Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-20
CLEVELAND. TUESDAY


] The Horrors OF Southern Institutions.
Under this head the Troy Times prints .
letter from Mary F. Clark, in support O
the statements Of Gen. Butler, as to tn,
horrors Of Southern society. The Timet
vouches.fOr Mrs. Clark, whose position
and character afford sufficient guaranty
Of her truthfulness. We condense the fol,
lowing statement from her letter:
"Ionee resided in South Carolina; re.
turned to my Northern home but tive
years before the present rebellion. 1 was
governess for six years in the family Of
the son Of Ex-GoY. Richardson. While
there, was told by Col. Richardson's own
white daughters all know Of the degra-
dation occssioned by slavery. desired
to tell its.most degrading features to those
whom 1 have so often heard advocating a
continuance of negro slavery but dared
not for the facts seemed too indelieate for
a female to publish. But, Sir, these are
remarkable times and should hold my
peace, even the very stones would cry
out; for SldUeTy is a iOrOng to the planter 8
slave and to the planters daughters"
Referring to Gen. Buffers statement,
that Judge of New-Orleans debauched
his daughter, and then married her to a
slave, she says
----rwIsh to state that it is the custom Of
the South Carolina aristocrscy for fathers
to have criminal intercourse with their
own daughters. Colonel Richardson had
four beautiful daughters, two of whom
yielded to his hellish persuasions. The
third daughter had for four years refused
to listen to the base propositions of her
father. He hunted her from room to room,
until in very anguish Of spirit she came
to my room, and hid her face in my lap,
and told me all her awful trial. could
not believe the child; but she told me that
it was true-that her father would give
her no peace He seemed determined TO
crafty his hellish lust. He would come
to her bedside when she was suffering from
sick headache, AMI attempt to take i'm
proper liberties with her person. She
begged me to come and sit with her in her
room whenever she was confined to her
bed, because she was afraid Of her own
father, who had ruined two Of her sisters.
She said that one day her cousin Camilla
ChLu6 ~ NlolJ lueEC- one NOlQ uer cousin
how her father had behaved for the four
years past toward her, hoping her cousin
Camilla would strengthen her But Ca
milla had been ruined by her own father,
years before, when she was young, and
dared not be woman enough to refuse her
father anything he might wish. Her ad-
vice to her cousin Mary was this Die
before you yield
This is the effect of the institution Of
Slavery. Some may say they cannot see
how slavery is responsible for these family
evils of which General Butler speaks, and
Of which | affirm. The secret is Just here
from very infancy the planters sons are
gratihed in everything they desire.
could tell you some startling facts of the
boyhood Of these planters sous-fscts
by Colonel Richardson's
own white dsughters-but 1 forbear.-
From youth to manhood they 20 on, graf
flying every lust simply because the in
stitution Of human bondage puts ii in
their power to do so when they become
fathers Of black and white children all
must be sacrificed to their oyergrown lust.
Shall not the prayers Of the fair daughters
of South Carolina be needed? Shall not
his evil, slavery, be rooted from our
land 21