Washington telegraph., 1855-07-18

iorcemehr or the laws and the expression
OF strong Condemnation by public senti-
ment Your committee take pleasure in
saying that, although there are instances in
this as well al in other communities in
which the considerations referred to have
not been sufficient TO restrain masters from
| cruelty to slaves. yet these instances con~ti-
t"te exceptions to the general rule. and they
/ are OF opinion that there Is gradual i'm
prOvement going ON in this matter We
+ recommend. however. that this subject be-
+ kept before the community. in order to con-
vince all that interest, humanity. and reli-
gion. alike demand kindness to slaves. and
! that the law frowns ON those who treat their
slaves inhumanly.
There Is 9ne class of our community to
whom all the motives referred TO- to induce
ns TO kindness to our Sla yes. do no, apply.
Iuur committee refer to our overseers-
As they have no property in our slaves, oe
course they lack the check of self-inrere>t.
! As their only aim In general is the mere
crop results of the year. we can readily con-
celve the strong inducement they have to
over work our slaves, and here masters are
often much to blame for Inadvertently en-
couraging this feeling i'll their overseers
Ii is too commonly the case that masters
lu"k only TO the yearly products of their
farms, and praise or cnndeiBn their over
seers by this standard alone, without ever
; once Troubling themselves to inquire into
] the manner in which things are managed
on their plantations. and whether he NAV
have lost more by the diminished value of
h;s slaves by over work than be has gained by
hI> large crop 1t is Il well-estabi.hed fact.
Inst oyer-york produces premature old age.
bodily defornity. and debility of cuns,itu-
tion, and checks the increase of females.-
The master. therefore who has to support
his prenaiureiy old deformed, and d,biIi-
''itsd slaves. may well QUESTION the benef-
clal results 81 his large crops, especially
when hi< OILY increase of slaves is by pun
ctIaseS at high prices Your committee
take pleasure III referring to the fact thai
those planters " ho are most successful in the
acquisition IF wealth. are generally those who
'-u,ake haste slow and who will nut kill
the goose to obiain the golden egg" We
are, ther, FIRE. of opinion that If masters
w"uld lay less stress on the mere crop re-
suits of the plantation. and place more
stress on the: proper 'reaime'.t of their
slaves. aud the sv~'sl..s-is -,.,r-s rs.,er;s IF
their plantations II wound CO. rect the ,vIi
referred 10. Our overseerS ought TO have
no interest beyond HAT pleasing his ens-
Tsl-.ver>: ard u'''hing ba- e most iIluui1Il
feeling o. his part c''uld induce him 10 trsa;
the saves cruelty. in opp siiion To the kuown
Ni>h of biz employer Let the master re-
cnllect. ton. that he cannot relieve himself
H., ,sdI,,-,, L.
>aves by attempting to threw the odium on
h;< over~eer. Il is his DurY to kn"w how his
slaves are treated, and 10 pr0'ect them againsi
cruelty
From the attachment which exists be-
iweeI. the after and slave your committee
are Of opinion that an appeal 10 iheir bet
ter feelings would be snfi;cien; in most CA
Ses TO control them. They are aware how
ever. that this rule must have limit AID
that the law OF force must have some share
IN the government of the negro as we'll as
the white man. In those countries where
what is called ro'un.-,ry servitude exists
'he force then is necessity When the Ia
b.'rrr is dependent npon his daily income
frr the support of himself a,,d family :; and
when The loss OF wages. is often the case.
involves the starvation of his wife and chill
dren certainly no greater force can be ap-
piled TO him than the threat Of turning him
off to seek his bread. without a character.
or probably with a blackened one In the
management of Onr slaves this cannot be.
the master Is bound for their support
The master must resort TO other means of
control After reason and persuasion have
been exhausted without producing the de-
sired effect punishment ST some surt must
he re~nrted to- Bni this shuu.d never be
carried TO greater extent than Was ab-o-
iutely necessary TO enforce obedience 20 ne
cessarv commands. When this mode of
discipline is adopted. your committee do u.t
hesitate to say. that with prudent manage
ment. prosperity on the part of the master
and happiness On the part of the slave is
the inevitable consequence. No more beam
tiful picture of human society can be drawn
/ than well organized plantation. thus gov
erned by the humane principle of reason
When the negroes are We'll ted well clothed.
and have not unreasonable ban denS imposed
on them. but are accustomed to 4 systematic
and regular course of labor, especially ifihe
slaves have been born and reared mp in the
masters household. or have long been mem
berS of his family, and hence have strong
attachments which never fails to grow up
between the master and his slave in the
conr$e OF time. the picture never fails to
remind one of the patriarchal DAYS when
Abrahana hui slareS born IN has house
0' purchased acifh his mOney Under
such state of things the master knows the
man; the man. his master The master
feels confident that the man is attached to
him, and will consult his interest. The man
feels cun6deu: that the master will REQUIRE
only What Is rioht of him anI iii .hup