114 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
certairilv no greater torce can be applied lu him 
than the' threat ol turning him off to seek his 
bread, without a character, or probably with a 
blackened one. In the management of our 
slaves, this cannot be, as the master is bound 
for their support. The master must resort to 
other means of control. After reason and per- 
suasion have been exhausted without produc- 
ing the desired effect, punishment of some sort 
must be resorted to. But this should never be 
carried to a greater extent than is absolutely ne- 
cessary to enforce obedience to necessary com- 
mands. When this mode ol discipline is adopt- 
ed, your Committee do not hesitate to say, that 
with prudent management, prosperity on the 
part of the master, and happiness on the part ol 
the slave, is the inevitable consequence. No 
more beautiful picture of human society can 
be drawn than a well organized plantation, thus 
governed by the humane principles ot reason 
When the negroes are well ted, well clothed, and 
have not unreastmable burthens imposed on 
them, but are accustomed to a systematic and 
regular course ol labor, especially if the slaves 
have been born and reared up in the master’s 
household, or have long been members of his 
family, and hence have that strong attachment 
which never fails to grow up between the mas- 
ter and his slave in the course of time. The 
picture never fails to remind one of the patri- 
archal days when Abraham had slaves born in 
his house or purchased ivith his money Under 
such a state of things the master knows t.he 
man ; the man, his master. The master feels 
confident that the man is attached to him, and 
will consult his interest. The man feels con- 
fident that the master will only require what is 
right of him, and will abundantly provide lor 
all his wants as well as that of his family. 
When he or his children ate sick, he knows 
that he will have his master’s physician to mi- 
nister to them. When he is naked, he know's he 
will be clothed; and when he is old, he knows 
that his wants will all be supplied to him in his 
small cottage; during winter he will be warm- 
ed by his master’s fire, and clothed from his 
master’s flock; and at all times he knows that 
he will be fed from his masier’s ci ib and meat 
house. The man looks even beyond death, and 
knows that when he shall have died, he will be 
decently buried, and his children after him pro- 
vided for. When sickness and affitetion hap- 
pen to such a master, how anxious the solji i- 
lude ol his slaves for his recovery? And when 
at last death overtakes the good master, the 
tears, the sobsandthe cries ofhis faithful slaves 
point to him rather as their father than their 
master. This is no fancy sketch— it is a pic- 
ture, the original of which we have often ad- 
mired— and we venture that no more beautiful 
sight has ever been viewed in the countries ol 
voluntary servitude, however great the boast ot 
its superiority as a system ot labor over slave- 
ry. Yoar Commit'ee are aware that there are 
those who doubt the probability of a strong at- 
tachment between the master and his slave. 
But they are satisfied that this position is wrong, 
and from their experience they knnvj ihai there 
are numerous cases in the Southern States 
where the picture drawn above is a faithful 
sketch of actual lile. 
With respect to the best mode of governing 
our slaves, your Committee think they cannot 
bring the subject to the view of the planters in 
a more proper shape, than by recommending to 
them the following or similar rules in the gov- 
ernment ot their slaves. Of course, these 
rules are very general, and may be extended, 
probably, with advantage. But your Commit- 
tee, after mature reflection, are of opinion that 
they embrace all the general principles upon 
which they propose to base the government of 
our slaves. 
Rule 1st. Never punish a negro when in a 
E iassion. No one is capable of properly regu 
atingthe punishmeniforan offence when angry. 
2d. Never require of a negro what is unrea- 
sonable. But when you give an order be sure 
to enforce it with firmness, yet mildly. 
3d. Always attempt to govern by reason in 
the first instance, and resort to force only when 
reason fails, and then use no more force than is 
absolutely necessary to procure obedience. 
4th. In giving orders, al ways do it inamili 
tone, and try to leave the impression onihemind 
ot the negro that what you say is the result ot 
rt flection. 
5 h. In giving orders, be sure that you are un- 
derstood, and let the negro always know that be 
can ask tor an explanation if he does not un- 
derstand you. 
6th. When you are under the necessity of 
punishing a negro, be sure to let him know lor 
what offence he is punished. 
7 h. Never act in such a way as to leave the 
impression on the mind ot the negro that you 
lake pleasure in his punishment — your manner 
should indicate that his punishment is painful. 
8ih. A regular and systematic plan ol opera 
tion on the plantation is greatly promoiive of 
easy government. Have, therefore, all matters 
as lar as possible, reduced. to a system. 
9th. Negroes lack the motive ol sell-interest 
to make them careful and diligent, hence the 
necessity of great patience in the Uianagement 
of them. Do noi, therefore, notice too many 
small omissionsof duty 
10, h The maxim ol making haste slow in 
plantation operations, is equally applicable as 
in ordinary vocationsof lile. The meaning of 
which is, Dot by attempting to do loo much, to 
o^er-vvork and consequently injure yourhands. 
Recollect that the journey of lile is a long, and 
at best, a tedious one. The traveller who wish- 
es to make a long and safe trip, always travels 
in regularand moderate stages. Do not kill the 
goose to obtain the golden egg. 
Let 'hese, or similar roles he generally adopt- 
ed, and carried out by the Southern planter, and 
your Committee do not hesitate to say, that al- 
though it may not stop the clamor ot wicked 
men, who seek to make political capital out o; 
the spirit of Abolition, yet their clamor will 
prove as harmless as the owVs hont—ev^n the 
slaves themselves will not thank them Lr their 
efforts, but laugh them to scorn. 
The only food on which this fanatical spirit 
has heretofore been fed, is the instances in 
w ich some among us have failed to carry out 
the humane principles above recommended. 
Many of which instances have been caretu.ly 
collected, prop, rly embellished to suit the taste 
ol old women and children, and published to 
the world as the legitimate Iruit.s of slavery. 
Allot which, your Com nittee rtspecifully 
submit. John A. Calhoun, i 
E. E DtjBosE, > Committee, 
Virgil Bobo, ) 
Jane 13, 1816 
From the Tallahassee (Fla ) Joarnal, 
PER.^I AIVENUJJ. 
We have often thought that one of the great- 
est obsiacles in the way ol the development of 
our country’s resources — one of the must dan- 
gerous enemies to its progressive prospe'ity — is 
o be found i i the absence of that which, for 
want of a better name, vve call the principle of 
Permanence, Go where we may, how lew do 
we find w'ho feel that they are seltled. Every 
one is talking of movinff — every one believes 
that he will move at no distant day. Few de- 
vote themselves tothe labor, however little may 
be required, of surrounding themselves with 
sources of comfort and pleasure, which they 
canno' carry away with them. A s^^nse of pride 
and honor, too, is weakened — many caring very 
little to establish a character lor integrity and 
uprightness, which will soon be left behind 
To the same feeling, it would be reasonable to 
attribute a neglect, to some extent, ol the mutu- 
al kindnesses and sweet charities of life — 
which, under other circumstances, most wotiid 
feel called upon to practice, if for nothing else, 
to secure the good will of those with whom 
themselves and children are to spend their lives. 
One of the most baneful consequences ol 
X\\\& unsettl dness is seen in ihe abuse oi the soil. 
The present is the all-engrossing thought. All 
that can be made must be made immediately^ 
without any regard to an almost siniul waste of 
the energies ot the land. The most exhao&t- 
ing modes of culture are resorted to— the fixed 
intention td the planter bemg to emigrate as 
soon as the soil looses its fruittulness. The 
little attention, which, given to manuring and 
judicious hu.'-banciry, would secure even im- 
provement, is denied — in a few years, fields 
once clothed with the richest crops, are left a 
desolate w-asie. One might supp 'Se that a sort 
ol kindness, even for the dull, silent, inanimate 
earth, (which nevertheless does sustain lile,) 
would save it from such treatment To our 
friends, thus hacking and killing the acres 
which have fallen to them, merely for tempora- 
ry gain, we wish we could offera remonstrance 
which would not be despised. This earth was 
not intended tor one generation, but tor many. 
De.“pite Father Miller’s prophecy, we think the 
signs are that it is to stand thousands of years 
yet. After we are all gone, others w ill have to 
make a living on (his planet. Time will be 
when God’s creatures, going on multiplying, 
w’ill have replenished t! e whole earth. The 
farm which thou, my friend, art now heedle.esly 
killing, may be necessary to keep alive future 
generations of thy own descendants. The Cre- 
ator has given it to thee to possess in thy day — 
alter thou art gone, he intends that some one 
else, as Carljle hath it, shall gT existed on it. 
For really thou did’st not make thy plantation, 
(called :hine through courte-y,) nor was it made 
lor thee alone, but for the generaiions of men 
who should successively fill up the years with 
their lives. 
To all planters and others, let ils say this: 
You have supplied yourselves with homes, the 
very choice of those you could get. Go to 
work, resolutely determined not to mar and 
abuse the Creator’s gilts. Rather by a little at- 
tention increase the fenility of your lands, than 
take the very life of them by cruel usage. De- 
termine to multiply around yourselves (wiih 
proper care, it will cost little,) comforts, and 
sources of innocent pleasure. Beautily your 
grounds with fine trees, in w'hose branches birds 
may sing, under whose shade the cool breeze 
may play. A little labor given, when voii have 
leisure, will, in a lew years, supply an oichard, 
a garden, a vineyard, which will ple.ase the 
eye and gratify the la'^te, with an offering of 
delightiul fruits, and fl ow'ers, and vegetables. 
Suppose even that those who plant should not 
live to gather the crop -it will be there for those 
dearer than one’s ow n lite — tor one’s children. 
Even should you emigrate, your work will not 
be lost, even in a pecuniary point of view. 
There will be a reward in the increased price 
which the place on which ihis labor has been 
besiQv ed will command. The pr"fii, to speak 
ot nothing el.se, we veiily believe, is clearly in 
favor of our argument. Take a case. A man 
has a ih' usand acres of land— he goes to work, 
determined to make each year all the money 
out of it which he possibly can, int nding at 
the end ol tweniv years, or earlier, when it is 
worn out, to leave. He has his reward — he 
makes money rapidly, lor aw-hile — alterwards 
noi so rapi'ilv, at len-gih realizes very little — al 
last, he or his sop has to leave the old home, 
selling it for nothing. Another, with his thou- 
sand acres, pursues the opposite course — does 
not realize so much year'v sain from his crop • 
as the first, but secur s all the while an abun- 
dant return— fertilizing, instead of impoverish- 
ing his plantaiiun —with the comforts which 
ha- gathered around him, he finds at the end of 
twenty years that his land is wt'rth twenty 
thousand dollars. Who is the richer of the 
two, even in money 1 Then, iiKWCOver, he who 
felt all the while that be was permanently set- 
tled, has surrounded l imself with fiends, who 
love him, and whom he loves - has no occasion 
to sunder himself from (d i and tried neighbors 
—to break the ties which bind to familiar ob- 
jects, now infinitely dear from the familiarity 
of their faces— but may spend the declining 
years of a useful life in the enjoyment of the 
comforts which his long-continued efforts have 
gathered around him. 
