New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SLAVERY BY AN EYE WITNESS.

JJ,on the first publication Of Mr. Olursteds
"W.ns and Talks Of IN American FARMER ID Eng
hnA we were deeply impressed with the harness
AZ mind. gepisy Of temper, acuteDess OF observs-
,,., and simplicity Of feeling which were betrayed
:, .hoost .yery page OF that work; these qualities
Ave received fresh illustration from our subse-
seept personal acquaintance with the author; and
IN the present volume, we find them reproduced in
new relations with the addition Of the maturity OF
flouebt and cOmprehebsiveDess Of judnent which
are the natural fruits Of wider range Of expert
enee. Mr.. Olmsted visited the Slave States for
the purpose Of studying the institutions and society
Of the South He went not partisan, a Ia
natie. or a reformer, but rather ms student OF
human nature. lie certainly lad no forcgOne de-
Termination 10 detect the sunny side Of SiaS-
ery; but he was quite az little under the sway Oh
.,.iodicss which would impair bis integrity a. IN
ahseyver The result il an instructive, lively, ana
,oo,t readable volume. II bears the stamp oil hon
esty On its face Everywhere IT IA direct aud
nsply-equally free from the whine OF the SEMI
nSptslis and the grOwI Of the sectarian. Its pie
tures Of Southern life are indeed generally far
from natterng; but they are rot painted Ia colors
uitsd 10 rrtate the seuitiyenem Of local pride.
Not that he is squeamish about giving ofensc by
the ffankest expression Of opinion he shows no
trace of trimming or truckliDg but his severest
comments are tempered by essential gOod-nature
that dsaIms them Of their sting.
The route Of travel followed by Mr. Olmsted in
cludes the District Of Columbia, VirgDia, the Caro-
mas and Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. His OBJ
servations extend to great variety OF topics; but
the social and domestic condition Of the people, rural
and agricultural economy the organization OF In
dustry, and the personal traits Of negro life,
appear most strongly to have attracted his atten-
tion, and are evidently among his avorite themes.
With his turn for the comic side Of things, he has
gathered up great number Of humorous incidents,
whimsical anecdotes and quaint "reminiscences,
which give perpetual animation to bis volume,
and will force laugh from even the crustiest Pro
Slavery reader that deigns to honor it with his
perusal. But let us dive at once into the work
and bring back some spoils which will afford
more correct taste Of Mr. Onsted's quality than
any general criticisms We find first q graphic
account Of
NEGRO FUNERAL AT RICHMOND.
On Sunday afternoon l met negro funeral pro-
efssOn and followed alter II 10 the pace OF Dlrlal
There was O decent hearse, Of the usual style, drawn
by two bOrses; six hackney coaches followed IT, and
six wel-dressed men, mounted on handsome saddle
horses and riding them we'll rode In the rear OF these
Twenty or thirty men and women were also walking
together with the procession, on The sidewalk Among
oil there not q white person.
Passing out into the country, a little beyond the
principal cemetery of the city Ia neat rural ground,
well filled with monuments and evcrgreens the hearse
halted at desOlate place, where n dozen cOOred peo
pie were already engaged hcaping the earth over
the grave Of child, and singing wild KIND OF chaat
Another grave was already dug Immediately adloln-
ing that Of tue child, both being the foot of hill
IN a crumblng bank--the ground below being already
occupied and the graves advancing in irregular ter
up the lside-au arrangement which facilitated
labor.
The new comcrs setting the coffn-whch was neat
Nv made Of stained pine-upOn the ground, joined IN
Tie labor and the singing with the preceding party,
until small mound of earth was made over the grave
of the child. When this completed, one of those
who had been handling spade sighed deeply and
raid;
"Lord Jesus have marcy on us-now you jim
gou So var you jes lay dat var shovel cross dat
eravc-sO fash-dah-yes, OATS right.
A shovel and hoehandle having been laid across
the untitled grave the coffin was brought and laid upon
them, a. on a reste after which lines were passed
und,r H. by which il was lowered % the bottom.
Most Of the company were OF very poor appear
nnce, rude and unntellgcnt but there were several
neat y.dressed and very goodoOkng men. One Of
these now stepped to the head Of the grave aud after
few sentences Of prayer held handkerchief before
him as if were a book, aht pronounced short ex-
hortaton, as if he reading from It, His malner
earnest and the tone Of his voice solemn aud in-
pressive except that occasionally would break into
shout kind of howl at the close of long sentence.
1 noticed several women him weeping, and one
sobbDg intensely. was deeply influenced myself by
the unaffected feeling in connection with the sim
nf;ctv :atura rude tuthfulness, and absence Of oil
s,tempt al formal a. coruln in the crowd.
never In nv life however, heard such ludicrous
language as was sometimes uttered by the speaker.
FREQUENTLY could not guees the idea he"a htehuhs
to express. Sometimes It was evident 'oeS ~ % on
ing to repeat phrases that he bad hoard used before on
similar occasions but which he msae aosu1u Uy some
Interpolation or distortion Of word, thus: We do
not zee the end here oh no. my friends there will be
n putytfoa,iOn of this body the context failing to
indicate whether he meant purhcaton or putfoiac-
top, and leaving 1t doubtful II ho attached any dei-
mite meaning to the word himself. He quoted from
the Bible several times. several times from hymns,
always introducing the latter with lin the word, OF
The poet my brethren lie once used The came iorm
before a verse from the New Testament, and once
qualified his citation by saying, " 6eierc the Bible
says thst'--n which he was right, having repeated
words Of job
lie concluded by throwing handful of earth on the
cofn repeating the usual words, slightly dsauansed,
AID then took shovel and, with the aid Of SIX or
seven others proceeded very rapidly 70 oil the grave.
Another man had in the mean time stepped intO tue
place be had first occupied at the head vi the grave
an old negro, with very singularly distorted face,
who raised HYMN, which soon became confused
chant, the leader Staging few words alone, ana the
company then either repeating them after him or max
ing response to them IN the manner OF salons hoaving
ct the windlass. could understand but very few of
abe words Tho music was wild aud barbarous, but
not without plaintive melody. new leader took
the place OF the old when his breath gave out he
had sung very hard, with much bending of the body
and gesiiculaion and continued until The grave was
hlled, and mound raised over IL.
A man had IN the mean timo, gone into ravine
near by, and now returned with two small branches,
ks.n NIaNaI hat haI aI hr..E Ala