A Journey in the Back Country |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abolitionists acre African slave trade agricultural Alabama asked average Bakersville bales believe Belshazzar better breakfast cabins census character church civilized comfort condition corn cotton cotton districts cotton plantations crop cultivation demand districts dollars employed evidence fact farmers field free labor gentleman Georgia girl habits hands heerd horse hundred intelligent land laws less Liberty county live look manner master ment miles Mississippi moral mountain Natchez negroes never niggers night North northern observed Orleans overseer owner plant planters poor whites population present profitable railroad reckon religious rich river road rode slave trade slaveholders slavery soil soon South Carolina southern square miles stopped suppose Tennessee Texas thing thought thousand tillage tion tobacco told town travelers trees twenty usually Virginia wealth woman Yazoo York young
Popular passages
Page 333 - the non-slaveholders possess generally but very small means, and the land which they possess is almost universally poor, and so sterile that a scanty subsistence is all that can be derived from its cultivation, and the more fertile soil,' being in the hands of the slaveholder, must ever remain out of the power of those who
Page 82 - The mental faculties will be most developed where they are most exercised, and what gives them more exercise than the having a multitude of interests, none of which can be neglected, and which can be provided for only by varied efforts of the will and intelligence ? * * * " It is precisely these cares and anxieties
Page 334 - have none. * * * And I lament to say that I have observed of late years that an evident deterioration is taking place in this part of the population, the younger portion of it being less educated, less industrious, and, in every point of view, less respectable than their ancestors."* And,
Page 443 - and had things." From the banks of the Mississippi to the banks of James, I did not (that I remember) see, except perhaps in one or two towns, a thermometer, nor a book of Shakespeare, nor a piano-forte or sheet of music; nor the light of a carcel or other good centertable or
Page 227 - Are there many people here who think slavery a curse to the country ?" " Oh, yes, a great many. I reckon the majority would be right glad if we could get rid of the niggers. But it would n't never do to free 'em and leave 'em
Page 337 - The poor man has a vote as well as the rich man, and in our State the number of the former will largely overbalance the latter. So long as these poor but industrious people could see no mode of living except by a degrading operation of work with the negro upon the plantation, they
Page 435 - evil disposed, leaving the upper race purer, while it really preserves from degradation, in the scale of civilization, the inferior, which we see is their uniform destiny when left to themselves. The slaves constitute essentially the lowest class, and society is immeasurably benefited by having this class, which constitutes
Page 325 - not in lovingly caring for those who were, in their estimation, degraded, by being under the necessity of working for their benefit I do not affirm that what has always been always must be,