When found in a northern latitude, she is forever in trouble about her domestic relations. Her servants never do anything right. Strange to tell, they are not perfect, and she thinks it a very great shame. She is fully convinced that she ought to have every moral and Christian4 virtue5 in her kitchen for a little less than the ordinary wages; and when her cook leaves her, because she finds she can get better wages and less work in a neighboring family, she thinks it shockingly selfish, unprincipled conduct. She is of opinion that servants ought to be perfectly6 disinterested7; that they ought to be willing to take up with the worst rooms in the house, with very moderate wages, and very indifferent food, when they can get much better elsewhere, purely8 for the sake of pleasing her. She likes to get hold of foreign servants, who have not yet learned our ways, who are used to working for low wages, and who will be satisfied with almost anything; but she is often heard to lament9 that they soon get spoiled, and want as many privileges as anybody else,—which is perfectly shocking. Marie often wishes that she could be a slave-holder, or could live somewhere where the lower class are kept down, and made to know their place. She is always hunting for cheap seamstresses, and will tell you, in an under-tone, that she has discovered a woman who will make linen10 shirts beautifully, stitch the collars and wristbands twice, all for thirty-seven cents, 34when many seamstresses get a dollar for it; says she does it because she’s poor, and has no friends; thinks you had better be careful in your conversation, and not let her know what prices are, or else she will get spoiled, and go to raising her price,—these sewing-women are so selfish. When Marie St. Clare has the misfortune to live in a free state, there is no end to her troubles. Her cook is always going off for better wages and more comfortable quarters; her chambermaid, strangely enough, won’t agree to be chambermaid and seamstress both for half wages, and so she deserts. Marie’s kitchen-cabinet, therefore, is always in a state of revolution; and she often declares, with affecting earnestness, that servants are the torment11 of her life. If her husband endeavor to remonstrate12, or suggest another mode of treatment, he is a hard-hearted, unfeeling man; “he doesn’t love her, and she always knew he didn’t;” and so he is disposed of.
But, when Marie comes under a system of laws which gives her absolute control over her dependants13,—which enables her to separate them, at her pleasure, from their dearest family connections, or to inflict14 upon them the most disgraceful and violent punishments, without even the restraint which seeing the execution might possibly produce,—then it is that the character arrives at full maturity15. Human nature is no worse at the South than at the North; but law at the South distinctly provides for and protects the worst abuses to which that nature is liable.
It is often supposed that domestic servitude in slave states is a kind of paradise; that house-servants are invariably pets; that young mistresses are always fond of their “mammies,” and young masters always handsome, good-natured and indulgent.
Let any one in Old England or New England look about among their immediate16 acquaintances, and ask how many there are who would use absolute despotic power amiably17 in a family, especially over a class degraded by servitude, ignorant, indolent, deceitful, provoking, as slaves almost necessarily are, and always must be.
Let them look into their own hearts, and ask themselves if they would dare to be trusted with such a power. Do they not find in themselves temptations to be unjust to those who are inferiors and dependants? Do they not find themselves tempted18 to be irritable19 and provoked, when the service of their families is negligently20 performed? And, if they had the power to inflict cruel punishments, or to have them inflicted21 by sending the servant out to some place of correction, would they not be tempted to use that liberty?
With regard to those degrading punishments to which females are subjected, by being sent to professional whippers, or by having such functionaries22 sent for to the house,—as John Caphart testifies that he has often been, in Baltimore,—what can be said of their influence both on the superior and on the inferior class? It is very painful indeed to contemplate23 this subject. The mind instinctively24 shrinks from it; but still it is a very serious question whether it be not our duty to encounter this pain, that our sympathies may be quickened into more active exercise. For this reason, we give here the testimony25 of a gentleman whose accuracy will not be doubted, and who subjected himself to the pain of being an eye-witness to a scene of this kind in the calaboose in New Orleans. As the reader will perceive from the account, it was a scene of such every-day occurrence as not to excite any particular remark, or any expression of sympathy from those of the same condition and color with the sufferer.
When our missionaries26 first went to India, it was esteemed27 a duty among Christian nations to make themselves acquainted with the cruelties and atrocities28 of idolatrous worship, as a means of quickening our zeal29 to send them the gospel.
If it be said that we in the free states have no such interest in slavery, as we do not support it, and have no power to prevent it, it is replied that slavery does exist in the District of Columbia, which belongs to the whole United States; and that the free states are, before God, guilty of the crime of continuing it there, unless they will honestly do what in them lies for its extermination30.
The subjoined account was written by the benevolent31 Dr. Howe, whose labors32 in behalf of the blind have rendered his name dear to humanity, and was sent in a letter to the Hon. Charles Sumner. If any one think it too painful to be perused33, let him ask himself if God will hold those guiltless who suffer a system to continue, the details of which they cannot even read. That this describes a common scene in the calaboose, we shall by and by produce other witnesses to show.
I have passed ten days in New Orleans, not unprofitably, I trust, in examining the public institutions,—the schools, asylums34, hospitals, prisons, &c. With the exception of the first, there is little hope of amelioration. I know not how much merit there may be in their system; but I do know that, in the administration of the penal35 code, there are abominations which should bring down the fate of Sodom upon the city. If Howard or Mrs. Fry ever discovered so ill-administered a den36 of thieves as the New Orleans prison, they never described it. In the negro’s apartment I saw much which made me blush that I was a white man, and which, for a moment, stirred up an evil spirit in my animal nature. Entering a large paved court-yard, around which ran galleries filled with slaves of all ages, sexes and colors, I heard the snap of a whip, every stroke of which sounded like the sharp crack of a pistol. I turned my head, and beheld37 a sight which absolutely chilled me to the marrow38 of my bones, and gave me, for the first time in my life, the sensation of my hair stiffening39 at the roots. There lay a black girl flat upon her face, on a board, her two thumbs tied, and fastened to one end, her feet tied, and drawn40 tightly to the other end, while a strap41 passed over the small of her back, and, fastened around the board, compressed her closely to it. Below the strap she was entirely42 naked. By her side, and six feet off, stood a huge negro, with a long whip, which he applied43 with dreadful power and wonderful precision. Every stroke brought away a strip of skin, which clung to the lash44, or fell quivering on the pavement, while the blood followed after it. The poor creature writhed45 and shrieked46, and, in a voice which showed alike her fear of death and her dreadful agony, screamed to her master, who stood at her head, “O, spare my life! don’t cut my soul out!” But still fell the horrid47 lash; still strip after strip peeled off from the skin; gash48 after gash was cut in her living flesh, until it became a livid and bloody49 mass of raw and quivering muscle. It was with the greatest difficulty I refrained from springing upon the torturer, and arresting his lash; but, alas50! what could I do, but turn aside to hide my tears for the sufferer, and my blushes for humanity? This was in a public and regularly-organized prison; the punishment was one recognized and authorized51 by the law. But think you the poor wretch52 had committed a heinous53 offence, and had been convicted thereof, and sentenced to the lash? Not at all. She was brought by her master to be whipped by the common executioner, without trial, judge or jury, just at his beck or nod, for some real or supposed offence, or to gratify his own whim54 or malice55. And he may bring her day after day, without cause assigned, and inflict any number of lashes56 he pleases, short of twenty-five, provided only he pays the fee. Or, if he choose, he may have a private whipping-board on his own premises57, and brutalize himself there. A shocking part of this horrid punishment was its publicity59, as I have said; it was in a court-yard surrounded by galleries, which were filled with colored persons of all sexes,—runaway slaves, committed for some crime, or slaves up for sale. You would naturally suppose they crowded forward, and gazed, horror-stricken, at the brutal58 spectacle below; but they did not; many of them hardly noticed it, and many were entirely indifferent to it. They went on in their childish pursuits, and some were laughing outright60 in the distant parts of the galleries; so low can man, created in God’s image, be sunk in brutality61.
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1
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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6
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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7
disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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8
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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11
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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12
remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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13
dependants
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| 受赡养者，受扶养的家属( dependant的名词复数 ) | |
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14
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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15
maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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17
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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negligently
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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functionaries
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| n.公职人员，官员( functionary的名词复数 ) | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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atrocities
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| n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪 | |
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29
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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30
extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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32
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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33
perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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34
asylums
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| n.避难所( asylum的名词复数 )；庇护；政治避难；精神病院 | |
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penal
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| adj.刑罚的；刑法上的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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38
marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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39
stiffening
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| n. (使衣服等)变硬的材料, 硬化 动词stiffen的现在分词形式 | |
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40
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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41
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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42
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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43
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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44
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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45
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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48
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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49
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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50
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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51
authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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52
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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53
heinous
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| adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的 | |
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54
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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55
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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56
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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57
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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58
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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59
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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60
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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