Gentle treatment of slaves among the Albanians—Consequent
attachment of domestics—Reflections on servitude.
In the society I am describing, even the dark aspect of slavery was
softened into a smile. And I must, in justice to the best possible
masters, say, that a great deal of that tranquillity and comfort, to
call them by no higher names, which distinguish this society from all
others, was owing to the relation between master and servant being
better understood here than in any other place. Let me not be detested
as an advocate for slavery, when I say that I think I have never seen
people so happy in servitude as the domestics of the Albanians. One
reason was, (for I do not now speak of the virtues of their masters,)
that each family had few of them, and that there were no field negroes.
They would remind one of Abraham’s servants, who were all born in the
house, which was exactly their case. They were baptised too, and shared
the same religious instruction with the children of the family; and, for
the first years, there was little or no difference with regard to food
or clothing between their children and those of their masters.
When a negro-woman’s child attained the age of three years, the first
New-Year’s day after, it was solemnly presented to a son or daughter, or
other young relative of the family, who was of the same sex with the
child so presented. The child to whom the young negro was given,
immediately presented it with some piece of money and a pair of shoes;
and from that day the strongest attachment subsisted between the
domestic and the destined owner. I have no where met with instances of
friendship more tender and generous, than that which here subsisted
between the slaves and their masters and mistresses. Extraordinary
proofs of them have been often given in the course of hunting or Indian
trading, when a young man and his slave have gone to the trackless woods
together, in the cases of fits of the ague, loss of a canoe, and other
casualties happening near hostile Indians. The slave has been known, at
the imminent risk of his life, to carry his disabled master through
trackless woods with labour and fidelity scarce credible; and the master
has been equally tender on similar occasions of the humble friend who
stuck closer than a brother; who was baptised with the same baptism,
nurtured under the same roof, and often rocked in the same cradle with
himself. These gifts of domestics to the younger members of the family
were not irrevocable; yet they were very rarely withdrawn. If the
kitchen family did not increase in proportion to that of the master,
young children were purchased from some family where they abounded, to
furnish those attached servants to the rising progeny. They were never
sold without consulting their mother, who, if expert and sagacious, had
a great deal to say in the family, and would not allow her child to go
into any family with whose domestics she was not acquainted. These
negro-women piqued themselves on teaching their children to be excellent
servants, well knowing servitude to be their lot for life, and that it
could only be sweetened by making themselves particularly useful, and
excelling in their department. If they did their work well, it is
astonishing, when I recollect it, what liberty of speech was allowed to
those active and prudent mothers. They would chide, reprove, and
expostulate in a manner that we would not endure from our hired
servants; and sometimes exert fully as much authority over the children
of the family as the parents, conscious that they were entirely in their
power. They did not crush freedom of speech and opinion in those by whom
they knew they were beloved, and who watched with incessant care over
their interest and comfort. Affectionate and faithful as these home-bred
servants were in general, there were some instances (but very few) of
those who, through levity of mind, or a love of liquor or finery,
betrayed their trust, or habitually neglected their duty. In these
cases, after every means had been used to reform them, no severe
punishments were inflicted at home. But the terrible sentence, which
they dreaded worse than death, was passed—they were sold to Jamaica. The
necessity of doing this was bewailed by the whole family as a most
dreadful calamity, and the culprit was carefully watched on his way to
New-York, lest he should evade the sentence by self-destruction.
One must have lived among those placid and humane people to be sensible
that servitude—hopeless, endless servitude—could exist with so little
servility and fear on the one side, and so little harshness or even
sternness of authority in the other. In Europe, the footing on which
service is placed in consequence of the corruptions of society, hardens
the heart, destroys confidence, and embitters life. The deceit and
venality of servants not absolutely dishonest, puts it out of one’s
power to love or trust them. And if in hopes of having people attached
to us, who will neither betray our confidence, nor corrupt our children,
we are at pains to rear them from childhood, and give them a religious
and moral education; after all our labour, others of their own class
seduce them away to those who can afford to pay higher for their
services. This is not the case in a few remote districts, where
surrounding mountains seeming to exclude the contagion of the world,
some traces of fidelity and affection among domestics still remain. But
it must be remarked that, in those very districts, it is usual to treat
inferiors with courtesy and kindness, and to consider those domestics
who marry out of the family as holding a kind of relation to it, and
still claiming protection. In short, the corruption of that class of
people is, doubtless, to be attributed to the example of their
superiors. But how severely are those superiors punished? Why this
general indifference about home; why are the household gods, why is the
sacred hearth so wantonly abandoned? Alas! the charm of home is
destroyed, since our children, educated in distant seminaries, are
strangers in the paternal mansion; and our servants, like mere machines,
move on their mercenary track, without feeling or exciting one kind or
generous sentiment. Home, thus despoiled of all its charms, is no longer
the scene of any enjoyments but such as wealth can purchase. At the same
time we feel there, a nameless, cold privation, and conscious that money
can coin the same enjoyments with more variety elsewhere. We substitute
these futile and evanescent pleasures for that perennial spring of calm
satisfaction, “without o’erflowing full,” which is fed by the exercise
of the kindly affections, and soon indeed must those stagnate where
there are not proper objects to excite them. I have been forced into
this painful digression by unavoidable comparisons. To return:—
Amidst all this mild and really tender indulgence to their negroes,
these colonists had not the smallest scruple of conscience with regard
to the right by which they held them in subjection. Had that been the
case, their singular humanity would have been incompatible with
continued injustice. But the truth is, that of law, the generality of
those people knew little; and of philosophy, nothing at all. They sought
their code of morality in the Bible, and there, imagined they found this
hapless race condemned to perpetual slavery; and thought nothing
remained for them but to lighten the chains of their fellow Christians,
after having made them such. This I neither “extenuate,” nor “set down
in malice,” but merely record the fact. At the same time, it is but
justice to record also a singular instance of moral delicacy,
distinguishing this settlement from every other in the like
circumstances, though, from their simple and kindly modes of life, they
were from infancy in habits of familiarity with these humble friends,
yet being early taught that nature had placed between them a barrier,
which was in a high degree criminal and disgraceful to pass, they
considered a mixture of such distinct races with abhorrence, as a
violation of her laws. This greatly conduced to the preservation of
family happiness and concord. An ambiguous race, which the law does not
acknowledge; and who (if they have any moral sense, must be as much
ashamed of their parents as these last are of them) are certainly a
dangerous, because degraded part of the community. How much more so must
be those unfortunate beings who stand in the predicament of the bat in
the fable, whom both birds and beasts disowned? I am sorry to say that
the progress of the British army, when it arrived, might be traced by a
spurious and ambiguous race of this kind. But of a mulatto born before
their arrival I only remember a single instance; and from the regret and
wonder it occasioned, considered it as singular. Colonel Schuyler, of
whom I am to speak, had a relation so weak and defective in capacity,
that he never was entrusted with any thing of his own, and lived an idle
bachelor about the family. In process of time a favourite negro-woman,
to the great offence and scandal of the family, bore a child to him,
whose colour gave testimony to the relation. The boy was carefully
educated; and when he grew up, a farm was allotted to him well stocked
and fertile, but “in depth of woods embraced,” about two miles back from
the family seat. A destitute white woman, who had somehow wandered from
the older colonies, was induced to marry him; and all the branches of
the family thought it incumbent on them now and then to pay a quiet
visit to Chalk (for so, for some unknown reason, they always called
him). I have been in Chalk’s house myself, and a most comfortable abode
it was; but considered him as a mysterious and anomalous being.
I have dwelt the longer on this singular instance of slavery, existing
devoid of its attendant horrors, because the fidelity and affection
resulting from a bond of union so early formed between master and
servant contributed so very much to the safety of individuals, as well
as the general comfort of society, as will hereafter appear.
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