The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-02-15
Miss BreIner,s View.

Miss Bremen is conservative in politics. 1t IL
natural, therefore, that she should look with a
kindly eye upon things as they are in our country
but with all her conservative feelings. she could
not paate the evil of slavery. 1t was to her the
horrible evil of our land.
Inreply to the repeated assertions OF slavehold- |
ere, that the blacks would not accept their free
dom, she gives the following illustratiop:-
Ween Bsrnsdorf, the great statesman of Dsu-
mark. emancipated the peasant-serfs on his estate,
they assembled to and besought him, with
tears. that he would not give them up. but stl
continue to be their lord and master; that he would
annul the declaration that made them free.
{. You do not understand what have done for
you,' replied Bernsdorf "but you will understand
tat some future time, and your children will un
derstapd il, and thank me-"
Miss Bremen describes conversation between
her and Louisiana Planter. We quote it.
81 said to my neighbor, in the spirit of human
love which have mentioned, There's great deal
more happiness and comfort in the slaves life. than
than one commonly imagnes.' The Planter tur-
ned TO me his beautiful head with glance shall
never forget; there was astonishmsnt, almost re-
proaeh 10 it, and profound melancholy. On
said he in low voice, you know nothing of that
which occnrs these shores. Git was in Louisia-
hn}, if you did you would not think SO. Hero is
much violence and much suffering At this sea-
son In prrticuIar.
have known men and women who were actual
devils towards their sayes-whose pleasure it was
to torment them! People can fog negro almost
20 death, and yet not let drop of blood fow-the
strip of cowhide which is used indoors can cause
the most horrible torture without any marx being
left. The state Of things has considerably impro-
red late gears, and is still improving. Light is
beginning to enter this country: people are no
longer afraid of speaking. The stakeholder nop
acknowledges that The eye Of the public is directed
10 him. am convinced
that slaves might become free servants, and as
such would work very well. All these dangers
which are predicted in emancipation are, in my
opinion, mere dreams. If emancipation were to
take place gradually and wisely, it would then
proceed without danger or difficulty
In q note Miss Bremen states that she should
not publish this conversation were it not that the
planter is now beyond the reach of evil men. His
narrative closes with the following startling para
graph:
81 ne histories OItuStiVe elaVes, s0tile OF WHICH
1have read, are not always TO be relied upon.
often see them hbulats, and there is need Of
fabuia.ien to make the condition of the slave hor-
rible. The reality is roOrse than any fiction. find
&c toefc slaue, shouid-oh should certainly
leap into the rieer and put end to my life"
This is the testimony of a Louisiana slave hol-
aer--now gone to his 6nal account. Then follow
Miss Bremer's testimony:
II beheld young woman ls'ave) struck fora
hasty word upon the temples, so that she dropped
down! And the law was silent.
"I heard the law, through its jury adjudicate
Between white and black, and sentence
the latter to be aogged, when the former only was
guilty. And they who were honest among the ju-
Egmen in vain opposed the verdict.
~ beheid here on the shore of the Mssissipp
snly few months since, young negro girl fly
from the maltreatment of her master, and he a
professor religion, and irg herself into the riv-
er~
"There was end Of all my
enjoyment OF the air and the beauty of The South
seemed to hate my own kind who could perpe-
tfate such cruelties and such injustice. ha.ed
those who could gloss all this over for the interests
of trade. I was indignant for having wished ,e
spare myself. to myself, to what must have knowr
would have been the inevitable Consequences o
the institution of fslavery.'-Forest City Democrat