Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-19

FAINT, consequently deprived of even
the rude care which maternal instinct
might have prompted, and placed
under the guardianship of his grand
mother, with whom he lived until he
was seven years of age. At ten
years of age he was sent to Balti-
more, to be the companion and pro-
tector of the son of young mar
ried couple, who, in consequence OF
general refinement of character and
his proposed relation to their dar-
ling boy, treated him, at least, at
first, kindly. This change Mr.. Dou-
glass ever regarded as a providen-
tial interposition-as the turning
point, where his pathway, leaving
the descending grade of slave life,
entered upon that which led him in
that widely divergent direction il
has since pursued, Leaving the
rude experience Of the plantation,
with the barren and desert like sur
roundings of the Eastern Shore, for
the hustle and necessary companion
ship OF the city, an opportunity of
learning to read was afforded him,
which he most sedulously and sue
cessfully, though surreptitiously
improved. But the friendliness of
his master and mistress, which they
had SO generously extended to him
as an ignorant slave, they felt OBJ
liged, by the necessity of slavery.
to withhold from him now that he
could read, and he had learned tc
question tie rightfulness of SLAYER,
and chafe under its chains.
Returned to the Eastern Shore,
he encountered the rigors of plan
tation life, greatly increased by the
drunken caprices of an intemperate
master, and, doubtless, aggravated
by his own impatient and contuma-
cious rebellings under such slave
holding restraint. This, however,
was but n prelude to an experience
graver and still more tragic. Des-
pairing of controlling you Douglass
himself, his owner placed him-as
men place their unhroAen colts
under the care of horse trainers
in the hands of a professed negro
breaker, known through the region
as cruel and merciless man, who
had not only gained that reputation,
but found it necessary or for his in
terest to maintain it. Concerning
this change Mr.. Douglass remarks.
after referring to the comparative
tenderness" with which he had
been treated at Baltimore: 81 was
now about to sound profounder
depths in slave life. The rigors of
a field less tolerable than the field
of battle was before me-" That his
apprehers:ons were not groundless
these extracts, taken from his auto
biography, abundantly show. Il
had not been in his possession three
whole days before lie subjected me
to q most brutal chastisement.
Under his heavy blows blood flowed
freely; the wales were left on my
back as large as my little finger. The
sores on my back from this whip
ping continued for weeks" Il re-
manned with MIR. Corey one year Il
cannot say liued with him), and
during the first six months that l
was there was whipped either
with sticks or cowskins every week.
Aching bones and a sore back were
my constant companions. Frequent
as the lash was used, however, Mr.. |
Corey thought less of it, as a means
Of breaking down my spirit, than
that of nard and long-contipued |
labor. He worked me steadily up
to the point Of my powers of en-
durance. From the dawn of day in |
the morning till the darkness was
complete in the evening 1 was kept
at hard work in the field or the
woods" The accounts which he
gives of individual cases of chastise-
ment were brutal and revolving al
most beyond conception, and We
wonder not at his concise descrip-
ton of himself "as living embodi-
ment of mental and physical
wretchedness;' nor. at another
statement he makes, after referring
to the fact that he was somewhat
at first: "a few
months Of discipline tanned me. Mr..
Corey succeeded in breaking me. I