Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-06-11
GENERAL TAYLoR's SLAVES.

AN ENGLISH LADY's REPORT OF SOUTH.
ERN SLAvEs.-In Lady Emmiline Stuart
Wortley's book of travels in the United
States, lately published in London, there is
an account of her visit to the cotton planta.
ton of General Taylor, on the Mississippi,
which must present, says the Republic, a
remarkable contrast for English readers to
the atrocious reports they have been in the
habit of receiving from other British travel
lers in this country. Her ladyship called on
Gen. Taylor in Washington, and was invited
by him to visit his cotton plantation when
she went South, She says:
"V-expressed great wish to see
some of the small sable fry; and whole
regiment of little robust, rotund, black ba-
bies were forthwith paraded for her espe-
clal amusement it was very orderly little
assemblage, and it cannot be imagined how
nice and clean they all looked. Such con-
gregation of little smiling, goodnatured,
raven rolypolics | never saw collected to-
gether before. One perfect duck of child
was only about three weeks old, but it COM
ported itself quite in as orderly manner as
the rest, as if it had been used to give par
ties and assemblies, and receive any quanti-
ty of company from every nation on earth
all its days, or rather hours. 1t was as black
as little image carved in polished ebony,
and as plump as partridge, lin mourning.)
These pitchy-colored picaninnies differed
from white children in one essential partic:
ular, for they were all perfectly quiet and
silent; all wide awake, but all still and
smiling. !,
"The late Presidents son was there, and
received us with the kindest hospitality. The
slaves were mustered and marshalled for US
to see, cotton was picked from the few
plants that had survived the late terrible
overAowing of the Mississippi, and the inte-
rior of one of the slaves houses was exhib-
tied to us. As to the slaves themselves,
they were as well fed, comfortably clothed,
and kindly cared for in every way as pos
sible, and seemed thoroughly happy and
contented. The dwelling house we went to
look at was extremely nice; it was most
tastefully decorated and an excellently fur
nished one the walls were covered with
prints, and it was scrupulcusly clean and
neat. .
CATER the main body had departed, a
small straggler was brought in, Whose moth
er, perhaps, had lavished additional cares
upon its state toilette,) and it lone, appa-
rently alarmed at finding itself thus thsup-
ported and insulted, testified its disappro-
baton at the presence Of English visitors rs
by very mild squall. We saw an Older
child afterwards, who was nearly white,
with lovely features and fair hair; the moth
er was mulatto, and the father almost
white.
whole company Of little inky imps, from first
to last, nursing and fondling them in high
glee; and it may be readily conceived that
the mothers stood by equally enchanted at
having their little darkies SO appreciated
and not little proud-shOwing their splen-
did glittering teeth almost from ear to ear.
"All the slaves were evidently taken the
klhdest care of on Gen. Taylor's plantation.
Men, women, and children, all appeared to
adore Mr.. Taylor, who seemed extremely
I;nJ 30 +bono oud offahle with them.'