The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-03-30

"No, sir; but the commander Of the
faithful himself, his hishness, Mahmoud,
wishes me TO marry"
A SLAVE AUCTION.
Tho following e.trsc. from letter in The
Vermont Caledonian, gives graphic ao-
count Of o slave auction in Columbia, South
Carolina
Being acquainted with men and women
auctions only from reading, determined,
however painful it might be to the feelings
or revolving to the moral sense, to be wit.
ness ut this ono. Accordingly, about fifteen
minutes before the appointed hour, I LEFT my
hotel, and while yet within some distance Of
the Court House, I already heard the loud
deep voice OF the slave auctioneer, ss he mp
praised his chattels. and ratified out-'Six
hundred and ffty-no more that six hundred
and City for this likely negro fellow-6fty.
Hx-six hundred and sixty &c., SC. This
was early on Monday morning. Scarcely
had tho echoes Of the high anthem that
pealed from the Episcopal organ and choir,
q few hours before, yet died away. Hardly
had the swell Of the sweet tune that rose
from Dr.. Palmer's Presby yterian Church yet
murmured to the stars. And the unartistic,
but loud and clear psalm shout that ascend.
ed from the throats Of q thousand Baptist
negroes the preceding Sabbath eve had as
yet hardly had time Qf time It takes,) to
mingle with the triumphal and eternal cho.
rus OF the harps Of heaven. Having 90 late.
ly heard oil these, with what harsh and
grating discord did the horrid voice OF the
Man.seller shake the heavens and strike up.
on my ear.
ais sit, o, man, with suoh dseordant noises,
With such aecursed instruments As thsse,
Thou drownest Natures sweet and kindly voices,
| And jarrest the celestial harmonies }"
or the auctionser himself, ! shall say
nothing. As has been said Of kindred
horror, so would I say Of him, Forever un-
described let il remain
The sale took place on the stsps Of the
Court Of Justice. Ironically 80 oalled). OF
the seventy-fvo or ono hundred persons that
composed the bidders and on.lookers, such
collection 10 seldom seen this side Of Ere.
bus. There were groups Of the petty mer.
chants OF tho town, hard, close.fsted, mon.
ey-loving, mean looking men. There was q
number OF the poor Clay Eaters. from the
Sand Hill, who were easily distinguishable
by their cadiyerous' sshen.white and half
human appearances. There were the gross,
vulgar nnd lecherous youths OF the town.
There were semi-souled bog. g.trotters, whose
hrogue (anything but rich y and counte-
nance told the delight with which they saw
the 'nagers' get what they deserved. Thers
were two or three shrewd Jew spectators.
with broken foreign accent, who seemed
to have more monish to bid on the image Of
God at auction, than they could afford to
spend upon the poor synagogue they have
here. And, Unjust I tell it or shall 20
backward and hide the shame Dthere was
professed minister Of God, with tho badge
Of his order round his throat, and who but q
sun previous, had offered salvation and
heaven to all.
Bidding was tolerably swift and the com.
petition keen. The first negro offered was
dark middle-aged man, Of about forty years
OF age, whose care-worn, brokendown and
dispirited countenance and deeply wrinkled
brow, intimated that the toll and trouble Of
at least twice forty years had been compress
cd into his brief existence. He went Of ut o
pretty fair price. Bye and.bye another was
put on tho block went of still better. A
middle.aged woman then mounted for her
turn. She had O vacant, careless, stupid
look-and as the autioneer praised up her
high qualities, chaotic grin would now
and then flit across her countenance. He
declaimed about her, and continued repeat
ing her praises, as This splendid seamstress
and cutter, Lucretia. She is o splendid
s0amstress and cutter. As sewer and cut
ter am told Lucretia has no equal-besides
being valuable as house keeper &c.
Think Of that ye poor but free sewing girls
and you also, 20 hard working but free and
noble maidcns Of Lowell j She was knock
ed down to man who, learned, Is going
to keep tavern. Tho next that came upon
the steps was the last to be sold. She was
young woman, who (hor owners and the
autioneer said) was just eighteen years Of
age; sho was Of dark olive color; not
near so swartby rs the others had been
She had very fine forehead, pleasing coun-
tenance and mild lus,rous eyes. The auction.
eer took of her hood to show her couu,o.
nance, and when she replaced Il again took
il otf-and in appraising her, by word and
action appealed TO the lowest and bascst
passions Of the assembled crowd. She clasp
cd to her bosom light colored, blue-eyed,
curly, silken haired child, only ten weeks
old, and who, young NJ it was, seemed to
cast terrified look on auctioneer and bid.
ders.
The next Is tho girl Adeline. Gentle
men, did you ever see such faco, and head,
and form, as that (taking OF her hood.
She Is only Is years, anu already has q
child-a male child-ten weeks old-will
consequently make q valuable piece of prop
erty for some one. She is splendid house.
keeper and seamstress.'
The big tear stood glittering in the poor
girls eyc-and, at every licentious allusion,
she cast n look Of pity and voc ut the auc-
tioneer, and at tho crowd, which was re-
spondsd 10 only by loud, uniecling. brutal
laugh. Shs was knocked down to- know
not who, for my eyes were too dim to dis
cern. Sire descended from the Court House
steps, looked ut her new master, looked ut
the audience, looked fondly into her sweet
child's face, pressed it warmly to her bosom
with the auctioneer's hard hearted 70,
mark ringing in her ear. that 'tAaf, child
wouldn't trouble her purchaser long, i
made nv way TO my temporary home, over
oowcnd with chaos Of horrors. And when
entered the hall Of tho house, the merry
rlee and loud laugh Of the female inmates at
their own ,riaing wit and silly jokes, TOO
Mainly announced TO me the fact that the
dark .eyeJ and ebony daughters Of the gold
n.riyercd land Of ih, plantain, end but Few
nm earth who will she'd for their sorrows q