The Shasta courier., 1859-09-17
Condition Of Southern slaves.

by Northern writer, is communicated to the
Hartford Times in the following manner:
Northern agitation is sustained by sympathy
for the Southern slave. As to what stirs up
that agitation, there are different opinions My
lesson in coming South is that Abolitionism is
thrown away. Every Northerner, when he is
set down in a slave State, begins to look about
for the I" miserables :" but he can find none-
When first got over the line into Kentucky
Maryland and Virginia | thought the mildness
or the apparent absence of slavery there was
owing to their proximity to free States But in the
extreme South find everything the same-n-
deed there is singular sameness in the system
everywhere. 1t seems more like spontaneous
and natural growth independent of statutes of
conventonalsms. The regard of the white for
the negro, and his treatment of him. is about the
same everywhere, and the demeanor Of the black
toward the white, in every State, is as uniform
as though they had all been educated to il in
one school.
All the remarks make on this subject will be
general, and not partial. / do not say that the
present system of slavery here is the natural
state OF the negro or that think it permanent
think its form will naturally grow freer as the
owner comes to understand, scientifically, the
constitution of the slave, and as the slave ad-
vances. We know that it is self-eyident that
freedom is the true and only true element of
progress and perfection to all things. The slave
ry here, however, need hardly be called slavery
There is just enough legal restraint upon the
black race to keep them together, protect them,
and keep them industrious enough for their
own good. You will nowhere here see any posi-
lively inflicted injuries upon the slave Except
| his slavery.) True, his manhood is taken away,
except as it can be made subservient to his
masters manhood. His higher earthly hopes
are not permitted to rise, and he has not much
stimulus for ambition but he is happy, and
has ten times more privileges than he avails
| himself of.
Sadness upon the face of negro is very
rare picture, but it is frequently engraven deeply
upon his masters face.
The responsibility of the health, life, good
order and responsibility of many negroes upon
the master, is no mean one, and many are the
fortunes ruined and households broken up by
the lax government and too much sympathy
the part of the masters. Law, public opinion
and individual sympathy, all hold the slave
holder rigidly responsible for the good treat
ment of his slaves. ''The man who treats his
niggers badly is the most Stunned and dis
graceful of all epithets is this one applied to
him. Nothing hurts owner so much as to
seperate his negroes they are not fully and
practically considered transferable stock North
erners cannot understand the peculiar jealousy,
sensitiveness and tenacity with which slave
holders grip TO this kind of property. When
one is taken i'll, he is waited upon by the doctor
in preference to any of the owners family. The
negroes are aware of this regard for their per-
sons, and they enjoy it. Nothing will so quickly
arouse an owners bloody passions as their
abuse; the latter feels it as incumbent upon
him to demand satisfaction as though his per
sonal honor was impeached. There are three
things for which a Southerner will quickly draw
l,,ifa can ipe, 10, l.
abuse his niger.
About whipping. I had not heard blow
struck since had been in the South until forty
eight hours ago, by the keeper of this hotel
man formerly of Jefferson county, New York
Whipping is an institution here, but of course
resortvd to with reluctance, and considered by
both master and slave in about the same light
as boss and laborer in the North consider
" docking" wages for misdemeanors.
The guarantee for the safety of the black man
in the South is that endemic good nature and
sympathy of the southern heart. 1t may some
times be passionate, but it is not willingly cruel
The southerner is himself independent, and he
is magnanimous enough to regard the individul
rights OF others, black and white. The negro
has rights here that the white dare not over
step, and they very sensitive of those rights.
The southerner has more respect for negro
under the principles of slavery than the north
erner. When the northerner gets down here he
begins to trifie with the negro, and regards him
with cold disrespectful, unsympathizng feel
ing 1.-THE same as free negroes are treated at the
North ] nearly forgot a recent occurrence
near here, which illustrates the regard between
master and servant Col Bond, of Georgia,
millionaire, gentleman of the highest social
| refinement and position, and one of the leading
men of the State lost his life simply in retaliat-
ing upon man for abusing his negro.
The negroes have many perqusites, amount
ing to luxuries. They go to church Sabbaths,
sometimes in new silks. They are always pro-
vded with place of worship and often white
people of the highest respectability mingle de-
voutly with them at the foot of the altar No
longer ago than yesterday saw the tears min
gle at church, and the endearing address to
them of ''my brethren and sisters" came from
the lips of refined white minister. The scene
forcibly impressed me that the black man has
not many truer friends than the southern master
have seen enough to come to this declaration :
That the Southern States of America are the
natural Paradise of the negro.
A few words as to the general character of
the negro: 1t is good nature, contentment, at
fection, intellectual imbecility, a predominance
of the sentiments, and the sensational over
judgment, and love of luxury, ease and display
consider them not industrious enough con-
sdering their inducements to be so. | have
seen thousands of them who had chances to
make money and dress finely, but would not.
know one young fellow, however, who pays two
hundred dollars year for his time, and lays by
nearly thousand dollars year for himself
This boy dresses finer and has a better furnished
room than any private gentleman in his town.
As a general thing, however, the negroes are
poor artizans, and are fit only for bodily servi-
| tude or field labor-those pursuits requiring
least judgement and sense of responsibility
Ofthe adoption of the negro of the Southern
States, am obliged to be convinced. At this
present moment of writing, we white skins are
driven beneath the shade into the piazza and
cottage, but there across the road are sitting
upon pile of lumber in the fierce sun, three
negroes rolling and laughing, nightly pleased
about something.
Why they do not seek the inviting arbors of
the gorgeous magnolia and the live oak which
are within twenty feet of them, they best know
| have seen hands lie down in the fields, on
their backs, face upturned to the burning sun,
and thus spend their mornings, eating their
dinners with shade trees within a few Yards
distant. Seeing some of them going to meeting
sheltering themselves from the suns rays with
umbrellas, pitied their necessity to work in the
sun, but my sympathies relieved on this
score by seeing young buck escorting his du
lock (sweet hearD home with umbrella over
her under the clear silver moonlight
They do these things in imitation of their
masters. Field girls go to meeting in low neck