result　of　selfishness；　and　one　of　the　grossest　frauds
  committed　upon　the　down…trodden　slave。　　They　do
  not　give　the　slaves　this　time　because　they　would
  not　like　to　have　their　work　during　its　continuance；
  but　because　they　know　it　would　be　unsafe　to　deprive
  them　of　it。　　This　will　be　seen　by　the　fact；　that　the
  slaveholders　like　to　have　their　slaves　spend　those
  days　just　in　such　a　manner　as　to　make　them　as　glad
  of　their　ending　as　of　their　beginning。　　Their　object
  seems　to　be；　to　disgust　their　slaves　with　freedom；
  by　plunging　them　into　the　lowest　depths　of　dissipa…
  tion。　　For　instance；　the　slaveholders　not　only　like　to
  see　the　slave　drink　of　his　own　accord；　but　will　adopt
  various　plans　to　make　him　drunk。　　One　plan　is；　to
  make　bets　on　their　slaves；　as　to　who　can　drink　the
  most　whisky　without　getting　drunk；　and　in　this　way
  they　succeed　in　getting　whole　multitudes　to　drink
  to　excess。　　Thus；　when　the　slave　asks　for　virtuous
  freedom；　the　cunning　slaveholder；　knowing　his　ig…
  norance；　cheats　him　with　a　dose　of　vicious　dissi…
  pation；　artfully　labelled　with　the　name　of　liberty。
  The　most　of　us　used　to　drink　it　down；　and　the　result
  was　just　what　might　be　supposed；　many　of　us
  were　led　to　think　that　there　was　little　to　choose
  between　liberty　and　slavery。　　We　felt；　and　very　prop…
  erly　too；　that　we　had　almost　as　well　be　slaves　to
  man　as　to　rum。　　So；　when　the　holidays　ended；　we
  staggered　up　from　the　filth　of　our　wallowing；　took
  a　long　breath；　and　marched　to　the　field；feeling；
  upon　the　whole；　rather　glad　to　go；　from　what　our
  master　had　deceived　us　into　a　belief　was　freedom；
  back　to　the　arms　of　slavery。
  I　have　said　that　this　mode　of　treatment　is　a　part
  of　the　whole　system　of　fraud　and　inhumanity　of
  slavery。　　It　is　so。　　The　mode　here　adopted　to　disgust
  the　slave　with　freedom；　by　allowing　him　to　see　only
  the　abuse　of　it；　is　carried　out　in　other　things。　　For
  instance；　a　slave　loves　molasses；　he　steals　some。
  His　master；　in　many　cases；　goes　off　to　town；　and
  buys　a　large　quantity；　he　returns；　takes　his　whip；
  and　commands　the　slave　to　eat　the　molasses；　until
  the　poor　fellow　is　made　sick　at　the　very　mention
  of　it。　　The　same　mode　is　sometimes　adopted　to　make
  the　slaves　refrain　from　asking　for　more　food　than
  their　regular　allowance。　　A　slave　runs　through　his
  allowance；　and　applies　for　more。　　His　master　is　en…
  raged　at　him；　but；　not　willing　to　send　him　off　with…
  out　food；　gives　him　more　than　is　necessary；　and　com…
  pels　him　to　eat　it　within　a　given　time。　　Then；　if　he
  complains　that　he　cannot　eat　it；　he　is　said　to　be
  satisfied　neither　full　nor　fasting；　and　is　whipped
  for　being　hard　to　please！　　I　have　an　abundance　of
  such　illustrations　of　the　same　principle；　drawn　from
  my　own　observation；　but　think　the　cases　I　have　cited
  sufficient。　　The　practice　is　a　very　common　one。
  On　the　first　of　January；　1834；　I　left　Mr。　Covey；
  and　went　to　live　with　Mr。　William　Freeland；　who
  lived　about　three　miles　from　St。　Michael's。　　I　soon
  found　Mr。　Freeland　a　very　different　man　from　Mr。
  Covey。　　Though　not　rich；　he　was　what　would　be
  called　an　educated　southern　gentleman。　　Mr。　Covey；
  as　I　have　shown；　was　a　well…trained　negro…breaker
  and　slave…driver。　　The　former　（slaveholder　though　he
  was）　seemed　to　possess　some　regard　for　honor；
  some　reverence　for　justice；　and　some　respect　for
  humanity。　　The　latter　seemed　totally　insensible　to
  all　such　sentiments。　　Mr。　Freeland　had　many　of　the
  faults　peculiar　to　slaveholders；　such　as　being　very
  passionate　and　fretful；　but　I　must　do　him　the
  justice　to　say；　that　he　was　exceedingly　free　from
  those　degrading　vices　to　which　Mr。　Covey　was　con…
  stantly　addicted。　　The　one　was　open　and　frank；　and
  we　always　knew　where　to　find　him。　　The　other　was　a
  most　artful　deceiver；　and　could　be　understood　only
  by　such　as　were　skilful　enough　to　detect　his　cun…
  ningly…devised　frauds。　　Another　advantage　I　gained
  in　my　new　master　was；　he　made　no　pretensions　to；
  or　profession　of；　religion；　and　this；　in　my　opinion；
  was　truly　a　great　advantage。　　I　assert　most　unhesi…
  tatingly；　that　the　religion　of　the　south　is　a　mere
  covering　for　the　most　horrid　crimes；a　justifier　of
  the　most　appalling　barbarity；a　sanctifier　of　the
  most　hateful　frauds；and　a　dark　shelter　under；
  which　the　darkest；　foulest；　grossest；　and　most　infer…
  nal　deeds　of　slaveholders　find　the　strongest　protec…
  tion。　　Were　I　to　be　again　reduced　to　the　chains　of
  slavery；　next　to　that　enslavement；　I　should　regard
  being　the　slave　of　a　religious　master　the　greatest
  calamity　that　could　befall　me。　　For　of　all　slaveholders
  with　whom　I　have　ever　met；　religious　slaveholders
  are　the　worst。　　I　have　ever　found　them　the　meanest
  and　basest；　the　most　cruel　and　cowardly；　of　all　oth…
  ers。　　It　was　my　unhappy　lot　not　only　to　belong　to　a
  religious　slaveholder；　but　to　live　in　a　community　of
  such　religionists。　　Very　near　Mr。　Freeland　lived　the
  Rev。　Daniel　Weeden；　and　in　the　same　neighborhood
  lived　the　Rev。　Rigby　Hopkins。　　These　were　members
  and　ministers　in　the　Reformed　Methodist　Church。
  Mr。　Weeden　owned；　among　others；　a　woman　slave；
  whose　name　I　have　forgotten。　　This　woman's　back；
  for　weeks；　was　kept　literally　raw；　made　so　by　the
  lash　of　this　merciless；　~religious~　wretch。　　He　used　to
  hire　hands。　　His　maxim　was；　Behave　well　or　behave
  ill；　it　is　the　duty　of　a　master　occasionally　to　whip
  a　slave；　to　remind　him　of　his　master's　authority。
  Such　was　his　theory；　and　such　his　practice。
  Mr。　Hopkins　was　even　worse　than　Mr。　Weeden。
  His　chief　boast　was　his　ability　to　manage　slaves。
  The　peculiar　feature　of　his　government　was　that
  of　whipping　slaves　in　advance　of　deserving　it。　　He
  always　managed　to　have　one　or　more　of　his　slaves
  to　whip　every　Monday　morning。　　He　did　this　to　alarm
  their　fears；　and　strike　terror　into　those　who　escaped。
  His　plan　was　to　whip　for　the　smallest　offences；　to
  prevent　the　commission　of　large　ones。　　Mr。　Hopkins
  could　always　find　some　excuse　for　whipping　a　slave。
  It　would　astonish　one；　unaccustomed　to　a　slave…
  holding　life；　to　see　with　what　wonderful　ease　a　slave…
  holder　can　find　things；　of　which　to　make　occasion
  to　whip　a　slave。　　A　mere　look；　word；　or　motion；a
  mistake；　accident；　or　want　of　power；are　all　matters
  for　which　a　slave　may　be　whipped　at　any　time。　　Does
  a　slave　look　dissatisfied？　　It　is　said；　he　has　the　devil
  in　him；　and　it　must　be　whipped　out。　　Does　he　speak
  loudly　when　spoken　to　by　his　master？　　Then　he　is
  getting　high…minded；　and　should　be　taken　down　a
  button…hole　lower。　　Does　he　forget　to　pull　off　his
  hat　at　the　approach　of　a　white　person？　　Then　he　is
  wanting　in　reverence；　and　should　be　whipped　for
  it。　　Does　he　ever　venture　to　vindicate　his　conduct；
  when　censured　for　it？　　Then　he　is　guilty　of　impu…
  dence；one　of　the　greatest　crimes　of　which　a　slave
  can　be　guilty。　　Does　he　ever　venture　to　suggest　a
  different　mode　of　doing　things　from　that　pointed
  out　by　his　master？　　He　is　indeed　presumptuous；　and
  getting　above　himself；　and　nothing　less　than　a　flog…
  ging　will　do　for　him。　　Does　he；　while　ploughing；
  break　a　plough；or；　while　hoeing；　break　a　hoe？　　It
  is　owing　to　his　carelessness；　and　for　it　a　slave　must
  always　be　whipped。　　Mr。　Hopkins　could　always　find
  something　of　this　sort　to　justify　the　use　of　the　lash；
  and　he　seldom　failed　to　embrace　such　opportunities。
  There　was　not　a　man　in　the　whole　county；　with
  whom　the　slaves　who　had　the　getting　their　own
  home；　would　not　prefer　to　live；　rather　than　with
  this　Rev。　Mr。　Hopkins。　　And　yet　there　was　not　a
  man　any　where　round；　who　made　higher　professions
  of　religion；　or　was　more　active　in　revivals；more
  attentive　to　the　class；　love…feast；　prayer　and　preach…
  ing　meetings；　or　more　devotional　in　his　family；
  that　prayed　earlier；　later；　louder；　and　longer；than
  this　same　reverend　slave…driver；　Rigby　Hopkins。
  But　to　return　to　Mr。　Freeland；　and　to　my　experi…
  ence　while　in　his　employment。　　He；　like　Mr。　Covey；
  gave　us　enough　to　eat；　but；　unlike　Mr。　Covey；　he
  also　gave　us　sufficient　time　to　take　our　meals。　　He
  worked　us　hard；　but　always　between　sunrise　and
  sunset。　　He　required　a　good　deal　of　work　to　be　done；
  but　gave　us　good　tools　with　which　to　work。　　His
  farm　was　large；　but　he　employed　hands　enough　to
  work　it；　and　with　ease；　compared　with　many　of
  his　neighbors。　　My　treatment；　while　in　his　employ…
  ment；　was　heavenly；　compared　with　what　I　experi…
  enced　at　the　hands　of　Mr。　Edward　Covey。
  Mr。　Freeland　was　himself　the　owner　of　but　two
  slaves。　　Their　names　were　Henry　Harris　and　John
  Harris。　　The　rest　of　his　hands　he　hired。　　These　con…
  sisted　of　myself；　Sandy　Jenkins；*　and　Handy　Cald…
  well。　　Henry　and　John　were　quite　intelligent；　and　in
  a　very　little　while　after　I　went　there；　I　succeeded　in
  creating　in　them　a　strong　desire　to　learn　how　to
  read。　　This　desire　soon　sprang　up　in　the　others　also。
  They　very　soon　mustered　up　some　old　spelling…books；
  and　nothing　would　do　but　that　I　must　keep　a　S