Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-04-18
-GEoRGIA, March, S0th., 1856.
Mans II. humanity 20 man
Ai4kes eot,t,. less million, I,,,l-n

the evils Of Slavery as It exists in the
South, and YET there are points connected
with the system which have never seen
in print. Perhaps writers have deemed
them lesser evils land have omitted them
while showing the greater
Shareholders are often heard to remark
that they would willingly consent to the
abolition of the entire Stare population
provided they the Slaves could be re-
moved from among them; but to retain
them in their midst. in state OF freedom
would be suicidal TO every interest OF So
cic,y. Having 40 knowledge hor and no
desire TO obtain for themselves an honest
living they would be reduced to a condi-
ton Of starvation and be5garv. and with
their inclination to steal and commit
wrong. the safety Of propeTs., and life
would be Al an end.
\ par. Of this IS true. As general
rule one may never expect slave to tell
the truth if he can possibly invent lie:
he will steal whenever an opport unity &C.
cars and will generally do wrong IL
stead .: right Il he thinks it possible to
escape detection. aad its invariablc ac-
Compartment. a2 "cowshin.
Can any other charao:e. be reasonably
expected Of the Slave Evidently not.
/. Is the natural .esul. and offspring Of
the system ana TIE laws which uphold
and regulate 1t. The statutes Of ali
Slave States make !. crime, 10 which is
attached & severe penalty to give slaves IN
struc.ion. To teach slave TO read IS
dangerous to the perpetu;;y OF the las'l-
:u.ion ana is little less than Treason
Nor is this regulation confined alone to
slaves i; is applied TO Free blacks as
we'll. Hence the entire colored popula-
ton OF the South live and die in abject
intcliec ual poverty. Probably not one
in FIVE hundred of the co.ored population
OF the South could read verse in the
Bible. or write his name, or knows 4 sin
gle letter OF the alphabet. Is it, then.
TO be wondered al that their code OF NOR
ais shonld correspond with the intellect
thus uncult;vated: Up,ightness Of char
acter -epders them not more esteemed by
the white, only enhances their value
in money. He has no earthly incentive
TO good condue, save the fear OF punish
meat. In ali Slave States there are from
SIX TO ten or twelve crimes to which are
attached the death penalty when commit
ted by slave TO one for white person !;
besides. there are o,hc- punish,nents TO
BE- dreaded little less than death-as for
instance. if slave strike white child,
both hands may be ampu'ated. The tes-
,imony OF colored person Is no. admis-
sible against white person while II is
admiss;blc.-in fact testimony from any
source is readily received against the
slave. or free black. These regulations
are deemed necessary TO safety; and yet
!: requires but little reflection to conceive
what might and does result from them,
even more frequently than the most ex-
,reme slavery propagandis: desires.
! There is no legal marriage among the
slaves. This il, doubtless, a powerful
agent 20 their debasement. But such a
regulation is necessary TO the system, for
whom God hath Joined together let not
man put asunder;' and the legal ins,itu-
ton Of marriage wonld to some extent
abridgc the traffic in "chastels person
ala husband could not be sold to one
party and the wife to another. Under
existing regulations. which is simply for
the parties to obtain the consent of the
master to cohabit as husband and wife,
{
they at once enter that relationship with
out ceremony or, by sort Of mock Ger
emony which any one. white or black. can
perform, as it possesses no binding force
or as is too often the case, to take the
woman to wife whom the master may
have selac,od-perhaps as1..ns, the incli-
nation of one OF both-this is of little
consequence and they may, or may not
! be consulted there is ''snart chance
tina, the owners Golfers will be increased
by their offspring. Thus they live until
the owner deems it for his interest 10 sell
one of them, when anothe. wife Is pro