Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-06-17
Incidents of Slavery.

Mr.. John 7. Smith, of Madison, long con-
nected with the Democratic press of Wiscon-
sin, has been soiourning for few months at
the South, and writing thence very readable
letters to the Madison Argus. In his last
one dated at Columbia, S c., he relates the
following incidents of Slavery:
Alta hotel where ! spent some time, was 4
tall, erect, and elegantly formed fellow, with
almost perfect European features, but as
1 black as coal Ile was very intelligent
| having learned to read and write, in spite of
the laws of the State to the contrary, and
| seemed to be the main stay Of the establish
ment In conversation with him on the con-
dition of his people, he remarked, "We are
ight-hearted race Our social feelings are
strong. We love oUr kindred and our home,
and in our leisure hours we get together and
forget our bondage in our relish for social
enjoyments. Whatmars our happiness more
than anything else, is our liability to be sep
arated from our relatives and old associates
by the changing circumstances and fortunes
of the families to which we belong We sell
dom marry in the same estate, and this in
creases the chances for untimely separations.
| | have wife and four children, belonging
| to an estate which must soon be divided
among the heirs, and live in continual
dread, lest my family may be stolen away
from me. s7,a. M
| At private boarding house, observed a
black woman about 30 years old She was
| remarkably bright and active with quick,
keen eye, and Il row of ivory that queen
might covet. She was a hired slave, and be-
| ing curious to learn something, Of her histo-
| ry, managed to hold the following CONVEX
| saton with her:
| Have you husband?
$ Yes, Massa, | have another one now"
What became of your former husband
! Was he sold away from YOU?
mo, Massa, thank dc Lord he took him
before they had chance"
Do you and your husband belong to the
| same master? .a4ss
ooh, no. we never do that way
WE'LL when the husband belongs to one
master and the wife to another, who does the
children belong to?
with that peculiar negro half grunt and
half puff, which q white man can neither
spell nor pronounce, she replied, Belongs
to the man that viii give de most for en-
But before they are.so!d at all, mean!
20, dey belongs wild de woman'
Have you any children?
"No, Massa, l got none now. i had three,
but thank de Lor, he took EN- all.
| But why do you speak of The loss Of your
children Did you love them? 81
70, yes she cried with uplifted hands and
strong emotion, II loved them SO much, and
that's the reason-kase when put them in
dc ground knowed they're beyond de reach
| Of de spectator
What q system, l said to myself, which
will lead fond mother devotedly to thank
Enl t1,ot ko~ Ill Eranl
from its contingencies.
At another boarding house, my attention
was attracted by the sad countenance of the
man who supplied me with fuel, and en-
CURED into his history. He was native Of
| Virginia, where he had a wife and four chill
dren. Ten years ago he was torn from them
! and sold into Carolina, and he had not been
| able to hear word from them since. He
said it almost killed him at the time, and
| though he did not mind it so much as he used
| to, vet he would do anything in the world to
know what had become of them asked
him if he had taken another wife. He said
| no, and never wished to for ifhe had another
family, he might be sold from them, or they
from him. This explained the story his mas
ter told me, of his strange manner, for some
1 time after hs bought him, and how he had to
whip him to bring him under control. He
was sullen and utterly Indifferent to every
thing around him, and would not change his
clothes once month, unless driven to it by
/ the lash.
meet almost daily wishindiyiduals whose
history has been darkened by some similar
event They were sold from their parents
when young, or their father or mother, or
both were sold from them; or a brother or
sister was tern away from them in the same
way. Certain it is that in spite of the hu-
name sentiment against the separation of
families, 1t often occurs, attended with cir
camstanees more or less aggravated. It is
50 common that the prospect of it hangs con.
tinuaiy over the poor slaves like great
black cloud, which darkens their brightest
| hours by its persentous frowns