Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-06-16
S L A V { R Y
From the Friend of Man.

Extracts from the last letter Of the CORES.
poadent Of Gerrit Smith, a0ho resides in
Tennessee.
AN opinion is gaining ground at the
South, that Slavery can not continue
long.
The whole South has been in some de-
gree influenced by the abolitiohists. Bar
tarous punishments are less hequent
Burning slaves alive was a barbarty that
prevailed in Soulh-CaroIina until 1880
The last Instance heard of in that State
was in AbbevilIe District A young ne
gro man, said 10 be twenty wears old, was
tried and sentenced by court composed
of Two magistrates and five freehoIders,
and executed near that part Of the district,
if am correctly informed, where were
the plantations of John c.. Calhoun and
George AlcDuffie. the intel
i'gent postmaster of -, in this county,
was present at the execution. He told me
that there was very large collection of
people, and as near as he could Judge,
5000 blacks; that before the fire was kind
lee a sermon was preached by, | think,
the Rev. Mr.. Capers, that he saw the poor
young man, who was about 10 suffer, dis
tinctly; that he appeared composed, So
much SO, that be thought he did hot be-
lieve that lhey really intended to burn
him. When the dreadful sentence was
about to be executed, they piled pilch-pine
faggots around him and applied the fire.
His screams were loud and piercing. No
language could describe his agony The
do # h, boI - Loe -
stop 10 this mode Of execution, trust for
ever. The slave market was, when |
was IN Charleston, 10 the most public part
oflhe city. When the abolitionists were
handling them, as they thought roughly,
they removed it to a more private place.
These are among the signs of the times
| Where there is shame, there is hope Of
something better.
In the late fail, planter the owner of
some 50 or 60 slaves from Edgefeld dis
trict, which joins Abbeyile on the east,
spent night at the house where | am
Low writing. Speaking of the abolition
isis, he said they made horrible pictures
and exhibited them publicly OF slaves
chained together, and Of others fOgging
them in the most cruel manner. l asked
! him if their pictures exceeded the reality.
/ He said yes | tod him [ thought not,
that | hal met slaves every where, chain
ed that while the trade continued, it was
an every day occurrence in the south I;
that in Laurens district, one whipped to
death by Baptist clergyman, and more
recently one burned to death in Abbexille,
two districts Immediately adjoining the
one in which be lived. He admitted the
facts and that there was much cruelty en-
| the. plantations. Frequent instances OF
this kind have occurred, which are impor.
i tant SO far as they show that shareholders
/ are not wholly inaccessible to shane, and
: that the pictorial representations and sew
ere criticisms Of the abolitlonlsts are doing
E much good.
E Some two or three weeks since. Ispent
E a night at my friend -, in - connty.
D met there with a Mr.. -, the Presl-
). dent ofthe Manumission Society of that
5 part Of county. l inquired abou,
!. The present situation of the society, lis
/ members, etc. He stated that the society
!, had over eco members; that be 1 ad lis
o of their names. which he should be baP'
a ~ TO show me. The society has suspend
it ed its meetings, owing TO oppressive laws
l. of the State.