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Show 52 DF.SPOTTSI\1 with intelli~ible hiero~l yphics; he feels the corners and the edges; l1e fits it 0to its place; removes 1t ~ tal~es up the mortar ; spreads and slowly a rranges 1t With his trowel; and at last-lays the bnck. . In all those processes which reqmrc any tlung of skill or judgment, it is impossible to extort ~ l~rge amount of labor from a slave. He conceals h1s Idleness so cunningly, any attempt t.o dnve h~m seems to put him into such a flutter an.d confusiOn, that he bungles or spoils his work, and. It bcco~es necessary that it should be done over agam, allowmg the workman his own time. T he master can only lllSJSt that he shall devote his whole time to the work,_ but he must be content to let him dally and tnfle with II as he chooses. Hence it is that slave labor is only profitable for those rude and simple processes, which demand nothing but an cxertjon of 1~nscular strength. ~slave may be driven by the '~hlp ~o cut up grass with t~1e hoe, or to pick eotton with Ius fingers, t~early or qmte as fast as a freeman, who labors for h1mself; but to compel this labor he must be constantly watched and pressed; and if the whip is not used Hj.'On his shoul· ders. he must at least sec It brandtshed 111 the a1r as a spur' to his activity. . . 'l'he day, from earliest dawn oft times till long past dark is a ll the master's; but the mght, smce ti.IC In~· ma.n machine requires some rest and .relaxatiOn, IS principally yielded to the slave. lie IS thus trans· 10rmed into a nocturnal ammal. Durmg tile day,. he appears a dull, stupid, sleepy, inanimate th~n.g, With· out sense or spirit, little better than an Idwt, and neither so sprightly nor so sensible as the horse he drives. At night, he becomes quite an~ther ~reato:e. He runs laughing, singing, jesting, to h1s cab1~. \V1t~ his calabash of corn he hastens to the hand 1m II; an as OJJC grinder succ~eds another, the rumbling of t.he stones is heard all night, a doleful sound, mi.xc.d WJth the curses and execrations of those who gnnd. ~ut it rumbles on with a stcadiucss which shows w1th IN Ai\leJUCA. 53 what incessant industry the mill is plied, and which is evidence enough that those who grind, labor not for their master, bnt themselves. llis corn cracked into hominy, or ground to meal, he kindles up a fire, and prepares his simple, and too often scanty supper; his family gathers about the smoking dish; they cat \yith lively talk and laughing repartee; and as no whip cracks in their ears, they readily forget that such a thing exists. crl10 meal ended, they do not think of sleep. They meet for talk and dances. The more daring secretly mount their master's horses and ride to visit their cronies upon some neighboring plantation. One goes courting, another to see his wife; some with dogs and axes hunt the opossum, a night-walker like themselves · some meet to preach and pray; others prowl about to see what thing of value they can lay their hands upon. Others yet, with bags of stolen corn or cotton on their heads, secretly set off to visit some petty trader, who receives their stolen goods in exchange for whiskey. Some have a bottle on hand, and collecting their intimates about them, they drink, and emboldened by the liquor, they discuss the conduct of their masters, or the overseer, with a keen freedom, a critinal observatipn, an irony as bitter as it is just ;-happy if a prowling overseer, or some falsehearted spy docs not stand listening, and make them presently pay the penalty of free discussion. It is only toward morning that they think of sleep; and it is surprising with how little sleep they exist. Bnt in fact, their day time is but a le thargy, during which, though the body be active, the mind slumbers. But as the slaves become more numerous, and the mast~rs more timid and more exacting, tyranny takes possession even of the night. At dark, the sla ves arc penned up like cattle, .and forbidden to lea vc their huts, lest they should employ themselves in plunder, or in plotting insurrection ; or if merely indulging in sports and amusements, lest they should exhaust that strength and vigor, which the master claims as wholly 5" |