merciful safety valve, and now I do not feel alarmed, in the prospect of what is coming.' 'What do you mean,' said Mr. Choules, 'by Providence opening a merciful safety valve?' 'Why,' said the gentleman, 'I will tell you. The slave-traders come from the cotton and sugar plantations of the South, and are willing to buy up more slaves than we can part with. We must keep a stock for the purpose of rearing slaves, but we part with the most valuable, and at the same time the most dangerous; and the demand is very constant, and is likely to be so, for when they go to those Southern States, the average existence is ONLY FIVE YEARS!"

The people, including church members, are not better than their laws.

CHAPTER XI.

FOOD, CLOTHING, AND DWELLINGS OF SLAVES.

The Slave, as a Chattel, is fed or famished, covered or uncovered, sheltered or unsheltered, at the discretion or convenience of his Owner, like other working Animals.

LOUISIANA. "Every owner shall be held to give his slaves the quantity of provisions hereinafter specified, to wit, one barrel of Indian corn,* or, the equivalent thereof in rice, beans, or other grain, and a pint of salt, and to deliver the same to the slaves, in kind, every month, and never in money, under penalty of a fine of ten dollars for every offense." (1 Martin's Digest, p. 610. Act of July 7, 1806.)

"The slave who shall not have, on the property of his owner, a lot of ground to cultivate on his own account, shall be entitled to receive from said owner one linen shirt and pantaloons for the summer, and a linen shirt and woollen greatcoat and pantaloons for the winter." (1 Martin's Digest, 610.) Neither the quantity nor the quality of the "lot of

* Meaning a flour barrel full of Indian corn in the ear, equal to about 1 bushels of shelled corn.

ground" is specified, nor the amount of time to be allowed for tilling it.

NORTH CAROLINA. "In case any slave or slaves, who shall not appear to have been fed and clothed according to the intent and meaning of this Act, that is to say, to have been sufficiently clothed, and to have constantly received for the preceding year an allowance of not less than a quart of corn* per day, shall be convicted of stealing any corn, cattle, &c., &c., from any person not the owner of said slave or slaves, such injured person shall and may maintain an action of trespass against the master, owner, or possessor of such slave, &c., and shall recover his or her damages." (Hayward's Manual, 524–5.)

GEORGIA. The Act of 1817 (as quoted in the last previous Chapter on Labor) provides for the punishment of "owners" of slaves who "by excessive whipping, by withholding proper food and sustenance, by requiring greater labor," &c., shall "cruelly treat" such slaves, "whereby the health of such slave, &c., may be injured or impaired."

Another Act, of Dec. 12, 1815, is as follows:

"Sect. 1. From and after the passing of this Act, it shall be the duty of the inferior courts of the several counties in this State, on receiving information, on oath, of any infirm slave or slaves in a suffering condition, from the neglect of the owner or owners of said slave or slaves, to make particular inquiries into

*It will be observed that in neither of these legal rations of food is any mention made of meat.

the situation of such slave or slaves, and render such relief as they in their discretion shall think proper.

"Sect. 2. The said courts may and are hereby. authorized to sue for and recover from. the owner or owners of such slave or slaves, the amount that may be appropriated for the relief of such slave or slaves, in any court having jurisdiction of the same; any law, usage, or custom, to the contrary notwithstanding." (Prince's Digest, 460.)

SOUTH CAROLINA.-"In case any person, &c., who shall be owner, or who shall have the care, government, or charge of any slave or slaves, shall deny, neglect, or refuse to allow such slave or slaves, under his or her charge, sufficient clothing, covering, or food, it shall and may be lawful for any person or persons, on behalf of said slave or slaves, to make complaint to the next neighboring justice in the parish where such slave or slaves live, or are usually employed, and the said justice shall summon the party against whom such complaint shall be made, and shall inquire of, hear, and determine the same; and if the said justice shall find the said complaint to be true, or that such person will not exculpate or clear himself from the charge by his or her own oath, which such person shall be at liberty to do, in all cases where positive proof is not given of the offense, such justice shall and may make such orders upon the same, for the relief of such slave or slaves, as he in his discretion shall think fit; and shall and may set and impose a fine or penalty on any person who may offend in the premises, in any sum not exceeding

twenty pounds, current money, for each offense, to be levied by warrant of distress and sale of the offender's goods," &c. &c. (2 Brevard's Digest, p. 241. Similar in Louisiana, 1 Martin's Digest, 638-40.) On these enactments we remark:

1. They embrace the legislation of only four States. The other slaveholding States, so far as we are informed, have never pretended to prescribe to the slave owner the kind or amount of food he must furnish his slaves. He can starve them if he pleases to do so, and there is no law to prevent it.

2. Considering that the slave can bring no suit against his master; that he is unprovided with a protector, and that neither the slave nor any other colored person can testify against a white man; and that, in case of any interference in his behalf, whether successful or otherwise, the slave still remains "entirely subject to the will of a master to whom he belongs," and who can avenge himself upon him with impunity in secret, the very next day, it is quite certain that such enactments can avail little or nothing for his benefit, while he remains a slave.

3. Aside from all this, the law of North Carolina was evidently designed for the benefit, not of the slave, but of the "persons" from whom a hungry slave might "steal" a subsistence. It prescribes no relief to the slave, and no punishment to his master, but only subjects him to the payment of "damages" for the food his slave has eaten ! Just as in the case of an unruly horse or ox that should break into a neighbor's crib! It does not even provide for the