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with lee in virginia-第2章

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〃Of the two; I consider that the slave with a fairly kind master is to

the full as happy as the ordinary English laborer。  He certainly does

not work so hard; if he is ill he is carefully attended to; he is well

fed; he has no cares or anxieties whatever; and when old and past

work he has no fear of the workhouse staring him in the face。  At

the same time I am quite ready to grant that there are horrible

abuses possible under the laws connected with slavery。



〃The selling of slaves; that is to say; the breaking up of families

and selling them separately; is horrible and abominable。  If an

estate were sold together with all the slaves upon it; there would be

no more hardship in the matter than there is when an estate

changes hands in England; and the laborers upon it work for the

new master instead of the old。  Were I to liberate all the slaves on

this estate to…morrow and to send them North; I do not think that

they would be in any way benefited by the change。  They would

still have to work for their living as they do now; and being

naturally indolent and shiftless would probably fare much worse。 

But against the selling of families separately and the use of the

lash I set my face strongly。



〃At the same time; my boy; whatever your sentiments may be on

this subject; you must keep your mouth closed as to them。  Owing

to the attempts of Northern Abolitionists; who have come down

here stirring up the slaves to discontent; it is not advisable; indeed

it is absolutely dangerous; to speak against slavery in the Southern

States。 The institution is here; and we must make the best we can

of it。  People here are very sore at the foul slanders that have been

published by Northern writers。  There have been many atrocities

perpetrated undoubtedly; by brutes who would have been brutes

whenever they bad been born; but to collect a series of such

atrocities; to string them together into a story; and to hold them up;

as Mrs。 Beecher Stowe has; as a picture of slave…life in the

Southern States; is as gross a libel as if any one were to make a

collection of all the wife…beatings and assaults of drunken English

ruffians; and to publish them as a picture of the average life of

English people。



〃Such libels as these have done more to embitter the two sections

of America against each other than anything else。  Therefore;

Vincent; my advice to you is; be always kind to your slaves…not

over…indulgent; because they are very like children and indulgence

spoils them…but be at the same time firm and kind to them; and

with other people avoid entering into any discussions or 

expressing any opinion with regard to slavery。  You can do no

good and you can do much harm。 Take things as you find them and

make the best of them。  I trust that the time may come when

slavery will be abolished; but I hope; for the sake of the slaves

themselves; that when this is done it will be done gradually and

thoughtfully; for otherwise it would inflict terrible hardship and

suffering upon them as well as upon their masters。〃



There were many such conversations between father and son; for

feeling on the subject ran very high in the Southern States; and the

former felt that it was of the utmost importance to his son that he

should avoid taking any strong line in the matter。  Among the old

families of Virginia there was indeed far less feeling on this

subject than in some of the other States。  Knowing the good feeling

that almost universally existed between themselves aid their

slaves; the gentry of Virginia regarded with contempt the

calumnies of which they were the subject。  Secure in the affection

of their slaves; an affection which was after…ward abundantly

proved during the course of the war; they scarcely saw the ugly

side of the question。  The worst masters were the smallest ones;

the man who owned six slaves was far more apt to extort the

utmost possible work from them than the planter who owned three

or four hundred。  And the worst masters of all were those who;

having made a little money in trade or speculation in the towns;

purchased a dozen slaves; a small piece of land; and tried to set up

as gentry。



In Virginia the life of the large planters was almost a patriarchal

one; the indoor slaves were treated with extreme indulgence; and

were permitted a far higher degree of freedom of remark and

familiarity than is the case with servants in an English household。 

They had been the nurses or companions of the owners when

children; had grown up with them; and regarded themselves; and

were regarded by them; as almost part of the family。  There was; of

course; less connection between the planters and their field hands;

but these also had for the most part been born on the estate; had as

children been taught to look up to their white masters and

mistresses; and to receive many little kindnesses at their hands。



They had been cared for in sickness; and knew that they would be

provided for in old age。  Each had his little allotment; and could

raise fruit; vegetables; and fowls for his own use or for sale in his

leisure time。  The fear of loss of employment or the pressure of

want; ever present to English laborers; had never fallen upon them。 

The climate was a lovely one; and their work far less severe than

that of men forced to toil in cold and wet; winter and summer。 

The institution of slavery assuredly was capable of terrible abuses;

and was marked in many instances by abominable cruelty and

oppression; but taken all in all; the negroes on a well…ordered

estate; under kind masters; were probably a happier class of people

than the laborers upon any estate in Europe。



Jonas Pearson had been overseer in the time of Major Wingfield;

but his authority had at that time been comparatively small; for the

major himself personally supervised the whole working of the

estate; and was greatly liked by the slaves; whose chief affections

were; however; naturally bestowed upon their mistress; who had

from childhood been brought up in their midst。  Major Wingfield

had not liked his overseer; but he had never had any ground to

justify him making a change。  Jonas; who was a Northern man;

was always active and energetic; all Major Wingfield's orders were

strictly and punctually carried out; and although he disliked the

man; his employer acknowledged him to be an excellent servant。



After the major's death; Jonas Pearson had naturally obtained

greatly increased power and authority。  Mrs。 Wingfield had great

confidence in him; his accounts were always clear and precise; and

although the profits of the estate were not quite so large as they

had been in her husband's lifetime; this was always satisfactorily

explained by a fall in prices; or by a part of the crops being

affected by the weather。  She flattered herself that she herself man。

aged the estate; and at times rode over it; made suggestions; and

issued orders; but this was only in fits and starts; and al
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