The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-15
An Appeal for Practical sympathy In
behalf Of the slave.

In the Charleston Mercury of tho 10th instant
we find copy Of a letter which has been SAINT by
lady of South Carolina to tho Duchess of Suth-
erland. No name appears 70 the publiahed copy,
though the original we are informed has the name
and address of the writer in full. It u dated July
80, 1853, and commences thus:
"To her Grace the Duchess Of Suthsrla~A.
"MADAM AND DEAR SISTER: The kind interest
some time since manifested by your Grace, in
common with the Countess Of Shaftesbury and
other noble ladies, in the cause of us women of
America, whom you then condescendingly invited
to your confidence in terms of christian sisterhood
induces me now to take the liberty Of addressing
you upon subject near to every w0man's heart,
and more particularly near to every mothers"
After commenting upon the propriety of an APP
peal to woman in all cases of charity and chris
tian love, and to the fact that such an appeal can
never be made in vain, the letter continues:
! "Your Grace, and the honorable ladies' acting
with you, have then shown in undertaking great
4 work only proper reliance upon your own sex
in the appeal which you have addressed to the
women and mothers of America. You rightly
believe that we cannot coolly stand by, the wit
nesses and accomplices Of those atrocities which
you have heard depicted. l. madam, woman,
and mother, moved by your philanthropic ap-
peal-not hastily but with mature elaboration,
| and after long rehecton-( presumng, from the
magnificent hospitality lately rendered by you to
Mrs. Stowe, as the agent and representative of
the woman move, which it is your object to excite,
that you are really DESTROYS of forwarding, not by
words only but by deeds, your charitable aims)--
now venture to address myself to you, one who
has both the means and the will to forward the
herculean task which your Grace, in common
with your most praiseworthy and noble sisters in
the faith, has indicated desire to undertake."
The writer says that she will not stop to ask
why America, particularly, has attracted the SYM
pathies of her Gracefully the Chinese Empire,
with its 35O,0O0,O00 souls, is systematically
drugged under English legislation--should escape
the sympathies Of her Grace, but will set all that
down to the greater affection which is entertained
by the parent country for the child And then
proceeds as follows:
ssMy position is one of some difficulty, and
your Grace will allow me, in the spirit Of ssterly
| affection, to lay open to you its circumstances,
that you may the better council and aid my deci-
sions. l have not spoken hastily, but, on the
contrary, have delberated long, because judged
that time was necessary both to you and ourselves
to think coolly and dspassionately upon this sub
ject. l am, madam, by birth, parentage, educa-
ton, marriage and residence, South Carolinian.
South Carolina, you are perhaps aware, is the
heart and centre of tho slaveholdng States of this
Union, and defends with peculiar warmth her
rights and privileges upon tho slave question.
| My ancestors became possessed, while under Brit
ish rule, of certain lands and slaves which the
then institutions Of the country, enforced by Brit
ish law, rendered the only form In which could be
invested the little proceeds of their labor The
same land owned by those ancestors when they
dared to raise tho arm of resistance against the
might and power OF your noble Lion OF Eng
land-the same slaves (or rather the descen-
dants Of the same slavcs) who remained faith
full to them through the prolonged and bloody
| 81 N m dam uHyn
descended to mo by gift and Inheritance, form
| ing together the sole means of support for
myself and children, So far have lived with
my sable subjects, the busy but contented petty
sovereign over petty realm, believing that was
fulfilling my duty by staying at home, and de-
voting to their comfort and maintenance large
portion Of my time as well as my moderate ill-
come. | had believed that God Almighty had
seen fit in his wisdom to suit his creatures TO the
positions which they are intended to occupy. |
have believed, dear madam, that as no has formed
you and me to be daughters, wives, and mothers,
subject to woman s duties and unfit and unable to
do those of men, that he has equally formed divers
men for divers positions in society, according to
their powers of mind and body. And fever Gods
seal was set upon the brow of any race with the
stamp of inferiority, believe me, madam, or rather
believe the Investigations of science and the expe-
rience of ages, it is upon that of the negro Mark
me, your Grace, say not curse God creates
not with curse. Inferiority is by no means ne
cessary a curse"
She discusses at considerable length, and with
admirable force and purity of language, the real
condition of the negro slaves in the United States
as compared with the fancy sketch given by Mrs.
Stowe; and pays tribute to the Queen for her
practical condemnation Of this slanderer of her
sex and country; and in the name and behalf of
the American women who live in, and daily wit
ness, and take part in NIL tho relations existing be-
| tween master and slave, she claims to have bet
knowledge happiness or misery of the slave
| than the high-born danes who have Judged Of it
from unjust representations. She then states her
proposition in the following terms:
| "My ancestors, Woodworking colonists, were
forced, have already said, by the laws of Eng
land, imposed by the mobiles Of your land (your
ancestors, gentle LADY, into the owning Of this
property. Shall their descendants (myself and
children) 60 begging their bread in penance for
the sin thus forced upon them, while the descend
ants of the very mobiles thus forcing it vet revel
in luxuries? If this system be system of sin,
you with me are at least equally guilty and you
with me should bear the expiration: will not say
but that, did feel it sin, | might and ought to
cast it off without weighing the consequences.
But even were SO disposed, the urgings to it UNI
accompanied with some substantial sacrifice on
your part, would come badly from you, who with
more than equal responsibility through your an
cestors III the origin OF the SIN, should bear your
full portion of weight in the removal of it. Your
Grace is willing to help with words and cheer ns
on. But words do little here. We want acts
Will your Grace, from your immense income, as
sst' am quite willing to allow and to forward
for the improvement of these my black subjects,
any experiments to which they shall not them
selves object; but believe that your plan is u
wrong one. believe that it's end would DO GER
| tain ruin to my negroes and myself. Would it
not therefore be unjust both TO them and myself
that should, unsecured Of tho results, be called