Press enter after choosing selection

Rambles In The West

Rambles In The West image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
June
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mr. Editor: - On board of tho Embussador, I feit quite at home; for she is one of the best boats on the river- largo and commodious, with two powerful engines, built in the most perfect manner, at an expenso of over $60,000. Hercabin ordinmg hall, social hall, and ladiea' saloon, were finished and furn'shed in splendid 6tyle, with a large piano in the ladies' saloon, for the accommodation of her pnssengers. Soon after going on board, we s'.opped to wood, at one of the wood yarda in Tennessee, and na our stop was to be a few hurs, in order to alter the machinery, the passengen ] took the opportunity of going on f hore to take an observntion of the place. There was a plantation near by, and as usual, the steward went to buy some milk and eggs, and having a strong desire to see the place, I accompanied him on his visit. This was an old log house, occupied by the mistress who owned the plantation. There were several log hovela for the si aves to stay in; I say slay n, for it could not be called living. T went ihto one of thetn, and found one family of five children almostn a state of nudiiy. They only pretended to iave one garment, and that was formerly a ;hirt, made of tow cloth ; but now ït was so worn out as only to hang in strings, and thereby only partly coveritig theír bodies. From the color and looks, I should judge that the n garment had never been taken ofFsince it was f; first put on; and I very much doubt their having any other to put on. i Such abject poverty, and 6iich squalid f ry my eyes never beheld. I went into their log hovels - they were not huts- and such a disgusting scène no pen can portray, or tongue describe. My mind shrinkg with horror from the contemplation. Aunty - as they cali all black females - invited me to sit down, pointing to an old chair, the back of which had been worn out in service, and was entirely disconnected with the remaining part. I surveyed her turniture, and there was old bedstead with a pallet of old slraw, an old quüt, so worn and dtrty, that it was altnost impossible to discover the original; and the cooking utensils were an old broken iron pot, an earthen pan, and a tin dipper; perhap? a knife and fork and spoon, although I could not discover any. Such was rhe situation of thie woman and herfive children, her husband having been sold some time before. In my conversation with her, I enquired for her master; and she told me lmassa took seven slavps and went to Texas about four years ago, and had not come back yet, leaving eight grown up slaves for his wife and three sons: and they had solc four of them since he left.' These slaves had been sold to furnish the means for them to live; and as these children grow up, they too will probably share the sanie fite. In the house of tho mistress l could discover but very Hule d Rerence bet ween herself and slaveg. The slaves cut wood for the steamboats, and the mistress and eons seli it to gel money to buy whiskey; and 'live to drink, and drink to live,' too lazy to work themselves, and have not energy or ambition to keep their slaves to work; and thus drag out a miserableexistence, uu aisease anu ueaui put an enü 10 the drama of life and misery. On sorae of the plantat.ions ihat we passed, they were hoeinc their corn, but on this plantation the ground had not been preparcd for planting. Tfthereis a curse following slavery, it is 6howing itself on many plantations to a fearful extent. One of the greatest evils, is the stupefaction, or inaction of the whites; the mind natnrally desires soinething to do- some kind of action; if it be not furnished, it seeks a stimulant in thehydra-headed monster, dissipatiun.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News