Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-12-23
5rlcfteo tllisfellancp.
Fron the Boston Chronotvpe.
THE SLAVE MART AT NEW OR.
LEANS.
ny GRAPHIC MANIA.


ing the sentimental whine about the instifn-
ton of slavery, " which should not he toler-
aied but for the sake of benevolence." Bah!
Mrs. Humbug, what do you know about
slavery save from the look AT your cousin
George Washington Froths footman? And
you, Miss Clenentina Angelina Snooks, but
from the gentle attentions of your aunt Be-
linda's waiting maid!
Talk not to us of the kind care of rich
and independent Southerner to his slaves.
If you would see slavery in all It's hideous
blackness, go into the midst of IL, look at &c
in all its phases and bearings, talk with the
man dwaried into brute, count his privi-
leges, weigh his opportunities, and measure
the span of his existence. After you have
conprehended the individual, the unit, null
tiply il into the millions, and then stand and
gaze long and seriously over the lowering
curse thai lies over our land.
A few weeks since, while lounging away
a summers morning in the rotunda of the
St. Charles, at New Orleans, the advertise
ment Of sale Of slaves caught our eye.
+" One hundred plantation slaves, the prop
ertv of a gentleman forced to sell them TO
raise money to meet the payment of his
notes then coming due in the city. The
whole to be sold to the highest bidder, with
out reserve"
We had already, in our southwark course
looked at the slave toiling doggedly at his
unrequited labor we had seen him SCARED
by the lash we had beheld the stern glance
of hate and heard the muttered threat, as
he bowed grudgingly to his servitude. We
had even walked several times through Gra-
vIer street, and wonderingly peeped into all
the warehouses where the human animal is
fettered, gaudily decked out and exposed for
private sale. We had often times even
made pretence of purchase for the opporfu-
nifty of asking questions and getting at the
thought that we knew to be teemlng under
the immovable muscles of the ehon visage.
But here was new spectacle. One hun
dred men, women, and children were to he
sold at public auction for money to pay notes
with.
At 10 o'clock precisely, 1.-The hour appoint
ed, was at Hewlit's Exchange, the place of
sale The arena was filled with anxious
purchasers, with catalogues in their hands |;
most of them seemed gentlemen planters, in
pursuit of slaves for their own use but
among them were several SPECTATORS, trat:-
fickers in human flesh, without fear OF God
or devil before them. lis class were con-
spicuous for their particular examination of
the articles on sale.
| We noticed one hardened old sinner in
particular. He had his eye fixed upon Il
young girl of some fifteen or sixteen sum
mers. She was beautifully rounded form,
and had the head and face OF Venus.-
She would have been queen in her own
sunny cline, but here she must choke down
her agony and tamely submit to insult.
"Open your mouth, you sluf!'' sternly
action to the words and thrust apart the lips
and teeth of the young girl. +" Sound teeth,
Ell? Can eat your full allowance of grub,
l'll be bound" Then followed certain rubs
and pinches upon her arms, shoulders, breast,
and neck, such as a judicial horSe-jockey
bestows upon the animal for which he is in
treaty. We hoped, for the sake of COM
mon deceicy, if from no other motive, that
his examination would end here, but how
we were disappointed. He was not the man
to purchase IA commodity without first fully
understanding its value. Lets see your
ankles, your knees, up higher! you silly
wench." This was too much for the poor
Igrl A faint blushing tinge crept under her
dark skin, aud the tears started TO her eyes.
And this hardened william had a daughter
of his own, about the same age. What
would have been his rage at the suggestion
of the same process To has own daughter!
If anything, the delicacy of character would
preponderate in favor of this poor ensiaved
girl But she is placed upon platform so
far above the floor as 10 be conspicuous to
all in the house.
The auctioneer possessed an Indifference
sufficiently braZen 10 have Knocked down
81. Paul himself To the highest bidder
80 Who bids! What's offered! Fine wench;
rather delicate in appearance, bat she came
of IA good stock, and no doubt will he a good
breeder come, come, bid away five hun
dred, fifty five, eight hundred, well done sir,
you have discovered her value eight hun
dred once, eight hundred twice, eight hun
dred dollars and gone. Well, Mr.. Holdfast,
YOU have got bargain there hope shall
have the selling of the progeny don't let
there be too many yellow ones, though, them
always hurts my feelings to sell"
The misery of the poor black girl was
now at its height. She had fallen into the
hands of the brutal Spectator, and her fate
could be imagined from the treatment al
ready received from him. She continued in
the posture in which her natural graceful
ness had thrown her, and such an eloquent
expression of despair, depicted in her every
form and feature, we never saw or imagined
before.
In the marked catalogue before Us, we
find that Jane" was sold to Mr.. Holdfast
for eight hundred dollars. Mr.. Holdfast
takes his property and places it in corner,
evidently intending to add to it in the course
of the sale.
$50 spake the fend, and with necessity. !.
The iyrant' s plea, excused has deyilisb deed"
The hundred slaves were huddled togeih-
er near the actioneer's platform, where one
by one thew were successiyely to pass under
| the hammer. The men sat an stolid silence.
The women, especially such as were moth
ers. gazed in anxious grief upon the Little