THE EDITOR'S BIOGRAPHY, BY WALTER I. LEWIS.

Daniel Wallace Culp, compiler and editor of this book, was
born about forty-seven years ago, of slave parents, four
miles from Union Court House in South Carolina. His mother,
Marilla by name, was an excellent type of the devout
Christian woman of her day; she believed firmly in that God,
whose inscrutable wisdom directed the ways of her race
through paths that were truly hard. She hesitated not to
teach her son Daniel to love, fear and obey the God in whom
she trusted, using whatever light she had.

Christopher Brandon, to whom Daniel and his mother belonged,
was one of those slave-holders in South Carolina who did not
believe in the institution of slavery, but being uncertain
as to whether his slaves would be better off if he freed
them, he held them, establishing a sort of patrimony in
which his slaves were allowed such superior opportunities
and advantages that the less favored neighbors styled them
"Brandon's free Negroes." This distinction carried with it
its disadvantages as well, for on account of the ease and
comfort allowed them, they were despised alike by the
hard-hearted slave-owners and the less fortunate slaves.
Brandon was kind to his slaves, who were made to work enough
to keep a plenty at home to live upon. He also protected
them against whatever ill treatment begrudging neighbors
might be prompted to offer.