Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-08-23


He arrived at Charleston on the 2Sth OF De
ccmber, and he gives this brief note
eve arrived here after journey of one hun
died and sixty miles through the pine forests
| of North Carolina. between Weldon and VIII
mington, and voyage of about II hours i'm "a
steam ship, chiefly in the night between Will
mington ard this place. Here we find our
selves IN genial climate, where the snow is
rarely seen, and never lies above am hour or two
on the ground. The rose, the rarcissus. and
other flowers, are still lingering in the gardens,
the woods still venlant with the magnolia, live
oak, and long-lcaved p,ne, while the dwarf
fan palm or palmetto, frequent among the I'M
derwood, marks il a more southern region. In
less than four weeks since we left Boston, we
have passed from the ADJ to the 33d degree of
latitude. carried often by the power ol steam
for several hundred miles together through
thinly peopled wildernesses, yet sleeping eye-
ry night at good inns, and contrasting the ia
cihties of locomotion in this new country with
the difficulties we had contended with the year
before when travelling in Europe through pop
ulous parts OF Touraine, Brittany and other
provinces of France"
| n scene of slave labor in the South is thus
noticed
| Returning home in the dusk of the evening
ct the day following, was surprised To see
/ III u biONt VI liCCS near t'c CCuft-NNrt OF tie
farm. large wood-firc blazing on the ground.
Over the fire hung three cauldrons, filled, as
afterwards learned, with hogs lard, and three
old negro women, in their usual drab colored
costume, were leaning over the caudrons, and
stirring the lard To clarity it. The red glare
! oil the tire was reflected from tLeir faces. and
/ need hardly say how much they reminded me
OF the scene OF the witches in Macbeth. Be-
sac Them moving slowly backwards and for
wards IN rocking chair, sat the wife of the
oVerseer, muflled up in cloak. and suffering
| nom severe cold, but obliged TO watch the
old slaves, who are as thoughtless as children,
and might spoil the lard if she turned away her
head Tor few minutes. When inquired the
meaning OF this ceremony, | was told il was
Killing time" this being the coolest season
OF the year, and that since left the farm i'm the
morning thirty hogs had been sacrificed by the
SIDE oil running stream not far Off These
Were destined TO serve as winter provisions for
| The negroes, oil whom there were about hun
dred ON this plantation. To supply all of them
with iood, clothes and medical attendants
! Young, old, and lmpotent as well as the able
| bodied, Is but portion of the expense of slave
labor. they must be continually superinten-
ded by trustworthy whites, who might often
peiiorm no small part of the task, and far more
effectively, and with their own hands,"
| 10y way oil illustrating negro vanity, he saws:
Il was often Tor days together with negroes
who served me as guides, and found then, as
talkative and chatty as children, usually boas-
ing OF their masters wealth. and their own
peculiar merits. At an inn in Virginia. fe-
male slave asked me to guess for how many dol
lars year she was let out by her owner. We
named small sum, but she told us exultinaly
That we were much under the mark for the
landlord paid fifty dollars or ten guneas wear
/ Tor lIer hire. a good humored butler at an
| other inn in the same state, took care TO tell
me that his owner got ESQ a year for him.
The colored stewardess of steam-vesscl was
at great PAINS to tell us her value, and how she
came by the name of Queen Victoria. When
we recollect that the dollars are not their own.
we can hardly refrain from smiling at the child
like simplicity with which they express their
satisfaction at the high price set on them
mat price, however. is a fair test OF their in
telligence and moral worth of which thew have
Just reason to feel proud, and their pride is at
least Tree from all sordid and mercenary con-
siderations. We might even say that they la
Dor with higher motives than the whites-a
dislnterested love of doing their duty. ] am
aware that we may reflect and philosopllise ON
this peculiar and amusing form Of vanity. un-
til we perceive in il the evidence of extreme
social degradation; but the first impression
which 1t made upon my mind was very con
solatory, as found it impossible to feel pain
tui degree OF commisserationf for persons so ex-
ceedingy well satisfied with themselves"