James Redpath, The Roving Editor: or, Talks with Slaves in the Southern States.

“Did you never hear of Napoleon Bonaparte?” 1 asked.

“No, massa,” he returned, “who was him?”

“ It is the name of a gentleman, who did a thing or two in Europe,” I returned. “But do you know what Europe is?”

“No, massa,” said the slave, “I never heerd on him?”

I explained that Europe was a State annexable to the United States, and, therefore, destined to be one of them in the good time coming, boys.

Contentment and morality.

“ No, massa, dey neber does de like of dat wid colored people.”

(He was mistaken in this particular; for slaves are very often married by the preachers.)

“Then you live together,” I suggested, “until you quarrel, and then you separate?”

“ Oh, no, not allus,” said the woman; “we sometimes quarrels in de daytime, and make all up at night.”

Thus is the system of slavery a practical defiance of the Christian doctrine of marriage and divorce.

“Are you content with being in bondage?”

“No, no, massa, indeed,” said the old man, “but we can't help ourselves. I neber ‘xpects to be free dis side de land.”

I turned to the good un:

“The slave-masters,” I said, “when they go North, ”