The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-04-13
MISCELLANE OUS.


hands by a friend to whom it was addressed. The
writer is female, and thorough -going abolition
ist We omit her name and the place Of her pres
ent residence, out Of regard 10 her personal safe
Ity.]
This is the day for the stated concert of prayer
for the too oft-forgotten slave. But who will pray
for the slave here in his own native home Whose
heart beats with sympathy for him, in the land of
his tolls and woes Alas that the professed dis
cipes ofthe benevolent and sympahizing Jesus
should turn their backs upon their insuted and
suffering brother and, like the priest and Levite,
with unchristian hands, bind heavy burdens, gre
vous TO be borne, and lay them on mems should
ers, while they themselves will not touch them
with one of their fingers.
| 1t is impossible, my dear friend to listen to the
daily and common conversation in a slaveholding
community, without being forcibly struck with
the applicability of the charge brought by our Sa
viour against the hypocritical Pharisees to a peo-
pie who, spurning every supposed interference
with their own rights, and resenting every sem
blance of indigny offered to themselves, yet con-
tinue to trample on all the rights of their fellow
men, and then insult them for their wrongs.
| 1t is narrowing, do assure you, TO the feelings
| of one unaccusomed to the shareholders dialect
to hear the remarks often made respecting the
niggers'-for that is their refined cognomen.
believe it is a rare thing to hear any good quail
ties attributed to them, unless for the purpose Of
enhancing the price of one at sale. Then they
often have estnable traits of character. | was
edited a night or two since, till after u o'clock,
by overwhelming bargain transacting between two
persons in adjoining room. They proposed
making an exchange of slaves. / perceived that
each considered the character of his slave as quite
superior. One had no fault whatever-was per-
ecty unexceptionable. The other had but one fault
he would run away, if compelled to work on
plantation Any other work, he did well but
for this deme amor, 8 a seuentyJfve' was recon-
mended as an efectual remedy. The master as
serted that he always did we'll after such an APP
plication. The other had never been whipped
but once-what that was for, did not learn, as
she had no fault-not even the one that all are
accused of, dishoneSty-for her master stated she
was perfectly trustworthy.
have not, as yet seen any reason to regret
having come to the South. Notwithstanding the
severe inaicton of suffering which my feelings
have to endure from the continual exhibition OIL
slavery, still there are reasons which make me
willing 10 remain here, for the time being al |
though to think Of making my future home here,
would be painful in the extreme unless by so
doing could do more for the success Of our cause
than in any other situation. In my present loca-
ton, see slavery in its very mildest form. My
host and hostess are intelligent educated and we'll
bred. As professors of religion, they are appa-
rentv more consistent and sincere than many of
the members of the southern churches. They do
not live on their plantation, and their few house
servants are perhaps in as favorable circumstances
as a state of abject hopeless servitude will admit
That is, the daily wants of their animal nature
are we'll supplied and that is all the nature that
slavery recognizes in its vctims They are not
whipped, and scolding, believe is rare. In all
thees respects, / believe it is nothing more than
truth to say that they are better circumstanced than
the majority of the forrest class of servants and
day laborers at the North. 1t is from such fami-
lies that the abettors Of slavery find their warrant
for speaking of the slaves as better of than the
laborers of the North Southerners have seized
upon the assertion, and think it an unanswerable
favor ofther patriarchial institution
But do hate slavery less because of these nit
igated instances Do not hate it more, intense
1y more when | see it supported by persons 9TH
erwise interesting and amiabe--the professed r
followers Of the compassionate Saviour A few
days since, when my host was pointing me to the
happy condition of his slaves as an evidence that
abolitionstS misrepresented the SYSTEM by not eX
cepting such cases. Sir said |, however I'M c
charitable you may deem it, we consider you and t
hose who have the reputation of being kind mas
ers, as the very ones who sustain the SYSTEM a
Were it not for the support of such, it would not,
Gould not, exist single year. He is thorough
temperance man and instanced the standing t
maxim, that the temperate drinkers support the e
sin Of intoxicaon. He admitted the analogy be-
ween the two cases. His next argument was, d
hat some slaves after trying a while to act for a
themselves, were known to return to their masters
and beg to be taken under their protection and all
horty for life. He thought aboitionists avoided n
Noticing such cases as against their cause. as p
ured him that such instances were very different f
y regarded by himself and us. 1t was evident II
What inference he drew from then but to US thew W
we're among the strongest evidences of the infinite o.
injury they had done the colored man-that it s,
bowed more strikingly than any thing else, that it
he ruin they had effected was, in such cases, a
otal and complete-one of two things being evil tie
ent either that slavery had wholly incapacita pl
ID him for providing for his natural wants, or d.
nat it had deprived him of the first principle of 81
is nature as a man, and reduced him as nearly "