yet these men say they treat their slaves well! It is folly to use words without meaning; but I fear, that, in this polite age, we use too many words in a sense altogether different from their right meaning. I have seen hundreds of slaves treated as my cattle and horses shall never be treated with my consent. I do not pretend to say, that every one is branded with red hot irons, that every one is shot, or that half of them are whipped to death. But I know that some of them are, and I doubt not but thousands of such cases have occured, and will occur again if this system of oppression is not broken up.

And what is the exact number of such deeds that it is necessary to present in order to persuade the people of New England that slavery in this country is opposed to humanity and the spirit of the gospel? I am told that they are in the habit of considering these enormities as exceptions to the general treatment. Let them be called exceptions, or by any other name in the English language, enough of them have already defiled the land to condemn slavery for ever. How many murders is it necessary should occur on the high seas to make the term piracy apply with propriety to such deeds? If the crew of any vessel plunders another crew of all their effects, murders the captain and some of the men, and treat the remainder well, by putting them to sea in an open boat, after having given them each a hundred lashes, shall not these plunderers be called pirates-because they will not kill the whole, but treated a part well?

By this example you may understand what is meant by good treatment to slaves. It is not treating them so badly as they might be treated, but only giving them a hundred lashes each to show them the value of discipline plundering them of all the avails of their labor, because they might in their ignorance make a bad use of their money-depriving them of intellectual and moral instruction, out of a tender regard to their happiness-and depriving them of their liberty, because they are ignorant and totally unfit to have justice done them?

The truth is, there is no possible way of treating slaves well. The root of the tree is most unholy, and all the branches will ever be unalloyed iniquity. Then pluck it up by the roots; better that a little soil should be somewhat moved for a time, than that pestilence and death should devour millions of human beings. And the longer it is delayed the firmer will it be fixed in the earth, and the further the branches extend, the more effectually will they shut out the light of Heaven. Cannot justice be done in Christian America, as well as in barbarous Africa? For fifteen years Africa has been looked to by many great and good men as the only hope of the oppressed. But fifteen years has relieved but three thousand, while more than half a million have been born to servitude.-Letter to Mr. Tappan from Natchez, 1833.

CASES OF CRUELTY.

A clergyman of Kentucky declared that he had seen a master whip repeatedly a female slave who was upwards of eighty years old, and who had been this master's 'mammy,' that is, had nursed him at her breast in his infancy.

A gentleman who has been in North Carolina, has seen a female slave, who complained of illness, and refused to work, struck with the blade of a paddle, twelve or fifteen blows. Two hours after this treatment she was confined. The same gentleman saw a free negro tied to a tree, and a negress slave, who was attached to him, ordered to whip him. She refused, saying she loved him too well. The white men then tied her up and gave her 'five.' This overcame her resolution, and she consented to whip the man.-Francis Standin.

In derision, this tree was called "the Lafayette tree." The secret of this affair

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was, that the negress had been the mistress of one of these whites. Yet we are told by Murat, that whites are elevated too much above negroes to feel resentment or revenge towards them.

The Duke of Saxe Weimar states that a female slave was whipped at New Orleans by her mistress, that her lover was compelled to stand by and count off the lashes, and that she was afterwards publicly whipped by the magistrate. Her offence was, that, being engaged in some other duty, she had not started quite as quick to bring water to a lodger as he thought she should do. He struck her a blow in the face which made the blood run, and she, in sudden heat and resentment, seized him by the throat.

Mr. William Ladd, known as a friend of colonization, and an opponent of AntiSlavery Societies, and not likely, therefore, to exaggerate, but rather to soften the harsh features of the system, alludes publicly to the following, among other horrors which he has witnessed: A gentleman of his acquaintance, was offended with a female slave. He seized her by the arm, and thrust her hand into the fire, and there he held it until it was burnt off. 'I saw,' said Mr. Ladd, the withered stump.' -Address at Colonization Society of Massachusetts, 1833.

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"Mr Sutcliff, an English Quaker, who travelled in this country, relates a case very like that of the Kentucky girl, only that the catastrophe was more shocking. A slave owner, near Lewistown, in the state of Delaware, lost a piece of leather. He charged a little slave boy with stealing it. The boy denied. The master tied the boy's feet, and suspended him from the limb of a tree, attaching a heavy weight to his ancles, as is usual in such cases, to prevent such kicking and writhing as would break the blows. He then whipped; the boy confessed; and then he commenced whipping anew for the offence itself. He was a kind master, and never whipped the lad again, for he died under the lash! Then the slaveholder's own son, smitten with remorse, acknowledged that he took the leather.

"An honorable friend, who stands high in the state and in the nation, was present at the burial of a female slave in Mississippi, who had been whipped to death at the post by her master, because she was gone longer of an errand to the neighboring town, than her master thought necessary. Under the lash she protested that she was ill, and was obliged to rest in the fields. To complete the climax of horror, she was delivered of a dead infant before her master had completed his work!" Child's Despotism of Freedom.

From Florida. In speaking of slavery as it is, I hardly know where to begin. I consider the physical sufferings of the slaves as by no means the greatest evil of slavery. The contemplation of the laws of most of the southern states, which consign the mind of the colored man to endless night, and which leave no measures untried to sink him to a level with the brute, awakens in me stronger indignation than his groans under the lash. But the physical condition of the slave is far from being accurately known at the North. Gentlemen travelling in the South can know nothing of it. They must make the South their residence; they must live on plantations before they can have any opportunity of judging of the condition of the slave. I resided in Augustine five months, and had I not made particular inquiries, which most northern visiters very seldom or never do, I should have left there with the impression that the slaves were generally very well treated, and were a happy people. Such is the report of many northern travellers who have no more opportunity of knowing their real condition than if they had remained at home. What confidence could we place in the report of the traveller, relative to the condition of the Irish peasantry, who formed his opinion from the appearance of the waiters at a Dublin hotel, or the household servants of a country gentleman? And it is not often on plantations even, that strangers can witness the punishment of the slave. I was conversing the other day with a neighboring planter, upon the brutal treatment of the slaves which I had witnessed: he remarked, that had I been with him I should not have seen this. "When I whip niggers, I take them out of sight and hearing of the house, and no one in my family knows it. I would not on any consideration harden and brutalize the minds of my children by suffering them to witness a negro whipping." Such being the difficulties in the way of a stranger's ascertaining the treatment of the slaves, it is not to be wondered at, that gentlemen of undoupted veracity, should give directly false statements relative to it. But facts

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