Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-11-29
Woman as a Slave.

1t has always shocked US to hear a woman ex-
cuse or pallIate slavery. There Is so much in
the system which is degrading TO the female sex,
that we should as soon expect an intelligent and
Christian woman to defend the sale of Circassian
and Georgian girls to fill up the Turkish harems,
as to apologize for a system in our land which pla-
ees a million of females entirely at the mercy of
the lIcentinus of the other sex. A last number of
the Advocate of Moral Reform, published 10 New
York, contains II long letter from a resident of one
of the southwestern slave States, which gives tho
following illustration of the state of morals ard
the condition of coIored women in that region:
'Mr. H. was Il New Highlander by birth and ed
ucation, who, in early life, went to the South, and
there established himself in a lucrative business.
He became, in time, attached to Southern habits
and manners, and gave up his long-cherished plan
of returning home with a competency-becamc d
permanent resident in one of the large Southern
cities. Previous to his leaving home, he was con-
siiered a young man of excellent principles, but he
had been so long accustomed to look upon the
slaves by whom he WAS surrounded, as born only
to minister to the pleasures of their masters, that
he felt no hesitation in forming with one of those
unfortunate beings II connection the most dshOn-
orable. She was Il quadroon, beautiful, aud toler-
ably well educated, and was purchased by Mr.. II.
at an immense price, from her father! the owner
of a neighboring estate. Mr.. H. never married,
for he was strongly attached 10 the c%ontiding crea-
lure who lived but in his presence, and to whom
HIS SIIRHlcSt WISH wis laws luuuSu us udCuCiOt
establishment was considered the abode of refine
ment, taste, and elegant hospitality, through all the
country round. His two daughters received eve-
ry advantage of education which wealth could pro-
cure, and grew up uncomnonly lovely and inter-
esting ladies,iu spite Of Inc mixed blood that flowed
in their veins. 1t never occurred to the fond fa-
ther, whose idols they were, that rs the daughters
! ofa slave, his proud and gifted children must fol-
J low the condition Of their mother, in the event Of
his death, yet such was the case. While he lived AN
) act of manumisSion for her was in all but the name
his wife, seemed IA needless forma!ity, and be little
rerkoned that death was so near.
In an unexpected moment, the king of terrors
came-and Mr.. H., in the prime of life, and in the
! midst of schemes of honor and pleasure, was sum-
moned to his final account. In the first wild burst
u of anguish that overwhelmed his family, they tho't
. not OF the evils to which they were exposed in con-
:, sequence OF the blow that had deprived them of a
u husband and father; but they were doomed to
II feel their force, He had died insolvent, and when
. his brother came on from the North to settle the es-
tate, he found to his horror, that his beautiful and
accomplished Dleces were considered a part of the
personal property, and as such appraised by the
creditors at SO high a rate that il was impossible fox
him to redeem them. Like their poor mother
they were reserved for a fate, worse to every vir.
fuous woman than even death itself. In conlnou
with hundreds of interesting and intelligent OPS