The problem to me with all of these "tales" is that the reason that the slave is being whipped is always left to the speculation of the reader or audience. As you say Joe, the mean red neck white man is only whipping the poor black man because he is just plain mean and the black man is black and because he can whip him.

The infamous picture of the black man with the scars on his back. There is not an explaination of why he was whipped. It is left to your imagination. Whipping in the 1860's was a form of criminal justice practised in many official judicial functions in place of imprisonment, or capital punishment. For example flogging in the United States navy and army.

You will notice in the movie "Glory" that the punishment for the soldiers crime of deserting was flogging. But they don't mention why he had recieved the scars that he had. It is left to the viewer to surmize that the mean old plantation owner had him whipped for no reason. The Justice system in the south was quite different from that in the north there were not large penitentiary in the south filled with slaves who had committed crimes. Most of those were handled on the plantations. Only in major crimes such as the Nat Turner rebellion in Virginia did the state become involved.

Where there abuses? Most certainly there were. There are parents that abuse their childern in our society today. But does that make ALL parents Child abusers if they spank their children? Does that make YOU a child abuser?

The slave was much too valuable to the owner and the economy of the plantation system to be wantonly abused. All of these "stories" simply play upon the emotions of our morality, and not based in reality. That is why "Uncle Toms Cabin" was so contriversial in its day. And what do we continue to do today but allow the continuation of this kind of "Race Baiting".