Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-24
From the Southern (NississippD Journal, Aug. o.
THE BARBECUE AT THE PLANTATION OF
THE HON. s. A. DOUGLAS.

Mn. EDITOR: l had the pleasure Of attending the
barbecue given by Mr.. James Strickland, the agent
and oyerseer of the Hon. S A. Douglas, of Illinois,
at the plantation of this gentleman ON Pearl river
in this county, on the Both utimo. The barbecue
was intended really for the slaves the place. in
accordance with yearly custom whith MIR. Striclr
land has adopted, but there goodly number
of ladies and gentlemen present from the immedi,
ate neighborhood. s,E
The arrangements were all in most excellent
taste and the tables groancd beneath a prOfusion
of all the good things of this life. The barbecucd
meats were dressed in the finest and most relishable
style, and the adjoining river and lakes had been
forced to add their supply of daintics to the feast
noticed, too that there was real superabundance
of delightful cakes of all Sorts shapes sizes, and
ingredients but being most greediy engaged in
the demolition of the substantial portions of
the dinner, feel incompetent to pass distinct
Judgment upon the same. My friend, Jack ---,
expressed, ] think, the sentiment Of the crowd
when, with two tender ribs of mutton in his mouth
and a delicate piece Of wel-browned fish ON his
fork, he hOarsely whispcred-'It Ii is II good and Il
pleasant thing to be here
The negroes followed the invited guests at the
tables, and sat down TO the same daintes and deli
cacies which had just afforded much satisfaction
to our palates. They numbered some one hundred
and forty in all. Ii was q goOdly sight to see
their dark countenances lighted up with pleasure
at the sight of the eatabcs before them the entire
abandon with which they pitched into the good
things the extreme delicacy of the female portion
of the crowd, ordering the delighted walters with
fastidious taste and careless toss of the head to
fetch the incest pieces of the shccp-mcet they
could find, to cut big slice of de cake wild de
icing on it,, to stand furdcr back, and not crowd
, on the lady when she war drinking her coffee
c The most amusing part of the scene was table
full of little snow-bas-some forty in number, and
all about one size and age. They were the blacklist
e of black little nggers. Their heads rolled from
az oil th..f
particularly the cake, in pure repleton of animal
enjoyment They did enjoy it. Tears were in their
8 large rolling eyes, but they were tears produced by
: a safety of cake. They wept because they could
o Eat no more!'
r There was not one of the slaves, little or big but
g who was dressed cleanly, and some Of them almost
elegantly-for there is (strange as it may sound t.
the of some) fully as much taste for dress
q. among negroes among the whites. The little
y ones were rugged off in their white cotton shirts
q the old familiar plantation dress for the children
I the South-white as well as black. Here was com
a .foJt heaHh, and happiness displayed.
My object Mr.. Editor, in thus detailing the soen,
h which witnessed this plantation, is to call tn,
attention of your readers land it may be some wht
It are mott to the fact that here in county
l. Lawrence, in the State of Mississippi, il larg
,e plantation of negroes owned by northern Unitet
If States SENATOR and that these negroes are bette
fed better clothed, and their bodily comforts bette
y provided for than many of the white labOriny
classes of the Northpassing by for the present th
condition Of its free negro population. Tho negroe
il of Senator Douglas have divine service regularly
d performed, and for their special benefit. Thei
Ii spiritual, well their bodily wants. are attend
g. cd TO-. Now the thought struck me that it woul,
Or have been most instructive lesson 10 certain Fre
r. Soil constituents of Senator Douglas to have beei
Of present ON this occasion. i would like to hav
At seen the exponent and embodiment of All Younl
s. America make his appearance just as his slave
ID seated themselves ut the tables, in order that
Id might have taken in at single glance the real con
60 dtion of the poor African of the South Itwou
Sc have added new eloquence to his tongue, ne,
to strength to his genius and new energy to his so
is to have been able 10 witness such scene ms thiS
rs and afterwards when ianatcism should drop th
I'd slanderous ialsehood from its tongue to have dc
p scribed in his own strong and vivid language, tn
n sight he beheld on the banks of the Pearl in III
ar Slave State of Mississippi and To have told the re
te vcrs OF institutions, with his natural bodnes'
is that this was not an isolated instance Of tn
le s0utherners' humanity to the slaye-but that
le the everywhere--over the full length an
r breadth of our beautiful and smiling South.
II would have been good hint to such a man
n Douglas TO have told those charlatans in literature
those pharisees in philanthropy, and that immodes
d womanhood Of the North, what we knew the hvt
d TO be from actual observation. MUTTON.