“Rev. Mr. Lewis, a Baptist minister in the vicinity of Frankfort, Ky. had a slave that ran away, but was retaken and brought back to his master, who threatened him with punishment for making an attempt to escape.  Though terrified the slave immediately attempted to run away again.  Mr. L. commanded him to stop, but he did not obey. Mr. L. then took a gun, loaded with small shot and fired at the slave, who fell; but was not killed, and afterward recovered.  Mr. L. did not probably intend to kill the slave, as it was his legs which were aimed at and received the contents of the gun.  The master asserted that he was driven to this necessity to maintain his authority.  This took place about the first of July, 1838.”

The following is given upon the authority of Rev. ORANGE SCOTT, of Lowell, Mass. for many years a presiding elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

“Rev. Joseph Hough, a Baptist minister, formerly of Springfield, Mass. now of Plainfield, N.H. while traveling in the south, a few years ago, put up one night with a Methodist family, and spent the Sabbath with them.  While there, one of the female slaves did something which displeased her mistress.  She took a chisel and mallet, and very deliberately cut off one of her toes!”

SLAVE BREEDING AN INDEX OF PUBLIC ‘OPINION’ AMONG THE ’HIGHEST CLASS OF SOCIETY’ IN VIRGINIA AND OTHER NORTHERN SLAVE STATES.

But we shall be told, that ‘slave-breeders’ are regarded with contempt, and the business of slave breeding is looked upon as despicable; and the hot disclaimer of Mr. Stevenson, our Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of St. James, in reply to Mr. O’Connell, who had intimated that he might be a ‘slave breeder,’ will doubtless be quoted.[40] In reply, we need not say what every body knows, that if Mr. Stevenson is not a ‘slave breeder,’ he is a solitary exception among the large slaveholders of Virginia.  What!  Virginia slaveholders not ‘slave-breeders?’ the pretence is ridiculous and contemptible; it is meanness, hypocrisy, and falsehood, as is abundantly proved by the testimony which follows:—­

Mr. GHOLSON, of Virginia, in his speech in the Legislature of that state, Jan. 18, 1832, (see Richmond Whig,) says:—­

“It has always (perhaps erroneously) been considered by steady and old-fashioned people, that the owner of land had a reasonable right to its annual profits; the owner of orchards, to their annual fruits; the owner of brood mares, to their product; and the owner of female slaves, to their increase.  We have not the fine-spun intelligence, nor legal acumen, to discover the technical distinctions drawn by gentlemen.  The legal maxim of ‘Partus sequitur ventrem’ is coeval with the existence of the rights of property itself, and is founded in wisdom and justice.  It is on the justice and inviolability of this maxim that the master foregoes the service of the female slave; has her nursed and attended during the period of her gestation, and raises the helpless and infant offspring.  The value of the property justifies the expense; and I do not hesitate to say, that in its increase consists much of our wealth.”