New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-22


NAV have his iberty-a liberty to stare 10 death
with iuneer and cold-for $i00. We thsag<t
trrly tbat the humanity" OF secession frioas
reeSed A qualification. One Of his owners hsd,
however treated him kindly, and had even'allowcd
him every Saturday night TO visit his VIE wne
was residing three mies and bail distant. Ine:s
visits he used to enjoy. but his wife Is nov sos.
away to a far distant plsxtstior. and be does nse
see her at all. His children are likewise sePsrsr
ted from him, and be has none to administer con
| fort 10 his declining years. Here Is man wne
has lived an honest life of industry and wearing
toll; bent down with age and sorrow; hs vile ana
children sold away from him and be Is LETT aionem
| rags The man who owns bin does not think hin
worth much, and consequently cannot afford -
clotbe him deceutly or comfortably, and when 10
dies he will die without any OF bis kindred to ssg
| endearing words TO bis departing spirit
At this moment the owner approached and We
| withdrew. Rambling up the hill away from that
| scene of solemn and melancholy grandeur we e.
pied dusky object sitting on the corner Of bank,
with her elbows resting on her knees and her lace
In her hands. AZ we approached she raised her
head and we saw that the traces OF age were
6eeply marked on her face Her teeth were s1
gone her checks sunken in, and her forehesA
deeply wrnkled. She could not have been Ice
than ninety years of age. She was slave mcsa-
er. We stopped and she politely replied TO or
| interrogatories.
"Yes," she replied. "they give me plenty q
corn to eat, but no clothes and this is all have.
1t has been patched good many tunes and can
rot now see to patch it, so keep 1t together -
| we'll as can" The garment which appeared =
| form her only article OF apparel was what ma
| once been cotton dress-probsbly the worn-ouS
dress of Young mistress, but there were but Tow
traces of the original to be seen. and the entire
| skirt was composed Of innumerable patches q
various hues coarsey sewn together, evidently
| by soms one whose sight was dim. In all 0sz
| rsmbles in Europe, in the purlieas Of London o.
| Liverpool, We never saw anything worn as gar
| ment which could be compared to this a. q specs
| men Of wretchedDess.
".Jist up the hill, Sir; lives in q shaatee bT
myself and they jist lets me have corn enough -
eat, and that's ALL"
| How many children have you hadi"
"Ob, / have had twelve chder but they are
all away. Massie sold them when they got big
| enough to work, and have worked all my life In
the cotton Geld. l think they ought to fDd ne
clothes to wear, but they do not, and l suffer
| good deal from oold in the Winter. / am beon
| down to de spring for some water. and sat dowa
| here to rest myself / have no one to
fetch me water, and ! don't know hsw
to carry it. have broken one of my bet
tie gouTds and cant get another myself !
am nearly worn out, and can't live long, thank
| God. belong to Mr. Jones. He has been mar
ried three times, and the last is young mistrcss
and she does not do anything for me. Ssmc q
| my children have children and grandchildren now
| but have none near me to lend me hand, 20
has to fetch water and do everything for myself
| / never sees any of them now; they are too far
off, l don't know where they are. They were
| cold to 60 into North Carolina, ana never nesn
| from them now"
"Have you any husband 7"
81 had an old man. but he was taken away int
| Georgia. and have not heard of him since. ]
suppose you pretend to be man and wiie!"
'Do you not believe that we arel"
"No; there are often people here as pretends -
be married, and they are not. guess you arenss
married. You can't make me- believe you are
married" go, !.
| We we're amused at this singular Incredibly Of
the great grandmother. 1t did not indicate very
elevated state Of white society. The condition q
this poor old creature, the mother Of twelve ohl-
dren, and probably grandmother and grest-gran4-
mother 10 some thirty or forty slaves Is here loh
subject to the humanity Of young mistresR
| who does not give her any clothes. Suppoeo
each of her twelve children sold for $500-s veV
| moderate estimate--snd the owner would reallso
from the stock" thus raised less than $6, 000.
| The old woman had worked In the cotton-fed sons
seventy years, and If her labor was worth enly
| SIOO . year beside her keep-a very moderate
| cslculation-here was $1,000 more, making .
| life; and now the men who have had the magna-
! nimity to take this immense sum from the sweat
| and toll and offspring of this poor decrepid oA
creature, have turned her away to thitt for her.
selfon simply an allowance ofcorn, without clothes,
and without single child to comfort hor
| in her LONELINESS and feebleDess. 1t matters noe
| how soon she may be found dead in her comfort
less shantee; the sooner the BETTER a. II will ssve
| the pittance of corn which she now consumes.
| The weather was mild then. 1t has since bo-
come cold and If il continues severe it not likely
che can survive the Winter. No matterj " She h
"only Niger" and her work is done. Az We
turned away we noticed her two water. vessels.
They were the outer skin Of dried gourds, cut -
as TO form water pitchers or bottles, and one wsS
broken 20 az to hold but little water.
The distant murmuring Of that troubled stream
is still on my ear; the trees dressed In the drapesy
of mourning still solemny impressive of the ssa
pictures Of human misery which they cover win
their shade; the waterfall still speaks of the desc
lstion and decay Of q country blessed with nsturA
advantages, but cursed with slavery; the sad tales
of aged victims which we have faithfully recorded
from the lips of those who cannot write nor prisk
their own thoughts, serve very much to qualify n
our minds the Humanity of Slavery" May thess
scenes and sounds be likewise impressed on tAe
hearts of Freemen throughout our land, may the
FIRE of righteous indignation burn there 70 that the
thought of extending this blightng curse 70 tAs
fair Valleys in our western territoryA-to the Ksa-
sas. the Neosha the Arkansas--shall be Q thought
that breathes" of scton, Of sacrifice Of vslor, sna
of that stern determination to resist the wrsa6
which shall only cease when Border Rufhaaism -
defeated and Kansas 10 free.