The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-02
NORTHERN SLAVERY.
Negroes Publicly burned ON Long Island
other Punishmsnts.

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Negro slavery existed on Long Island from
Its earliest settlement till It's abolition by the
State In 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, 1t was steadily growing
stronger and more stringent against this
downtrodden race till the time Of the Ameri-
can revolution, when the principles OF human
liberty were better understood. and the con-
tinental Congress had declared that all men
were created equal.
ing slave trade on the coast OF Guinea, SO
that the city OF New York and Long Island
were well supplied with negroes. SO numer-
Gus and powerful did they at length become
that. In I'LL, they determined to strike for
freedom, and accordingly. set fire to some
houses, and lying In wait STACKED those who
approached the fire. The insurgents were,
however, soon put down, and punished with
the most inhuman fortunes. Some were
broken on the wheel-a strange punishment
In this hemisphere; some were burned To
death some we're cased In iron and suspended
alive on gibbets, where they were left to
starve to death or become the preyof the
fowls of heaven; others were let off with
simple hanging.
In l74i the city was again on fire. and COM
mon fame laid IL TO the charge OF the poor
negroes, who were reported 10 be instigated
TO the act by q Bopish priest. However that
may be, Try, the pr st, and one or two OF bis
the slaves were either burnt, gibbeted, hang
ed, banlshed or imprisoned.
The ferocity and hardlhood OF these slaves
In comparison with the tameness and coward
Ice of our domesticated blacks, may be partly
accounted for In this way: They were kid
mapped In the wilds of Africa where they
roamed the forest In all the Independence OF
savage lifel and were imported directly from
Guinea to New York. Their spirits were un-
tanned; their longlngs and feelings we've 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 familiesl.
but instead Of 1t they had deadly hate. They
thought of their homes, and became dissatis-
fled and sulky.
AS slaves were very valuable, 1t became q
temptation to the avariciOuS to consider
every Indian. half-breed, or even very
swarthy Spaniards who were occasionally
taken p rsoners OF war by our prlvateers), as
negroes. Under this pretext many whites
were sold and classed among slaves, thereby
giving them most dangerous advisers and
companions 1t is indeed highly probably
that the negro plots and riots we're prompted
and led on by the superior intelligence of
these white persons thus uDjustly degraded
to their ranks.
We now proceed to give few historical
specimens Of the treatment melted out by our
ancestors to the Long Island negroes.
In 1707 the house OF William Hallet. ESQ, of
Newtown was burned, and himself, his wife
and five children murdered by an Indian man
and negro woman their own slaves, who
alleged ill-treatment as their excuse, they be-
ing restrained from going abroad on Sabbath
days.
they we're publicly burned at Jamaica, and
put TO all the torment possible for a terror to
others OF ever attempting the like wicked
ness.
La 1772 Nathaniel Brewster, of Brook
haven, was whipping his slave, q native of
Guinea, for some act of disobedience, when he
suddenly turned upon his master and struck
him dead. He was tried the very next day
by three justices OF the peace and five free
holders las the law directs) and sentenced to
be hanged, though some Of the Judges pro-
posed that he should be burned, or at least
gibbeted.
Negroes were not allowed to wander about
the country, or travel from one place to an
other, without pass as more particularly
appears by the following:
"NoTIcE-A negro wandering about with
out pass was taken up at Hampstead by
BENJAMIN Stewart, schoolmaster, and put In
of his master. May 5, 1760.
"G6 REwARD-Ran away from Frederick
Onderdonk, of Cow Neck, q negro named
Primus. It is likely he will forge pass, for
he can read and write. Aug. ID, 1760.''
The names OF the owners were sometimes
branded with q hot iron en- their bodies OF
their slaves, as the following testifies:
'tG16 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS from their owners
at the house OF Domino Rubell at Fiatbush
two negro slaves, Betsy, marked T. A., ON
the right shoulder, and Polly, without any
mark. September, 1884,
An iron collar with the initials OF the
owners name was sometimes riveted on the
necksof the slaves who had the trick OF running
away, as appears by the following advertise
ment OF negro who had aforetime absconded
from his master:
"Ran away from Jerome Lott, at Flatlands,
a negro boy named Jack, 16 years old. He
had on his neck an iron collar, marked J. L.,
the name OF the owner. May 20, 1764."
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