Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-10-04

Hartford Prison--African Civilization
Throwing Somcrsets---A BOLTON sympc
| thy.
HARTFORD, Sunday Morning
change has passed over the entire spirit OF the eN
stence Of the since their confinement al Hart
ford. Their animal spirits greater than ever
/ they eat more, drink more, chatter more, gamble
more, and turn more somersets than ever In short
they are as merry as crickets, and AS satisfied a.
pigs in clover. The excitement that is manifested
by almost every one in relation to their disposition
and their present condition, communicates itself t.
them. They are tickled half to death at the idea Of
having so much to eat without any labor to obtain
so many persons to visit them; many presents
made to them; so much time to sun themselves; Ia
roll, and tumble, and turn somersets.
Accompanying this letter, you will receive draw.
ing, made by distinguished artist from New York
allied Peter Quaint, (which we have had engray ed
by Elton as above,l which is faithful repre- enta-
tion of the scenes generally taking place here On
the left hand is Lewis Tappan with his white hat
attended by another aboltionist looking at Cinguez
kissing pretty young girl, who was handed up 10
him by her syGpathetic mother. Near the mother
is the celebrated phrenologist, Mr. Pierce who has
been forming vocabulary of their language hereunto
annexed In the centre Of the prison group is Gar
rah, turning somerset before the Africans and
white company-and below, in the fsre ground, are
two negroes scratching themselves, for it is we'll
known that many OF them have the itch. Away to
the right is the fashionable, pious, learned and CAV
people OF cticut, precisely as they appeared
during those amusing scenes in Hartford prison.
ceiving lectures aud instructions in African philoso-
ply and civilization.
These blacks have created a greater excitement
IN Connecticut than any that has there
since the close of the last century. Every kind
OF engine is set in motion to create feeling sympa
thy and an excitement in their favor; the parsons
preach about them, the men talk about them, the
ladies give tea parties and discuss their chivalry
q lsm Me fhpxvs md tha.r
sonchong; pious young women get up prayer meet
ings and pray for them; scouts sent round the
country to hunt all the negroes that speak any
kind Of Afri dialect; interpreters by dozens ar
rive daily at Hartford; granmers and spelling
and primers without number, all sorts Of unknown
tongues, are sought for and secured A few weeks
since Lewis Tappan arrived in Hartford, accompa-
MED by his black tail. consisting of great number Of
negroes of all ages and Sizes aud colors, and speak
ing all languages from the Monsbee down TO the Mon
dingo The appearance of this patron OF pous ne
groes was exceedingly singular, as he paraded the
streets OF Hartford with q dozen negroes forming
black tail first came dark Congo negro, then one
from further north not quite black; then a very
dark muatto nearly black, then avery brown fellow,
then a copper colored negro, then one a brownish
yellow, then dark yellow, then light yellsw, then
mustee, and then one almost white himself and
much better looking.
The black fellows in mt are astonished at
all these singular movements, and begin to think
from the number OF negroes brought talk and lab
Der with them, that the blacks the principal men
In this country. They laagh heartily at all the
movements Of the whites, and consider them poor
loafers, with ungracefsl movements, and very much
to be ptied because they are totally anable 10 turn
This is the ne Plus ultra Of accomplish
ments and refnements with them. IL a man cannot
turn somerset they think very little Of him in the
way Of civilization. They listen to what Lewis
Tappan and the others have to saw; and although
Ci.guez understands scarce word that is said,
and is conversed with often hy signs; he replies
merely by taking Lewis Tappan and his friends into
the middle Of the Aoor and BY signs asking them to
turn somerset. When he finds they are unable TO
oblige him in this particular, he throws a somer.
set himself by way Of lesson to them, laughs
heartily tries TO turn up his fiat and walks off 10
his comrades, evncing the greatest contempt for the
white chiefs who can't throw somerset. In short,
to such AN extent do they carry this umbling propen
sity, that II forms part Of their religion. beautiful
and pious young lady, In see and converse with
Cingusz, BY means Of the interpreter, and to ask him
TO tell her what he thought of God Cipga politely
asked her in Mandingo, f she could turn some ct
finding her ignorant OF that hncnt he told
her his wife could do So and then turned two somer-
sets and few evolutions, TO show her the mode Of
worship Africa and the idea he had Of the mode Of
life in another world.
At New Haven ladies were not allowed to visit
the negroes generally; but at Hartford all who wish
to enter are admitted. Before they left New Haven
very beautiful single white lady called Captain
Pendleton, the keeper of the prison there, and ex-
pressed her desire TO Cnguez the chief and hero
Of this affair, as she termed him, she wished TO
have a private interview with him, and converse
with him alone. The keeper very politely told her
that she could not be admitted to him alone in his
cell, but that he had private in his own house.
where she could have an interview with him alone,
as long she liked. This she declined; but
this is a faint specimen Of the enthusiasm that
exists among the young people Of Connec ticut in
relation tn them, particularly the women II is
q species Of hallucination. They have invested
this affair." with all the romance of an eastern fairy
tale, and they consider the black fellows As worthy
Of as much honor the colored Moorish Knights
ri old; and II they get clear u " probable some
Yankees will pick them up in detail and take them
round the country 20 show them by way ola specu-
lation. The poor blacks themselves are utterly
astonished at the prodgous sensation they have
thus created; they have astated the whole state oC
Copnec ticut; IL ~ the only topic touched upon in
conversation in the streets, the bar room the ball
room, the boudoir. the bed room, the kitchen, the
rarlor and the pulpit And the negroes show their
hment by eating additional quantity ofrice
and throwing few extra somersets TO assist diges
ton.
The scenes that daily take place in the prison hers
in conseans nee Of this excited feeling, udcrous
| in the extreme. Parsons 60 to preach to them
4 philosophers to experiment on them, professors e
4 pick up a knowledge Of their language, phreaolo
gists to feel their heads, and young ladies' 70 ool
| and laugh az them On Thursday Cinguez Vndcr
went an examination at the hands of phrenologica
professor, Vho has paid great attention &
the Africans, and IL understood 10 have made
\ wotv vtfar nit fhmr al Il.