John Theophilus Kramer

“ Well, why don’t he fight to gain his liberty, and, consequently, be regarded as a man, and not as a mule? Because he is well aware that he has no power as a single man, and that he cannot combine with his other unfortunate brothers to break the yoke, as did his great namesake of old several thousand years ago. Is he afraid of death? O no, for he knows perfectly well that his body is not his own; that the bodies of his beloved ones do not belong to themselves. Who then would suffer, in case of his death, but his money-making master? But Moses has two reasons for not avenging himself. ”

“ Picture a sleeping babe and its mother for sale at auction! To you, gentle mothers of darling babes, I am now addressing my simple words. If the heart of man should be cast of iron, or carved out of granite, a loving mother’s heart is soft, like pure melted wax, and always susceptible to every impression of goodness and of compassion. She alone can tell how great is the pain to see her darling babe suffer. She alone can understand the sufferings of other unfortunate mothers. ”

“ Perhaps, while Jake is being sold at auction to the highest bidder, his natural brothers and sisters are sitting in splendid parlors, or in the drawing-room of some fashionable hotel, ‘up North.’ May not one of Jake’s natural brothers be a Judge of the Supreme Court, and the other a learned minister of the gospel? How does it happen that, while one of the children of the same father is a rich and high-standing favorite of the people, the other child is sold at public auction, like a valuable mule? ”

“ A Slave Auction! Great God in heaven! a Slave Auction! And that man upon the platform is the auctioneer!
What a noise is going on outside of the doors! There will, surely, enter a troop of men, women and children. How will they find places amongst the spectators of the tragedy which will soon commence?—for every chair is occupied, and many men are leaning upon the bar. There is room in front of the table, and near to the walls of the hall. ”

“ Poor Rosa! there is no help for you; there is no salvation. She knows it, and the awful conviction of so crushing a calamity casts her down,—down into the abyss of utter despair. She is sold at last to the highest bidder—to the slave-driver—to the tiger in frock-coat and pants, for $1250. ”

“ Not one among all of these poor creatures will raise his or her head and eyes, to take a glance at the sitting assemblage. Some poor girls are weeping audibly, and all are looking sad—sad—sad! Reader, if you should happen to be of a gentle nature, take a glance at the little babies upon the arms of their poor and distressed mothers! Can babies feel their misery? Yes, indeed, they can. Every mother will endorse my words. I shall never forget those looks of deep sorrow, which I perceived in the faces of all those poor little children upon the auction-stand. ”

“ By what means can we induce the slaveholders in the South to give up their [44] ‘property,’ their ‘wealth,’ their ‘merchandise,’ their ‘valuable goods?’ Shall we invade the Slave States with a large army, and liberate the slaves by means of revolvers, knives, swords, and Sharp’s or Minnie rifles? I know the Southerners too well, not to be convinced that every one of them would fight to the death—that they would lose every drop of their blood, rather than consent to give up their slaves. The Southerner is no coward; he is brave in battle, and faces death without fear. ”

“ The auctioneer stands upon the platform: he is ready to sell any of these to the highest bidder for gold, silver, or approved paper. He calls himself a Christian. He seems to have no idea that he is going to perform an act which is the greatest blasphemy towards his Lord and Master. Is not any man, pretending to be a Christian, and selling his Christian brothers like horses, mules or dogs, a hypocrite? And is any man, calling himself a disciple of Christ, but favoring and seconding slave auctions, any better? ”

“ There is an institution, which is called by many civilized men a ‘lawful one,’ but which is in reality an institution of ancient barbarity. It is the institution of slavery! If we take for truth, that civilization and Christianity go hand in hand, we are astonished to see a civilized and Christian people violating the laws of civilization and of Christianity, by adhering to and nursing said institution of barbarity. Christianity and barbarity will always oppose each other, and if a nation is trying to make a mixture of both, civilization as well as Christianity will suffer extensively. ”

“ I believe that they were conscious of their horrible fate in that awful hour—to be sold for money to the highest bidder! You, who have human feelings—you, who are no figures of cold marble—contemplate each of these one hundred and forty-nine descendants of Africa’s sons and daughters! Will you be still indifferent towards that ‘institution’ which degrades men to beasts, which is the deepest pit of barbarity? ”

“ For the law of the State says:—‘A slave has to obey in all cases his or her master.’ In the following morning, a human chase was seen down the street towards the wharf. A young and beautiful girl, with flying curls, crying piteously, and running with all her might, was followed by a man who shouted, ‘Stop her! stop her!’ That poor girl was Madeline, and her pursuer was her new master. A man? No, a demon in human shape! ”

“ Five hundred dollars is a fair price for a horse, or for a valuable mule. But here we can perceive neither horses nor mules, but human beings, who, without regard to color or standing, await, like us, the hour of their call from this world to the judgment seat. Those two grey heads, of very humble looking persons, have been placed upon the auction-stand or platform. For forty years they have devoted their strength to the father of their master, and to him. ”

“ James, a strong, intelligent-looking man, gazes in utter despair upon his youngest child, who clings to him in distress. Poor little Jane! At the youthful age of seven, thou shalt already drink the bitter cup! ”

“ Isam, a field hand, 40 years old, is not able to bring more than $700, because his youth has gone. Of course, a mule of 18 is worth less than one of 6 years. It is certainly very reasonable to sell an old animal for less than a young one. But, let us see what kind of an animal Isam is? Isam is not a strong man; his health is rather delicate; but his mind is sound. He has not only an inclination toward religion, he is himself a Christian, and he acts on Sundays among his unfortunate fellow-men as a minister of the gospel.
What! A minister of the gospel a brute—to be sold at auction for $700! ”

“ He will continue to suffer under the whip, rather than cause the death of his fellows upon the funeral pile.
His second reason is, because he is a Christian.
Every slaveholder knows perfectly well that a Christian slave is worth much more than one who has no faith at all. Many of them are sagacious enough to teach their slaves the gospel, and particularly those words of the apostle Paul: ‘Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling.’ Ephes. ”

“ Why will you cry?’ ‘O Bob,’ sobbed she, ‘I am very unhappy—I wish to die.’ ‘Why, Nancy?’ But Nancy gave no answer—all her limbs trembled—her eyes stared in agony towards the sugar-house. A big white boy came running towards them, holding in his hand a large whip. It was Peter, the overseer’s oldest son—the most malicious and cruel young rascal in the parish—the terror of the poor slaves on the plantation. ”

“ Droves of cows and flocks of sheep are descending the fair hills, and are making for home. Bright and lovely maidens, wearing upon their black, curled hair beautiful wreaths of flowers, are dancing like so many fairies upon the green, flowery turf of the pasture ground, above the stream. ”

“ The setting sun is casting its mild rays upon the beautiful landscape. The soft waves of the river are reflecting the light with the brilliancy of an ocean of diamonds. The deep blue sky is partly painted with purple, green and violet, shining with a celestial splendor. ”

“ A very strong and valuable slave in Mobile assured [33] me, that if his master should ever attempt to sell him, he would jump into the river. His idea of hell, he said, was a large platform of red hot iron, where bad people are to be sold. The auctioneer there is the devil. ‘There is,’ said he, ‘a good deal more white folks sold there by the devil than black ones.’ If those poor fellows had no reason like brutes—if they could not be conscious of their miserable condition—if they had no rational feeling—they might be less unhappy ”

“ Several corpulent and richly dressed gentlemen are helping themselves to fine liquors and delicacies, profusely spread out before you, and placed upon an elegantly shaped bar. Beautiful pictures, ornamenting the walls, attract the eyes of some amateurs of art; while others, preferring nice lots and buildings, are studying the designs of several large maps, showing various city lots and splendid buildings, advertised ‘for sale at auction.’ In the vicinity of said maps is a platform, whereupon a table is placed, together with a writing-desk and a few chairs. ”

“ We will listen to the reading of the auctioneer, who is holding a paper in his right hand:—‘I am authorized,’ he begins, ‘to sell at auction, one hundred and forty-nine plantation negroes, comprising carpenters, [11] bricklayers, blacksmiths, coopers, drivers, house and field-hands. Families will be sold in block. These slave have been raised, and the larger portion of them were born on the estate of Minor R., Esq., who is retiring from the plantation interest on the Beau-Bosquet Place. The slaves are considered as one of the most valuable and healthy gangs in the South. ”

“ The auctioneer hastens to receive him with distinction, and conducts him to the chair behind the desk. The stranger is an American gentleman, and owner of the slaves who are now to be sold at auction. He owns a beautiful plantation, about forty miles from the city, near the railroad. He intends to run as a political candidate; he needs, therefore, money. He says he is ‘truly sorry’ to be obliged to sell his slaves at auction. ”

“ There are eighty-three human beings, of various colors, and of different ages, bending down their heads, and looking as if they were condemned to death, and were now to be executed. Those five ‘articles for sale at auction’ consist of a father, three children, and their grandmother. ”

“ She has been always a very meek, a very quiet, good-natured soul. But to-day—had she ever such a feeling of approaching evil? She is not quiet to-day; she trembles every time she glances at her dear family. ”

“ Catharine is a very strong and healthy-looking woman. If this pair of giants had the liberty to keep the earnings of their own labor for themselves, they would surely make the money for which they are sold now,—those $2800,—in less than three years. But their bodies belong to another, because the laws of the Slave States regard men and women of color as beasts of burden. ”

“ But his master will be a wise man, (though he is a prominent member in his church) —he will let him have no time to work for himself; no, not one hour!
The kind reader will give me permission to retreat, for a short time, from the auction hall, in order to relate [19] an event which happened at the time of my stay in the same city where our auction takes place. A certain citizen of said city had a very honest and diligent slave, a blacksmith by trade. The slave agreed with his master to pay him two dollars and a half a day, but the money which he should earn besides, should belong to himself. ”

“ She has a fair waist, her hair is black and silky, and falling down in ringlets upon her full shoulders. Her eyes are large, soft, and languishing. She seeks in vain to hide the streaming tears with her small and delicate hands. ”

“ There is a standard which is bound to be victorious in the hottest of battles—a standard, before the glory of which, the most stubborn of slave-drivers shall be forced to fall upon his knees, crying, ‘Lord! ”

“ Countries which were almost unknown a century ago are now competing in art and wealth with the mother countries. Civilization has made a decided step forward; but in some countries, civilization has made, in one respect, no progress ”

“ Her whole body belongs to the man with the lustful countenance; to the very man who whispered in her ear when she was entering the hall of perdition, ‘Thou art mine, black little dove! Thou art mine, even though God and all his holy angels should defend thee!’ Does not that man look like one of the fiends? But he has paid for her, one thousand and fifty dollars in gold and approved paper ”

“ When slaves, who have been raised by kind masters, know that they shall be sold to men of ill repute, they live in a constant state of desperation, until they are sold, when they submit themselves to their deplorable lot, or look out for some opportunity to run away. ”

“ He is a great boy, a hand for almost every thing. Besides, he is the best dancer in the whole lot, and he knows also how to pray—oh! so beautifully, you would believe he was made to be a minister! How much will you bid for him?’
[14] ‘One thousand dollars.’
‘Good—but that is not half the price he is really worth. Gentlemen, if you will bid two thousand at once, it may not suffice to buy him. One thousand dollars for a boy, who will be worth in three years fully twenty-five hundred dollars cash down. ”