Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-03-13
SELLING WHITE CHILDREN.

WAsHlSGruS, I.IiInlS, ECO. IL, 1875.
Editor @! the Day Book ~ lag before you u sub.
iect upon which ! should like 10 sce some comments
from ;uu in your vslnnhl. paper. 1t is this: Oae
Mr.. T.. V. N, a noted nboitiJnis', a Baptist m'm
i,tcr, and agent for the transportation UG piup.rs
from Five Pvint Mission, New York, has been brig
Ing cur loads U: Children twhite chIidrenl 10 The west.
ern States, ami ceiling them out like 1rut:s, ~ "a,
be says) pay their expenses. Boys and girls nrs sold
at from fifteen 10 fifty dollars, acco-d'n. to quality.
If the purchaser finds he has n good bargain he holds
ON TO MS servant; If not, be turns him OF 10 chit &c.
b,ms-lf. Tho purchaser Is under TO obligation 20
take care Of him. Here ia a case iE y int: Thomas
Butler, q hall wlrted i:ish boy, about fifteen e ears
old, brought 10 this place by Mr.. V. VI. and solt 20
sir. V. W. father, wnv Kept b;m until he found bin
not very profitable, .urned him oil, and he has been
forced 10 rlseP III curs, stnoles, &C., and beg hs bread
lie has, been sept scmetine. by persons from suff =.
Ing, who would apply 20 The over.err Of the poor i".
pay; ~ Oh Mr.. VS. last visit 10 our State, we thought
sc S"uld try The effect nt the law upon him. COM
paint being made by the ov-r.cer of the poor, Mr.
V. va, arrested, tried, and 'ound gully Of bringing
psupers into the Sid:., !o- wairl lie was turd one
hundred dollars aud cost. lie is now preaching
persecution 10 tie people. winch turn. out greatly 20
his Advantage. What il strTage about The matter lie
that every .bolitiuuis; thinks Nr. V. has been badly
treated, and ! am told The LlJ;!-y pouTs in freely 10
carry Oh this traffic in ha:nau j=sh. To zee II negro
take from his mother aud sold 10 Il msn, bound by
law 10 p ovide for hin, seems awful ~ 'hemi bu; TO
see n child, u w.ito child, Kidnapped in the CITY OF
SSE" 10TH III DTOUpu[ ~ llt!IUIs. iil s'is ~ u .s'Nu
bound To keep him only H. long IS IL" thiu:a i profit.
s1ie, and then 10 b. turned vIt upon the cold charI-
ties OF limo : la beg, steal Or starry. seems 70 be
perfectly humane aEG Christian like. Ii you can ex-
puac these Five lin, Mission s!ave.denlgrs through
your paper, thiuH You csi do the cause much good.
Respectfully you're, W.
We have for come time thought thai m'ny .. our
vsry humane people in New York. who pretend to
b. doing so much good in pick ne ~ street children.
ueedet overhauliIg. Il; is not very natural 10 eup
pcs. that two or three agencies here az engaged n
this business solely as u question OF philanthropy. II
must pay somehow. and We ptr,u!a3 the above is y
".aecimen' case. There are, Doubtless. many chill
dren in snch a large city - thi- who would be int
nit-ly better of il theY hal good homes in the coun-
try; but whether Their condition is improved by selling
them 10 persons who are in no manner oount by law
TO provide for them, is very Doubtful. i; i m ea,y
mater 10 pick up children here and deceive ihem 10y
fine stories abou, tt.e country, and ,hen pisc3 them
with irresponsible parties who Ha not toaad 20 look
after their welfare. !; is a singular fact, however, that
this business ia principally carried OH in the city by
abolitionisfs, who think it a horrible affair TO sell little
regroes. but who have not the same suueamislls 9
about white children. We understand, horeyer, that
the business is very prosperous, and we s:rpOss some
persous are making n very handsome thing out of it.
what trade has your father ~ sad an inquirer TO a
little boy. sob. lie has no trrd--he is a ph;!hn;bro.
pist.," was the answer. Philanthropy pays, aud
sending children 10 the West, is one OF tho uay. to
10 IT, WASHINGTON CHiDn.