The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-11-30
awaken. in the aAnevolent mind, train -,
sensations which language is too barren ). u
express


express.
What man seeing this,
And having human feelings, does m, hlu,.
And hang his head to think himself man., u,A
In several Of those islands the murder ~,
mutilation Of slave. by a white n.rsas
where the facts strangely happen to be nror
ed, are punishable only by triflinv Cn.
and imprisonment Of very limited DIV,
ton.
In some instances, it is true, the nun,.,
of lashes to be inflicted at one fine. or g.,
one offence, is professedly limited bv ,aw
Such limitation, however, il il cou,a !.
strictly enforced, would evidently afford =
the suffering victim, very slender protso
tion against the cruelty of an irritated ma,
ter, or his more unfeeling deputy, when n.
legal number of lashes on the naked boav
with long cattle whip. frequently extend.
to thirty-nine, for single offence; and thi.
liable to repetition at short intervals. at d;s
cretion. But laws, without an execu,or,
principle, are. at best, legislative moclerv.
anc as the evidence of slaves. or even of
free coloured people, is not there adm;,.a
against white persons, violations Of the lave
however enormous. where slaves a,on. ors
the sufferers, can seldom be legally proved
so as to subject the white criminals to ,ha
trivial and inadequate punishment whichtbe
laws have prescribed.
The slave, in the British colonies ia =, all
times, liable to be sold, or otherwise alen.d
at the will OF the master. as absolutely in all
respects, as cattle, or any other personal ef.
fects He is also, at all times. liable to BE-
sold by process of law, for satisfaction OF ,be
debts Of a living, or the debts or bcquests Of
deceased master, at the suit Of creditors
or legatees. In consequence Of a transfer in
either of these ways. or by authority of his
immediate owner, he may be exiled in a mo-
mcnt and for ever, from his home, his fam.
lily, and the colony in which he was born, or
in which he has long been settled.
There are few situations in life, so COM.
plctely wretched as to destroy the amor
paytrir, the attachment to the land Of our
birth and the scenes of our childhood, so in
tcrwovcn with the tenderest feelings Of the
human heart; and this attachment general
ly exerts the greatest influence over those
who have always vegetated on single spot,
and whose knowledge Of the world is bound
ed by the narrow circle of their own pcrso-
nal observation. To such persons. simple
exile from their natal spot, without any con-
comitant evils, is viewed with extreme dis.
may.
But even the West Indian slave has his
comforts, arising from family connexions and
the ties of friendship; and probably few
friendships are more tender and sincere,
than those which are cemented by commu.
nifty of suffering.
The incident Of negro slavery above no.
ticed, if not peculiar to that species Of SER
vitude, is by no means the common lot Of
slaves. Instances to the contrary, both 10
ancient and modern times, and among peo-
pie reputed barbarons, are noted in the pre-
ceding numbers. The slaves among our half
civilized ancestors Of the middle ages, ap.
pear to have been generally of the class de-
nominated TR!fins resordsnt, who were at
tached to the soil and not liable to sepsrs-
tion from it; aud such are at this day the
slaves of Poland and Russia.
Plantation slaves, not only in the Spanish
and Portuguese, but in the French Islands
also. are real estate, attached to the soil they
cultivate, and not liable to be seized and
sold to satisfy the debts of their owners.
With regard to domestcs, the power OF
alienation, where it prevails, is modified by
various restrictions, founded on humanity
towards the slaves. There is wise and
merciful provision in the Code Noir which
prohibits the selling of the husband without
the wife, the parents without the children,
and u1ce versa. Sales made contrary to this
regulation, sby process of law under sei2-
ure for debts arc declared void; but if voulI'
tary OH the part Of the master, the wife o.
husband, children or parent, though express
ly retained by the seller. pass by the same
conveyance to the purchaser. and may DC
claimed without any additional price. The
tt,nrH - a -. Irt