The Arkansas banner., 1845-09-03
COY. HANNOND'S LETTERS oN SOUTHERN SLAVERY, ADDRESSED TO
 THOMAS GARRISON,
 THE ENGLISH ABoLTIoNISTs.


 NUMBER III.
 Physical and .fiora1 condition of Southern
 Nlaees compared cM Eaglish Laborers
 --Schemes of 8doiui0a-,'.Moral lSMq-
 Slon2-Forcc- Competition of Free La-
 -1ae gra1d npShot of Wcst hdta
 Emancipation.
 Perhaps few general facts will best illus lrate the treatment this race receives at our hands. Ii IS acknowledged that it has in- creased at least as rapidly as the white. believe its an established principle, that pop ulation thrives in proportion to its comforts. but when Ii IS considered, that these peo- pie are hot recruited by immigration from abroad as the whites are, and that they are usually settled to our richest and least heal thy lands, the fact of their equal compara- tive Increase and greater longevity, outweighs a thousand abolition lalsehoods, in favor of the lenlency and providence of our manage ment of them. It is also admitted that there are ncomparably y fewer cases of insanity and suicide among them than among the whites. The fact Is, that among the slaves of the Al rlcan race, these things are almost wholly unknown. However frequently suicide may have been among those brought from Africa, can say that in my time, cannot remem- Der to have known or heard of single ill., stance of deliberate self-destruction, and but one of suicide at all. As to insanity, have seen but one permanent case of it, and that twenty years ago. It cannot be doubted that among three millions of people there must be some Insane and some suicides but | will 3fnp Ia r tI eurannaally among every hundred thousand of the population of Great Britain, han among all eur slaves Can il be possible, then, that they exist in that state of abject misery, goaded by constant injuries, outraged ill their affections and worn down with hard ships, which the abolitionsts depict, and so many ignorant and thoughtless persons re- ligiously believe:
 With regard to the separation of husbands and wives, parents and children, nothing can be more untrue than the inlerences drawn from what Is so constantly harped on by ab- olltonists. Some painful instances perhaps may occur, very few that can be prevented. t is and always has been an object of prime consideration with our shareholders 10 keep families together. Negroes are, themselves, both perferse, and comparatively indifferent about this matter. IL Is singular trait, that they almost invariablo prefer forming con neXions with slaves belonging to other mas. ters, and al some distance. IL is, therefore, impossible to prevent separations sometimes by the removal of the owner, his death, or failure, and dispersion of his property In all such cases, however, every reasonable ei- fort IS made to keep the parties together, if they desire 1t. And the negroes forming these connexions, knowing the chances of their premature dissolution, rarely complain more than we all do of the inevitable strokes ot fate. Sometimes Ii happens that negro prefers 10 give up his family rather than sep arate from his master. have known such instances. As 10 wilfully selling of bus- band, or wife, or child, | believe 1t Is rare lN, very rarely done, except when some of fence has been committed demanding '.rans- portation." At sales of estates, and even at SherflHs sales, they are always, if possible. sold in families. On the whole, notwith- standing the migratory character of our pop ulaton, l believe there are more families among our slaves, who have lived and died together, without loosiug single member from their circle, except by the process of nature, and in the enjoyment of constant, uninterrupted communion, than have flour ished in the same space of time and among the same number of civilized peopled in modern times. And 10 sum up all, if pleas ure is correctly defined lo be the absence of pain--wheh SC far as the great body of man kind Is concerned, Is undoubtedly its true deGntlon-l believe our slaves are the hap piest three millions ol human beings on whom the sun shines. Into their Eden is coming Satan in the gnise of all Abolition ist.
 Now affirm, that in Great Britain the poor and laboring classes of your own race and color, not only your fellow beings, but your fellow citizens, are more miserable and degraded, morally and physically, than our slaves; to be elevated to the actual condition of whom would be 10 these your fellow cit izens a most glorious act of emancipation.
 And how unaccountable Is that philan- throphy, which closes its eyes upon such a state of things as you have at home, and turn its blurred vision to our affairs beyond the Atlantic; meddling with matters which no way concern them presiding, as you lately have done al meetings, to denonnce the 'tin- iquity of our laws,' and "the attrocity of our practices" and to sympathise with infa- nous wretches imprisoned here for violating decrees promulgated both by God and man. Is this doing the work of ''your Father which is in heaven," or is it seeking only ''that you may have glory of man?" Do you remem- Der the denunciation of our Saviour, "Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrltes, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but within they arc full ol extortlon and excess.n
 
 am well aware that notable scheme has been set on foot to achieve abolition, by ma king, whatis by courtesy called ''lree" labor, so much cheaper than slave labor as to force the abandonment of the latter. Though we are beginning to manufacture with slaves, do not think you will attempt to pinch your operatives closer in Great Britain. You can not curtail the rags with which they vainly attempt to cover their nakedness, nor reduce the porridgc which barely, and not always, keeps those who have employment from per