Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-08-21
An Incident.

Many Of us have und oubtedly a very mad
equate idea as to the depths of ignorance
which prevail in the South in relation to the
true character of slavery. The very fact of
being born in its midst, familiarized with the
sight of it from infancy, and taught TO con-
slider it, il an evil at all, one which is neces-
sary TO the prosperous existence of a nation,
must tend TO deceive and blind those who are
thus situated. Add to this, the fact that abo-
lition has been a hated and forbidden subject
in the South, that in order to keep a~nti-sla-
very sentiments from the people, mails have
been robbed, books expurgated and men
lynched, and we hav emo difficulty in under
standing why so many there, are living in
such ignorance in relation to their duty to.
wards their fellow men. Hundreds have yet
to give the first thought TO the subject, the
first word has not yet been spoken in theil
hearing which is calculated to awaken in.
quiry.
An incident recently occurred which illus
trates what we have been saying. A friend
of ours who was travelling on a canal boatin
Pennsylvania, found among her fellow pas
sengers a sociable and intelligent woman,
whom, in the course of her conversation, she
discovered to be a STAKEHOLDER. We do not
remember how many slaves she had, but
among them was a girl who was quite intel
ligent and pretty. Our friend inquired if
this one was married. sob, no." replied
the Shareholder, "you know slaves cam mar
ry," not appearing TO feel or understand that
that must indeed be a terrible system OF OPP
preston and pollution which thus tramples
under foot the marriage relation, and keeps
asunder those whom God in his love design
ed to unite. "There was, however, a younp
Frenchman," continued the Southerner, "who
became very fond Of her and used to frequent
my house. l told him it wouldn't do, that
if he wanted the girl he must take her away
This he concluded to do, SO l let him have
her for SIS a month" Our friend was SO
shocked that she made no reply, for she was
not accustomed to hear of young women be-
ing hired out to licentious men at so much
per month, and that too by those of their own
sex who stand well in society and claim to
be OF the first responsibility. The slave
holder did not seem to be aware that she had
said anything out of the common way, the
transaction seemed to her an innocent one,
just as proper as any other dollar and cent
trade. After the lapse of some time, our
friend, who had occasion to use a pencil.
borrowed one of a young girl, a daughter of
this Southerner. 1t was a handsome cold
pencil, and when she returned it, inouir-
ed lis cost. "Ten dollars,'' said the child.
lien dollars" repeated our friend, turning
to the mother, 'Me cos! Of ttco-thirds of a
months prostitution :" The woman looked
as though a thunder bolt had fallen al her
feet. THE cost Of tro-thirds of a months
prostitution :" These words presented her
actions in a different light, it opened to her
a new store of thought, it weakened, if it did
not break, the spell in which slavery had
bound her. She went to her home a wiser.
and we trust a better woman. We hone the
lesson she received will never be forgotten.
and that the emancipation of those she has
doomed to prostitution and wo, will be
among it's first fruits.