The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1843-12-29

condition of the slave that a great argu-
ment against the institution is to be
drawn. Custom all over the world is in
+ fni,ely stronger than law, and custom
in the slave states prescrihes less labor
for the servant, and better treatment from
the master, than in any free country in
the world. Lord Morpeth remarked
with his characteristic simplicity and
paiuess, after he had passed several
weeks on the Cooper and Ashley rivers.
Il am an Englishman, and canno, he ex-
pccted to yield my predictions for free
labor. but yet frankly confess that |
have never seen in Europe class OF peas
anlry exposed to 50 few prIvatlons, or
apparently so happy in their condition as
are the slaves of South Carolina The
testimony Of every unprecedented traveller
over the southern states, has ever gone To
coroboraie the same he who doubts that
as class, the slaves are con,ented, cheer
full, and happy, should mingle with them
IN their work hours on the plantation,
or listen to their merry laugh, ringing
from house TO house in the summer, or
through the winter evening.
|. is not in the physical condition Of its
subjects lha, the great argument against
the institution Of slavery is to he found
Il is the moral and intellectual degrade
ton in which the slaves are lound-and
which is no! incidental only, but essen
,ial to HE existence Of the system, which
constitutes the true argument against it.
Here is its weakness--here lies the whole
gist Of its wrong. 1t Supplies the soul,
and does i. purposely. |, blinds the eye
Of reason, and shuts truth from the heart.
1t pampcrs the body, and starves the
mind. And the very last trace of Coils
image in the creature man is defaced and
bloued out. For all this the master is
not TO be blamed, but the system-and
thousands Of good men at the South
mourn over it as an evil which they can
not cure.
The slaves upon the plantation are far
more ignorant than those who live in the
cities. The latter, from their constant,
intercourse with the whites, become
shrewd, acute, and oflentimes very intel
ligen.. Indeed it is not unfrequent that
the favorite house servants are taught to
read and write, and even to cipher in the
fundamental rules of arithmetic. As a
general thing, their intelligence is maniles-
ted in conversation only; and the effects
made to instruct .hem in what Mrs. Nal
aprop calls the obnoxious scenses, are en-
lirely thrown away. Especially in mum
hers, even in those simplest combinations
which we teach our children in their earli-
est years, are they ignorant beyond belief.
| Nv attention was first called to this sur
prlslng deficiency in their knowledge, in
the first settlement ever made with my
aundress, a very respectable middle aged
woman, whose conversation and manners
were much above her class w ell, Min
ia | asked. how much do owe YOU
now 2 She replied by stating that on
such Il day she had washed dozen and
Two pieces, on another a dozen and three.
on another dozen and one, and SO on.
reckoning by dozen and fraction of Il
dozen. and leaving me to make up the
| amount. She then enumerated the mon.
eys she had received; as for instance.
once a dollar, next half dollar. then
seven pence. then four pence: specifying
coins each time, until had put upon pa
! per the lull sum she had received. Cas-.
,lug up and subsjracllug the difference. |
-ald-'I You want just one dollar and SIX
jy.nine cents, Minia, do you not, :"
She Looked at me with half amazed
stare, and replied; Me don't know what
you mean Nasal
why, | mean that owe You one dol
lar and slXty-nine cents
Surprising she had made some mistake
in her own reckoning of the bill emu.
meraled the articles and stated the result
bat with no better fortune than before.
Mnta still replied, Me don't understand
you Nasal
We'll Minia,' said at last, as the only
hope of an amicable settlement, tell me
what you think owe YOU and I'll pay it.
She reckoned moment upon her fin.
gers and said you owe me Massa, one
dollar, half dollar, seven pence and four
pence
We'll done Min,a' said |, that is Just
what | told you myself
No, Massa' was the reply you no
tell me. You say siriy-nine cents, sag
half a dollar seren pence and f0ur pence!
And yet Nnta was house servant, more
than usually brigh, and intelligent and had
always lived in Charleston.
Among the market men and women,
] hnueynr and In the mechanic iraLns