Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-03-19
cIEARFIELD, MARCH 10, 1862.
sruMp.NEcy AND ITS pEcuLIAR1T1Es.
Erom the Neu YorK Trihune


From the New YORK Tribune
No one who knows the American people
can fail to be convinced that tbs main reason
why SO many of our loyal and patriotic citi-
zens are averse to sanction any measures for
getting rid of Slavery is that the true charac-
ter of the institution is very imperfectly un-
derstood BY those who are personally strangers
TO its practice and effect. Could the thing it.
self be once clearly seen in its naked deformi-
ty, there is not an honest or even a moderate
" decent man IN the Republic, outside of the
vast pecuniary interests and influence which
sustain Slavery where it exists, who would not
unhesitatingly raise his voice or give his vote
to hurry it to swift destruction, as a curse,
stigma, and shame to Christian civilization.
But the public mind of the Free States has
been SO artfuly mystified by phrases, and de-
malls, and proteStations, and all manner of
special pleadngs and sophistical cant, that
many well-meaning and not otherwise unin-
telligent persons really believe that Slavery, II
not benefcent to the community at large, is
yet, after all, harm less, easy, picturesque,
and patriarchal dispensation, sanctioned 10
some extent by Scripture, and not offensive to
morals ur to that common justice which all
admit ought TO prevail between man and man.
To such people. the zeal and earDestness and
persistence OF the opponents of Slavery are
utterly incomprehensible, because they have
no conception of the long and irresistible array
present to the minds of Anti-Slavery men
who, for the most part, have themselves, at
some period of their lives, passed through
exactly similar states of blindness and misap-
prehenson, into the clear light of truth, where
the monster is visible in all its odous, dis
gusting, and alarming features.
As specimen of one of these features, we
ask the attention Of candid, thoughtful, and
decent men to the following extract from
letter recently written to the Hon. w. d.
Kelley, member of the House OF Represen-
tatives from Pennsylvania, by an officer of
Gen Hooker's Division of the Army of the
Potomac, now stationed iD.Maryiand. Judge
Kelley, who sends the extract, vouches in
the most emphatic terms for the high charac-
ter and intelligence of his correspondent.
The date of the letter is Feb. 26, 1862:
"Col. M, as he is called, in accordance
with the general custom here of giving every
man some title and not, believe, from any
military rank he may have held (though of
this / am not sure), is man about 45 years
old, of considerable intelligence and wealth,
and as am informed, has travelled both in
this and other countries. He is rather good
looking man, somewhat larger than the aver
age size of our people. He lives on what is
called Stump Neck, peninsula between the
Mattawoman, Chlcam oxn, and Potomac rivers,
directly opposite to Cockpit Point, on the
Virginia side of the latter river. Stump Neck
contains something over 1000 acres of good
land, and is, as a farm, kept in far better con-
diton than most of the farms about here,
though il will not compare with what yon
would call good farm in Pennsylvania. He
resides about the centre of the farm, in a small
frame house, such any of our Northern
farmers who were at all in thriving condition
would be ashamed to live in. By the side of
il are two log houses, in which live his slaves,
as suppose must call them, according to
the laws of Maryland. His barns better
than his houses. This place is entirely away
from any road, and therefore seldom visited.
The Colonel is unmarried, but as the divine
declaration, that sit is not good for man TO be
alone holds good in regard TO him, as well as
others, he has tour female slaves who fulfill
the duties of wives to him. Now, the Colonel
in his patriarchal relation, likes variety, and
so he has them of various huus and shades,
from negroe up to light quadreon. BY
these women he has had from twenty five to
thirty children, but as the mothers differ In
complexion. SO do the children, only with u
most decided improvement in the lightness OF
the shading, from mulattoes up to pass-any-
where for -white-the children of the quad
room woman, wife, or slave, whichever you
choose, having light, faxen hair, and dark
hazel eyes. The Colonel is also somewhat
conscientious in his attention to their dress,
the dark skinned having very coarse clothing,
without such luxures as shoes or stockings
est color--t they having both shoes and stockings
and very decent clothing. On a visit to the
place some time since, the children were
asked as to their paternity. They all said
their mothers lived there, pointing to the log
house but when asked who was their father
one of the darkest boys said, Got no father,
and one of the whitest children said, pointing
to the frame house, sHe lives there The
Colonel is also good farmer, and knows that
it will not do to keep on hand too large a
stock Of cattle, &c, and so he regularly sells
off the increase of his farm as soon it il
ready tor the market-horses, mules, cattle
pigs, and-children. These last, however
are the most profitable, or rather hare been so
God grant it may be so no longer. DIR. Wood
hull, formerly the Assistant Surgeon of the
5th New-Jersey Volunteers, now Surgeon oi
the 9th New w-Jersey Volunteers. was called
upon to attend the quadroon wife in her last
confinement, and learned many particulars in
regard to them. He was very favoraDly inn
pressed with her appearance, and considers
her very intelligent woman. Now, do not
know that 1 have in the least exaggerated in
this description, but on the contrary, have
softened it very much. 1t is not an excep-
ticnal case, but a fair specimen of what can
be seen everywhere throughout the Southern
States. 1t has made almost every man in this
brigade determined foe to Slavery. That a
man would sell his own children they had
thought one OF the Al loition lies, until
they had the fact so thrust into their faces
that it was impossible to doubt it.''
The scenes and practices here described are
we'll known to be common wherever Slavery
exists. Thousands and thousands of .sStump
'Neck" farmers are scattered throughout the
South, on which coarse, profigate, and mer-
cenary masters exercise for their own lust and
profit absolute dominion over human beings
whom they bny as readily as cattle, to an ex-
tent limited only by their pecuniary means.
The possessor of few thousand dollars may