A White Slave's Experience

A slave from Kentiicty, natnecl Lewis CImke, s doscribing to large eis:ern nuditorics wva lie ■■ i :'■.- oí slrtvery. Wccut ihc foliowinsj from n opon ofone ofth'em bjt Mrs. Child. líe is aliost whito. As :i trciicrat lliinc:. ifn Kentuckion hna n lu!e indiuy. lio'il a (al ratlipr ves; it tu .Uves ih :ti riiiy oil:er p operty. A liorse iknt know i.,i he's rn])eriy, and a nuin anca. Tlici-'s ;i - ; of satisfactioii n iliiiiking 'You're ;i man, li ; you'ie mine, You're ;is wlme ns J ani. bm yon'ro 7tHB.' IVlañy a time Tve Inid 'em sav to me. 'You're niy property. Ií'í (etl yon i .. huid your hand n the tire lili i barría oíl'. y.iu've gt .) da t.' Not that thcy mtant to mnke me p.m my Iiond iii ilie fire; bilí thev lik;il fo iet me know tliey hnd tUe poica: TI, e wliiter a man is, the lowerdown tliey keep liim. Kentucky is llic best ofthe slave stntes. in rtsect lo the laws; luit the mustera inannge to t. hings pretiy iniich to ihcir own likmg, T!ie :iv clon't allpw 'cm to brand a flave. or cía oi íisear; but if .tliey happen ío switch ítofl'witb cow-h(!e. no!)ody snyá nnythmg nliout t 'houtrii the lnws nre betier ihftñ i;i othor S;ntes. ícy nn't nnyways eqtial. Jf a negro brdíiKa pen n house, he is hur.r for it; bel f a vVhite- man does the s-nno hing, no s puf in the penitcntiary, unlcss he has moncy eoough to buy himselt'oir. Anti there s one crime, ibr wbich nidio black men are liung than lor any oilicr; r.nj il ti wliite mnn doea i', ii is nu crime at all. The Uw glvos liiin full swing; nndhe donft fail to ís privilege', I cari teil you. NöW. tijere iVaa nothing e!so luit this. it wou ld make n slavc's lifè ns bad ;ts de.-lh, mhny times. I c.in't feil llicst' rcHjicctililo pcoplc ns tiüicli ns f WouH I ík c to; luit think íor a ininuro how yo;i wou ld like to bove ynur sisters, am! wwes, ;i;ii ijovr (l.uiL'litcrs. cuinpluicly. ttfiatpfaliy, qnd ;illopethur. in ilie power of a nms:or. You cm piiturc 10 yjpursclvea n linie, liow-you woujd fcel: lint oh. it" I couKl !.■!! y.ju! A slivpw'Omnn ;iü'i;illoweil to respect liersdf, il'slie would. 1 ha'd .i preity sister; sho was wh'tcr thnn I am, for shc look more nficr lirr lalfidr. iVhen slid wfis sixicfdn years o!(l. lier innsior sent ïp Ipt. Wlim lm sent for hor nenia, she crioil, nnd tlid'lM want to go. Slie tolil her mother lier troubles. Itod she tricd to encournse her 10 lic 'docent, ;,u i lioid up hur head obovi? sucli thinga, i: shocould. Her ii;is!er wo po innd. to tliiük slie c impluincd to der inoilier, ih:il l.e scl 1 lier rigiit nÜ" irianq; pnd wc hnnid aficrw;ird tiit she di'.-u tliere-of hnrd usn Now. who woirid ükc to le n slttvc1. even if t!ie:c wriK rlotMng lind nlintit il li il sue] ment of his sis ris mi! d-mlitery? I5ut 1 1 1 r ■ : ■'- n worsn tliini: j"e bo"iu slirvery: the wofft ihitiix in the whole 1 t; tlioiuli it'n :i!l bad; froni the luit end ld iit. I n.e:in llie p ilh-.r roUirS ("patrojs ) Isupposeymi know l,ka( tiiey have paijw-rojierá to go round o'niL'h'í. to s'e t!;i! the slavcfl are nll in, and nu pl;nninf: a'iy inischic! .' Now. ihése ::re jn.=. hböul the wmst fellóws ih.it c.in h" fo-ind: os 'nn nSrarty you could piele irp on the wli'trw b'. The rcaso'n W. you sec. tK.ït nH d. peni wrtnn v.'ill unflètwfee ihóbüi . ; ñ lejtSën in Kr;] turk y nre reaMv bnbttgli to liirMieh i '.- done; lint i: víhi ■ ;:k nny ol' theni lo henrmiter-ronec, ne wouw iook upon it aanjrrg,a% 'liv.ii i n .= ■ : 1 í . and like!y cnough wouM b!"v oul vuur hrai ns for rn niis.vcr. They're mighty handy willi pistóle down ihoie] and if ;i mnn don't tosonl on ïi hing ilni's ir apon hirn. .they C.'ill liilll Pnkc cnsy. Th" efnv23 CiHfiÜ it. lio; :hh1 iliom ;is won-l figbt, is e -dlnd I'okp-e.isy. - But as I w.-is lelling y they I r (lioso pitfier r)iler#. and i!;cy hri ,■ i. t;i!,r Jje tpeane. i 'c ovs ili'.ivo izr)ii;il: ;iii'l büCause ijiey nro fr" inorliil gure ili' eiavcs 'oii"t ?7 UiMf freè-i.Hi, ':CV 1IVC tl) pilt .'.1! iou-iT ,:K) lll'il I a '!.'?, o do witli ibe niggere ji-st ís i r ey li';t'. - Ca !;:vi' ilon'i (])i'ii iiis door i i hc , at apji iiïijê of !il'!i'. ilifv Im-ik it (lin'.n. TJC tja Mioiicv. rf they eau llrvi ir. mrl netjcsi nsilny ui li his u-ivi-s and dnugliiera. II n Uu3mud (lares tu say n uord. or even look na tf_Jw i ■!. rliej lic lii. ii u) íjive Uirn hirty-nine l.-islics. lf ihcre'a rny likcly you;ig ::iis in ; slivo's init. il ev'it: miirlnv npt tp Srni il tiiry lllink "" iM-d founz man takes n faocy '■ wij ól 'env. - M.;v le Ii'H í.T-í 'i pnps IVoni liis mndier. md go sec ihe y.ourig i-r''l '''' '" few Iwürs. 'i'lu.1 p itlor-rolJorabrefik in tratl fin 1 hiin f lioy 11 Jius" iho girl ns b;i! ns iln-v Cftoofi piinj} ise lu provoke hm. If ise looka cross, tJiey give him :i il uririnLr. 'cir up h8 pnss. Hirn hiin o : 1 1 rtf doors, nnd (hen inke him up and wljjp liirn lot beinijout witboul n inss. If ihc slnve siys ibey tore it up, ihey swc.ir hc lies; nnd ninejiniea out nficn the rnaster won't coüie out r.nin 'cm, for t'ni-y say it on'i io ut let ihe ntggera suppose tíioy inny coraolain of the patter-rollers; thev must be taueht tint it's thoir business to ncy 'em in everything; nnd the paltcr-roller knows tli.it very well. Oh. liow (,'ftcn I've scen the poor girls sob and cry, when ihere's been such goings on!M;y lio yoi tiunk, bociuite (hcy're slavcg, thc.v ime? A wwnan's being.a slavc, don'i itop i„ . gonteel ideas; ihat rding 10 ihcir uu. and lar n3 tltcy can.- Tliey kriow rhcy must submit to tlieir mnáícrí; . in ir mastcrs, rñay he. drcss'em up', n'n1 make 'em linie prcsenis, nnd givo 'cm more -■. wliüc tlio whun lnsts; but that nn't I i ko Inving o pnrcel of low, dirfy, swearing, driink pattor-roflirs lot foose nmong 'cm, like so niatiy hogB This breaks down their spirits IrendFuIiy, nnd malies 'cm wfsli fhey werc dond. w!i) nmöng you worr'tf likc to' Jmvc '"ir wro!. nnd daughters, nnd sisfery. in siick i sitiiniion] rJiiis is whnt cvery sldVe in all nes is r.)scd to. Yet falkS go from i ts dot'n 10 Konttieky, and como baök, iho slnvos h.ivc cnou"h to ent nnd drink, in! ilipy ,i!c vrrv hnppy, nvA thcy would'nt mind iselves. I'dlike to have em to try f; it woidd toacli 'cm a little moro h-m ihey fcriow ow. l'm not going to deny ;ii. Kcnrack'y is'bcttcr than other slnvc Slntes. n respe:' of her lawsj r.v] she hus ilie best nnnej . nliont trnntin lier slavcs. Jint onc reat ■ nsnn ofthni i--, tliey nro pro'ud afmut pnnisiiint' njivblic. Ifnnjan tie? Mivo up in t lie mariot-plnöe. an.l flogs him till ho cna't stand, tho ill crj outi 'VVliat a srramel Th nnn fifta fio regnrd to h?9 chnmetr. W'liat art bnrrfiriable thtng to have thnt nigger ecrenn-.ing vhore everijbody can hearl Shame on him, to lo sncli t'nn.'s m imiilic!' Uut ir the same mnn flos his sluve ton timos rp gtlrret or down collar, wiih his moUth sloppod,' that he tnayñ't.inúlcó á noièe, or cS n ho w iods, out of hearing- its all wcll eriotigh. f liis heïghbor Iiear of it, they only say. Wfcll cttiere no mntiaging niggira'withó'èt letlhig cm krfow wlio's inasicr.' And there'a Ril eridof tire btreïriess. The law, to he swe ''■Mi't a'low Bóch cruel floggings: bat how's á lirig to L'ct the law of his mnster7 Tho law won'l let him, norany of his slavcs. testtfy; and if the nei"ghbora know nnything abo ut it' Ihey ■■' teartfy'. For it wout do to Iet thé sinves tiiink they waüld !o nphèl'd in complainintr of mnsïor or overseër. I told ym in the bcirtnuyr. that it wouldn't do to let the slave tiiinlc he is n man. That would spoil slavory, clean. eutifelv. .,.; ihip is ilic ciiifliy of thé thiiif-1 - SLAVE CA.VT IJK A MAN. Hè must beínadeabrutol but lio an't a brutí". neither. rf hohnd n chance to art hfmseFfout. Many nóno of 'em is rïgbt sriinn, 1 tcll.you. Tíut a horso rait't speak, nrid n plave ddrn't; and that's the beet way I can telTtlie story."