the narrative of the life-第16部分

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against　a　white　man　in　defence　of　myself。　　And　the

only　explanation　I　can　now　think　of　does　not　entirely

satisfy　me；　but　such　as　it　is；　I　will　give　it。　　Mr。　Covey

enjoyed　the　most　unbounded　reputation　for　being

a　first…rate　overseer　and　negro…breaker。　　It　was　of　con…

siderable　importance　to　him。　　That　reputation　was　at

stake；　and　had　he　sent　mea　boy　about　sixteen　years

oldto　the　public　whipping…post；　his　reputation

would　have　been　lost；　so；　to　save　his　reputation；　he

suffered　me　to　go　unpunished。

　

　　My　term　of　actual　service　to　Mr。　Edward　Covey

ended　on　Christmas　day；　1833。　　The　days　between

Christmas　and　New　Year's　day　are　allowed　as　holi…

days；　and；　accordingly；　we　were　not　required　to　per…

form　any　labor；　more　than　to　feed　and　take　care　of

the　stock。　　This　time　we　regarded　as　our　own；　by　the

grace　of　our　masters；　and　we　therefore　used　or

abused　it　nearly　as　we　pleased。　　Those　of　us　who　had

families　at　a　distance；　were　generally　allowed　to

spend　the　whole　six　days　in　their　society。　　This　time；

however；　was　spent　in　various　ways。　　The　staid；　sober；

thinking　and　industrious　ones　of　our　number　would

employ　themselves　in　making　corn…brooms；　mats；

horse…collars；　and　baskets；　and　another　class　of　us

would　spend　the　time　in　hunting　opossums；　hares；

and　coons。　　But　by　far　the　larger　part　engaged　in

such　sports　and　merriments　as　playing　ball；　wres…

tling；　running　foot…races；　fiddling；　dancing；　and

drinking　whisky；　and　this　latter　mode　of　spending

the　time　was　by　far　the　most　agreeable　to　the　feel…

ings　of　our　masters。　　A　slave　who　would　work　during

the　holidays　was　considered　by　our　masters　as

scarcely　deserving　them。　　He　was　regarded　as　one

who　rejected　the　favor　of　his　master。　　It　was　deemed

a　disgrace　not　to　get　drunk　at　Christmas；　and　he

was　regarded　as　lazy　indeed；　who　had　not　provided

himself　with　the　necessary　means；　during　the　year；

to　get　whisky　enough　to　last　him　through　Christmas。

　

　　From　what　I　know　of　the　effect　of　these　holidays

upon　the　slave；　I　believe　them　to　be　among　the

most　effective　means　in　the　hands　of　the　slaveholder

in　keeping　down　the　spirit　of　insurrection。　　Were

the　slaveholders　at　once　to　abandon　this　practice；

I　have　not　the　slightest　doubt　it　would　lead　to　an

immediate　insurrection　among　the　slaves。　　These

holidays　serve　as　conductors；　or　safety…valves；　to　carry

off　the　rebellious　spirit　of　enslaved　humanity。　　But

for　these；　the　slave　would　be　forced　up　to　the　wild…

est　desperation；　and　woe　betide　the　slaveholder；　the

day　he　ventures　to　remove　or　hinder　the　operation

of　those　conductors！　　I　warn　him　that；　in　such　an

event；　a　spirit　will　go　forth　in　their　midst；　more　to

be　dreaded　than　the　most　appalling　earthquake。

　

　　The　holidays　are　part　and　parcel　of　the　gross

fraud；　wrong；　and　inhumanity　of　slavery。　　They　are

professedly　a　custom　established　by　the　benevolence

of　the　slaveholders；　but　I　undertake　to　say；　it　is　the

result　of　selfishness；　and　one　of　the　grossest　frauds

committed　upon　the　down…trodden　slave。　　They　do

not　give　the　slaves　this　time　because　they　would

not　like　to　have　their　work　during　its　continuance；

but　because　they　know　it　would　be　unsafe　to　deprive

them　of　it。　　This　will　be　seen　by　the　fact；　that　the

slaveholders　like　to　have　their　slaves　spend　those

days　just　in　such　a　manner　as　to　make　them　as　glad

of　their　ending　as　of　their　beginning。　　Their　object

seems　to　be；　to　disgust　their　slaves　with　freedom；

by　plunging　them　into　the　lowest　depths　of　dissipa…

tion。　　For　instance；　the　slaveholders　not　only　like　to

see　the　slave　drink　of　his　own　accord；　but　will　adopt

various　plans　to　make　him　drunk。　　One　plan　is；　to

make　bets　on　their　slaves；　as　to　who　can　drink　the

most　whisky　without　getting　drunk；　and　in　this　way

they　succeed　in　getting　whole　multitudes　to　drink

to　excess。　　Thus；　when　the　slave　asks　for　virtuous

freedom；　the　cunning　slaveholder；　knowing　his　ig…

norance；　cheats　him　with　a　dose　of　vicious　dissi…

pation；　artfully　labelled　with　the　name　of　liberty。

The　most　of　us　used　to　drink　it　down；　and　the　result

was　just　what　might　be　supposed；　many　of　us

were　led　to　think　that　there　was　little　to　choose

between　liberty　and　slavery。　　We　felt；　and　very　prop…

erly　too；　that　we　had　almost　as　well　be　slaves　to

man　as　to　rum。　　So；　when　the　holidays　ended；　we

staggered　up　from　the　filth　of　our　wallowing；　took

a　long　breath；　and　marched　to　the　field；feeling；

upon　the　whole；　rather　glad　to　go；　from　what　our

master　had　deceived　us　into　a　belief　was　freedom；

back　to　the　arms　of　slavery。

　

　　I　have　said　that　this　mode　of　treatment　is　a　part

of　the　whole　system　of　fraud　and　inhumanity　of

slavery。　　It　is　so。　　The　mode　here　adopted　to　disgust

the　slave　with　freedom；　by　allowing　him　to　see　only

the　abuse　of　it；　is　carried　out　in　other　things。　　For

instance；　a　slave　loves　molasses；　he　steals　some。

His　master；　in　many　cases；　goes　off　to　town；　and

buys　a　large　quantity；　he　returns；　takes　his　whip；

and　commands　the　slave　to　eat　the　molasses；　until

the　poor　fellow　is　made　sick　at　the　very　mention

of　it。　　The　same　mode　is　sometimes　adopted　to　make

the　slaves　refrain　from　asking　for　more　food　than

their　regular　allowance。　　A　slave　runs　through　his

allowance；　and　applies　for　more。　　His　master　is　en…

raged　at　him；　but；　not　willing　to　send　him　off　with…

out　food；　gives　him　more　than　is　necessary；　and　com…

pels　him　to　eat　it　within　a　given　time。　　Then；　if　he

complains　that　he　cannot　eat　it；　he　is　said　to　be

satisfied　neither　full　nor　fasting；　and　is　whipped

for　being　hard　to　please！　　I　have　an　abundance　of

such　illustrations　of　the　same　principle；　drawn　from

my　own　observation；　but　think　the　cases　I　have　cited

sufficient。　　The　practice　is　a　very　common　one。

　

　　On　the　first　of　January；　1834；　I　left　Mr。　Covey；

and　went　to　live　with　Mr。　William　Freeland；　who

lived　about　three　miles　from　St。　Michael's。　　I　soon

found　Mr。　Freeland　a　very　different　man　from　Mr。

Covey。　　Though　not　rich；　he　was　what　would　be

called　an　educated　southern　gentleman。　　Mr。　Covey；

as　I　have　shown；　was　a　well…trained　negro…breaker

and　slave…driver。　　The　former　（slaveholder　though　he

was）　seemed　to　possess　some　regard　for　honor；

some　reverence　for　justice；　and　some　respect　for

humanity。　　The　latter　seemed　totally　insensible　to

all　such　sentiments。　　Mr。　Freeland　had　many　of　the

faults　peculiar　to　slaveholders；　such　as　being　very

passionate　and　fretful；　but　I　must　do　him　the

justice　to　say；　that　he　was　exceedingly　free　from

those　degrading　vices　to　which　Mr。　Covey　was　con…

stantly　addicted。　　The　one　was　open　and　frank；　and

we　always　knew　where　to　find　him。　　The　other　was　a

most　artful　deceiver；　and　could　be　understood　only

by　such　as　were　skilful　enough　to　detect　his　cun…

ningly…devised　frauds。　　Another　advantage　I　gained

in　my　new　master　was；　he　made　no　pretensions　to；

or　profession　of；　religion；　and　this；　in　my　opinion；

was　truly　a　great　advantage。　　I　assert　most　unhesi…

tatingly；　that　the　religion　of　the　south　is　a　mere

covering　for　the　most　horrid　crimes；a　justifier　of

the　most　appalling　barbarity；a　sanctifier　of　the

most　hateful　frauds；and　a　dark　shelter　under；

which　the　darkest；　foulest；　grossest；　and　most　infer…

nal　deeds　of　slaveholders　find　the　strongest　protec…

tion。　　Were　I　to　be　again　reduced　to　the　chains　of

slavery；　next　to　that　enslavement；　I　should　regard

being　the　slave　of　a　religious　master　the　greatest

calamity　that　could　befall　me。　　For　of　all　slaveholders

with　whom　I　have　ever　met；　religious　slaveholders

are　the　worst。　　I　have　ever　found　them　the　meanest

and　basest；　the　most　cruel　and　cowardly；　of　all　oth…

ers。　　It　was　my　unhappy　lot　not　only　to　belong　to　a

religious　slaveholder；　but　to　live　in　a　community　of

such　religionists。　　Very　near　Mr。　Freeland　lived　the

Rev。　Daniel　Weeden；　and　in　the　same　neighborhood

lived　the　Rev。　Rigby　Hopkins。　　These　were　members

and　ministers　in　the　Reformed　Methodist　Church。

Mr。　Weeden　owned；　among　others；　a　woman　slave；

whose　name　I　have　forgotten。　　This　woman's　back；

for　weeks；　was　kept　literally　raw；　made　so　by　the

lash　of　this　merciless；　~religious~　wretch。　　He　used　to

hire　hands。　　His　maxim　was；　Behave　well　or　behave

ill；　it　is　the　duty　of　a　master　occasionally　to　whip

a　slave；　to　remind　him　of　his　master's　authority。

Such　was　his　theory；　and　such　his　practice。

　

　　Mr。　Hopkins　was　even　worse　than　Mr。　Weeden。

His　chief　boast　was　his　ability　to　manage　slaves。

The　peculiar　feature　of　his　government　was　that

of　whipping　slaves　in　advance　of　deserving　it。　　He

always　managed　to　have　one　or　more　of　his　slaves

to　whip　every　Monday　morning。　　He　did　this　to　alarm

their　fears；　and　strike　terror　into　those　who　escaped。

His　plan　was　to　whip　for　the　smallest　offences；　to

prevent　the　commission　of　large　ones。　　Mr。　Hopkins

could　always　find　some　excuse　for　whipping　a　slave。

It　would　astonish　one；　unaccustomed　to　a　slave…

holding　life；　to　see　with　what　wonderful　ease　a　slave…

holder　can　find　things；　of　which　to　make　occasion

to　whip　a　slave。　　A　mere　look；　word；　or　motion；a

mistake；　accident；　or　want　of　power；are　all　matters

for　which　a　slave　may　be　whipped　at　any　time。　　Does

a　slave　look　dissatisfied？　　It　is　said；　he　has　the　devil

in　him；　and　it　must　be　whipped　out。　　Does　he　speak

loudly　when　spoken　to　by　his　master？　　Then　he　is

getting　high…minded；　and　should　be　taken　down　a

button…hole　lower。　　Does　he　forget　to　pull　off　his

hat　at　the　approach　of　a　white　person？　　Then　he　is

wanting　in　reverence；　and　should　be　whipped　for

it。　　Does　he　ever　venture　to　vindicate　his　conduct；

when　censured　for　it？　　Then　he　is　guilty　of　impu…

dence；one　of　the　greatest　crimes　of　which　a　slave

can　be　guilty。　　Does　he　ever　venture　to　suggest　a

different　mode　of　doing　things　from　that　pointed

out　by　his　master？　　He　is　indeed　presumptuous；　and

getting　above　hi