New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-09
DIR. PEABODY IN THE SOUTH.
SLAVERY AS IT APPEARED TO A NORTHERN
MAN IN 1914

SLAVERY AS IT APPEARED TO A NORTHERN
MAN IN 1914.
A. p Peabody in the Andovcr Review
On the lst OF May, 1914, l landed al Savannah,
having sailed thither from Boston in first-class
frelghting ship the ownership of which was
Of mine in Portsmouth, n. H., and Mr.. c. of Sa-
vannah. Mr.. {. took at 10 his house,
where | saw for several days the sunny side of
slavery, and baSked III its supShine. served more
SedulOusly than / could have imagined prior 10
experience, having my shutters closed Tor me
after went 20 bed, and opening my eyes in the
morning on stalwart negro awaiting my orders.
Mr.. G. was a bachelor, rich merchant, president
Of the Georgia State Bank, and elder of Pres
byteran church. His house, in one aspect, was
the centre OF the kind of hospitality which we
republicans, in our ignorance, call prncey, but
which has freedom, breadth and generosity
very much more than princely; and in another
aspect it was magnificent negro clearinghouse.
The census of his black family | did not take;
but they looked a host as caught sight of them
in passing the basement windows. Their number,
and that of the friends whom they fed, might be
estimated from one fact. large ham of the
richest quality and flavor appeared with soup,
fish, roast and game, on the dinner-table every
day few slices Of it, perhaps, at the other
meals. Mr. c.. told me that 365 such hams were
boiled in his kitchen every year, and OF course
had almost the whole of the daily ham at their
own disposal, and ham is to the negro what am
brosia at the table Of the gods. Mr.. Cs table
was served with the utmost elegance, and with a
profusion of good things. He gave, my ac-
count, dinner party as handsome an entertain
ment Of the kind Us | ever saw. He told me that
he knew no more than did what WAS TO be on
the table He owned q steward and mo iord0mo
who must have been of kindred genius with Smith,
whom many of my readers knew and some OF them
must have, employed, who on one occasion offered
to finnish Harvard commencement dinner
gratuitously if the college would give him the
degree, which would not have been unmerited or
uneamed of Master of Arts. Mr.. G. told me that
he gave specific directions for his table. and
that when he was 10 have company at dinner
no N tOl ba Wn
going 10 have, and whom, and Sciplo adapted
the dinner TO the number and quality Of the
guests. Mr.. c. priced this man SC, highly that
he once sent him TO Saratoga for his health. But,
in eulogizing him, he added trait which we at
the North could hardly regard as characteristic
of faithful servant Said he: Il give Scipio
every month a certain sum for my table, and if,
before the month is out, he tells me that he has
spent it all, / give him more. | have no doubt
that he keeps for himself a part of what give
him. for have found that he has property of his
own for which can account in no other way
Now this trait was, / ascertained, recognized
generally by Shareholders The slaves however
faithful in other respects, would steal when they
could; and in looking into the records of slavery
and oppression from the earliest aces till now,
and is the uniform habit of enslayed aud oppressed
races. Those who know that they deprived
of what Is rightfully theirs fee authorized to
| assess damages by some arithmetic of their own,
and TO levy them whenever and wherever they
can.
Here was slavery at its very best and there were
III
like fashion, and ii the negroes are TO be regarded
working cattle they could not have been better
cf. They were well lodged and fed, and could
have been worked no harder than was necessary
fer exercise and digestion.
But there had taken place at Savannah, several
wears before my visit, transaction which showed,
III It's worst aspects, the proSlavery infatuatlOn of
the people. A man whom | will not name from
one Of orr good New-England towns which | will
not name, was an auctionecr. and held a slave
auction every Saturday. lie had belonged at the
North 10 Unitarian society, and esSayed to estab
lish one in Savannah lie was ] will not say re
spectacle, but respected, and was in perfectly good
sOnally slave-trader, he would not have been
respectable but slave Sc ling was mere Incl
dent in his profession, and was not on his own
account, but on that Of his clients his standing was
not injuriOusly affected For this society of his,
it was deemed expedient in Boston 10 send a min
lister who would be acceptable at the South. The
choice fell on the Rev. Mr. Motto, aferward Of the
South Congregational Church in this city, a native
| OF South Carolina, man OF elegant culture, with
| the manners of a Southern gentleman "a type now
extinct as the dodo. real ~ very charming, such
| blending OF dignity and grace as can hardly be
formed except where one is conscious Of an abs0-
| lutcly superior position as regards d permanently
lower order OF beings and bears that consciousness
| meekly. He was not an abolitiOnist and had then
| no alliance or sympathy with the ant-slavery
| party at the North. But having lnherlte a family
| Of slaves, he had emancipated them, because he
was unwilling TO burden his conscience with 50
fearful responsibility as the ownership of fellow
| men. He sent TO the Savannah society as y
man specially fitted for its service. But his act Of
| emancipation was there regarded as an unpar1on-
| able sin. He repudiated Indignantly by the
members OF the society," and treated with 80
much lnsolence, not without peril OF personal vlO
| lence, that he was compelled 10 retreat in hot
! haste.
| spent a fortnight at New-Orleans There
visited large slave market, where | could obtain
| a comprehensive view of some of the worst. the
most hideous and soulsickenng. aspects Of slavery
large proportion Of those on sale were maniiestly
intensely anxious to their fate. Surprising that
my friends and Were there on business, several of
| them asked US TO purchase them, probably think
| ing that we did not look If we would be hard
masters. | confess that never in my life felt 50
battered 10 my personal appearance as was by
the earnestness with which, on the score OF my
good looks two or three of those poor creatures
| begged that they might become my property.
who had less of black blood than would have made
them OctOroons-sevcral young women who would
have passed for white, and who were held at
very high price.
The Rev. Mr.. Clapp for many years the only
Protestant clergyman who dared to stay in the city
during the yellOwlever seasons owned his sexton,
though with that exception he had never owned
any human being. He told that he saw this
poor broken-down old man in the market, H. great
distress for fear OF being sold where he would be
overgorked and maltreated and so strong an ap-
peal made TO his compassion that he paid the
paltry price, and utilized the man for tie light
work about his church
| was in New Orleans while DR.. I'alfrey was
looking after his hman property, and no one who
was rot on the spot can estimate the energy and
| perseverance with which he prosecuted his claim
| lie was man who would have deiied all the
mowers OF earth and hell in pursuit Of what
ne deemed right, and who never failed 10
have Heaven on his side. man less strenuous
in his purpose would have succumbed. He. as
| one of three brothers, inherited his share of n
| family Of slaves. His brothers proposed 10 let
him have his entire heritage in money and to keep
the slaves When he declined this the attempt
wss mace TO interpose legal obstacles in the way