Press enter after choosing selection

The Traffic

The Traffic image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
January
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A New Orleans Auctioneer, J. L. McCoy, advertises for sale "95 acclimated and high priced slaves of both sexes, and of all ages , among which will be found, blacksmiths, assistant blacksmiths, brickmakers, domestics of the house, mechanics, washerwomen, ironers, cooks, grooms, carmen, coachmen, shipmen, &c. all perfectly acclimated, having been in the country from 16 months to 3 years. These slaves are in general of an excellent reputation, honest, sober and good to work, and are inferior to none which have been offered for sale in the country. Some circumstances which their proprietor could neither foresee nor prevent, has made it necessary for him to make a public sale of them." They are described as being, with very few exceptions, "perfectly well disposed' submissive, industrious, sober and honest-" Would 95 Northern people, taken indiscriminately, bear a higher recommendation? Among them, are: Maria, aged 18 months. Emanuel, 3 years old. Sam, aged 6 years, son of Charlotte. Richard, 5 years old, son of Ben and Cheney. Letty, 6 years old child of Polly and William. Abraham, aged 3 years, son of Nutty. William, aged 8 months, son of Anne and George. Aggy, aged ----- months, child of Patty and Lewis. Adelaine, aged 7 years, daughter of Richard and Amy. Eliza, 4 years. Robert, 6 years. Sally, 4 years, sister of Robert." These are but a part of the children. The females are generally field hands. For instance, "Dolly, aged 16 years, daughter of Lucy and Annester, good negress for the field. Polly, wife of William, came into the country with him ; good negress for the field. Eliza, aged 19 years, wife of Philip, good washer, ironer and domestic for the house." Who was the owner of these slaves, does not appear from the hand-bill. Perhaps he was a deacon in the Presbyterian Church, or a Methodist Class-leader. For, in a country where all denominations hold slaves, there is reason to believe that such sales are not unfrequent among church members. What was done with the proceeds of the sales? Perhaps the price of one of the helpless children was deposited in the Treasury of the American Board, for the purpose of educating heathen youth -or given to the Bible Society to carry the words of salvation to the foreign heathen, when in all human probability, not a single Bible was allowed to be read on the whole plantation. What would an enlightened heathen think should he see Jesus Christ thus selling his fellow beings in the New Orleans market? Or should he hear an expounder of the Christian faith showing from the Bible, that God approves of Babe-stealing and Babe-selling? What would a converted Hindoo think of a Missionary Society that should not care enough about such atrocities taking place continually in its midst, as even to pass an opinion upon them - nay, perhaps, enrol the children stealers on the list of its official and honorary members!