Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-25
From the AntiSavery Standard.
PLANTATION PRAYING AND PREACH.
ING.

We spoke some weeks ago, of the absurdity OF
receiving the declarations of slaves, made either
spontan sously in the presence of their masters
their masters guests in reply to questions ask
ed by those persons, as proof or as in the slightest
degree reliable evidence that they arc satisfied
with their condition that they love their masters
that they prefer not to be free that they pity or
dispise free negroes and that the idea of living
at the North is altogether intolerable to them. We
spoke of the impudence of presenting such stuff
as this to the Northern people as proof that the
slave generally, even the sly rascals who make
these declarations, contented with slavery
and of the softness and verdancy of those who
receive this stuff as proving what it asserts, and
do not perceive that he who presents it to them
as such proof must of course be either knave or
fool.
There is another form Of this absurdty, equally
false and silly with the one just mentioned, in that
it presents as evidence tn which is not evidence
offers you the counterfeit article for the real-and
more wicked, inasmuch as those retailers OF
it who are not fools, mis- hypocrisy with their i'm
pudence. We refer to the use commonly made of
that department of plantation discipline which is
named at the head Of this article to the romantic
little narratives of plantation praying and preach,
ing, and Of the marrying and burying OF slaves,
current in the religious" newspapers; to tae
cases in which pious lady or gentlemen of the
North, visiting dear slnveholdng brother or sis
ter in Christ. and having an opportunity to wit
ness the religious exercises of the cattle belonging
to the estate, cannot help writing to the New
York Observer to tell how great are the spiritual
privileges of the slaves how intensely they love
their masters how fervently they pray for their
masters ; how richly their masters meri, that love
by making assiduous provision for the welfare OF
their souls ; how affecting is the solicitude which
leads the master himself to attend the rude pray
ing and preachngs of the slave and how salts.
factory it is to hear with ones own ears, from the
slaves themselves, statements SO different from
those made by the horrid abolitionsts.
To attract, if it can be done. is far easier and
more satisfactory in every way than to drive. The
Shareholders cannot keep their chattles securely
without help from the Northern people. How to
attract them cheerfuliy to give this help how to
induce them actively to uphold thing SO ;nher.
herentiy detestable as slavery, regardless of it's
Injurious influence upon their credit and char.
acter and welfare this is tho problem In the
of it is very easy. Avarice and ambition are in
different to the sin and the shame, and are always
ready to exchange permanent welfare for present
honor and profit. But to gain the cooperation of
the church in this work, to attract piety to the
support of slavery, both the sir and the shame
must have a cloak of pretence. Here 1t is. This
is the method Of operation.
Invent benevolent or otherwise praiseworthy
motive in the stakeholder for the central vice of
slaveholding ITSELF and for each of its constituent
or collateral vices, and invent advantage to the
slaves themselves the natural and actual result
of each of these; and. whenever slavery is spoken
of, quietly assume these to be the ret ults, inter-
mixing CALCULATIONS of gratitude to the Providence
which has accomplished 80 much good for the AT
rican race.
We will give some examples of the application
Of this rule from an expert; one whom practice
has made perfect in this sort of humbug-the
Neo York Observer They occur in narrative,
with highly finished rhetorical illustrations, entitl-
ed plantation praying and Preaching" which
tells what the writer saw on accepting the kind
invitation of friend to visit her "lovely" South.
ern country seat.
How to excuse deficiencies in the "Negro Quar-
ter:"
"Some distance below the irongrated entrance
to the grounds, and only half-showing through the
foreground of pines. do you see those substantial
cottage.like buildings They are the residences
of the servants. and, when completed, will form
quite pretty village"
Somehow or other the completion which 10 to