New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-06
NEW pUBLTCATfONs.
FANNY KEMBLE'S EXPERIENCE OF
SLAVERY. won .HYrs.
JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE on GEORGIAN
PLANTATION II LJ5-isjs. By FaAScEs AssS
ErAra q -

y
EEMsLs lsao rp. 337. Hsrpsr& l. 1roh rs
During her married life Dearly twenty-five
years ego, the celebrated author of this work
found herself on rice and cotton plantation
in Georgia, belonging to her husband, Mr..
Pierce Butler. Her education and habits as an
English woman, TO say nothing Of her natural
Septiment of humanity, Lad created in her
mind strong repugnance to the institution Of
Slavery. She was, however, uDprepared for
the sight of the horrors that were revealed By
subsequent experience. Her soul was stirred
within her by the presence Of misery which
she could not relieve Of cruelty and Oppres.
sion which she had no power to control. The
Journal, of which the cAief portion Of the vol.
ume is composed, was Originally kept for an
nte lligent lady in Massachusetts, Gu intimsts
personal friend Of the writer, and one whs
fully shared her devotion to the cause Of human
liberty. Apart from the peculiar interest
which attaches to the subject, it is rich IN
lively and grapkic descriptions, shrewd COM
ments on the. general features Of Southern sos
ciety, quiet touches Of humor, and fne delinr
cations Of character. But the great value oi
the work, at this moment, consists IN the
faithful record which it presents Of the prac-
teal influence of Slavery both on servant and
master. II is the testimony OF an eyewitness
which cannot be gainssyed; of awoman whose
heart was sOrely touched By the spectacle Of
outrages and wrongs too terrible to be often
alluded TO; of an acute observer, to whom no
specious words could disguise the true char
acter of what was forced upon her notice in
the every day routine of her home Her hrst
inipressions of the estate were OF rather
favorable character. She was enchanted with
the beauty OF tho foliage. The air was filed
with the perfume of the queenly magnolia. The
profusion of birds struck her with surprise.
But we will lot Mrs. Kemble tell her own
story:
In taking my fret walk On the leland, directed
NY steps toward the rice mill, large ouilfilg on
the hanks OF the nver, wI.hiu ie" YARDS oil tne
house we occupy. IL 10 worked by stsaineneihs
OF thirty horse power, end, beside tn cehlg sFeat
par, If our own rice, is kept constantly employed
By tue ueightorug planters, Who sebd Their gram 70
il m ure.ersncs % the distant mil at van-
u-h paying o. course, tie same per eSntsge, whlcn
ma&es u very iEohiab!e addIlon ~ .H' esae;
s.ed which they cal, tho cooks shop, and where
le daily allowance Of rice and corn Rr'is of he
people IA toed and distributed 70 them by an oid
woman, wnoss special business. this is. There are
oGr settlements or villages lor IS we negroes ea,
EN- cAmps on the isand, consis,iug oil from ten 70
twenty houses, and 10 each settlement 10 annexed
cook sbop with eapacious csldroDs, ard The ol1eo
wife Of tie settlement for oicaiiug pli-stsss' fu.'
suing ny walk along the rivers DARK, upon an ar'.
n,sl dke sufficiently high aud bread ~ pfoteet tue
y L. 4. dnfi ty
tide-or the hole island Is below tisa-w a-er marx
Il ra.sed tue blachsaitl's and cooper sAopo: Ab
tie hrst all the common lfon implements Of hus-
Laudry or bousehold use for the estate are msde,
aod a. tho after all the rice barrels De; sary ior
the crop, beside tubs and buckets, large and small.
for the use Of The people, and cedar tuos ot noois
oiaeuslUDs and exceedingly heas workuiau SNIP iof
oar ow n household purposes. The fragrance vi ihess
" hen they are fist made, ar well as theif ample
sze renders them preferable as dFessins-roon iar.
uiture ia ly opinion TO all The china o.-t9os nae
ever cane out OF StaiOrdshire. After ths got ous
o, he vicinity OF tie teIieineni, ana pursued my
wsy along u narrow cike-the riyer on the one
IA nj, and, Oh the other, slimy poisonJls-lJoIln8
swamp all iaiilipg with sedses OF .norgous elSut,
In which one mis- hL lose ones Way ar eneetualy 40
in forest Of oaks. Beyono tins, the 10Y nse-hei's,
all cuhed in their rugged stnboe, divided oy dikes
INTO toouoionous squares species V prosi ec oy no
means beautiful 10 lhe mere lover Of he plctureequs.
The onl.f thing thai l met with TO attract my
sttent ,vas a asst beautiful species Of IVY, the
leaf longer and graceful than that oil The COM
uon English erveler, gllttering with the highea
| ,arnish, delcA,ely yeined, and OF rich brown
,teen. growing IA prosaso garlinds from branch 10
h,,ucb NJ acme stunted evergreen bushes which
Lorer the dyke ana hcb the people c,i saltwater
bush. NV walks are rather cireumscri0ed, inasmnch
as tho d, kes tbs oaly promenadss Ou AL sides
Of these e either the maIsby -helds. the orm-
! minx river or the swanipy patches OF YET unre.
claimed forest, where the huge cypress'trees ane
exquisite evergreen uDdersrow. b sprlng up from
sta guaut swell erng pool, that edectday iofoos tns
! foot OF lhe explorer.
A. skirted Que OF these thickets to-day, stood
,till 70 admire the beauty Of the shrubtery. Livery
hada Of green every variety OF form, every degres
Of y;rnish and ali in full leaf aad beauty Ia tne
very depth of Winter. The stunIed dark-colo'eo
oak; the magnolia bay like our own culinary ano
fragrant bsyl, which grows 10 very great sne; 'us
wild myrtle u beautiful and proiOSe shruO, rsins 70
hight Of six eisht, and ten feet, and bra chins o.
ali sdes in luxuriant ulted fulnessi most beausnW
10 ALL that pride OF the South the nsgnoiia 'andi'
fora whose lustrous dark green peIiect ioiiaSS
wouli alone render 1t an object OF aoDiiaiion' wiz
ont the ou. eply blossom whose color, slZe aid per
fume are uurivalei IN the whole Vegelhnie hny'
dom. This Last magnificent creature grows 10 tue
,ze Of u forest tree in these swamps, but seldom
adorps bsn or dry soi or suffers Itself TO DC suc.
cesstnlly transpaL,ed. Uuder ali these tue spiked
p.lueglo forms impenetraole covert, ana from
II tt.ripg graceful branch 10 branch hang gaflauds
Sf evergreen creepers, on which the moeking-oirds
rIe swinging aud singing even nowi wnlie !, oe-
thinking ne of the pinchinG cold that is at thu
hous tyraunirng over your region, look round on
his strange scsne--on these green WOODS, this IN
fetrsred river, aud sunny sky-and feel very much
ike one III smother planet from yourself.
The prornson Of brds here Is one thins toat strikes
ne as GU ous coming from the vicinity vi ibi.aaef
ma WHERE even the robin redbresst, held So
cred by the humanity OF all other Christian people.
il not safe from The guaping prowess oi tlc unii-
c-n,sd ., ortsmen Of your free country. The ne
s,oes lot course) are no, allowed the use OF hre'
,rms, aud thsr very simply constructed traps DO
not DO much havoc among the fcathered hordes ,hat