Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-01-29
MISC L L L A N Y.
THE PECULIAR INSTITUTION.
A MAN SELLS HIS OWN DAUGHTER.

MAN SELLS HIS OWN DAUGHTER.
The peculiar horrors of the system of Amcri-
can Slavery but seldom come to the knowledge
of the people of the North. We read in
Southern papers the sales of negroes, and the
price at which they were knocked down, but
none can know the misery and anguish that at
tends these every day occurrences. a moving
incident came to our knowledge last week,
which we lay before our readers. We suppress
names for reasons obvious to every one.
Near Louisville, Kentucky, lives planter of
wealth and standing. He was the possessor of
a hundred negroes, and he was noted for his
thrifty money-making disposition. He had
never been married, and was an incorrigible
bachelor of fifty His house was managed hy
a young lady about twenty, his daughter by a
quadroon whose complexion was lighter by far
than his own, and in whom the negro blood
was scarcely visible. The mother died ten
years ago, leaving her daughter with its fathers
solemn promise that she should be educated
and should live as free woman, rather than as
a slave and that she should pass as his daugh-
ter, as she was. The planter gave this promise
because he had been really attached to the dy-
ing woman, and was greatly attached to his
beautiful child,.. And so she grew up radiantly
beautiful rocniving rrils''',,,h, .a.-,-.:-.-'
all that her father could give hcr-and in time
took the management of his household. She
never knew that there any negro blood in
her veins, and never dreamed that she was
slave
Last fall series of misfortunes overlook the
planter. His house was burned down, and in
it the notes, books and papers that compose
large portion of his fortune. His crops failed
to great degree and some heavy specuations
in which he was engaged resulted disastrously.
Added to this, he had lost heavily at play, the
besetting sin of Southern gentlemen, and had
completely exhausted all his ready means, and
found himself in a terrible situation of having
more money to pay than he could possibly
raise in given time
lie applied to his attorney after examining
the situation of his affairs, advised him to sell
off portion of his negroes. The planter OBJ
jected strenuousy first objecting to the sale of
negros, and secondly that his force was barely
sufficient to work his plantation. But after
full deliberation, he found this to be the only
alternative, and sorrowfully consented, A list
was made out, and every head that could pos
sibly be spared was put down. After all was
done, and the most favorable prices for them,
the aggregate fell five thousand dollars short of
the sum.
The attorney remarked quietly that he had
not included all that could be spared.
81 have put down all that | can dispense
with" replied the planter.
II do not see Mary, your housekeeper's
name, in the list replied the lawyer "Shc
if offered to the right person, would make up
the deficiency. would give that for her my
self" And the eyes of the lecherous brute
sparkled with unholy passion.
At any other time the planter would have
taken the suggestion an insult, but necessity
is hard master, and he grasped at the idea
and before an hour the transaction was closed
1t troubled him not little to disclose the mat.
ter to her, but the fear of bankruptcy and ruir
drove him to it. The poor girls horror and
distress may be imagined. She had know
nothing but happiness, and now was to be
plunged into the deepest and most hopeless,
misery. She had been sold, and was then tn,
property, soul and body, of one who purchased
her merely for the qualification of his BEAST,
lusts. The idea was too horrible, and shI
swooned, remaining almost delirious for severa
days.
There was another upon whom the ntclli
gence came with crushing weight. A iunio
partner in produce house in Louisville, ha,
frequently visited the planters house on busi
ness, and struck with the beauty and intclli
gencc of the supposed daughter, had becom
enamored-and after prosecuting his suit
proper time had declared his passion, and I'm
known to the father the two had betrothe
themselves. As soon as possible after he
father had told her fate, she dispatched a mes
senger to him. stating the facts, and implorin
him to save her from the doom that awaite
her. Though thunderstruck at the ntelligcnc
that his atfianced bride was Slave. and ha
just been sold to fate worse than death, like
true man, he determined to rescue her. Tha
night he saw her, and plan ,was formed fu
flight.
The day she was transferred to the posse,