FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   514   515   516   517   518   519   520   521   522   523   524   525   526   527   528   529   530   531   532   533   534   535   536   537   538  
539   540   541   542   543   544   545   546   547   548   549   550   551   552   553   554   555   556   557   558   559   560   561   562   563   >>   >|  
to in this country! I am quite satisfied that no rent could be recovered until the expiration of the three months, from which time it would commence to run, and the plaintiff would in law be considered in possession of his lands again, which, in slavery, he was compelled to give to his slave for his support and maintenance. He must re-enter before he could demand rent, for it is impossible for him to prove a contract, or imply one. The negro did not willingly come from Africa, and occupy his land; he was torn from his native land, and compelled by his owner, under laws that took his life, not to quit the land; how therefore can he be considered to have made a contract, or consented to one? FROM THE REV. J. KINGDON _Manchioneal, Oct. 9, 1838._ In passing through Hector's River great house yard, in my way to my preaching spot, I have the most sensible demonstration of the reality of the political change happily brought about; for that hot-house, in which I have seen one of my own members in irons for having a bad sore leg, and in which I have been grossly insulted for daring to go to see my poor people--that house is _shut up_! Delightful, I assure you, are my feelings, whenever I go by that place, attached to which, too, was the old-time prison, a perfect charnel-house. FROM THE REV. S. OUGHTON. _Lucea, October 2, 1838._ Unused to acts of justice and humanity, the Planters, in a moment of mad excitement passed an act to abolish the accursed system of Slavery. The debates on that occasion proved with what an ill grace they performed that scanty act of justice, and all experience since that period proves how bitterly they repent it. It is true, we are not now, as before, distressed by hearing recitals of barbarous corporeal punishments, and we are no longer pained by seeing human beings chained to each other by the neck; but, although cruelty has, to a certain extent, ceased, oppression has become ten thousand times more rampant than ever. Every act which ingenuity or malice can invent, is employed to harass the poor negroes. Prior to August 1st, the planter studiously avoided every thing like an arrangement with the laborer, and when, on the following Monday, they turned out to work, the paltry pittance of 12-1/2d. (7-1/2d. sterl.) was all that in the majority of cases was offered for the services of an able-bodied negro, although 2s. 6d. per day (currency), had before been invariably exacted from them, when
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   514   515   516   517   518   519   520   521   522   523   524   525   526   527   528   529   530   531   532   533   534   535   536   537   538  
539   540   541   542   543   544   545   546   547   548   549   550   551   552   553   554   555   556   557   558   559   560   561   562   563   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

contract

 
justice
 

considered

 

compelled

 

longer

 

corporeal

 
punishments
 

pained

 

occasion

 

excitement


debates

 

beings

 

chained

 

proved

 

hearing

 

performed

 

accursed

 

system

 

Slavery

 

proves


scanty
 

period

 

cruelty

 

experience

 

bitterly

 

distressed

 
abolish
 

recitals

 

passed

 

repent


barbarous

 
malice
 

pittance

 

majority

 
paltry
 

laborer

 
Monday
 
turned
 
offered
 

currency


invariably

 

exacted

 

services

 
bodied
 

arrangement

 

rampant

 

thousand

 

ceased

 

extent

 

oppression