Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-17
SLAVERY ILLUSTRATIONS.

ihe Juugment OF Judge baker, IN the case OF
Mrs. Douglas, recently imprisoned at Norfolk,
Virginia, for the abominable offence Of teach
ing slaves ard free colored persons to read and
write, has been published at length in the pa
pers Of that city.
We learn from the same papers that a de-
testable tragedy occurred lately in the vicinity
Of Hampton" man named Watson having
logged one Of his slaves so severely as to cause
his death Suspicion, it is said, was first en-
tertained from the sudden death and secret in
torment Of the negro; and the body being dis
inferred and subjected to the inspection Of a
jury, verdict to the above effect was given
A warrant was issued for the arrest Of w atson,
who Immediately fled, and has not since been
heard Of.
If slaves and other people Of color could
read and write, and were sufficiently intelligent
and moral to be competent witnesses in such
cases as the above, their masters would have
fewer opportunities to murder in secret and
with IMMUNITY. But Mrs. Douglas Is in prison,
and the murderer, Watson, has escaped.
The Sotahside Democrat, published at Peters
burg, Va, has the following piece Of irony:
Slapsry-The appalling curses Of Slavery
are held up in their own odious colors in the
last census Just look here: Massachusetts,
and Tennessee have nearly the same popula-
tion-T Tennessee being by some thousands the
most populous--yet on account of the blighting
curse OF Slavery, Tennessee has 59l paupers in
her confines; while the free State of Massach,l-
setts has only-5, $40, or nearly ten times as
nGny.
"Agan, Kentucky has three times the popu-
lation Of Connecticut; yet Kentucky, with the
'blighting curse of Slavery has TIT paupers
while Connecticut has l,774. Kentucky, with
three times the population, has not half the
paupers."
1t is admitted that, in the free States the
paupers, who are chiefly immigrants, are fed
and clothed at the public expense; while in the
slave States there are but few immigrants, and
the superannuated slaves are of course fed by
their owners, if fed at all.
A like explanation may be made in regard
to criminal statistics. In the free States, all
convicted criminals are punished under the
laws; while in the slave States, "chivalry y
often excuses homicide by the master, and
almost every crime among the slaves is passed
over by the laws, and punished--if punished
at abby the master. Theft is a whipping
offence; infanticde is punished by protracted
severity and for manslaughter, or the attempt
to commit il, the slave is not unfrequently sold
further South
II would be we'll for our Southside friends
if they would not institute comparisons Of this
kind.
Here are couple Of cases in point. They
are credited in the New York Tribune to the
Baltimore Argus:
"A slave, belonging to L. A. Thomas, was
indicted and tried for numbering a slave be-
longing to the Rev. Mr.. Lancaster, last week,
at Frankfort Kentucky, found guilty, and SEN
tenced TO receive sixty. lashes.
civilian Gibbons, colored, tried on two in
dictments charging him with stealing geld
ding, saddle, and bridle the property Ct Mi
chael B. Cline, was found guilty Of stealing the
geldng, but declared innocent Of the remain
ing Indictment The prisoner was then SEN
tenced TO be sold out Of the State for the term
Of eight years.
A slave gets sixty-fve lashes for numbering
q fellow slave, and Q free negro is cold out Of
the Stats for eight years. for stealing horse
GRINHELL LANp.-The official swindle at
tempted in England by the Admiralty appears
to be too gross for the popular approval, and
we find that the London Atheneum in review
ing DR.. Kanes narrative of the United States
Grinnell expedition, which has been published
in London, Acknowledges that this expedition
was the 6rst to discover Grinnell Land"
which the British authorities have called Prince
Albert Land, claiming that IL was first dscov-
cred by the British explorers
This case was so clearly made out by pa
per from the pen Of Col. Peter Force Of Wash
ington, published year ago, that there could
not possibly be two opinions on the subject
among those who read that production.
Sir 4. L. BuLwER Tho Cambridge (Eng)
Philo-Union Society is said to have requested
Sir Z. B. Iytton to preside at its twenty eighth
anniversary, and 10 have received from the
literary Baronet the following very remarkable
answer.
aSir am mot 40 fond Of speaking and lee
turing as you must have presupposcd, and
would rather 20 sixty miles to avoid than sixty
miles to incur the inhiction you 10 kindly
suggest to me. II u only in very rare and
special instances where ] might really be Of
seruce-that | attend other public meetings
than those Of Parliament; and, certainly, Cam
bridge is the last place in the world at which
philosophy and letters can be supposed to re-
quire aid or commendation. have &C.,
H. BULwER LyTroN.
~ Park lane, Dec 20, 1882
When Bulwer made his first attempt in Par
lament he had good reason TO grove that he
had not embraced many previous opportunities
Of lecturing, Cor he made dead failure that
time.
Nsw HAMPsHrRE--The opponents Of the
Nebraska bill held q meeting in the City Hall
| mt Manchester on Monday evening and az nm