The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-06-22
sHARKEy.


4Once upon a time there lived inethe county
of Jefersons State Of Mississippi, a man nam-
ed Elisha Brazeale. Being afflicted with a
very loathsome disease, Brszeate was assidu
ously nursed from deaths deersb back TO life
again by an atfectionaJe and faithful female
Inulatto slave, say female" adyisedly, and
Vent hear or read any sarcasm from any OF
your critics OH the use OF the word. Slaves
are not women or ladies; they are only fe-
males--as the sequel OF my. little story will
show. Brazealle, not altogether depraved,
z took the 1aithiul slave 10 Ohio, and showed
his gratituse BY educating her, and finally bg
marrying, her. He also executed deed for
her emancipation and had itarecorded. bolh in
Ohio and Mississippi. 10 whieh-last named
State the couple returned. Ia process OF time,
the female whom Mr.. Btazaalie had married.
bore asson, and in process OF time the planter
himself sickened again and died, taking care,
however, to leave, a will in which, after recit.
ing the deed OF emancipation, he declared his
Intention ratify il, and devised all his prop
ertg 70 The boy, whom be acknowledged to be
his son. You see what q bad man Brazealle
]. WIS He had lived, in an probability, in a
state of adultery, and he had attempted to
9 elrcumyent the laws OF Mississippi and the
genius OF the peculiar institution which has
srnled US so long and SO beneHcently. But his
sin sought out his ,concubine and even his in
snocent son, and punished them for his iniqui-
ty, and Judge sSharkey was the instrument,
under Providence, OF indicating morality
and the laW.g Tins it was: In North Carolina
lived some poor relations of lBrazealle, O.
whom he, heartless inidel, knew nothing, and
for whom he cared less. Their names are not
given in the record before me, but daressay
they are among the leading Union reconstruc-
tionists under Gov. Holden's regime. They
heard of the death of their rich Mississippi
c0u9in what mi nd fort nv -wit q
prudent, thrifty spirit which does them inn
mortal honor, set out for the Southwest. They
brought suit 1t IS known and read of all
men 10 Howard's Mississippi reports, volume
I'd, page S37. 1t was the fortune of Sharkey
the Good TO adjudicate. upon the ease. he
declared the act OF emancipation by Brazeaile
to have had its origin in an odense against
morality, pernicious and detestable as an ex-
AMPLE" that the law of the State could net
thus be evaded, and that "the negroes, John
Monroe and his mother, are still slaves, and q
part OF the estate OF Elisha Brazealle. = John
Monroe, " said Sharkey the Benefcent, s'can-
not take the property as devsee, and it cannot
be held in trust for him." Quite the contrary
John, instead of having property, is himself
property, re and his mother; and, SO holding,
Sharkey delivered John and his mother over
to the poor North Crrolina relations, and they
were lugged back to that State, unless they
were sold in Mississippi to pay the expenses
(efl the suit So was Brazealle the !Lewd cir
cumvented by Sharkey the Pure; SO were the
anarchical contrivanees of Brazealle the Law
less brought to nought by the legal wisdom
aud the stern morality Jof Sharkey the Faith
full.
Nov, putting aside this poor attempt to be
"sarkastical," could anything be more dread
full than this, anything more unpromising for
the future Of loyalty, humanity, civilization,