Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-09-20


there can be no redress, as according to
the old feudal law, which still exists, 9
slave cannot institute process s..>;.sss
his master. Hence il occasionally hap
pens that several peasants who have
gained large capital, cannot purchase
their liberty for any sum, because they
are subject as long as they continue
slaves, to be pillaged by their masters"
If the slave" says DR.. Clarke, have
sufficient ingenuity to gain money with
out his knowledge, il becomes danger.
Gus possession, and when discovered it
falls instantly into the hands OF his lord"
The Russian boors," Tooke remarks,
have no civil liberty their children be.
long not 10 them, but to their immortal
lord, on whose will they depend; they
also, with their children, may be alien
ated, sold, and exchanged They pos
sess no immovsble property; but they
themselves are treated sometimes as the
movable, sometimes as the immoyeable
property o. another"
| Ii in the West Indies and America, the
power of the master has too frequently,
in practice al least, extended to the life
OF the slave, such has often been the case
in Europe. In the SAFE oil Mississippi,
IN 1920, young planter was pointed
out to me who had shot runaway slave
the preceding year, without the smallest
notice being taken of it; ard sniiar
circumstance had occurred ON neigh.
boring plantation about the same time,
In the west of Europe" says Storch.
"under the ieudal system, the condition
OF the slaves was much harder Than il is
IN Russia, as the master had the power
Of life and death over his slaves" Coke,
in his travels in Poland, observes, 6 Pea
SAINTS belonging to individuals, are at the
absolute disposal of the master, and
have scarcely any positive security,
Tor their properties or their lives. Until
1868, the statutes of Poland only exact
cd fine from lord who had killed his
slave; but in that year decree was
passed by which the, murder Of pea
SAINT was made capital crime; YET, as
the law in question requires such an ac-
formulation of evidence as is seldom to be
obtained, it has more the appearance Of
protection than reality" The same
traveller observes, in his travels in Rus
STA, "Ihe lord according to the ancient
laws, had no power over the lives Of pea
SAINTS, for ifa slave was beat by order Of
his master, and died within the space Of
three Gays, the latter was guilty of muir
der, unless other reasons could be as
signed for his demise. Bot was not this
almost mockery OF Justice For sure
" man might be terribly chastised
without suffering death in three days,
and if his vassal died within that space,
and bis master was a man of conse-
quence, who was to bring him TO JUS
ice ?''
II in the West Indies and America mar.
rage may be rendered impracticable, or
its sacred ties tern asunder al the cap
rice OF master, 50 they may IN Europe.
|" Ii the slave marries," says Soreh, a. il
is because his master either wishes it,
or allows it; if he becomes father. his
children are born slaves, like himself:
his authority over his wife and children
is subordinate 10 that which his master
exercises over them he is first a slave.
and then a man." "a peasant in the
village Of Cello Melody, near Moscow"
observes DR. Clarke, +" who had been
fortunate enough to scrape together .
little wealth, wished to marry his daueh.
ter TO tradesman of the city, and offer.
ed fifteen thousand roubes for her free
dom--a most unusual price, and a much
greater sum than persons of his class,
situated as he was, will be found to pos
sess. The tyrant took the ransom, and
then told the father that both the girl
and the money belonged to him and
therefore she must continue among his
slaves" ~
II the negroes, Gotten active and ener.
getlc in their own eountry,) are accused
of Incidence and apathy in the colonies.
so are the lively Russians themselves
when benumbcdlby slavery. "Other ma
tons" says DR.. Clarke, "speak of Rus
sian Incidence, which is remarkable. az
no people are naturally more lively, or
more disposed to employment. we
may perhaps assign cause for their in
activity. 1t is necessary. Can there
| exist excitement to labor when it is Ger.
tain that tyrant will bereave industry of
all its reward. The only property Rus.
sian nobleman allows his slave to pos.
sess, is the food he cannot or will no,
eat himself. The bark of trees, chat.
and other refuse, grass, and fish oil''
" With regard. says Mr.. Hebor, i" to tho
idleness of the lower classes in RUSSIA
OF which we have heard great comp laints.
il aoDearS that when thar h.va A.. :.