Part 203 (2/2)
FOOTNOTES.
Footnote 39: A few years since Mr. Bourne published a work ent.i.tled, ”Picture of slavery in the United States.” In which he describes a variety of horrid atrocities perpetrated upon slaves; such as brutal scourging and lacerations with the application of pepper, mustard, salt, vinegar, &c., to the bleeding gashes; also maimings, cat-haulings, burnings, and other tortures similar to hundreds described on the preceeding pages. These descriptions of Mr. Bourne were, at that time, thought by mult.i.tudes _incredible_, and probably, even by some abolitionists, who had never given much reflection to the subject. We are happy to furnish the reader with the following testimony of a Virginia slaveholder to the _accuracy_ of Mr. Bourne's delineations. Especially as this slaveholder is a native of one of the counties (Culpepper) near to which the atrocities described by Mr. B.
were committed.
Testimony of Mr. WILLIAM HANSBOROUGH, of Culpepper, County, Virginia, the ”owner” of sixty slaves, to Mr. Bourne's ”Picture or Slavery” as a _true_ delineation.
Lindley Coates, of Lancaster Co., Pa., a well known member of the Society of Friends, and a member of the late Pennsylvania Convention for revising, the Const.i.tution of the State, in a letter now before us, describing a recent interview between him and Mr. Hansborough, of several days continuance, says,--”I handed him Bourne's Picture of slavery to read: _after reading it_, he said, that all of the sufferings of slaves therein related, were _true delineations, and that he had seen all those modes of torture himself_.”
Footnote 40: The following is Mr. Stevenson's disclaimer: It was published in the 'London Mail,' Oct 30, 1838.
_To the Editor of the Evening Mail:_
Sir--I did not see until my return from Scotland the note addressed by Mr. O'Connell, to the editor of the Chronicle, purporting to give an explanation of the correspondence which has pa.s.sed between us, and which I deemed it proper to make public. I do not intend to be drawn into any discussion of the subject of domestic slavery as it exists in the United States, nor to give any explanation of the motives or circ.u.mstances under which I have acted.
Disposed to regard Mr. O'Connell as a man of honor. I was induced to take the course I did; whether justifiable or not, the world will now decide. The tone and report of his last note (in which he disavows responsibility for any thing he may say) precludes any further notice from me, than to say that the charge which he has thought proper again to repeat, of my being a breeder of slaves for sale and traffick, is wholly dest.i.tute of truth; and that I am warranted in believing it has been made by him without the slightest authority. SUCH, TOO, I VENTURE TO SAY, IS THE CASE IN RELATION TO HIS CHARGE OF SLAVE-BREEDING IN VIRGINIA.
I make this declaration, not because I admit Mr. O'Connell's right to call for it, but to prevent my silence from being misinterpreted.
A. STEVENSON
_23 Portland Place, Oct. 29_
Footnote 41: Mr. WISE said in one of his speeches during the last session of Congress, that he was obliged to go armed for the protection of his life in Was.h.i.+ngton. It could not have been for fear of _Northern_ men.
Footnote 42: A correspondent of the ”Frederick Herald,” writing from Little Rock, says, ”Anthony's knife was about _twenty-eight inches_ in length. They _all_ carry knives here, or pistols. There are several kinds of knives in use--a narrow blade, and about twelve inches long, is called an 'Arkansas tooth-pick.'”
Footnote 43: Bishop Smith of Kentucky, in his testimony respecting homicides, which is quoted on a preceding pages, thus speaks of the influence of slave-holding, as an exciting cause.
”Are not some of the indirect influences of a system, the existence of which amongst us can never be sufficiently deplored, discoverable in these affrays? Are not our young men more heady, violent and imperious in consequence of their early habits of command? And are not our taverns and other public places of resort, much more crowded with an inflammable material, than if young men were brought up in the staid and frugal habits of those who are constrained to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow? * * * Is not intemperance more social, more inflammatory, more pugnacious where a fancied superiority of gentlemanly character is felt in consequence of exemption from severe manual labor? Is there ever stabbing where there is not idleness and strong drink?”
The Bishop also gives the following as another exciting cause; it is however only the product of the preceding.
”Has not a public sentiment which we hear characterized as singularly high-minded and honorable, and sensitively alive to every affront, whether real or imaginary, but which strangers denominate rough and ferocious, much to do in provoking these a.s.saults, and then in applauding instead of punis.h.i.+ng the offender.”
The Bishop says of the young men of Kentucky, that they ”grow up proud, impetuous, and reckless of all responsibility;” and adds, that the practice of carrying deadly weapons is with them ”NEARLY UNIVERSAL.”
INDEX.
To facilitate the use of the Index, some of the more common topics are arranged under one general t.i.tle. Thus all the volumes which are cited are cla.s.sed under the word, BOOKS; and to that head reference must be made. The same plan has been adopted concerning _Female Slave-Drivers, Laws, Narratives, Overseers, Runaways, Slaveholders, Slave-Murderers, Slave-Plantations, Slaves, Female_ and _Male, Testimony_ and _Witnesses_. Therefore, with a few _emphatical_ exceptions only, the facts will be found, by recurring to the prominent person or subject which any circ.u.mstance includes. All other miscellaneous articles will be discovered in alphabetical order.
<script>