Southerners+-+Iris+Ryou

My name is James Johnson. I own a cotton farm in Louisiana. I have around 25 slaves. 20 of them work in my farm and 5 work at my house. The house slaves are either women or old man who don’t’ have a lot of power to work in farm. It is serious concern of mine to see candidates like Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. It shouldn’t and won’t happen but if one of them happened to be elected, I will be bankrupt. The moment they control the government, we, Southerners, will not be able to continue our business, farming, due to their strong opposition of slavery. Why do they even oppose slavery? It is the most convenient and easiest way to earn money and to run a business. Holding some slaves isn’t bad since we feed them and care them, except for some brutal ownders. Feeding and caring the slaves are way better than Northern factory owners who don’t even care their worker’s health and don’t pay enough money.

Also, it is unfair for me because I’m not as brutal slave owner as my neighbors and Northerners see us, with a prejudice, as the most cruel human being. One of my neighbors locked the slave in “sweat box” for the whole afternoon in summer. The slave almost died and after the incident he had a phobia of needles and closed spaces. By those phobias, he couldn’t work properly and efficiently. My neighbor eventually sold him to other farm owners in very cheap price. Really cheap price because none of the owners wanted the slave since he couldn’t work properly. Unlike my neighborhood, I feed them fairly well and let them have freedom after dark and on holidays. I don’t prohibit them for having fun on those times. I let them sing, dance, tell stories, and have religious meetings. I’m not one of those brutal slave owners. I wish Northerners don’t have a prejudice that all Southern slave owners are inhumane people who treats out slaves cruelly. By the prejudice, I don’t want Northerners to oppose slavery.

Anyways, IF Lincoln or Douglas becomes president; I should not (or must not) worry because my fellows and I agreed to secede when that happens. We will not be part of the Union anymore because the Union, or Northerners, are disagreeing and prohibiting our actions. There is no reason to stay within the Union if we can’t run our business properly. But still, will the secession happen? I’m worried. I wish my true fellow, John Breckinridge, becomes president and support slavery throughout the Union. I really don’t want things to go wrong.

This is my family picture. The old man is my father and I'm the one with the white hat.

SOURCE: Chapter 8. Regional Societies