to add, that while a great majority of such men care
nothing for the happiness of the women with whom they live, nor for the
children of whom they are the fathers, there are those to be found,
even in that heterogeneous mass of licentious monsters, who are true to
their pledges. But as the woman and her children are legally the
property of the man, who stands in the anomalous relation to them of
husband and father, as well as master, they are liable to be seized and
sold for his debts, should he become involved.

There are several cases on record where such persons have been sold and
separated for life. I know of some myself, but I have only space to
glance at one.

I knew a very humane and wealthy gentleman, that bought a woman, with
whom he lived as his wife. They brought up a family of children, among
whom were three nearly white, well educated, and beautiful girls.

* It is unlawful in the slave States for any one of purely European
descent to intermarry with a person of African extraction; though a
white man may live with as many coloured women as he pleases without
materially damaging his reputation in Southern society.

On the father being suddenly killed it was found that he had not left a
will; but, as the family had always heard him say that he had no
surviving relatives, they felt that their liberty and property were
quite secured to them, and, knowing the insults to which they were
exposed, now their protector was no more, they were making preparations
to leave for a free State.

But, poor creatures, they were soon sadly undeceived. A villain
residing at a distance, hearing of the circumstance, came forward and
swore that he was a relative of the deceased; and as this man bore, or
assumed, Mr. Slator's name, the case was brought before one of those
horrible tribunals, presided over by a second Judge Jeffreys, and
calling itself a court of justice, but before whom no coloured person,
nor an abolitionist, was ever known to get his full rights.

A verdict was given in favour of the plaintiff, whom the better portion
of the community thought had wilfully conspired to cheat the family.

The heartless wretch not only took the ordinary property, but actually
had the aged and friendless widow, and all her fatherless children,
except Frank, a fine young man about twenty-two years of age, and Mary,
a very nice girl, a little younger than her brother, brought to the
auction stand and sold to the h