Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-05-20
SLAVERY IN FLORIDA.
Negroes stili Held in Bondags~by Semi
mole IndiaLrg

SLAVERY IN FLORIDA.
Negroes still Held in Bondags-by Semi
mole Indians
The st. Louis GlobesDem0crat pub.
fishes the following from Tampa, Fla. : |
1t will probably be difficult to convince
Northern people that the peculiar in
stintion" for the extinction of which |
such oceans of blood and millions of
treasure were spent few years ago, still
has any existence within the borders of
the United States. Nevertheless, ii is
fact that in certain of the more southern
parts of Florida negroes are held in as
strict bondage as ever they were before
the war in any part Of the country.
Slavery survives, however only among
the few remnants Of the Seminole tribe
who still have their homes in the woods
and everglades south Of the Caloosahat
chic River. There are many families of
the red men there who, though perfectly
inolTensive so far as the whites are con
concerned, maintain dignifed independ-
ence of the general laws, and administer
their own affairsdn q way strongly rem
inisccnt of patriarchial traditions. They
live principally by the chase, and upon
the fish of which alI Florida waters
lakes, streams and seas, are extremely
prolific, and FOR vegeta lolsood they de-
pend upon small patels "a ground clear
ed here and there, as fancy may dictate,
from year to year. The cultivation of
these patches among the poorer members
of the tribe is carried on by their women;
but the more prosperous of the Indians
have their negro slaves, upon whom they
devolvc all the hard labor of cultivation,
as well as the few items Of menial drudg.
cry incident to their simple methods Of
living.
1t is curious to observe the degree of
pride these Seminoles take in the fact
that they are slave holders. They are
perfectly aware that the white people of
that every negro throughout the South
who once had to pay obedience to bond.
master has been freed; but they don't
seem to understand that either emancipa.
ton proClamations and enactments or
constitutional amendments have any ap-
plication TO them and their "niggers. !"
Hence they regard themselves as a race
of beings more highly privileged than
the whites-aristocrat who alone are
recognized as having rights Of property
to an inferior race. Nor is there
among them the faintest suspicion that
their assured rights can be questioned by
law. Slave owning and slave trading
among themselves is conducted as openly
and with as much confidence as ever II
was in South Carolina or Alabama thirty
or forty years ago, and even when they
visit the towns to exchange their peltres
for powder, clothing, crockery and other
necessaries, they occasionally take with
them their black bondsmen, partly to
perform any laborious duty that may hap
pen to become necessary, but partly, also,
to enhance their appearance of dignity
and importance. Only few weeks ago
one of this class, full blooded Indian,
claiming the rank of Seminole Chief,
came to Tampa to buy stores, bringing
with him young negress whom he point.
ed to with pride as his own property, re.
marking at the time: "Me big chief
heap bigger than white man, white man
no slave, only Seminole have slave" &c
Several people of Tampa. both white
| aud ooio,a1 tr;ad IN ;ntoract thon,ua al uas
on behalf of the black girl, hoping to in
duce her to assert her right to freedom
and to remain in the city, where HON,
would have been provided for her Bu
she knew no language but Seminole, ant
all efforts to make her understand were
frutless. She took fright, too, at tn,
well-meaning efforts, and breaking from
those who would have persuaded her
fled to her MASTER and taking hold of hi
skirts could not be induced to detach he
hold all the time he remained in Tampa
1t is but fair to add that since that singu
lar event news has been received that tn,
chief has promoted the poor girl from thu
|, position of slave to wife. an honor whicl
OF course, she shares with two or thre
others. Upon hearing this queer stor,
the correspondent naturally concluded
that it was an isolated instance and b,
no means to be considered az represent
ing common state Of things, but was as
sured by Mr.. Henderson, leading mer
. chant Of Tampa, an extensive stock. k.raise
and shipper, and gentleman who ha
been familiar with this part of the coun
: try for forty years. that every Seminol
, family of any degree Of consequence ha
0 one or more negro slaves, who are ker
. in profound Ignorance of the English lar
guagc, and who consequently kno,
nothing Of their claims to freedom.