The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-05-04
The slave Mart.

end on Monday morning, took long walk, 10
80. .Il that was 10 be seen. In my ramble
,assed dismsI-looking place. which upon in
oui,y, found TO be appropriated to the buying
and selling .'human chat;els." Curiosity
nromptsd me to go in, and the scene witnessed
will never be forgotten. 1t was painfully i'm
.pressiye. and suppose the great mass OF the
,neope of the free States would have felt just as
/ did. There saw one feature of s!avery, an
awfully abhorrent one is. The weather was
unpleasant, and the number Of slavas brought
in for sale did not exceed ten or twelve.
looked arounq npon them. and eld not wonder
that England should point her finger of scorn a;
u, for our inconsistency in 'proclnimlng llber-
ty 10 ali the people," while we lolerote this obi
Gus and abominably- wicked domestic t'affic 10
men, women and children. All these were
zthere, one young woman sbou: twenty-five
years of age, attracted my special attention.
She was remarkably well proportioned, possess
ed a fine open countenance, and, in spite oil her
Ignorance and degradation. was vastly superior
to her brutal master. was shocked al the re-
voliing manner in which the buyers examined
her to see how much muscle and power OF en-
durance she possessed. Says one "Open your
mouih,n and then the wretch made his observa-
lion. as he would into the mouth of a horse.-
She held in her arms child about two years
.old, as I Judged. | said 10 her ''how oo is
your chiIdp' The reply l shall never forget,
coming from one who wes treated like torse
or q dog. "lIe will be two years old sir, the
lIih dsy Of next February" What burning
shame felt, that my country should be so deSra.
dsd and dsgraced in the eyes of the civilized
world, by n spectacle of this kind.
AT length she was ordered to take the stand.
The bidding was spirited, and soon she ran up
to $500. Al. this point the auciioneer was about
striking her down. Her brutal owner perceiv
ing ii called out, 'She shall no. go at that price
| will sooner take her back to North Carolina
So fine woman has not been in markell for
twelve months" And he took her from the
stand. Much as deiested him talked little
with him about her good qualities He told me
The amount Of labor she could perfornl-how
many rails she could split in day, and re-
sorry for it, but could not help IT," | tell you,
mir. Editor my Puritan blood got almost to The
boiling point, and felt like making an expo-
sion. But it is well that exercised little pru-
dence. | could not have helped the poor VIC
man. and should have been lynched, or got a
coat oftar and feathers, or al best been put into
the lookup, and been fined for breach Of the
peace.
4 saw and heared other things, that filled me
whh the direst apprehension ons in regard to the
slavery issue. | had conversation with gen.
tleman from Richmond. on the slavery ques ion.
He represented the system as fraught with in
numerable evils; bad in all lis Influences, and
worse, said be, for the master than the slave.
You would have supposed he was ''son of
thunder" in -denouncine slavery and real 3D.
anerges in his efforts TO get rid of il. After
saving so much about its denominations, remark
ed, "Why not then, at least, conhne ii within
Is present limits? Why extend The area Of
slavery, as some Of your Southern men wish 10
do?" His answer was prompt and emphatic
shall never forget it. 'Our slaves" he said,
s'ars our property. We can't afford to lose it.
We want market for our slaves" There ii
eis In nutshell. fear, greatly fear, spirit
+of practical emancipation does not exist to any
considerable extsnt at the South.
Another fact. for the truth Of which will
hold myself responsible, confirms this con,ic-
zion. A gentleman residing in Philadelphia,
who was native Of Virgina, receivedsa part
Of his patritnony, some twenty-five slaves. He
became an abolitionist f,he right stamp
Soon after he received his inheritance, he eman-
cipa,ed all his slaves. took them TO Illinois. gave
zso each family two hundred acres ofland, and
saw them ali prosperously settled. They have
done remarkably well; better, said be, IN
pecuniary point of view. than have done my
sef. This gentleman's father had an overseer or
superintendent, who, at length, became :he own
er of farm and twenty-five or thirty slaves
The course OF the employers son, in emanci-
,paiing his slaves, occasoned good deal Of re.
mark. One day when they met, he said to
him, "Edward, have always approved o
your course in making your slaves free.
4hate slavery, and if | could, to-day, get rie
of my slaves without any expense 10 myself.
would do it." Are you really in earnest2'
asaiq Edward. knew you did not like tbs
system, but was not aware that our opposi
ton to i, was so strong Eyes am in earnesi!'
he replied. 81 call God TO witness that would
to-day, emancipate my slaves, il l could do
without expense" "Well, will take you a
syour word," said Edward. 81 will take you
slaves, and give them on outfit to Liberia an
YOU shall not be subjected to dollar of expense
Call them up and we will settle this busines
on the spot" The slave owner was taken a
aback. Heknew not what to say. AT leDgit
he replied, s'It will be an expensive bushes
to you." THAT'S my look oui," said Edward
.slfl choose 10 spend my money in that wa'
All A-E