New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-05
FROM WASHINGTON.
in the Distrfct-siavehoid-
ing Mercy.

| Couespopdence CT The N y. Tribune. $40 ,,e,
! WAsHIseToN, "Wednesday, Aprl ~ Ioo,'
The demoralizing influence Of Slavery upon human
character has often been enlarged upon, bnt only one
WHO has been an eye witness can fully appreciate
il 1t makes a common wreck of manly honor anc
Of worcanly delicacy. Something of this have seer
IN more Southern communities, and more i have
read and heard which / believed, because OF wha
had seen. But the unmtgated meanness, The
coere brutality which the institution engenders
were never shown in more repnsive light than 10
this District since the success of emancipation be-
came assured. The falsity of the pretensee OF mu
tual attachment between the slave and the master
was also thoroughly exposed Men and women
whose unrecompensed service had for years sup-
ported in luxury and idleDess those who claimed
them as property, were conveyed from the city ny
artfce or by force
Some whom have often heard spenk with bypo-
critical tenderness Of their servants, and whom from
their conversation one would suppose TO be actuated
only by regard for the helpessness and inability oi
the negro to take care of himself few days before
the passage Of the bill had their servants conveyed
into Mary land 10 seek better market. They were
unwilling TO sacrifice the few hundreds Of dollars
difference between the Government compensation
and tie price in the shambles One would have
thought that the faithful service Of years would have
plead with them to grant the short period OF freedom
which was now possible especially as-if there was
real attachment between the partes-the servants
would still remain with them on wages. All the ine
pretcnses and mock philanthropy with which the
Northern mind has been soohed were laid aside, and
the naked selishness the unyamished meanness,
which underle the whole system were exposed.
Here was a negro woman past the middle age, with
two daughters, one just entering womahood, the
other a girl of eleven years. The woman was an
excellent servant had for years acted as housekeeper
The younger daughter, almost white, with massive
and beautifully shaped head, features which seemed
modelled from an antique sculpture, already, child as
sbe was helpful, and skilled in household duties;
modest. but with a queenly sef-possession was
already worth 5000 her mistress said. Would 1t
he too much, thought, for the mistress to grant to
tho fifty years of faithful service Of the mother 7
Would it be too much for the woman TO yield TO the
womany instincts in behalf Of three yonng girls, a
compeusated freedom which should secure them from
uncensed lust and from the fate Of breeding" for
the slave mart Would the paltry hundreds OF dol
lars which might be her gain, outweigh all consider
atoms Of Justice, OF gratitude, and Of humanity
Three or four days before the passage Of the eman
cipa'ion m.asure the mother came TO my house,
bringing q simple token Of remembrance, and in
tones Of despair, told her tale. The same day she
and her children were carried into Maryland.
This il an illustration Of what happened, with df-
ferent degrees Of aggravation, in many instances
But there were many cares Of different character
Tie wife Of wellto-do grocer in this city was in-
tending 10 send her coachman into the country just
before the passage of the b but one morninghe was
missing and remained concealed in the city until it
had become law, when he resumed his duties.
A gentleman in Georgetown, who had a number
OF valuable servants" gave them directions one
night to get everything in readiness for an early start
the next morning, not informing them Of their defti-
nation. Of coune. When he called for them in the
morning lie found they had complied with bis orders
to be prepared or early start, but had gone with
out him. They concealed themselves in the city,
with some Of tie free negroes, until the bill WAS
signed, when they all reappeared at their old quart
err ready for service until the Commissioners should
reach their ease.
A slave woman had purchased her own freedom
and that Of part Of her children, but there was
bright boy named Stephen still in the hands OF her
former mistress Ths day Of the passage of the bill
the mistress saw man coming up the street, whom
she had engaged to inform her of the fact Of its
pa-sage and 10 take Stephen into the country before
it should be signed When the bell rang, she told
Stephen the would answer il. But he had toler-
ably correct idea of what going on-as slaves
often have who listen with apparent stolidy to the
conversation of their superiors-and prudently re-
treated behind door within earsho, OF the passage,
and beard the announcement, 'The Emancipation
bill has passed"
lie quietly retreated to the back yard, and leapng
over the fence beiook himself TO his mothers, and
was speedily secreied at some distance from her,
and 80 remained. His mistress was loud III her
demonstration Of the "ingattudo' of the "nggerr, !"
and their forgetfuness Of the kindness aud care be-
slowed upon them. Stephen is with her again now,
but Re il a slave no longer, thanks TO bis own quick
sense.
! rTpcrp DU0pOsITfnN EOH EMAN(II ALTON