CHAP. IX.

Newspapers, instability of editors-Coloured population, comfort of domestic slaves-Visit to a rice plantation, condition of field slaves-Comparison of slavery and free domestic servitude. -Anecdote of negro indolence and industry-Absconding slaves and rewards for their capture-Democratic papers most hostile to abolition-Anecdote of American sovereignty in the people-Public rebuke of female abolitionists-Speech of Mr. Clay against abolition-Opinions of different parties on this speech-Amusing peculiarity of American politicians-Excursion to Bonaventure, near Savannah - Public meeting for establishing a "Sailors' Home"-Ladies' meeting for promoting Indian and Chinese Missions.

THERE are two newspapers in Savannah, the Daily Georgian, a democratic print, and the Daily Republican, a whig journal. Neither of these are so remarkable for talent or circulation as the Charleston Courier; but, like the Charleston papers, they are untainted by the vituperative language and abusive style of too many of the papers of the north. A third paper was attempted while we were here, called the Daily Telegraph; and though we we were only in Savannah a fortnight altogether, we were there long enough to witness its birth and death, for it lived only eight days, and then expired.

The newspapers of the south are much dearer than those at the north; the two established journals here, as well as those at Charleston, selling for 12 cents, or sixpence sterling per copy, though neither of them are as large as the smallest evening

papers in England, and there are neither stamps, duty on paper, reporters, news collectors, or paid correspondents, as on an English paper of any reputation. A single editor, frequently without any assistant, writes the whole of the original matter, which rarely exceeds a single column, the rest of the pages being made up of compilations cut out from other papers; and as three pages of standing advertisements are usually kept in the journals of largest circulation, there is only a single page of new matter to be set up daily; so that the expense of getting up the whole is very inconsiderable.

Notwithstanding this, the greater number of the country papers in America are far from being profitable; 1000 copies is considered a large circulation; advertising, by the year, is very cheap, though the transient advertisements of the day are as dear as in the country papers of England, a dollar being the usual sum for the shortest. The great cause of embarrassment to newspaper proprietors, is the difficulty of obtaining payments from their subscribers, the amount being small to each individual, scattered over a great extent of country, and costing twice as much labour and expense to collect, as bills of any other kind, not from the inability of parties to pay, but from their indifference and negligence. The plan of obtaining payment in advance is sometimes resorted to, but this is not easy to be secured, from the want of confidence in their stability, as so many papers start with every prospect of success, and are relinquished either for want of means, or want of perseverance, or from something more lucrative having tempted the editor into other undertakings.

The condition of the coloured population, slave and free, excited in me the liveliest interest, as I was anxious to see and judge for myself on this much contested point. Here, as at Charleston, the greatest anxiety seemed to be manifested on all sides as to my opinions on slavery. With some few I could safely venture to let these be known; as they were liberal enough to suppose that a man might, from conviction, be in favour of abolition, without designing any evil to the country; but with the great bulk of the white population here, the name of an abolitionist was more terrible than that of an incendiary, a rebel, or a murderer, and to such it would have been useless to make any observations on the subject.

From all I could perceive or learn, the condition of the domestic servants, or slaves of the household, was quite as comfortable as that of servants in the middle ranks of life in England. They are generally well-fed, well-dressed, attentive, orderly, respectful, and easy to be governed, but more by kindness than by severity.

If the slaves of America were confined to household attendants, I have no doubt that their condition would be very far from miserable; because the master and mistress of a family, and all the younger members of it, feel as natural a pride in having their personal attendants to look well in person and in dress, when slaves, as they do when their servants are free; for the same reason as ladies or gentlemen in England like to have their livery servants handsome and well-dressed, and their carriage-horses sleek, glossy, well-fed, and caparisoned with handsome harness. But when slaves are employed in

field labour, as instruments of producing wealth, or when they are owned by one party, and hired out to another for wages to be received by the owner, then the case is very different, because the object is then, in each instance, to make as much money by them as possible, and turn them, as property, to the most profitable account; so that the least expense in food and clothing, compatible with keeping them alive and in working condition, leaves the largest amount of gain; and therefore their personal appearance is no more attended to than that of cart-horses or posthorses, as compared with the attention bestowed on the carriage-horses as a part of the family equipage.

We visited one of the rice plantations in the neighbourhood of Savannah, and saw the condition of the slaves on it with our own eyes. The estate was considered to be a valuable one, and under a fair condition of management, not among the best nor among the worst, but just such an average plantation as we wished to examine. The dwellings for the negroes were built of wood, ranged in rows of great uniformity, raised a little above the ground, each building containing two or more rooms, with a fire-place for two. We saw also the nursery for the children, and the sick-room or hospital for those who were hurt or diseased, and we had communication with the overseer, and several of the people, from both of whom we learnt the following facts, as to their routine of labour, food, and treatment.

The slaves are all up by daylight; and every one who is able to work, from eight or nine years old and upwards, repair to their several departments of field-labour. They do not return to their houses

either to breakfast or dinner; but have their food cooked for them in the field, by negroes appointed to that duty. They continue thus at work till dark, and then return to their dwellings. There is no holiday on Saturday afternoon, or any other time throughout the year, except a day or two at Christmas; but from daylight to dark, every day except Sunday, they are at their labour. Their allowance of food consists of a peck, or two gallons, of Indian corn per week, half that quantity for working boys and girls, and a quarter for little children. This corn they are obliged to grind themselves, after their hours of labour are over; and it is then boiled in water, and made into hominey, but without anything to eat with it, neither bread, rice, fish, meat, potatoes, or butter; boiled corn and water only, and barely a sufficient quantity of this for subsistence.

Of clothes, the men and boys had a coarse woollen jacket and trousers once a year, without shirt or any other garment. garment. This was their winter dress; their summer apparel consists of a similar suit of jacket and trousers of the coarsest cotton cloth. Absence from work, or neglect of duty, was punished with stinted allowance, imprisonment, and flogging. A medical man visited the plantation occasionally, and medicines were administered by a negro woman called the sick-nurse. No instruction was allowed to be given in reading or writing, no games or recreations were provided, nor was there indeed any time to enjoy them if they were. Their lot was one of continued toil, from morning to night, uncheered even by the hope of any change, or prospect of improvement in condition.