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Slavery As It Is

Slavery As It Is image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
February
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We find tlio lbllowing letter of Dr. Harvey of this county, published in the Pennsylvania Freeman of last week: Cmadd's Ford, Dec. 25, 1846. Dcar Sir - Myself and tvvo others lately visited the eastern part of Virginia to sce the chenp lands much talked of now in agricuhural articles, and there saw a slavo auction. My friends were not ubulitonists before, and pitied my credulity when I told themthe horrors of Slavery; hut one week in the Old Dominion has added twostauneh adherentsto our cause. I wish every pro-slavery man and woman in the North could witness one slave auction. We attended a sale of land and other property near Petersburg, and unexpectedly saw slaves sold at public auction. - The slaves were told -that they would not be sold and were collected in front of the quarters, gazing on the assembled multiude. The land being sold, tho auctioner's loud voice was heard, " bring up ie niggcrs." A shade of astonishment nd affright passed over their faces, as hey stared first al each and then at the rowdof purchasers, vvhose 8lterition was now directed to them. When the horrible truth was revealed to their minds that they were to be sold, and nearest relations and dearest friends parted forever, the effect was indescribably agonizing. Women snatched up their babes and ran screaming into the huts. Children hid behind ihe huls nnd trees, and the men stood in mute despair. The auctioneer stood on the pórtico of the house, and the ' men and boys ' were ranged in the yard for inspection. It was announced that no warranty of soundness wasgiven, and purchasers must examine for themselves. A few old men were sold at prices from $13, to S25, and it was painful to see old men bowed wiih years of toil and suffering, stand up to be the jcst of brutal tyrants, and to hear them teil of their disense and worthlessness, fearing that they would be bought by traders for the southern market. A white boy about 12 years old, was placed on the stand. His hair was brown and straight ; his skin exactly the same hue as other white persons, and no discoverable trace of negro features in his countenance. Some coarse and vulgar jeats were pnssed on his color, and 85,00 was bic for him, but the auctioneer said "thal it was not enoughto begin on for such a likely young nigger!" Sevoral remarked that they " would not have him as a giít." Some said a white nigger was rnore trouble than he was worth. One man said it was wrong to sell white people. I asked him if it was more wrong than to sell black people. He made no reply. Before he was sold, his mother rushed from the house upon the pórtico, crying in frantic grief, " My son, ho, my boy, they will take away my dear .' Her voice was lost, as she was rudelj pushed back and the door closed. The sale was not for a moment interrupted and none of the crowd of ruthless fyranti appeared to be in the least degree afTectcc by the scène. The poor boy, afraid to cry before so mnny strangers, who show ed no signs of sympathy or pity, trem bied and wiped the tears from his cheeks with his sleeves. He was sold fur abou $250. The monsters who toro this chile from his mother would sell yourchild ant mine if they had the power. During the sale, ihe quarters resounded with crie and lamentations that made my hear ache. A woman was nexl called b1 name. She gave her infant one wild em brace before leaving it with an old wo man, and hastened mechanically to obe) the cali, but stopped, threw her arm aloft, screamed, and was unable to move One of my compar.ions, touched my shoulder and said, "come let us leav here, I can bear nomore." Weleft th ground. The men who drove our car riage from Petersburgh had two sons wh belonged to the estáte - small boys. II obtiined a promise that they should not be sold. He was asked if they were his only children. He answered, all that's left of eight. Three others have been sold to the South, and he wo-jld never see or henr from them again. As northern people do not see such things, they should hear of them often enough to keep them awake to the sufferings of the victims of their indiflerence. Very respcctfully, your friend,

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News