Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-06-12

no inquiry how they get it, provided the
money comes. fit is not regularly paid
they are fogged. Some take in washing,
some cook on board vessels. pick oakum,
sell peanuts, &c.. while others, younger
and more comely, often resort to the vilest
purposes. knew man from. the north
who. though married to a respectable
southern woman, kept two of these mulat-
10 girls in an upper room at his store; his
wife told some of her friends that he had
not lodged at home for two weeks togeth-
er. / have seen these two kept misses, as
they are called, at his store; he was af-
forwards stabbed in an attempt to arrest
runaway slave, and died in about ten days.
The clergy at the north cringe beneath
the corrupting influence of slavery, and
their moral courage is borne down by it.
Not the hypocritical and unprincipled
alone, but even such as can hardly be sup
posed to be destitute of sincerity.
Going one morning to the Baptist Sun
day School, in Wilmington, in which |
was engaged, fell in with the Reverend
Thomas P. Hunt, who was going to the
Presbyterian school. asked him how
ne could bare TO see the little negro child
rem beating their hoops, hallooing, and
running about the streets, as we then saw
them, their moral condition entirely neg
lected, while the whites were so carefully
gathered into the schools. His reply was
substantially this - can't bear it, MIR.
Caulklns. feel as deeply as any one
man can on this subject, but what can /
dog My HANDS ARE TIED
Now, if MIR. Hunt was guilty of neg
Letting bis duty, as servant of HIM who
never failed to rebuke sin in high places.
what shall be said of those clergymen at
the north, where the power that closed his
mouth is comparatively unfelt, who refuse
to tell their people how God abhors OPP
preston, and who seldom open their
mouths on this subject but to denounce
the friends of emancipation, thus giving
the strongest support to the accused sys-
tenn OF slavery. believe Mr.. Hunt has
since become an agent of the Temperance
Society.
In stating the foregoing facts, nv OBJ
Ject has been TO show the practical work
ings of the system of slavery, and if posi-
bic TO correct the misapprehension on this
subject, so common at the north. In do
ing this, am not at war with slavehold-
ers. No, my soul is moved for them as
Well as for the poor slave. MAY God
SEND them repentance to the acknowledge
ment OF the truth Principle, on sub
Ject of this nature, is dearer to me than
the applause of men, and should not be
sacrificed on any subject, even though the
ties OF friendship may be broken. We
nave too long been silent on this subject,
the slave has. been too much considered,
Dy our northern states, as being kept by
necessity in his present condition. Were
we to ask, in the language OF Plate, what
evil have they done ?'-we may search
their history, we cannot find that they
nave taken up arms against our govern
ment, or insulte9 US as nation-that they
are thus compelled to drag GU. a life in II
chalnsl subjected to the most terrible in
nIctIons If In any way they manifest
wish to be released Let us reverse the
question. What evil has been done to
them by those who call themselves mas
ters? First let us look at their persons.
neither clothed nor naked'-I have seen
instances where this phrase would not ap-
ply to boys and girls, and that too ia win.
ter. knew one young man, seventeen
years of age. by the name of Dave, on Mr..
,! Swans plantation, worked day after
day IN the rice machine, as naked as when
he was born. The reason Of his BEING
so. his master said in my hearing, was,
that ne could not keep clothing on him
ne would get into the fire and burn them
off.
Follow them next to their huts. some
with and some without floors. On a.
night, view their means of LODGING. see
them lying on benches, some on the fIoor
or ground, some sitting on stools. dozino
away the night; others, of Younger ace
with bare blanket wrapped about them
and one or two lying in the ashes. These
things 1 haze often seen Nth my oson
eyes.
Examine their means of subsistence.
which consists generally of seven quarts
of meal or eight-quarts of small rice for
one week then follow them to their
work, with driver and overseer pushing
them to the utmost of their strength, by
threatening and whipping.
If they are sick from fatigue and ex-
posure, GO to their huts. as [ have often
been. and see them groaning under
burning fever or pieurisy, lying on some
straw, their feet TO the FIRE, with barely
blanket to cover them; or on some boards
nailed together in form Of bedstead.
And after seeing all this, and hearing
them tell of their suffering, need ask, is
there any evil connected with their con-
dltlon and if so, upon whom is it 10 be
charrged2 | answer for myself, and the
reader can do the same Or onuorrr.a..