g him with some curiosity
and a good deal of indignation, and was astonished to find such brutality
among those who professed civilization. Unaccustomed to such scenes, I
must say it was the most sickening transaction I ever witnessed.

The shrieks and groans of this poor fellow, was enough to send a chill of
horror through the most hardened. He begged for mercy in the most piteous
terms, and as the cruel strap laid open the quivering flesh, and the blood
trickled down his body, I shouted indignantly to his inhuman persecutors,
that the poor fellow was not to blame, half as much as the white men; that
he was only carrying out the instructions of the cowardly whites, who had
basely deserted him after promising to stand by him. I told them that the
poor ignorant black's only fault had been, his confidence in the courage
of his white associates, to as faithfully carry out their part of the
programme, as he had carried out his.

That if any one should be punished it should be those whose lack of _sand_
had got this poor fellow into a scrape and then like cowards basely
deserted him. Finding that the infuriated monsters were bound to vent
their spite upon this poor fellow, I turned away, and by holding my hands
to my ears tried to shut out the sound of his pitiful cries for mercy.
While reason remains to me I can never forget the scenes of that terrible
night.

And to those inhuman monsters it seemed a pleasant pastime--such is the
brutalizing effect of the system of human slavery. Once in a life-time is
enough to witness such a revolting scene as this; I have witnessed one
such, and I trust in God it may never be my misfortune to be obliged to
witness another.

After this exhibition of fiendish cruelty, I am ready to believe that the
system of human slavery was capable of developing total depravity into the
hearts of slave holders. What man in the North could look on complacently
and see such a cruel punishment inflicted? And yet the Southern whites
seemed to look upon this brutality as a matter of course, and even before
the preparations were made for the flogging, knew what would be the
punishment inflicted upon the poor black, for his unsuccessful attempt to
liberate his white skinned, and white livered comrades; and while they
seemed to feel a sort of sympathy for their black skinned, but brave
hearted comrade, they offered no remonstrance to his cruel tormentors, nor
made a plea for mercy in his behalf.

When they