The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-04-02
NEISCEHLAN EO ais.

|
municated by Rev. VIM. SCALES of Lyndon:
The following statements arc obtained by re
quest, from Joseph Idp, Esq. of Sheffield M
Idle was Postmaster at the time, and is an unex
ceptionable Brother Of the Baptist church. o.
account of pulmonary complaints he resided il
Georgia during the season OF 1873 ant
writes: SIN answering the proposed Inquiries
| will say first, that, although there are varou.
other modes resored TO, whipping with the
cowskn is the usual mode of inhIcting punish
ment on the poor slave. have never actually
witnessed whipping scene, for they are usual
| ly taken into some back place for that purpose
but have often heard their groans and screams
while wrh;ng under the lash and have seen
the blood flow from their torn and laceraed
skins after the vengeance of the inhuman mas
ter or mistress had been gutted. You ask il
the woman where l boarded whipped slave to
death. can give you the particulars of the
| transaction as they were related to me. NV in
dormant was q gentleman-a member of the
Presbyterian church in Observation-Disclosures the
! winter before boarded where | did. He said
that Mrs T had a female slave whom she
used to whip numerically, and on one occasion
she whipped her as long she had strength, &
after the poor creature was suffered to go, she
crawed off into a cellar. AS she did not i'm
mediately return, search was made and she was
found dead in the cellar, and the horrid deed
was kept secret in the family, and ut was re-
ported that she died of sickness. This wretch
ut the same time was member of Presbyte.
rlan church. Towards her slaves she was GER
tanly the most cruel wretch ofany woman with
whom was ever acqnainted-yet she was moth
ing more than stakeholder. She would de-
plore slavery as much as did, and often told
me she was as much of an aboIitionist as was
She was constant in the declaration that her
kind treatment to her Slaves was proverlial-
Thought l, then the Lord have mercy on the
rest. She has often told me of the cruel treat
| ment of the slaves on Il plantation adjoining her
fathers in the low country of South Carolina
She says she has often seen them driven to the
necessity of eating frogs and lizards to sustain
life. AS to the mode living generally,my intor-
nation is rather limited, being with few eXcep-
tons confined TO the different families where |
have boarded. My stopping places at the South
have mostly been in cities. In them the slaves
! are better fed and clothed than piantations
The house servants are fed on what the families
leave. But they are kept short and think are
oftener whipped for stenling something to eat
than any other crime. On the plantations their
food is principally hominy, as the Southerners
call it. 1t is simply cracked corn boiled. This
probably constitutes seven.eighths of their liv-
ing. The house servants in cities are generally
decentiy clothed, and some fayorite ones are
richly dressed, but those on the plantations, es-
pecially in their Dress if it can be called dress,
exhibit the most haggard and squad appearance
| have frequently seen those OF both sexes more
i
them much on the plantations, have had but a
few opportunities for examining the backs of
slaves--but have frequently passed where they
were at work, and been occasionally present
with them, and in almost every case there We're
marks of violence en- some parts Of tEem-eve-
ry age, sex and condition being liable to the
whip. son of the gentleman with whom l
boarded, young man about twenty years of
sge, had plantation and eight or ten slaves
He used to boast almost every night of whip
ping some of tAem. One day he related to me
a case of whipping an old negro, should Judge
60 years of age. He said he called him to fog
him for some (real or supposedly offence and the
poor old man, being pious; asked the privilege of
Drawing before he received his punishment. He
said he granted him the favor, and to use his
own expression "The old niger knelt down q
prayed for me and then got up ana took his
Did not the cry of ills Old man
reach the of the Lord of Sabbaotn ?
Surely God will judge the oppressor
and avenge the oppressed. In relation to
large tracts of land, from one to ten thousand
acres. They have extensive clearings and
beautiful mansion house--and generally some
forty or fifty rods from the dwelling are situated
the Negro cabins, or huts, built of logs in the
rudest manner. Some consist of polls rolled up
together and covered with mud or clay-muny
of them not as comfortable as Norther pig-ses.
You ask if slaves appeared happy or wished for
freedom will give you one case which oc-
Cured where boarded in Georgia. think it
was fair sample of the feelings OF all intelli- +
gent slaves, or nearly all. A young man about {
IS years old was owned by the genlleman's
wife, and purchased his time of his mistress, a
paying $3.50 per annum, for the privilege OF |
working for himself He was very intelligent i
man and had saved more than $1,000 besides
paying for his time. He used to embrace eve G
ry opportunity for pleading with mis- mistress to c
sell him his freedom. For long time she de- {
cned setting price. His anxiety was so great d
he said he would suffer his arm to be cut oft II a
he could obtain his object. He succeeded III $
purchasing his freedom before left for $1,000. t
believe these to be the feelings oflaimost every '
intelIgent slave. Those who are the best in
formed have the greatest desire for freedom {
the slave in the greatest ignorance. or the NOR il
ais of the slave | cannot speak very iavorahiy- 90
Living and theft are very common vices OK S
course. As to the aziness of the slave, 1t may @
be stated that those on the plantations have their
A