The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-11-12


and towns of the South, and white men
are found everywhere who will run the
risk of writing letters for the slaves.
''From all you can learn" said to him,
''do you think that the condition of your
people in slavery is improvingp
NO." he replied, "their oppression is be-
coming every year more distressing while
in the North legislation and public SEN
timent is becoming more favorable for us.
In the South our bondage is every year
more embittered and cruel Our churches
are being closed, many masters are now
saying that the negroes should not be al
lowed to be members of any church, for
their church relations give the opportunity
for retailing their wrongs, and forming
plots and instructions Thus throughout
the slave states our privileges are being
abridged, the slightest excuse is sufficient
cause for closing our Sunday schools and
to silence our ministers. Complaint is I'M
availing and only increases our punish
ment. If any whiteman defends us, he
makes himself an object of suspicion, and
very likely of mob violence. One of the
greatest curses of slavery is, that society
comes under the dominion of the worst
men-men of the most ferocious passions J;
desperadoes and rufians hold in their
hands the reins of power, and rule society
as absolutely as any oligarchy. Any man,
however respectable, who resists their
counsels and raises his voice against their
savage whippings, is insulted and marked.
! Thus the best men in the South are COM
PEELED to be silent and caused to sustain
measures and cruelties which their whole
nature abhors.'
"What is your hope then of the future?"
"God," said he, "raised up Moses to de-
liver Israel in Egypt-we look and pray
for deliverer. But while we wait on
God we know he works by means, and we
are looking now to see the movements on
the stage of the agents of His will. So
we hope that the South will succeed in d.
viding the Union, for the very moment
that is consummated slavery will not last
forty-eight hours. Such is the preponder-
ance of the slave population, such their
superior physical energy and strength,
that the work of revolution would be short
and easy. What is to prevent the slaves
from throwing their masters and overseers
on their shoulders and walking off to the
Mississippi and pitching them in? l tell
you, sir, it would be done in shorter time
than we are talking about it, if the Union
was dissolved. l know that the slaves are
now held in check by the fear of the North.
Remove the fear of the Northern army,
erty would be kindled upon every hill in
the South Let the North stand aloof, and
let Instruction commence, and the real
weakness of the Southern shareholders
would be seen. At the first token of
alarm the heart of the South would freeze
to death. Sir, they are weak as water,
they shake and fee even at the sound of
leaf"
"But," said /, 1--WE are often told on very
high authority, that the majority of slaves
are contented and would not accept offree-
dom; if such is the case there would be no
such result as you predict from the division
of the Union"
"Sir," said he, to say that the slaves are
contented and would not accept of freedom
is he against human nature. There are
men here who know that every active,
healthy slave thirsts for liberty. There
are old, WORKOUT slaves who are standing
over the grave, who dread any change, and
would prefer remaining where they must
be fed while they live, and buried with
their fathers when they die but these are
few compared with the whole number;
there is many an old, broken-down slave
who would give a year of his life to enjoy
the satisfaction of feeling that he was free
man.
''In fact, if negro preacher in the
South, speaking to his brethren, attempts
a description of heaven, he puts into the
foreground as one of the chief elements of
its happiness, freedom and liberty to serve
God under no restraint but love. This de-
sire for liberty is constantly increasing,
and the consequence is aversion to their
masters and brooding instruction. The
slaves are no longer patient and contented
as in former years, for many of them are
nearly white, and have in their veins the
best blood of Virginia and Kentucky
L Hey are HO lOHScl lhC ouuLuiool'C AdCO VI
the past Their masters are more stern,
exacting, and unsympathizing than former
| ly. In fact, the gulf between the master
and slave is becoming every year deeper
Reverence for the authority of the master,
love toward himself and his family, are
now among the shadows of the past. AL
most every slave has been pierced with
some poisoned arrow, which has embittered
his whole nature: From that hour he has
become different man, and nursed the
dream of liberty or the purpose of revenge.
There are not wanting white men in the
South, who, from variety of motives, en-
courage the hope of liberty in the slaves,
and aid in their escape. For instance, a
slave of Major Rawlins-the late Free-soil
candidate for Governor of Missouri-late-
ly left home for parts unknown. He had
several counties to pass before reaching the
Mississippi river, In this part of his jour
ney he was aided by shareholders, who
said to him, 'Yorr master should practice
what he breaches. he goes over the State