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Slavery In New Zealand

Slavery In New Zealand image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
December
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Slavery in all couniries involvea the exercise oflawless and vindictive passions. - Man, in bis general characteristics, is the same in all countrics, and every wherc unlimiled power is productivo of cruelty and wreLchedne68. Notwkhstanding in civili. zed life, the slavo alvcays suffurs more, because he is made to suffer and to labor upon a regular system, und he ia taxed to the utmost extenl of his powers. Mr. Earli:, n bis '-Nine Months Itesidonce in New Zcaland," relates tliat ho was informed that in one of the villages a fctnaíc slaye had been put to death, and that the peoplo were at that very time preparing her fle&h for cooking. He recollected that ihe night before Atoi, a young chicf, when visiting the English, bad recognized Ihis girl as a ruiinway slave, and had given her ia charge to 8oine of his pcople, and he now learned that she had been murdered by his direction. Mr. Kablb and a friond went to the village, where they found the body of the girl already roasling in a nativo oven and it vas subsequently eaten by tho natives. They went in pearch of the chief, determined to charge him willi his brutality. Tlio discription given ot this slaveholder is quite char-i acteristc,and wilh some variaron will probably auply to not a few in our own country. Says Mr Earle: "Atoi received us in his usual nianner; and his bandeóme open countenance could not be imagiued to belong to so cruel a monster as he had proved hitnself to be. We inquired why and how h bad murdered the poor girl. He replied that running away from luni to her relations wag her only crime. He then took us outside his viüage, and ishowed us the posi to which she had been lied, and laughed lo think how he had cheat. ed her: - "For," said he "I told her I only intended to give her a fioging; but I fired, end shot her through the hearl!" My blood ran cold at this relation, and I looked with feelings of horror at the savage white he related it. Shall I be credited vvhen I ö- gain afrtrm, that ho was nnt only a hand some young man, but mild and gentle in his demeanor? He was a man we had admitted to our table, and a general favorito with us all; nnd the poor victim was a pretty gul of aliout aixteen years of ag! While listenning to this frigblful detail, vo feit sick ulmo8t to fainting." lp talking afterwards on this subject with an old chief, the latter asked, Wbat punishment have you in England tor theives and runaway.?1 We answered,"after trial, flogging or hanging." "TheD," he replied, "tbe only diflerence between our laws is, you flog and hang, but we shoot and eat ."