Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin
Page 60
says he belongs to Malley Bradford, living in Issaqueen County, Mississippi. The
owner of said slave is requested to come forward, prove property, pay charges, and
take him away, or he will be dealt with as the law directs.
Nov. 10--w4t. W. H. Eanes, Jailer of Shelby County.
Was committed to the jail of Shelby County, on the 30th ult., a negro woman,
who says her name is NANCY; of a bright complexion, some 20 or 21 years of
age, will weigh about one hundred and forty pounds, about five feet high, no scars,
and says she belongs to John Pittman, living in Memphis, Tenn. The owner of
said slave is requested to come forward, prove property, pay charges, and take her
away, or she will be dealt with as the law directs.
Nov. 10--w4t. W. H. Eanes, Jailer of Shelby County.
Negro property is decidedly “brisk” in this county.
Natchez (Miss.) Free Trader, November 6, 1852.
Ran away from the undersigned, on the 17th day of October, 1852, a negro man,
by the name of ALLEN, about 23 years old, near six feet high, of dark mulatto
colour; no marks, save one, and that caused by the bite of a dog; had on, when he
left, Lowell pants, and cotton shirt; reads imperfectly, can make a short calculation
correctly, and can write some few words: said negro has run away heretofore, and
when taken up was in possession of a free pass. He is quick-spoken, lively, and
smiles when in conversation.
I will give the above reward to any one who will confine said negro in any jail
so that I can get him.
Thos. R. Cheatham.
Nov. 6--3t.
Newberry Sentinel (S. C.), Nov. 17, 1852.
RANAWAY from the subscriber, on the 9th of July last, my boy WILLIAM
a bright mulatto, about 26 years old, 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, of slender make
quite intelligent, speaks quick when spoken to, and walks briskly. Said boy was
brought from Virginia and will probably attempt to get back. Any information
of said boy will be thankfully received.
John M. Mars.
Near Mollohon P. O., Newberry Dist., S. C.
Nov. 3 414t.
*Raleigh Register and Richmond Enquirer will copy four times weekly, and
send bills to this office.
Greensboro' Patriot (N. C.), Nov. 6.
RANAWAY from my service, in February, 1851, a coloured man named
EDWARD WINSLOW low, thick-set, part Indian, and a first-rate fiddler. Said
Winslow was sold out of Guilford jail, at February Court, 1851, for his prison
charges, for the term of five years. It is supposed that he is at work on the Rail-
road, somewhere in Davidson county. The above reward will be paid for his appre-
hension and confinement in the jail of Guilford, or any of the adjoining counties,
so that I get him, or for his delivery to me in the south-east corner of Guilford.
My post-office is Long's Mills, Randolph, N. C.
P. C. Smith.
October 27, 1852. 702--5w.
The New Orleans True Delta, of the 11th ult., 1853, has the
following editorial notice:
The Great Raffle of a Trotting Horse and a Negro Servant.--The
enterprising and go-a-head Col. Jennings has got a raffle under way now, which
eclipses all his previous undertakings in that line. The prizes are the celebrated
trotting-horse “Star,” buggy and harness, and a valuable negro servant--the latter
valued at nine hundred dollars. See his advertisement in another column.
The advertisement is as follows:
Respectfully informs his friends and the public, that, at the request of many of
his acquaintances, he has been induced to purchase from Mr. Osborn, of Missouri,
the celebrated dark bay horse “Star,” age five years, square trotter, and warranted
sound, with a new light trotting Buggy and Harness; also the stout mulatto girl
“Sarah,” aged about twenty years, general house-servant, valued at nine hundred
dollars, and guaranteed; will be raffled for at 4 o'clock, p. m., February 1st, at any
hotel selected by the subscribers.
The above is as represented, and those persons who may wish to engage in the
usual practice of raffling will, I assure them, be perfectly satisfied with their destiny
in this affair.
Fifteen hundred chances, at one dollar each.
The whole is valued at its just worth, fifteen hundred dollars.
The raffle will be conducted by gentlemen selected by the interested subscribers
present. Five nights allowed to complete the raffle. Both of above can be seen
at my store, No. 78 Common-street, second door from Camp, at from 9 o'clock
a. m. till half-past 2 p. m.
Highest throw takes the first choice; the lowest throw the remaining prize,
and the fortunate winners to pay Twenty Dollars each for the refreshments fur-
nished for the occasion.
Jan. 9--2w. J. Jennings.
Daily Courier (Natchez, Miss.,) Nov. 20, 1852.
THE above reward will be given for the apprehension and confinement in any
jail of the negro man HARDY, who ran away from the subscriber, residing on
Lake St. John, near Rifle Point, Concordia parish, La., on the 9th August last.
Hardy is a remarkably likely negro, entirely free from all marks, scars or
blemishes, when he left home; about six feet high, of black complexion (though
quite light), fine countenance, unusually smooth skin, good head of hair, fine eyes
and teeth.
Address the subscriber at Rifle Point, Concordia Parish, La.
Oct. 30.--1m. Robert Y. Jones.
What an unfortunate master!--lost an article entirely free from
“marks, scars, or blemishes!” Such a rarity ought to be
choice!
Savannah Daily Georgian, 6th Sept., 1852.
ABOUT three weeks ago, under suspicious circumstances, a negro woman, who
calls herself PHEBE, or PHILLIS. Says she is free, and lately from Beaufort
District, South Carolina. Said woman is about 50 years of age, stout in stature,
mild-spoken, five feet four inches high, and weighs about 140 pounds. Having
made diligent inquiry by letter, and from what I can learn, said woman is a run-
away. Any person owning said slave can get her by making application to me,
properly authenticated.
Waring Russell,
County Constable.
Savannah, Oct. 25, 1852.
Oct. 26.
RAN AWAY from Sparta, Ga., about the first of last year, my boy GEORGE.
He is a good carpenter, about 35 years; a bright mulatto, tall and quite likely.
He was brought about three years ago from St. Mary's, and had, when he ran away,
a wife there, or near there, belonging to a Mr. Holzendorff. I think he has told
me he has been about Macon also. He had, and perhaps still has, a brother in
Savannah. He is very intelligent. I will give the above reward for his confine-
ment in some jail in the State, so that I can get him. Refer, for any further
information, to Rabun and Whitehead, Savannah, Ga.
W. J. Sassnett.
Oxford, Ga., Aug. 13, 1852.
tuths3m. a17.
From these advertisements, and hundreds of similar ones, one
may learn the following things:--
1. That the arguments for the enslaving of the negro do not
apply to a large part of the actual slaves.
2. That they are not, in the estimation of their masters, ver
y
stupid.
3. That they are not remarkably contented.
4. That they have no particular reason to be so.
5. That multitudes of men claiming to be free are constantly
being sold into slavery.
In respect to the complexion of these slaves, there are some
points worthy of consideration. The writer adds the following
advertisements, published by Wm. I. Bowditch, Esq., in his
pamphlet, “Slavery and the Constitution.”
From the Richmond (Va.) Whig:--
WILL be given for the apprehension of my negro (?) Edmund Kenney. He has
straight hair, and complexion so nearly white that it is believed a stranger would
suppose there was no African blood in him. He was with my boy Dick a short
time since in Norfolk, and offered him for sale, and was apprehended, but escaped
under pretence of being a white man!
January 6, 1836. Anderson Bowles.
From the Republican Banner and Nashville Whig of July 14,
1849:--
RAN AWAY from the subscriber, on the 23rd of June last, a bright mulatto
woman, named Julia, about 25 years of age. She is of common size, nearly white,
and very likely. She is a good seamstress, and can read a little. She may attempt
to pass for white--dresses fine. She took with her Anna, her child, 8 or 9 years
old, and considerably darker than her mother...
She once belonged to a Mr. Helm, of Columbia, Tennessee.
I will give a reward of 50 dollars for said negro and child, if delivered to me or
confined in any jail in this State, so I can get them; 100 dollars if caught in any
other slave State, and confined in a jail so that I can get them; and 200 dollars if
caught in any free State, and put in any good jail in Kentucky or Tennessee, so I
can get them.
Nashville, July 9, 1849. A. W. Johnson.
The following three advertisements are taken from Alabama
papers:--
From the subscriber, working on the plantation of Col. H. Tinker, a bright
mulatto boy, named Alfred. Alfred is about 18 years old, pretty well grown, has
blue eyes, light flaxen hair, skin disposed to freckle. He will try to pass as
free-born.
Green County, Ala. S. G. Stewart.
Ran away from the subscriber, a bright mulatto man-slave, named Sam. Light,
sandy hair, blue eyes, ruddy complexion--is so white as very easily to pass for a
free white man.
Mobile, April 22, 1837. Edwin Peck.
On the 15th of May, from me, a negro woman, named Fanny. Said woman is
20 years old; is rather tall; can read and write, and so forge passes for herself.
Carried away with her a pair of ear-rings--a Bible with a red cover; is very pious.
She prays a great deal, and was, as supposed, contented and happy. She is as
white as most white women, with straight light hair, and blue eyes, and can pass
herself for a white woman. I will give 500 dollars for her apprehension and
delivery to me. She is very intelligent.
Tuscaloosa, May 29, 1845. John Balch.
From the Newbern (N. C.) Spectator:--
Will be given for the apprehension and delivery to me of the following slaves:--
Samuel, and Judy his wife, with their four children, belonging to my estate of
Sacker Dubberly, deceased.
I will give 10 dollars for the apprehension of William Dubberly, a slave belonging
to the estate. William is about 19 years old, quite white, and would not readily be
taken for a slave.
John J. Lane.
March 13, 1837.
The next two advertisements we cut from the New Orleans
Picayune of Sept. 2, 1846:--
Ran away from the plantation of Madame Fergus Duplantier, on or about the
27th of June, 1846, a bright mulatto, named Ned, very stout built, about 5 feet 11
inches high, speaks English and French, about 35 years old, waddles in his walk.
He may try to pass himself for a white man, as he is of a very clear colour, and has
sandy hair. The above reward will be paid to whoever will bring him to Madame
Duplantier's plantation, Manchac, or lodge him in some jail where he can be con-
veniently obtained.
Ran away from the subscriber, last November, a white negro man, about 35 years
old, height about 5 feet 8 or 10 inches, blue eyes, has a yellow woolly head, very
fair skin.
These are the characteristics of three races. The copper-
coloured complexion shows the Indian blood. The others are
the mixed races of negroes and whites. It is known that the
poor remains of Indian races have been in many cases forced into
slavery. It is no less certain that white children have sometimes
been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Rev. George Bourne, of
Virginia, Presbyterian minister, who wrote against slavery there
as early as 1816, gives an account of a boy who was stolen from
his parents at seven years of age, immersed in a tan-vat to
change his complexion, tattooed and sold, and, after a captivity
of fourteen years, succeeded in escaping. The tanning process
is not necessary now, as a fair skin is no presumption against
slavery. There is reason to think that the grandmother of poor
Emily Russell was a white child, stolen by kidnappers. That
kidnappers may steal and sell white children at the South now,
is evident from these advertisements.
The writer, within a week, has seen a fugitive quadroon
mother, who had with her two children--a boy of ten months,
and a girl of three years. Both were surpassingly fair, and
uncommonly beautiful. The girl had blue eyes and golden hair.
The mother and those children were about to be sold for the
division of an estate, which was the reason why she fled. When
the mind once becomes familiarized with the process of slavery--
of enslaving first black, then Indian, then mulatto, then quadroon,
and when blue eyes and golden hair are advertised as properties
of negroes--what protection will there be for poor white people,
especially as under the present fugitive law they can can be
carried away without a jury trial?
A Governor of South Carolina openly declared, in 1835, that
the labouring population of any country, bleached or unbleached,
were a dangerous element, unless reduced to slavery. Will not
this be the result, then?
CHAPTER X.
“POOR WHITE TRASH.”
When the public sentiment of Europe speaks in tones of
indignation of the system of American slavery, the common
reply has been, “Look at your own lower classes.” The apolo-
gists of slavery have pointed England to her own poor. They
have spoken of the heathenish ignorance, the vice, the darkness,
of her crowded cities--nay, even of her agricultural districts.
Now, in the first place, a country where the population is not
crowded, where the resources of the soil are more than sufficient
for the inhabitants--a country of recent origin, not burdened
with the worn-out institutions and clumsy lumber of past ages,
ought not to be satisfied to do only as well as countries which
have to struggle against all these evils.
It is a poor defence for America to say to older countries,
“We are no wor
se than you are.” She ought to be infinitely
better.
But it will appear that the institution of slavery has produced
not only heathenish, degraded, miserable slaves, but it produces
a class of white people who are, by universal admission, more
heathenish, degraded, and miserable. The institution of slavery
has accomplished the double feat, in America, not only of
degrading and brutalising her black working classes, but of
producing, notwithstanding a fertile soil, and abundant room, a
poor white population as degraded and brutal as ever existed in
any of the most crowded districts of Europe.
The way that it is done can be made apparent in a few words.
1. The distribution of the land into large plantations, and the
consequent sparseness of settlement, make any system of
common school education impracticable. 2. The same cause
operates with regard to the preaching of the Gospel. 3. The
degradation of the idea of labour, which results inevitably from
enslaving the working class, operates to a great extent in
preventing respectable working men of the middling classes
from settling or remaining in slave States. Where carpenters,
blacksmiths, and masons, are advertised every week with their
own tools, or in company with horses, hogs, and other cattle,
there is necessarily such an estimate of the labouring class
that intelligent, self-respecting mechanics, such as abound in
the free States, must find much that is annoying and disagree-
able. They may endure it for a time, but with much uneasiness;
and they are glad of the first opportunity of emigration.
Then, again, the filling up of all branches of mechanics and
agriculture with slave-labour necessarily depresses free labour.
Suppose, now, a family of poor whites in Carolina or Virginia,
and the same family in Vermont or Maine; how different the