Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-06-28
Slave Trading,

hand three hundred slaves. The following is his
discrntion Of sale which he Witnessed.
N the shorttime which spent here, and at this
time of wear, when very little business is done at
the establishment, had no expectation otmeeting
an advenlure Of any nterest--bnt one occurred-to
me new, and intensely thrillug,-though to one
who has lived few months in a slave state, the
most common and unnoticod of occurrences. 1t
was simply the sale of a mana human being and
a Christian, bargained for and delivered, like
beast. While the clerk was shelving me about
the premises, coupee of gentlemen appear ed at
the gate--and were Immediately admitted ny MN.
'Well,' says one of them, have concluded to !
take him, think it will be best to put some hand
cuff, Oh hinl-~Won't iii The clerk replied that
he thought it would, aud went into the office for
pair. On his return, he called one OF the negroes
by uamc-and from the corner of the yard where
half dozen Of them were standing together,
very bright looking young man, OF about 90 years
Of are came up He wore a handkerchief around
his neek-inside Of his shirt-collar-Wh no coat
or hat on. As he came up, the purchaser rudely,
and with coarse remark, though not l-nAtured-
ly, pulled off his handkerchief, telling him that it
no way for decent man to wear his cfaYat
He then asked him if he had any other clothes
The boy told him that he had IA coat and hat-up-
Oh which he was ordered to hurry and put them
On. He went into one Of the sleeping depart
hents-and presently, though not till he was call
d
locking black hat, and blue irock coat Why
said his new master, you look like Major
Stand out here, and let US sec how you look
The boy said nothing. Can you fiddle asked
the master No, sir, cannot said the boy
Well, you can dance, can't you-let's see you
dance No, SIR said he fused to dance-but
have forgot how, now.' 'Oh,' said one of the
other men, you belong to the church, reckon
don't YOU Yes sir'--said the boy. Veil, :
said his master, well have that out Of you pretty
quick You belong to my church now AS he
said this he went up to the boy and put the hand
cuts on his wrists, and after few minutes more
talk, they went away, with the slave following III
his handouts close behind them.
suppose this one Of the mildest specimens of
man-seIling, and that a southerner would wonder
at the maWkish sensibty that could iod anything
in it to be affected at-but must say that it sick
ened me--and that it was with no dlmlnution OF
disgust at slavery and of contempt for the base
traIlicker who could grow rich on human sorrows,
that left the human warehouse Of Hope H. Stat
ter,
While speaking of this individual, must give
YOU an interesting incident connected with him,
stated TO me by a Baltimore lawyer few weeks
ago an agent of Slater, purchased handsome
muIato girl in Virginia, and brought her to Batl-
more, for the purpose of shipping her to New Or
leans. There is a law of Maryland that no slaves
from other states shall be brought into the state
and accordingly this girl, by the operation of the
law, was at once free. ! do not know the precise
character or the terms Of the law, but my inform
ant told me that there was no question that the
girl was legally free. She found friends in Bati-
more, who interested themselves for her-and a
lawyer brought petition for freedom, Ohe ordi-
nary process here) in her name, to the County
Court Of Baltimore County. The case excited
much interest. The girl was SO near white, that
careless observer cold not have distinguished her
by her color, from the crowds around. Slater
made desperate defence, as she would of course
be of great value to him in the New Orleans mar
ket. The case was poorly managed for her and
for this in part perhaps, though there SEEM
ed no question about the facts, the Jury could not
agree in her favor. They fist came in equally
divided, and were sent out again by the Judge -
and finally either agreed against her, Or hopeessly
disagreed, which were the same to hel--as the
presumption was against her, and she was to make
out her own case, and get verdict in her favor,
or remain slave. She was returned as a slave to
the mercless Slater, and by him, it is supposed,
shipped off Immediately to New Orleans. Hel
fate there, no one can doubt. presume the jury
in this case, would have decided in her favor, il
it had not been for the fact of her having really
been slave in Virginia-and though legally free
in Maryland, it seemed to their slaveholding con
sciences less violation Of right to re-condemr
her to slavery, than it would have been to have
condemned bona fde free person, As jures
are very apt to do, they took the law into then
own hanuS, as wen rs Tie ldc(S. Dun us IL WAS ny
mere law, and that law violation ofnatural right
that she was a slave before, it would seem as If
she should now, even shareholders being judges
have the benefit Of the law, when its operation:
Glanced to be in her favor. This affords
good illustration of the fair chance which we are
told the law in the slave States gives free man
claimed as slave, to prove his freedom, He car
bring his petition for freedom against the unius
cainlant--When he isallowed the privilege of pro
wing to the satisfaction of twelve jurors probably
acknowledgements he is freeman-not of Waitin!
till the claimant has proved him a slave. The
presumption is that he is slave; and by this pre-
sumption ne is held, until the jury unanimousl!
decide in his favor. The kidnapper has only tt
secure one base, unprincipled oppressor on the ju
ry, and he secures disagreement, which is Il
good for him, as verdict Of the whole twelve il
his favor. If this mans negro hatred is not mo
tive enough, it is very easy TO add motive in tn
shape of money, and ifthe negro he man of hig
value in the market, he can well afford to pay
very good bride.
| am told that thisSatter has made himself yer
rich by his save-trading; and makes a great di;
play of his wealth in the city. | was gratfet
however, to learn that he is regarded with cor
tempt by all the respectable portion of til
community. The Shareholders themselves despis
his business; and were it not for his wealth. h
would not find his way into any society but tt
lowest. His money, like money everywhere, pre-
cures him some outward respect. A northern gel
tleman who has resided for some time in the cit
told me that slaye-tradcr here is regarded exac
ly as at the North regard "a grog-seer; al
Al. l.