New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-17
CAN EMANCIPATED SLAVES TAKE
CARE OF THEMsELvESF

The following experience vi NIL 'i'D'""'S''
q STAKEHOLDER, who resided near New-Orleans,
will 20 far to answer the above question. IL Is
abridged from statement published by NJ
McDonOugh. in The Cincinnati Gazette, Marcn,
ls43 Dr. John G.. Palirey, formerly member OF
Congress, and author Of very valuable history
of New England, made use of it in pamphlet
he published in vindication OF free labor. Ut.
Palfrey whose father was a Shareholder IN New
Orleans. was acquainted with Mr.. McDonough,
and had conyersed with him concerning the e1-
pertinent here described.
Mr. McDonough, finding that his slaves worked
for themselves on Sunday, for want of time on
other days, proposed to give them Saturday after
noon to work for themselves, if they would keep
the Sabbath. He was soon struck with the
amount of labor they performed during the hall
day they had TO themselves, and with the sums OF
money they contryed to derive from it. 1t oc-
Cured TO him that it would be a good plan grad
ually to sell them the remaining days of the
week, on condition of their paying him certain sums
out of their wages, at appointed periods. SO far
as appears, tie plan was suggested solely by
financial policy uninfucnced by any conviction Of
the wrongfulness of taking other peoples wages.
He called his slaves together, eighty in number,
and proposed to them TO work for him on Satur-
day afternoon at small wages, instead of working
for themselves. He advised them 70 draw upon
these wages rs little rs possible, and leave the re-
mpinder in his hands to buy the whole of Satur-
day for themselves. That the terms he offered
were pretty hard, is evident from the fact that he
told them he calculated it would take them seren
years to buy one day. But he reminded them
that the first part of the process would be- the
most difficult; for when they had the whole of
Saturday to work for wages, they could in less
time buy Friday for themselves; aud the facility
would 90 on increasing with every day Of the
week they succeeded in purchasing. lie told
them that according to the terms he could offer,
and the calculations he had made il would take
them about G,eR ye0rs 10 buy their entire freedom.
Undsnayed by the tediousness of the process,
the slaves seized his offer with eagerness. They
went to work 50 jealousy that they bought the
whole Of Saturday in less than SIX years; Friday
was bought in four years; Thursday in two years
and u quarter; Wednesday in fifteen months;
Tuesday in one year; Monday in SIX months.
In fourteen years and a bali, they had purchased
their freedom, beside working diligently for their
master on the days that still legally belonged to
him. 1t would have been done sooner, but during
the later years they expended more than they had
formerly done for comforts and cOnyeniruocs for
their families. The labor of their little boys aud
girls also had not made up the sum required for
them by the master; 80 there was balance du'
on their account, which they worked five ad.
dtional months to pay.
Mr. McDonough, describing hi. experiment
says:
They had Away. been well disposed and orderly but ,n
the day made the proposition, change took place. "a
them sedsfenrss care economy snd industry tooS
possession Of them 20 which Their. appeared to be Sog
uu, their physical rergth They became temperate mora
aud ious setting example tha, observed and
mcd By all. They performed ~ more bor aud better
hoor than slaves usually perform, and in addition to tint
earned money ga TO buy themselves. From the time the
experiment began is pou beside paying 1r them
selves they gained for money enough enable buy
Carolina and Virginia Thi. state KEEP.
by ~ieh ready attest to- in the 81
ncr, At any time
Tie stcadincss aud industry Of these slaves
attracted attention in the neighborbood, and also
in the adjacent city OF NewOrleans, where
twenty or thirty OF them Were let out tn work
under the superintcndence of Il head brcklayer.
named jim.
The public were not informed of the stimulus
which prompted these slaves to such unusual ac-
tiyity aud diligence. Perhaps Mr.. McDonoGgh
did not consider il prudent to have much talk
about it. Such experiments prove too much;
they interfere with the established policy of slave
holding society, and consequently are generally
viewed with dsapprobatlon, which sometimes
manicsts itself in announcement ways. Among
those whose attention was attracted by these
slaves was Mr. Parker Of New-Orleans.
"wht Snd Of people these OF your. ," said he to Mr.
NoDouoush. Incvcr such people They are building
house ine. where hsys my eye on them
nom morning till hight aud they always work DO tell
where they lyep
Thoy I've tn. opposite side Of the river where DO"
replied Nr McDonough. snd when they employed In
New Orleius they the rer ever, nsa aud morning"
why Sir. am All early r,er," ssd Mr. Parker. :" am
usually up before day Bu every morning they wake with
their si sne and the noise of their t,we They work
long they 10 lay brick and after that hey carry
up bricks a.d ior hour two TO be ahead
a their work tho next morning They never caN up
and those Immensely long LADDER high they
up down a day II there white oycr.eer div.
iug diem, whip In hand could understand IL. But there
ro5od, them. and never you ut the building Thai,
Jn must be- great man, Sir should Ike to him
LIZ LnI nr.n ION .lx mnlr slccn.Aiun 81 ~, & -