The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-10-17

t,ie inture, or whether it is produced by q
! tiese together. They are THOUGHT to 6av
I GOOD ears for music, as well as a lively raj
iSli lor 1t; but their performances in III;
way, are commonly confined to the fiddl.
or the fife; the Bania, which they bropgb
ron Africa has almost been FORGOTTEN. wifi
the Cdedh and Joncanoe-nen. In the on
tertalnment of the household slaves. and
tAoSe who live IN the towns, they closely i'm.
ltate the manner and stvle of the white.
ana on these occasions, exhibit no very
mean representations of I" high life below
stars" In the towns, like their betters.
they indulge in cards; but in the country
i,hey rarely engage in any species of garnf-
nag sport, except in cock-fghting on Whit
suntlde and even that is not general.
RELIGION.
!. Though the minds of the West In
ala slaves are still in very rude state as
iel4gloh, ana are strongly tinctured
ml'H tiie snperstitions of their parent land.
1,ieic mas Deen great Improvement among
then III this respect. They are more fire.
queht IN their attendance on church. They
are now generally baptized; and MANY of
tileil are married according to the Episco-
pal rites of the church but in the United
81 1Iates the change has been yet greater.
lhefe are lew negroes in MARYLAND. Vir-
slhia' OF North Carolina, who do not belong
TO some one of the prevailing sects: Bap
tlsIs' Methodists, Presbyterians, or Episco-
pallans, but the greater part to the two
first. Many Of them are regular professors
Or r@,iiy7., u n+5s,4
, iormnty to the rules of their sect and some
are regular preachers. A devotional spirit
( IS tar more general with them than with
the whites.
MARRIAGE.
With the blacks in the West Indies,
the marriage rite is commonly confin-
ed to the people of color, or the more
more intelligent class OF negroes. Here it
IS general, though it is commonly performed
by their own preachers. Polygamy is
much rarer than it was. Man and wife, in.
the West Indies, commonly live on the
same estate but in this country, in proba-
bly, the greater number of instances, they
have different proprietors and although,
on this account, the West India slave NAV
appear to have greatly the advantage as to
domestic happiness, yet, as in a large ma
Jority OF instances, our slaves are able to
visit their wives two or three times week,
these separations give a zest to their meet
ing, which the others can never know
The husband and wife are seldom so far
separated 10y distance, as to break off the
( conneXlon, unless by way of punishment
tor some great offence. They are often
1t is true, as Mr.. Barkclay observes, sent to
some distant state, and separated from their
other relatis es and early home but no oft
ener than the whites and when they move
brought up, or have long tlivfead, they 1lgeggff
object to it; and it must be remembered,
that the tide of emancipation always sets
to more plentiful country. There are
few instances in which they would not pre-
I fer to follow their masters to a distant
state, rather than be sold to another in their
former neighborhood, except when they
would leave wife or a husband. They
seldom voluntarily separate from each
other, though there is nothing to restrain
their lnclinations. in this particular, but the
injunctions of religion and they were quite
as constant, when their marriages were less
solemn than they ale at present. It is not
uncommon for them to pass a long life to-
gether.
INSTRUCTION.
There seems to be no particular pro-
vision for this, either in the West Indies
or in the United States and unless there
was prospect Of improving their polit-
zeal condition, it seems neither consistent
with the safety of the whites, nor condu-
Give to the happiness of the slaves, to give
their minds mpth cultivation. Their own
/ efforts in this, however, are manifestly
greater than they were. The number of
! individuals who can read has greatly in
creased. But few among them, however,
are able to write. In some families, in
struction is Systematically given by some
one of their fellow servants, whom chance
has qualified for the Office Of teacher
Their aptitude for requiring the rudiments
of learning, seems not inferior TO that of
the whites on one occasion, we have
known small negro girl, who learned to
spell very readily by hearing the children
OF the family instructed, though she did not
know the letters by her eye.
PROSPERITY.
1t would seem as if, from Mr.. Bar
clays book, it was easier for slaves to
acquire property there than here. What
little property they possess in the United
States, is most scrupulously respected ; but
this is seldom more than their clothes, the
furniture of their cabins, and their poultry
There are occasional instances of their ac'
Z
in the character of ostlers or servants at ;
public house, sum of money sufficient tc
purchase their freedom; but these instan
ces are rare. In few cases they have
been aided by those humane persons t.
whom they have recommended themselves
, by their merit. When this is their object
their conduct is generally mexceptionable
, they are sober, industrious, orderly an'
: particularly scrupulous about their charac
, ter. If their numbers were not too grea
I to make emancipation safe, we are persuad
f cd that the best plan of effecting it woul
be, to make their manumission depend o
Q their previous good conduct las they woul
r. then, during their servitude, receive tn
i, best preparation for a state Of freedom
o without such preparation, it is often rath'
;, a misfortune than boon. The free pee
q pie of color are more frequently mechanic
: or house servants than agricultural laborer
Al. ff1f -