Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-13
From the Defiance Democrat
A Niger Hiring"


The festivities of the great day of the Christ
mas Holidays were past, the memory of the I'M
fortunate ones that had gobbled for the last time
was forgotten, and the physical effects of the feast
Of fat things were we'll nigh over but to myself
the day had long been awaiting had just dawn
| ed. Not that did not enjoy the southern ta-
bles, so richly laden with the fat of the land and
of other lands on such gala days. but as the prin-
cipal object of my brief sojourn among the chiv-
alrous sons of Kentucky was to add to my little
store of information by gleanings from real life,
and more especially to get little insight into
Slavery as it is had long looked forward to
the time of Niger hiring
According to a long established usuage, these
scenes came off on the christmas holidays
The reason for holding them at that particular
time know not nor whether those who were
'pously given could see any intimate connection
and between public sale of the Image Of God
the birth of the Son of God that they celebrate
the anniversary of his birth with such scenes Be
that as it may such is the custom. Those who
own slaves to hire, meet on one of the holidays
most convenient for all concerned, at some con-
spicuous town, bring their slaves along with
them, employ an auctoneer, and sell years SER
vice of the slaves to the highest bidder The
slaves dread these Ilrings,' they dread being
hired for year more than they do being public
ly sold, by far. For they have learned by bitter
experience that their hired masters only inter-
est is to get the worth of his money, and as much
more as he can
But let us go back Twas cold December
morning, cold for that climate, when two or three
persons, together with myself set out for Prince
ton, where the hiring was to be held. will not
particularize upon what we passed, nor say aught
of the roads, save that they compare well with
our roads in northwestern Ohio. One connot
travel ten miles in that portion of Kentucky where
spent few months, without remarking the old
log cabins, and the diiapidated state of almost
everything appertainE to the plantations he pas
Ses.
And why is this IT'S not because the peo-
pie are misery and selfish, for mere generous
and hospitable people it has never been my for
tune to live among. But why is it that that por-
ton of Kentucky has been settled longer than
any portion of Ohio, and yet so far behind Ohio
| in everything like improvements! The works
of Nature and of Man seem to answer, It's the
witherng curse of Heaven upon the people who
cherish the peculiar institution of slavery. The
tears and blood of the slave cry to heaven for
vengeance. The groans Of Atrc's captive sons
and daughters have pierced the audience cham
Der of the Most High, have entered the ears of
the Lord of Sabaoth, and the terrible fiat has
gone forth to the Tyrant Slavery, cursed be the
ground for thy sake, and 'cursed be the works of
thy hands Well may that tyrant tremble when
he sees that mysterious chirograph upon the walls
} of his palace But I'm DEPRESSING again. Prince
ton, where we arrived about ten o'clock, is the
county seat of Calwell county, is a small inland
town, has been settled for some fifty years; but
the general appearance of the place, streets,
sidewalks, and buildings, both public and private,
is in perfect keeping with the general aspect of
the country
When returned from short walk out of town
to visit Princeton College, the hiring had COM
menced. A stand had been formed in front of
one of the stores with dry goods boxes, and the
auctlOneer was waiting for another article to
cry off
While was forcing my way through the crowd
6 which had collected, l never shall forget female
form | CHANGED to espy among group OF human
cattle Had not been before appraised of there
being white slave, at Princeton, and had not
seen her among her sable brethren and sisters, |
-, should not have thought Of her being slave
. Her complexion was lighter than many girl who
= has not drop af African blood in her veins, her
form was slight and symmetrical, and her tea
f lures decidedly Anglo Saxon, her hair black and
glossy, long and neatly done up behind with a
comb, her eyes blue, her nose bordering on the
Grecian, her lips small and almost honied' e.
nough to sweeten even a Poets imagination
;, And then the expression of her countenance, |
will not attempt to describe it; would to heaven
the doughfaced aristocrats of the North, who
| boast the purity of their Anglo Saxon blood,
could have seen her then. She looked as though
she felt that man had branded SLAVE on that
brow, where God had written INTELLl-
GENCE.
NV attention was drawn from this fair 'chattel
to the stand, by the harsh voice of the auction
eer, Who'll give US bid for this little chap 2
: as little fellow about ten or welve years old,
mounted the stand. He appeared active and
quite intelligent, and the bids came faster than
usual. though, | know not whether correctly,
that the little fellow was on the auctioneers ta-
BILE for the first time, for he had scarcely glanced
around upon those frozen hearted men, before
the tears coursed thick and fast down his sable
cheeks. 1t seemed to me that could penetrate
Ibis tear-suffused eyes, and hear the language OF
his iuvenile vet noble spirit For the first time
+ FoeI the HITTER MEANING of the word
SLAVE |, boy as am, must be bought and
sold like the hog that wallows in the streets
, mist work until die like brute And then
/ seemed as though ray of hope lit up ms
Gloomy heart, for the tears ceased to now, ana
his eagle eye followed the BIDS scanning tue 'e~'