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offer the slightest violence to these proud and honora ble feelings. We are insultingly told that the Master's authority over his slaves is a tyranny of the most odious character; that it is without bounds and extends to a point little short of the power of life and death; that the slave is subject, at all times, from his defenceles situation, to the most grinding oppression; liable to be ill treated and wantonly abused, and in short, that such is their deplorable condition that they drag out a miserable existence, the unhappy victims of a cruel and unfeeling tyrant. The authority of the venerable JEFFERSON has been quoted also to strengthen these bold and revolting calumnies. The passage is to be found in his "Notes on Virginia." "The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions. Our children see this and learn to imitate it. I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just. The Almighty has no attribute that can take side with us in such a contest."

Mr. Smith, to whose valuable and important Speech we have so often referred, and in which, are con tinually exhibited such clear evidences of a profound and luminous understanding, answers the argument in such a manner as must dissipate the objections of the most prejudiced.

"Mr. Smith said, he had the highest regard for that venerable pat riot; he was a great philosopher, and a statesman of the first order; he knew no words more appropriate in pronouncing his eulogy, than those used by him in delineating the character of the immortal Washington. His memory will be adored while liberty shall have votaries, his name will triumph over time, and will, in future ages, assume its just station among the most celebrated worthies of the world.' With all this tribute, and with all the veneration which he felt for that great man, he did not hesitate to contradict him in the most unequivocal terms. The Master has no motives for this boisterous hostility. It is at war with his interest, and it is at war with his comfort. The whole commerce between master and slave is patriarchal

The master has every motive to impel him to it. As to the effect on children, it is quite the reverse; the black children are the constant associates of the white children; they eat together, they play together, and their affections are oftentimes, so strongly formed in early life as never to be forgotten; so much so, that in thousands of instances there is nothing but the shadow of slavery left. These observations of Mr. Jefferson could not have been founded on facts; they were written to gratify a foreigner, at his own request, when every American was filled with enthusiasm. They are the effusions of the speculative philosophy of his young and ardent mind, and which his riper years have corrected. He wrote these notes near forty years ago, since which, his life has been devoted to that sort of practical philosophy, which enlarges the sphere of human happiness and contributes to the promotion of civil liberty; and during the whole time his principal fortune has been in slaves, and he still continues to hold them. It is impossible, when his mind became enlarged by reflection and informed by observation, that he could entertain such sentiments and hold slaves at the same time.”

It is indeed humiliating to the last degree to listen even to such charges as those we have noticed; but it is due to the fair fame of these sections of the Union to demonstrate, that the condition of the slave, so far from partaking of the misery which has been attributed to it, is in every respect preferable to that of the poor laboring class of people of any Government on earth, and that if it were not for foreign, subsidiary causes, he would remain perfectly satisfied with his lot. It is true, indeed, that all slave-holders have laid down non-resistance and the most perfect and uniform obedience to their orders, as fundamental principles in the government of their slaves. This necessarily results from the relation in which they stand, and we might as well denounce that government a despotism, that punishes any infringement of its laws, as to call that a tyranny which is nothing more or less than an authority unavoidably arising from the very character of the connexion between master and slave. This authority unquestionably may be abused, but we deny that these abuses have ever been so frequent as

to justify the illiberal and unfeeling calumnies o which we complain. It is not true that the authorit of the master over his slave is without limitation or re striction; but, on the contrary, we affirm that it is watch ed and guarded by some very jealous statutory pro visions. He is protected, by the humanity of our laws both in his life and his limbs, and from any brutal attack on either. If his life be sacraficed to the wild and furious passions of his master, or of any other individual, the law punishes the delinquent with death If he be maimed, either by the cutting off of a limb, such as an arm or leg, &c. the law follows the offender with death also. While the poorer classes of laborers, in England, for instance, resort to theft or highway robbery, in order to supply the wants of themselves and of their famishing wives and children, and still their cries for bread, because the miserable pittance which they had received as the price of their labor was insufficient, the slave with his family, however numerous, looks confidently to his master, who, by law, is bound to supply them with good and sufficient food and clothing, (if his inhumanity chose to with-hold it) and who by that law becomes obnoxious to a prosecution if he does not comply with its requisition. The master is also limited by law as to the duration and extent of their labor at the different periods of the year, and he cannot exact more; and it is a fact, such is the maximum of the labor of the slave, that an industrious, active negro will perform his task by twelve o'clock; many by two or three, and all, except the idle and inattentive, by four o'clock in the after noon. When his task is done the rest of the time is his own, and he either spends it in cultivating his little spot of ground, in the enjoyment of sleep, or in a

friendly intercourse with his relations and fellow laborers on the plantation. As we are plain matter-of-fact men, and as this picture may perhaps, by some, be thought to partake a little of the romantic, we produce the following facts in confirmation of what we have stated; and we cannot here refrain to renew our cordial thanks to the gentlemen who have furnished them at our solicitation. They are known to be men of large and extensive planting interests, both in Rice and Cotton, as well as gentlemen of high standing in the community. Their authority is therefore conclusive. The subsequent facts were communicated by GEOrge EDWARDS Esq.

"A day's work allotted to each of my negroes on my Plantations is done with so much ease, that I have often known them to have finished it by eleven to two o'clock in the day; the remainder of the day is at their own disposal, and they are never called upon either by myself or my managers after having finished their task, unless in cases of great emergency.

"I make it an invariable rule, and orders to that effect are strictly given to my managers, after my lands are prepared and the crop planted, to ascertain the number of my working negroes, and allow to each of them a quarter or a half acre of land, or more, if they wish it, to plant their own little crops. The drivers then take them off to the lands allotted to them, and, under the direction of my managers, put them to work, prepare the ground and plant it with corn from my own corn-houses, precisely in the same manner as they had prepared and planted my own fields. When it requires hoeing, after having gone over my fields once or twice, their own crops are as regularly hoed and attended to as my own. During the Summer, when the harvesting season commences, their crops are gathered in for them by my orders, at the same time with my own, and I often allow them the use of my boats to carry their produce to market. Independent of their crop, I permit them to raise hogs and poultry of every description, and many of them supply themselves with bacon during the winter, and have hogs also to dispose of. They appear perfectly happy and contented with their situation and the privileges allowed them.

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At each of my Plantations there are Hospitals for the reception and accomodation of the sick, with every necessary article for their comfort and convenience. There are Nurses in each Hospital who attend upon them regularly and administer to their wants, and all the medical aid required called in at as early a period as possible. The children on the different Plantations have elderly wenches, whose business it is to do nothing else but to attend upon them and to supply their little wants. They are all well fed and well clothed, and in every respect seem cheerful, happy and contented."

The next communication that we present to the observation of our readers, is from BENJAMIN D. ROPER, ESQ.

"In conformity with your request, I send you a hasty and unconnected statement of the general management and treatment of negroes employed on Plantations, as far as my knowledge extends. In preparing a field for a crop, the usual labour required of each Negro is commonly to bed one task in a day, and a task comprises one hundred and five feet square; this task is generally accomplished by sun-set; many negroes perform it two or three hours before sun-set. As this subject might attract the attention of persons totally unacquainted with plantation work in South-Carolina, it might not be amiss to observe that the above mentioned task is required of prime or full hands; weak hands, commonly called quarter and half hands, have their task proportioned at the same ratio. A prime hand, in common, cultivates five acres of land including his own provisions; more can easily be planted and attended, but on a cotton plantation, with favourable seasons, it is as much as can be conveniently gathered and prepared for market. After the crop is planted, the subsequent attendance of it is, comparatively, much lighter work. It is not uncommon for an industrious negro to have finished his task by three or four o'clock. In common, each hand is allowed to cultivate a task on their own account. and time allowed them to prepare and plant their corn, peas, pompions, mellons, &c. &c. In addition to this, sufficient ground contiguous to their dwellings is allowed them for gardens, from which many of them raise fruit and vegetables amply sufficient for their families. Many of the negroes raise hogs, ducks and fowls, and have their bee-hives, whence they indulge themselves in some of the luxuries as well as conveniences of life. It only requires, on their part, industry to

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