Page:The Barbarism of Slavery - Sumner - 1863.pdf/50

 44 few convictions, and

still

shootings almost daily in

A

fewer executions

!

Why

do we hear of slabbing* and

State ?"

some part or other of our

Stabbings and shootings almost daily land of blood It was natural that contemporalanguage. Such is the official thus found utterance in high repeat what should ry newspapers !

Here

places.

is

a confession

by a newspaper

in Mississippi

" The moral atmosphere in our State appears to be in a. deleterious and sanguinary Almost every exchange paper which reaches us contains some inhuman, condition. and revolting case of murder or death by violence." Grand Gulf Advertiser, 21th June, 1837.

—

Here

is

another confession

by

a newspaper in New-Orleans



" In view of the crimes which are daily committed, we are led to inquire whether it is owing to the inefficiency of our laws, or to the manner in which these laws are administered, that this frightful deluge of human blood Jlows through our streets and our places of public resort." New-Orleans Bee, 23d May, 1838.

—

And

here

is

testimony of a different character

one who has not been an integral part of a slaveholdlng community can have any idea of its abominations. It is a whited sepulchre, full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness."

"

No

These are the words of a Southern lady, the daughter of the accomplished Judge Grimke of South-Carolina. catalogue of affrays between politicians, commonly known I use the phrase which comes from the as "street-fights" land of Slavery would show that these authorities were not

A

— —

mistaken.

That famous Dutch

picture,

admired particularly by

a successful engraving, and called the Knife-fight, presents a scene less revolting than one of these. Two or more men, armed to the teeth, meet in the streets, at a court house or a tavern, shoot at each other with revolvers, then gash each other

with knives,

close,

and

roll

upon the ground, covered with

dirt

death, prostration, or

and blood, struggling and stabbing surrender puts an end to the conflict. Each instance tells a shameful story, and cries out against the social system which till

can tolerate such Barbarism.

A catalogue of duels in our coun-

again to the reckless disregard of life where try would would exhibit Violence flaunting in the garb and exists, Slavery of a barbarous code disowned equally by prating and Honor, of testify

reason and religion. But horrors, and I hasten on.

ery.

An

full

of

one moment to exhibit and denounce it belongs to the brood of Slavenlightened Civilization has long ago rejected this

Pardon me the Duel.

you have already supped too

if I stop for

I do

it

only because