The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-08-21
AIR. BERNEY'S LETTER TO COL
STONE.

! VAS told BY friend, that he had read III
ihe ~ York Spectator, of which you are
the editor, this assertion "Mr. Birney is
i.oi the only brawler who has sold his
slaves and turned abolitionlst." lie had
not the paper with him, but he assured
me. that / might rely on the substantial
accuracy of the words, as above quoted.
The accusation it involves is serious one
to myself individually, and may, 1t I'M
answered, have an injurious influence on
the cause of human liberty, in which with
many Others much more distinguished
than myself, am employing the humble
powers with which it has pleased God to
eadow me. 1t is only in the latter view
for as to myself, | believe | could bear
patiently the wrong You have incautlousiy
iniiicted-that have thought it proper to
transmit to you for publication, the follow
statement, which l ought not to doubt,
from your Christian profession, you will
take pleasure in laying before the public,
through the sane medium you used IN
acquainting them with your accusation.
At the time [lsls] l determined to re-
move from Kentuckey to Alabama, | was
,he holder of few slaves, principally do
mcsiics. or house servants, given to me by
MI grandfather, my father, and the Ia
Their of Mrs. b. Intending to engage in
pl,nting, sold nearly all my property IN
kentucky with the view of investing the
p.oceeds in slaves and land in the South.
iac.ud;ng those already mentioned, L had
on niy settlement in Alabama, as plan
ter, as nearly as can now remember,
:.5oat tl.ir;y. Two or three years after
wards, received from my father fire
incre.
l'iy hz:,:is at the period Of my life ten
del lno:e to tie dissipation than to the
accumulation Of wealth. In few years
nv circumstances became embarrassed,
though not insolvent-and | found 1t
necessary 10 resume the practice Of thu
law which, from the time of my removal
to Alab2:aa, had relinquished. 1t be-
cone necessary also, in order TO meet my
responsibility and preserve my credit, that
should sell my land and slaves. Before
making any contract for the sale Of my
Slaves, inform them Of my situation, and
consulted their wishes in the selection Of
ap i-chascT They had less aversion to
ls.1E sold than they would formerly have
had-because l found it necessary to the
prosecution ofmy professional pursuits, to
remove ftem my plantation TO huntsville,
sixteen miles distant. thus leaving them
Tor the last year, entirely in the charge of
an overseer. In the sale made short
time afterwards TO a planter whose isad
aii,ined mine, and whose character as a
humane master was well known to my
siayes, reserved my domestic servants
fge in number-u man, his wife, and their
.h-ec ch.ldrea. This sale was made i'll
Is3t time when my opinions on the
..,iect Of sis7~.sholding did not materially
diiF5r from those WINCH prevailed among
the generality of plante.s. lily religious
professions and connection VIA me
church took place in the springof 1926.
For several years had no other slave 6
than the FIVE have mention as domestics.
In the aatnmn of I829-30. an elderly man
an MS wife. held by an innkeeper at
yhjs- house / usually boarded whilst at
tending a neigh6oring court, become
so!icitous that should buy them. The
innteeper was addicted TO fits of in
temperance, and while they were on him,
lie would compel the negro to amuse him
BY exercising his skill-acquired in his
younger days-in playing vulgar tunes on
III. fiddle. The old man being a men,
be- Of the Methodist church, and an oc.
c1sional exhorter, considered his partici.
p..ion in such things as inconsistent with
his religious station, and felt the recess.
ity under which h. was placed as a greaI
grievance. This, in addition to othel
re,sons, induced ME to purchase him and
his wife, at the price set on them by the
inakeeper They were not long in my
possession till the husband found in Hunts
vile ali old acquaintance, in gentleman
who was about removing from Huntsville
10 the neighborhood of Louisville. in Ken
tackey-They expressed desire to he
Ill lve with him, on account, as they stated
OF their being thus brought into the neigh
borhocd cf some Of their friends and re
lations; who resided near Louisville
They persuaded the gentleman to olfe
for them the same price | had given
though it was not all to be paid in cash, a
had spaid it, A part of it was to b.
p:d in furniture, for which | had n;
pressing necessity. However, this wa
made no impeachment to the accomplish
ment Of their wishes-though they woulc
doubtless have brought much more hal
they been sci up for sale to the highes
bidder. Up to 1881, MI professional
business had been profitable and my pc
cani1ry means had again begun to accu
m liaie determined to expsnd them, to
Ga;h2r with a gift of money had receive'
from my father about tbs time, in til
establishment of stock ar:n, because
oould be conducted with coiaparatiVel
few Slaves To this end, bought pariI
from IN individual and partly from ti'
a..rerament, seyeral hundred acres cheaI
land IN November CT that year,i bongh
from Tenessean, negro woman NitI
her child, a little girl about f1ur year
Cd. Before had made any ether par
cIi2scs OF slaves, a lady in Huntsville. wh