Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-12-22
Ml.MWlN00A11BOMS s.
ron TIE KEowEE COURIER.
Sketches of Life in South Carolina.
NUMBER FOUR.

. NCMDbh cNoN'
[ Their horror at the discovery that [ owned
blaycs WAS counterbalanced by the hope that
hhey might convince me GLORIOUS work y of
khe error of my ways and persuade me to
hcnouncc this great sin at once and forever.
IThe first we heard of their sentiments Qrom
lthem) was at night at family prayer; then, to
Eour great surprise and greater horror, we heard
hbjs old patriarch, unlike Abraham of old,
Ipraying that all slavery might be abolished,
land tho chains stricken from the hands of the
lslaves He iutmatcd very plainly in tho course
Yof the prayer that if it could be done in no other
fway then by force, even if the lives OF the
Imasters had to be taken to effect this great re-
tsult They cntreatcd me to manumit my
Aslaves ut once. [ would not have replied to
lthem at all, but left their home directly, had
III not seen that they were truly conscientious
hhat they did indeed really and truly think
Alayery a>&eeu and deadly ST.. ST.. told py them
4 was born stakeholder, and found myself
pnc so soon as was capable of thinking of it
at all had been surrouudcd,b by them from the
earliest infancy and brought up in habits of
the greatest familiarity with them More
than this-that | Gn common with many
Southern childrcn) had been nursed by d black
woman who had attended on me most faithful.
ly for fourteen years, and whom loved dear
ly, and that this love was heartily returned By
her. All my little cousins and friends had
their colorcd nurses too and in their cases
also the love WAS cordially given and returned.
They wcrc very much aStonshcd ut all this,
and to hear that galleries were provided for
the servants in our churches, where they could
hear the offer of salvation every Sunday; and
still their wonder grew to hear that in some
MIN fhnu had nnl,,, ,c Al,
a talented minister entirely devoted to their
service. remarked, that if they could be
transported to Charleston ON any Sunday in
the year, they would see the young colorcd
men and women as fine, if not finer, than mauy
of their masters and mistrcsscs. 1 have not
met with, said /, in this village any of the
free white men whose coats are of as fine cloth
or near so fashionably cut as those of the black
men in my native city. And, as to the wo-
men, neither is their dress as handsome or as
fashionable az that worn by the colorct women
OF the south; and in a gentccl, graceful air
and manner, they arc decidedly inferior to the |
slaves do not mean to offend or hurt YOUR
feelings, said L, although you have paincd |
mine very much in your own house, but mere
ly to defend myself und our institutions from
your attacks. They were so ignorant and |
had been so misintormcd on the subject that
their amazcment amounted almost to incrcdu-
lity; it was evident they were inclined to
doubt our yeracity. 1t is really true (incred-
lble as it may appear to us our part,) that
the whip, chains, and cruelty in every form,
halfstarvation and deprivation of
all religious privileges, were inseparably asso
GIFTED in their minds with our Southern slave
ry The; were slow to admit the reality of
our accor 1T, but at last we had the satisfac-
tion of finding that their ideas of the supposed
cruelty, and at least, degradation of this insti-
tuition, were altered and rectificd. But still
they thought tia sin under the most favorable
and again tried their best to
persuade Inc to set my people free 1 told
them II was against the laws of the State. and
that besities, they did not wish it at all them
selves. being perfectly satisfied, and not desi.
ring any change. just before left home Il (
told tbem) went to the wedding of my own
naid'eervant at her special and earnest re-
quest the ceremony was performed at her
mothers house My maid wore muslin
lress over white silk skirt, with white sat {
= bodice trimmed with blonde lace. Her Q
lsidesmaids'-six in number were equally |
ep5e' aitli their kid gloves, and white satin
IpPem. 30 /" gentleman could be dressed 9
fpre neatly and appropriately than were the !
. 'o'p "isu h'f Sroo.sslpcn. In one corner of .
10 room wasl Ia table on, which waiter stood v
led with Sold and white China tca-sett "a t;
lcgree finer thgn the plain wbite China 10 b
gaich have always been occsstoned.3 \ "
aryed niahogany bedstoad, and ciaiss neatly b
ainted and gilded, formed only a part 'es tbs Il
urniture iii the house / remarked thu If OF
iIc laboring ciasses atthe North, or oranywhefa I'll
lee, could be rs sure OF being as comfortabIvIal
oaged, as well fed, asd as warmly clothed ss el
ur slaves, thoy would thiek flienselvcs yervl n,
III 90 indeed StiHit wac q ain, fthesl iii
aid therefore, at last | entrcnched myself II
j MY Stronghold, the Bible, God 3 own word 81
sg'oskso law aud to the tcDtInony this on