New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-30
VISIT TO A SLAVE AUCTION.
,.,.., oo,.us,S.se. Of ! b. u.ic. Nornlns Herald

have int returned from slave anchon' 'N'
more prominent beauties Of the T" INSTITUTION Org
perteiually ibrus,ing themselves upon one WI, "''
he" as little Dire AIMED, two hours ago. OF ~
tending a "pepro auction as did Of taxing UP
70 he moon Let ne tell yon no" il came aooo'' l
VIA ,supteripg along 81. Louisst, Iin the f'e'oD
un,rt ,q xben observed crowd Of negroes COM
nn,.d ~ mon women and children, marching unae'
ne escort Of a white man, toward the 81 Lou' no
4l Anornent anerEsTd, Observed ano'nef gang
,,o;,c i, The same direction, and soon S'ter loiru
yb,S The curiosity 70 follow them ana IS en'erea
~, ,o,unds Of the hotel observed should presume
80, ,bsn one hundred and fifty negroes ranged IN
To-. ~ the different suctiOneers stands. Operations
..d m, vet commenced. Fresh " lots Of negroes
were eonsianfy coming ln and the various dealers
were making examinations Of the different articles
On exhibition. The immense rotdnds-.n elegant
ard mort fashionable sfsr-was thrOnged with spec
nistor, buyers dealers aud lookers-0n. Some we're
frokiog their Haganae-somo we're taxing 'nsr
toddis,-sOme were reading their morning papers
and come were chst'sring on politics, the money
market and the weather The suctloneers slowly
vslkiug 70 or d fro upon tbeIr eloVasa TDs'un'' INC
men VINO appreciate q cir Importance ana o;c1sion-
,llv s.oopi6G 10 answer inquiry from Gust ulor
Tn. lsueh-the ioke-he singing repartee-the sunny
,mils-.be cordial erecting Of frends-the courteous
,uotiopeers-the elegant hal-the fash OF fasn'on
throng-bow unlike the horrors Of my gloomy I'M
,eirings Yet what smsziRg caousness
TIE clock strikes IL change comes over the
spirit Of the scene The J0t0ns Of the auctiODeers
brouaht down against he solid marble, act With the
potency Of magic upon the babbDg thrOng. -Four
tuctoneeTs in four several SECTIONS OF the Rotunda,
hsmmeripg away with frghtful volubiity, and still
more fYighfu esculstOn, al four several parcels OF
human " cbattels." These four gentlemen are shout
my a. the top Of their voices, alternately in French
md EDelisb, as If each made a point OF striving 70
drosr the voice. OF the others. But the gentleman
On my right seems TO carry of the honors both as re-
tptcts strength oilungs and rapdity Of utterance.
vish dear reader you were standing nearme for can
give you but very Indifferent dsgusreotype of the
efforts Of this popular stump orator lie - now en-
gsged in hauling upon the block feeble negro
woman with sad and sickly cOuntenance. Having
placed her in the proper poston, with rather more
expedition than gentlenese, With communicable caDdor
he informs the spectators thst this girl she s aged
A. least forty lis always preteadtng 70 be sick, and
"6Ots not therefore warrant her lie cells her
however az low fgure-sOme s400-an1 the next
instant her place is supplied by fine looking bright.
eyed young mulatio woman, with an lniaut, almost
DerfcflV Ukife in her arms. He informs bis patrons
that "this girl is named Ann aged 90 and fee from
"the diseases and vices designated by laF;" aud
proceeds alternately in French aud English, some
what thus: GLOW much fer this girl guam, d0nneS
On, ooat cite FScidre7 How much do i hear for
this splendid girl Five hundred-Cinque CENTS
seven bundIed-sT cents. Gentlemen, look At this
eull Good nurse and seamstress. DO hear one
thousand One thousand s ohered-one thousand
--goiDg-going-sold 20 Cash, one thousand.
Next lie sold for 81, 200, plantation hand named
JIM then boy, aged aOou. 80, named Tom, Tor
81 coo; then two boys mula'toes-tirst rate coop
eIs, for q, 500 each; then my, comoosei
Of n mo- Der and four childrenthe latter all muat-
toes-fof e., 500 Our eloquent friend having dis
posod Of bis entire lot, proceeded without hardly
moments interruption TO sell To- OF real estste nc.
TIE three other gentlemen auctioneers were driving
cp M equally Furnishing, though not quite rapid,
trade. One Of them-s very handsome, youngisb-
looking man-Has devOtiDg himself exclusively TO
the .se Of young muatto women. On the block, at
the time approached his stand, was one OF the at
beautiful young women | ever saw. She was aged
about 10 years was dressed in cheap, striped WOODEN
gown. and bare headed. icoud not f'scorer s'nge
GGce of HE 4tric0R obonf her fe1tNres; she vas
much Wber than the average of Northern white
women; her form was graceful IN the extreme and
che carried in her head psr eyes that pierced one
through and through Unlike many Of her fellow
captives she seemed fully sensible of Der degraded
POSITION ard sbrauk with true maiden timdity from
the impudeD stare Of the hard featured throDg abOut
her Sensitive reidsr what GO you think became OF
that besuiial girl She was struck of for 81 $50 TO
one OF the most leCher0ns-iookiDg old brutes ever
Ret eyes on. Gcd shield the helpless victim of that
bad mans poweI-it may be, ere now, thst osd
m8ns-lust
But was destined moment after to witness Tar
kadOer. more heart rending scene noble LOOKING
,nnlntto woman vas sitting upon a bench holding IN
her arms two little chidren-One an infant, ana 'he
ther beautiful bright ey ed little boy of some seven
Ar a
fl look ss if she conscious that some great eva
wa about TO befall her. When her turn to be sold
came che assembled the platform, the babe IN ner
arms and the little boy olingng to her sklrts; ine
auiiopeer offered 10 sell the ." lot together, 0R no
reasonable bids having been made, the mother ana
Lns boz ccre put up separately and sod 20 sepdugIe
rartses-the going 10 Texas and the other TO MS,
sssipp The final desperation OF the mothet a1a cnla
took place few minutes stterward. snah never
FORGET the horror and the agony OF that parting Inc
poor frantic mother begged and impofed OF - masser
10 buy little Jennie, too, land WI 90 MN tAe
Justice 20 say that be Was much moved Dy her al-
peas and when she found that her appeals were IN
vain she bust forth into the most frantic wals tna
despair gave u'terenceto ~ ast mother an cni1
were forcbly separated and hurried Oh, 10 sec ea,h
other NO more on earth. MY heart is nO' adamanl,
and execrated with more than former ardor system
that could even permit such fendish atrocities.
Thus saw with my own eyes--thus hal ! thrust
upon me slmost-two Of the most detestable and hor'
ible features of the slave systematic sale Of oeaa'
titl Young women 10 lustful male ovuers, and toe
forcble separation of psrerts from their offspring.
These things have been grossly denied by Northern
prints and Northern clergy. That they are excep,,
tona believe 10 be true but thst they toT lted
IN any civ ized or Christian community Is a sad COM
EentaTy upon the humanity ot the age.
And these scenes in the Rotunda of the mos. fash
ionabe hotel in the city The air is soft ana bamy,
and the day is as beautiful as ever giaddened rhe
heart OF mar. The golden sunshine, streaming
through the crystal dome, battles the spacious hall in
a food Of radiance. Above, around this mart of hui
man souls gay and giddy throDg are holding joyous
reyery. The great hotel Is thronged with wealth and
beauty and the music of piano and guitar are blending
with the st sweeter music of glad voices. Above
TIE din of the hot and dusty street, and above the
hoarser din of the mart below, is heard the loud
laugh and heariful gee of the apostles OF pie
Gay equpsges drawing up before the stately
pile and fair women and brave men are proudly
disappearing through its portals to swell the hrong.
Within these sumptuous halls-amid that gay and
gleeful throDga that fash of beauty fashion and
wealth, where so many splendors are gathered TO-