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Plantation, by Frances Anne Kemble

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Title: Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation
1838-1839

Author: Frances Anne Kemble

Release Date: May 24, 2004 [EBook #12422]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GEORGIAN PLANTATION ***

Produced by Pauline, Suzanne Shell, and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team. With thanks to the Ryan Memorial Library of the
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

_In the press, by the same Author, complete in One Volume_,

AN ENGLISH TRAGEDY:

A PLAY,

IN FIVE ACTS.

MARY STUART.

TRANSLATED FROM SCHILLER.

A PLAY,

IN FIVE ACTS.

MLLE. DE BELLISLE.

TRANSLATED FROM DUMAS.

A PLAY,

IN FIVE ACTS.

JOURNAL

OF

A RESIDENCE ON A

GEORGIAN PLANTATION

1838-1839.

By FRANCES ANNE KEMBLE.

* * * * *

SLAVERY THE CHIEF CORNER STONE.

'This stone (Slavery), which was rejected by the first builders, is become
the chief stone of the corner in our new edifice.'--_Speech of_ ALEXANDER
H. STEPHENS _Vice-president of the Confederate States; delivered
March 21, 1861._

* * * * *

1863

TO

ELIZABETH DWIGHT SEDGWICK

THIS JOURNAL,

ORIGINALLY KEPT FOR HER,

IS

MOST AFFECTIONATELY

DEDICATED.

PREFACE.

The following diary was kept in the winter and spring of 1838-9, on an
estate consisting of rice and cotton plantations, in the islands at the
entrance of the Altamaha, on the coast of Georgia.

The slaves in whom I then had an unfortunate interest were sold some years
ago. The islands themselves are at present in the power of the Northern
troops. The record contained in the following pages is a picture of
conditions of human existence which I hope and believe have passed away.

LONDON:

_January 16, 1863._

JOURNAL.

Philadelphia: December 1838.

My Dear E----. I return you Mr. ----'s letter. I do not think it answers
any of the questions debated in our last conversation at all
satisfactorily: the _right_ one man has to enslave another, he has n