Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-07-02


An interesting series of letters from the South
were published, some time since, in the Boston
=" Christian Reflector "a paper which is doing
deal Of good within the pale of the Christian
sect whose organ it is--the Baptist. These let
tiers come from Carroll county, Mississippi, and
utter many truths worthy of attention by well
meaning Southerncrs Among these truths, is
unquestionabIy that portrayed in the following
paragraphs We know, from sad experience,
that slavery exerts a warping influence upon the
youthful mind and heart If we found it so in
Virginia, where slavery exists in modified
state, how much more so in Mississippi, We
ask calm attention to the subject, and invite free
enquiry from our Southern correspondents.
This popularity of temperament Tin South
erners) may, think be attributed to three prin-
cipal causes the climate, their social position,
modified by slavery, and the sparseness Of pop
uIation. On the influence of the climate little
need be SAID. 1t is the boast Of the Southerner
that his heart is warm and ardent, like the sun
of his native land We grant it.
Their social position is modified by slavery
assert, without the fear of contradiction, that
the peculiar social relations Of the Southern
people, growing out of slavery, are such as to
restrain the individual, in a great measure, from
gaining that sel-controI to which he might
otherwise attain. Take, for example, an infant.
Its nurse is slave. AS soon as it can observe,
it secs sl;ves, listens to slaves and learns from
slaves 1t is ever surrounded by slaves, who are
ignorant, thoughtless, vicious. Little negro
children, slaves, are in part, at least, its playel-
lows. Thus its first and most permanent i'm
presslons are received from slaves. Its first in
sructcrs belong to a vicious, degraded race, and
its first lessons are in vice. do not say that
this is universal in the slave States; but | dc
ka0w that in Mississippi it is very common. l.
the child troublesome! The mother will no
endure tit must go to the kitchen with III,
nurse. Is it to be punished The nurse mus
obey its commands Thus whatever of trouble
the child causes, the slave must endure. 1t
life must be watched by slave, Its wants mus
be satisfied by d slave. Slaves become nccessa
ny to its very existence As soon as it mani
tests will, slaves must become creatures of tha
will
Children are often encouraged 10 fight b
the negroes. If they get into a quarrel it i
rarely the case that the negroes, who chance t.
be about, do not grin their appreciation Il
this manner they grow up, their passions rur
Wild and their will is their only sovereign. The
can have no Grmness, no selfconroI. Unde
such training, reason can have no devcIopemcnt
They must be the slaves Of passion, the thing
of emotion. The mind being thus parayzed il
childhood, and all the passions, instead OF bein
checked and cnrbed, being nourished and gtat
flied, this is the natural resut,--the only resuI
we could expect Hence, in an assembly, eithe
religious, political or otherwise, whatever is ad
} dressed to the emotions affects them somewha
as persons are ordinarily affected by the inspira
ton of exhilarating gas,
We might dwell upon the effects Of SLAYER
) as it operates upon the whites through the soci;
relations but the subject of itself is worthy Of a
entire letter We have said sufficient to slo'
how every quality which goes to make up tn
character Of the cool, philosophical, sel-deper
dent, efficient man, may be destroyed in II
, very germ. When this is the case, they are tn
play-ttings Of passion,-they are swept about
, excitement, like leaves before the wind"