Year: 1861

ten by lady of South Carolina, to a rela-
tive in New York, has been made public:


You may imagine, dear uncle, our situa-
tonI but you never can realize it in its fnl-
ness. Already we tremble in our own
homes in anticipation aud expectancy of
what is liable to burst forth at any moment.
a negro insurrection. Could you see the
care and precaution displayed here by the
proprietOrs of the negroes, not only plant.
ers, but others, you would not for n mo.
ment envy us our possessions. Not night
passes that we do not securely lock our field
servants in their quarters but our most
loved and valued house servants who in Or
dlnary times we would trust to any extent.
are watched and guarded against with ali
the scrutiny and care that we possess.


Our planters and owners of slave pron-
erty do not allow their servants to have
any intercourse with each other, and the
negroes are confined strictly to the premises
where they belong. We are obliged to in
crease cur force of overseers to prevent too
free intercourse even among our own SER
wants. The negroes feel and notice these
restraints, and naturally ask 'Why is this p
But 1t is unnecessary for them to ask the
question, for they all comprehend the eanse
as well as we who own them. They have
already learned enough to give them an
ldea OF what IS going on in the State and
nation' and this knowledge they have not
gained from abolitionss as some suppose.
but from the conversation of their owners.
indirectly held in their preseuce. They
have already heard of Iincoln's election.
aud have heard also that he is for giyinQ
them their liberty, and you may imagine
the result.


You have heard that our servants all love
their masters, and their masters families.
and would lay down their lives for them
that the colored race in the South prefers
slavery TO freedom-that they would not be
free II they could, &c. &c. That is bat the
poetry OF the case the reality consists In
sleeping upon our arms at night-in doubly
boiling and barring our doors-in establish
ing and maintaining an efficient patrol
torce-in buying watch-dogs and in taking
tnrns IN watching our sleeping children. to
guard them and ourselves from the ven.
geance OF these same loving servants.
vengeance which, though now smouldering
Is hable to burst out at any moment, to
overwhelm the State in spite of the Palmet-
to flags or State precautions.


You at the North are not the only Ones
VINO are suffering financially by this new
panic. The planters among us are really
suffering from the depreciation in their pro-
perty. Already negroes are no. worth
half price. No one dares TO buy servant.
fearing lest he, in doing so, should be in,
Producing upon his plantation one tinctnred
with the idea of freedom.


NV bnQhanH boe l.4


believe but thirty-one all tOld-still / feel.
ana SO does he, that they are thirty one too
many IN such times as these. lie would
sell them Immediately if it were possible
but the truth is, he could realize nothing
ioT lhem at present, or at most not over
nall their real value. Slaves are a drug in
the market, my husband says, and you
know him well enough to Judge Of his iudg.
ment in such matters.


Now, one word as to the military force of
the State to protect us against an insurrec.
tion. | presume, with The exception of
Charleston, and perhaps a few large towns.
That the remainder of the State is situated
very much as we are here and will give
you an idea of how we'll prepared we are
70 resist mob. Upon our place of about
lzO0 acres we have Of whites, males-hus-
band, two overseers, and my son of ls
years. total, four; females self and cousin.
little Lucy, and one of the Oyerseers' wife
-four; of whom only four at the most are
capable of bearing arms TO offset which we
have at least seventeen field hands-sturdy
young egroes-besides the female servants.
And this is fair representation of the force
upon our plantations. Considering such
state of facts, do you blame me for desiring
TO absent myself my husband and children
from the State?