The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-11-08
A Mississippi SlavellOlaling AbO-
litfOnist.

| A Mississippi SIaveholdling AbO-
| litfOnist.
Yesterday 7 met a well dressed man upon
the road, and lnqr ired Of him if he could
recommend me to comfortable place to pass
the night.
"Yes, can," said he; "you stop at John
Watsons. He is a real good fellow, and his
wife is a nice tidy woman !: he's got good
house, and you'll be as well taken care Of
there rs in any place know"
"What am most concerned about is q
clean bed" said l.
well, you are safe for that there"
So distinct recommendation was unusu-
al; and when reached the house he had
described to me, though it was not vet dark
stopred to solicit entertainment.
In the gallery sat fine, s'alwart man,
and woman who in size and figure match
ed him well. Some ruddy, fat children were
playing on the steps. The man wore full
beard, which is very uncommon in these
parts. rode to horse block near the gal
lery, and asked if could be accommodated
for the night.
ooh, yes, you car stay here, if you can
get along without anything to eat; we don't
have anything to eat but once week"
"You look as if it agreed with you; I
reckon rlltry it for one night"
"Alight, sir, alight. Why, you came from
Texas, didn't you? Your rig looks like it.
he said, as dismoun!ed.
eyes, I've just crossed Texas, all the way
from the Rio Grand"
"Have you though? Well, I'll be right
glad to hear something ofthat country"
He threw my saddle and bags across the
rail OF. the gallery, and we walked together to
the stable.
81 hear that there are great many Ger.
mans in the Western part of Texas" he said
presently.
There are great many West OF the Gaud
aloupe, more Germans than American
born'
slave they got many slaves?
"No."
swell, won't they break of and make q
free State down there by-and-by ~
81 should think it not impossible that
they might"
~ wish to God they would. would like
well to go and settle there if it was free from
slavery. Yo: see, Kansas and all the free
States are too far North for me; was raised
in Alabama, and don't want to move into
colder climate; but would like to go
into country where they have not got this
curse of slavery"
He said this, not knowing that I was a
Northern man. Greatly surprised, asked,
"What are your objections to slavery, sir
COLLECTIONS The first's here" (striking
his breast y 81 never could bring myself to
like it. WELL sir, know slavery is wrong
and God'll put an endto it. IT'S bound to
come to an end and when the end does ccme
there'll be woe in the land
Instead of preparing for it, and trying to
make it as light as possible, we are doing
nothing but making it worse and worse
That's the way it appears to me, and I'd
rather get out of these parts before iscomes
Then have another objection to it. don't
like to have slaves about me. Now, l tell a
nigger to go and feed your horse; l never
know he's done it unless 60 and see; and
if he didn't know would 60 and see and
would whip him if found he hadn't fed
him, would he feed him? He'd let HIM starve
I've got as good niggers as any body, but
never can depend upon them; they will lie
and they will steal and take advantage ol
me in every way they dare. Of course they
will il they are slaves. Bullying and stealing
arc not the worst of it. I've got family OF
children, and don't like to have such de.
graded beings around my house while they
are growing up. know what the conse.
quences are to children, Of growing ul
among slaves"
l here told him that was Northern man
and asked ifhe could safely utter such senti
ments among the people of this district, wlc
bore the reputation of being among the
most extreme and fanatical devotees of sla-
very. 81 have been told hundred times
should be killed if I were not more prudent
in expressing my opinions, but when it comes
to killing, am as good as the next man, and
they know It, never came the worst out
of fight since was a boy. never am
afraid to speak what think to anybody.
don't think ever shall be-"
"Are there many persons here who have
as bad an opinion Of slavery as you have p
II reckon you never saw conscientious
man who had been brought up among slaves
who did not think Of it pretty much as l dc
did you ~
"Yes, think have good many"
"Ah! self interest warp's mems minds
wonderfully, but l don't believe there arr
many who don't think so sometimes-its
impossible, know that they don't"
"a LOAN ON CALL."-We know no trap
/ so dangerous to men in business as that tech.
nically know by the name of "a loan or