Volume III Part 52 (1/2)
The late JOHN PARRISH, of Philadelphia, an eminent minister of the religious society of Friends, who traveled through the slave states about _thirty-five years_ since, on a religious mission, published on his return a pamphlet of forty pages, ent.i.tled 'Remarks on the Slavery of the Black People.' From this work we extract the following ill.u.s.trations of 'public opinion' in North and South Carolina and Virginia at that period.
”When I was traveling through North Carolina, a black man, who was outlawed, being shot by one of his pursuers, and left wounded in the woods, they came to an ordinary where I had stopped to feed my horse, in order to procure a cart to bring the poor wretched object in.
Another, I was credibly informed, was shot, his head cut off, and carried in a bag by the perpetrators of the murder, who received the reward, which was said to be $200, continental currency, and that his head was stuck on a coal house at an iron works in Virginia--and this for going to visit his wife at a distance. Crawford gives an account of a man being gibbetted alive in South Carolina, and the buzzards came and picked out his eyes. Another was burnt to death at a stake in Charleston, surrounded by a mult.i.tude of spectators, some of whom were people of the _first rank_; ... the poor object was heard to cry, as long as he could breathe, 'not guilty--not guilty.'”
The following is an ill.u.s.tration of the 'public opinion' of South Carolina about fifty years ago. It is taken from Judge Stroud's Sketch of the Slave Laws, page 39.
”I find in the case of 'the State vs. M'Gee,' I Bay's Reports, 164, it is said incidentally by Messrs. Pinckney and Ford, counsel for the state (of S.C.), 'that the _frequency_ of the offence (_wilful_ murder of a slave) was owing to the _nature of the punishment_', &c.... This remark was made in 1791, when the above trial took place. It was made in a public place--a courthouse--and by men of great personal respectability. There can be, therefore, no question as to its _truth_, and as little of its _notoriety_.”
In 1791 the Grand Jury for the district of Cheraw, S.C. made a _presentment_, from which the following is an extract.
”We, the Grand Jurors of and for the district of Cheraw, do present the INEFFICACY of the present punishment for killing negroes, as a great defect in the legal system of this state: and we do earnestly recommend to the attention of the legislature, that clause of the negro act, which confines the penalty for killing slaves to fine and imprisonment only: in full confidence, that they will provide some other _more effectual_ measures to prevent the FREQUENCY of crimes of this nature.”--_Matthew Carey's American Museum, for Feb.
1791_.--Appendix, p. 10.
The following is a specimen of the 'public opinion' of Georgia twelve years since. We give it in the strong words of COLONEL STONE, Editor of the New York Commercial Advertiser. We take it from that paper of June 8, 1827.
”HUNTING MEN WITH DOGS.-A negro who had absconded from his master, and for whom a reward of $100 was offered, has been apprehended and committed to prison in Savannah. The editor, who states the fact, adds, with as much coolness as though there were no barbarity in the matter, that he did not surrender till _he was considerably_ MAIMED BY THE DOGS that had been set on him--desperately fighting them--one of which he badly cut with a sword.”
Twelve days after the publication of the preceding fact, the following horrible transaction took place in Perry county, Alabama. We extract it from the African Observer, a monthly periodical, published in Philadelphia, by the society of Friends. See No. for August, 1827.
”Tuscaloosa, Ala. June 20, 1827.
”Some time during the last week a Mr. M'Neilly having lost some clothing, or other property of no great value, the slave of a neighboring planter was charged with the theft. M'Neilly, in company with his brother, found the negro driving his master's wagon; they seized him, and either did, or were about to chastise him, when the negro stabbed M'Neilly, so that he died in an hour afterwards. The negro was taken before a justice of the peace, who _waved his authority_, perhaps through fear, as a crowd of persons had collected to the number of seventy or eighty, near Mr. People's (the justice) house. _He acted as president of the mob,_ and put the vote, when it was decided he should be immediately executed by _being burnt to death_. The sable culprit was led to a tree, and tied to it, and a large quant.i.ty of pine knots collected and placed around him, and the fatal torch applied to the pile, even against the remonstrances of several gentlemen who were present; and the miserable being was in a short time burned to ashes.
”This is the SECOND negro who has been THUS put to death, without judge or jury, in this county.”
The following advertis.e.m.e.nts, testimony, &c. will show that the slaveholders of _to-day_ are the _children_ of those who shot, and hunted with bloodhounds, and burned over slow fires, the slaves of half a century ago; the worthy inheritors of their civilization, chivalry, and tender mercies.
The ”Wilmington (North Carolina) Advertiser” of July 13, 1838, contains the following advertis.e.m.e.nt.
”$100 will be paid to any person who may apprehend and safely confine in any jail in this state, a certain negro man, named ALFRED. And the same reward will be paid, if satisfactory evidence is given of _having been_ KILLED. He has one or more scars on one of his hands, caused by his having been shot.
”THE CITIZENS OF ONSLOW.
”Richlands, Onslow co. May 16th, 1838.”
In the same column with the above and directly under it is the following:--
”RANAWAY my negro man RICHARD. A reward of $25 will be paid for his apprehension DEAD or ALIVE. Satisfactory proof will only be required of his being KILLED. He has with him, in all probability, his wife ELIZA, who ran away from Col. Thompson, now a resident of Alabama, about the time he commenced his journey to that state. DURANT H.
RHODES.”
In the ”Mason (Georgia) Telegraph,” May 28, is the following:
”About the 1st of March last the negro man RANSOM left me without the least provocation whatever; I will give a reward of twenty dollars for said negro, if taken DEAD OR ALIVE,--and if killed in any attempt, an advance of five dollars will be paid. BRYANT JOHNSON.
”_Crawford co. Georgia_”
See the ”Newbern (N.C.) Spectator,” Jan. 5, 1838, for the following:--