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[2148 Vol: 11] Oak Lawn, Mon 30th Dec 1850 After an interval of near three months, I res ume my notings. I have no very itching palm for sporting the pen this morning. If I were to notice the many topics great and little that have intervened since my last noting, I would have much to post up I may say I am not now posted up. Many topics I might have written upon are forgotten beyond the power of recall. November Court has come and gone without a word said about it - I have been much afflicted during the fall and particularly this winter - Of late during these Christmas, I have been recuperating in health, thank God for it, and been visiting.
On Sunday First day of this month, brother Daniel Valentine was married to Miss Duers by Rev. A. Spivey at her fathers in Bertie County near Windsor. Thirs a rather long, always favorable, but also untoward courtship is ended by this plain civil contract for life. I care not to go into the history of it, as it offers nothing new or entertaining to me. Suffise it to say brother has got a wife, and I would that the others were alike gratified. I have not seen the married couple since their honey moon began. I was to unwell to go to their (his) party. Joy attend them.
Christmas day was passed here by a family dinner party. The first of the kind for many years at this place A few ladies and father. I was too indisposed to enjoy it much. But the next day Thursday, having an invitation to a party at Col L. B. Sprewell and feeling better I faced up and rode to the said party. It was a very clever one given to Miss Josephine Simons. I staid at my old friends the [?] till yesterday and passed away my time very agreably and felt better for it.
Oak Lawn, Wed 1st January AD 1851 Slaves. A most disagreeable but necessary duty devolved on the heads of this family yesterday. I was to redress most gross misconduct of our slaves (some of them) This incident, too common in the Southern Slave country inasmuch as it disharmonizes, distresses, and mortifies owners of slaves, was indeed distressing to me and my brother. Nevertheless it was our duty to meet it with firmness and enforce fairly regret, that is, redress wrong. Slaves we have raised and have ever been well treated, as well as we know how, according to the nature of master and slave as their relation exists and amongst us, had been stealing - had killed and cleaned a hog [strikethrough: of a] the property of a neighbor and and carried it to a poor white man to sell to him [strikeout: but] but he refused to buy and disdaned the fact. The fact then could next be denied. So we tied them up and whipped them. The only fact proved was the carrying of the hog by one of the r??? slaves. We wished him to tell all he know about it, who helped him, his accomplices, and what was done with the hog after the man refused to buy. He was obstinate and would not tell but told many evedent falsehoods. So his punishment was greater than it would have been and rightly for he at length told the truth but not Another was also whipped it being proved he know something about it the first slave having said and stuck to it that this last furished him with the hog and went with him to the R[????}'s house. Yet I am not satisfied about the whipping of this the second one nos er the affair in whole. Some others are behind the curtain. Of such is family police in a slave socie ty. There is one fact in [????] to negro slaves, - they will steal - So will lazy, mean, unprincipled white men stea
and the new Slave holding States have their share of their class. They steal to satisfy necessety. No so our slaves; who are fed and alotted well. Stealing is common to all negro slaves in the country. It is distressing to contemplate. Unless wa have good evidance against them they will suffer more punnishment than we are willing to inflect rather than confess the truth. And it is bad policy, often cruel to whip on mere suspicion to make them tell what may be supposed to be their guilt. As all will steal and all theives will lie, and as a liar cannot be believed even when he speaks the truth, so the innocent might be punished. Some white people in all slave holding communities are worse than the slaves. Such as negro traders. These cause negroes to steal very often when they would not but for such white influence. We are of opinion that some white people, if we know they are, deserve all the whipping these poor slaves received last evening. In this case the hog was carried to a white man. A great audacious price of presumpption indeed if the negro had not cause or reason to believe the white man would buy & hiar. We have been unable as yet to find out what became of the hog. The negro that carried the hog said he gave it up to the other negro (who was also whipped) and this other say he did not and knows not what became of it. It would not do to allow our law to convict another without other sufficient [????] circumstances [??????] the suspicion that the stolen plunder was carried to another white man who received it. There having not been an affair of the kind in this family for some seaveteen years, and these being young negros we have raised, it is really really rending. Best fiani duty must be met.
Sat 4th Jan 1851
I am far from being posted up. Congress adjourned last Sept after the longest and most fearfully exciting session in this country since the republic begain. The series of measures commonly called the compromis having past were left to the test of practically. All of them give general satisfaction every where except the fugitive slave law which has been violently resisted and ??????? with still greater violence by farotices in some of the now slave holding states. This law it is true has worked well in part; fugutive slaves have been promptly delivered up. But it has roused the lawlesseverl operit of many and in some instances at Boston and Pittsburg the law has not been respected. It has been thought the President would have to "see" this " law faithfully executed and send an armed force there. This the President (Millard Fillmore of N. York) will do if it becomes necessary. Many of the slaves at the North have have taken refuge in Canada, and in that way they elude pursuit. I thought often the said measures passed and Congress adjourned, quit, and order would return. Not so however. The general aspect of things have been more threatening and alarming since the adjournment evening the session. The tempest having been raised at Washington and she raged violently there, it having been long before Senators and Representatives there could come ????? to an amiable, satisfactory settlement of ?????? of course the wave of dissatisfaction will lash other portions of the land - the storm would send will be felt elsewhere. When statesman in Congress are in tractable ?????? and violent much more so may we expect the people in the country where made to feel what is in Congress
In the city of Boston there has been the most excitement and disposition to resistance of he law. And it is surprising. For Boston is emphatically a place of light and knowledge, and of sober thou ght characteristic of the Puritans. Be this as it may, Boston, the cradle of [strikethrough] revolution, is now the cradle of fortitince, of cericers, unieanewable lawless, in regard at least to plain praversian of the constitution of the U.S. that forgo ture slaves shall be delivered up. This proves that collevated, enlighted mind is not always proof against fanaticsm and violence. Some of their most popular speakers oppose the fugitive slave law. -oppse the constitution in this respect. Their pulpits are evoked to violence and respond to their lance When ministers of holy christian religion so far forget their sacred peaceful mission as to oppose a plain providence of the fundamental law, Then indeed, we are in bad times. A Rev ler Theodore Parker, a very able prader, advises the violation of oathe's in resistance of this law!! Will such sentinment, will such a rancur, be sustained in a most enlighted Christian city in the world. It can not if [??????} and Ohio territory hold theal high position which Boston has long had creit-for. Fri 10th The Legislation of Vermont has passed a resolution, or done some thing, it is sad, nullifying the fugitive slave law, and the Governor of that state, Williams, formerly a judge and an eminant lawyer it is said, sanctioned this reactiment of the Legislature. The first is indeed our presing but this last acting of execution sanction still me so. On what evil times are we fallen. Who would have supposed that Vermont is a nullifying State. But it is made inserted and I hope with truth