out, and praying his master to BEGIN AT THE OTHER END! He admonished them again, throwing the legs into the fire! Then above the knees, tossing the joints into the fire! He again lectured them at leisure. The next stroke severed the thighs from the body. These were also committed to the flames. And so off the arms, head, and trunk, until all was in the fire! Still protracting the intervals with lectures, and threatenings of like punishment, in case of disobedience, and running away, or disclosure of this tragedy. Nothing now remained but to consume the flesh and bones; and for this purpose the fire was briskly stirred, until two hours after midnight, when, as though the earth would cover out of sight the nefarious scene, and as though the great Master in Heaven would put a mark of his displeasure upon such monstrous cruelty, a sudden and surprising shock of earthquake overturned the coarse and heavy back wall, composed of rock and clay, which completely covered the fire, and the remains of George. This put an end to the amusements of the evening. The negroes were now permitted to disperse, with charges to keep this matter among themselves, and never to whisper it in the neighborhood, under the penalty of a like punishment. When he retired, the lady exclaimed, 'Oh! Mr. Lewis, where have you been and what have you done!" She had heard a strange pounding, and dreadful screams, and had smelled something like fresh meat burning! He said that he had never enjoyed himself at a ball so well as he had enjoyed himself that evening. Next morning he ordered the negroes to rebuild the back wall, and he himself superintended the work, throwing the pieces of flesh that still remained with the bones, behind as it went up, thus hoping to conceal the matter. But it could not be hid-much as the negroes seemed to hazard, they whispered the horrid deed to the neighbors, who came and before his eyes tore down the wall, and finding the remains of the boy, they testified against him. But before the court sat, to which he was bound over, he was, by an act of suicide, with George, in the eternal world.

"Sure there are bolts, red with no common wrath, to blast the man.

"WILLIAM DICKEY.

"N. B. This happened in 1811, if I be correct, the 16th of December. It was the Sabbath!"

Though the dreadful wretch was taken up on suspicion, and bound over to court, yet, I apprehend, there was little probability of his actually falling under the sentence of the law. He might have eventually so managed the matter as to make the sentence fall upon the heads of his slaves.

This apprehension is rendered very probable by the fact that the populace actually let him out of prison, in order to screen him from justice. Letters on Slavery.

DISCUSSION IN LANE SEMINARY, FEBRUARY, 1834.

Ought the slaveholding states to abolish slavery immediately?

A member from Alabama, speaking of the cruelties practised upon the slaves, said-"At our house it is so common to hear their screams from a neighboring plantation, that we think nothing of it. The overseer of this plantation told me one day, he laid a young woman over a log, and beat her so severely that she was soon after delivered of a dead child. A bricklayer, a neighbor of ours, owned a very smart young negro man, who ran away; but was caught. When his master got him home, he stripped him naked, tied him up by his hands, in plain sight and hearing of the academy and the public green, so high that his feet could not touch the ground; then tied them together, and put a long board between his legs to keep him steady. After preparing him in this way, he took a paddle, bored it full of holes, and commenced beating him with it. He continued it leisurely all day. At night his flesh was literally pounded to a jelly. It was two weeks before he was able to walk. No one took any notice of it. No one thought any wrong was done."

He stated many more facts of a similar kind. It will be recollected that he was

(* The unusual continued intense heat might cause the falling of an old frozen wall, which the ignorant negroes would of course ascribe to supernatural agency.1

attempting to give a fair expose of slavery. "And (said he) lest any one should think that in general the slaves are well treated, and these are the exceptions, let me be distinctly understood :-Cruelty is the rule, and kindness the exception."

This was assented to and corroborated by all from the slaveholding states. And to show its truth, I will here introduce a few facts, as related by individuals from different parts of the country.

Mr., from Kentucky, who came here a colonizationist and a slaveholder, but has since turned abolitionist and emancipated his slaves, said--"Cruelties are so common, I hardly know what to relate. But one fact occurs to me just at this time that happened in the village where I live. The circumstances are these. A colored man, a slave, ran away. As he was crossing Kentucky river, a white man, who suspected him, attempted to stop him. The negro resisted. The white man procured help, and finally succeeded in securing him. He then wreaked his vengeance on him for resisting-flogging him till he was not able to walk. They then put him on a horse, and came on with him ten miles to Nicholasville. When they entered the village, it was noticed that he sat upon his horse like a drunken man. It was a very hot day; and whilst they were taking some refreshment, the negro sat down upon the ground under the shade. When they ordered him to go, he made several efforts before he could get up; and when he attempted to mount the horse, his strength was entirely insufficient. One of the men struck him, and with an oath ordered him to get on the horse without any more fuss. The negro staggered back a few steps, fell down, and died. I do not know as any notice was ever taken of it."

Mr., of Virginia, amongst others, related the following:- "I frequently saw the mistress of the family beat the woman who performed the kitchen work, with a stick two feet and a half long, and nearly as thick as my wrist; striking her over the head, and across the small of the back, as she was bent over at her work, with as much spite as you would a snake, and for what I should consider no offence at all. There lived in this same family a young man, a slave, who was in the habit of running away. He returned one time after a week's absence. The master took him into the barn, stripped him entirely naked, tied him up by his hands so high that he could not reach the floor, tied his feet together, and put a small rail between his legs, so that he could not avoid the blows, and commenced whipping him. He told me that he gave him five hundred lashes. At any rate, he was covered with wounds from head to foot. Not a place as big as my hand but what was cut. Such things as these are perfectly common all over Virginia; at least so far as I am acquamted. Generally, planters avoid punishing their slaves before strangers."

Mr., of Missouri, amongst others, related the following:-"A young woman who was generally very badly treated, after receiving a more severe whipping than usual, ran away. In a few days she came back, and was sent into the field to work. At this time, the garment next her skin was stiff like a scab, from the running of the sores made by the whipping. Towards night, she told her master that she was sick, and wished to go to the house. She went; and as soon as she reached it, laid down on the floor exhausted. The mistress asked her what the matter was? She made no reply. She asked again; but received no answer. 'I'll see,' said she, if I can't make you speak. So taking the tongs, she heated them red hot, and put them upon the bottoms of her feet; then upon her legs and body; and, finally, in a rage, took hold of her throat. This had the desired effect. The poor girl faintly whispered, "Oh, missee, don't-I am most gone;' and expired." We want no other commentary on the state of feeling in that community than this. The woman yet lives there, and owns slaves.

I am aware that it will be said, this is not a fair picture of slavery. But, sir, if I can judge from the conversation of gentlemen who have lived and been brought up amongst it, or from the testimony of respectable emancipated negroes, I know the picture has never yet been presented to the public, in all its ugliness. Such facts as these are as common to them as household affairs; and so common are they in the community where they occur, that little notice is taken of them. They produce no effect upon the public heart. They enlist no sympathy. They call up no pity. I do not mean to say, that every individual slaveholder treats his slaves cruelly. I know that there are exceptions. But it will be readily admitted by all, that the system of slavery tolerates it, and that the slave has no security, and can have no redress. AUGUSTUS WATTLES.

SEPARATION OF A FAMILY.

Another painful case occurred not very long since in this county. A widow lady, having a female slave with two children, was about removing from this county to Alabama. The husband of the colored woman, himself a slave, likewise lived in this county. Both master and mistress, and their two slaves, were professors of religion, members of the same identical church, and that a Presbyterian church. The widow lady applied to her church session for a certificate of her good standing. The session felt it would be wrong to grant her request, unless she would make such arrangements as not to separate husband and wife, parents and children. The pastor of the church and others interested themselves in the case; and the owner of the black man offered to give what was thought a reasonable price for his wife and two children. The widow lady, on being applied to, to accede to this proposition, refused; and when her Christian sympathies were appealed to, she replied, that her friends need not trouble themselves about her concerns, she could attend to her own business while she had her senses, &c. Shortly after, she sold her black woman to a most wicked man, the keeper of a grog-shop, and with the children, (the youngest of whom was but eleven months old, torn from the breast,) moved out of the country; leaving husband and wife together, but separating parents and children. She was of course suspended from the church. It was said that the purchaser of the woman agreed, when he bought her, not to sell her again without her consent. However this may be, an opportunity offered a few weeks after, and he sold her to be carried to a far country. Her husband, overwhelmed with grief, followed her the first evening after her departure, and asked leave to spend the night with her. Even that favor her inhuinan master utterly refused. And as the disconsolate husband stood without, his ears were saluted with the infernal voice of the tyrant, Chain her down! CHAIN HER DOWN!! The poor slave now lives in this town. His narration of the bitterness of his grief is enough to melt a heart of stone. Previous to his separation from his two children, he had lost a child by death. His affliction, he says, was nothing, when compared with that of having his two living children torn from him for life. This last he thought as much as he could bear. But tenfold greater was the agony of grief, when the conjugal ties were broken for ever, and he was awakened to the painful consciousness of the fact, that his beloved wife was torn from his embraces, and carried where he should never see her more! Bereft thus of his wife and children, his only consolation is in the promises of the gospel.-Published in the Millennial Trumpeter, Maryville, Tennessee.

FLOGGING TO DEATH.

A slave in Georgia sought refuge in the swampy forest from the despotism which he could not brook, and kept himself concealed in places which a refugee slave alone would voluntarily inhabit, until the ragings of hunger overcame him, and he crept back to the plantation.

The overseer received him with wrath, and regardless of his anguish and his entreaties, securing him with cords, flogged him without pity. The underling's arm grew weary-at length the tortured slave was writhing in his blood. Just then came in the master. He seized the lash, and pursued the outrage. "Pray, Massa," feebly screamed the perishing slave. What was prayer to the slavemaster? Uncurbed despotism was afloat-who can utter its horrors? The sufferer's cries became more and more feeble, even the convulsions of his quivering flesh subsided-he felt no more; but the tyrant was inflamed with new rage at the passiveness of his object, and swore and drove the lash with more vengeful nerve; but in vain. The spirit had returned to Him who gave it-the voice was silent, and

the flesh was dead.

The cause was tried in Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia. I had the account from a public officer, who was engaged in the trial. A white man having been present, the facts as above stated were proved. But the jury and the judge, as well as the murderer, were slaveholders. -The law was without difficulty evaded; and the murderer walks abroad without stain, glorying in the freedom of his country!

AMALGAMATION.

A kind slave-master, in one of the Carolinas, had a large family of various colors, some enslaved, some free. One of the slaves was his favorite daughter; she grew

up beautiful, elegant, and much accomplished. Dying, he willed his heir, her brother, to provide for her handsomely, and make her free. But her brother was a slave-master, and she was a slave. He kept and debauched her. It would be unlawful even to speak of such things, were it not taking the part of tyrants to conceal them. At the end of four or five years he got tired of her, and that notorious slave-dealer, Woolfolk, coming down to collect a drove, he sold his sister to him. "There is her cottage," said he to Woolfolk; "she is a violent woman. I don't like to go near her; go and carry her off by yourself." Woolfolk strode into the cottage, told her the fact, and ordered her to prepare. She was dreadfully agitated. He urged her to hasten. She rose and said, "White man, I don't believe you. I don't believe that my brother would thus sell me and his children. I will not believe unless he come himself." Woolfolk coolly went and required her brother's presence. The seducer, the tyrant, came, and, standing at the door, confirmed the slave-dealer's report. "And is it true? and have you indeed sold me?" she exclaimed, "is it really possible? Look at this child; don't you see in every feature the lineaments of its father; don't you know that your blood flows in its veins have you have you sold me?" The terrible fact was repeated by her master. "These children," she said, with a voice only half articulate, "never shall be slaves." "Never mind about that," said Woolfolk, "go and get ready; I shall only wait a few minutes longer." She retired with her children; the two white men continued alone; they waited-she returned not: they grew tired of waiting, and followed her to her chamber; there they found their victims beyond the reach of human wickedness, bedded in their blood. CHARLES STUART.

LETTER TO MR. TAPPAN.

From Mississippi.-I have studied the state of things here now for years, coolly and deliberately, as I was passing by a cotton field, where about fifty negroes were at work, I heard the driver with a rough oath, order one that was near him, who seemed to be laboring to the extent of his power, to "lie down." In a moment he was obeyed; and he commenced whipping the offender upon his naked back, and continued to the amount of about twenty lashes, with a heavy raw-hide whip, the crack of which might have been heard more than half a mile. Nor did the females escape. For although I stopped scarcely fifteen minutes, no less then three were whipped in the same manner; and that so severely, I was strongly inclined to interfere.

You may be assured, sir, that I remained not unmoved. I could no longer look on such cruelty; but turned away and rode on while the echoes of the lash were reverberating in the woods around me. Such scenes have long since become familiar to

me.

But then the full effect was not lost; and I shall never forget to my latest day, the mingled feelings of pity, horror, and indignation, that took possession of my mind. I involuntarily exclaimed, O God of my fathers! how dost thou permit such things to defile our land! be merciful to us! and visit us not in justice for all our iniquities and the iniquities of our fathers!

As I passed on I soon found that I had escaped from one horrible scene only to witness another. A planter with whom I was well acquainted, had caught a negro • without a pass. And at the moment I was passing by, he was in the act of fasten

ing his feet and hands to the trees, having previously made him take off all his

clothing except his trowsers. When secured this poor creature, he beat him for several minutes with a green switch more than six feet long: while he was writhing with anguish, endeavoring in vain to break the cords with which he was bound, and incessantly crying out, Lord, master! Do pardon me this time! Do, master, have mercy! These expressions have recurred to me a thousand times since, and although they came from one, that is not considered among the sons of men, yet I think they are well worthy of remembrance, as they might lead a wise man to consider whether such shall receive mercy from the righteous Judge, as never showed mercy to their fellow men.

At length I arrived at the dwelling of a planter of my acquaintance with whom I passed the night. At about eight o'clock in the evening I heard the barking of several dogs, mingled with the most agonizing cries that I ever heard from any human being. Soon after, the gentleman came in, and began to apologize, by saying that two of his runaway slaves had just been brought home, and as he had previously tried every species of punishment upon them without effect, he knew not what else to add except to set his bloodhounds upon them. "And," continued he, "one of them has been so badly bitten that he has been trying to die. I am only sorry that he did not; for then I should not have been further troubled with him. If he lives, I intend to send him to Natchez or to New Orleans to work with the ball and chain."

From this last remark I understood that private individuals have the right of thus subjecting their unmanageable slaves. I have since seen numbers of these "ball and chain" men, both in Natchez and New Orleans, but I do not know whether there were any among them except the state convicts.

As the summer was drawing towards a close, and the yellow fever beginning to prevail in town, I went to reside some months in the country. This was the cotton picking season, during which the planters say, there is a greater necessity for flogging than at any other time. And I can assure you that as I have set in my window night after night while the cotton was being weighed, I have heard the crack of the whip, without much intermission, for a whole hour, from no less than three plantations, some of which were a full mile distant.

I found that the slaves were kept in the field from daylight until dark, and then if they had not gathered, what the master or overseer thought sufficient, they were subjected to the lash.

Many, by such treatment; are induced to run away and take up their lodging in the woods. I do not say that all who run away are thus closely pressed. But I do know that many are; and I have known no less than a dozen desert at a time from the same plantation, in consequence of the overseer's forcing them to work to the extent of their power, and then whipping them for not having done more.

But suppose that they run away-what is to become of them in the forest? If they cannot steal, they must perish of hunger-if the nights are cold, their feet will be frozen; for if they make a fire they may be discovered, and be shot at. If they attempt to leave the country, their chance of success is about nothing. They must return, be whipped-if old offenders, wear the collar, perhaps be branded, and fare worse than before.

Do you believe it, sir, not six months since, I saw a number of my Christian neighbors, packing up provisions, as I supposed, for a deer hunt; but as I was about offering myself to the party, I learned that their powder and balls were destined to a very different purpose; it was, in short, the design of the party to bring home a number of runaway slaves, or to shoot them if they should not be able to get possession of them in any other way.

You will ask, is not this murder? Call it, sir, by what name you please, such are the facts-many are shot every year; and that too while the masters say they treat their slaves well.

But let me turn your attention to another species of cruelty. About a year since, I knew a certain slave who had deserted his master, to be caught and for the first night fastened in the stocks. In those same stocks from which at midnight I have heard cries of distress, while the master slept, and was dreaming perhaps of drinking wine and of discussing the price of cotton. On the next morning he was chained in an immoveable posture, and branded in both cheeks, with red hot stamps of iron. Such are the tender mercies of men who love wealth, and are determined to obtain it at any price.

Suffer me to add another to the list of enormities, and I will not offend you with

more.

There was, some time since, brought to trial in this town, a planter residing about fifteen miles distant, for whipping his slave to death. You will suppose of course that he was punished. No, sir, he was acquitted, although there could be no doubt of the fact. I heard the tale of murder from a man who was acquainted with all the circumstances. "I was," said he, "passing along the road near the burying ground of the plantation, about nine o'clock at night, when I saw several lights gleaming through the woods and as I approached, in order to see what was doing, I beheld the coroner of Natchez with a number of men, standing around the body of a young female, which by the torches seemed almost perfectly white. On inquiry I learned that the master had so unmercifully beaten this girl that she died under the opera