The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-05-24

e Correspondence of Tbe Californian.

the hresldes Of many a city and country par
sonage. the nature and offices of conscience
often become the theme for long and earnest
discussion. The grounds OF this discussion
are obscure and metaphysical and its issue
Is important only TO the Thsologi or Phi
loS"pher. Conscience itself remains unchang-
Ell. 1t is still a silent monitor, which will
guide US Alright when considering most i'm
portant questions, if we but obey its dircc-
tons. AMI VIVA: are some Of these questions
so important, and We. so easily decided? One
OF them is urged with desperate energy at
this time, and therefore may be mentioned
here
Throughout our whole country. the great
and leading question which moves the BODY
polite, is the Extension Of Slavery. Let con-
SCIENCE decide this question. If Slavery is a
curse, litter. bli.hting curse, as many saw.
then it will bid US bind the serpent down.
But If Slavery is blessing. conferred by the
Almighty, then conscience will command us
TO receive it.
But what is Slavery
Go with me from our Northern home to
some Southern State to Georgia, if YOU
please. and We will see A short sail along
the Atlantic coast, and we are at Savannah.
beautiful city. neat and well laid out We
stroll about 20 see its streets. and soon mnglc
with crowd gathered around a stand where
men are sold like cattle Miserable beings.
one by one. come on the stand They turn
around to show their parts they tell their a.
Ges, and when asked if they are ever sick. or
II they are sound. they shed such tears as hui
man beings she'd and answer variou>y. One
OLD woman haGgard and worn, is sold for
thirty dollars. and then told that she is free.
She >tacc"r> forward, says "Gol bless vou,"
and t!cn departs to gam some crumbs as best
She may TO nonrish her poor body.
We leave Savannah, and take seats in a
two horse hack Cor an inland town. A que.
pleasant man sits with the driver His skin
Is right, and his FEATURES regular but he is
slave. and last year he placed seven hundred
and fifty dollars in his masters h. nds- his
years wages. He is the George" Of TIN.
Gle Tom" The wheel, mo,e SLOWLY tbrouoh
the coarse, deep san. !. and it has been long
r''c e that ri. a..nt village. which now ap-
rr-'s IN sight, surrounded by PLANTATIONS
TaI> i. TO tc our home awhile. where slavery
will present different aspect from that seen
in N" city. We rarely >cold and nev.r whip
the lahorcrs on our northern farms: bit .!ere
the "vcr>rer who meets Us at our meals saws
that every day he whips sone slave; and
>oor We see and know that scoldinc and whip
ping Is the constant resort of masters ali a
round. We sit down to read a book. or TO
pen some thoughts. and coarse threats in the
ward, or heavy slows and shreks OF agony
far of hron. IA the trees. fall on our ear
We know that some mailman is there beating
poor dvicnccle>> fellow mortal, but we ,,ar,
not interfere. We dare not tell oY- thoughts
20 others. There is one little r..ccd dirty
nero boy around our bor,di:,c.hon>,, who i.
our ta,orlfr he rs the nore-bov for every
oHr, and is ovrrworl. ed We rise early in
The morning. ..nd find him sweeping the
yard with bundle Of sticks, that bend him
nc'rt'.c ground. \ fat negro woman. who
i the house ovcr>ccr. often stands over hum
with stick. and II he lacs She puts it on
We hate that old bag, We can't hcl p it We
have seen her whip numerically those little
bows and girls So many times The little
fellow often comes into our room, sometimes
to black the boots. lie sits down hv the fire
and GOES to sleep We know he is tired, and
mi>u>cd and SO We black the boots and let
him rest One night We hear harsh sounds
in the varl-we often hear them, and ALWAYS
notice them. II is late to night, time for all
to be- asleep. We blow out the light, sit
There is white boy. and our little favor
tie, both about ten wears old, and nearly e.
quail in strength. They are round a fire of
pine wood. and the white boy wants lancin.
for his amuSrment he orders the negro TO
begin but he is so tired that he can hardly
DRAG his feet along. and he bcss tc be rcleas-
ed. But no, he must dance: and because he
can't. the white yonngs;er whips him till he
is tired He then throws him down, pounds
and threatens to kill him. No defense must
be made: and the poor miserable boy is on
" released tv the old ovrrScrr. who finally
takes pity on him. But why do we not in
tcrtcrc? We dare not we have seen abuse
before, and been warned bv friends who have
lived here longer han we, not 70 Interfere
But we do know that if that little scamp was
in Vermont, we would send him to bed with
, a flea in his ear. A man a few miles away
for some slight cause became angry with his
slave, bound him down, gagged him, and
whipped him with trace chain so that he
died the next day. There is reason in abuse
even towards brutcs.
But is the negro brute
The Sabbath comes round and a slave
breaches to his race white people also 90 to
hear him, for they even admit that he preach
es better than the educated minister who fills
the pulpit. The slave learns and under
stands all sorts of trades, and so the white
man who cannot own slaves is miscrably poor