The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-26 00:00:00

A SLAVE AMMON IN VIRGINIA.

(Pram the New reek Trainee.)
A young New-Yorker now on his first southern
tour, and not yet cotteaised by the new influences sur-
rounding him, has written to one of the publishers of The
Tribune an account of a slave auction be attended in Rich.
mond. Believing that its publication will do good, ant in
its ultimate consequences tend strongly to perpetuate and
humanise that union which patriots so rrrrrr uce, we give it
place in our columns, as follows:
Richmond, Va Thumley, March 3, 18.53.
Sines I left New York I have seen the original Declare-
, tion of Independence, and I have seen it " illustrat her*
in this place. Oh, my Goal! 011, my country !
I have been an eye-witness this morning to scenes each
as never have been described, and never cm You and I
hare been told by some of the dough faces of the north
that the evils of slavery are exaggerated. But they have
not been half told, and I have neither the ability nor the
heart to describe the scenes I have this moment come from
witnessing.
I hove spent two hours at the public Wiese( slaves. There
are four of them, and all in the same street, not more than
two blocks from the Exchange Hotel, where we are staying.
Thew slave depots are in one of the most frequented streets
of the place, and the sales are conducted in the building on
the first-floor, and within view of the passer* by. There
are sm ill screens behind which the women of mature years'
are taken for inspection; but the men and the boys are
Fpublicly examined in the open store, before an audience of
lull one hundred. Theta examinations are carried on by
various persons interested, and are enough to shock the feel-
logs of the most hardened. You really cannot conceive that
men in human form could conduct themselves so brutally ;
each scar or mark is dwelt upon with great minuteness—it,
cause, its age, its general effect upon the health, &e. &e.,
are questions asked and readily answered. I saw full 20
men stripped this morning, end not more than three
or tour of them bad what they termed " clean backs," and
' some of them-1 should think full one quarter of them—
were scarred with the whip to such an extent as to
present a frightful appearance ; one in particular was
so cut that lam sure you could not lay your finger on
any part of his back without coming in contact
with a scar. These scars were from the whip and were
from two inches to one foot in length. These marks da-
maged his sale ; although only about 45 to 60 years old he
only brought 460 dole but for these marks he would have
brought 760 dole. to 800 doh.
I saw several children sold ; the girls brought the
highest price. Girls from 12 to 18 years old brought from
600 dole. to 800 dolt

I must say that the slaves did Oct display as much feel-
ing as I hail expected, as a geuersl thing—but there was
one noble exception—God bless her! and save her too ! ! as
I hope he will in seine way, for if he does not interpose
there were irs mea there that would.

Sate was a fine leaking woman about 25 years old, with
three beautift.l children. Her children as well as herself
were neatly dressed. She attracted my attention at
once on entering the room, and I took my stand near
her to learn her answers to the various questions put to
her by the traders. One of then traden asked her
what was the matter with her eyes? Wiping away the
tears, she replied, " I epos' I have been crying." " Why
do you cry ?' Because I have left my man behind, and
his master won't let bins come along." 0 Oh, if I buy yuu,
I will furnish you with a better husband, nr man as you
call him, than your old one." " I don't want any better, and
won't have aay other as lung as he lives." " Oh, but you
will though, it I buy you." " No, mama, Ood helping me,
1 1 never will."
Did Mrs. Stowe exaggerate the spirit in the slave ? No,
no. I saw hassle's " character in this woman fully sod
fairly sticking out. Her answers to other inquiries put by
another man were quite aa " liberty-loving " us these indi-
cated. The most indecent questions were put to her, all of
which, titer a little heritatiun, she answered.
But when asked if she thought she could turn out a
child a year, she replied," No, maws, I
mere, sad I sorry I got these."
Just before she was put up I left the room, for I am sure
I could not have stood the scene, and I should have be-
trayed myself.
A seen occurred in this last room which " may yet be
heard from." Just before 'MI sale commenced, a young
well-dressed gentleman entered the room ; placing himself
in one cornerof the room, he began to take • sketch, and had
proceeded quite far before he was noticed by any one but
myself. At last ha attracted the attention of some of the
bystanders, until full twenty or more were looking over his
shoulder. They all seemed pleased with what he was doing,
so lung as the sketch was a mere outline, but as he began to
finish up the picture and form his groups of figures they
began to see what he was about, and then some one went
up privately to the auctioneer (who had by this time got
one or two sold), and informed him what the man was
doing. He came down [rem the stand, went and over-
looked what was doing for a moment, and saw himself
" written down for perhaps the first time in his life." He
Inquired of the man what he was doing. The reply was,
" I do not know that I am bound to answer your inquiry."
Mr. Auctioneer took his stand again, but was evidently so
enraged that he could not go no, for by this time the
whole company was aware of what was being done ;
end while some proclaimed with a loud oath that the
likeness was " d—d fine," "most splendid," others
were for " footing him." The artist took the hint, how-
ever, without the kick, and left the room. But now we
had a specimen of southern b y. They were all sure
that he was an abolitionist, and they all wanted to lend " a
foot" to kick him, while one small gentleman said he would
pay 25 dollars to hire • negro to do it. The excitement
soon parsed over; not, however, without leaving on my
mind the truth of the maxim " that he who fights and runs
away, may live to fight another day."
But I cannot go further. This subject grows on my
hands, and if I should only say half what I think and feel
just at this time, I should tire your patience. lam chuck
full, and shall reserve the overflow until I see you. But
think me not untruthful from this unavoidable excitement.
I don't tell half the truth. I have said nothing of the bru-
tality of the audiences I saw at four of these auctions. I
tell you for a truth that I saw fall one hundred Legrees,
and even worse than be.

These auctions are held daily, and they pay each other
the courtesy to wait for each other ; so that the second
does not begin until the first has concluded, and so on to
the last. The auctioneer of the second is on hand at the
first auction to announce—" Gentlemen, the sale of a few
fine field hands, including the usual assortment of boys,
girls, due. 'lc., will now eke place on the corner above, to
which your attention is directed," suiting the action to the
word, beleaves, followed by the whole audience, myself in-
chided, to his own store, end so on until boar sales have
been held. The usual " Wall street honesty " is observed
is the sales; if not sold, the auctioneer announces " with-
drawn, gentlemen."
If this morning I bad been pnseneed of the wealth of
W. B. Astor, I should have laid out some money in
" stock." That would have eased my conscience, if it had
not paid a good interest. Let this be my conclusion : If
God sparse me my reason and my conscience, I
vote again for • pro-slavery man. From this time forth I
promise and declare that lam bound for the fight. " Free-
dont or death," shall be the " watchword and the cry."
(Of coarse I only adopt the spirit of the quotation, and don't
mean to do say such foolish thing se to kill myself or allow
slavery to do it, but to rake all reasonable sacrifices in the
cause of " truth, right, end humanity.") Keep this de-
elaration—preeerve it—and when you sus me violate its
spirit, like *guardian angel appear to me, reminding me
of the vows I now take upon myself.

THE SLATE-MA=lff AT MEM Pllls.—ArtotTeepondent
of the Chimp 0414 Thant gives the following description
of some things he saw at Memphis:—" I landed at this
place Christmas morning. The fist thing that met my eye,
standing on a high bank facing the river, was the following
ineeriptics in large letters, upon • fine building, with
piazza and pillars in front:—' Bolton, Dickens, and Co.,
Slave Dealers.' In addition to this I soon found two
others on one of the principal streets in the city, litigated
nearly opposite to each other. The sign of one reads thus :
' Byrd Hill, Slave Market the other, 'Ben Little, Slave
Market and Livery Stable.' I visited them, and was in.
eked to 'walk in and lack at the stock.' Ohl how my
whole being recoiled at the thought. There were men and
women, girls and boys, of almost every shade of complexion,
ranging to age from ten to thirty or forty, all well dressed,
as you see no other slaves except some &moored body
servants. Some of the bat looking young women were
attired in beautiful de laine, made in the fashion too.
When a stranger goes in, they are quickly arranged upon
seats on either si.:e of the room, and they watch with in-
terest any one they suppose intends to buy. Of C 0.,.,,
you east examine teeth, limbo, &c., and call for any exer-
cises from them you shoos.. They are taken out every day
and walked around in a large circle, the men and boys
under one leader, and the females under another. I was
not permitted to look into their place of confinement for
the night, but only saw the grated window. Near by are
horses and mules for sale, and they are fat and sleek, be-
came in the market. For the same reason were them men
and women well drained."

Has MAJESTY'S THEATRE. —The question about
this establishment M now definitively settled. Mr. Frederick
Oyer, director in chief of the Royal Italian Open, has be-
come the lessee. _ _ _

BANKRUPTCY OP Ma. GEORGE HENNETT.— On
Wednesday a petition was tiled iu the District Court of
-Bankruptcy, at Exeter, against Mr. Hennett, the eminent
and well known railway contractor. Although his con-
tracts extend all over the kingdom, yet the principal part
of his property lies at Bridgwater, Teignmonth, and Ply-
mouth, which are within the Exeter district. Messengers
have been sent by the court to take possession of his pro-
perty, and the case will shortly come before the Commis-
sioner for adjudication.
MR. COMMISSIONER MAYNE hu cancelled the
appointments of the standings for hackney carriages at the
places hereinafter mentioned:—Kew-road, Richmond—
feur carriages ; to Commence at the lamp poet at railway
bridge, and along the curb atone on west side. Uxbridge-
road—eighteen carriages ; to commence 10 feet west from
the iron pump, slung the footway on the south side, to op-
posite Stanhope-place. Orford-strect—fourteen carriages;
to commence opposite No. 199, in centre of street, to No.
218, keeping clear of Nos. 208, 209, and 210. Buckingham-
Rate—ten carriages; to commence from Prince's-court,
Saoses's-street, along the cut h.etone, to the corner of Staf-
f..rd-eow, Pimlico. Great William street, Maiden-lane,
Islington—thirst carriages, to commence 10 feet from the
crossing in Maiden.lanc, in centre of street, towards the
Caledonian-road. Piccadilly—l'm-at-en carriages; to etim-
mem* opposite the west corner of Sockville-street, in centre
of street, to the entrunce of Burlington-arcade, keeping
clear of the Albany-courtyard. .Strand—nine carriages;
to commence opposite No. 333, in centre of street, to
No. 342.