Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-09-28

owned by him. In return, every
thing brought to the plantation comes
through the same channel. Thus,
even the glnnmering aud unsteady
light ofirade, which sometimes exerls
civilzing influence, is excluded
from this tapooed spot.
Nearly all the plantations or farms
in the vicinity of the 'home plania-
ton of Col LLOYD belong to him I:
and those which do not, are owned
by personal riends OF his, as deeply
interested in maintaining the slave
sl stem, in all its rigor, as Col. Lloyd
himself Some of his neighbors are
said to be even more stringent than
he The SINNERS, the Peakers, the
'Th2lnans, the Lockermans and the
Gibspns, are in the same boat being
slaveholding neighbors, they may
have strengthened each other in their
iron rule. They are on intimate
terms and their Interests and tastes
are identical
Public opinion in such a quarter,
the reader will see, is rot likely 10 be
very efficient in protecting the slave
from cruelty. On the contrary, il
mast increase and intensity his
wrongs Public opinion seldom dit
lers very widely from public prac-
iice.-'ro be restraint upon cruelty
aud vice, public opinion must eman
ale from a humane and yiriuuus com
munity. To no such humane and
vriuous community is Col. I.luyd's
plantation exposed. That plantation
Is llle nation Of It's own, having
It's own language, its own rules, reg
ulotions aud customs. The laws
and institutions of the Stale appar-
emily touch it nowhere. The troubles
arising here are not setlled by the
civil power of the Stale. The over
seer is general, accuser Judge. jury
advocate and eyeculloucr The Grim
nal Is always dumb. The oyerseer
attends TO all sides OF a case
There are no conflicting r!-hts of
property, lor all the people are owned
by one man; and they can them
selves own no property. Religion
and politics arc alike excluded. One
class of the population are too high
to be reached by the preacher aud
the other class Is 100 low to be cared
Tor by the preacher The poor have
the gospel preached to them, in lbI,
nclghburhood, only when they are
able 10 pay for H. The slaves, hay-
ing no money, get no gospel. The
politician keeps away, because the
people have nn votes, and the preach
er keeps away, because the people
have no money. The rich planter
can afford to learn politics ~ the par
Tor and to dispense with religion al
together.
IL It's isolation, seclu-ioH, and
sclf-r,l,ani Independence Col Lloyd's
plantation resembles what the bar
onial domains were during the mid
die ayes in Europe Grim, cold and
unapproachable 10y all genial Iutlu
cuccs from communities without,
Msre ii stands ; full three hundred
years behind tie age IN all that re-
laies To humanity and morals.
Tins, however, IS not the only view
lhat The place presents. CIVILIZATION
IS shut out, but nature cannot be.
Though separated from the rest of
the world though public opinion, as
| have said, seldom gels a chauce to
penetrate lis dark domain; though
the whole place Is sllmpe.l with It's
own peculiar, lrou-like individuality,
and though crimes, high-handed and
airoclous, may there be committed
with almost as much impuully as up
on the deck of a pirate ship-ii is,
nevertheless; altogether, 10 outward
seeming, most slrlkingly 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 phys
ical comforts of life than the reas-
anlry OF any counlrY IN the world.
My experience cohtradlcts thus The
men and women slaves on Col +.
Lloyd's farm receIved,as ,hcIr month";
ly allowance Of fnod, eight pounds OF
picked pork, or lis equivalent IN FISH.
The pork was often tainted, aud the
fish was of the poorest quallly-her-
rings-whIch would oring very lHlle
If offered for sale in any Northern
market With their pork or fish
they had one bushel OF Indian meal .
-unbolled-uf which quite fifteen
per cent. was fit only To feed pigs. /
With this, one pint OF salt was gwen ;
aud this was the entre monthly al .
lowance of full-gruwn slave, work
ing constantly in the open field, from
morning until night, every day in The
week except Sunday, aud living ON a
fraction more than a quarter of a
pound of meat per day, aud less than
a peek of com meal per week. There
rs no kind of work that a man can do
Which requires better supply of
food 10 prevent physical exhaustion
than the field work of the slave. So
much for The slaves allowance of
food !; now for his raimenl. The
yearly allowance of clothing for the
slaves on this plantation consisted of
two towhnen shirls---such linen as
the coarsest crash towels are made
of; one pair OF lrowsers of The same
material for summer, and a pair Of