New-York daily tribune., 1851-07-31
The Condition OF Southern Slaves.
PETERSBURG, Va, Saturday, July 5, 1851
To fJs F5,to, of fBs " V TryloJts

PETERSBURG, Va Saturday, July 5, 1851.
To the Editor Of the ~ Y. Tribune:
am an occasional reader OF your Jour
nal and, To say nothing of the ability with which It
Is conducted, by the tone and manner IN which you
advocate the peculiar tenotS of your political and
social creeds much as | am opposed to them, have
been constrained 10 accord To you cOmmendable
sincerity and the fairness with which you are wont
10 treat those who are opposed to you IN sentiment,
has led me believe that you not afraid of The
truth and that therefore you will not deny place IN
your columns TO the few remarks have here ad-
dressed to you.
That Slavery is an evil. curse If you choose. few
Will deny but that they IN whose midst 1t has IT'S
existence are the greatest sufferers that those who
adv ocate It's immediate abolition are actuated by a
mistaken philanthropy, and that their zeal Is Ze Il
without knowledge" are facts equally undeniable
Many men. IN other respects men OF Information and
learning betray an ignorance IN relation To tins sub
Ject, which ought TO be, and If II were any other sub
Ject, would be- considered disgrace to any man
who makes any prctonsion 10 ordinary Intelligence
Their minds are so beclOuded By preJudices engen-
CeIed by early education that the truth Is entirely
excluded If 1t shed Us light with IN intensity too
great to be totally reslsedis rays are 50 reiracedby
the dense medium which they have to penetrate that,
truth but only H. distorted image II beheld Inc
prevailing opinion among them Is that the relation 0i
master and servant that OF slave ana cruel OppfeSs-
or that there exists feeling OF attachment between
them and that at the best the master Is indifferent 10
The welfare and comfort of those whose social con
dltlOn IS so far beneath hls own II such nave not
charity enough 10 Uelcvc tnit We are uCStitu"
Of all feelings Of humanity certainly moments re-
fecilon ought to convince them that II our he0rts are
destitute OF all sensibllty our pockets are not The
welfare OF the servant Is the interest OF the MASTER
and an INJURY inflicted the former Is also al injury
L. the latter, fin other wise at least pecuntary
But the regard OF the master for his servant seldom
originates from motives of self.interest. There ire-
Qutntiy exists between them the strongest friend
SLIP ard on the part OF the latter respectful famI-
lllrity toward the former, which at the North Is
never seen on the part of the hiromg toward his
employer
These remarks have been prompted by an incident
winch has Just come under my observation. negro
man, about forty years OF age, came INTO store IN
which was sitting. 10 procure some artlcle Tor us
master During hls stay The question was Casually
asked, d" Does your master employ an oycrseer "
The question suggested "A topic which ! soon dis
covered was To him a welcome subject of conyersi-
tOn. W. the kindness OF his master. No, slr Sad
h., massa amt basbful fOern aTter his folks IL
was Saturday, and he had been spending the day
v ith his family and working for himself and them
In tie course OF tie conversation, learned that ne
vas going home. dis master lived few miles IN
IL sountryl Ia surprise, said 10 him, l. II pos
sbie you are rot gong To spend the sabbath with
your wife - " Not dis suncy, master. DIS j my urn
to stay at home an feed de horses" " Wei, old
an would nj you like 10 be free ~ No, SIR mas
8 treats me good, he gim me much bread and meat
/ can eai an lows me chance 10 glt -four ana sn-
e.T fur mysef Ef Is SICK he sand BY M long as
dslrs piece O. me. Is got no taxes 70 pay don
know muffin bout doctor bills, and don't see 10
trouble. FL hUts mysei. mas-a got 20 coIe 70 n.e
II EN- bisbed. treats hun good, keeps Dis here
arm o hlsn from wucking, does dat an he's got 20
treat ne good. No. sir, don' want to DC free
"A ants 20 die Ike / is This negro Is timber
SAWYER. HIS Ia K Is eco feet Of timber per week.
lie says, wien he was a young man he could inlsh
h.s task 10 three days and that he finish Il now
IL four DAYS and q half The rest OF the week he
woIks for himself He says ms master used 10 give
hn dollar per hundred feet Tor all the oYerwork
he cid. Finally, he declined giving him 50 much,
ard asked him II be would aot take less. Now Sir,
Mat 90 you think was the negro's reply "Mtssa,
If you vas poor man d 90 II but you 4 rich
man. and can't do it, Nor is this isolated case
Many of the hands IN Our tobaf co factories able
10 co almost as much overwork for themselves as
their regular tasks, and the manufacturers dare not
increase the task, they have the disposition, for If
they CID, they would not be able 10 obtain a hand
The Lex Jear-anOther proof OF the difference OF
masters 10 the reasonable wishes Of their servants
TlGit you may have some idea Of how these hands
are treated. let mention that no longer ago tnan
Yesterday heard the manager of one OF the largest
factories IN this State say that he had struck
Of his hands blow thus year. am prepared, sn,