Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-25
IbH9ree prxss
MIR. BUTLER, SLAVE AUCTION.
BURLINGTON:
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH Is, 1853

MR.. BUTLER SLAVE AUCTION.
Mr.. Pierce NJ. Butler, resident in Phla-
delphia, met with great losses in the crash Of
1878, and concluded to sell his portion of
large number of men, women and chill
dren, "found guilty of color not his own
tho said human chattes, according to the
laws Of Georgia. having como to him from
his father, wealthy planter of that State.
The sale was to consist of four hundred and
thirty-six individuals. 1t was advertised for
some weeks, to come of in Savannah on the
lst Of March, and attracted large num-
Der of buyers from Georgia and the neigh
boring slave States. a correspondent of the
". Y Tribune furnished an extended and
graphic account of it, from which we take
$ me extracts
The negroes came from two plantation.-tbe
ono n rich plantation, near Daren, in the State of
Georgia, not far from the great Okefonokec swamp,
and the other cotton plantation the extreme
northern point Of St. Simon Island, n little bit
Of an island in the Atlantic, cut of from Georgia
main land by slender arm of the sea. Though
rice and cotton planting and culture, there were
among them n number of very passablc mechanics
who had been taught to do all the CHER sorts of
work on the plantations. There were coopers
carpenters shocmakers and back.miths each one
equal in his various craft to the ordinary rcauire
ments Of plantation-that is the cooper could
make rico tierces, md possibly, on pinch, rude
tubs and buckets the carpenter could do the
rough carpentry about the negro quarters the
shoemaker could make shoes Of the fashion re
tr.IF no. aIa,n tkok all. al.
quatc to the manufact Of hoes and similar sim
pie tools, and to such tr0ing repairs in tho black
smithing way as did not require too refined skill
Though no one Of these would be called n sumo
riOr, or even an average workman, among the
masters of the craft their knowledge of these VA.
rious trades sold in sOmo cases for nearly much
ns tho ..Ian,-that is, n man without q trade, who
would be valued at 5000, would readily bring
Sl,6o or 81, 700, if he was passablo blacksmith
cooper.
There were no light N ulattocs in the whole lot
of the Butler stock, and but very few that
even shade removed from the original Congo
blackness.
"Thc slaves remained at the race course, some
of them for more than n week. and all of them for
four days before the sale. They were brought in
thus carly that buyers who desired to inspect them
might enjoy that privilege, although none of them
were sold at private sale. For these preliminary
days their sheds were constantly visited by specu-
consideration as if they had been brutes indeed
the buyers pulling their mouths open to see their
teeth, pinching their limbs to find how muscular
they were, walking them up and down t., detect
any signs of lameness, making them stoop or bend
in different ways that they night be certain there
was no concealed rupture or wound and in addi-
tion to all this treatment. asking them scores of
questions relative to their qualifications and nc
compi.hment,. All these humilintions were sub.
mttcd to without inurmur, and in some instances
with good naturcd cheerful lness-where the slave
liked tho appearance of the proposed buyer, and
fancied that he might prove kind "mas'r."
Tho following curiously sad scene is the type of
score Of others that were there enacted -
elisha" chattel No. in the catalogue, had
taken fancy to benevolent looking middle ged
gentleman, who was inspecting the stock and thus
used his powers of persuasion To induce the be-
nevolent man to purchase him, with his wife, boy
and girl, Molly, Israel and Sevanda, chattcls Nos
6, and s. The earnestness with which the poor
fellow pressed his suit, knowing as he did, that
perhaps, the happiness of his whole life depended
on his success, was interesting, and the arguments
he used were most pathetic. lie made appeal
to the feelings of his buyer; he rested no hope on
his charity and kindness, but only strove to show
how well worth his dollars were tho bopn and
blood he cntrcatng him to buy.
Look at me, masr; am prime ric, planter
sho you won't find better man den M n" bette p
on de whole plantation; n Il bit cli vet; d. mo
work den ever; do carpenter WORK %" li'tlc; bet
r.
Molly, too, my wife, Sa, fus -;c ric, hand most
good as me. Stan out iei, Molly, aud let the
gen linn see"
Molly advances, with her hnnt, crossed on her
bosom, and makes quick cut aud stands mute,
looking appcalingly in - cn,yscnt mans face.
But Elisha talks all tue faster.
"Show mas'r yer arm, Molly-good arm, dat,
masr-shc do n heap of work mo- with that arm
yet. Let good mas'r yer teeth, Molly; see dat
inasr-tecth all regular, all good; shc'm young
gal yet Come out yer, Israel, walk aroun' an let
the gen'lm'n sec how spry you be-"
Then, pointing to the three years old girl. who
stood with her chubby hand to her mouth, holding
on to her mothers dress, and uncertain what to
make of the strange score-
:" Little Vanay s only chile yet; make prime
gal, by and by. Better buy us; mas'r, VEIN fus'
rate bargain and so But the benevolent
gentleman found where ho could drive a closer
bargain, and so bought somebody else
Mr.. Bryan, negro broker had the man.
agement of the sale. His auctioneer, Mr..
Welsh, announced the terms of sale. and the
work began. There were buyers and specta-
tors of all descriptions; -gentcel and coarse ;
sleek of dress and manner; and rude and
savage as the Legreee of Uncle Toms Cabin
young and old, all mixed together as if it
were a cattle fair, and inspecting, and hand
ling, and examining the objects as if they
were cattle and nothing else and as the sale
went on, dialogues went on also among the
groups of buyers and lockers on. Here is n
description of one of them;
ga party of men were convcrsing on the fruitful
subject of managing refractory "niggers;" some
for severe whipping, some recommending z
branding-one or two advocated other modes OF
torture but one huge brute of a man, who had
not taken tive part in the discussion, save to
assent with approving nod to any unusually bar
barous proposition at last broke his silence by
ing, in an oracuar way, " You may say what you
like about managing niggers I'm driver my
self, and Two had somo experience and ought to
know. You can manage ordinary nggers by lick
in 'em and givin' IN a taste of the hot iron once
in while when they're extra ugly but if n mig
ger really sets himself up against me, can't
or have any patience with him. jest get my pis-
tol and shoot him right down ; and that's the best
way"
And this brute was talking to gentlemen, and his
remarks were listened to with attention, and his
assertions assented to by than in the knot
Of listeners But all this time the sale going
on, and the merry Mr.. Walsh, with many quip
and jest was beguiing the time when the bidding
was slow. Tho expression on the faces of all who
stepped on the block was always the same and told
OF more anguish than it is in the power Of words
to express. Blghted homes, crushed hopes and
broken hearts was the sad story to be read
in all the anxious faces. Some of them
regarded tho sale with perfect indifference,
never making motion save to run from
side to the other at The word Of the dapper Mr.
Bryan, that all the crowd might have a fair view
Of their proportions, and then, whom the sale was
accomplished. stepping down from the block with
out caring to cast even a look at the buyers, who
| now held all their happiness in their hands.
| Others, again, strained their eyes with eager
| gances from one buyer to another as the bidding
went on, trying with earnest attention to follow
the rapid voice of the auctioneer. Sometimes
two persons only would be bidding for the same
| ing an instantaneous preference far one Of the
buyers over the other, would regard tho rivalry
with the intensest interest," the expression of the
face changing with every bid, settling into half