CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.

THE JUBILEE SINGERS.

One of the most interesting and vivid of ourrecollections is that of witnessing some scenes innegro slavery in the United States, now upwardsof twenty years ago—very nearly the close of theiniquity; but of that nobody was aware. There wasa novelty in seeing fairly dressed men and womenbrought out for sale by public auction, and inobserving how the persons who came to buy carefullyexamined the men's hands and the flexibilityof their fingers, looked into their mouths to makesure of their teeth, and having effected a removalof the coats and shirts, scanned the bare backs todiscover whether they had suffered by the lash.Just as in buying horses in a market, it was quitea business affair; and what was a little surprising,the unfortunate objects of this degrading exhibitiontook all in good part. But what else could theydo? In the grasp of power, they knew that resistancewas worse than useless. Close by were cow-hidewhips handled by heartless ruffians voraciouslychewing tobacco, as if to keep up the properinspiration of brutality. Across the way was seenan ugly brick building inscribed with the wordJail, in tall black letters on a white ground, towhich establishment, in case of remonstrance, thepoor wretches would have been instantly marchedfor punishment. Doom hopeless!

The equanimity, and indeed the good-humour,with which these blacks seemed to endure theirfate, indicated, we thought, good points of character.Nowhere in travelling about did we observeanything positively disagreeable, to remind usthat the labourers in the fields or the loiterers atdoorways were slaves. Often, we heard singingand jollity, as if light-heartedness was on the wholepredominant. Obviously, slave-owners were not allLegrees. On the contrary, in many instances theyshewed a kind indulgence to their ‘servants,’ asthey called them, and were pleased to see themsinging, laughing, and making merry in the intervalsof rest from labour. Perhaps this is notsaying much, for the singing of slaves may becompared to the notes of a bird in captivity, tobe admired, but pitied. Anyway, there was adisposition to seek solacement in the outpouringof song. If not intellectually brilliant, the negrois naturally vivacious. Even when he growsold, he is still something of a boy, with aninherent love of frolic. He is clever in pickingup tunes, and one of the complaints which weheard against him

BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!

Sitemize Üyelik ÜCRETSİZDİR!