Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-10-10
The ..urcarcu,.sre p,c--rnr."

If human slavery be indeed "hn lncnlcu-
liable blessing" as Judge Woodward alleges
then it seems passing strange that so many
intelligent shareholders have regarded it as
a deplorable evil. Patrick Henry, Washing
ton. Jefferson, Madison, Clay, all concurred
in the latter view, and all desired its remov-
al from our social fabric. These patriots
were close observers of ihe system, and had
ample opportunities to study all its bearings.
Judge Woodward, on the contrary, was pro-
badly never residens for single week on
southern plantation, and even had he been,
the true condition of things could easily
have been concealed from him. Perhaps
there scarcely existed more studied purpose
of disguise and secrecy than in regard to our
southern slave population. Whilst loudly
vaunting the superior condition of these hu-
man chattcls, it was always observable that
few sojourners in those regions ever got
clear inside view of II slave estate. The
masters " ere chary on this point, and sue
ceeded in repelling or discouraging close
observation. This of itself, was suspicious; /;
and the cruelty exercised towards northern
people in the southern country, falling
under the imputation of abolitonism, still
further denoted there was something fear
ful, to be hidden from the outside world.
Some startling disclosures appeared at
intervals, and rejecting persons saw that
underneath all southern professions and
semblances there lay II condition of human
existence painful To contemplate. As con
ceal nent, however, became more and more
difficult, and ameioratiOn in any shape
threatened diminution of income, the in
fatuated slavemongers determined to destroy
this republic, and erect an empire instead,
whose very cornerstone should he slavery
,1,,,, ii.
and what are their present prospect to per
! feet it. all the world may see.
But although they drew that thick cur
tain as closely as possible around the horrd
prsou-house which confind their victims,
! there were occasional revelations which AL
mitted light Tie world saw but indis-
tinctly, but many were aided to draw just
conclusions from the statements of residents
or soiourners. Perhaps no publication OF
the kind has so much aided later inquircrs
as the volume written by Mrs. Kcmblc ex-
himting the routine of Georgia plantation
belonging to her husband. Day by day.
this lady has recorded her actual experience
as mistress of the household, and given to
us, with specification excluding the idea OF
fasehood or invention, so many details OF
cruelty and oppression, that the reader can
not but feel much better qualified than
Judge Woodward to determine whether
slavery is IAN incalculalc blessing"
Herein we see that the unhappy slaves
upon this Georgia estate, owned by II either
of Philadelphia, and not whit worse thar
most of those in our southern country, wer,
doomed to life of hopeless wretchedncSs
Their food was so poor and scanty that thu
Younger children had barely enough to sus
tain life, whilst both men and women work
ing in the fields were restricted to coarst
vegetable diet, rarely tasting meat or an!
other paatablc food. On this meagre fart
they toied from daylight until late into tn,
: evening, and were punished severely if th'
allotted task was not fully performed TIL,
torture thus inflicted was tcrriblC-the mer
ciless driver using the whip with dispropor
tionate severity. so that human natur
would skin under the dreadful intlictinn
and the unhappy uegro would frequentl
fly to the contiguous swamps to cscap
these agonies, though there they encounter
ed rattlesnakcs and risked starvation.
Women, weak from recent childbirth
were forced prematurely into the field q
labor. and most piteous were their suppica
tions to this lady that the short term Of thre
weeks should be extended t. four, thar nu
,, ture might give them little more strcngt
before rcsuming their eXhuusting labhrs.-
+ The kind hearted mistress pleaded unavai
: ingly for these, her humble sisters. Ther
was stern and Implying routine on thl
secluded plantation near the sea, And eve
, for thus humbly petitionirg that lady to
: relief one of these poor creatures was cruell
/ tlngged by the inccnSed ovcrseer. The mar
, ncr of the castigation III this and otht
/ similar cases was as indecent as ii was cruc
= The modesty that evermore pertains to We
r man, whether her skin he of an ebony or II
alabastcr complexion, was as ruthless!y gu
, ragged in these brutal lagcllations MS was he
, quivering body, writhing under the luccri
+ ,on of the heavy savc-wmp. No wond,
=, that, to escape such scourgings, she ottc
> yielded her chastity, and became the moth,
of other wrctches, doomed, like her, to pc
pctuate such woes.
y Even the material comforts of human Ii
and plcnteous support in extreme old az
:. woul bat slightly alleviate such miscri'
+ as these. But there was no such alleviate
Wretclied h0vcls, with earhen floors and n
furniture, were the only abiding places
c these poor people. They had no regul;
h meals, no chairs or tables, no beds to lie %
p They huddled like animals on the earth'
floor, and slept as best they might until Il
early dawn summoned them again to the
! WcuflsOne lOll III Is untrue tiNt lNc supC
S anuuated were tcnderly cared fT. Wol
out with unremunerated labor, they we
), employed in attendance on the childrt
u whose mothers were in the field and wht
;. altogether incapable of any service, the
y were sent to the infrmary to die. The
u they lay on the bare earth, almost in tot
y darkness, for the windows were unglaze
= and could not usually he opened. RackC
with Rheumatism, or suffering the mar
y aches of protracted old age, without an
- - sustenance or appliance benclittng the
Il condition. these poor wretches lingering OF
} their little remnant of life.
; This is, indeed II fearful portraiture, "
} on every page of the book is stamped Il
unmistakable features of truth. Ii such
= the workings of the horrid system as respec
!, the black man, is its tendency any bette
y in its results To the white man! Let Il
= insane rebellion, which is its legitimate pr
= geny, answer the question. And viewed
u this double relation, let the candid read
, estimate. at its proper value the opinion
! Judge Woodward, that slavery is IAN i
! calculable blessing. Philddelphid Nor
u american.
: speech OF General .BOiin COchran'
General Cochrane found it for a wAiie di
ticult to obtain hearing, for the Poop
> were in fact making the great speech OF Il