The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-10-12

system. in all its rigor, as Col. Lloyd him.
self. Some Of his neighbors are said to be
even moro stringent than he. The SINNERS,
the Peakers, the Tilsmans, the Locsermans
and the Gipsons, are in the same boat
being slavehOlding neishbOrs, they may have
strengthened each other 10 their iron rule
They are on intimate terms, and their in
terests and tastes are identical.
Public opinion in such quarter, the read
er will see, is not likely to be very efficient
in protecting tho slave from cruelty. On
the contrary, 1t must increase and intensity
his wrong. Public opinion seldom differs
very widely from public practic,, To be
restraint upon cruelty and vice, public opin.
ion mus. emanate from q hum,nc and rir-
tuous community. To no such humane and
virtuous community is Colonel Lloyd's plan.
tation is little nation oi its own, having ito
own rules, regulations and customo. The
laws and institutions Of the State apparently
touch it nowhere. The troubles arising
here are not settled by the civil power Of the
State. The overseer is generally accuser,
judge, jury, advocate and eIecutioner. The
criminal is always dumb. The overseer at
tends to oil sides Of case.
There are no conflicting rights Of proper
ty, for oil the people are owned by one man;
and they can themselves own no property
Religion and politics are alike excluded
One class Of the population are too high to
be reached by q preacher; and tho other
class is too low too be cared for by the
preacher. The poor have the gospel preach.
ed to them, in this neiGhborhood, only when
they are ablo to pay for it. The slaves,
having no money, get no gospel. The poll
tician keeps away, because the people have
no votes, AMI the preacher keeps away be-
cause the people have no money. The rich
planter can afford to learn politics in the
parlor. and to dispense with religion alto
gether.
In its isolation, seclusion, and self.reliant
independence. Col. Loyd's plantation re-
,embles what the baronial domains were
during the middle ages in Europe, srim'
cold and unapproachable by all genial in
iuences from communities without. there it
stands; full three hundroi years behind
the age in all that relates to humanity and
morals.
This, however. Is not the only view that
The place presents. Civilization is shut OUT
but nature cannot be. Though separ'ted
from the rest Of the world though public
opinion, as have said, seldom gets" chance
to penetrate its dark domaia; though the
whole place is stamped ~ith its own peculiar,
iron.like ipdivid.afity. and though crimes,
hish-haps-d and atrocious, may there be
oommitted with almost rs much impunity
as upon the deck Of pirate ship-itis, new
ertheless, altogether, to outward seeming, q
most strikingly interesting place, full Of
life, activity and spirit.
now THE SLAVES LIVE.
II is the boast Of Shareholders that their
slaves enjoy more of the physical comforts Of
life than the peasantry Of any country in the
world. Ny experience contradicts this
The men and the women slaves on Col.
Lloyd's farm received, as their monthly al
lOwance Of food, eight pounds Of picked
pork, or its equivalent in fish. The pork
was often tainted, and the fish was OF the
poorest quality - herriugs - which would
bring very little IL offered for sale in any
Northern market. With their pork or fish
they had one bushel Of Indian meal - un'
bolt, d-of which quite fifteen per cent. was
ct only to feed pigs. With this, one pint Of
salt was given; and this was the entire
monthly allowance Of q full.grown slave,
working constantly in the open field. from
morning until night, every day in the week
except Sunday, and living on fraction
more than quarter Of a pound of meat per
day, and less than peck Of corn meal per
weak. There is no kind Of work that b man
can do which requires better supply Of
food to prevent physical exhaustion than
the field work Of slave. So much for the
slaves allowance Of fool; now for his raj
ment. The yearly allowance of clothing for
the slaves on this plantation consisted OF two
linen shirts-such linen as the coarsest crash |
towels are made Of; one pair Of trowsers
and q jacket ofwoolen, most sazily put TO-
gether, for winter; one pair Of yarn stock.
ings, and ono pair Of shoes OF tho coarsest
description. The slaves entire apparel
could not have cost more than eight dollars
per year. The allowance Of food and cloth.
ing for the little children was committed to
their mothers, or to the other slave women
having the care OF them. Children who
were unable to work in the field had neither
shoes, stockings, jackets or trowsers given
them. Their clothing consisted Of two coarse
tow.lincn shirts - already described per
year and when these failed them, as they
Otten did, they went naked till the next al
lowance day. Flocks Of little children.
from fvc to ten years old, might bo seen on
Col. uoyds plantation, as destitute Of cloth
ing as any little heather on the west coast
Of Africa; and this, not merely during the
sumner months, but during the frosty wealth.
er OF March. The little girls were no better
of than the boys; all were nearly in state
Of nutidity.
As to beds to sleep on, they were known
to none Of the field hands nothing but
coarse blanset-nos so good lbs chose used
in the North to cover horses - was given
them, and this only to the men and women.
/ Tho children stuck than selvos q, bolo. ..l