Slave Life in Georgia - African American History

Slave Life in Georgia 61
24.03.2006
not to tell their age when they are getting past the active period of life. It is quite
a truism that "a nigger never knows when he was born," for though he may be
quite certain of the year, and might swear to it blindfold, he must say he is just
as old as his master chooses to bid him do, or he will have to take the
consequences. It may be conceived that "nigger trading" is as much a calling as
any other, and that there is an enormous amount of cheating and roguery in it.
there are "nigger jockeys" as well as horse jockeys, and as many tricks are
played off to sell a bad or an unsound "nigger," as there are to palm off a
diseased horse; and the man who succeeds in "shoving off a used up nigger," as
one sound in wind and limb, takes as much pride in boasting of it, as the horse
dealer does who has taken in a green-horn with a wall-eyed pony. Of course
these "tricks of the trade" are known, and every means are employed to defeat
attempts at dishonest sales. I dare not--for decency's sake--detail the various
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expedients that are resorted to by dealers to test the soundness of a male or a
female slave. When I say that they are handled in the grossest manner, and
inspected with the most elaborate and disgusting minuteness, I have said enough
for the most obtuse understanding to fill up the outline of the horrible picture.
What passes behind the screen in the auction-room, or in the room where the
dealer is left alone with the "chattels" offered to him to buy, only those who
have gone through the ordeal can tell. But God has recorded the wickedness that
is done there, and punishment will assuredly fall upon the guilty.
I do not think any pen could describe the scene that takes place at a negro
auction. The companies, regularly "sized out," are forced to stand up, as the
buyers come up to them, and to straighten themselves as stiffly as they can.
When spoken to, they must reply quickly, with a smile on their lips, though
agony is in their heart, and the tear trembling in their eye. They must answer
every question, and do as they are bid, to show themselves off; dance, jump,
walk, leap, squat, tumble, and twist about, that the buyer may see they have no
stiff joints, or other physical defect. Here may be seen husbands separated
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from their wives, only by the width of the room, and children from their parents,
one or both, witnessing the driving of the bargain that is to tear them asunder for
ever, yet not a word of lamentation or anguish must escape from them; nor
when the deed is consummated, dare they bid one another good-bye, or take one