Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-05-29

Demley was no more. His mangleu oody sank
out of sight, and blood and brains marked the
water where he stood.
Was this cruel monster brought to trial? No.
He was asked by the owner of the slave why
he resorted to this expedient. His reply was
that DENLY had become unmanageable. He
was setting bad example for the slaves; and
his defense was satisfactory. He was contln-
ued in his station as an overseer upon the home
plantation His fame as an overseer went abroad
His horrid crime was not even submitted to ju-
dicial investigation. 1t was committed in the
presence of slaves, and they of course could nei-
Their institute suit nor testify against him and
thus the guilty perpetrator OF one of the bloodi-
est and most foul murders, goes unwhipped of
justice, and Gnaccused by the community in
which he lives! Mr.. Gore lived in st. Micha-
els, Talbot Co., Maryland, when left there's
and if the bloody wretch is still living, he prob
ably lives there now and if SO, he is now, as he
was then, as highly esteemed and as much re-
spected as though his guilty soul had never been
stained with his brothers. blood.
Ispeak advisedly when say that killing
slave, or any colored person, in Talbot County,
Maryland, is not treated as crime, either by
the court or community. Mr.. Thomas Sanman,
of st. Mchael's, killed two slaves, one of whom
he killed with Ratchet, by knocking his brains
out. He used to boast of the commission Of the
awful and bloody deed. have heard him do
so laughngly, saying, among other things, ne
was the only beneiactor of his country in the
company, and that when others would do as
much as he had done, we should be relieved of
the id niggers."
Again, speaking of another overseer, he says:
Pummer was miserable drunkard, profane
swearer, and savage monster He always
went armed with cowskn, and heavy cudgel.
l. have known him to cut and slash the womens
heads SO horribly that even master would be en-
ragged at his cruelty, and threaten to whip him
if he did not mind himself Master, however,
was not humane stakeholder. 1t required ex-
traordinary barbarity on the part of an oversoer
to affect him. He was cruel man, hardened
by long life of savehoding. He would at
times seem to take great pleasure in whipping
slave. Ihave often been awakened at the dawn
OF day, by the most heart,rendlng shrieks of an
own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a
ioist, and whip upon her naked back, till she
was literally covered with blood. No words, no
tears, no prayers from his CORY victim seemed to
move his iron heart from its bloody purpose
The louder she screamed the harder he whipped,
and where the blood ran fastest, there he whip
ped the longest. He would whip her to make
her scream, and whip her to make her hush and
not TIL overcome by fatigue, would he cease to
swing the blood clotted cowskin. | remember
the first time l ever witnessed this horrible exh-
bltlon | was quite child, but well remem-
Der it. 1t was the first of long series of such
outrages Of which was doomed to be witness
and participant. 1t struck me with awful
force. 1t was the blood stained gate, the en-
trance to the hell of slavery, through which |
was about to pass"
But enough of this my heart sickens at the
depravity of shareholders.
But 1t is said the slaves are we'll fed and
clothed. Let one who has served an appren-
ticeshp in slavery answer this.
"The slaves of all the other farms," says
Douglass, " received their monthly allowance,
and their yearly clothing. The men and women
slaves received as their monthly allowance of
food, lbs. of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and
one bushel of corn meal Theiryearly clothing
consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of
linen trousers like the shirts, one jacket, one
pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse ne
gro cloth, one pair of stockings. and one pair of
shoes; the whole of which could not have cost
more than $500. The allowance of the slave
children was given to their mothers, or the old
woman having the care of them. The children
unable to work in the field had neither shoes,
stockings, jacket nor trousers given them their
clothing consisted of the coarse linen shirt per
year. When these failed them, they went ma
ked until the next allowance day. Children
from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, al
most naked, might be seen at all seasons of the
year!
There were no beds given to the slaves, I'M
less one coarse blanket be considered such and
none but the men and women had these. This,
however, is not considered very great priva-
ton. They find less difficulty from the want of
beds, than from the want of time to sleep; for
when their days work in the field is done, the
most Of them having their washing, mending,
cooking, to do, and having few or none Of the
ordinary facilities for doing either of these, very
many of their sleeping hours are consumed in
preparing for the field the coming day, and when
this is done old and young, male and female,
married and unmarried, drop down, side by side
OH one common foor-their cold damp bed
each covering himself, or herself with their
miserable blankets, and here they sleep till they
are summoned 10 the field, by the drivers horn.
At the sound of this, all must rise, and be off to
the field. There must be no hating every one
must be at his or her post, and woe be.de them
who have not heard the morning summons to the
field; for if they are not awakened by the sense
of hearing they are by the sense of feeling; no
age nor sex finds any favor"
But it is alleged that the slaves must be happy
from the fact, they are frequently heard singing
: their wild native songs. In relation to this,
Douglass says, "those selected to co. (meaning
his masters slaves) to the great Farm house for
the monthly allowance for themselves and their
fellow slaves, were peculiarly enthusiastic
} While on their way, they would make the dense
old woods for miles around reverberate with
their wild songs, revealing at once the highest
r joy and deepest sadness. They would compose
and sing, as they went along, consulting neither
time nor tune. The thoughts that came up
came out, If not in the word in the sound; and