Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-11
SALEM, CoLUMBIANA COUNTY OHIO SATURDAY JULY H. 1857


months-ordered to DO sold in lot. She could
cook, wash, and iron, was tolerably healthy, and
such fine children-look Mt that little fellow (un.
covering the Oldest bright little muatto) )--'how
much Tor the lotP a not over geuteel-looking man
ran up to the mother and commenced an examina.
ton of her person looked at her hands, felt OF
her arms, examined her chest opened her mouth
to see 1t her teeth were go6d--to all which sho
submitted without any apparent feeling; but rude
attempt to examine her lower limbs produced an
involuntary shrinking. Show your leg said the
fellow. Show your foot and anclo only,' said
another man, who seemed to speak with authority
The man who bid off the stone cutter stood at his
post, and without any examination, commenced
bidding $1,000 for the lot and kept on till thew
were struck off to him for 81 245.
Next came an old woman of about 60 years,
and surgeon seemed to be there to state her cas-
professionally. She is blind says one see they
have to lead her to the stand she is not worth
one cent, exclaimed several. The surgeon said
one eye was entirely blind and the other nearly
SO, and, from careful examination, he was sntis.
he'd that an operation would be unavailing But, ,
he added there is no danger Of her getting any
worse. No. cried one Of the crowd sarcastically,
there is no danger of her getting any worse.
W ell, start Der at some price The benevolent.
looking gentleman on the stems started at $50
Some one bidding S55, he promptly raised to $50,
and she was knocked off to him, and he immediate
ly left the board. AS he descended the steps. n
fair view of his face confirmed my first impression
of the amiabiiity OF his character, and soon
learned, to my great qualification, that the old
blind woman was the mother and grand mother of
the young woman and children. lie had boaght
her to please them both.
several females were then sold separately.
from 20 to 80 years old and the same ceremony OF
examination performed. One was 'an admirable
house servant another handy bout the house an
excellent seamstress, and tip top cotton picker
pipkpd do Of ,,o L,y - tho,
were sold for from 500 to 900.
"One CT them, very neat pretty. looking young
woman, considerably bleached was sub ected to
very careful, and in respects rather indecent
examination, while the auctoneer extolling
her qualities and telling the fellow to Examine
her from head to foot-turD her inside out-war-
rant her perfectly sound and healthy
Another lot ordered ap consisted of a man, bis
wife and three children girl about II, one boy
about TO- and another 5 years of age At first
they were oil ordered up in lot but, before bid
ding commenced, consultation was had with the
auctioneer and the two older ones we're ordered
down, to be sold separately Here, then, is this
fellow Bob, SO yeara old, good plantation black
smith, and a fine trusty lad every way and here
is his wife, 30 years old, and good field hand
can drive team pillow, plant, hoe, anything you set
her at--how much piece FOR the lot?-the little
fellow you cah for yourselves-how much
piece for the lot = -Four hundred dollars SAYS a
Nt
this fellew Bob is worth more than you offer for
the lot (Some querying in the crowd i assure
you, gentlemen,' continued the man with the mall
let, they are sold for fault Of their oacn--they
are perfectly sound and trusty-sold by order Of
the court They went at about 5000 ahead. !
noted the name of the purchaser, with view Of
keeping track Of the remainder Of the family.
"They came next-the girl first, and after o
rough handling the bidding became brisk and
spirited. After passing 5000. the bidding began
to flag. The competitors were reduced TO two ,anC
advances were by fves. Pauses ensued between
alternate bids, and when one reluctantly added {
five, il was promptly overtOpped by the other, at
| if determined to have the girl; and so they wen
on till they reached $780, and the hammer fell.
held my breath for the name. Good 1t was the
same man Who bought the father and mother and
little brother. Next came the boy, 10 years old,
and the same contest repeated for him, and
with the same gratifying result-the same man
bid him off at $500. high price for both. The
separation of this family appears to have been a
trick of trade, to get higher price by bringing
the rnpacity of some bidders into competition with
the humane sympathies of others. God be thanked
that such sympathies still exist among slave
holders.
But the sale not over yet. Lea ming
against the huge columns of the courthouse stood
Il middled-aged woman weeping bitterly. | asked
a bystander what allied her. 'Oh, size don't want
to be sold,' was the reply. | suspected there was
i
could not learn what, There a lot Of horses
to be sold, and some of the crowd began to clamor
for the horses-the horses; so out came another
auctiOneer and one of them went on with the
slave sale. and the other, few yards in front Of
him, went to selling horses A horse and young
woman were put up and started at the same
moment-the former at Sl00 and the latter at $500;
and they went on, selling horses and men, and
women and children, as if there was no difference
between them, and felt the strange scenes with
heart full of unutterabe emotions.
"Disgusted as | was at the sight, it was pleas
ing to see the streaks of remaining humanity
which still predominate over the worst features OF
this detestabe system. The sales have wit messed
to-day have betrayed strong public sentiment,
not in words, but in acts against the separation
of families when it can be avoided, and that both
buyers and sellers WILL sometimes at least, make
noble sacrifices to prevent it.. ! should do MUS
tice to the subject, should fail to say further,
that of all the revolving examinations of the
persons of females not one was made by any man
who had even the appearance of a gentleman, and,
so far | could observe, not one OF them made a
purchase during the day, and probably they had
no intention OF purchasing, but only avaied them
ielves of the opportunity to insult defenceess hu
manity. noticed that females only were sub
jeced to these examinations and thought some
of the respectable bidders looked as if they could
break their heads with a right good will.
but, with all these modifying circumstances
what sight it is to see human beings sold al
auction, Ike beasts and lciM beasts to the highest
bidder, and with the assurance too that '.hey are
sold for no fault of their own Oh, what q con
fession was that unwittingly made by the auction
eer, to-day! no Jauls Of their Otca' whole
race robbed of their liberty, and doomed to per
petual Slavery, and for no fault of their own
Pilate said. Il find no fault in him. and yet b,
crueihed the Just One; and will not American
Slavery as well as PLATE, one day be judged out
OF its own mouth? S. Y S."
The New YORK HERALD of May %, has al
Editorial in reply to the Charleston Mercury ant
headed-"OUR VIEWS OF THE SLAVERY QUEsrIo,
"A FALSE AccUsER."-In this Editorial, the New
York Herald says it advocated repeal of tn
Missouri Compromise, from the introduction 0
the proposition into the Senate from the Commit
tee on Territories. all the way through" h."-I
pleaded and argued, at length, the unconssitu
tionality OF the Missouri Compromise" And
has no recollection of having opposed the ad
mission of Kansas, as a slave State'''and oply oil
ljected to its being done by brute force, whic