The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-17
Territory now Free.

We have heard and read much from the
North about the immortality and impoliey of
permitting slavery to enter territory now free.
The Now York Tribune, publishes a letter
from the Rio Grande descriptive of this free
dom, and it corresponds with all other accounts.
The difference between Mexican law in the
acquired territory, which it is now attempted to
enforce against the American Constitution, is
the difference between white slavery and black.
But can it be that white girls at the New
York House of Refuge are whipped--whipped
severely for trivial offences! What! the lash
on the naked back Of the daughters Of Free
soilers and philanthropists? And that, too, in the
very city that proposes to elect Mr.. Greedy
Mayor! The writer says: f
But when speak of shutting out slavery from
my range of domestic privacy, do not mean
negro slavery alone. The Peon slavery of Mexico
is-whether from prejudices Of habit, or the mild,
winning demeanor Of the Mexicaps--much more
repugnant to my feelings. There are few negro
slaves on the Rio Grande, because they have but
to cross the ponds at low water and be free. The
only negro slave know Of near Eagle Pass is at
my door, wiIful, wayward boy, who, if he were
a white apprentice at the North, would be like
ly to receive as many stripes as he gets from his
master here-for he is a just and humane gentle
man-and positively knoc girls Of The age Of this
black boy, hare been ,chpped more severely at the
.Nso York House Of Refuge for slighter offences.
Yet would not live in hearing of the brutal lash
anywhere while / have the power to escape from
III, but for my reed tent refuge, you would be
hearing instead OF reading my protest of disgust.
We have man here on the American side who
deals in Mexican slaves His name and some de-
tails are at your husband s service If you choose,
hereafter; but let me now give you a hint OF the
system. Anybody of the working class can be
sold for debt in Mexico; and these poems receive
the worst fare and the hardest treatment Of any
slaves on this Continent. When they get this
side of the river they should be free, but are often
too tmid and ignorant Especially the women) to
avail themselves of the fact. am not certain
that this man entices the poems to run away from
their masters, in his trips to the other side of the
river, but it somehow happens that excellent SER
wants of this class do escape and take shelter in
his house. So far so good. If would not abet
the flight of a bond servant, still less would aid
in persuading a poor Indian girl that her chains
We're binding on our own soil. Not so this trader
in poems a s;
He makes some arrangement with the master,
who is glad to get anything, and hires out the poor
slave until this debt is cancelled to his satisfaction
In this way he makes some money, and gets his
own house served cheaply. lf a corrupt public
opinion could be created, we s ould have the
peon system of slavery taking root this side of
the river; but that, think and hope, is impossible
Thus far, the advance of our line westward has
been an advance of Emancipation; if it left servi-
tude in the it crushed it in front; and, what
ever may be the consequences to me personally
and they cannot be altogether pleasant shall
not fail to invoke the attention OF the Press of the
Union to every approach toward the re-enslave-
ment of the poems we have liberated. They are
a quiet, respectful, well-spoken race, submitting
to more exactions and requiring fewer comforts
than negroes Their sad, downcast air, is in
strange contrast with the ever-cheerful buoyancy
of the blacks; even their singing has the wall Of
death in It's slow, melancholy notes.