Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-08-14
"Only FlOgglng a Niger"

Some persons are very skcptical whenever
any nuson is made to the cruel treatment
of slaves We are aware that many slave
owners are kind. hearted and amiable in the
highest degree, and that their servants have
the strongest attachment for them. AT the
same time we believe that many who have
/ the ownership or management OF slaves nrc
/ inyctCrately cruel, and that their tyranny is
praCiccd upon slaves IN manner that II Is
not upon any other living thing. We have
not been in the habit, however, 10y any means,
of publishing every statement in reference TO
/ the abuse OF slaves that we have seen or
, heard, but fact or two that have recently
come to our knowledge from the most rea-
| bic authority, we feel it duty TO chronicle.
! A few days ago, in conversation with gen
/ tlcman of the slrctest integrity and picty,
from the southwestern part OF our country,
where he has resided for many years, he sta
ted that Mr.. -, with whom he was well
! acquainted, lived four miles from him, and
his treatment of his slaves was cruel in the
extreme. One day he returned to his home
after an absence of several days, aud found
that n slave woman had got access to small
amount of butter, which she scraped from
kettle, for her own use. For this he became
enrnged, gave the poor woman fifty lusles,
AMI then informed her that those were only
half that she was 10 receive In fear of more
punishment she wandered of from the house,
aud bccOme at length so swirl footed that
she would leap fence with the agility of
irightcd animal. So fearful had she become
Of her owner, that she was constantly in the
habit Of turning her head to the right and
LETT, MS If anticipating danger. One night,
driven by starvation, that savc,-suid our
Christian brolher,-cnme TO my house for
food. OF course, said he, gave her all she
could eat, and permitted her TO sleep in my
house that night. The next day, the woman
seeing her master coming toward the house,
rushed ont and hid herself among the high
corn. When the owner was informed by
the gentleman that he had given food TO his
slave, and would always do so, if lie found
her suffering he became so angry ns to lose
all control' of himself, and abused him by
the most insulting cpilhets. Atnno,lier time
this slave.owner remarked, "When die,
fear shall 90 to hell aud be driven there
by my own slavcs!"
The gentleman TO whom we have alluded,
recently arrived in this city. lie states thai
while on the Mississippi river n week or two
ago, in the steamer --, two fiIpmcn who
were slaves, had some angry words together
which called down the mate, who com
hlNHNNh bShAlilE pllt VI litlu WIN " hllOlltu
| rope. As our informant was going down to
witness the cruel scene, said bystander
go, wouldn't 20 down they are only nng-
| ging nggers." After inllicling on this negro
several severe blows, the slave said "'Iwasn't
me, mnssu, hwasn't me-" On this he com
menced heating the other man so severely
on his head and body that every blow seem
ed rs If 1t would he the last before life would
become extinct Yet while these cruel blows
were falling, hard-hearted monster whisp-
cred to the mate, "Throw him overthrow
him down I" After flogging him for some
time, the officer went upon deck But pres
emily the man who had wished for amllse-
ment in seeing the poor black man more
severely whipped, went and whispered to The
mnte. AS the result, the mate and four 9th
er men went down and took the negro to n
secluded end of the boat, where they stripped
him of his clothes, and while each Of the
men held firmly the arms and legs of the
slave, the mate, with n rope an inch in thick
ness, was agnn beating him most cruelty
This sanlnnc employment was continued till
fatigue drove them from their work. During
the hoTid treatment of this noble-looking
slave, rot an 0ggrayniing word escaped his
lips. lie only mulIered, +" Don't! DON'T Let
me up let me up"
In view OF such cruelty 10 slaves, who can
but tremble when he remembers that God
has said, "Vengeanco is mine, will repay"
Every one conversnnt with slavery, especially
as il exists in certain states, knows that the
cruelty of some masters TO their slaves Is
proverbial, and that such facts-and we kno,p
them to be iacts-as We have recorded, are
altogether too numerous. Good occasion did
colored woman, who was formerly slave,
have for saying to us once, "You Northern
ers don't begin TO know half of what the
slaves suffer-" Surely
"Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless millions mourn"
Apologists for slavery will perhaps com
plain of us for publishing these instances of
inhumanity; bnt they may be assured that If
the same cruelty had been pracliced in this
city, upon some dumb beast, we should not
only have recorded the facts, but seen that
measures were taken which should have led
TO the merited punishment of such wanton
offenders.
Since writing the above, our municpnl
court in this city has fined Mr.. A. Davis
thirty dollars for cruel treatment of a horse.
But who will bring TO punishment the cruel
taskmaster on cotton plantation or Mis-
sissipp steamboat, when even eye-witnesses
will say" He is only flogging niger ?'-
: Hdtchman s. Reflector.