ept up as an example for the negroes.
It certainly is a very singular mode of inspiring respect for the laws.

He had heard much of T. Norman Gadsden, whose fame sounded for being the
greatest negro-seller in the country, yet he had not seen him, though he
had witnessed several negro-sales at other places. On looking over the
papers after breakfast, his eye caught a flaming advertisement with "T.
Norman Gadsden's sale of negroes" at the head. There were plantation
negroes, coachmen, house-servants, mechanics, children of all ages, with
descriptions as various as the kinds. Below the rest, and set out with
a glowing delineation, was a description of a remarkably fine young
sempstress, very bright and very intelligent, sold for no fault. The
notice should have added an exception, that the owner was going to get
married.

He repaired to the place at the time designated, and found them selling
an old plantation-negro, dressed in ragged, gray clothes, who, after a
few bids, was knocked down for three hundred and fifty dollars. "We will
give tip-top titles to everything we sell here to-day; and, gentlemen,
we shall now offer you the prettiest wench in town. She is too
well-known for me to say more," said the notorious auctioneer.

A number of the first citizens were present, and among them the Captain
recognised Colonel S--, who approached and began to descant upon the
sale of the woman. "It's a d--d shame to sell that girl, and that fellow
ought to be hung up," said he, meaning the owner; and upon this he
commenced giving a history of the poor girl.

"Where is she? Bring her along! Lord! gentlemen, her very curls are
enough to start a bid of fifteen hundred," said the auctioneer.

"Go it, Gadsden, you're a trump," rejoined a number of voices.

The poor girl moved to the stand, pale and trembling, as if she was
stepping upon the scaffold, and saw her executioners around her. She was
very fair and beautiful-there was something even in her graceful motions
that enlisted admiration. Here she stood almost motionless for a few
moments.

"Gentlemen, I ought to charge all of you sevenpence a sight for looking
at her," said the auctioneer. She smiled at the remark, but it was the
smile of pain.

"Why don't you sell the girl, and not be dogging her feelings in this
manner?" said Colonel S--.

Bids continued in rapid succession from eleven hundred up to thirteen
hundred and forty. A well-known trader from New Orleans stood be