Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-06
This vifainia siAlS nfArEst Horrors Of
the Nenro Trade. ..

.......,I the Negro Trade. ..
A contributor to New York paper gives
this dark picture Of the slave market at
Richmond Va, which he recently witnessed:
WithiH sotnd Of tbs debates in the Legis-
lathe, where liberty Is called fti6re valuable
than life; in sight Of the State House Square
and within three streets Of the equestrian
static Of Washington, and the tall bronze
form of Patrick Henry, with his arms ex-
tended and his brow knit, in the attitude in
which he said "give me liberty or give me
DEATH" Is the slave market, where daily hui
man beings are sold like cattle, l will de-
scribe one days transactions. In the MORN
ing took two of the ladies of my party to
the slave auction, that they might see the vile
institution as IL is. In five minutes the sight
to them was so crushing that was obliged
to remove them at once. | determined TO
see il through and returned to witness the
hellish sight. The sale proceeded in this
wayi The auctioneer had the appearance of
a Methodist parson--blaek clothes, white
cravat-and otherwise had the appearance
of q respectable man, until you thought of
his occupation.
This auctioneer was assisted by negro
man called Major, whose business was to or
der the negroes upon the block, to strip them
naked to show the buyers, &c.
First-A negro man, Tom, was brought
out ofthe per. Major, IN n stern voice. or
dered him on to the block; then Major took
off his shoes and stockings, then rolled up his
pants up to his body, then rolled up his shirt
sleeves up to his shoulders, then came up the
buyers-the most coarse, bloated, brutal men
that can be imagined-one would feel of
Toms arms, another of his legs, another of
his toes, &c. In the meantime the auctioneer
is crying $l,l50, $l,175, 81, 200, &C., fine fell
low. Tom, tell them you are sound, and can
do n good days work, &c. Then buyer in
the crowd calls Tom TO him, and seizing his
upper jaw with one hand, and his lower jaw
with the other drags open his mouth to its
utmost extent, and there holds it while he
counts Toms teeth, and calls two or three
more to see if they all agree upon Toms age.
Then they tell Tom to walk fast some one
hundred feet up and down, and then listen to
see if his wind is sound. Then Tom is ques-
toned to ascertain if it is certain he is sound
and can do good days work.
In sight of all this fendish brutality sits
Toms wife, with one child at the breast and
two more clinging at her feet, and she look
ing as crushed as though all in the internal
regions had their paws upon her.
Second-Then fine looking girl, nearly
white, was taken out of the pen. She was
about eighteen, and felt her degraded condi-
ton. Major ordered her on to the block, and
tuO pluuiHB ihCh tAO
buyers came around, and not content with
asking her every indelcate question, they
directed Major to strip first one part of her
person and then another, until / wondered
the thunderbolts of heaven did not pierce the
building in which these diabolical scenes were
enacted. g.. ...-..> r. ...
Then this poor creature was called down
while the bid was standing at 81, 100, and her
mouth stretched open in the same way to see
that she was really young and had no throat
disease-then she was made to walk and
almost run up and down in order that the
buyers could discover any concealed lame
ness or defect, if any existed.
There were some twenty more sold at this
auction all equally brutal and aggravatmg
us those have described. 20
Here this sight is going on every day
until the people of Richmond have become so
much infernaIzed by its influences that they
cease to regard it. frfr
Then there is a slave-trade between Rich
mOnd, Mobile and New Orleans. The slaves
are all herded like cattle till they are ready
for shipment; and in this atmosphere, filed
with such moral poison are educated the
children of Richmond Well may we "trem-
BILE when we remember that God is Just"
Never can hear Richmond mentioned with
outseeing this slave-auction; the poor crushed
Victims parents and children, torn asunder,
like dogs with no eye to pity, no sympathis-
ing tear. Who can estimate such wrong, or
sufficiently condemn the clergyman who re-
fuses to raise his voice against such wrong
and robbery?