She tells Harry she was not separated from her
children; but that Romescos, having well considered her worth, sold
her with her "young uns" to the Rev. Peter--, who had a small
plantation down in Christ's Parish. The reverend gentleman, being
born and educated to the degrading socialities of democratic states,
always says he is not to blame for "using" the rights the law gives
him; nor does he forget to express sundry regrets that he cannot see
as preachers at the north see. As for money, he thinks preachers
have just as good a right to get it as gentlemen of any other
honourable profession. Now and then he preaches to niggers; and for
telling them how they must live in the fear of the Lord, be obedient
to their master, and pay for redemption by the sweat of their brows,
he adds to his pile of coin. But he is strongly of the opinion that
niggers are inferior "brutes" of the human species, and in
furtherance of this opinion (so popular in the whole south) he
expects them to live a week on a peck of corn. As for Jane-we must
excuse the reverend gentleman, because of his faith in southern
principles-he compelled her to live with the man Absalom ere she had
been two days on his plantation, and by the same Absalom she had two
children, which materially increased the cash value of the Reverend
Peter--'s slave property. Indeed, so well is the reverend gentleman
known for his foul play, that it has been thrown up to him in open
court-by wicked planters who never had the fear of God before their
eyes-that he more than half starved his niggers, and charged them
toll for grinding their corn in his mill.
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