The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-04-13

Whatever may have been theil
feelings, they could not have looked
forward to the sad future in store
for them. Reaching a Southern
port, our friend and family, with
many others, took passage on an
enigrant vessel for Brazil. Propi
tious gales and smooth seas soon
bore them to the South American
country, the delusiye Eden of sc
many. With hopeful heart and q
stout arm, he engaged with those
who went as a colony, to the i'm
provement of the locality where
they had settled, and the establish
ment Of a home for his wife and
nestlings. Expected rewards did
not bless the labors of his hands;
the climate and its ungenial inhu-
ences preyed upon the health of the
family. Social surroundings were
unpleasant. Accustomed to scene
ry that "Shetstone might envy, and
to music that would charm Calypso
and her nymphs," the mother and
children had been transferred to
virtually a barbaric land, uncultiva-
ted by art, unadorned by civiliza-
tion. The surroundings were chill
ing and depressing. Misfortunes
fell thick and fast upon them
Disguised with the country, most
of the Southerners who went there
returned home, or went to other
parts. The condition of our friend
grew from bad to worse. Business
failed utterly. All his enterprises
turned to,dry ashes in his hands
When he would have turned to this
country he could not. He became
hopelessly involved and was bank
rupt-
His daughters had grown into ex-
panding young womanhood and
had developed into fair, elastic pro-
portions. And now comes the sad
dest part of the history of this un-
fortunate family. The Brazilian
laws are such that when a citizen
becomes in debt, if he has no prop
erty, his children are sold as slaves,
the prices they bring going to the
payment of the obligation. Our
friend, when he reached Brazil, un-
wisely became naturalized and a
South American citizen and subject
to the laws, thus by his own voli-
tion eXpatriating himself from his
native country and its protection.
He became involved in debt to some
Brazilians. His children were sold
as slaves. His daughters, grown
to young ladies, and whose happy
girlhood and childhood were pleas
antly passed with every comfort
and home blessing in the sequestcr-
ed shades and literary institutions
of Montgomery county, were led by
the merciless grip of Brazilian law
to the slave markets and sold to the
highest bidder! The price of their
bondage paid the fathers debt. =
What a cancelling was that That
bond of blood has its parallel in
ShyIock and the Venetian Merchant.
Thus, these two children, now
grown, Tennessee young ladies, are
slaves, doing menial work for unlet-
tered masters and mistresses in Bra
I'll, their price paying devoted but
unfortunate fathers debit The
amount of the debt, we understand,
is 200 in gold, and it viii take
this amount for the father to secure
the ransom of his children. The
gentleman is known to many Of our
readers. He is well known through
out portions of Middle Tennessee,
and is extensively acquainted and
connected in Alabama. Steps have
been taken to have the 81, 200 placed
in the hands of the father, and we
are glad to say that the prospects
are that the children viii be releas-
ed from the terrible fate that aecu-
mulating misfortunes have brought
down upon them. We will close
by adding that the facts as given
are vouched for by as veracious
and intelligent gentlemen as there
are in the State.