QL\)C iTarmcr's ittontl)li) Visitor. 



Ill 



tliat the Secretary lie directed to coninmnicate to 

 Gov. Hill a copy of this resolution. 



Well, the resolution after nil might be some 

 relief to the weakness of a nervous man, none 

 the lets vniti for having performed in the foin- 

 first days of the week a lahor and encountered in 

 the siitnc time such fati<;ue and exposure as might 

 make a well man sick. 



Willi the disorder upon us which has hundreds 

 of limes in the last five years put heallhy respi- 

 ration at defiance, it might be supposed we 

 " breathed (Veer and easier" after completing the 

 labors nf a day succeeding a night without rest. 

 We look up the courage and rcsolulion, instead 

 of reUirning lioirie, to pursue our journey farther ; 

 and the seipiel brought us to a view of the pro- 

 ducts and beauties of one of the finest seasons 

 within our recolleciion, ill a country unsurpassed 

 in the mngnificence and exuberance of iis hills 

 and lowlands, in the grandeur of its rocks and 

 mounlains, ihc beauty of its lakes and winding 

 streams, or by the intelligence and morals of its 

 iiihabitnnls. Our course was across Vermont to 

 near lake Cham|)Iain, visiting several of ihe Can- 

 ada townships both se\iled and wild— over to the 

 line of New Hampshire, and from the Connecti- 

 cut lake beyond the 45th degree of north latitude 

 sixty miles down to the point of former examina- 

 tion. 



Hoping to be able to present further impres- 

 sions made in this journey in the next Visitor, 

 fur this time at a late hour we dismiss our own 

 crude ideas to give cxtracis of more interest from 

 the belter experience and knowledge of others. 



05^ We extract the following from the Con- 

 gregational Journal of July 29, 1847. The Itev. 

 Mr. Sawtell, the writer, is the son of an old ac- 

 quaintance of our boyhood at Amherst, Maj. Eli 

 Sawtell, late of Brookline. The son we had nev- 

 er seen until we met him in the city of New Or- 

 leans in the winter of 1845. A friend at that 

 time invited for an evening visit the Rev. Dr. 

 Scott, the eloquent pastor of the first Presbyte- 

 rian church at New Orleans, together with the 

 Rev. Mr. Sawtell. Mr. Sawtell then gave ns his 

 history in part as having earned and paid one 

 hundred dollars for ihe unexpired term of his 

 apprenticeship to a shoemaker in Hollis for the 

 pur|)ose of obtaining a college education. We 

 foun<l his residence in Europe and extended ac- 

 quaintance had greatly divested him of that ex- 

 clusiveness if not (irejudice entertained by many 

 theologians who perhaps innocenily have receiv- 

 ed the impression that the whole world has the 

 deepest interest in the peculiar notions elicited 

 from some peculiar religious dogmas. The in- 

 terview of that evening, was to us highly inter- 

 esting as with clergymen, as enierlaining alto- 

 gether lessened apprehensions of the evils of 

 slavery in that part of the country where its ex- 

 istence exciles most concern in the country of its 

 non-existence. Mr. Sawtell presents his views 

 in strong language after having had tlie experi- 

 ence of years among the slaves of the South. 

 His impressions confirm all ihe ideas we had en- 

 tertained from a shorter time spent in that coun- 

 try ; and having heretofore in sketches of the su- 

 gar and cotton cultivation of the south said some- 

 thing upon the relations subsisting between mas- 

 ter and slave, we now add the communication 

 of iMr. Sawtell, which, we hope may interest and 

 gratify olhers as it has us. — Ed. Visitor. 

 From the Congregational Journal. 

 Facts Respecting Slavery at the South. 

 A'eio Orleans, 1847. 



Mb. EniToR : Will you permit me through the 



columns of your fiaper, to address a few lines to 

 my numerous friends at the North, on one of the 

 most delicate and exciting ([uestions of ilie day ? 

 What 1 have to say shall be said kindly. 



On a question of such magnitude as slavery — 

 involving as il does the interests of millions, and 

 it may he, the desiiny of two continents, 1 should 

 not presume to lift a pen, were it not that my op- 

 portunities of a pirsonal and intimale acipiainl- 

 ance with the subject have been somewhat pecu- 

 liar. 



Being a native of New England, and imbibing 

 as I dill at an early age, an utter abhorrence of 

 the system — residing afierwards nearly twenty 

 years in difterent slave Slates — travelling lie- 

 queiilly and exten.sively in every State in ihe 

 Union, where slavery exists — addressing large 

 and popular as.semhiies of both colors — aiding in 

 the proinolioii ol Sabbath schools and Bible class- 

 es among the blacks — conversing freely with 

 inasier and slavi', respecting the relation they 

 Bustnin to each oihir, and the feelings of mutual 

 dependence and atlachmenls between them — to- 

 gether with seven years residence abroad, lisleii- 

 ing to the most exciting debates on the snhjecl 

 ill Exeter Hall, London, and elsewhere — and now 

 a resident of New York, where every variety of 

 opinion is freely discussed — and, though last not 

 least, never having had any pecuniary inleresls 

 whatever involved in Ihe question, may perhaps 

 entitle my remarks to as much consideration as 

 those of many others, who have never travelled 

 south of Mason and Dixon's line. 



The object of this letter is simply to correct 

 some erroneous impressions, as to the real cliar- 

 acier of slavery in Ibis country. 



The prevailing impression at the Novlh is, that 

 the cruel treatment of the slave, and his conse- 

 quent sufferings are such, as lo <leinand his im- 

 mediate and unconditional emancipalio'i. This 

 is one of the most cogent reasons urged, why we 

 should lake no lime to consult the future good 

 and interests, cither of the master or the slave. 

 And to deepen the impression, the most Irighlful 

 pictures of sufferings and cruelty have been 

 drawn and held up to the imagination, till the 

 heart has become sick, and the very name oi' slave 

 is associated in the mind with all the horrors of 

 the " middle passage" and the lacks and tortures 

 of Ihe inquisilion. Now, with all due respect lo 

 the o;)m!on« of others, 1 do Anoic, that such im- 

 pressions are not in acccudance with fact.«. 



On this subject Ihe Southern character is ei- 

 ther not understood, or grossly, though I would 

 hope iininlentiunally, misrepresented. Bold and 

 chivalrous as is a southern man in a contest with 

 his equals, nothing is more despicable in his eyes 

 than a petty tyrant, w ho exhibits his prowess 

 only in inflicting wrongs and injuries upon the 

 helpless and nnprotected. Naturally high-mind- 

 ed, noble and generous in feelings and sentiments, 

 he is found magnanimous and kind in sjiirit to- 

 wards his dependents. 



As a general (act, 1 doubt whether there can 

 be found a class of people in the world, that suf- 

 fer less, menially or physically, than the coloied 

 population of the South. None who have fewer 

 cares and Irouliles ; who wear happier faces ; are 

 more jovial ami merry — and uho sing loiiileraiid 

 sweeter than lliey. ['"or the truth fif this, I ap- 

 peal to every man wliu has vi.^iled llie Soiilli tind 

 examiu' d this suliject fur himself, with an nti-. 

 piejudiced and itupaitial mind. Excepiicms I 

 know there are, Itul these no more prove llie gen- 

 i:ral truth on this subject, ihaii do the convicts in 

 the penelentiaries of New England prove that 

 idl the old puritans of that land of steady habits 

 are grinding ill the prison-house. Hence, v\ hen 

 a Northern man enters ihe Soullu'rn States fi^ir 

 the first time, and witnesses the familiariiy anil 

 kindness between masler and servant, he ex- 

 claims with wonder, " Where are the long whips, 

 the scourges, ihe groans and tears, of which 1 

 have heard so much .'" And often have i teen 

 the tear start in the stranger's eye, at beholding 

 the exlacy of joy u ill) wliicli these depenilents 

 gather around their master, on his return from a 

 long absence, seizing his hand, and seeming lo 

 vie with each other in manifesting llieir love and 

 attachment lo him. And while writing the fore- 

 going sentence, I have had to lay aside my pen, 

 to listen to a touching incident, that illustrates 

 the sirenglh of this attachment, and has drawn 

 tears from my own eyes. 



An old colored matron, the mother of ki'ch- 



teen children, on learning my name, and lemeni- 

 hering that I was a warm friend to the colored 

 peo|ile, came lo see me, and wished lo know " if 

 I had not been lo her old maslei's house, more 

 than twenty years ago .=" On reminding me who 

 he was, I answered in the afllniiative, and then 

 imiuued of his heallh, and that of her mi^tle^s ; 

 she burst into tears, and alter struggling with her 

 feelings (or some time, she replied, "My dear old 

 master and mistress are both in heaven, and it is 

 only alioiit ihree niomlis since my poor mistress 

 died— and oh, 1 shall never forget the day she 

 was buried; when I returned from Ihe grave, I 

 thought my heart would break— yes," said she, 

 "for more than thirty years we had bowed Ihe 

 knee together in prayer everj day, but we shall 

 pray no more together on earlh-lbui thank ihe 

 Lord," she exclaimed, " 1 shall meet Iheiii in heii- 

 ven!" On inquiring who her present mistress 

 was, "Oh, 1 li»e with my young mistress now, 

 and d( ar ciealure, she is like one of my own 

 children," added she, "lor I have nursed her from 

 an infant, and bless God she is a christian too. 

 Yes,"conlimied she," the Lord he piaised, 1 think 

 all my ovMi children are chrislians loo— one of 

 my sons is a preacher, and we are all iryins to 

 liiilow the good advice of our dear old masler 

 and mistress, that we may meet them in heaven." 

 In order to test the strength of her atlachment to 

 the family, 1 asked her if she would not like to 

 be fiee .' " No freer than I am," said she, " it is 

 my mislre.-s' pleasure to please me, and my pleas- 

 ure lo please her— 1 stay with her in the cily in 

 the winter, and go out to the l>lantalion,and slay 

 wiih my children in the summer — and hear my 

 sun preach, and do as i please— and what more 

 can i want in this »\orld ?" When ihis old chris- 

 tian mother left me, 1 asked myseli; whelher it 

 would be a kindness to tear her away fiom all 

 her attachments and early associations, and run 

 her off" to Canada to die in want and penury un- 

 der ihe mistaken idea that the enjoyment of un- 

 restrained liberty would be an ample compensa- 

 tion for all the food and raiment, the care and 

 affection she now enjoys, and in which she is so 

 perleelly coiitenied and happy? And whatever 

 may be the opinions of others, I was satisfied in 

 giving lo her Taul's advice, "obey your master in 

 the Lord, for that is right; persevere in well do- 

 ing, pray fi.r children, that God may prepare 

 Ihein (or still richer blessings, which 1 believe 

 he has in store (or your nation and your people." 

 Another erroneous impression atthe North is, 

 that the Southern slaves are pushed, and driven, 

 and overworked ; but Ihe truth is, that one white 

 laborer at the North performs more labor than 

 any two slaves at the South. And Ihis ac- 

 counts liir the fact that runaway slaves are never 

 known to enter the field, and work shoulder to 

 shoulder wiih the white man: he knows full well 

 that the amount of labor tliat satisfied his south- 

 ern masler will never satisfy the close, calcula- 

 ting man of the North. Hence, Ihe shoals of these 

 idlers ihatswarm about the ont^kiris of our north 

 ern cities, a lew of whom become ostlers, bar- 

 bers, hackdriveis and the like, while the majori- 

 ty plunge into ihe deepest dens of polluiion and 

 vice, become vagrants, and live and die a curse 

 to iheiiiselves luid sociely. The purlieus ol' New 

 York, and Soiilhwark of Phila.lelphia, furnish 

 ample lestimoiiy lo ihis fiicl. And the plain, in- 

 cdntrovcilible truth on ihis subject is, ihat the 

 slaves at the South, as a class, are heller |jrovid- 

 eil lor, enjoy more comliuls, are more leiiipeiate 

 and virtuous, come more in coiiiact w itii reli jinus 

 truth, are more siiscepiihie of its iiifluences^ ai d 

 more continled and happy than ihe (iee colored 

 population in any part ol oin- country. And ma- 

 ny are the instances, ki. own lo me, of runaway 

 slaves writing and begging permission of iheir 

 masler lo reluru bomc, ileclariiig ihey have been 

 deceived, and in some cases, where their seduc- 

 ers have left Iheni lo utter deslitution and wretch- 

 edness, their maslers, ralhcr than receive ihem 



back, send them money to supply their wants. 



Now, this by no means pn ves slaVeiy to be right, 

 it only proves lhat immediate, iniliscrmiiiiati- and 

 unconditional emanc i|ialion, wiihoiil any regard 

 to Ihe fiiuire good o( the slave, is radically wrung 

 —it is an injustice to the slave, lint if ni syu" 

 palhizing with ihe siifferiiig slave, oiu- minds can 

 find any relief by contrasts, we challenge a com- 

 parison of his condition in ihis land of ease and 

 jileniy, with lhat of the ignuraut, ucioiis, fiimish- 

 ing millions of the lo«er clasfei all over ihe pa- 



