New Relations and DutiesCHANGE OF MASTERS--BENEFITS DERIVED BY THE CHANGE--FAME OF THEFIGHT WITH COVEY--RECKLESS UNCONCERN--MY ABHORRENCE OF SLAVERY--ABILITY TO READ A CAUSE OF PREJUDICE--THE HOLIDAYS--HOW SPENT--SHARP HIT AT SLAVERY--EFFECTS OF HOLIDAYS--A DEVICE OF SLAVERY--DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COVEY AND FREELAND--AN IRRELIGIOUS MASTERPREFERRED TO A RELIGIOUS ONE--CATALOGUE OF FLOGGABLE OFFENSES--HARD LIFE AT COVEY'S USEFUL--IMPROVED CONDITION NOT FOLLOWED BYCONTENTMENT--CONGENIAL SOCIETY AT FREELAND'S--SABBATH SCHOOLINSTITUTED--SECRECY NECESSARY--AFFECTIONATE RELATIONS OF TUTORAND PUPILS--CONFIDENCE AND FRIENDSHIP AMONG SLAVES--I DECLINEPUBLISHING PARTICULARS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FRIENDS--SLAVERYTHE INVITER OF VENGEANCE.
My term of actual service to Mr. Edward Covey ended on Christmas day, 1834. I gladly left the snakish Covey, although he was now as gentle as a lamb. My home for the year 1835 was already secured--my next master was already selected. There is always more or less excitement about the matter of changing hands, but Ihad become somewhat reckless. I cared very little into whose hands I fell--I meant to fight my way. Despite of Covey, too, the report got abroad, that I was hard to whip; that I was guilty of kicking back; that though generally a good tempered Negro, Isometimes "_got the devil in me_." These sayings were rife in Talbot county, and they distinguished me among my servile brethren. Slaves, generally, will fight each other, and die at each other's hands; but there are few who are not held in awe by a white man. Trained from the cradle up, to think and <194>feel that their masters are superior, and invested with a sort of sacredness, there are few who can outgrow or rise above the control which that sentiment exercises. I had now got free from it, and the thing was known. One bad sheep will spoil a whole flock. Among the slaves, I was a bad sheep. I hated slavery, slaveholders, and all pertaining to them; and I did not fail to inspire others with the same feeling, wherever and whenever opportunity was presented. This made me a marked lad among the slaves, and a suspected one among the slaveholders. A knowledge of my ability to read and write, got pretty widely spread, which was very much against me.
The days between Christmas day and New Year's, are allowed the slaves as holidays. During these days, all regular work was suspended, and there was nothing to do but to keep fires, and look after the stock. This time was regarded as our own, by the grace of our masters, and we, therefore used it, or abused it, as we pleased. Those who had families at a distance, were now expected to visit them, and to spend with them the entire week.
The younger slaves, or the unmarried ones, were expected to see to the cattle, and attend to incidental duties at home. The holidays were variously spent. The sober, thinking and industrious ones of our number, would employ themselves in manufacturing corn brooms, mats, horse collars and baskets, and some of these were very well made. Another class spent their time in hunting opossums, coons, rabbits, and other game. But the majority spent the holidays in sports, ball playing, wrestling, boxing, running foot races, dancing, and drinking whisky; and this latter mode of spending the time was generally most agreeable to their masters. A slave who would work during the holidays, was thought, by his master, undeserving of holidays. Such an one had rejected the favor of his master.
There was, in this simple act of continued work, an accusation against slaves; and a slave could not help thinking, that if he made three dollars during the holidays, he might make three hundred during the year. Not to be drunk during the holi<195EFFECTS OF HOLIDAYS>days, was disgraceful; and he was esteemed a lazy and improvident man, who could not afford to drink whisky during Christmas.
The fiddling, dancing and _"jubilee beating_," was going on in all directions. This latter performance is strictly southern.
It supplies the place of a violin, or of other musical instruments, and is played so easily, that almost every farm has its "Juba" beater. The performer improvises as he beats, and sings his merry songs, so ordering the words as to have them fall pat with the movement of his hands. Among a mass of nonsense and wild frolic, once in a while a sharp hit is given to the meanness of slaveholders. Take the following, for an example:
_We raise de wheat, Dey gib us de corn;
We bake de bread, Dey gib us de cruss;
We sif de meal, Dey gib us de huss;
We peal de meat, Dey gib us de skin, And dat's de way Dey takes us in.
We skim de pot, Dey gib us the liquor, And say dat's good enough for nigger.
Walk over! walk over!
Tom butter and de fat;
Poor nigger you can't get over dat;
Walk over_!
This is not a bad summary of the palpable injustice and fraud of slavery, giving--as it does--to the lazy and idle, the comforts which God designed should be given solely to the honest laborer.
But to the holiday's.
Judging from my own observation and experience, I believe these holidays to be among the most effective means, in the hands of slaveholders, of keeping down the spirit of insurrection among the slaves.
To enslave men, successfully and safely, it is necessary to <196>have their minds occupied with thoughts and aspirations short of the liberty of which they are deprived. A certain degree of attainable good must be kept before them. These holidays serve the purpose of keeping the minds of the slaves occupied with prospective pleasure, within the limits of slavery.
