Year: 1859

Ina recent number we published an account o.
the expulsion of a northern woman and her inval
id daughter from Akin, South Carolina, because
OF q letter which the former had written to her
brother, and which was published in a northern
paper Below is copy of the lettsr-Ep


AIKEN, S. c., Feb. 2, 1859.


MY DEAR BROTHER We are in what is called
the Pine Woods District, 120 miles west of Charles.
ton. Aiken is small town of not more than l ,OOC
inhabitants, and the duest place was ever in.
All the work that is done in this country is done
BY The slaves and they do just as little as they pos
sibly can.


The houses are open aud not half made, with
the ooors off the hinges, and the windows won't
smut you could put your hand in the cracks all
around the sashes. The whole country has the
appearance oflazy, shiftless, degenerating decay
rue white people are the most lazy, shitless. dir.
~ ignorant set of beings it is possible to conceye
OF. They 60 louugiug about the streets and stores
all oay' moving heap of rags, dirt and ignorance,
looking little better, and often knowing less, than
the sIaves-too proud to work, and too poor to
iive-Mrs. Stoves description, in Uncle Tom q
Caoin' OF the poor whites OF the South, is in no
way overdrawE, but often fails of description of
their destitution and ignorance


Vhe slaves are Of oil colors and shades from the
most sooty black to perfect white There was
waiter at the Hotel at Charleston, who was as
white as you or l, with blue eyes and sandy hair
and not the least appearance of African blood
that could see. thought him an Irshman, and
my husband thought him an American ; but from
our host, to our surprise, we found him to be q
slave, the property of planter few miles south
Of Charleston.


Aiken is quite "a resort for consumptves 1t
lies en- high ground and is surrounded by vel.
low pine forest. The climate is mild and warm
the atmosphere pure and delightful We have
been out oil the morning without cloaks or shawls.
And ought not to complain of country that
gives my daughter health but. in spite of all my
wishes the hours hang heavily upon me. We have
no company except the two young ladies from
New York-the one sick and the other to take
care Of her and gent from Ohio, also sick, and
testy old bachelor, which is worse than being
sick


This monotonous life is occasionally broken by
q negro whipping. The other day as was walk.
ing down street, saw quite crowd of people,
and soon beheld in their midst large. tall negro,
with his arms pinioned behind him. who had been
driven twelve miles that morning by white man:
the man riding on horse and driving him before
him, using two long ropes as we use lines to drive
our horses.


The man said that the negro had started to run
away, and he had caught him and brought him
back. The negro said that he belonged to man
q few miles south, and if they would let him, he
would 60 right home. They fogged him, put him
in the calaboose, IA negro prison.. and what has
become of him since do not know, but feel quite
sure that they had the ropes on the wrong man,
for the negro was much the smartest looking of
the two.


Last Sunday. just after morning services we
heard great noise in the street and looking out
we saw black man trying to get away from two
white men, His face was cut and bleeding pro-
fusely. They tied his hands behind him, stripped
his back bare, took him into their store which is
nearly opposite to our house, tied him down to the
hoor, and gave him fifty lashes in the course of the
next half hour-not all at once. After eight or
ten lashes he groaned most piteously at every
stroke of the whip. And all the crime that we



the black nurse from taking a whistle which he
had bought and given to his boy, and giving it
to his masters boy. The slave and nurse were
quarreling about it when the master came home
from church. He came into the kitchen, took a
board and broke it over the slaves head,
then struck him blow with the rolling pin. The
slave rushed into the street, and the noise began
that attracted our attention


have heard many censure the master for whip.
ping his slave on Sunday, but not one that he was
whipped so severely; while we-poor craven
wretches that we are-have to witness such things,
and dare not open our mouths in disapproval of it.
l almost despisc myself for being such coward
but We could not do the poor slaves any good, but
ourselves much harm 80 we bite our lips, and
keep silent before folks but in our own rooms
we feel as valiant. and crow as independently as
young rocslers when they get upon their own dung
hill.


And this is life in the South. Here is Southern
chiValry, the aristocracy of America, the cOnstit
uency of Butler and Brooks. But give me my
Northern home. however humble, would almost
rather be anything (except a doaghfacel in the
free North. than to be q mistress of the best plan
taton in South Carolina.