The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-04-27
VIRGINIA SLAVERY.


employed, 10 their efforts TO bring
contempt and rdicule upon US, that
il Is refreshing 10 meet with an English
tourist or Journalist. who can look up
on things here with a just eye, and tell
the ruth about them when he gets
hotae. The following extract from the
journal Of Capt Barclay, an English
pedestrian, who recently made the tour
Of Nmerica, shows that there is some
whs Of the spirit Of fairness and JUS
tsW Yards as yet among the English.
cling DESTROYS Of acquainting my
self with the condition Of the slaves ia
VII ,inia. | left Baltimore en- route for
Ric h mond, capital Of that State, by
th railway, al nine A. NJ, on the
2Otl, arrived at Washington, forty
miles from Baltimore, at eleven; and
from thence embarked in steamer
bound up the Potomac.
This is one or the principal fishing
rivers 10 the States, and along both its
banks are numerous Fishing stations.
To describe the great beauty Of its
scenery would be very much TO repeat
description o. what is 10 be seen on
all the great rivers aud lakes Of Vmeri-
ca, hal visited. l think it may cor
rectly enough be said that, il any one
10 whom the scenery of the Thames
above London is familiar, were to
fancy the conjecture its natural OBJ
iec,s very much increased in magni-
, tude and viewed in an atmosphere Of
great luslre and tranquility, he might
form a tolerable notion Of the richness
and grandeur Of the summer scenery Of
an American River.
AT five p. M. landed al a wharf
sixty miles from Washington, aud
thence proceeded by stage to Freder-
icksburg. over nine miles Of road as
abomniable as can be imagined
For the remaining distance Of sixty
miles / placed uyself on the railway
and at hall.past eleven reached my
destination at Richmond having IT, four
teen hours travelled one bundled miles
by rail way, sixty By water, and nine
by the stage.
Richmond, an extremely handsome
Fovn. con nins a bout 10000 inhabi-
tautA of whom rwop third are persons
ofcolor, AMI great proportion ofthese
slaves. Every serraat, man woman,
and child, is a slave, bat to my great
and agreeable surprise, | found slave
nv here possess none Of The horrors
had al home been accustomed u hear
connected with it-lor the slaves Of
The country are we'll clothed and well
led, and kindly Ueated, and 10 all ap.
nearance contcnlcd and h ppy; indeed
/ should say their condition physically
is one ofgrcat comfort and enjoyment
in comparison with that Of our owl
manufacturing population, b. thou
sands Of whom, | cannot doubt i
would, ia relation TO the necessaries
or life. be looked upon withc envy
4he men, for the greater part, ar,
suong, muscular, and good-looklog
and Of the womeo ,many are handsome
particularly the nursery maids, house
maids and other domesties, who II
dress and person, appear as gay, al
4 tasteful and tily, as the most buxon
of our lasses.
The term slave sounds harsbiy in
British ear, and when | was told BY
nice, light hearted looking girl iha
she was a slau,, | could not help regar
ding her with feeling Of commisera
lion: she, however, seemed to thinl
aothing Of the designation, and an
glad 10 believe it is, in this State, Eel
in a Great measure as but Ga name. "
What have been told Of master
selling the olTsprings OF their slaves, a
we would sell lambs, the produce o
our ewes, | found 10 be totally withou
fo@dalion. On the contrary gfea
auSeution is paid to the wants and com
fort. and also the moral and religion
instruction of slave children, and az.
master or family acting differently 10
wards them would be secuted.
When it happens, as Is often docs
that any one owns more slaves than b
himself has occasion to employ, he al
lows them 10 serve in different capaci
ties in the employment Other person
aud particularly as domestic servants
in which capacity they receive wage
from their employments at the rate O
eight or ten dollars a month, one bal
ufwhich goes to the master who clothe
his slaves and otherwise cares for them
In tlis way il happens that many fam
lilies have slave servants not their own
but 10 whom they pay wages.
J here may be masters who are tyr
rannical and cruel 10 their slaves, bI
unh, ppily yrrnny and cruelty to de
pen ants are not peculiar to slave ov
Ders. ] believe it might be easy to az
due, authenticated instances in frs
Eng end, the arocity and horriblene'
Of I hTcb would draw tears from Ii
.vs, ofanv slave owner in Virginia.