Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-08-08
From tie e New SIsV I york ok indsbenSen id
Miss r.. a. IkemBre,s 'Etpcf1ence.
nr noRAcE aRkELkY


borne its testimony TO the merits OF Mrs
Frances Ann Kembles 'Jodrhal Of Res
deDce on Georgian Plantation in 1888 8,
l crave the privilege Of saying some fofthe
words as to the peculiar exceilences ant
especial utility of thisrremarkable work
How Slavery appears to average oslaye
bolders aud to their White dependents atit
beueficiaries-T7clercal, mercantile, legal an'
other--lntelligeD readers already know
The view taken Of it by slaves, aud by jnst
humane, intelligent persons @to iihav
studied ..'the insltutioh'' in It's practica
workings, ard who dare not 'disobey tn
apostolic injunction to Remember thos,
in bonds as bound with tbem," is also fami
liar to enlightened minds. The Misse
Grimkes. many years since, and Miss Mat
tie Griffith more recently, have given ui
! the impression made by 1t on the under
standings and sensibilities of pure-mndeC
women who grew up in its shade aud wert
early made acquainted with its fathomlesi
iniquilies. But Mrs Kemble's is the first
narrative OF its class which has arrested my
attenfioil-j A. large minded, energetic, cul
! tivated, fear less, conscientious English
twomap, marries, in q Northern city, q 10 an
| Of wealth aud social distinction, who owns
large plantations in the South, ana il
| whose company, some years af,erwatd, she
resides for Several months, with her, two
infant daughters, on Que aud then au0ther
Of those plaplat ions During that resi-
ldehce, She writes tleqyeE aud circumstun,
ttial 'letteTs to an ultimate female 0frieid at
The North, detailing her daily Experiences
[in her noyel and trying position, 'inelddhg
the complaints ard petilops from Ter hus-
band's chattels, nut especially from the
slave women, Which ore poured iuto her
I sy rbpathizing ears; her tffJtts to soften the
harsbeF features of abe system and 10
replace hopeless sfufeahg and lifelong
hublrs Of uncleanliness, moral degradation,
and mental stnpor, by some degree of com
fort, tidiuess, and all that is essential 10
self.respect. Never was d ffcult task cs-
sayed with more buoyant energy, aud never
was failure more signal aud complete. .4
The most essential conviction forced upon
the candid mind by this ijoui nal, is That Of
the utter aud inevitable repugUaDee OF
Slavery to all schemes or devices toril own
melioralion,, l'1"The system" is susceptible
OF no neutrality-suspicious. that stops short
of its absolute destruction Here was the
able, boDorcd, interchangeable wife OF great
and rich PLATTER, whose conscience aud
whose humanity admonSbed her that she
ought TO do her very utmost to render
tolerable. the condition Of the humble, hops.
less, benighted human beings, by whose eni
forced labor she and hers were supplied
with everv comfort and luxury. 1t rhey
are TO have no wuges, no education, no
liberty, no hope OF an Improvement in their
mortal condition, surely they ought TO be
Supplied with the means. of decent animal
subsistence, aud shielded from those Sci Ger-
ibgs and woes which q few dollars will
avert. In fact, most people to-day believe
that slaves are actually thus cared tor--1
that their physical needs are amply salts
ted--tbat they are carefully ministered to
in sickness--1and that, when past labor Oh
the plantation, their old age is rendered
tranquil aud happy by the enjoyment Of
rude plenty and the ahectionate mlnlstra'
tions Of their progeny Alas! the sad re-
ality is widely different from thisl ..w p.
For since D. of always was aud always
will be the sole Indictment to slayeholding,
(no matter what pretences may be set up
by those who would fain deceive God While
they serve The deyil,) the, slave who has
ceased TO be profitable has become aebur.
den and nuisance. who must be subsSed
at the smallest cost, and for the shortest
time.s- He cannot be killed; he mustnot be
allowed absolutely TO starve; but his living |
must cost very little, and his death is felt
as q, relief, The small planter, who has
but two or three negroes or at most light
or ten may know them all intimately, aud
feel toward them as the owner OF long
servicabe horse does toward its worn ont
YET living lelic; but the owner of six Or
eight hundred uegross, who manages them
by means of overseers, looks mainly to his
balance sheet, aud keenly realizes that
slaves past work are au impertinence and
solecism. There is no woFkhoase Ia the |
British isles whose inmates are not lodged, |
clad, and fed sumptuously in comparison
with the crippled or superannuated slaves
Of The South. .fs -o. .a--g. b. |
Let us suppose man to fall heir TO
plantation ,ot two or three thousands of
acres, well stocked with negroes, whom he
resolves 10 treat humanely, and with as
much justice and kindness as is s)compat tible
With their bondage. In accordance with
his resolve, he provides all abundance and
variety of plain, wholesome food, and bids
hem eat whatever they need constructs
or them decent and comfortable habita.
ions, with glazed windows, beds, bedding,
ables, chairs, and cooking utensilsi de
,rees that chld.bearing women, and all
hat suffer from disease shall have good
n edcal attendance. with exemption from
abor, and abe nourishment required bydc
heir condition, and, in every respect save
holding them in Slavery, appliesthe Goldo
n Rule TO bis dealings with his sable de-
,endeuts-v-they Remaining as ignorant.r in
ficent, stupid, false, indolent and reckless,
IS slaves naturally are and must be-his
will rnu him deeper and deeper
n debt from year to year The more |
laves he has, the sooner he will sink into
liter bankruptcy The profits OF Slavery D
Iepend entirely on success ia f0isAhotding
that is due from the sIavesi for, II you
re TO render to them what is just aud
quail, how are you to pay thousand dol