Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-04-11
MtStelloneous
Prom Dickens Household Words.
SKETCHING AT A SLAVE AUCTION.

At the time when Uncle Tom had reused all
Europe as well rs America to an unusual pitch OF
excitement on the subject OF slavcry.l TOR the hrstl
time visited Richmond the capital OF nt Virginia
lounged after breakfast into the parlor OF the
American Hotel, q print of whose splendid out
side appearance sticks to this day with wonderful
pertinacity to our ravelling-trunk lts efigy,
labelled to tho side of the portmanteau as an nc,
v~ertisement, revives its faded image, and | behold
once more its vernndah below, aud its square bat
element on top, from which faunts the Star ana
Stripes flag. | am further reminded 10y the same
document that NJ. }. MildeLurger Smith is the pro-
prietor, a worthy and communicative host. Having
ascertained from the local papers, of which the
Richmon Enquirer is the bestknown in England
that certain slaves sales were to take place that
morning at eleven, | inquired the nearest way OF
the man at the har. 1t was only two streets of.
he answered. lie seemed startled Mt my inquiry,
and endeavored to prepare me for the worst, as II
halEashamed that II European should louk in at
the dread arcana of the Slave-Trade without due
preparation.
L afterwards ascertained that Europeans are
generally accompanied by gentlemen known in
Richmond, who net as guarantees ot the good be-
havior OF the dealers.n and who, | suppose, by their
presence. warn the dealers to mitigate those more
revolving details, which long h bit has rendered
harmless in the sight Of those indulging in this
unwholesome traffic. For two reasons | did not
avail myself ut the habitual CicerOnes. FIRST,
because, for the purpose Of observation, one has
a better chance than two, from not having his
attention diverted; and, secondly, because | wished
TO witness the scene as it happened every day.
before what may be called its legitimate witnesses,
and not rehearsed in a special manner to suit the
occasion.
Aiming myself with a pencil and slip or two
OF paper, and putting these carefully into my
pocket, | sailed. forth into the High Street, and
walked some hundreds of yards down its steer
declivity. The only object | noticed was one OF
those cnntrivances on two wheels, around the axle
OF which the water-pipes Of the fre-englnes are
generally coileI. Two youngsters were running
,a,;dIy l,ark a orls and forwards with this rolling
hose by way Of frolic; or, perhaps. practising tor
early promotion TO the mnch-sought aiter ranks oil
the fire. brigade | turned up one of the narrow
est alleys of the many abutting upon the High
Street. Eleven O'Clock had struck. and, strange
20 say, the hustle consequent on sales OF stock was
not noticeable, and the streets being seemingly
deserted.
But, | soon discovered the cause. The sales
take place here within doors. on the ground-noor
of the houses, four in number, allotted to the
traffic. The sale commences in the first anctlon'
room, and, when the stock IL disposed or tue
company adionrns to the next, till the whole are
exhausted, Little red flags, to which were PINNED
small slips Of paper pencilled with the runer OF
likely hands to lie sold, were hung out on poles
from the threshold. / happened to nc a lie"
minutes late. and the preliminary process oi OK
animation of the negroes seemed partially over
one old negro was once more dOnnlng ms coat'na
only put one of his brogues OF, and had altoEethe
o quaint appearance of shocked p%ropriety' Neve
shall | forget the sensation occasioned by my hrs
entry into that den! To say that my eyes swan
that I felt a more rapid pulsation, and that IN.
olfactory nerves were assailed by a mephitic atmo'
phere, is to q certain extent true; but, 1t hardl
gives a fair notion Of very complex yet instanti
neous feelings. The room might be said to .
occupied BY three distinc. groups. Conspicuous
raised above the rest, upon a rude platform hanke
on both sides by two steps. stood the dealer WI
his uplifted right hand, taking the bids, whh
with the left he pointed to a young neSress,oi son
fifteen or sixteen years Of age, standing at hia SID
IT,l1;ny hpr paftisnat an fhp pruunH- immediate
beneath, stood q black help, or assistant II, W
locked round at the bidders, as the sum Ike
swelling from six, seven, to eight, hundred dnlia
Next came, in frowsy array the purchasers deck
in hats in every state of decon position some
swallow tail coats, and rusty, unlackereo boo
grimy with dirt, and holding, either Clubs,
wicked-louking whips in their hands. The =
was knocked down to one OF these. Inc Ia
party, and forming a fitting back ground TO
scene, were the negroes huddled together on II
benches, awaiting their fate. The first TO lie
lected from them was a gannt and sinewy ha'
A sort of line was formed by the dealers, and t
lot was made To pace up and dIwn the room al
quick trot. This ambling done, it was suggeS
that one of his eyes WAS affected; so they gathel
round the negro. One gentleman rieitted, W
the precision Of long practice, his thumb into
socket of the eye, whilst he held up to the othel
hair saw the poor fellow, who was writhi
with pain, vainly rolling the one eye ut hbeT
TO discover, and, if possible, to split the hair W
his visual organ, but TO no purpose; his eyes,,
was evidently Dlunted, ana ne leIl IN ~ esbi
tioh of his customers, as was soon testified, wi
he stepped upon the platform to be sold.
l saw, one after the other, the inmptes of
first auction-room purchased at various prices,
then the whole company adjourned to the n
human warehouse. AS | lett the room, | mott
the auctioneer locking the door afSer him.
rudely pushing the Young negress, while tel
her to be IF to other quarters.-l suppose Il
OF her purchasers,-and she fitted out OF 81
down the street. This was the first example !
80 :" ,ha me- St.tn g Ill frn NM "a
that sex, for which a chival.Ous Difference is e'
where exacted.
In the room into which we were now ushe
an opportunity was afforded of witnessing
transaction in its entire process. The first Il
done is to budd'e the wretched gang, pro for
behind a screen, and t. strip them: though
hide 10 a corner what every ono il compelled
look IN, is more than even Old World pruC
could guess mt. 1t is here that the swarthy lab
is seen in all his brawny prowess. when the g
is at u little distance. A closer inspection rev
a world of scars and stripes, distributed with
so much regularity rs in the flag of the Union
is satisfactory to note that the value of the n
is reduced according to the greater or sm'
quantity Of these ash-marks. which are take
signs, not Of the cruelty of the former master,
Of restiyeness and laziness in the slave.
A very few have what are termed C
backs.
1t was striking to watch the same process OF
and purchase going on, with the scenery. a
were, shifted, to prevent the eyes becoming ia
as the ears were by the incessant changes
on dollars the bids swelling by nothing less
hundreds-fve, six, sever, eight hundred dol
according as the being put up, was n lad or
adult. | had noticed a singular specimen Of
torial humlr in the first depot. as these rooms
ciiled. in the shape nf an old, i'll framed, and
webby Autograph. IL represented a mounted
tleman astride n sorry horse. which he was r
melting numerically. Strangely appropriate
this Yankee dealer Of thwacks appear in this
ceptable of dismal cudgeiling. The sight Of
poor fellows striped back brought the image Vi
ly before me. as we'll as the received fiction in
Southern States, that the negro is little b.
than a brute a notice which seemed to have
unc Jnseiously illustrated by the artist No d.