New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-30
TIE SALE OF THE BUTLER sLA;-S


Whenever we meet al American gentleman, and e
conversation happens to turn ON the subject OF Neo
Slavery, he is sure 10 inform with much vehemence
that Mrs Stoves novel wss absurd, exaggerated, IN
spired by the rabid Aboltionist fanaelsm Ut sIai
sect and unworthy the credit OF impartial men, " =
most unjust, he vii say, for al author 10 sttine o
gether series II atrocities and give a. picture -
hfr In An actual society Wha, If even each of u.
horrors related by Mrs. stowe had had counterpart
IN actual history Such isolated misdeeds might Dc
collected BY searching the annals of the South N
states for ries of wears but Ia bring them together
and IA present them a. the ordinary accompanmenis
Of slsveholdng Is msniestedy an abuse OF nctioa-
There IS something in this argument and We arr theie-
fore clad when history lets in It's own sober hgb1
or the details Of HE in the South. IA q geo
,rsl rule there is 10 better clue To the civil.
zetiop which prevails from Virginia IA Texas tLan
the aiyeit IN AT ordinary Southern newspapf
headed Negroes, Negroes" or Cash for Ne
sru,s' or describing runaway slave each advertise
eut attracting attention 10y little wood cut ot q,
c,o prrfxed 10 H. aft q fashion Of the shipping nj
yerrisemcut> in h Liverpool or Hull paper But
long time since have seen anything which, TO Tee
tie phr ie q, the day. photographed the sla'e-ieshS
sy tenn 50 completely as the description which 70
printed Yesterday # srge Isle of slaves al Say snna
Gsorpia The whole melancholy drama ct slave LIE
il displayed before the rcsdcr; from the rum ot t-e
specuatiy. Southern gentlemen, whose hereditary
estate be- sold for the benefit OF New-iork credit,
or the dispersion Of the slaves among other ms
tens petty graspng tyrants, very dinerent m"
the old caste II which the South sti continues 10 e
proud though with less reason than formerly The =,
Major Butler estates descended TO two sons Of th.t
wealthy gentleman, whose properly was inVes,so ID
rice and cotton plantations. One OF these, ny Perce
Butler a gentleman once well known IN London l. -
citizen of the Free State of Pennsylvania, an inhao
liant Of the most respectable City OF Pmiad.!pmsi
and though know nom the constant reitsSation a
Americans that the Free States have nothing AZ al %
do with Slavery and in no way responsible torte
guilt Of the Southern members OF the Confederasy
Vet MIR. Pierce Butler of Philadelphia owned p" ~
Z. and n
{" the Negro stock remaining ON the Old MAJOR Butfr
Plantations which fell to the heirs OF that estate
Losses in the grand crash OF 1919 and other eN-
"gencies OF business compelled Mr.. Pierce Buii's
L" 10 realize his Southern Investments to satisfy :
most pressing creditors. Accordingly, the 20
men, women, and children, are brought by ra"-
road from the rice plantation, not far from =" the
Great Okefenokee swamp, and the Sea Ise \
cotton plantation OF the Georgian coast, both mo-
sdvsntsgeously situated properties for the growth n
their respective produce The negroes Of an old paI.
toes in The whole stock very small aiulSture Of El-
ropean blood anywhere; most Of the negroes OF the
native African blackness. Major Butler at least I
not work young men and women SO fair IN thst
to any but quick Southern eye they might pass Tor
white. They all field hands, regular plantation
negroes, well treated, rs might be expected IN a r h
old gentleman's estate, but put through, As Nh
Iegree would say, in crop time, 90 that occAsonaliy
they broke up at 80 years of age hereabout. Now,
without following the writer into any sentlmcnalti's,
We may be permitted 10 regret that such saies as are
here described are likely 10 become more fre9uers
every year. The breakup Of the old planter aristoc
racy the treatment Of the negro less and less a.
dependent and more and more a. chatt
the growing indifference to negro lite, VIII y
extends itself to indifference 10 all other hc,
are signs which do not promise very cheering future
Enterprise has invaded the South; and, though the
wealth of the States and of the whole world enhance
by It. the unfortunate instruments Of this prosperity
mus, suffer that othersmay GAIN New men, OF rougher
texture and more merceuary AIMS succeed the plant ;.
Of the old school, who have something III the faults
Irish propretors, being generally year or two behr-
hand in their dealings with the merchants, and OFT
obliged realize their investments for the benefit .
their creditors though not by an auction on the sctts
of Mr.. Pierce Buffers. Slavehoding, like every othr
distinction threatens To become Democratic; there
will be masters each with fewer negroes, ana We
fear the consequences will be harder work for each,
and greater number 20 be- described like one of Mr.
Buffers hands" Arson, 49, nee, ruptured, one eye
The negroes were sold on favorable terms ior pnr
chssers" One-thiri cash, the remainder payable u
two equal annual nstallbenr, bearing intercst from
the day of sale, to be secured by approved mort
gage and personal security, or approved acceptan
ices on Savannah, Ga, or charleston, ,; =. Puf
40 chssers TO pay for papers" so the biddings were
good. Prime young men went for Il 100 to tl,JW,
prime young women, 500 10 5000; old men and chi
dren $500 to $500 each babies, 500. At Savannah Il
they do not sell these last by the pound Bui
is as easy is useless to get indignant the de
tails of negro sale and the phraseoogy of the trade.
Let us rather whether there not some redeem
ing features in it, which give hope that, while Slave
y
some germs Of good may be sprnging up. The bet
point about this sale is that the families were not scpa
rated. The Philadelphia, Mr. Butler, made this cor
cession to the feelings Of those among whom 10
liz I'd. The old and were sold VIII
their grown-up progeny the husbands with th.ir
wives and the little children with their parents. Tie
writer hints that by this more was made out Of
the stock but willing to believe that it is the
result OF dawnng conscientousness among the me-
ters The scenes which took place at every auction,
when negroes ruthlessly separated, the remoD.
srances Of the North and Of the world in general aid
the efforts of of the clergy, in whom the spirit u
Christianity has not been entirely Quenched by the
habit Of looking on blacks as inferior beings, have
to the practice Of selling the families much a. posi-
bic together, and the saveOwners OF late have TAX n
no little credit for their progress in humanity. Butths
is the only element which at all palates the sad All
degrading spectacle. If any one wishes TO see how
low the white man may be brought by unlimited power
to use human beings for gain let him read the elhe
description of the Southern planters, and see into what
class the increase the cotton trade has changed hs
Gentlemen Of the Carolinas and Georgia.