The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-21

| about her condition. They brought good
! prices. Niggers is high was the general
comment. Who bought them, where they
went, whether they were separated from
father, mother, brother or sister, God
knows. Let us hope that the result was
as humans as possible I am now going
to offer you very likely young chile
| BARN woman said the auctioneer. She
is perfectly healthy and without blem-
ish. Among the family she is universal
| favorite. I offer her with the privilege
of taking her husband and two children
with her at very rejuced price, because
it is the wish of all concerned to keep
them together if possible. Get up here,
Martha Ann A large-framed, warm,
Notwithstanding, motherly soul, with
fine, honest face, mounted the block.
| Now, gentlemen said he, continuing If
you will cast your eyes into that corner,
! you will see Israel, Martha AIMS hus-
band and Cephas and Melindy, her two
| children. Israel is not what you call
| raal able-bodied man. He broke his leg
/ some years ago handling one Of the colo
| nels colts and ne amt able to do heavy
work; but 1 am Assured by everybody
! on the place that Israel is a most valu-
able servant about the house for all kind
of light work, and he can be had mighty
cheap Yes, sir spoke up Israel. eager
| ~, I can do as much as anybody. and.
marsters, If youn only buy me and the
chillun with Martha Ann, Cord knows I'll
work myself to death for YOU The poor
little darkies, Cephas and Melindy, sat
there frightened and silent their white
eyes dancing like monkey-eyes and
cleaning in the shadows As her hus-
bands voice broke on her ears. Martha
Ann, who had been looking sadly out of
the window in a pose of great dignity,
turned her face with an expression of
exquisite love and gratitude toward Is
rael She gazed for a moment at her
husband and at her children, and then
looking away once more her eyes brim-
ming with tears. How much am 1 Of
fered for Martha Ann with the privilege?'
shouted the auctioneer. The bidding be-
gan. 1t was very sluggish. The hammer
fell at last. The price was low. Per-
haps, even in that crowd nobody want
ed them all, and few were willing to do
the heartless act of taking her alone So
she sold low. When the name of her
purchaser was announced, 1 knew him.
He was an old, wizened, cherries fell
low. who was member of the Virginia
legislature from one of the far-awav,
south side counties adjoining North Caro-
lima. Heaven be praised, he was not a
supporter of father. He called himself
an old-time Wing, and ranked with the
opposition. He seemed to have no asso-
ciates among the members. Nobody
knew where he lived in the city. He was
VIGOROUSLY penurious and drew his pay
as regularly as the week rolled round
Mr.. -- buys Martha Ann cried the
auctioneer. I congratulate you. Mr.
-. You've bought the cheapest mig
ger sold here today VIII you take Israel
and Their young uns with her?' Deep 81
lence fell upon the gathering Even i'm
perturable Martha Ann showed her anx-
iety by the heaving of her bosom. Israel
strained forward where he sat to hear
the first word of hope or of despair. The
old man who had bid for her shuf1ed for
ward, fumbling in his pocket for his
money, delaying his reply so long that
the question was repeated. Moo drawl-
de he at last, I'm sorry for 'em but
really can't. You see, I live a long way
from here, and I ride. down to the legis-
lature. I sell my horse and live cheap.
and aims to save up enough from my sal
airy to buy another horse and chile
BARN woman, when the sessions done;
and then takes her home, ridin' behind
me on the horse
Mr.. Wise goes in at length to describe
the scene, the agony of the slaves his
own agony, the indignation of a young
lawyer who, unable to see the separation,
bought, at an advance, Martha Ann from
her new master.
The boy who had witnessed Uncle
Toms Cabin" and this slave sale was
very, very unhappy. He was only re-
lieved when he thought that his father,
and brother were in favor of this blight's
quick abolition. and he concludes his
chapter with this:
''Virginians! You who in our day were
led by Lee and Jackson, have you read
this chapter? Is it true or untrue? Ask
yourselves calmly. The time has now
come when you ought, in justice to your
selves, to try to satisfy yourselves where
in your old system was wrong and unjus-
tifiable as we'll as wherein it was right
One who loves you wrote this story, one
who was your comrade in the fight we
lost, one who has no word of blame for
you, but on the contrary believes we had
every provocat ton to fight. one who, as
long as he lives. Will glory in the way we
fought and is proud of his own stars, and
teaches his children 10 believe that the
record of Confederate valor is a priceless
heritage. It is not written when the truth
4, h,- i- ,ot nv
alien in feeling or an enthusiast for an
abstract idea. 1t is written to make you
think. to make you ask yourselves
whether you can, before God, claim that
all was as it should be when we had
slavery 1t is written to reconcile you to
your loss by showing you from what your
children were delivered. 1t is penned in
the firm belief that some day while
brooding upon the happiness, the wealth,
the culture, the refinement then possessed
by the South and to so large an extent
lost to her now. you may realize that all
these. delightful as they were, did not
Justify the curse and misery OF human
slavery. I seek to make you realize if not
admit. that its abolition was a greater
blessing to Us even than to the slaves
and emancipation was worth all we sur
rendered and all the precious lives that
were destroyed, to bring you to confess
the brave and generous men know you
are, that the time has come al last when
through our tears and without disloyalty
10 the dead. in the possession Of freedom
and union and liberty, true confederates
viewing it all in the clearer light and
calmer atmosphere Of today, ought TO
thank God that slavery died at Appomat-
tox.