Press enter after choosing selection

Slave Dealing In New Orleans--an Auction

Slave Dealing In New Orleans--an Auction image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
April
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Nku Oulkans, Jan. 20, 1846. Mr. Greely - A trían may bo no Abolitionist ; 1 am not one ; be iriay think but Huleo tiie subject of slavery ; il bas never troubled me onc way or the otlier; but let bitn stand on the marblc floor of tbc City Exchange, let hiin cast bis eyes above lo the lofty dome, viier,p lio seos t Ite .porl rails -of tlie President of ibis frec republie ! let biin inarU llio records of ibe glprJaus bailiesof the Revulution ; l.et bini nutici: lbo l'kigle of Liberty, and all ibe emblems of lndepeudenca, Frecdom. and ibe Rights of man ; let bim muse on tbc thoughts lliey awaken ; aud tliejj behol'i tlie a-olualitn s ot' lifearwuiul biin. - Suddciily tlio sharp rap of tlie aucikmeer's bamnier si a riles biai, and tbc loud striking of tbe liour of iwt-hi', wil! divort bis attentiop lo tbe tbrong of men aipund h i in, and tbe appearance of tbree or Ibur men ou raiüctl stands, in diü'ereut paris of ihe UUnadu,who are calling tbe allenlion of these aro tri: ei, ut ike amo time uurolling a handbill which t'be stranger bas nbticcd ii) ilie most coiispicuous places of the city, prinièd in Frencli and Englisli, annnouncmg tbe salef a lot of fine likely slaves; út ibe sanie tune be pbserves Xlaps of re:l estáte spread out, every tbinr, in facf, nrouiiu liiui, iJeüo.mg ','a busy ruarr, where meiri -ilo eungregate," as il r'ëally i. Tlió auctióheer ran.lt ing ibe móet-noíse altraets bis olteiiiion first - jöihing the orowd in front of tbe .stand be observes 12 lo 15 negroos of all ages and sex, standing in a line, to the left of tbe auctionecr ; they are comforlabl)r, and some of tbem ncatly dresscfl, particularly the woiuep, witii ilieir yellow Madras bandkeiebiefs tieti round their hcads,and tbeir bright, showy dre&ses - bul tiiey have a look t brtt .irresistib'I y -causes líiiii to tliink back for a comparïson to the objects before him, and it seems strangc that it sihouldbriivg to mind some maiketor field where he has sometióles scen cattle oHere(i for sfí.]p., .whose KacJdooed Joök seemed to for!)ode some evïl tO'them ■; but the anuv.aliíook is somewhat redeemed by the smiles and piays of the iue 3icuniniis. who seeiw to wonder why they are theie, with so inaay men .looktng at áhem. - ííov-lor business. 'Maria, step up bece. There, gentlemen, is a fine, likely wench,aged twonly Qve : she is wnrranted healthy and sound, with the exeeption ofa-slight lamencss in the left leg which does not damage her at all. Step down, Maria, and walk.' The wonaan gets down.and steps oifciglit or ten paces and turn?, with a slight 'li:np, evident with sotnc pain, but doing her best to conceal her defect of gait. - The auehonecr is a Frenchman, and announces evcry thing aiternatcly in Frendi and English. "Now, gentlemen, whatisbid'? she is wnrranied- 'elle est guarantie'- andsold by a very respectable Citizen. Two liundred and fifiy dollari;, deux cent et cinquantie dollars; w!iy,gentlcinen,what do you mean ? get down, Maria, and walk a Jitíle inore.; two hundred and seventy-five, deu cent et soixante et quinze, tbree hundred, troix cenl - go on, gentlemen! $'325 - trois cent et v'igut cinq, once ! twiceJ ah! 3;")0 - trois cent etcinquante; une fois! deun foix ! going! gone ! lor $350. A great ,bargain, gentlemen." My attention is called lo the opposile sido of the room : 'Ilere, gentlemen i.s a likely littleorphan yellowgirl six yoars old - what is bid! coinbien! Thirty-five dollars, trente einq, 50, oinquante dollars- thank you.' Finally bhc is kr.ocked down at 75 dollars. Why, there is a whole family on that other stand ; Iet us sec ihem. "There, gentlemen, is a fine lot : Willy, aged 35,au expert boy, a good carpenter, brickmaker, drivcr, u (act cnn do any thiug. 'il faut lairo tuut.' Ilis wil o I.etty, ia ■V-) - eau was!), cook, vftit uu lli'e tab!1, ai 1 make heráclf generally use ful ; aJáO tlieir boy George, (ive years oíd : yon wilt observe, gentlemen, thnt Uelty 'et enciente.' Now what is biil fdí thi.s vnluablo fatnily?' fitter a lively eoinpelitioti tfiey are bid olí', l,550J iho wliolc larnily. As I have beíure remnrked, every lliing is dono u Frcncli and lMiglish ; even the negroes speak botli languages. I saw ono poor oíd negro, about 60 year.s oíd, put up, but wiilidrawn, asonly $2Ú0 woro bid for him. Wbilc waiting to be solJ they nrc examined nnd questioned by tlie purebasfirs. One yoyng girl, about 1G or 18 was being nspected by an elderly, stern, sharp-eyéd, boic-jockey looking man, whosported bisgold-cbaius, diamond pin ruHe., nndcaiie: 'ílow oíd ace youl' 1 dou't know, sir.' Do you know liow to eat?' Every body does that,' slio replied sullenly. Passing up the Esplanade next uiorning, (Sundny,) I saw stniio -1Í) or Gü very fine looking negroes, all noatly di-essed, standing on a. boncli dircctly in front of tl building wbich I took to bc a meeting or school-ÍKKise ; walking by a genleel looking man bteppcd up and asked me f l wishcd lo buy a likcly boy or girl. - Telling biin I was a slranger, and asking information, be told me it was (jiic ofílte sluvo inaHvCttilhnt tbey slood thero lor examinntlon, and tbat be bad süid fiAy tbousand dollars vortb, and sent tbeju oirthat morning. The iibovc factsare some of the singular features, (loa Norlberner,) of this remarkablö [)lace, and 1 assure you lbat l "nolbing extenúate or set down inught iu fnalbe."