Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-10

K, 5 g., Saturday, Dec. l, looU.
Ny Dear Uucle 1t is with different feel
ings that sit myself to pen these lines to you,
from those which actuated me when ! wrote
you last. Then all looked bright and cheerily
in the future-now, how gloomy and porten-
Ious, still l ferventy pray God that this cup
may pass away from us" The country here
is all aglow with the fires of the revolution,
and such is the intensity OF excitement thatwe
can scarcely find time or inclination to talk or
think of anything else than the political topics
of the day. and the moral and social conse-
quences directly pertaining to secession. l
fear that secession and resolution are, with
our people, foregone conclusions that we
have gone so tar, retracton and recession are
impossible, and that civil war, with all its
consequent horrors, is already upon us. l
shudder for the wives and mothers, sisters and
babes of South Carolina, as l contemplate the
immediate future OF the state. You need not
be surprised at any time TO see me and the
children in your midst for no argument could
induce me to remain here an hour longer than
should be compelled to, if the worst should
come TO the worst.
You may imagine, dear uncle, our situation,
but you never can realize It in its funess.
Already we trembe in our own homes in an
ticipation and expectancy OF what is liable to
burst forth at any moment, q negro Instruction.
| Could you see the care and precaution dis
! played here by the proprietors OF the negroes,
| not only planters, but others, you would not
| for moment envy US our possessions Not
night passes that we do not securely lock our
field servants in their quarters but our most
loved and valued house servants, who i'll ordi-
nary times we would trust TO any extent, are
watched and guarded against with all the
scrutiny and care that we possess Our plant
ers and owners OF slave property do not allow
their servants to have any intercourse with
each other, and the negroes are confined
strictly to the premises where they belong
We are all obliged to increase our force of
overseers TO prevent too free intercourse even
among our own servants. The negroes feel
and notice these new restraints, and naturally
ask, ''Why is this 2" Butt is unnecessary for
them to ask the question, or they all conIpre-
bend the cause as well as we who own them
They have already learned enough to give
them an idea of what is going on in the state
and nation, and this knowledge they have not
gained from abolitonsts, some suppose,
but from the conversation of their owners in
drectlw held i'll their presence. They have
already heard of Lincoin's election, and have
heard also that he is for giving them their lib
erty, and you may imagine the result.
You have heard that our servants all love
their masters, and their masters families, and
would lay down their lives for them-that the
colored race in the south prefers slavery to
freedom-that they would not be free if they
could, &c. That Is but the poetry of the case,
the reality consists in sleeping upon our arms
at night-in doube-bolting and barring our
doors-in establishing and maintaining an eff
fcient patrol force-in buying watch dogs,
and in taking turns IN watching our sleep
ing children, TO guard them and ourselves
from the vengeance OF these same glowing ser
want" "a vengeance which, though now
smouldering, is liable to burst out any mo.
ment, to overwhelm the state in spite of the
Palmetto flags for state precautions.
You st the north are not the only ones who
are Suffering financially by this rev panic
The planters among us are really suffering
from the depreciation in thei- property. AL
ready negroes are not worth half price. No
one dares to buy servant, fearing lest he, in
doing SO, should be introducing upon his plan.
tation one tinctured with the idea of freedom.
My husband has but few servants-I
believe but thirty-one all told-still feel land
so does he) that thew are thirty -one too many
in such times as these. He would sell them
Immediately, if it were possible but the truth
is he could realize nothing for them at present,
or at most not over half their real value.
Slaves are drug in the market, my husband
says, and you know him well enough to judge
Of his judgment in such matters.
Now, one word as to the military force of
the state, to protect us against an Instruction.
| / presume, with the exception OF Charleston,
and perhaps few large towns, that the re
mainder OF the state is situated very much as
we are here and | will give you an idea of
| how well prepared we are to resist mob. On
our place Of about 1900 acres we have: OF
whites, males-husband, two overseers, and
| my son OF Is years-total, four; females-sef
and cousin, little Lucy, and one of the over
| seer's wiie-four; OF whom only four at the
most are capable of bearing arms-to offset
which we have at least seventeen field hands,
sturdy young negroes, besides the female ser
wants. And this is fair representation OF the
force upon our plantations. Considering such
a state of facts, do you blame me for desiring
to absent myself, my husband and children
from the state w