Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-09-09

.heir freedom often leads to misery an
degradation, and aol unfrcquently TO op
preston from his white associate. Wills
:. lllssslave is in. heory in: the closest hand
--pmpracice lie has friend and prolecto
! ig.his rnasteTi Ti:vhn. from interest, human
its and. religion, is bound to protect hin
AID promote his happiness. Thus it vii
DO. psrceived, that whilst in theory th,
Snetlern slave is The most ahjcct and de
graded. aud tile Northern aborer aud freet
lltsn,ihe most free and happy, YET in prac
iice the scale may be, and in the opinion
ofyonr Committee often is. turned in ia
vrEoflf1e slave. With the Southern mas
teIS every motive which can Influence a
correctly constituted !nind---intercs,, hu.
n1anity and ginn-leads to kindness TO
wards our slaves aud it is only the hru
tal.aDd unreasonable portion of mankind
wf,9 canllot be Influenced by these means
F0fthis class our laws are made and will
compel them 10 do that for which no com
pulsion ought to he required. OF all The
motives. which influence the intercourse
between men, interest is certainly the
stfongest-ihis the employer Of the hire
.llngdacks 10 great extent To induce him
TO 1fea.s bis lIireling kindly. The interest
of3fke: master in connection nwiih lie hire
linS,;is losoblain as much labor from him
as possible al the smallest cost and when
he Becomes too old or decrepi! from dis
easeor oyer-abur to work, 10 get rid of
himas soon as possible. whilst with the
ownersof the slave, as the slave is his
property, and he is bound for his support
under all circumstances, we can readily
conceive how strongly The muIiyc of'the
masier in taking good care oflhe slave,
aud 1hnseStendins the time Of his useful
ness.ttYD bur committee, therefore, feel well
wara1!ed in adding hat The master who
coulddisresard all those motives for the
goodlrcalmenl Of his slaves. must be bru
talslpdeed, ard must be so oorusc in his
intellect as 10 act against the pIaincst
principles Of reason. For such cases your
Coniiniltee invoke the rigid enforcement
OF lle laws, aud the expression nf a strong
condemnation by public sentiment Your
Con1ai!lec take pleasure in saying, thai
allhghgh hthere are instances in this rs well
as iIptl1er communities in which the con-
sidel0tions referred to, have not been suf
lcielgto restrain masters from cruelty to
sla ssAetst these. instances QnsIiIuln- -cx-
so, Ellis 10 tile general rule; and they are
ol-opiniun that there is gradualimprove
menGgo:ng:on in his matter. We rec.
Ommend, however, that this subject be-
kept bsiure the community. in order 10
convince all, that interest. humanity aud
religion, alike, demand kindness to slaves,
aud that the law lrown on those who i-eat
their slaves inhumanly.
There is one class of our community 10
whom all the mptivcs referred 10, TO iu-
duce us TO kindness 10 our slaves, do MOI
apply. Your Committee refer to our
overseers. As they have M property in
our slaves, uf course they lack The check
of selI,nteresl. As their only aim in
general is The mere crop results of the
year, we can readily conceive the strong
lnhucemenr they have TO overworE our
slaves. and here masters are ciIen mach 10
blame, for inadvertently encouraging this
feeling in theirOverscers. Ii is too COM
n:0mly the case that masters look only 10
The yearly products of their farms, and
praise or condemn their overscers by this
standard alone, without ever once troubling
themselves TO inquire in,o the manner in
which Ihings are managed on their plan
taliuns. and whether he may have IoSI
mare in the diminished value of his slaves
by over.work Than he has gained by his
large crop. Its a well established fact,
HAT o@arwork produces premature old
anc, bodily dcInrmity and debility of con
slilution. and checks the increase of !e.
| males. The masler, therefore, wbs has Ia
support his prcma,urely old. deiormcd aid
deplilated slaves, may we'll question ;he
beneficial results of his large crops cspe.
cia!ly when his only increase of slaves i:
by purchases al high prices. Your com
m:iee take pleasure IN referring 10 The
fact. that those planters who are most sac
cessrnI in the acquisition of wealth art
generally ,hnse who "makn haste Slow
and WHO will not "kill the goose, 10 obtair
the golden egg" We are therefore o
opinion, that if masters would lazy les:
stress on The mere crop results Of the plan
lalion, and place moro stress on the prope'
treatment Of their slaves, and the sysle
matte management OF their plantations. j
would correcl The evil referred to. Gu
oversccrs ought 10 have no interest be
voud of pleasing their employers; AM
nothing but The most inhuman feeling ol
his part could induce him to treat th
slaves cruelty, in opposition to The kuuw,
wish of his employer. Let the nns,e
recoIecl. TOO, that he cannot relieve him
self from the odium Of cruel treatment t
his slaves. by attempting TO throw the od!
nm on his overseer. Ii is his duty /
know how his slaves are treated, and t
prolccl them against cruelty.
From the attachment which exists be
.oon lin, master and slave yOiIr cOmmII