The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-12-30
Slave Instructions in the United
States.

States.
One Of tho earliest plots discovered for
IN insurrcction among tho slaves in the
Southern States, was that of 1922. which
was organized ut Charlestown, S. c., by q
nulatto named Denmark Vcsey. lilo was q
nan OF shrcwdness and tact, possessing
great influence over his agents and re-
degree Of energy. His plan was
10 murder tho masters, seize tho womcD, set .
fire to the city, and then tako possession of .
the shipping in tho harbor and escape to st. .
Domingo. Tho plot was discussed and ar.
ranged in tho religious and other meetings
Of tho negroes, and one of tho conspratofs,
became conscience stricken and disclosed it. |
A panic followed tho negroes wero every.
where arrested, and some thirty or forty
wore tried, sentenced to death and executed. /
Tho next well organized aud extensive slave
was that known as tho South.
hampton Massacre" which under tho lead
of tho notorious "Nat Turner" sDrcad
through some of the Southern Counties of
Virginia in 1881, and in which between
sevcnty.fiyo and huudrcd Yhto persons
woro murdered Nat. Turner, tho ring.
leader OF that conspiracy, was slave, about
thirty years OF age, an ignorant, but bold
and resoluto fanatic who believed ho had
been raised up by God to lberato his CON.
panions in slavery. lie was, perhaps, somo.
thing like John Brown in his natural char
acter, but inferior of course, in his intclli-
gonco, and his command of resources. His
revolt broke out, without word of warn.
ing; and frightfu! stories, many times mag
nilied from the frightful truth camo up 10
Norfolk and Richmond of tho general rising
of tho slaves, and their marching III parties
of hundreds, from plantation to plantation,
numbering men, violating women, Draining
infants, burning houses. Companies OF
armod mUu worc hastily gathered and sent
to :hc scat of war. Rumors of every kind
flew thick and fast-sometmos the whites
woro ovorpowored and hemmcd in some.
times new bands of negroes were discovered
menacing new points, and sometimes one or
another gang Of negroes had been defeated.
Tho rebellion was soon checked, and it was
found that tho insurgents did not number
over one or two hundred, though they had
been successful in achieving q horrd
slaugter. All tho slaves concerned in the
massacre were shot, or executed after trial
though Nat. Turner, the head and front of
tho conspiracy managed to cludo pursuit for
months, living in holes excavatcd in the
earth. Ho was at last discovered in his don,
by tho bark of dog. and surrendered with.
out resistance. He made no defence, but
confessed his agency in tho whole matter
and ayowcd ho received a. divine commits
sion to liberato slaves, and told tho story
OF his preparation for it, through several
years, with coolncss and miIulencss. He
OF course, euHsrnd death. The whole south
was thoroughly excited by this revolt, which,
however was purely local one and the in.
security OF tho whto population in slave.
holding region was painfully impressed upon
people everywhere. That few ignorant
slaves could masacre nearly ono hundred
whites ana hold possession of the country for
wocks, was terrible evidence of the danger
which staIkcd before tho hearth o: every
planter.
Since that rebellion, no other occurred to
excite alarm or attract general attention
till 1856. when the people along tho valley
OF tho Cumberland in Tennessee became
greatly alarmed about an anticipated up.
| rising. The Democratic politicians had
asserted from tho stump, that should Fro
mont DO elected, an army Of Northern abo.
ltionists would march into the South and
attempt to libera,e tho slaves. Tho story
soon got to the negroes in tho some what diff
ferent version that Fremont was marching
J ''N'' "' i'Olli tHC ANOltiJ " SUI tucH
at liberty. OF course the story created q
great ferment and agitation, though thorc
was not. VIC believe, any outbreak. Many
slaves wore arrested and whipped to oxtorl
confessions, and rumors of uprisngs being
circulated preparations wero made by the
citizens of Tennessee and kentucky, for dc
fence and attack. As they recovered from
tho panic, it was generally conceded that
there was no ground to fear slave insur
rection, and The subject was soon forgotten
Tno fecent capture of narpcr's Ferry by
John Brown, is somewhat peculiar, because
1t was tho work of whites-tho first tmC
that profcssed aboIitionists had dared TO re-
sort TO arms-Gnd also. because of the
wonderful success which met tho iirst'cffort
of score of fanatieal men, who withou
support. had maGo demonstration in tn,
heart OF n slavohoIdng country, and sezec
the arsenal of tho United States, under al
most the very caves of tho Capitol. Thi
attempt will 60 still farther in illustratin!
the insecurity of slavery. while its universe
condemnation will convince the fanatic
among us that they can expect no sympath
in their schemes from any portion of ou
nnonIa