Kentucky, Dec. 25, 1835.

“Dear Mrs. W.—­I am still in the land of oppression and cruelty, but hope soon to breathe the air of a free state.  My soul is sick of slavery, and I rejoice that my time is nearly expired:  but the scenes that I have witnessed have made an impression that never can be effaced, and have inspired me with the determination to unite my feeble efforts with those who are laboring to suppress this horrid system.  I am now an abolitionist.  You will cease to be surprised at this, when I inform you, that I have just seen a poor slave who was beaten by his inhuman master until he could neither walk nor stand.  I saw him from my window carried from the barn where he had been whipped to the cabin, by two negro men; and he now lies there, and if he recovers, will be a sufferer for months, and probably for life.  You will doubtless suppose that he committed some great crime; but it was not so.  He was called upon by a young man (the son of his master,) to do something, and not moving as quickly as his young master wished him to do, he drove him to the barn, knocked him down, and jumped upon him, stamped, and then cowhided him until he was almost dead.  This is not the first act of cruelty that I have seen, though it is the worst; and I am convinced that those who have described the cruelties of slaveholders, have not exaggerated.”

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM GERRIT SMITH, Esq., of Peterboro’.  N.Y.  Peterboro’, December 1, 1838.

To the Editor of the Union Herald:  “My dear Sir:—­You will be happy to hear, that the two fugitive slaves, to whom in the brotherly love of your heart, you gave the use of your horse, are still making undisturbed progress towards the monarchical land whither republican slaves escape for the enjoyment of liberty.  They had eaten their breakfast, and were seated in my wagon, before day-dawn, this morning.

“Fugitive slaves have before taken my house in their way, but never any, whose lips and persons made so forcible an appeal to my sensibilities, and kindled in me so much abhorrence of the hell-concocted system of American slavery.

“The fugitives exhibited their bare backs to myself and a number of my neighbors.  Williams’ back is comparatively scarred.  But, I speak within bounds, when I say, that one-third to one-half of the whole surface of the back and shoulders of poor Scott, consists of scars and wales resulting from innumerable gashes. His natural complexion being yellow and the callous places being nearly black, his back and shoulders remind you of a spotted animal.”

The LOUISVILLE REPORTER (Kentucky,) Jan. 15, 1839, contains the report of a trial for inhuman treatment of a female slave.  The following is some of the testimony given in court.