Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-01-24
MR.. BENTON'S FACTS.

Mr.. Benton was particularly unfortunate in
some of the statements with which he garnished
his public discourses during his late trip to the
North, but in none of them was ne much farther
from the truth than in the following, which we
take from the full and apparently authentic report
of his Union speech at Bosom from the Boston
Journal of November 26:
"Mr. Benton combatted the idea that slaves are
raised at the South for the purpose of selling them.
The idea IS most obnoxious to the southern people,
and families of slaves are separated only in cases
Of extreme necessity, and then it is a cause of great
uuhappiRess to the owners, for there is a strong
affection between the families and the slaves. 1t is
not the will of the owner that feeds the domestic
slave trade, for slaves are the last thing that a man
will give up. There are three causes that lead to
the sale of lavss-incorrigible vice, debt, and ex-
ecution sale for debt. Let execution sales be dGot-
ished and Tie trade ceases. The slave then becomes
o member of tho family"
Unless Virginia has ceased to be q part of the
South. Col. Benten's statement is not sustained by
the facts, as the following paragraph, which we
find ia the Warrenton Wing of the 9th inst, will
show:
"HEArY SALEs.-We were lately informed by
Mr.. Dickinson. Of the firm of Dickinson d Hill.
auotioneers, Richmond, that the gross amount oil
their sales of negroes last year reached the enor
nous sum of two millions. The entire sales o.
other houses OF a similar kind in that city would
make the amount go over four millions-and still
the business is increasing. We ourselves witness
ed the sale of thirty-ive servants ut an average
value of 500. Negro girls, not ten years of age
sold for $500. If this work does not stop in {
short time, Virginia will be stripped OF nearly al
her negro p,pulation-all owing to the agitation o
the Internal niger question by the fanatics OF botf
sections. One of the negroes mentioned above,
rough carpenter, nearly forty years old, brough
$l,6l5,"
Here we have at least four millions of dollars
worth of slaves sold in the city of Richmond alone
during q single year. The writer does not nix thu
prices, but perhaps we can get at a fair averg'
from another source. Mrs. McDut6e sold two hun
dred slaves not long since for $4,000. That is
an average of 500 apiece. Assuming the sales In
Richmond to have been made on us advantageous
terms, tbo statement Of the Wig shows that aboul
six thousand negroes changed hands in that city
during the last year. Does Colonel Benton NEAR
20 make US believe that oil these slaves were sVlt
under ezecution2
But this is the result in but one single Market
Alexandria, Winchester. Norfolk, Petersburg
fredericksburg, &c, are all ~favorite negro marts
in each Of which nearly as mary, and in one Q
two quite as many, IL not more negroes are sol
snnualiy as 10 Richmond,
A Gentleman who has resided many years i
Virginia, and is perfectly familiar with its slav
ommerc informs us that not less than twenty'hS
thousand slaves change hands in that state ever
wear, and so far as our statistics 60, they conhrI
the accuracy Of his estimate. Would Colon'
Benton have us believe that all these chattels al
are sold under execution seventeen and q ha
million dollars Eor:h-for at seven hundred do
lars each. they would amount 70 that? Ii So th
people Of Virginia must haze been pretty genera
~ sold oct during the past Jear.
Eo5 de coIoaei IL mistaken IA his facts. Slave
are sne Of The staple ~pradaecIana and exports
Virginia, add baS for the sale Of hamza stock. bre
from yirSinian loins and grown upon Virginia
soil, the land Of that state, cheap as it ia, wonld ne
be worth one half its present salue.-N. ]. Eo
Mag Posi-.