The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-29

man o. ssients scarcely inferior "a those 81 III
orated brother, and Of extraordinary roodre
character. EDtes tanning the opinion, then ~
In the South, and especially in Virginia. tbst 4
was curse alike to maatsr and to ssrsant
hbersted his slaves b. will. and mnde smols
vision for their maintenance. o Wing TO pecn
EMBELLISHMENTS, the provisions Of tbs Wi -,
carried into execution until fifteen years sftarv
and NOS until many Of the slaves had been e
nquidsfe the heavy mortgages which rested
the estate; About 1871, John Randolph, who
asaumed the management OF his brothers a
removed to the county Of Charlotte, and az
groes, variously estimated at from ono hundf}
one hundred and thirty In number, entered
tho enjoyment Of their freedom.
portion Of the Bizarre estate, oonsistin
snrse HUNDRED and any (soms say five huad
LIE, pei0any ciesrci !, well tmbered, and
twenty nve acres each, and upon these ssctioo
various families, according to the numbor andX
OF the INDIVIDUALS composing than. vere -
those having aged and fnifm Derenta a. ~
receive d more, and those not having 49, ~
nrancss' iess Land. Al wcre provided With q
Implements to TIL the soil Fairly setiIed r
land Of pr0mise-the Canaan to which thsv
looksd 50 loDgingly for fifteen years-&hey \,
the name Of "Isrsel Hilln--an appellntion =
explains the sanguine anticipatiohs and rolil
tone which guided them to It's choice. No
they looked forward to the time whom fsrael
should be thriving and populous viIlAge-"s
set upon an hil'-shinlng glouousiy to the ey
their brethren In bondage, Is did the Delec
mountains to Bunyan's Pilgrim. ~
Here, then, they were LEFT TO work out their
tiny, and here, inoeed, u ever, It was to have
expt csed that the African would thrive and proI
and iulM the expectations which pronpts
noble master to set them free. The cundi ID
TIE exp rlment were prominently favorable a
msndnitted, and the elements Of success saret
ing them numerous, and such rs can meyer aVs}
brought TO bear upon them In any future 81
Dent. They were the choice servants Of one d
most aristocrati;, humane, and cultivated |
her n the 6tate-reservsd from sale because Of
excellence of their dispositions, their fidelity.
their INDUSTRY. They lad enjoyed the advanta3
association with Intelligent whites; they
Taught the principles Of the Christian
gi0n. They were trained to habits Of Id
and were settled upon fertile land In temp@
climate. Fuel and water were abundant
were surrounded by kincly disposed neighbors,
OIL er times during the year, who ministered to
waits In sickness and who gave them advic|
matters of business. And more than all, they
not brought into competition with white labor
bane Of the African who settles In the free Sd
Under these pr0pitiOns circumstances It was
soIable to expect that the little colony would
gone on to prosper-thst this miniature Ii,
tent Of ether colonies to the FREQ Htates- thai
system Of parcel culture would have madp q
itch Of the soil py0ductivo-that Israel Hill n
have become handsome village, surr0unde&
orchards and gardens and sheltered by luxn}
shade trees. The phiianthropfst who shared
opinions and the hopes of Richard Randolph, -
have expected to have heard In this village
church going bell. the evidences OF thrift, q
dusty and Of good morals. But, nov that
years have passed away, what are the facts q
easel How has the experiment succeeded?
TIE traveller on the Southside Railroad I
through the centre OF Israel Hill, without b
aware of its presence. The few miserable
which constitute the village are not attra}
ment, and he passes on. ignorant Of the lesson n
. mistaken philanthrophy might have taught
The visiter TO the neigbboYh0od who has tue
osity or interest to inquire into the result Of
uDhsppy experiment win DO saddened by it, del
He win ind that healthy, happy, moral con
nifty Of slaves have from the day Of their nbeF1
degensrated until they have become Diseased
and q pest to their neighbon. The men are d.
ards, the women prosti mtes, the children scrol4
ard BY pbiIitic. Almost ell steal. There are b
able excep. lions TO this rule but they consist ~
Of the original ettless-men and women ,Wbe
cached years. Of discretion before they wf-s
I8tcUp anu WuUeo u9VAs9 WcI0 luGAAc0 WI
were slaves. The men ere utterly corrupt u
from increasing In point Of number, they b
creased; and It is the opinion Of eli who hav
into the matter that disease will eventua''
inmate them.
In 1860, It is said they numbered about
a. were originally hberated--ssy 1870; and
1864, they are generally supposed to number
sequen Of their vi ious habits many Of &.
men are barren the Children, AZ before Il
poisoned from their birth. Hence, il maj :
Oily believed that the average yearly NOR
among them, ID equal TO that Of FarmvilIo-s
more than ten times as pspulous--and some
it's much greater. With the Incidence and
providence coaracteristic Of their race, the5
wantonly destroyed theif woodlands have
hausted their soil by unsystematic and impr
culture have suffered their houses aud enc(os
TO decay have contented themselves with the
duction Of the bare necessaries of existence !;
have ~ yet given no evidence that the germ
progress or improvement ever existed In theiI
Of q cir crops is invested In whiskey and thl
gotten gains Of booty purloined from ths nj
bouring gentry are expended in the Same !
They grow nothing except Indian corn and
bacc0, with . few potat ,es and peas
scanty crops maintain q doubtful contest with
crab erase. carrot weed, brfers, and other iHfsv
products Of an Impoverished soil. These spring
uIuuedy H1Ouuu tuciI C8Ulu uOUlHs W uooS
never gov. The idea Of planting an orchsrt
vegetable or flower garden, seems never to have
tered their heads. Nothing like system, o.
prudence, O. onomy or forecast is porceptible an
them. It would be silly TO talk Of rc6nemeu
connection with such . people, Idle, dishoa
drunken, profigate, It Is not to be wondered
this community should be the theatre Of scent
dtstitution, disorder, immortality, and crime,
Gent to cause the bones Of the good Randolp
turn in his grave, and such % to call for The req
Interpolation Of tie neighboring pleubsfss and
unfrquently that Of the county suth0ritie@
We hear IN one case of two sisters, ono Of Y
makes midnight foray into the corn patch o
other, and pulls the entire crop up by the roofs.
another, We are told Of IN old woman starviu
deatb, and In another, Of sichly, DOOR creatue u
under the charge Of . drunken woman who goe
town to buy whiekey, leaving her charge - I
sheer neglect. Reports Of broils and battle =
mon scarcely . day passes without some
jscent farmers being called in TO interfere
Of some a the oppressed Inhabitants Of thi n
ed community. But yesterday, t~o Of the
Utah women came to the house where the vi
this article Il scjourning, TO lodge . COZ
against fugitive slave who was harborod
Hill, and who had suddenly rushed upon
threatening to cut on their heads With
blade which he held in his upl1ted hand.
Such q family drawn picture Of Israel Ii
1854, after moro than forty years ~ ffeedor
such are some Of the disastrous consciousness !.
impolitic and unwise philanthropy. Had t5see
pie remained slaves, who can doubt bat tht Z
destiny tn this life, and perhaps IN tho lilo to o.
would have been far dinerent, II not hsppier1
humiliatipg results Of the well intended b