The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-20
REMINDERS OF SLAVERY.

Pathetic reminders of slavery days
are the advertisements for "lost rela-
tives" found in the papers published by
colored men for circulation among col
ored people. In the days "before the
war" nothing SO enraged the advocates
of slavery as the assertion that it was
a cruel iDstitution-that not only were
the human chattels subject to personal
abuse and indignities from their own
ers. but that families were likely to be
torn apart at sacrifice of the tenderest
affections. No one could deny. of
course, that the system involved the
commission of such outrages, but
it was vehemently declared that
such occurrences were rare, that
the humane slave-owner showed
discrimination in the traffic and
did not separate husbands from wives
or mothers from children when sales of
this species of property became neces-
sary. In short, all the evils were CLOSED
over and the happy, irresponsible and
care-free existence of the negroes made
at this late day by those who only know
of slavery through childhood memories
or through the "reminiscences of those
relics of by-gone time who are never
done lamenting the lost delights of the
years before the war. These say that
while, for their own sakes. they could
not wish to undertake the cares and re-
sponsibilities of slaveholding again,
there is no dOubt that the ne
groes led contented, sheltered
life, and were better off than in
condition of freedom. Distance
lends glamour to life on the
old plantations-at least to those who
owned them and the ''live stock" there
to appertaininR. 1t is doubtful, how
ever, if the ex-slaves see the same
charm in the scenes of their early days.
Judging from the advertisements re-
ferred to, the humane" master must
have been off his guard considerable
portion of his time. Perhaps he had
was turned, sold the men, women and
children as suited them best without re-
gard to family ties. At all events, there
was scattering of parents and chill
dren in that Shareholders paradise that
took some of them to the ends of the
earth and some beyond before they
were reunited. Hearts were broken
then that were never healed until
they ceased to throb. The war has
been ended for over twenty-five years,
have been free to come and 60, free to
love and marry, and to cherish their dear
ones for all that time; but the new ties
have not made them forget the old.
Their hearts turn back in longing for
the mother. the brother, the sister who
was sold away from them in that far-otf
time. In the hope that the lost ones are
also ON the look -out the advertisement
is inserted. They read like this:
desire to find brothers and sisters. whom
I have not seen before tho war. We be-
louged TO u man at Camden, Ala.
Iwould like to know the whereabouts of
nv mother. She was taken from Dade
county, Georgia to louisiana in 1S45 leay-
ing two children-myself and a sister.
Iwould like to know the whereabouts of
my brother. who was last seen in Dallas
county, Missouri. He was sold to u trader.
In each case ares given names of the
missing ones and their owners, and such
account of family as ia known.
1t is but the merest chance that the
advertisements will bring about the
hoped-for result. In most cases the
yearnings of these ageing people for tho
loved ones of their youth will remain
unsatistied until the hereafter. The
years go fast, and many of the lost ones
must he already in their graves, but the
fact that such information is still sought
serves to bring the slavery period close.
1t must give to those who have been
born and grown to maturity since that
time a realizing sense of the sorrows of
race whose trials and struggles they
are too little inclined to sympathize
with,