Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1859 — A KENTUCKY PLANTER SELLING HIS DAUGHTER. [ARTICLE]

A KENTUCKY PLANTER SELLING HIS DAUGHTER.

[From the Bucyrus (Ohio) Journal.

A moving incident came to our knowledge last week, which we lay before our readers. Wo suppress names for reasons obvious to every one Near Louisville. Ky., lives a planter of wealth and standing, lie was the possessor as a hundred, negroes, and be was noted j for his thrifty, money-making disposition. He had never been married, and.was an incorrigible bachelor of fifty. His house was managed by a young lady of about twenty, his daughter p quadroon, of whose complexion was lighter by half than his—and in whom the negro blood was scarcely visible. The mother died ten years ago, leaving her i daughter with its father's solemn promise I that she should be educated, and should live ns a tree woman rather than as a slave, and that she should pass as his daughter, as she ; was. The planter gave this promise, he- j cause he had been really attached to the dy- ' ing woman, and was greatly attached to her and his beautiful_Child. And so~khe grew | up, radiantly beautiful- —receiving a reason- ; able education; all that her father could give i and in time took the management, of the i

i h usehold. She never knew that there was ! any negro blood in her veins, and never dreamed that she was a slave. Last fall,mi series of misfortunes overtook i the planter. His house burned down-, tnd in it t'ne notes, books and papers that composed a large share, of his fortune. His I crops failed to a great degree, and some | heavy speculations in which he was engaged ! resulted disastrously. Added to all this, he i had lost heavily at play, the besetting sin of : southern gentlemen, and had completelycxl hausted al] of his ready means, and found : himself in the terrible situation of having I more money to pay out than lie could pos- ■ sibly rais in a given time. He applied to his attorney for -counsel in his extremity. The attorney after examining the situation of his affairs, advised him Ito sell off a portion of his negros. The | planter objected strenuously, first objecting I to the sale of his negroes, and secondly that j his fore'e was barely sufficient to work his plantation. But after full deliberation, he I found tin’s to be the only alternative, and j sorrowfully consented. A list was made 'out, and every head that could possibly be j spared was put down. After all was done, I and the most favorable-prices set for them, the aggregate fell five thousand dollars short I of the stun. The attorney remarked quietly that he j had not included all that could be spared. "I have put down all that I can dispense > with,” replied the planter. “I do not see Alary the houskeeper’s name in the list.” replied the lawver. “She, if ' offered to the right person would makeup the deficiency. J woitl-1 give that for her myself.” Ait another time the planter would have taken t.ie suggestion as an insult, but necessity is a hard, master, and he grasped at the I idea, and before an hour the transaction was closed. It troubled him not a little to” disclose the matter to her, but the iear of banklupccy and rum drove him to.it, The poor giris horror anu di-tr-.'s; may bi irriagined. Sue was phi:i..’'-t! into the deepest and most * helpless mi-ery. Sue had been sold and was then the property s?'il end body J ofone who , purchased her, merely for the gratification :of his lusts. Tne idea was too horrible, and : she s vooned, remaining almost delirious for iseveral days. There was another upon whom the intelligence came u ilh crushing weight. A junior partner in a produce house in Louisville, had frequently visited the planter's house on business, and, struck with thebesuty and intelligence ot the spposed dajughter, had become enamored, and after prosecuting his suit a proper tiny? had declared his passion, and unliDown to the girl’s father the two had betrothed themselves. As soon as possible, nafter her father, had told her her fate, she di'spitrhe.' a messenger to him. stating the facts, and iinplorinu him to save her trom the doom that awaited her. Though thunder-struck at the intelligence that his affianced bride was a slave, ami had just been sold to a fate worse than death, like a true man he determined to rescue her. That night he saw her, and a plan was formed for flight. The day she was transferred to the possession of her purchaser they lied, and in due time arrived at Cincinnati, where they were married. Our hero obtained an interview with one of the agents ot the undergro md railroad located in that city, who immediately telegraphed instructions to the different agents along the line to keep strict* YVatch, anti i: woineii-catchers were on the watch, at any point to telegraph back, and give the fugitive timely notice, that they plight leave the train. Accordingly they started, purchasing tickets for Crestline. In the meantime the lawyer, as soon as he discovered his loss, had commenced active measures to recover it. He had no difficulty in D acing them to Cincinnati, and none whatever in asertaining that their destination was Crestline. But having arrived several their departure, he was obliged to content himself with telegraphingto Crestline to the proper officers to arrest them at. that place. But unfortunately lot his prospects,' the iiitetided arrest got wind, ami when the train reached Galion, I two citizens of that place stepped in'o the I car, and a com ersation of a few moments ensued, in the lowest kind of whispers, at the close of which the four left the car. A carriage was in waiting, and in two hours the fair fugitive and her husband were domici 1 "dqi n the house ofone of our whole soled farmers, near Bucyrus , who have long taken pleasure in helping fugitives on their way t) tiie Canadian Canaan." When the train on which they embarked reached Cr stline, the officers were unutterably chagrined at. not finding the fugitives, and more so when they learned that she had been within four miles of them. Alter a lapse oi tWo-weeks they ventured a move, and went to Detroit by way of Sandusky city, and with >utany accident reached the Canadian shore. They are now residing in Toronto.

(£s”Sickness has delayed the paper this week. Snyder, our. Representative, was at home last Sunday and Monday. eerThe Pacific Railroad bill has been defeated in the Senate, except the section inviting proposals from contractors. (KrThe Court of Common Plejas, which commenced its January term here last week, is holding over this week. Ths business is unimportant to the public. 0O“We h ave received from the publisher of the Gennessee Farmer, Joseph Harris. Rochester, New York, a copy of the “Rural annual and Agricultural Directory” for 1859. The wors is invaluable' to the fruit-grower, and useful to every one interested in rural affairs. Price 25 cents, post-paid. Prairie Farmer published at Chicago, is one of the best agricultural journals ,we know of. It is published in book form, on clear type and white paper, weekly, at $2 per annum, or eleven copies for 015; but we are enabled to club it wjth the Gazette to our subscribers at 01,25 per year.