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and the obtuseness of moral feeling, produced by this state of things, sometimes come out in forms very shocking to those who are unaccustomed to the sys. tem. Miss G, of South Carolina, being on ↑ visit to an intimate friend of the writer, certain ladies who were present, began to talk on the never-failing topic of domestics. You do not have the trouble of such frequent changes," said one of them to Miss G- -; "but I should think you would find it very disagreeable to be surrounded by so many slaves." "Not at all disagreeable," replied the lady from South Carolina ; I have always been accustomed to blacks; I was nursed by one of them, of whom I was very fond. As for good looks, I assure you some of them are very handsome. I had a young slave, who was an extremely pretty creature. A gentleman, who visited at our house, became very much in love with her. One day she requested me to speak to that gentleman, for she did not wish to be his mistress, and he troubled her exceedingly. I did speak to him, begging him to change his conduct, as his attentions were very disagreeable to my slave. For a few weeks he desisted; but at the end of that time, he told me he must have that giri. ar some rate or other; he offered me a very high price I pitied the poor fellow, and sold her to him."

Miss G was an unmarried woman, with correct ideas of propriety concerning those of her own color; but having been educated under a system that taught her to regard a portion of the human race as mere animals, she made the above remarks without

the slightest consciousness that there was any thing shameful in the transaction.

Pinckard, in his Notes on the West Indies, speaks in terms of strong disgust, of the entire want of modesty evinced by women in cases where their female slaves were concerned. "It is to the advantage of the hostess of a tavern," says he, "that the female attendants of her family should be as handsome as she can procure them. Being slaves, the only recompense of their services is the food they eat, the hard bed they sleep on, and the few loose clothes which are hung upon them. One privilege, indeed, is allowed them, which you will be shocked to know; and this offers the only hope they have of procuring a sum of money, wherewith to purchase their freedom: and the resource among them is so common, that neither shame nor disgrace attaches to it; but, on the contrary, she who is most sought becomes an object of envy, and is proud of the distinction shown her.

"One of our attendants at table appeared, both from her conversation and behavior, to be very superior to her degraded station. She had nothing of beauty, nor even prettiness of face, but she was of good figure, and of respectable and interesting demeanor, and, in point of intellect, far above her colleagues. Together with gentleness of manner, and an easy, pleasant address, she possesses a degree of understanding and ability which claim respect. In principle and in sentiment she appeared virtuous; and, from the frankness of her replies, it was evident that she knew no sense of wrong in her conduct.

We could not but lament, that the imperious habits of the country did not allow of her being placed as a more respectable member of society.

"This woman is the great support of the house the bar-maid, and leading manager of the family. Her mistress had refused to take one hundred guineas for her; which, she assured us, had been offered by a gentleman, who would have purchased her. She has a very lively, interesting little daughter, a Mestee, about four years old. Of this child she spake with great tenderness, and appeared to bear it all the fond attachment of an affectionate parent. Yet, as the infant was born in slavery, should the mother by any means obtain her freedom, she cannot claim her child, but must leave it, still the disposable property of her mistress, equally liable to be sold as any other piece of furniture in the house."

This same habit of putting slaves out of the pale of humanity, leads to great carelessness in sundering the ties of domestic affection. The slave mother and her

little ones are advertised for sale "either singly, or in lots, to suit purchasers." If the will of the purchaser separates them, the wretched parent in vain shrieks, "I can't leave my children! I won't leave my children!" With all the kind instincts of human nature strong within her, she is an article of property; and resistance is useless. In old times, when slavery was sanctioned in Massachusetts, a wealthy lady residing in Gloucester was in the habit of giving away the infants of her female slaves, a few days after they were born, as people are accustomed to

dispose of a litter of kittens. One of her neighbors begged an infant, which, in those days of comparative simplicity, she nourished with her own milk, and reared among her own children. This woman had an earnest desire for a brocade gown; and her husband not feeling able to purchase one, she sent her little nursling to Virginia, and sold her, when she was about seven years old..

People who have never been under the influence of this system, are reluctant to believe that slaveowners make no scruple of selling their own mulatto children; but those who have long resided in slave countries know perfectly well that it is a fact of frequent occurrence. One of the most singular instances of this kind occurred a few years since Doctor Wwent into one of the south-western of the United States to settle as a physician. In one of the families where he visited in the course of his practice, he saw a girl in a humble situation, who was very handsome in her person, and modest in her manners. He became in love with her, and married her. Sometime after, a gentleman called, and announced himself as Mr. Ir, of Mobile. Sir," said he, "I have a trifling affair of business to settle with you. You have married a slave of mine.' Dr. W was surprised and indignant; for he had supposed his wife to be perfectly white. But Mr. Ir brought forward proofs of his assertion, and the unrighteous laws of the land supported his claim. After considerable discussion, the young man found he must either pay eight hundred dollars

or suffer his wife to be sold at auction. He paid the money. When Mrs. W. was informed of the circumstance, she was in deep distress, and apologized to her husband for the concealment she had practised, by saying, "As Mr. I- -r is my own father, I did hope when I had found an honorable protector he would leave me in peace."

Another great evil resulting from this system, is the tyrannical habits and impetuous passions that are unavoidably developed by early habits of despotic sway. The manner of speaking to a slave is almost universally haughty and contemptuous. Delicate, languid, and graceful ladies, who would cherish a lapdog, and shrink from harming a butterfly, will, in a moment of anger, seize the whip and chastise a slave for the slightest fault, and sometimes for errors, which in their calmer moments they discover were never committed. If all history did not prove that the possession of absolute power is apt to produce a species of insanity, it would be difficult to believe the occasional demonstrations of vindictive passions in slave countries.

A young man from Missouri lately related, at a public meeting in Ohio, the following circumstance which took place in his own state. A young slave, who had been much abused, ran away, after an unusually severe whipping. She returned in a few days, and was sent into the field to work. In consequence of excessive punishment she was very ill; and when she reached the house at night, she lay down on the floor exhausted. When her mistress spoke to her,