Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 [Vol. 1 of 2]Weld, Isaac
History
Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 [Vol. 1 of 2]
Weld, Isaac
Canada -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; United States -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
With respect to the policy of holding slaves in any country, on account
of the depravity of morals which it necessarily occasions, besides the
many other evil consequences attendant upon it, so much has already been
said by others, that it is needless here to make any comments on the
subject.
The number of the slaves increases most rapidly, so that there is
scarcely any estate but what is overstocked. This is a circumstance
complained of by every planter, as the maintenance of more than are
requisite for the culture of the estate is attended with great expence.
Motives of humanity deter them from selling the poor creatures, or
turning them adrift from the spot where they have been born and brought
up, in the midst of friends and relations.
[Sidenote: CULTIVATION.]
What I have here said, respecting the condition and treatment of slaves,
appertains, it must be remembered, to those only who are upon the large
plantations in Virginia; the lot of such as are unfortunate enough to
fall into the hands of the lower class of white people, and of hard
task-masters in the towns, is very different. In the Carolinas and
Georgia again, slavery presents itself in very different colours from
what it does even in its worst form in Virginia. I am told, that it is
no uncommon thing there, to see gangs of negroes staked at a horse race,
and to see these unfortunate beings bandied about from one set of
drunken gamblers to another for days together. How much to be deprecated
are the laws which suffer such abuses to exist! yet these are the laws
enacted by people who boast of their love of liberty and independence,
and who presume to say, that it is in the breasts of Americans alone
that the blessings of freedom are held in just estimation.
The Northern Neck, with the exception of some few spots only, is flat
and sandy, and abounds with pine and cedar trees. Some parts of it are
well cultivated, and afford good crops; but these are so intermixed with
extensive tracts of waste land, worn out by the culture of tobacco, and
which are almost destitute of verdure, that on the whole the country has
the appearance of barrenness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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