Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-08-02

tnefepy SpurnIng a fortune at the expense of hui
mainly, and obfging himself to earn his breud by
the sweat of his brow upon the new lands of Mi
chigan, has never even been noticed by one-half of
those miserably mean papers that are so forward
in echong these dregs of slave holding maTevo-
lence towards the chosen leader of the Liberty
host!] J.P.
MR.. BlRNEY'S LETTER TO Mr.. STONE.
To Coz. SToNE-Sir:-A few days since was
told by friend, that he had read in the ~ Y
Spectator, of which you are editor, the following
assertion: Mr.. Birney is not the only brawler
who has sold his slaves and turned abotonist."
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 a serious one to myself Individually,
and may, if unanswered, have an injurious inhu-
ence on the cause of human liberty, in which, with
many others, much more distinguished than my
self, | am employing the humble powers with
which it has pleased God to endow me. 1t is only
in the latter view-for as to myself believe (
could bear patiently the wrong you have incau-
tiously inficed-that have thought it proper to
transmit to you, for publication, the following
statement, which ought not to doubt, from your
Christian profession, you will take pleasure i'm
laying before the public, through the same means
you used in acquainting them with your accusa-
ton.
At the time, (191s,) I determined to remove
from Kentucky to Alabama, | was the holder of u
few slaves; principally domestcs, or house SER
wants, given to me by my grandfather, my father,
and the father Of Mrs. B. Intending to engage in
planting, sold nearly all my property in Ken
lucky with the view of investing the proceeds in
slaves and land in the south. Including those OBJ
tanned by purchase, and those already mentioned,
| had, on my settlement in Alabama as planter,
as nearly as can now remember, about thirty
| thPbo Oft or1S c.o.D
my father five more.
My habits, at this period of my life tended more
to the disSi patton than to the accumulation of
wealth. In few years my circumstances became
embarrassed, though not insolvent and found il
necessary to resume the practice of the law, which
from the time of my removal to Alabama had
relnqushed. 1t became necessary, also, in order
to meet my responsibility and preserve my credit
that should sell my land and slaves, informed
them of my situation, and consulted their wishes
in the selection of purchaser. They had less a.
version to being sold than they formerly would
have had, because had found it necessary to the
prosecution of my professional pursuits to remove
from my plantation to Huntsville, sixteen miles
distant, thus leaving them for the last year ontlre*
: ly in the charge OF an eYerseer- In the sale
made short time afterwards to planter whose
land adlOined mine, AND whose character as hu-
name master was well known TO my sl&Vess re-
; served my domestic servants-fve in number--a
, man, his wife, and their three children. This
3 sale was made In FS24, at a time when my Opin-
ions on the subject of slavehoFdng did not maleri-
: ally differ from those which prevailed among the
generality of planters. NY religious professions
and conneXiOn with the church took place in the
spring of 1926.
For several years had no other slaves than the
] five have mentioned domestcs. In the au-
. tumn Of lS29-S0, an elderly man and his wife, held
by an innkeeper, at whose house | usually board
ed while attending neighboring court, became
,b, T.b, Tbo
e was addicted to fits of intemperance, and while
they on him, he would compel the old negro
, to amuse him by exercising his skill, acquired in
y his younger days, in playing vulgar tunes on the
/, fiddle. The old man, being member of the
= Methodist church, and an occasional exhorter,
d considered his participation in such things as in
consistent with his religious station, and felt the
. necessity under which he was placed as great
h grievance. This in addition to other reasons,
1t induced me 20 purchase him and his wife, at the
price set on them by the inkeeper. They were
not long in my possession ill the husband found
% in Huntsville an old acquaintance, in gentleman
: who was about removing from Huntsville to the
If neghborhood of Louisville, KY. They expressed
n desire to remove with him on account, as they
stated, of their being thus brought into the neigh
g borhood of some of their friends and relations,
= who resided near Louisville. They persuaded the
o gentleman TO offer for them the same price had
given-thOugh it was not all to be paid in cash, as
t. had paid it. A part of it was to be paid in fur
If niture for which | had no pressing necessity
is However, this was made no mpediment to the
:, accomplishment Of their wishes--tbough they
:" would doubtless have brought much more had
/ they been set up for sale to the highest bidder?-
10 Up to 1881 my professional business had been
J. profitable, and my pecuniary means had again be-
: gan to accumulate; | determined to spend them
together with gift of money | had received from
IN my father about this time, in the establishment
ID a stock farm, because it could be conducted will
n comparatively few slaves. To this end bought
!, partly from individuals and partly from the gov
Is ernment, several hundred acres Of cheap land
at In November of that year bought from Ten
r. neseean, negro woman With her child, a Htt
n girl about four years old. Before had mat,e an
- other purchases of slaves, lady in Huntsyill
~ who had secured to her several slaves propose
al to me, through her husband, to pledge TO me tw
l. of them for sum of money of which be- stood i
bo need The sum to he advanced was supposed I
be their value. Taking into the estimate the rs
ho of their lives during the time the money shout
he be retained. acceeded TO the proposition too
ot into my use the two slaves, and kept them on h
~ contract, till within short time of my removal t
90 Kentucky, in the autumn of 1888. SThe none
ed was then returned and the slaves delivered to tn
lily lady. In the beginning of 1888 hired from a
NV administrator tor that year, FIVE slaves man, h
r. wife and their three children. They remained o
II" my farm Till | was about leaving Alabama; at tn
proper time they were delivered up to the gentle
his man from whom they were hired: These circun
r stances, in relation the pledged and hred slave
VI are made, to misrepresentation that ha'
- - A. IN 8