Selections: Extracts From Walker's Narrative

Dnring his detention in jail at Pensa:ola, Mr. Walker endeavored to keep a ournal of events as they transpired ( ier his own observation, orcame within his nowledge. The family oflhojailer consisted of himself, (F. T.)- L. T. his vvife, nnd six children; a mulalto woman (a cook)and her child, five or six months old. How that poor slave mother Was reated, appears from the following eXracts from Mr. W's. journnl. "July 23. L. T. whipped the cook. 24. L. T. whipped the cook. 25. L. T. whipped the cook twice. 29. L. T. whipped the cook. Aug. 1. L. T. whipped the cook. 4. L. T. whipped the cook. 8. Cook whipped twice, once by L. T. nnd once by F. T. 12. L. T. whipped the cook. 14. L. T. whipped the cook. 17. L. T. whipped the cook four times. Mistress dreadfully cross. 19. L. T. whipped the cook. 21. L. T. whipped the cook twice. 28. L. T. whipped the cook. 30. L. T. whipped the cook. L. T. confined; brought forth a fine boy." Engaged in flogging almost to the hour of her own confinement! And when unable to wield the lash herself, employed herbrother lo do so! Thus -"3ept. 13. Cook whipped severely by L. T's brother, at her request." Once more she is able to renew her cruelties: "24. L. T. whipped the cook. Oct. 1. L. T. whipped the cook; children cry by wholesale. 2. L. T. whipped the cook. 8. L. T. whipped the cook severely, with both ends of the cow-hide. 15. L. T's mother whipped the cook. 19. L. T. whipped the cook. 25. L. T. whipped the cook twice, and another servant once. Nov. 3. L. T. whipped the cook severely with a broornstick; scolds tremendously; gi fes unlimited scope to passion, ■end tapera off by crying herself. 7. L. T. whipped the cook. 15. L. T. whipped the cook. 26. L. T. and mother whipped the cook, alternately, spell and spell. F. T. whipped the cook, severely. Dec. 29. L. T. whipped the cook. Jan. 3, 1845. L T. whipped the cook twice. 14. L. T. whipped the cook. 16. L. T. whipped the cook twice. 19. L. T. whipped the cook." Commentingon this case of atrocious cruelty, Mr. Walker says: "Suppose the slave whom 1 have so often mentioned ns being flogged by her mistress, had cost her master 75 cents for ench wliipping, the amount would have been about $30 frorn the 19th July.when I wascommitted to the 19sh February, when the famüy moved from the jail. The readei will have perceived that those whippings were mnch more frequent in the warm weather than in the cold, and also before her mistress' confinement, than afterwards. The reader is at liberty to make hisor her comments orcon jectures as to the cause of lh is, It may be thought that ihose whippings were of no great severity, and merelyidministered as a parent would correct & :hild; but to test the qualitv, let a person. e covefed only within a thín cotton f rock, md Jet a woman, excited to uncontrolled )asson, npply a raw-hide switch to the ackofthéotherwithher greateststrength 'rom twenty to fifty blowsj and they ■vould not need a repetition of íl toascer ain ts mildness. But some of those flog sjings were applied by n more poworful irm than that of the mistress} and the riiarks nnd scars wero visible upon the slave's neck and face from the time t ivas first committed, to the diiy of my release. My senses have cönveyed to my heart inexpressible feelingsof disgust and abhorrence for 6uch a mode of disciplino ar punishment upon rational human be ings. Often when these exhibitionshave laken place, have I thought ó( the following Unes: 'Hate's quivering lip, the fix'd, thé slartlinjf eyey The grin of vengeance, and the forehead ple, The decpdrawn breaih, Ilic short hyena cry, All in coarítíCtiun teil the dreadful tale Where cowhiJe, pndüle, chams, and slaVery do prevail." What a she-devil is that jailer's wifef and in what a heil of rnisery does that slave mother live! And this is only & single glimpse at slavery! The following is an account of the un feeling wretch, by whom Walker was branded wilh a red hot iron. Will Eben ezer Dorr ever venture to show his faceagaln on the soil of New Englandi "The marshal of the district, Ëbenezer Dorr, was formerly from the State of Maine, with whom I had been well ac]uainted for eight or nine years and we ïad always been on terms of friendship} ut now our mutual feelings vere about o be tested; for circumstances having ren Jered our situations very different, thero was no more equalify. He was a pracical slaveholder and a strong advocate af the system; I, an uncompromisiiig opponent of American slavery in all it brmsj he holding a high office under tha crritorial government; I, a prisoner for a violalion of the territorial law placed in lis custody, and subject almost entir'ely to lis control. I do not pretend that our former acquaintance or friendly inter course entitled me to nny unusual Indulgence, or that he sfiould viólate any duty or deviate from the path of justice to a.c- cornmodate me, or to ameliorate my con dition; but 1 did suppose that there should be some consideration made on the score of humanity, towards any one in so feeble a state as I was at the time of my commiftal, which might aid in the res toration of health, or that would tend to reduce me still more; for the reader has already been in formad that Í was placed in heavy irons without even a handful of straw to lie on,or anything done to pro vide with food suitable for asick person - for it was impossible for me to recover solely on my jail farf. Not but the quantity wassufficient, but the quality was not suitable for one out of health; and l deprived, as was supposedj of what money I had for several days; so that. all means were thwarted of providing for myself. Butj ns I wish not to forget any favor shows mo, I pass to his credit a bottle of niilk which he gave me, and nn occasional cali and inquiry and after my health, and the loan of some newspapersj fcc.Aly correspondence had to pass undei his inspeel on j and for one or two words in a private letter to my wife, respecting my situation, I received from him a severa reprimand. But suffice il to say, that he might have made my situation more irksome, or he might have amelio rated it, without infringing upon his official duties. He permitied George Willis to take from niv head a bandkerchief, which his deput had placed there to keep ofT the violenco of the sun, and heave rotten eggat me, whilst standing in the pillory, without interfering other than saying, 'Don't Mr. Willis, for we havo got to takc him into court,'--as much as to say, 'he would nppear indecent,' or 'some one'sseriseswill beoffended.' - Lib' erator. Wlicnever the cook was whipped, it wi done, niih a few excuptions, with a raw-hide swiich, about rhree feet in Iength, generally from to iweniy to fifty strukes al a time.