TO-DAY A MISTRESS, TO-MORROW A SLAVE
"I promised thee a sister tale
Of man's perfidious cruelty;
Come, then, and hear what cruel wrong
Befell the dark ladie."--Coleridge.
LET us return for a moment to the home of Clotel. While she was
passing lonely and dreary hours with none but her darling child,
Horatio Green was trying to find relief in that insidious enemy
of man, the intoxicating cup. Defeated in politics, forsaken in
love by his wife, he seemed to have lost all principle of honour,
and was ready to nerve himself up to any deed, no matter how
unprincipled. Clotel's existence was now well known to Horatio's
wife, and both her [sic] and her father demanded that the
beautiful quadroon and her child should be sold and sent out of
the state. To this proposition he at first turned a deaf ear; but
when he saw that his wife was about to return to her father's
roof, he consented to leave the matter in the hands of his
father-in-law. The result was, that Clotel was immediately sold
to the slave-trader, Walker, who, a few years previous, had taken
her mother and sister to the far South. But, as if to make her
husband drink of the cup of humiliation to its very dregs, Mrs.
Green resolved to take his child under her own roof for a
servant. Mary was, therefore, put to the meanest work that could
be found, and although only ten years of age, she was often
compelled to perform labour, which, under ordinary circumstances,
would have been thought too hard for one much older. One
condition of the sale of Clotel to Walker was, that she should be
taken out of the state, which was accordingly done. Most
quadroon women who are taken to the lower countries to be sold
are either purchased by gentlemen for their own use, or sold for
waiting-maids; and Clotel, like her sister, was fortunate enough
to be bought for the latter purpose. The town of Vicksburgh
stands on the left bank of the Mississippi, and is noted for the
severity with which slaves are treated. It was here that Clotel
was sold to Mr. James French, a merchant.
Mrs. French was severe in the extreme to her servants. Well
dressed, but scantily fed, and overworked were all who found a
home with her. The quadroon had been in her new home but a short
time ere she found that her situation was far different from what
it was in Virginia. What social virtues are possible in a
society of which injustice is the primary characteristic? in a
society which is divided into two classes, masters and slaves?
Every married woman in the far South looks upon her husband as
unfaithful, and regards every quadroon servant as a rival. Clotel
had been with her new mistress but a few days, when she was
ordered to cut off her long hair. The Negro, constitutionally, is
fond of dress and outward appearance. He that has short, woolly
hair, combs it and oils it to death. He that has long hair, would
sooner have his teeth drawn than lose it. However painful it was
to the quadroon, she was soon seen with her hair cut as short as
any of the full-blooded Negroes in the dwelling.
Even with her short hair, Clotel was handsome. Her life had been
a secluded one, and though now nearly thirty years of age, she
was still beautiful. At her short hair, the other servants
laughed, "Miss Clo needn't strut round so big, she got short
nappy har well as I," said Nell, with a broad grin that showed
her teeth. "She tinks she white, when she come here wid dat long
har of hers," replied Mill. "Yes," continued Nell; "missus make
her take down her wool so she no put it up to-day."
The fairness of Clotel's complexion was regarded with envy as well
by the other servants as by the mistress herself. This is one of
the hard features of slavery. To-day the woman is mistress of her
own cottage; to-morrow she is sold to one who aims to make her
life as intolerable as possible. And be it remembered, that the
house servant has the best situation which a slave can occupy.
Some American writers have tried to make the world believe that
the condition of the labouring classes of England is as bad as
the slaves of the United States.
The English labourer may be oppressed, he may be cheated,
defrauded, swindled, and even starved; but it is not slavery
under which he groans. He cannot be sold; in point of law he is
equal to the prime minister. "It is easy to captivate the
unthinking and the prejudiced, by eloquent declamation about the
oppression of English operatives being worse than that of
American slaves, and by exaggerating the wrongs on one side and
hiding them on the other. But all informed and reflecting minds,
knowing that bad as are the social evils of England, those of
Slavery are immeasurably worse." But the degradation and harsh
treatment that Clotel experienced in her new home was nothing
compared with the grief she underwent at being separated from her
dear child. Taken from her without scarcely a moment's warning,
she knew not what had become of her. The deep and heartfelt
grief of Clotel was soon perceived by her owners, and fearing
that her refusal to take food would cause her death, they
resolved to sell her. Mr. French found no difficulty in getting a
purchaser for the quadroon woman, for such are usually the most
marketable kind of property. Clotel was sold at private sale to a
young man for a housekeeper; but even he had missed his aim.