Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-07-23
Charles Mackay In a Slave Pen.

The following is from a recent letter Of
Charles Mackay to The London Illustrated
News.:
! On my first arrival at New Orleans, lin
| gered for few moments at the open door Of
slave depot, without daring to go in, lest I
should be suspected of espionage, or mere
curiosity, and expelled. But seeing among
the company an eminent merchant of New
York, whose friendship l had been fortu-
nate enough to make, and whom knew to
be no slave dealer or supporter of Slavery,
| walked in and joined his party, drawn
thither, like myself, by curiosity. On one
| side of the room the male slaves, with clean
linen and shining new hats and boots, were
arranged; and on the other the females were
disposed in their best attire, most of them
exceedingly neat, but some bedizened with
ribbons, of colors more faring and tawdy
than elegant or appropriate, was immedi-
ately beset with entreates to purchase.
"Buy me-" said young negress, who
spoke French and no English ssI am good
cook and gooo needlewoman. Buy me.D
Buy me-" said another in the same Ian
guage; Il am accustomed to children, aud
can make myself useful in the nursery"
felt sensation somewhat similar to that
of the first qualm of sea-sickness to be so
addressed by my fellow-creatures- feeling
of nausea, as il were about to be ill.
told the poor woman I was stranger, who
had not come to buy. But they were in
credulous; and when at last convinced, they
returned to their seats with sigh and an
expression of deep disappointment on their
dark and good humored features enter-
tained such hatred of Slavery, that had it
been in my power to abolish it in one instant
off the face Of the earth by the mere express
sion of my will, at that instant, Slavery
would have ceased to exist.
l then walked to the male side of the
slave mart, where l was beset by similar
entreaties, urged in every variety of tone
and by almost every variety of laborer and
handicraftsman. Some were accustomed to
the cotton and somo to the sugar plantation;
some were carpenters, some gardeners, some
coachmen, some BARRIERS, some walters, but
all equally anxious to be sold. One man
who, to my inexperienced eyes, seemed as
white as myself, and whom / at once put
down in my own mind as an Irishman of
the purest quality, of the county Of Cork
got up from his seat as | passed and asked
Inc to buy him.
II am good gardener, your honor" said
also bit of carpenter, and can look after
the horses, and do any sort of job about
the house,"
"But you are joking" said l, "you are On
Irishman 2"
'My father was an Irishman," he said.
At this moment the slave dealer and owner
of the depot came up.
''Is there not mistake here" inquired.
"This is white man"
ellis mother was nigger," he replied
"We have sometimes much winter than he
is. Look at his hair and lips. There is no
mistake about him."
Again the sickness came over me, and l
longed to get into the open air to breathe
purer atmosphere.
II would like to buy that man and set him
Free" said to one of our party.
s'You would do him no good,' was the
reply. ga manumitted slave has seldom
any self-reliance and energy. Slavery so
degrades and crpples the moral faculties Of
the negroes that they require the crutcb,
even in freedom, and cannot walk alone
They ind it impossible to compete with the
poor whites, and if left to themselves, sink
into the lowest and most miserably paid oc-
cupations."
"You are an Englishman and a traveller"
said the slave dealer, sand | should be much
obliged to you if you would put any ques-
tions to the negroes"
'sWhat questions ?" said I. "Shall ask
them whether they prefer Freedom 0. Sla-
very7"
Il don't mean that" he replied. "Ask
them whether do not treat them well;
whether am not kind to them /; whether
they do not have plenty to eat and drink
while they are with met"
told him had no doubt of the fact;
that they looked clean, comfortable and well
fed; but-and in that "but" lay the whole
case-though tho worthy dealer of New Or
leans was totally incapable of comprehend
ing it. The same feeling seems to exist all
through the Slave States-bnt more of this
bereafter