The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-02-28

Shhb Of SbbM"fbNf5I- - ~ iOliOW
ing experience of Mr.. McDonough,
q slsvcholdcr, who resides near
New Orleans, will go far to answer
the above question. It is abridged
from q statement published by Mr..
McDonough, in the Cincinnati Gu
sctte, March, 1913. DR.. John G..
Pa'fry, formerly member Of Con-
gross, and the author ofa very valu
ablo history OF New England, whose
father wac q stakeholder OF New
Orleans, was acquainted with Mr..
McDonough, ami bad converge.
With him concerning The experiment
horo described. Mr. McDonough.
fiuiing that his siAvos worked for
Themselves on Sunday, for want of
time on c'lor days proposed 10 give
them Saturday afternoon 10 work Tor
themselves, it they would keep the
sabbath. lie was soon struck with
the amount Of labor they performed
daring the hall dag they had 10 them
selves. AMI with tho suml OF money
they co8'rivcd 10 ierive from il. IL
occurred to him that i, would be q
good plan gradually to cell them tho
remaining days o! tho vcek, on con-
dition Of their paying him certain
sums out Of their wGgea, ~ appoint
ed periods. s. far 80 appears, the
plan was suggested solely by tinan.
ci,l policy, uninhnancei BY any con.
viction OF the wrongfnlnesa Of taking
other peoples wages. He called
his slaves together eighty in num-
Der, and proposcl g. tacn to work
for him on Saturday afternoon, NJ
amsll wngna, instead of for them.
selves. lie advised thom 10 draw
upon thcsc wsgt 3 cs little as posi-
4 bic, ana lcnv3 iuo r'mlinier IN hia
hanis to hly tho whole Of Saturday
for hcmAclvcs. Th3 terms ho offer.
ed were pretty hart, il evident from
the fact that he told them 10 calcu.
lated it would take them sdgsn ye1rs
to buy one dIy Bat he reminded
them that III" tirs. part % tho pro-
cess wuu.i be the most din,cnlt: 70,
when they hal The whole of Satur
ing - work inr wlgcs, tEoy canl,i
IN less limo bay Fat lay tor them
selves; and the facility would 90 or
Increasing with cv,ry day OF The
week they succeeded in purchasing
lie told 'Gcn ncrurl.ng tr tho term-
he c0n'I uif,r, nui the calculation.
be unic. II would taFr thom about
Wiee0 G'Hs 20 buy their entire free
d m
Und.dmnycd by the tciinusne.
II tho process. tho slaves seized l.is
o'ier VII, esgcrn"ss. they wen
io work 2tnlou'ly, that they houyh
the wh1In Of SATURDAY IN ic,s thar
aiyyear.; Fri lay was bought in fJur
y,ars; Thursday in two year. and n
quarter Woincsiay in fi!teer
months; Tuesday in orc year; Mon
Jay in six months.
10 ioErte"n years AM hail, they
hei ,grch1scd their freedom. be
aides working diligently ror thrir
master on he days th,' still legally
belonged to them. |, wouli have
Jeeu done sooner, but during tho
later year. they cXpou !ad moro thar
they !a-'n'Fiy done fr cpni)r: ant
r"n7cninnce tor lhcir laui.,ca. Tine
Labor Of their li'ila boys and girl4 nj
80 had not made up the sum rrdnir
ed tor them hy thcir master; 90 therc
waf . balance due on tacir account
which they worked five adiitioua
months "a pny.
Mr.. NcN1nouHh describing bis ex
pertinent, says:
"Thoy had nlways bccn we'll dia
posed and orderly, but, from tho da,
I ! male the proposition, grer
change took place IN them. A eada.
;rUoss, care, suj economy, md in
iniiry took posscraiol Of thorn, Il
which there appeared 10 be ~ bound.
hot thor Vayui1al strength. Tndy
became IcmpcsSte. moral AMI rrl,0
iJu3, s",tinI 81 example tha, vaf
ob-srref aud admired 10y ALL Tho,
Performed tor mr more lahor. beftyI
labor, ant. l. Ri l,'lou to tABt Darn.
ed moncy enough to huv themselves
FROM the tim" the experiment he
gan II it, completion. beri jc. my
ing i'r themselves, they gninad ni
me money Curuch ~ hny gunI o.
slavls, Dc1,iy tri'' tteir uamJer, nj
TIE priros ~ ,,,rp.iAa aGi : Iirhjnis
thjf ! s'ire from cxact accounts ken
bS lH., which, am ready 10 ates
To in III" ~ 1st aoiema mann9r,pt any
! time"
! The et"al'ncsl anl i1lu,try o.
these e,nvcH attracted aitontion in
tho na.ghJoghood, erl a,ao in the
adiacrr' city Of New Orleans, where
twenty or thirty oi.tham were let out
10 work under the fnprria,cndeucc
oi f heal bricklayor a1me3 jim.
/ Tho public vera aot informed o
th" stimulus which ronpt,d these
slaves to such unusral activity and
diligence. Perhaps Mr.. Melon
ough dill not consider i. pruIcnt tc
have much talk about it. Such ex
porilnents prove too npci; they in,
teriere with the e7tabli'h.l policy o.
sla7ehoIdiog Ssociatv, ard c,nsc-
quonIy nrn generally viewed wiki
disapprpbation which snmstimcs
manl'eats in inc1nvenient ways, -