The Holt County sentinel., 1879-07-18
NOrfhern Slavery,

Negro slavery existed on Long Island
from its earliest settlement till its aboli-
ton by the state i'll 1926. The slaves
were, we may presume, treated generally
as humanity and the interest of their
owners dictated, for the law interposed
but feeble protection in their behalf
nay, it was steadily growing stronger and
more stringent aglinst this sdowntrodden
race till the time of the American Revo-
luton, when the principles Of human
liberty were better understood, and the
continental congress had declared that
all men were created equal.
For many years, says the Brooklyn
MONTHLY the Dutch drove fiOurishing
slave trade on the coast of Guinea, SO
that the city of New York and Long
Island were well supplied with negroes.
So numerous and powerful did they at
length become that, in III, they de-
termined TO strike for freedom, and ac-
cordingly set fire to some houses, and
living in wait attacked those who ap-
preached the fire. The insurgents were,
however, soon put down, and punished
with the most inhuman tOrtures. Some
were broken on the wheel-a strange
punishment in this hemisphere; some
were burned 10 death some were cased
in iron and suspended alive on gibbets,
where they were left 10 starve TO death
or become the prey of the fowls OF
heaven; others were let off with simple
hanging.
In I74l the city was again on fire, and
common fame laid it 10 the charge of the
poor negroes, who were reported to be
instigatcd TO the act by pOpish priest.
However that may be, Ury, the priest
and one or two of his white confederates
were hanged. Many of the slaves were
either burnt, gibbeted, hanged, banished
Or imprisoned.
The ferocity and hardihood of these
slaves, in comparison with the tame
ness and cowardice of our domesticated
blacks, may be partly accounted for in
this way: They were kidnapped in the
wilds of Africa (where they ruamed the
forest in all the independence Of savage
life), and were imported directly from
Guinea to New York. Their spirits were
untamed; their longings and feelings
were for their distant homes in the
deserts of Africa; they had no affection
for their new masters (for they had not
grown up in their families), but instead
of it they had a deadly hate. They
thought of their homes, and became
dissatisfied and sulky.
As slaves were very valuable, it be-
came temptation TO the avaricious TO
consider every Indian, half breed, or
even very swarthy Spaniards (whO were
occasionally taken prisoners of war by
our privateers,) as negroes. Under this
pretext many whites were sold and
classed among the slaves, thereby giving
Them most dangerous advisers and COM
panions. 1t is indeed highly probable
that the negro plots and riots were
prompted and led on by the superior in
telligence of these white persons thus
unjustly degraded TO their ranks.
We now proceed 10 give 4 few histori-
cal specimens of the treatment meted
out by our ancestors 10 the Long Island
negroes.
In 1907 the house of William Hallet,
Esq, of Newtown, was burned, and him
seh, his wife and five children murdered
by an Indian man and negro woman,
their own slaves, who alleged ill-treat-
ment as their excuse, they being re-
strained from going abroad on Sabbath
days.
They were publicly burned at Jamaica,
and put to all the torments possible Cor
n terror to others of ever attempting the
like wickedness.
In 1772 Nathaniel Brewster, of Brook
haven, was whipping his slave, n native
of Guinea, for some act of disobedience,
when he suddenly turned upon his
master and struck him dead. lie was
tried the very next day by three Justices
of the peace and five freeholdcrs las the
law directs), and sentenced to he hanged,
Of f1,n ftr.lrrou fhof
he should be burned, or at least gibbeted.
Negroes were not allowed 10 wander
about the country, or travel from ono
place to another, without pass, as more
particularly appears by the following:
NoTICE.-A negro wandering about
without pass was taken up at Hemp
stead by Benjamin Stewart, school,
master, and put in jamaica Jail, where
he now awaits the order of his master.
May 5, I7G0.
&c 6REwARD.-Ran away from Frederick
of Cow Neck, negro named
Primus 1t is likely he will forge pass,
for he can read and write. Aug. 13, 17G0.
The names of their owners were some
times branded with not iron on the
bodies of their slaves, as the following
testiiies:
Gig REwARD.-Absconded from their
owners at the house of DomRc Rubeil,
at Flatbush, two negro slaves, Betsy,
marked 7. A. on the right shoulder, and
Polly, without any mark. September,
l7SI.
An iron collar with the initials of the
owners name were sometimes riveted OH
the necks of the slaves who had the
Tick of running away, as appears by the
advertisement of a negro who
had aforetime absconded from his master.
Ran away from Jerome Lott, at Flat
lands, negro boy named Jack, 10 years
old. lie had on his neck an iron collar,
marked J. L., the name of the owner.
May 20, 1884.
On Long Island, rs elsewhere, negroes
were, of course, bought and sold, and
like animals