The Supreme Court is currently considering an interesting case based on the following facts. An American gentleman living in Maryland gave his elderly couple of slaves actual, but not legalized, freedom for several years. So they lived for some time, and their daughter was born, who also grew up free. Then she married a free negro and moved with him to Pennsylvania. They had several children, and no one touched them until the previous owner died. Then his heir tried to return them, but the judge to whom they were dragged decided that this case was not within his jurisdiction. The owner grabbed the woman and her children at night and took them to Maryland.
"Reward for Blacks" read the large letters of the ads in the long columns of the close-typed American newspapers. The engravings depicting a runaway slave in handcuffs crouching in front of a rude pursuer in high boots, who caught him and holds him by the throat, pleasantly diversify the cute text.
An editorial in the United States is outraged by the "abominable devilish preaching of the abolition of slavery, contrary to all the laws of our Lord." A sensitive mother, who, sitting on her cool veranda, with a smile of approval, reads these cheerful lines in the newspaper, reassures her baby, clinging to her skirt, with a promise to give him a "whip to whip the little indians."
But blacks, both small and large, are under the protection of American public opinion! Let's put public opinion to the test. Below are some examples of newspaper ads. The oldest of them appeared only four years ago, while others are published in large numbers every day to this day.
“Caroline the black woman ran away. Wears a collar."
Promotional video:
“Black Betsy ran away. An iron bar is chained to the right leg."
“The negro Manuel escaped. It is repeatedly branded."
Fanny the negro woman ran away. There is an iron hoop around his neck."
“A negro woman of about twelve escaped. Wears a chain collar with the inscription "de Lampere".
“The negro Hawn escaped. On the left leg there is an iron ring. Also Grize, his wife, with a ring and chain on her left leg."
“A negro named James escaped. The boy was wearing shackles at the time of his escape."
“A black man who identified himself as John was imprisoned. On the right leg is a cast iron core weighing four to five pounds."
“A young black woman Mira has been detained by the police. The whip marks on the body, on the legs of the chain."
“A black woman ran away with two children. A few days before escaping, I burned her left cheek with a hot iron.
“Henry's negro escaped. The left eye was knocked out, several scars from stab wounds in the left side and a lot of scars from the whip."
“One hundred dollars in reward for the Negro Pompey forty years of age. There is a brand on the left cheekbone."
“A negro is imprisoned. There are no toes on the left foot."
“A black woman named Rachel escaped. Only the thumbs are intact on the legs."
“Sam ran away. Shortly before escaping, he was shot in the palm. There are also several bullet wounds in the side and in the left arm."
I Escaped my negro Dennis. The said negro had a shot in his left arm above the elbow, as a result of which the hand was paralyzed.
I Escaped my negro named Simon. He was seriously wounded in the back and right arm by the shots”.
“A negro named Arthur escaped. Across the chest and on both arms, wide scars from a stabbing. Loves to talk about the kindness of God."
“Twenty-five dollars as a reward for my slave Isaac. On the forehead there is a scar from a blow with a fist, on the back from a bullet from a pistol."
“A black girl named Mary ran away. There is a small scar over the eye, many teeth are missing."
“The negro Ben ran away. There is a scar on the right hand. The thumb and forefinger were shot last fall, exposing bone. There are two or three wide scars on the hips and back."
“A mulatto named Tom is imprisoned. There is a scar on the right cheek. The face is apparently burnt with gunpowder."
“A negro named Ned escaped. Three fingers on the hand are twisted due to the cut. On the back of the neck there is a semicircular scar from a knife wound."
“A negro is imprisoned. Calls himself Joshia. There are numerous whip marks on the back. On the thighs and thighs in three or four places, the brand "J. M." The edge of the right ear has been bitten off or cut off."
“Fifty dollars as a reward for my slave Edward. There is a mouth in the corner, two cuts on the arm and under the arm."
Ellie the negro escaped. There is a scar on my hand."
"The following blacks escaped from the plantation of James Sergett: Randall the corn-eared, Bob with a broken eye, Kentucky Tom with a broken jaw."
“Anthony ran away. One ear was cut off, the left hand was wounded by an ax."
“Fifty dollars reward for Jim Black's black man. A piece was cut off from both ears, and two joints were cut off on the middle finger of the left hand."
“A black woman named Maria escaped. A cut scar on the side of the cheek. Several scars on the back."
“The mulatto girl Mary ran away. Cut marks on the left arm, a scar on the left shoulder, two upper teeth are missing.
In explaining this last sign, I should perhaps say that among the other benefits that American public opinion provides to blacks, the widely used practice of forcibly pulling out teeth occupies a prominent place. Making them wear an iron collar day and night and poisoning them with dogs are so common practices that they are not worth mentioning.
“My slave Fountain escaped. The ears are perforated, there is a scar on the right of the forehead. On the legs, behind, there are traces of bullet wounds. The back is streaked with a whip."
Two hundred and fifty dollars reward for my nigger Jim. There is a deep scar on the right thigh. The bullet entered from the front, in the middle between the hip and knee joints.
“Delivered to jail John. The left ear is missing."
“A black man was detained. Multiple scars on the face and body; left ear bitten off."
“A black girl named Mary ran away. A scar on the cheek, the tip of one toe cut off."
“My mulatto Judy ran away. The right arm is broken."
“My negro Aevi ran away. There are burn marks on the left hand, and there seems to be a missing joint on the index finger."
“A negro named Washington escaped. The middle finger and one joint on the little finger is missing."
"Twenty-five dollars reward for my negro John. The tip of the nose was bitten off."
“A twenty-five dollar bounty for Sally the black slave. She walks as if her spine was broken."
Joe Dennis ran away. With a small mark on the ear."
“Jack the negro escaped. A piece was torn from the left ear."
“A negro named Ivory escaped. A piece was cut from the edge of each ear."
I could add to this list with countless broken arms and legs, body wounds, knocked out teeth, stripped backs, dog bites and hot iron marks, but I think my readers are already quite disgusting.
With the help of such announcements, a similar selection of which can be made for every year, every month, week and day and which are calmly read in the family circle, as things are quite natural, drowning in the stream of everyday news and gossip, you can show how much benefit American slaves bring public opinion and how tenderly it cares for them.
American Notes, 1842