The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-03-27
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 81, 1851.


be transferred at LoIez's pleasure 10 the city
Jail, there to await his trial. His brothers, Of
whom there are four, came here to see what could
be done for his release, for they knew enough Of
the course of Spanish law to know that he might
lie during the better part Of his lifein either Jail
The myrmidons Of this same jHaI,d-l beg par
don of the glorious word for applying il to them
quartered themselves upon us for the space of
one fortnight under the instructions of Lopez, to
ascertain how far they could implicate our host ;
but, finding him match for all their wiles, they
were at last withdrawn as the expense Of their
service was heavy as well as useless The broth
ers were advised to go to Lopez, and make the
best terms they could. They did So The sor-
did wretch, who had no right to demand more
than the worth of the injured slave, laid so heavy
a fine that it covered the whole worldly substance
Of all the brothers To their credit, they paid it,
though the brother they redeemed was not worth
the sum. All they saved from the wreck was his
person, the injured slave, aud a little boy, the
property of the oyerseer. Sad was the day and
the hour when the ox-cart containing the still
PROSTATE negro and the little boy, Jose, wended
its way slowly out Of the long avenue of the plant
alton. Ii was followed by many wistful eyes for
Jose, who sang sweetly, and was smlrt, merry
little boy, was every ones svorite, and the story
OF Andres aud Annette was by this time known
to every slave on the plantation They knew
their tyrsnt too well not to imagine the doom Of
Andres Old Anselmo actually looks gray and
bent since these events have been brought to a
close He was hale man, capable of much hard
work, but he looks perfectly broken, and it is
touching to see how all the negroes treat him.
They have sympathy for his feelings in behalf
OF king OF his tribe, and the poor girl whom
they hal all pitied and then wondered at so long.
Little do we know, who see only the outside,
how many tragedies as deep as this, if not so ro-
mantle, might be found in the annals of slavery,
If there was any one to keep the record
have, through my good friend, Don Ciriaco,
learned the history of good many of these TRACE
dies, and some others have passed before my
eyes, differing from this only in character, but
not in pathos-. Tho w@SSAs here who aroused "a
slavery, do not seem 10 think the affections Of
these poor people Of much counsequence--indeed
they hardly believe they exist, except in startling
instances, some of which shall try TO relate tC
| you IL one says anything upon the subject, OF
speaks of the race as if they had any natura
rights, the planters will ask you what can b,
| made OF women who murder their own ofsprin,
as soon as born-but it is only another proof t
me of these same affections that believe in
We are now reaping some of the Legitimate
| fruits OF this atrocious system. Such is the an
ger of the mountaineers, that our host did not de
fend his overseer in the regular performance o
his duty, Capturing runaway slavel and thu
save the whole family Of Martinez from ruin
that whatever disturbance happens upon tn,
plains, We cannot look to them for aid. Tn,
peasantry is depended upon by the planters i
any symptoms Of instruction appear but the ne
groes know as well as we do in this instance
that the mountaineers, whose family connection,
are very wide, threading whole regions, and form
ing clans, are very much enraged at the whole
proceeding Ii is astonishing how things fly
through the country here. The negroes are thu
medium of communication for all gossip. In at
tending their masters, while visiting, they meet
and communicate with the slaves of other planta
tons, 80 that even the minutest family relations
are known and promulged They are not quite
50 well-nformed on this plantation as on planta.
tions in general, because we speak English and
French great deal, but one of the household
servants understands and speaks French, and
there is no doubt in the family that an old woman
who ofiiciates as housekeeper understands Eng.
fish, although she persists, and has for fifteen
years persisted, that she does not So we are not
safe, and indeed we know our family matters IRE
proclaimed far and near. | confess that often
caunot lay my head upon my pillow without sgi
tation, but the family speak in such tones of assn
| rance Of their safety that am somewhat infiu
enced by 1t. try very hard to be 40, though
cannot agree with them that ever their househo
slaves are "as attached rs children | know
they often wound the feelings of many of them il
n way that no human nature can brook, let
dwell within white or black skin and | kno,
that our host and his overseer sleep with loade,
pistols under their heads. The most truste,
slaves are always placed on guard round tn,
houses ut night, +" to watch the horses ~ strangers
are told, but | have been here long enough b
know there are other reasons for the precauton
Only imagine what life to lead To be oblgeC
to trust for protection to those very individual
whom one is an agent in depriving Of their JUS
rights-of their very children and wives-indeed
of themselves | see many planters wives, whc
suffer from slavery, and in more ways than one
Their kindly feelings must be kept in subsection
TO enable them to endure 1t at all, and then they
see their own sons growing up victims to the vices
of this degraded race IL is not enough that they
are told from the cradle upward that it Is dis
graceful to do what the negroes do; the opportu-
nifty and the corrupting influences often com.
pletely cancel the precept; and the young men
grow up puny in health imbece in mind and
polluted in soul But will leave you to fill out
the picture have sketched"