VoL. IV. 
AUGUSTA, GA., AUGUST, 1846. 
No. 8. 
• IflAJ^AGE.TlEIV'ir OF SLAVES. 
The undersigned having been appointed a 
commiuee by the BarbourCounty Agricultural 
Society, to report on the best means of govern- 
ing our s’aves, and of promoting their happi- 
ness, and consequently their usefulness to us ; 
beg leave to submit the following 
REPORT. 
They have had the matters submitted tfl them 
under calm consideration, and are of opinion 
that no subject which properly belongs to a 
Southern Agricultural Society, should attract 
more attention than that embraced in the reso- 
lution referred to them ; and yet, they have not 
been able to find, that it has ever, as yet, at- 
tracted the attention ol any Southern Society. 
It appears to be a matter of astonishment why 
this is so; your committee can only account 
for it on the ground that we have been in the 
habit of merely following in the wakeol North- 
ern Societies, where the institution of slavery 
does not exi-t. We have not, it appears, re- 
collected that our condition is quite different 
from that of the non slaveholding section of the 
United States. With them their only property 
consists of lands, cattle and planting imple- 
ments. Their laborers are merely hirelings, 
while with us our laborers arc our property; 
and certainly, the most important portion of it, 
whether we regard them merely in the light of 
property, or as intellectual beings, for whose 
welfare we are in a great degree accountable. 
If, therefore, ii is a matter which pertains to 
the interest of Northern Agricultural Societies 
to attend well to the improvement of their lands, 
and the improvement and comfort of their stock, 
providing for the best means of cultivating 
their lands, &c., how much more important 
is it for us, to turn our attention to the best 
means of governing our slaves, and of promot- 
ing their happiness, and consequently their use- 
fulness to us. It does appear CO your commit- 
tee that no argument can be required to estab- 
lish the propriety of this question. Every rea- 
sonable person must at once perceive the irre- 
sistible conclusion, that there is no good reason 
why this subject has been so long neglected , 
and that it istime that we should commence to 
attend to it. Itcertainly cannot be that we are 
alraid to open this subject to yhe inspection of 
the world ; for your corumitiee are well persua- 
ded that the condition ol our slaves will bear a 
favorable contrast with that ol any other labor- 
ing population in the civilized world, so far as 
comlortand happiness is concerned ; and will 
not fall below them in any other point of view, 
than that of mere abstract notions of huma n 
rights, about which, it is true, there has been 
much nonsensical prating in this as well as in 
other countries. But whether we are willing to 
open this subject to the world or not, the eye 
of the world is on us, and the imagination has 
formeda picture upon this sujfci, even in our 
own country, which, when CO npared with the 
truth, is as the midnight darkness in contrast 
with the light of noonday. Such is the hide- 
ous deformity of the picture that we who are 
accustomed to the daily inspection of the origi- 
nal, cannot recognise the picture from the ori- 
ginal. Your committee do not by any means 
contend, that all the picture of slavery is one of 
light, (and this they would correct.) But they 
do insist that, in comparison with other forms 
of servitude, it will bear a favorable contrast — 
in fact, they challenge the world to produce a 
laboring population mote happy, better fed, or 
cared for, than our slaves. Lee us therefore be 
jjold ancj meet the fanaticism of the day, by a 
fgar!*essS» exposure of facts; whenever we are 
w/on*'^^et,us correct our errors, and in what we 
are rYg’ht, defend ourselves. 
** Your comrni tee apprehend that there can be 
no difference of opinion in this Society as to 
the moral obligation of the master, to attend to 
the comfort and happiness of his slaves. Nor 
do we conceive that there will be any difier- 
ence of opinion as to the obligation ol tne mas- i 
ter, to promote the moral and religious charac- 
ier of his slaves. It is the interest as well as 
ihe duty ot masters to do this. Indeed, our 
laws require us to attend to the comlort and 
happiness of our slaves; and our missionary 
establishment, with its ample support by us, 
shows th.at we acknowledge the obligation - on 
us, to promote the well-being ot nur slaves. 
But even more — actual statistical returns show 
that religion is more prevalent amonglhe slaves 
ot the South than the free blacks of the North- 
ern States, and universal opinion concurs in 
giving them a higher moral character. It is 
true that in non-daveholding States the blacks 
are tree in theory, but in practice their freedom 
often leads to misery and degradation, and not 
unfrequentlv to oppression Irom his white asso- 
ciate. Whilst the’ slave is in theory in the clo- 
sest hands — in practice he has a friend and pro- 
tector in his master, who, from interest, huma- 
nity and religion, is bound to protect him and 
promote his happiness. Thus it will be per- 
ceived, that whilst in theory the Southern slave 
is the most abject and degraded, and the North- 
ern laborer and freed man the most free and 
happy, yet in practice the scale may be, and n 
the opinion of your Committee oUen is, turned 
in favor ot the slave. With the Southern 
master every motive which can influence a cor- 
rectlv constituted mind — interest, humanity 
and religion -leads to kindness towards our 
■laves; and it is only the brutal, and un- 
reasonable portion of mankind who cannot be 
influenced bv -these means. For this class our 
laws are made and will compel them to do that 
for which no compulsion ought to be required. 
Ot all the motives which influence the inter- 
course between men, interest is certainly the 
strongest— this the employer of the hireling 
lacks to a great extent to induce liim to treat 
his hireling kindly. The interest ofthe master 
in connection with the hireling, is to obtain as 
much labor from him as possible at the small- 
est cost ; and when he becomes too old or decre- 
pid from disease or over-labor to wmrk, to get 
rid of him as soon as possible, whilst with 'the. 
owner of the slave, as the slave is his prope'riy, 
and he is bound for his support under all . cir- 
cumstances, v/e can readily conceive how* 
strongly the motive of the master in taking 
good care of the slave, and thus extending the 
time ot his usefulness. Yourcommittee, there- 
fore, feel well warranted in adding that the 
master who could disregard all those motives 
for good treatment of his slaves, must be brutal 
indeed, and must be so obtuse in his intellect 
as to act against the plainest principles ol rea- 
son. For such cases your Committee invoke 
the rigid enlo''cement of the law’s, and the ex- 
pression of a strong condemna'ion by public 
sentiment. Your Commiaee take pleasure in 
saying, that although there are instances in this 
as well as in other communities in which the 
considerations referred to, have not been suffi- 
cient to restrain masters from cruelty to slaves, 
yet these instances constitute exceptions to the 
general rule; and they are of opinion that, there 
is a gradual improvement going on in this mat- 
ter. We recommend, however, that this sub- 
ject be kept before the community, in order to 
convince all, that interest, humanity and reli- 
gion, alike, demand kindness to slaves, and 
that the law frown on those who treat their 
slaves inhumanly. 
I There is one class of our community to 
whom all the motives referred to, to induce us to 
kindness to our slaves, do not apply. Your 
Committee refer to our overseers. As they 
have no property in our slaves, ol course they 
lack the check of self-interest. As their only 
aim in general is the mere crop results of the 
year, we can readily conceive the strong in- 
ducement they have to over-work our slaves, 
and here masters are often much to blame, for 
inadvertently encouraging this feeling in their 
overseers. It is too commonly the case that 
masters look only to the yearly products of their 
farms, and praise or condemn their overseers by 
this standard alone, without ever once troubling 
themselves to inquire into the manner in which 
things are managed on their plantations, and 
whether he may have lost more in the diminish- 
ed value of his slaves by over-work than he has 
gained by his large crop. It is a well establish- 
ed fact, that over-work produces premature old 
age, bodily deformity and debility of constitu- 
tion, and checks the increase of females. The 
rpaster, .therefore, who has to support his pre- 
maturely old, deformed and debilitated slave.s, 
may well question the beneficial results of his 
large crops, especially w’hen his only increase ol 
slave.s is by purchases at high prices. Your 
Committee take pleasure in relerring to the 
tact, thac ihdse planters who are most successful 
in the acquisition of wealth are generally those 
who ‘‘ make hasteslow,” and w’ho will not “ kill 
the gor.se, to obtain the golden egg.” We are 
iherefoieof opinion, that ii masters w’ould lay 
less stress on the mere crop results of the plan- 
tation, and place more stress on the proper treat- 
ment ol their slaves, and the systematic ma- 
nagement of their plantations, it would correct 
the evil referred to. Our overseers ought to 
have no interest beyond that ot pleasing their 
employes ; and nothing but the most unhuman 
feeling on his part could induce him to treat the 
slaves cruelly, in opposition to the known w'ish 
of his emplover. Let the master recollect, too, 
that lie cannot relieve himself from the odium 
.of cruel treatment to his slaves, by attempting 
•to throw the odium on his overseer. It is his 
-duty to know how his slaves are treated and to 
■protect them against crueltv. 
From the attachment which exists between 
the master and slave, your Committee are of 
opinion thrt an appeal to their better feelings 
would be sufficient in most cases to control 
them. They are aware, however, that this rule 
must have a limit, and that the law of force 
must have some share in the government ot 
the negro as well as the while man. In those 
countries where what is called volimtai'y servi- 
tude exists, the force then is necessity. When 
the laborer is dependent upon his daily income 
lor the support of himself and family ; and 
when the loss of his wages, as is often the case, 
involves the starvation ot his wile and childre^i 
