Then, again, the Press itself in the South bears witness to what every one must admit to be an inhuman practice.  How often must the reader of a Southern States’ paper see children of the tenderest age, sometimes even under a year old, advertised for public sale!  Did any one every take up the New Orleans paper without seeing more than one such advertisement as the following?—­

  150 NEGROES FOE SALE.

Just arrived, and for sale, at my old stand, No. 7, Moreau-street, Third Municipality, one hundred and fifty young and likely NEGROES, consisting of field-hands, house servants, and mechanics.  They will be sold on reasonable terms for good paper or cash.  Persons wishing to purchase will find it to their advantage to give me a call. [Sep. 30—­6m.] Wm. F. TALBOTT.

What happiness can the slave enjoy among a community where such an advertisement as the following can be tolerated, or, worse still, when, as in the present instance, it is sent forth under the sanction of the law?  The advertisement is taken from a paper published at Wilmington, North Carolina.

$225 REWARD.—­STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, NEW HANOVER COUNTY.—­Whereas, complaint upon, oath hath this day been made to us, two of the Justices of the Peace for the State and County aforesaid, by BENJAMIN HALLET, of the said county, that two certain male slaves belonging to him, named LOTT, aged about twenty-two years, five feet four or five inches high, and black, formerly belonging to LOTT WILLIAMS, of Onslow county; and BOB, aged about sixteen years, five feet high, and black; have absented themselves from their said master’s service, and are supposed to be lurking about this county, committing acts of felony and other misdeeds.  These are, therefore, in the name of the State aforesaid, to command the slaves forthwith to return home to their masters; and we do hereby, by virtue of the Act of the General Assembly in such cases made and provided, intimate and declare that if the said LOTT and BOB do not return home and surrender themselves, immediately after the publication of these presents, that ANY PERSON MAY KILL AND DESTROY THE SAID SLAVES, by such means as he or they may think fit, without accusation or impeachment of any crime or offence for so doing, and without incurring any penalty or forfeiture thereby.

  Given under our hands and seals, this 28th day of February, 1853.

  W.N.  PEDEN, J.P., [Seal]

  W.C.  BETTENCOURT, J.P., [Seal.]

  $225 REWARD.—­TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS will be given for negro LOTT, EITHER
  DEAD OR ALIVE; and TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR BOB’S HEAD, delivered to
  the subscriber in the town of Wilmington.

  BENJAMIN HALLET.

  March 2nd, 1853.

There is another evidence of a want of happiness among the slaves, which, though silent and unheard, challenges contradiction:  I mean the annual escape of from one to two thousand into Canada, in spite not only of the natural difficulties and privations of the journey, but also of the fearful dread of the consequences of re-capture.  Doubtless some of these may be fleeing from the dread of just punishment for offences against the law, but none can doubt that many more are endeavouring to escape from what they feel to be cruelty, injustice, and oppression.