SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 253 



this day in any one of her district school houses, one 

 single book calculated to teach their children how to cul- 

 tivate the soil? No! for they think that it would be 

 "book farming." The father thinks no one ever knew so 

 much about farming as himself, and the son never con- 

 ceived the idea that there was any art to learn, nor that 

 any other person besides father could ever teach him 

 anything about it. "Learn farming in school! Ha, ha! 

 who ever heard of such a thing." 



If Connecticut had nothing but her soil to depend upon 

 to insure her prosperity, her citizens would have to learn 

 agricultural improvement, or her people would them- 

 selves deteriorate. But let us rest a month, and then, by 

 your leave, I will continue my trip to Boston. 



July 10th, 1849. SoLON Robinson. 



Negro Slavery at the South. 



[De Bow's Review, 7:206-25, 379-89; Sep. and Nov., 1849] 



[August ?, 1849] 



EARLY HISTORY OF NEGRO SLAVERY; SLAVERY IN THE 

 states; THE BIBLE QUESTION OF SLAVERY; PHYSICAL 

 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEGRO ; SAFETY OF THE SLAVE 

 INSTITUTION ; FIDELITY OF NEGRO SLAVES ; SLAVERY COM- 

 PARED WITH ENGLISH POOR LABOR; MISERY OF BRITISH 

 OPERATIVES, ETC.^ 



I would premise, that my object is neither to advocate 

 slavery or its abolition ; but rather to give a plain narra- 



^ Robinson's article on slavery was introduced as follows: "Com- 

 ing from the pen of a northern man, born and educated amid influ- 

 ences in the highest degree obnoxous to our institutions and policy, 

 it has a peculiar value. The author has read almost every thing 

 published upon the subject, and availed himself of the light afforded 

 in one general acknowledgment. He has also traveled extensively 

 at the South . . . and proved himself in most respects an accurate 

 observer and faithful witness. In a periodical like ours, it is im- 

 portant to give full and particular information in regard to the 

 institution of slavery, so important, as it is, in the destinies of 

 nearly half the States of the Union." 



