The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-10

1
and one very untidy person, who had probably
lost or broken hers, used her fingers for the pur-
pose. Anything more disgusting, more hopelessly
discouraging, than these women--altogether
their employment, their condition, and their ex-
pression-Herman had never imagined Could
nothing be done for them? What could be
done? Yet Christ had died for them What
were his followers doing for them? Nothing
but this Could nothing better be found to do,
than to cram their greedy bodies with coarse
plenty, and starve their spirits to keep their
heavy limbs safely at work, and their heavy
brains safely idle
good deal no doubt, depends, however,
after all, upon the view which one takes of
things. Herman, practically looking upon these
degraded beings, as human beings, was shock
ed. Colonel Rochemaurice, ON the other hand,
practically ignoring their humanity, and look
l ing upon them as prize-cattle, was gratifed.
After giving order to the black driver, who
was experimenting them with much vigilance
and efficiency, he turned to Herman for his
appreciation. r
They look well, do they not?Y
"Very plump, indeed" said our cornered
hero, Just escaping the utterance of what, be-
lieve, is vulgarly termed plumper.
Il am always glad, = returned the Colonel,
battered and complacent, ito have an opportu-
nifty of exhibiting my plantation to any liberal
and unprejudiced gentleman from your section
of the country. A wise man takes nothing for
granted. require no one to approve of our
institutions before seeing how they work. You
will excuse my saying even that | doubt the
sincerity of those who profess to do so. But
the fact is, that seryitude, though not abstractly
the best condition in the world, is relatively
the best for the blacks. You see for yourself
how carefree and happy they are, according to
their IN ma CITY for hapDinesS ~
He waited for an assent but Hermans spur
happened to tickle his very spirited horse Just
then, and he occupied himself for a minute or
two wholly in subduing it.
"These feld-hands are BY nature utterly in
capable of selfgevernment. They will work
only upon compulsion. Unchristan souls |!
/ unwilling to do good, hoping for nothing again.
They have no mOrals-no gratitude. With all
their wants generously supplied, they'll steal
even from me, their natural protector !" Ra-
pacious beasts-tO covet part of the lions share,
and steal it from the lion!
Herman had an inquiring mind and it ask
ed him, just then, whether the balance of graft
tude was, on the whole, due to Colonel Roche
maurice from the negroes, for his giving back
to them a small proportion of their earnings in
the shape of quantity of clothing, coffee, vege-
tables, bacon, and moasses, sufficient to keep
them in good condition to toll for him, or due
from Colonel Rochemaurice to the negroes, for
doing ali his work for him without wages. He
was not fond of harsh language, aid was not
inclined to call the Colonel thief especially
as he did not believe that the Colonel's con-
science called him one. In Judging of the con-
duct of individuals, particularly in barbarous or
semi-barbarous regions and times, great allow
ances should always be made for the moral
standard held up to individuals by custom and
legislation. A Spartan, under the laws of
Tacoma, might steal, and still be, in his own
estimation, and that of all his compeers except
those who had an experimental knowledge of
the evils of his practice, very honest fellow.
Still, that is bad rule, even of mercy or chart
ty, that does not work both ways. If Herman
T did not convict the Colonel of robbery. for ia
king the negroes services without their leave,
Golsnels rice, chickens and cotton without his
, leave. If he thought that he had right to
/ help himself to everything that they had, per
haps they thought that they had a right to help
themselves to some things that he had. The
human soul is subject to decisions of all sorts
+, Let US deal with them lenently but impartially
"A great deal is said" continue Colonel
Rochemaurce, in his studiously modulated
voice, to which the first beginning Of the tremu-
lousness of age merely gave an added vibratory
richness, +" at the North, about the wanton cru
/, elites practiced upon the negroes in Slavery.
Such things doubtless may occur from time to
time but allow me to assure you that they belong
merely to the abuse of the system, not to the
use nor necessity. What pity that all ne
groes under abusive masters could not be made
a~ats st that fact, poor ignorant creatures
| What comfDrt Il aaald be to them when
smartlng under lash, steel, or fire ! / dare saF
you know some masters and mistresses at the
North, who would treat their servants with I'M
aus severity, if they had them completely at
their mercy as I do not attempt to deny that
| know of some here, Bno Dc ,fest their SER
wants with undue severity The Colonel az
peared to lay great stress upon this argument
though what it tended prove, except that hu-
man nature was the same everywhere; and that
seryants could not safely be left completely at
, the meEcy Of masters and mistresses anywhere,
Herman could not diEine.] But undue severi
, ty defeats itself. Firmness-,frrmnhess is what
is wanted, Like Lord Collingwood,n said the
Colonel, with grand ar of Magnanimity, Il
never forgive FIRST offence. [Again the in
quiring mind was so impertinent as to inquire, on
whose side was the first offence-the slaves or
the masters My hands understand this, and
act accordingly, i count them by the hun
dred but sometimes rs assa,y ~ three or -four
| weeks go by without single WHIPPING
t Herman's horse gave a great curvet and
; bound The old Colonel turned his calm, ell
derry face upon nm say hin extremely pale,
and apparently thought him frightehea; foF,
r with little good humored contempt in bis
tone. he said, TTimcar does seem restless this
J morning My sons do not usually consider him
vicious, though he is spirited but the young
gentlemen here are bred up in the saddle, and
; you perhaps are not accustomed to riding. We
} shall be at the quarters presently, and if you
wish we will alieht and wait there for short
time, while one of the boys will ride your horse
daughters ponies. They are eeEfsfetlyy gentle
and safe" = ~ '''
g / thank you. like high mettled horse
and this appears to nae as fine one as ] ever
mounted, both as to blood and breaking
/ " He is, and has right to be;" and the
Colonel rambled TRANQUILITY off to a dissertation
4 upon bis pedigree and history, without the
slightest Suspicion Of having said anything
disgusting, or, indeed, othei@ise thsn highly
agreeable.
: They passed the men and boys, at work in
!, different fields, of whom it is sufficient to say
that they looked-except some of the drivers
liks ~o.thy sres, sons, and husbands, of the fe-
males already described, Se;rcg british, gross
and innately soulless. Herman weuid aaxe
thought, if his geological studies had not taught
him that there is an economical tendency in
j Nature 70 pbliterate any unused and therefore
useless organ, &nd 50 led hifff is slssect that
even the soul, unfed and pnex eFcised, may, for
time at least, seem 70 die opt of nan.
They came to the cabins Of the largest negro
quarters. One of these was the nurseryy where
very good-humored old ietty giantess was SUI
perintending the united babyhood of half OF
. the plantation. Here at last was CLEAN OF