ro
o
eiz>
u- S
-t
To












/
it




AUTOGR  HS
FOR FREEDOM.
EDITED BY
JULIA GRIFFITHS.
"In the long vista of the years to roll,
Let me not see my country's honor fade;
Oh I let me see our land retain its soul!
Her pride in Freedom, and not Freedom's shads."
AUBURN:
ALDEN, BEARDSLEY  &  CO.
ROCHESTER:
WANZER, BEARDSLEY & CO.
1854.




ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by
ALDEN, BEARDSLEY & CO.,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District of
New York.
STEREOTYPED BY
THOMAS B. SAMITH,
216 William St. N. Y.




Vc f a u
IN commending this, the second volume of " the
Autogracp7s for Fireedom," to the attention of the
public, " THE ROCHESTER LADIES' ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY"' w ould congratulate themselves and the friends
of freedom generally on the progress made, during
the past year, by the cause to which the book is devoted.
WVe greet thankfully those who have contributed of
the wealth of their genius; the strength of their convictions; the ripeness of their judgment; their earnestness of purpose; their generous sympathies; to the
completeness and excellence of the work; and we shall
hope to meet many of them, if not all, in other numbers of " The Autograph," which may be called forth
ere the chains of the Slave shall be broken, and




vi                   PREFACE.
this country redeemed from the sin and the curse of
Slavery.
On behalf of the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery
Society.
PRC~aEETEP;.c, N. Y.,
ROCrESTER, N. Y.,




Subject.                            Author.      Pa&o
INTRODUCTION (The Colored l',:ople's
"Industrial Collc(:')... Prof. C... Reason. 11
Massacre at Blount's Fort..  Yon. J. R. Giddings   14
The Fugitive Slave Act.. on. iWin. Jay.. 27
The Size of Souls.                Antoinette L. Brown   41
Vincent Oge.                      George B. Vashon. 44
The Law of Liberty...  Rev. Dr. Wm. M]arsh   61
The Swiftness of Time in God.. Theodore Parker.   63
Visit of a Fugitive Slave to the Grave
of Wilberforce.                 Win... Wells Brown. 70
Narrative of Albert and Mary.. Dr. W. H. Brisbane    77
Toil and Trust...  Hon. Chas. F. Adams 128
Friendship for the Slave is Friendship
for the Master.... Jacob Abbott..  13-1
Christine..Anne P. Adams.. 139
The Intellectual, Moral, and Spiritual
Condition of the Slave..   M.... angston  147
The Bible versus Slavery..  Rev. Dr. Willis.. 151
The Work Goes Bravely on.. W.J. Watkins.  156




Vili                    CONTENTS.
Subject.                             Author.         PA3o
Slaveholdting not a Mlisfortune but a
Crimiie.....   Rev Win..Brock. 155
Tlle Illegality of Slaveholding.. Rev.. 6'ootlell.   i59
()re I'erem1ius"....   DZtrid PouIl bi'oni. 160
Tle XlissiOD, f Amnerica... Joih  S. C. Abbott.   16!
D lsiio  the Saveholder    Lew;cis 7;Tiqpa.. 13
A Leaf from  t ny Scrap BooUk.    ii,. J. JFilson.    1;5'lho is~ Iny Neighbor... Rc,'. 2    /ts. Stalrr Kig 174
CnUsolation for thle Slave           Dr.. S.   illard.   175
The Key...           Dr. S. I/dilld.. 177
The True Mission of Liberty..   Dr. TV. Eldr.   179
The True Spirit of Refobrm..  aray Willard.. 180
A Welcomle to Mrs. I1. B. Stowe, on
her return firoin Europe..   J. C. ZoZIy..   184
Forward (from the German)... T.  W. Higginson 186
What has Canada to do with Slavery? Tlos. etnning.   187
A- Fragment...                 ev. Rufus Ellis. 190
The Encroachment of the Slave Power ~Jhoth  JCay, Esq..   192
Tile Dishonor of Labor... Iorace Greeley.. 194
The Evils of Colonization                i...  at.kins.   198
The Basis of the American Constitutiotl ton.  WIn. H. Seiward 201
A Wish..r...   3's. C. Al. Iirkland  207
A Dialogue.C. A. Bloss.. 210
A time of Justice will come.          on. Gerit S2nith.    225
1Ilpe and Confidence... Prof. C. L. Reason. 226
A Letter that speaks for itself.   JanLe G. Sw is.sheloz.   230
On Freedolli..R. TV. Elzerson.. 235
Mary Smith.  An Anti-Slavery Reminisncen....   HTon S. E. Sewell..    236




CONTENTS.                                ix
Sulbject.                                  Author.         PAGE
Freedolll-Liberty....  r. J. lJIc, nUze S'nZith  241
An Aspihation.v...                 I... I p. C/qia.   242
Thle Dying S(liloquyl of the Victim  of
tile Wilkesbarre Tragedy,.I. bs. I.s. II   Crceanoghl 243
l't nal be Fiee.....i7on. -7. l., Clay'z4S
Etre;1ct t'frim  a Speei... 1r    Do'yglas3. 251
F:t,,'t fiatic..n Unumiin!tbihedi Poem;n Friee(m......        It. a1e  D. Snow.   20;G
Let-er....  v. liL Tlrd BPeecher  273
A   )Dav Sl)ent at PliLford I -all. 7 f's. SIzarriet B. Stowce 277
Teaching tihe Slave to Reead.. 2iary Icilng..   304








INTRODUCTION.
HlIAT SOME OF TIIE BUILDERS HAVE THOUGHI-T.
A   WVORD oft-times is expressive of an entire policy. Such is the term Abolition.  Though formerly used as a synonym of Anti-Slavery, people now
clearly understand that the designs of those who have
ranged themselves under the first of these systems of
reform are of deeper significance and wider scope
than are the objects contemplated by the latter, and
concern themselves not only with the great primary
question of bodily freedom, but take in also the collateral issues connected with human enfranchisement,
independent of race, complexion, or sex.
The Abolitionist of to-day is the Iconoclast of the
age, and his mission is to break the idolatrous images




12        THE  COLORED  PEOPLE'S
set up by a hypocritical Church, a Sham Demaocracy,
or a corrupt public sentiment, and to substitute in
their stead the simple and beautiful doctrine of a common brotherhood.  He would elevate every creature
by abolishing the hinderances and checks imposed
upon him, whether these be legal or social-and in
proportion  as such  grievances are invidious and
severe, in such measure does he place himself in the
front rank of the battle, to wage his emancipatinc
war.
Therefore it is that the Abolitionist has come to be
considered the especial friend of the negrlo, since he, of
all others, has been made to drink deep from the cup
of oppression.
The free-colored man at the north, for his bondbrother as for himself, has trusted hopefully in the ivcreasing public sentiment, which, in the multiplication of these friends, has made his future prospects
brighter. And, to-day, while he is making a noble
str-uggle to vindicate the claims of his entire class, depending mainly for the accomplishment of that end
on his own exertions, he passes in review the devotion
and sacrifices made in his behalf: gratitude is in his
heart, and thanks fall from his lips. But, in one de



"INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE."'                13
partment of reformatory exertion he feels that he has
been neglected. He has seen his pledged allies throw
themselves into the hottest of the battle, to fight for
the Abolition of Capital Punishment-for the Prohibition of the Liquor Traffic-for the Rights of
WVomen, and similar reforms,-but he has failed to
see a corresponding earnestness, according to the influence of Abolitionists in the business A-orld, in opening the avenues of industrial labor to the proscribed
youth of the land. This work, therefore, is evidently
left for himself to do. And he has laid his powers to
the task. The record of his conclusions was given
at Rochester, in July, and has become already a part
of history.
Though shut out from the workshops of the country, he is determined to make self-provision, so as to
triumph over the spirit of caste that would keep him
degraded.  The utility of the Industrial Institution he
would erect, must, he believes, commend itself to
Abolitionists.  But not only to them.  The verdict of
less liberal minds has been given already in its favor.
The usefulness, the self-respect and self-dependence,the combination of intelligence and handicraft, —the
accumulation of the materials of wealth, all referable




14        THE  COLORED  PEOPLE'S
to such an Institution, present fair claims to the assistance of the entire American people.
Whenever emancipation shall take place, immediate though it be, the subjects of it, like many who
now make up the so-called free population, will be in
what Geologists call, the " Transition State."  The
prejudice now felt against them for bearing on their
persons the brand of slaves, cannot die out immediately. Severe trials will still be their portion-the
curse of a " taunted race " must be expiated by almost
miraculous proofs of advancement; and some of these
miracles must be antecedent to the great day of
Jubilee. To fight the battle on the bare ground of
abstract principles, will fail to give us complete victory. The subterfuges of pro-slavery selfishness must
now be dragged to light, and the last weak argument,
-that the negro can never contribute anything to advance the national character, "nailed to the counter
as base coin." To the conquering of the difficulties
heaped up in the path of his industry, the free-colored
man of the North has pledged himself. Already he
sees, springing into growth, from out his foster workschool, intelligent young laborers, competent to enrich
the  world  with  necessary  products-industrious




TINDUSTRIAL COLLEGE."              15
citizens, contributing their proportion to aid on the
advancing civilization of the country; —self-providing artizans vindicating their people from the neverceasing charge of a fitness for servile positions.
Abolitionists ought to consider it a legitimate part
of their great work, to aid in such an enterprise-to
abolish not only chattel servitude, but that other kind
of slavery, which, for generation after generation,
dooms an oppressed people to a condition of dependence and pauperism. Such an Institution would be
a shining mark, in even this enlightened age; and
every man and woman, equipped by its discipline to
do good battle in the arena of active life, would be,
next to the emancipated bondman, the most desirable
"Autograph for Freedom."
4.~~~~~~~_ _~_;~_




1aaourt at tJloit'5s   ort
ON the west side of the Appalachicola River, some
forty miles below the line of Georgia, are yet
found the ruins of what was once called " BLOUNT'S
FORT." Its ramparts are now covered with a dense
growth of underbrush and small trees. You may yet
trace out its bastions, curtains, and magazine.  At
this time the country adjacent presents the appearance
of an unbroken wilderness, and the whole scene is one
of gloomy solitude, associated as it is with one of the
most cruel massacres which ever disgraced the Amarican arms.
The fort had originally been erected by civilized
troops, and, when abandoned by its occupants at the
close of the war, in 1815, it was taken possession of
by the refugees from Georgia. But little is yet known
of that persecuted people; their Listory can only be




AT BLOUN'T'S F ORT.                   17
found in the national archives at Washington.  They
had been h3l1i as slaves inl tllh  State referred to; but
durIng the  Revolution  they  caughlt the  spirit of
iDerty, at tllhat time so prevalent throughout our 1an1d,
and fledL fioml tlheir oplpressors and found an asjyluml
anmono the aborigines living in Florlida.
During forty years they had effectually eluded, or
resisted, all atteimpts to re-enslave t-hem.  Tihey were
true to thelmselves, to the instinctive love of liberty,
which is plant-d in every human heart.  JMost of
them had been born amidst perils, reared in the forest,
an.d taught firo'm taheir childhood, to hate thle opplressors of tcir race.  Mos' of those whoi hbad be cu perEonally held iL degTrading srvitude,  whose backs had
been seared by the las;  of thl- savage  o1erseer, lid
passed  to  tlhat spilt-landl where  the  clankinglr     of
chains is not heard, where slavery is not knowrn.
Somle fewv of tt class yet rcmained.  Their gray
hairs and feeble limbs, however, indicated that they,
too, must soon pass away.  Of the three hundred and
eleven persons residing in " Blount's Fort" not more
than twenty had been actually hleld in servitude. The
others we-re descendeled from  slave parents, whl.o fled
from  Georgia, and, according to the laws of slave




18                 MASSACRE
States, were liable to suffer the same outrages to which
their ancestors had beeni subjected.
It is a most singular feature in slave-holding
morals, that if the parents be robbed of their liberty,
deprived of the rights with which their Creator has
endowed them, the' perpetrator of these wrongs becomes entitled to repeat them upon the children of
their former victims.  There were also  some few
parents and grandchildren, as well as middle-aged
persons, who sought protection within the walls of
the Fort against the vigilant slave-catchers who occasionally were seen prowling around the fortifications, but who dare not venture within the power of
those whom they sought to enslave.
These fugitives had planted their gardens, and some
of them  had flocks roaming in the wilderness; all
were enjoying the fruits of their labor, and congratulating themselves upon being safe from the attacks of
those who enslave mankind. But the spirit of oppression is inexorable.  The slaveholders finding they
could not themselves obtain possession of their intended victims, called on the President of the United
States for assistance to perpetrate the crime of enslave
ing their fellow men. That functionary had been




AT BLOUNT'S FOPT.                       19
reared amid southern institutions.  He entertained no
doubt of the right of one man to enslave another.
He did not doubt that if a man held in servitude
should attempt to escape, he would be worthy of
death.   In  short, he fully sympathised with those
who sought his official aid. IIe immediately directed'the Secretary of WVar to  issue orders to the Commander of the  "Southern  Military District of the
United States" to send a detachment of troops to destroy " Blount's Fort," and to " seize those who occupied
it and return them to their masters."*
General Jackson, at that time Commander of the
Southern  Military  District, directed  Lieut.-Colonel
Clinch to perform  the barbarous task.  I was at one
time personally  acquainted  with  that officer, and
know the impulses of his generous nature, and can
readily account for the failure of his expedition. He
marched to the vicinity of the Fort, made the necessary recognisance, and returned, making report that
"the fortification was not accessible by land."t
* Vide Executive documents of the 2d Session 13th Congress.
J It is believed that this report was suggested by the humanity of
Col. Clinlch. He was reputed one of the bravest and most energetic
officers in the service. He possessed an indomitable perseverance. and
could probably have captured the Fort in one hour, had he desired to
do so.




20                MASSACRE
Orders were then issued to Commodore Patterson,
directing him to carry out the directions of the Secretary of War. He at that time commanded the American flotilla lying in "Mobile Bay," and instantly
issued an order to Lieut. Loomis to ascend the Ap-palachicola River with two gun-boats, " to seize the
people in BLOUNT's FORT, deliver them  to their
owners, and destroy the Fort."
On the morning of the 17th Sept., A. D. 1816, a
spectator might have seen several individuals standing upon the walls of that fortress watching with intense interest the approach of two small vessels that
were slowly ascending the river, under full-spread
canvas, by the aid of a light southern breeze. They
were in sight at early dawn, but it was ten o'clock
when they furled their sails and cast anchor opposite
the Fort, and some four or five hundred yards distant from it.
A boat was lowered, and soon a midshipman and
twelve men were observed making for the shore.
They were met at the water's edge by some half
dozen of the principal men in the Fort, and their
errand demanded.
The young officer told them he was sent to make




AT BLOUNT'S  FORT.                 21
demand of the Fort, and that its inmates were to be
given up to the "slaveholders, then on board the
gun-boat, who claimed them as fugitive slaves 1" The
demand was instantly rejected, and the midshipman
and his men returned to the gun-boats and informed
Lieut. Loomis of the answer he had received.
As the colored men entered the Fort they related
to their companions the demand that had been made.
Great was  the  consternation  manifested  by the
females, and even a portion of the sterner sex appeared to be distressed at their situation. This was
observed by an old patriarch, who had drunk the
bitter cup of servitude, one who bore on his person
the visible mrarls of the thong, as well as the brand
of his master, upon his shoulder.  Hel saw his friiends
faultered, and lie spoke cheerfully to them.  He assured them that they were safe from the cannon shot
of the enenmy-that there were.not men enough on
board the vessels to storm  tl!eir Fort, and finally
closed with the emplla;i air loratlin:   " Give re lfibert
or givC  e iv e cth!''i"....:w: a:.;yin    as repeated bSy
many agonized fathlliel: I a; i:,l. i:it on tl t  b!oody day.
A cannona de was i,         ene A::;icnced upon the Fort,
but without ranuclh  {,-:': f't  The shots were




22                MASSACRE
harmless; they penetrated the earth of which the
walls were composed, and were there buried, without
further injury. Some two hours were thus spent
without injuring any person in the Fort. They then
commenced throwing bombs. The bursting of these
shells had more effect. Tlome was no shelter from
these fatal messages.  Mothers gathered their little
ones around them  and pressed their babes more
closely to their bosoms, as one explosion after another warned them of their imminent danger. By
these explosions some were occasionally wounded
and a few killed, until, at length, the shrieks of the
wounded and groans of the dying were heard in
various parts of the fortress.
Do you ask vwhy these mothers and children were
thus butchered in cold blood? I atswer, they were
slain for adhering to the doctrine that " all men are
endowed by their Creator with the i;aienable right to
en2joy life and liberty."  Holdilg to to this doctrine of
Hancock and of Jefferson, the power of the nation
was arrayed against them, and our armny cntlto.Tcd to
deprive thoem of life.
The b;omobarmltent \as continued some hours Awith
but little cifeect. su!i as tlhe a:saileants could discover.




AT BLOUJNT'S FORT.              23
They manifested no disposition to surrender. The
day was passing away.  Lieut. Loomis called a
council of officers and put to them the question, what
further shall be done? An under officer suggested the
propriety of firing "hot shot at the magazine." The
proposition was agreed to. The furnaces were heated,
balls were prepared, and the cannonade was resumed.
The occupants of the Fort felt relieved by the change.
They could hear the deep humming sound of the
cannon balls, to which they had become accustomed
in the early part of the day, and some made themselves merry at the supposed folly of their assailants.
They knew not that the shot was heated, and was therefore unconscious of the danger which threatened them.
The sun was rapidly descending in the west. The
tall pines and spruce threw their shadows over the
fortification. The roar of the cannon, the sighing of
the shot, the groans of the wounded, the dark shades of
approaching evening, all conspired to render the scene
one of intense gloom. They longed for the approaching night to close around them in order that they might
bury the dead, and flee to the wilderness for safety.
Suddenly a startling phenomena presented itself to
their astonished view. The heavy embankment and




24               MAASSAC RE
timbers protecting the magazine appeared to rise from
the earth, and the next instant the dreadful explosion
overwhelmed themn, and the next found two hundred
and seventy parents and children in the immediate
presence of a holy God, making their appeal for retributive justice upon the government who had murdered them, and the freemen of the north who sustained such unutterable crimes.*
Many were crushed by the falling earth and the timbers; many were entirely buried in the ruins. Some
were horribly mangled by the fiIagments of timber and
the explosion of charged shells that werle in the magazine. Limbs were torn from the bodies to which they
had been attached. Mothers and babes lay beside each
other, wrapped in that sleep i.which knows no waking.
The sun had set, and the twilig:ht of evening was
closing around them, when some sixty sailors, under
the officer second in command, landed, and, without
opposition, entered the Fort. The veteran sailors, accustomed to blood and carnage, were horror-stricken
as they viewed the scene before them. They were
accompanied, however, by some twenty slaveholders,
* That is the number officially reported by the officer in commanlnd,
ride Executive doe. of the 13th Congre.s.




AT BLOUNT'S FORT.                 25
all anxious for their prey. These paid little attention
to the dead and dying, but anxiously seized upon the
living, and, fastening the fetters upon their limbs,
hurried them from the Fort, and instantly commenced
their return towards the frontier of Georgia. Some
fifteen persons in the Fort survived the terrible explosion, and they now sleep in servile graves, or moan
and weep in bondage.
The officer in command of the party, with his men,
returned to the boats as soon as the slaveholders were
fairly in poss ssion of their victims. The sailors ap1)eared gloomy and thoughtful as they returned to
their vessels. The anchors were weighed, the sails
unfurled, and both vessels hurried from the scene of
butchery as rapidly as they were  able.  After the
officers had retired to their cabins, the rough-featured
sailors gathered before the mast, and loud and bitter
were the curses they uttered against slavery and
against those officers of government who had thein
constrained them  to murder women  and helpless
children, merely for their love of liberty.
But the dead remained unburied; and the next day
the vultures were feeding upon the carcasses of youncg
men and young women, whose hearts on the previous
2




26                MASSACRE.
morning had beaten high with expectation. Their
bones have been bleaching in the sun for thirty-seven
years, and may yet be seen scattered among the ruins
of that ancient fortification.
Twenty-two years elapsed, and a representative in
Congress, from one of the free States, reported a bill
giving to the perpetrators of these murders a gratuity
of five thousand dollars from the public treasury, as a
token of the gratitude which the people of this nation
felt for the soldierly and gallant manner in which the
crime was committed toward them. The bill passed
both houses of Congress, was approved by the President, and now stands upon our statute book among
the laws enacted at the 3d Session of the 25th Congress.
The facts are all found scattered among the various
public documents which repose in the alcoves of our
National Library. But no historian has been willing
to collect and publish them, in consequence of the
deep disgrace which they reflect upon the American
arms, and upon those who then controlled the government.




Atfe  Xtzitibe  Stat e  ts
FEW  laws have ever been passed better calculated
than this to harden the heart and benumb the
conscience of every man who assists in its execution.
It pours contempt upon the dictates of justice and
humanity. It levels in the dust the barriers erected
by the common law for the protection of personal
liberty. Its victims are native born Americans, uncharged with crime. These men are seized, without
notice, and instantly carried before an officer, by
whom they are generally hurried off into a cruel
bondage, for the remainder of their days, and sometimes without time being allowed for a parting interviewr with their fimilies.  Such treatment would be
c:'iL  t)owanr  crimlin:lds; but these men are adjudged
to toil, to stripes, to ignorance, to poverty, to hopeless degradation, on the pretence that they "owe ser



28              THE  FUGITIVE
vice."  This allegation all know to be utterly false,
they having never promised to serve, and  being
legally incapable of making any contract. Every act
of Christian kindness to these unhappy people, tending to secure to them the rights which our declaration
of independence asserts belong to all men, is made by
this accursed law a penal offnce, to be punished with
fine and imprisonment.  Mock judges, unknown to
the constitution, and bribed by the promise of double
fees to re-enslave the fugitive, are commanded to decide, summarily, the most momentous personal isstue,
with the single exception of life and death, that could
possibly engage the attention of a legal tribunal of tlhe
most august character. Yet this tremendous issue of
liberty or bondage, is to be decided, not only in a
hurry, but on  such prima facie evidence as lmay
satisfy the judge, and this judge, too, selected from a
hlerd of similar creatures, by the claimant himself!
An ex parte affidavit, made by an absent and interested
party, with the certificate of an absent judge that he
believes it to be true, is to be received as CONCCL UsIV E
in thie ifacC1   of anm  anmount of oral and (locu|l1nA;tLte 
testimony to tlhe contrav-ry.                 -   I
into his bosom andC not be burnled?"  Can a 1man aid




SLAVE  ACT.                   29
in executingr  such a law without defiling his own
conscience?  Yet does this profligate  statute, with
impious arrogance, command " ALL GOOD CITIIENS "
to assist in enforcing it, when required so to do by an
It is a singullar Lact, ill the history of ii]s enactment, that Mr. Mason, who introduced the bill, and
MAr. WV5ebster, lwho, in advance, pledged to it his support "to the fullest extent," both confessed, on the
floor of Congress, that in their individual judgments,
it was UNCONSTITUTIONAL, — that is, that the constitution, as they expounded it, imposed upon the States
severally, the obligation to surrender fugitive slaves,
and gave Congress no power to legislate on the subject.  The Supreme Court, however, havingr otherwise determined, these gentlemen acquiesce'd in its
decision, without being convinced by it. It is well
known how grossly Mr. Webster, in his subsequent
canvass for the Presidency, insulted all who, like himself, denied the constitutionality of the law. Another
significant fact in the same history is, that the law was
passed by a mninority of the House of Representatives.
Of 232 members, only 109 recorded their names in its
favor.  Many, deterred either by scruples of con



30             THE FUGITIVE
science or doubts of the popularity of the measure, declined voting, while party discipline prevented them
from offering to it an open and manly resistance. A
third fact in this history, worthy to be remembered,
is, that the advocates of the law are conscious that its
revolting provisions would not bear discussion, forced
its passage under the previous question, thus preventing any remarks on its enormities-any appeals to
the consciences of the members against the  erpetration of such detestable wickedness.
Seldom has any public iniquity been committed to
which the words of the Psalmist have been so applicable: " Surely the wrath of man shall praise THEE;
and the remainder of wrath shalt THOU restrain."
It was happily so ordered, that several of the early
seizures and surrenders under this law were conducted with such marked barbarity, such cruel indecent haste, such wanton disregard of justice and of
humanity, as to shock the moral sense of the community, and to render the law intensely hateful.
Very soon after the law went into operation, one
of the pseudo judges created by it, surrendered an
alleged slave, on evidence which no jury would have
deemed sufficient to establish a title to a dog. In vain




SLAVE ACT.                   31
the wretched man declared his freedom-in vain he
named six witnesses whom he swore could prove his
freedom-in vain he implored for a delay of ONE
HOUR. He was sent off as a slave, guarded, at the
expense of the United States treasury, to his pretended master in Maryland, who honestly refused to
receive him. The judge had macde a mistake (!) and
had sent a free man instead of a slave.
This vile law, although of course receiving the
sanction of the Democrats, it being a bid for the
Presidency, was a device of the WVhig party, and
could not have been carried but by the co-operation
of Webster, Clay, and Fillmore. As if to enhance
the value of the bid, the Administration affected a
desire to baptise it in northern blood, by making resistance to the law, a crime to be punished with
DEATH. The hustling of an officer, and the consequent escape of an arrested fugitive, were declared, by
the Secretary of State, to be a levying of war agaiz.st
the United States-of course an act of HIGH TREASON,
to be expiated on the gallows; and the rioters at
Christiana were prosecuted for HIGH TREASON, in pursuance of orders forwarded from Washington.  This
wretched sycophancy won no favor from the slave



32              THE FUGITIVE
holders, and the result of the abominable and absurd
prosecution only blrought on the authors and advocates of the law fresh obloquy. Whlen m en obtain
some rich and splendid  prize by th;leir -lon-dcoin-,
imn.y la dmire their boldness aind dexterit1;, 1ut: ib.i i
profitless wihclkeflness ensures only contem-t.:.,t
northern Wh',hi s, in doing obeisance to!ie  slave
power, sinned against their oft-rcpeatet:-  and: solemn
profcssions and pledges.  They sinned in thle ex-pectation of thereby electing a Presi(:ecnt, and enjoying the
patronage he would dispense.  Most bitterly were
these men disappointed, first in the candidate selected,
and next in the result of the election.  The party has
been beaten to death, and it died unhonored and unwrept. Let the Fugitive Slave Law be its epitaph.
Truly the Whig politicians were "snared in the work
of their own hands."
Certain fashionable Divines deemed it expedient to
second the efforts of the politicians in catching slaves,
by talking from their pulpits about Hebrew slavery,
and the reverence due to the "powers that be ordained of God."  Yet the injunctions of the fugitive
law were so obviously at variance witll the " IIIGEn
LAW" of justice and mercy which these gentlemen




SLAVE ACT.                  83
were required by their Divine MIaster to inculcate,
that "cotton divinity" fell into disrepute, nor could
the plaudits of politicians and union committees save
its clerical professors from forfeiting the esteem and
confidence of multitudes of Christian people.
But WVhig politicians and cotton Divines are not
the only friends of the fugitive law to whom it has
made most ungrateful returns.  The Democratic
leaders, bidding against the WVhis for the Presidency,
were most vociferous in expressions of the delight
they took in the human chase. Democratic candidates for the Presidency, to the goodly number of
NINE, gave public attestations under their signs
manual, of their approbation of a law outraging the
principles of Democracy, as well as of common justice
and humanity. Each and all of these men were rejected, and the slaveholders selected an individual
whom they were well assured would be their obsequious tool, but who had offered no bribe for their votes.
But did the slaveholders themselves gain more by
this law than their northern auxiliaries? They, indeed, hailed its passage as a mighty triumph. The
nation had given them a law, drafted by themselves,
laying down the rules of the hunt, as best suited their
2*




34             THE FIUGITIVE
pleasure and interest. Wealthy and influential gentlemen in our commercial cities, out of compliment to
southern electors, became amateur huntsnmel, and in
New York and Boston the chase was pursued with
all the zeal and apparent delight that could have been
expected in Guinea or Virginia. Slave-catching, was
the test, at once, of patriotism  and gentility, while
sympathy for the wretched fugitive was the mark of
vulgar fanaticism. The north was humbled in the
dust, by the action of her own recreant sons. Every
"good citizen" found himself for the first time in the
history of mankind, a slave-catcher by lawsv. Every
official, appointed by a slave-catching judge, was invested with the authority of a High Sheriff; being
empowered to call out the posse comitatus, and compel
the neighbors to join in a slave chase. Well, indeed,
might the slaveholders rejoice and make merry;well, indeed, in the insolence of triumph, might they
command the people of the north to hold their
tongues about "the peculiar institution," under pain
of their sore displeasure.
But amid this slavery jubilee, a woman's heart was
swelling and heaving with indignant sorrow at the
outrages offered to God and man by the fugitive




SLAVE ACT.                          85
law. Her pent up emotions struggled for utterance,
and at last, as if moved by some mighty inspiration,
and in ati the fervor of Christian love, she put forth a
book which arrested the attention of the WORLD.  A
miracle of authorship, this book attained, within
twelve months, a circulation without a parallel in the
history of printing. In that brief space, about two
millions of volumes proclaimed, in the languages of
civilization, the wrongs of the slave and the atrocities
of the AMERICAN FUGITIVE LAW.  The gaze of mankind is now turned upon the slaveholders and their
northern auxiliaries, both clerical and lay.  The subjects of European despotisms console themselves with
the grateful conviction, that however harsh may be
their own governments, they make no approach to the
baseness or to the cruelty and tyranny of the "' peculiar institution" of the Model Republic.*
* A late American traveller, in Germany, invited to an evening
party at the house of a Professor, attempted to compliment the company by expressing his indignation at the oppression which " the dear
old German fatherland" suffered at the hands of its rulers. The
American's profferred sympathy was coldly received. "We admit,"
was the reply, "that there is much wrong here, but we do not admit
the right of your country to rebuke it. There is a system now with
you, worse than anything which we know of tyranny —your SLAVERY.
It is a disgrace and blot on your free government and on a Christian
State. We have nothing in Russia or Hungary which is so degrading,




36                 3THE FUGITIVE
One slaveholder, together with the cotton men of
the north, fretted and vexed by their sudden and unenviable notoriety, foolishly attempted to obviate the
impressions made by the book, by denouncing it as a
lying fiction.  Nay, one of the most affecting illustrations of pure and undefiled  Christianity that ever proceeded from  an uninspired  pen, was gravely declared,
by an organ of cotton divinity, to be an ANTI-CHRISTIAN book.*   Truly, indeed, the wisdom   of man  is
and we have nothing which so crushes the mind. And more than
this, we hear you have now a LAW, just passed by your National Assembly, which would disgrace the cruel code of the Czar. We hear
of free men and women, hunted like dogs on your mountains, and sent
back, without trial, to bondage worse than our serfs have ever known.
We have, in Europe, many excuses in ancient evils and deep-laid
prejudices, but you, the young and fiee people, in this age, to be
passing again, afresh, such measures of unmitigated wrong!' —ome
life in Germany, by Charles Loving Brace.  Mr. Brace honestly
adds: "I must say that the blood tingled to my cheek with shame, as he
spoke."
*- "We have read the book, and regard it as Anti-Christian, on the
same grounds that the chronicle regards it decidedly anti ministerial."
-New York Observer, SeptembeT 22, 1852. —Editorial.  The Bishop
of Rome also regards the book as Anti-Christian, and has forbidden
l.s subjects to read it.  On the other hand, the clergy of Great
Britain differ most widely from  the reverend gentlemen of the
"Observer " and the Vatican, in their estimate of the character of
the book. Said Dr. Wardlaw, who on this subject may be regarded
as the representative of the Protestant Divines of Europe: "He
who can read it without the breathings of devotion, must, if he call
himself a Christian, have a Christianity as unique and questionable as
his humanity."




SLAVE ACT.                   37
foolishness with God. " HIe disappointeth the devices of the crafty."
Branded with falsehood and impiety, the author
was happily put on her trial before the civilized world.
She collected, arranged, and gave to the press, a mass
of unimpeachable documents, consisting of laws,
judicial decisions, trials, confessions of slaveholders,
advertisements from southern papers, and testimonies
of eye-witnesses. The proof was conclusive and overwhelming that the picture she had drawn of American slavery was unfaithful, only because the coloring
was faint, and wanted the crimson dye of the original.
A verdict of not guilty of exaggeration has been rendered by acclamation.
It has long been the standing refuge of the slaveholders, that northern men and Europeans, in condemning slavery, were passing judgment against an
institution of which they were ignorant. - The " peculiar institution" was represented as some great mystery which could not be understood beyond the slave
region. Thanks to the fugitive law, it has led to the
construction of a "' key," which has unlocked our Republican bastile, thrown open to the sunlight its hideous dungeons, and exposed the various instruments of




38             THE FUGITIVE
torture for subjecting the soul, as well as the body,
to hopeless and unresisting bondage. The iniquity
of our cherished institution is no loncer a MYSTERY.
All Christendom is now made familiar with it, and is
sending forth a cry of indignant remonstrance and of
taunting scorn.  Such is the suppression of antislavery agitation given to the slaveholders by their
northern friends-such the strength imparted by the
fugitive slave law to the system of human bondage.
How applicable to the inventors and supporters of
that statute are the words of David, in regard to some
politician of his own day: "Behold he travaileth
with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and
brought forth falsehood. He made a pit, and digged
it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His
mischief shall return upon his own head, and his
violent dealing shall come down upon his own
pate;" and then he adds, "I will praise the Lord."
So also let the Christian bless and magnify HIMf, wh6
by his infinite wisdom brings good out of evil, and in
the case of the fugitive law, HATH CAUSED THE WRATH
OF MSAN TO PRAISE HIM.
But there is still a remainder of wrath. The law is
still on the Statute Book, and hungry politicians are




SLAVE ACT.                     39
promising that there it shall ever remain; and terrible
threats come from  the south, of the ruin that shall
ov-er'~whelm the free States, should the law be repealed
or rendered less abominable than at present.  Yt t,i:
spite of northern promises, and professions of security,
and in spite of the great swelling wvords of the dealers
in human flesh, the practical, like the moral working
of the law, has been very far from what its authors
anticipated.  The lawv was passed the 1Sth September, 1850, and, in two years and nine mouths, not
fifty slaves ha;e been recovered under it —not an
average of EIGHTEEN slaves a year! Poor compensation this to the slaveholders for makingr themselves
a bye-word, a proverb, and a reproach to Chiristendom-for giving a new and mighty impulse to abolition, and for deepeiling the detestation felt by the
true friends of liberty and humanity, for an institution asking and obtaining for its protection a law so
repugnant to the moral sense of mankind.  But while
this artful and wicked law, with its army of ten-dollar
judges, and  marshals, and  constables, and  ofliceseekers, and politicians, witlh the President and his
cabinet all striving to enforce it, "to the fullest extent," has'restored to their masters not eighteen slaves




40             TIE FUCGITIVE.
a year; the escapes from the prison house have probably never been more numerous, nor the aid and
sympathy afforded by Christians more abundant.
Thus' has THE REMAINDER OF WRATH BEEN RESTRAINED.  In the marvellous conversion of this
odious law into an anti-slavery agenrcy, let us find a
new motive for unceasing and unwearied agitation
against slavery, and a new pledge of ultimate triumph.
BEDFORD, June 1853.








Qi  0:   j
\1 
all;za
\ggg~:i
flull~:"us




'68t Aide of Bmuth+
A QUAINT old writer describes a class of persons
who have souls so very small that " 500 of them
could dance at once upon the point of a cambric
needle." These wee people are often wrapped up in
a lump of the very coarsest of human clay, ponderous enough to give them the semblance of full-grown
men and women. A grain of mustard seed, buried in
the heart of a mammoth pumpkin, would be no comparison to the little soul, sheathed in its full grown
body. The contrast in size would be insufficient to
convey an adequate impression; and the tiny soul has
little of the mustard seed spiciness.
Yet if this mass of flesh is only wrapped up in a
white skin, even though it is not nearly thick enough
to conceal the grossness and coarseness of the veiled
material, the poor "feeble folk" within will fancy




42         THE SIZE OF SOULS.
that he really belongs to the natural variety of aristocratic humanity. He has the good taste to refuse
condescension sufficient to allow him to eat at table
with a Frederick Douglass, a Samuel R. Ward, or a
Dr. Pennington. Poor light little soul! It can
borrow a pair of flea's legs, and, hopping up to the
magnificent lights of public opinion, sit looking down
upon the whole colored race in sovereign contempt.
Take off the thin veneering of a white skin, substitute in its stead the real African ebony, and then
place him side by side with one of the above-mentioned men.  Measure intellect with intellect-eloquence with eloquence!  Mental and moral infancy
stand abashed in the presence of nature's noblemen!
So, mere complexion is elevated above character.
Sensible men and women are not ashamed of the acknowledgment.  The fact has a popular endorsement. People sneer at you if you are not ready to
comprehend the fitness of the thing. If you cannot
weigh mind in a balance with a moiety of coloring
matter, and still let the mind be found wanting, expect, in America, to lose cast yourself for want of
approved taste.
If sin is capable of being made to look mean,




THE SIZE OF SOULS.               43
narrow, contemptible-to exhibit itself in its character of thorough, unmitigated bitterness-it is when
exhibited in the light of our "peculiar" prejudices.
Mind, Godlike, immortal mind, with its burden of
deathless thought, its comprehensive and discriminating reason, its brilliant wit, its genial humor, its
store-house of thrilling memories-a voice of mingled
power and pathos,.words burning with the unconsuming fire of genius, virtues gathering in ripened
beauty upon a brave heart, and moral integrity preeminent over all else-all this could not make a black
man the social equal of a white coxcomb, even though
hiM brain were as blank as white paper, and his heart
as black as darkness concentrated. May heaven alleviate our undiluted stupidity!
ANTOINETTE L. BRowN.




[Fragments of a poem hitherto unpublished, upon a revolt of the
free persons of color, in the island of St. Domingo (now Hayti),
in the years 1790-1.]
THERE is, at times, an evening skyThe twilight's gift-of sombre hue,
All checkered wild and gorgeously
With streaks of crimson, gold and blue;-.
A sky that strikes the soul with awe,
And, though not brilliant as the sheen,
Which in the east at morn we saw,
Is far more glorious, I ween; —
So glorious that, when night hath come
And shrouded it in deepest gloom,
We turn aside with inward pain
And pray to see that sky again.
Such sight is like the struggle made
When freedom bids unbare the blade,




VINCENT OGE.                  45
And calls from every mountain-glenFrom every hill-from every plain,
Her chosen ones to stand like men,
And cleanse their souls from every stain
Which wretches, steeped in crime and blood,
Have cast upon the form of God.
Though peace like morning's golden hue,
With blooming groves and waving fields,
Is mildly pleasing to the view,
And all the blessings that it yields
Are fondly welcomed by the breast
Which finds delight in passion's rest,
That breast with joy foregoes them all,
While listening to Freedom's call.
Though red the carnage,-though the strife
Be filled with groans of parting life,Though battle's dark, ensanguined skies
Give echo but to agoniesTo shrieks of wild despairing,We willingly repress a sighNay, gaze with rapture in our eye,
Whilst "FREEDOM I" is the rally-cry
That calls to deeds of daring.
*    X    *    *    *    X    *    *




46           VINCENT OGE.
The waves dash brightly on thy shore,
Fair island of the southern seas!
As bright in joy as when of yore
They gladly hailed the Genoese,That daring soul who gave to Spain
A world-last trophy of her reign I
Basking in beauty, thou dost seem
A vision in a poet's dream I
Thou look'st as though thou claim'st not birth
With sea and sky and other earth,
That smile around thee but to show
Thy beauty in a'brighter glow,That are unto thee as the foil
Artistic hands have featly set
Around Golconda's radiant spoil,
To grace some lofty coronet, —
A foil which serves to make the gem
The glory of that diadem!
*    *   *    *    *    *    X   *
If Eden claimed a favored haunt,
Most hallowed of that blessed ground,
Where tempting fiend with guileful taunt
A resting-place would ne'er have found,



VINCENT OGI.                47
As shadowing it well might seek
The loveliest home in that fair isle,
Which in its radiance seemed to speak
As to the charmed doth B eauty's smile,
That whispers of a thousand things
For which words find no picturings.
Like to the gifted Greek who strove
To paint a crowning work of art,'And form his ideal Queen of Love,
By choosing from each grace a part,
Blending them in one beauteous whole,
To charm the eye, transfix the soul,
And hold it in enraptured fires,
Such as a dream of heaven inspires,So seem the glad waves to have sought
From every place its richest treasure,
And borne it to that lovely spot,
To found thereon a home of pleasure;A home where balmy airs might float
Through spicy bower and orange grove;
Where bright-winged birds might turn the note
Which tells of pure and constant love;
Where earthquake stay its demon force,
And hurricane its wrathful course;




48             VINCENT OGE.
Where nymph and fairy find a home,
And foot of spoiler never come.
* *                      X *    *    *    *    *
And Oge stands mid this array
Of matchless beauty, but his brow
Is brightened not by pleasure's play;
He stands unmoved-nay, saddened now,
As doth the lorn and mateless bird
That constant mourns, whilst all unheard,
The breezes freighted with the strains
Of other songsters sweep the plain,That ne'er breathes forth a joyous note,
Though odors on the zephyrs floatThe tribute of a thousand bowers,
Rich in their store of fragrant flowers.
Yet Oge's was a mind. that joyed
With nature in her every mood,
Whether in sunshine unalloyed
With darkness, or in tempest rude
And, by the dashing waterfall,
Or by the gently flowing river,
Or listening to the thunder's call,
He'd joy away his life forever.
But ah! life is a changeful thing,
And pleasures swiftl!y pass away,




V IcEs P   OQ.               0
And we may turn, with shuddering,
From what we sighed for yesterday.
The guest, at banquet-table spread
With choicest viands, shakes with dread,
Nor heeds the goblet bright and fair,
Nor tastes the dainties rich and rare:
Nor bids his eye with pleasure traCm
The wreathed flowers that deck the plae.e
If he but knows there is a draught.
Among the cordials, that, if quaffed,
Will send swift poison through his veins
So Og6 seems; nor does his eye
With pleasure view the flowery plains,
The bounding sea, the spangled sky,
As, in the short and soft twilight,
The stars peep brightly forth in he.aver,
And hasten to the realms of night,
As handmaids of the Even.
The loud shouts from the distant town,
Joined in with nature's gladsome lay;
The lights went glancing up and down,
Riv'ling the stars-nay, seemed as they
2




60             V VINCENT OGE.
Could stoop to claim, in their high home,
A sympathy with things of earth,
And had from their bright mansions come,
To join them in their festal mirth.
For the land of the Gaul had arose in its might,
And swept by as the wind of a wild, wintry night;
And the dreamings of greatness-the phantoms of
power,
Had passed in its breath like the things of an hour.
Like the violet vapors that brilliantly play
Round the glass of the chemist, then vanish away,
The visions of grandeur which dazzlingly shone,
Had gleamed for a time, and all suddenly gone.
And the fabric of ages-the glory of kings,
Accounted most sacred mid sanctified things,
Reared up by the hero, preserved by the sage,
And drawn out in rich hues on the chronicler's page,
Had sunk in the blast, and in ruins lay spread,
While the altar of freedom was reared in its stead.
And a spark from that shrine in the free-roving
breeze,
Had crossed from fair France to that isle of tl & 
And a flame was there kindled which fitfully shone
Mid the shout ofthe free, and the dark captive's groan;




VINCENT OGE.                 51
As, mid contrary breezes, a torch-light will play,
Now streaming up brightly-now dying away.
The reptile slumbers in the stone,
Nor dream we of his pent abode;
The heart conceals the anguished groan,
With all the poignant griefs that goad
The brain to madness;
Within the hushed volcano's breast,
The molten fires of ruin lie;Thus human passions seem at rest,
And on the brow serene and high,
Appears no sadness.
But still the fires are raging there,
Of vengeance, hatred, and despair;
And when they burst, they wildly pour
Their lava flood of woe and fear,
And in one short-one little hour,
Avenge the wrongs of many a year.
And Oge standeth in his hall;
But now he standeth not alone;A brother's there, and friends; and all
Are kindred spirits with his own;




52             VINCENT OGE.
For mind will join with kindred mind,
As matter's with its like combined.
They speak of wrongs they had receivedOf freemen, of their rights bereaved;
And as they pondered o'er the thought
Which in their minds so madly wrought,
Their eyes gleamed as the lightning's flash,
Their words seemed as the torrent's dash
That falleth, with a low, deep sound,
Into some dark abyss profound,A sullen sound that threatens more
Than other torrents' louder roar.
Ah! they had borne well as they might,
Such wrongs as freemen ill can bear;
And they had urged both day and night,
In fitting words, a freeman's prayer;
And when the heart is filled with grief,
For wrongs of all true souls accurst,
In action it must seek relief,
Or else, o'ercharged, it can but burst.
Why blame we them, if they oft spake
Words that were fitted to awake
The soul's high hopes-its noblest partsThe slumbering passions of brave hearts,




VINCENT OGIC.                 53
And send them as the simoom's breath,
Upon a work of woe and death?
And woman's voice is heard amid
The accents of that warrior train;
And when has woman's voice e'er bid,
And man could from its best refrain?
Hers is the power o'er his soul
That's never wielded by another,
And she doth claim this soft control
As sister, mistress, wife, or mother.
So sweetly doth her soft voice float
O'er hearts by guilt or anguish riven,
It seemeth as a magic note
Struck from earth's harps by hands of heaven.
And there's the mother of Og6,
Who with firm voice, and steady heart,
And look unaltered, well can play
The Spartan mother's hardy part;
And send her sons to battle-fields,
And bid them come in triumph home,
Or stretched upon their bloody shields,
Rather than bear the bondman's doom.
"Go forth," she said, "to victory;
Or lsle, go bravely forth to di1 I




54             VINCENT OGE.
Go forth.to fields where glory floats
In every trumpet's cheering notes!
Go forth, to where a freeman's death
Glares in each cannon's fiery breath I
Go forth and triumph o'er the foe;
Or failing that, with pleasure go
To molder on the battle-plain,
Freed ever from the tyrant's chain!
But if your hearts should craven prove,
Forgetful of your zeal-your love
For rights and franchises of men,
My heart will break; but even then,
Whilst bidding life and earth adieu,
This be the prayer I'll breathe for you:'Passing from guilt to misery,
May this for aye your portion be,A life, dragged out beneath the rodAn end, abhorred of man and GodAs monument, the chains you nurseAs epitaph, your mother's curse!'"
*     *      *     * *          *X
A thousand hearts are breathing high,
And voices shouting "Victory!"
Which soon will hush in death;




VINCENT OGE.                  55
The trumpet clang of joy that speaks,
Will soon be drowned in the shrieks
Of the wounded's stifling breath,
The tyrant's plume in dust lies lowTh' oppressed has triumphed o'er his foe.
But ah! the lull in the furious blast
May whisper not of ruin past;
It may tell of the tempest hurrying on,
To complete the work the blast begun.'De voice of a Syr~A,   aiay -hisp'ringly tell
oement of hope in the deluge of rain;
Lie shout of the free heart may rapt'rously swell,
iV'hile the tyrant is gath'ring his power again.
Though the balm of the leech may soften the smart,
It never can turn the swift barb from its aim;
And thus the resolve of the true freeman's heart
May not keep back his fall, though it free it from
shame.
Though the hearts of those heroes all well could accord
With freedom's most noble and loftiest word;
Their virtuous strength availeth them nought
A\Tith the power and skill that the tyrant brought.
Gray veterans trained in many a field 
Where the fate of nations with blood was sealed,




58B            VINCENT OGt.
In Italia's vales-on the shores of the Rhine —
WVhere the plains of fair France give birth to the vineWVhere the Tagus, the Ebro, go dancing along,
Made glad in their course, by the Muleteer's songAll these were poured down in the pride of their
might,
On the land of Og, in that terrible fight.
Ah i dire was the conflict, ahd many the slain,
Who slept the last sleep on that red battle-plrain!
The flash of the cannon o'er valley and height
Danced like the swift fires of a northern night,
Or the quivering glare which leaps forth as a token
That the King of the Storm from  his cloud-throne
has spoken.
And o h! to those heroes how welcome the fate
Of Sparta's brave sons in Thermopyla's strait;
AVith what ardor of soul they then would have given
Their last look at earth for a long glance at heaven!
Their lives to their country-their backs to the sodTheir hcart's blood to the sword, and their souls to
their God!
B3ut alas! although many lie silent and slain,
More blest are they far than those clanking the
ta.




VINCENT OGE.                  57
In the hold of the tyrant, debarred from the day; —
Arnd among these sad captives is Vincent Og 6!
*    * X         *    *    *    *    *
Another day's bright sun has risen,
And shines upon the insurgent's prison;
Another night has slowly passed,
And Oge smiles, for'tis the last
He'll droop beneath the tyrant's power —
The galling chains! Another hour,
And answering to the jailor's call,
He stands within the Judgment Hall.
They've gathered there; —they who have pressed
Their fangs into the soul distressed,
To. pain its passage to the tomb
With mock'ry of a legal doom.
They've gathered there; —they who have stood
Firmly and fast in hour of blood,Who've seen the lights of hope-all die,
As stars fade from a morning sky,They've gathered there, in that dark hourThe latest of the tyrant's power,An hour that speaketh of the day
Which never more shall pass away,3*




58             VINCENT OGE'.
The glorious day beyond the grave,
Which knows no master-owns no slave.
And there, too, are the rack-the wheelThe torturing screw —the piercing steel,Grim powers of death all crusted o'er
With other victims' clotted gore.
Frowning they stand, and in their cold,
Silent solemnity, unfold
The strong one's triumph o'er the weakThe awful groan-the anguished shriekThe unconscious mutt'rings of despairThe strained eyeball's idiot stareThe hopeless clench-the quiv'ring frameThe martyr's death-the despot's shame.
The rack-the tyrant-victim, —all
Are gathered in that Judgment Hall.
Draw we the veil, for'tis a sight
But friends can gaze on with delight.
The sunbeams on the rack that play,
For sudden terror flit away
From this dread work of war and death,
As angels do with quickened breath,
From some dark deed of deepest sin,
Ere they have drunk its spirit in.




VINCENT OGE.                 59
*    *    * X       *    *    *    -*
No mighty host with banners flying,
Seems fiercer to a conquered foe,
Than did those gallant heroes dying,
To those who gloated o'er their woe; —
Grim tigers, who have seized their prey,
Then turn and shrink abashed away;
And, coming back and crouching nigh,
Quail'neath the flashing of the eye,
Which tells that though the life has started,
The will to strike has not departed.
Sad was your fate, heroic band I!
Yet mourn we not, for yours' the stand
Which will secure to you a fame;
That never dieth, and a name
That will, in coming ages, be
A signal word for Liberty.
Upon the slave's o'erclouded sky,
Your gallant actions traced the bow,
Which whispered of deliv'rance nighThe meed of one decisive blow.
Thy coming fame, Cg6! is sure;
Thy name with that of L'Ouverture,




60              VINCENT  OGE.
And all the noble souls that stood
With both of you, in times of blood,
Will live to be the tyrant's fearWill live, the sinking soul to cheer!
SYRACUSE, N. Y., August 31st, 18'53.




ie    at:i of  fibertg.
FREEDOM, under the proper restraint of Law and
Duty, is a political good, for that which is morally
wrong can never be politically right.
Fine moral sense will pour indignation on oppression, as well as applause on worth.  It will give
sympathy to the afflicted, and treasures to relieve
the needy. Such a spirit will exalt a nation, and
command the respect of other nations. But general
freedom can only flourish beneath the undisturbed
dominion of equitable laws.
Governments should aim at the welfare of the people, and that government which secures the person,
the property, the liberty, the lives of dutiful subjects,
and thus makes the common good the rule and measure of its government, will receive a blessing from
God..




62  -    THE LAW  OF LIBERTY.
Let America act on her own avowed principles,
that every man is born free, and she will be exalted,
when tyrannical, persecuting, slaveholding nations
will come to nought.
H. CANON OF WORCESTER.




fge  ibiftUess of Cime  in  Qot.
FROM THE KNABEN WUNDERHORN. (B. I. p. 73, et seq.)
THE general at Grosswardein
Had once a little daughter fine:Her name was called Theresia,God-loving, modest, chaste and fair:
And from her childhood up was she
Most deeply given to piety,
With prayers and music's solemn tone
She ever praised the Three-in-One.
Whene'er she heard of Jesus' name,
Her love and joy flamed brighter flame;
Jesus to serve she makes her cross,
Devotes herself to be his Spouse.
A noble lord came her to woo,
Her father gave consent thereto;




64            THE SWIFTNE SS
The mother to her daughter said,"Dear child, this man thou'lt surely wed."
The daughter said, "' Mother of me
That can and must not ever be.
My heart is fixed on higher worth, 
A Bridegroom he not of this earth."
The mother then, " My daughter dear,
Ah, do not contradict us here,
Thy sire and I we both are old,
And God has blessed our toil with gold."
Thereat the maid began to weep,
" I have a lover beloved so deep,
To him I've made my promise down;
I'll wear for him a virgin crown."
Thereat the sire, " This must not be,
My child away this phantasy,
Where wilt thou dwell when past thy prime?
We both are old, far gone in time!"
The noble lord again draws near,
And even the bridal feast prepare,




OF TIME IN GOD.
For all things soon were ready made,But sorrow veils the maiden's head.
Quick to the garden, goeth she,
There falls she down upon her knee,
Out from her heart her prayer she poured
To Jesus her espoused Lord.
She lay before him on her face,
And sighed with sighs to win his grace.
The dearest Christ the clouds unrolled,
"Look up," said he, "my maid behold I
"Thou yet shalt be, in briefest time,
In heaven with me in joy's full prime,
And mid the lovely angels there,
In full delight and joy appear."
He greets the maiden wondrous fair:
She stands before him without fear,
Down cast her eyes with modest grace,She felt the beauty of his face.
Then speaks the youth, the heavenly King,
And weds her with a golden ring;



66          THE SWIFTNESS
"Look there, my bride! Love's pledge for thee,
Oh, wear it on thy hand for me."
The maiden then sweet vows took,
"My Bridegroom dear I" to Christ she spoke,
"Herewith art thou firm wed to me,
Henceforth my heart loves none but thee."
Then walked abroad the married pair,
And gathered many a blossom fair;Jesus thus spake to her anew:"Come, and my lovely garden view 1"
He took the maiden by the hand,
And led her from her fatherland,
Unto his Father's garden fair
Where many beauteous blossoms are.
The maiden now with joy may win
The precious fruits which grow therein;
But mortal fancy cannot know
The noble fruits therein which grow.
She hears such music and such song,
That length of time seems nothing long,




OF TIME IN GOD.                67
And silver-white the brooklets there
Flow ever on so pure and fair.
The youth again addressed the maid,
" My garden here thou hast surveyed.
I will again conduct thee home.
To thine own land, the time is come."
The maiden turns with grief away,
Comes to the town without delay,
The watchman calls, " Stand, who goes there?"
She says, "I to my father must repair!"
" Who is your father, then," quoth he,
" The general," she answers free.
The watchman then replied and smiled,
" The general; —he has no child."
But by her garments all men see,
The maiden is of high degree.
The watchman then conducts her straight
Before the guardians of the State.
The maid declares and stands thereto,
The general is her father true.




68            THE SWIFTNESS
And but two hours have scarcely flown,
Since she went out to walk alone.
The guardians saw a wonder great,
And asked where she had been of late;
Her father's name, his power and race,
That she must tell them face to face.
They searched the ancient records through,
And this they found was written true,
That once was lost a bride so fine
From this same city Grosswardein.
The length of time they came to try,
And sixteen years they find passed by;
And yet the maid was fresh and fair,
As when first in her fifteenth year.
Thereby the guardians understand
This is the work of God's own hand.'
They bring the maiden food to eat,
She turns white as a winding-sheet.
"Of earthly things I wish for nought,"
Cries she; " b  let a priest be  ougbh.




OF TIME IN GOD.                 69
That I may take ere death is sent,
The body true in sacrament.
As soon as this last act was done
And many a Christian looked thereonFree from all pain and mortal smart,
Then ceased to beat that holy heart.
4/_/s-c




Iisit of a $ugitibe   Stave  to tlh  05r4be
of zoditb cfotrm.
ON a beautiful morning in the month of June,
while strolling about Trafalgar Square, I was attracted to the base of the Nelson column, where a
crowd was standing gazing at the bas-relief representations of some of the great naval exploits of the man
whose statue stands on the top of the pillar. The
death-wound which the hero received on board the
Victory, and his being carried from the ship's deck by
his companions, is executed with great skill. Being
no admirer of warlike heroes, I was on the point of
turning away, when I perceived among the figures
(which were as large as life) a full-blooded African,
with as white a set of teeth as ever I had seen, and
all the other peculiarities of feature that distinguish
that race from the rest of the human family, with




0 Of:0::00 0::::f:fX::: t000 L a | A: And:: ff::-X:::::0Sf,$ff-, I _wf, Em,- gyp 0 - = if
be fX 40Cetr:n AS: E B::E q l 2 s ff an
0:0 -0 S a_ a X _ t % 8 g s |tE: 0 iA: 11 I- - He b by i' } god;'' FRANCS tH;..;
f",'-,'','Sa- A < t'X'"'''"''s''''''-.n i'.'" F **Fam''V 0,
"'"I' 5,''' i,,,,|, ma:w:
*, 7',,








WILBERFORCE'S GRAVE.               71
musket in hand and a dejected countenance, which
told that he had been in the heat of the battle, and
shared with the other soldiers the pain in the loss of
their commander. However, as soon as I saw my
sable brother, I felt more at home, and remained
longer than I had intended., Here was the Negro, as
black a man as was ever imported from the coast of
Africa, represented in his proper place by the side of
Lord Nelson, on one of England's proudest monuments. How different, thought I, was the position
assigned to the colored man on similar monuments in
the United States. Some years since, while standing
under the shade of the monument erected to the memory of the brave Americans who fell at the storming of Fort Griswold, Connecticut, I felt a degree of
pride as I beheld the names of two Africans who had
fallen in the fight, yet I was grieved but not surprised to find their names colonized off, and a line
drawn between them and the whites. This was in
keeping with American historical injustice to its
colored heroes.
The conspicuous place assigned to this representative of an injured race, by the side of one of England's greatest heroes, brought vividly before my eye




72        A  FUGITIVE SLAVE AT
the wrongs of Africa and the philanthropic man of
Great Britain, who had labored so long and so successfully for the abolition of the slave trade, and the
emancipation of the slaves of the West Indies; and
I at once resolved to pay a visit to the grave of WVilberforce.
A half an hour after, I entered WVestminster Abbey,
at Poets' Corner, and proceeded in search of the
patriot's tomb; I had, however, gone but a few steps,
when I found myself in front of the tablet erected to
the memory of Granville Sharpe, by the African
Institution of London, in 1816; upon the marble was
a long inscription, recapitulating many of the deeds
of this benevolent man, and from which I copied the
following: —"He aimed to rescue his native country
from the guilt and inconsistency of employing the
arm of freedom to rivet the fetters of bondage, and
establish for the negro race, in the person of Somerset,
the long-disputed rights of human nature. Having in
this glorious cause triumphed over the combined resistance of interest, prejudice, and pride, he took his
post among the foremost of the honorable band associated to deliver Africa from the rapacity of Europe,
by the abolition of the slave-trade; nor was death




WILBERFORCE'S GRAVE.               73
permitted to interrupt his career of usefulness, till he
had witnessed that act of the British Parliament by
which the abolition was decreed."  After viewing
minutely the profile of this able defender of the
negro's rights, which was finely chiselled on the
tablet, I took a hasty glance at Shakspeare, on the one
side, and Dryden on the other, and then passed on,
and was soon in the north aisle, looking upon the
mementoes placed in honor of genius. There stood a
grand and expressive monument to Sir Isaac Newton,
which was in every way worthy of the great man to
whose memory it was erected. A short distance from
that was a statue to Addison, representing the great.
writer clad in his morning gown, looking as if he
had just left the study, after finishing some chosen
article for the Spectator.  The stately monument to
the Earl of Chatham  is the most attractive in this
part of the Abbey.  Fox, Pitt, Grattan, and many
others, are here represented by monuments.  I had
to stop at the splendid marble erected to the memory
of Sir Fowell Buxton, Bart.  A  long inscription
enumerates his many good qualities, and concludes by
saying:-" This monument is erected by his friends
and fellow-labQrers, at home and abroad, assisted by
4




74        A  FUGITIVE SLAVE AT
the grateful contributions of many thousands of the
African race."  A few steps further and I was standing over the-ashes of WVilberforce. In no other place
so small do so many great men lie together. The following is the inscription on the monument erected to
the memory of this devoted friend of the oppressed
and degraded negro race:"To the memory of WILLIAMI WFILBERFORCE, born
in Hull, August 24, 1759, died in London, July 29,
1833. For nearly half a century a member of the
House of Commons, and for six parliaments during
that period, one of the two representatives for Yorkshire. In an age and country fertile in great and
good men, he was among the foremost of those who
fixed the character of their times; because to high
and various talents, to warm benevolence, and to universal candor, he added the abiding eloquence of a
Christian life. Eminent as he was in every department
of public labor, and a leader in every work of charity,
whether to relieve the temporal or the spiritual wants
of his fellow rpen, his name will ever be speciall]',
identified with those exertions which, by the blessings-;
of God, removed from England the guilt of the Aftican slave-trade, and prepared the way for the aboli



WILBERFORCE'S GRAVE.                75
tion of slavery in every colony of the empire. In
the prosecution of these objects, he relied not in vain
on God; but, in the progress, he was called to endure great obloquy and great opposition.  He outlived, however, all enmity, and, in the evening of his
days, withdrew from public life and public observation, to the bosom of his family. Yet he died not
unnoticed or forgotten by his country; the Peers and
Commons of England, with the Lord Chancellor aid
the Speaker at their head, in solemn procession from
their respective houses, carried him to his fitting place
among the mighty dead around, here to repose, till,
through the merits of Jesus Christ his only Redeemer
and Saviour, whom in his life and in his writings he
had desired to glorify, he shall rise in the resurrection
of the just."
The monument is a fine one; his figure is seated on
a pedestal, very ingeniously done, and truly expressive
of his age, and the pleasure he seemed to derive from
his own thoughts. Either the orator or the poet have
said or sung the praises of most of the great men who
lie buried in Westminster Abbey, in enchanting
strains. The statues of heroes, princes, and statesmen
are there to proclaim.their power, worth, or brilliant




76          A  FUGITIVE SLAVE.
genius, to posterity. But as time shall step between
them and the future, none will be sought after with
more enthusiasm or greater pleasure than that of
Wilberforce. No man's philosophy was ever moulded
in a nobler cast than his; it was founded in the school
of Christianity, which was, that all men are by nature
equal; that they are wisely and justly endowed by
their Creator with certain rights which are irrefragable, and no matter how human pride and avarice
may depress and debase, still God is the author of
good to man; and of evil, man is the artificer to himself and to his species. Unlike Plato and' Socrates,
his mind was free from the gloom that surrounded
theirs. Let the name, the worth, the zeal, and other
excellent qualifications of this noble man, ever live in
our hearts, let his deeds ever be the theme of our
praise, and let us teach our children to honor and
love the name of Willliam Wilberforce.
LONDON.




IT was a beautiful morning as ever glittered over the
broad Atlantic. The sun had the brightness and
the sky the soft cerulean with which the'month of
June adorns the latitude of Carolina. The sea was
not heavy nor rolling, but its motion was just enough
to make its waves sparkle under the slanting rays of
the morning sun.
Mary stood with her betrothed in the bow of the
boat, as it gracefully ploughed its way towards New
York. She was only eighteen, and Albert was just
twenty.
Mary was on her way to Troy, to complete her
studies in the excellent institution for young ladies,
which has sent out some of the brightest ornaments
of their sex, to refine and bless the world. She had
been entrusted to Albert's caxe, who was to spend




78             NARNATIVE  OF
his summer in New York, in the pursuit of the legal
profession. They were both Carolinians, and had no
little of that ardent spirit which distinguishes the
youth of the South; while their well-developed
forms, their intellectual countenances, and their sensible speech, placed them in association beyond their
years.
As Mary leaned upon the arm of her gallant protector, their conversation sparkled as the ocean spray
that dashed against steamer's bow. But suddenly, as
the jet black eye of Albert Gillon caught the soft
blue of Mary's, he started at the discovery of a tear
trembling upon her eye-lash.
" Sweet Mary, what saddens you?"
"Ah! Albert, the greatest trial of my feelings is
the thought that you have never yet consecrated
yourself to Christ."
"I have," replied Albert, "no natural repugnance
to religion. On the contrary, I see and acknowledge
God'in all his works and in all his providence, as the
author and supreme ruler of all things. But, Mary,
I do not understand the God of the Bible. I do not
understand how they who claim to be God's own
people, and have the distinguishing title of Chris.




ALBERT AND MARY.                  79
tians, are, many of them, far worse in moral character, than those who make no such profession. I do
not mean hypocrites; but those who are actually
respected as orthodox  Christians.  There is Mr.
Verse, of Philadelphia, for instance, who has a high
place as a religious editor, and discusses the doctrines
of Christianity with a zeal which shows he takes deep
interest in his work, and yet young as I am, and gay
as I am, I can see that in his practical application of
Christianity, he teaches sentiments at variance with
the plainest principles of moral truth; and he sets
himself against those whose moral character is above
reproach; and rebukes them as infidels in their very
efforts to elevate the moral tone of society. How is
it that Mr. Verse is recognized as a Christian, and
these excellent men are avoided as infidels? Why
is he fit for heaven, and they must be cast down to
hell? I don't understand it."
"I know," replied Mary, "that wiser heads than
mine find difficulty in answering your question; and
it would be presumptuous in me to signify that I can
solve it to your satisfaction. But still, Albert, your
observations only confirm, in my own mind, your
total ignorance of what constitutes a Christian. Al



80              NARRATIVE OF
bert, it is not morality; it is not consistency of practice with profession; it is not the doing right that
makes a Christian, for if man could have attained to
entire correctness in morals, there would have been
no such thing as Christianity. But it is because of
man's wickedness and his inconsistency, both in theory and in practice, that the Christian religion is presented as the means of attaining to salvation. Christ
makes the Christian-the Christian in Christ and
Christ in the Christian —a loving, affectionate, endearing union-of ignorance with wisdom, of infirmity with strength, of immorality with virtue. Christ
throws his robe of righteousness over the follies and
the wickedness of the converted soul, and by covering him with himself, gradually similates him to himself until what is carnal being cast off, the spiritual
remains at death a pure child of God."
" Dear me, Mary, you look lovely as you speak thlis
mysterious theology. And I really pant after such
i —elings as I see beaming from your countenance;
out you might just as well speak to me in Arabic
for any understanding I can have of this thing called
Christianity. It must be something good, or it could
aou tus 1 lyourn ow. souL intliget as you are,




ALBERT AND MARY.                81
with a joy that makes you indifferent to those gaieties
of life which give me pleasure."
"You need," said Mary, "the teachings of God's
spirit. You know I took delight in those things a
year ago, but God's spirit taught me that I was sinning in partaking of them. I was at Fayolle's, dancing, and, in the midst of a figure in the cotillon, my
head became giddy, and I had to be supported to a
seat. I soon recovered, but the thought of a sudden
death distressed me, for it came very forcibly to my
mind-I am a wicked sinner."
" 0, AMary, Mary," interrupted Albert, "you did
not think yourself a sinner!"
"Yes, Albert, I did. I had never thought so before, but had rather prided myself upon being called
a good girl by all my acquaintances. But I now saw
things in a different light; and when I went home
and began self-examination, I soon found I had a very
wicked heart. I tried to do better, but the more I
tried to live unto God the more I.discovered the
proneness of my heart to sin. I tried to think good
thoughts, and evil thoughts came directly in my way
to mar my peace. Day after day I made effort to
purify my thoughts. It was all in vain. A pure
4*




82             NARRATIVE OF
thought immediately suggested its opposite, and I
found myself more familiar with the evil than the
good. It shocked me. But I penetrated deeper and
deeper into my own heart-into the iniquity of my
soul, until I despaired of ever sounding its depth. I
then cried to God to have mercy on me. Hie heard
my prayer, and Jesus Christ came to my help. I felt
that he had suffered in my stead, and had poured out
his blood as an atonement for my sins. I found peace
to my soul as I cast myself, a poor, helpless sinner,
upon his atoning altar, and bathed myself in his allcleansing blood."
Mary could proceed no farther, for the tears began
to flow too rapidly, and her emotion might have been
noticed by others than Albert.
The wind, too, began to rise, and it blew so fresh
that they retired to the cabin, where Albert occupied
himself with a game of chess, and Mary read, with
evident pleasure, such parts of her dearly-prized Bible
which suited the state of her mind, occasionally. calling Albert's attention to some passage particularly
striking.
In the afternoon, Mary took her seat in a position
to enjoy the best view of the western sky, in which




ALBERT AND MARY.                 83
floated, in all their gorgeousness, the variegated sun-lit
clouds.
Albert soon joined her. "Well, Mary, you seem
to be meditating; but allow me to participate in the
luxury of your reflections upon that splendid horizon."' Indeed, Albert, I was thinking how much more
impressive is such scenery than the traveller on land
enjoys.  In the rapid succession of scenery and
variety of faces, as the coach or the steam car drives
rapidly onward, everything one sees increases the
mind's confusion. Whatever he casts his eye upon,
worthy of admiration, attracts his attention but a
moment; and the sublimity of mountain heights, the
gaudy decorations of fertile valleys, and the frowning
grandeur of rocks, as they cast their dark shadow
upon some foaming torrent, flit by him as a dream of
twilight, and leave upon his memory only pencil outlines of the beautiful and the sublime. Not so the
voyager on the ocean. Here the beautiful imprints
itself ineffaceably in all its sparkling and its gorgeous
variety upon the enchanted mind, and the grand and
the sublime raise such a tempest of wonder in the
soul that the ocean ever after rolls its foaming waves
over the broad expanse of memory."




84            NARRATIVE OF
"Mary," said 4lbert, "these clouds, floating so
gracefully on the ocean, and this gorgeous horizon inspiring your poetic fancy, are something more than
mere sky drapery, for you'll perceive that the wind is
becoming boisterous, and I fear we are going to have
a stormy night."
"You do not feel alarmed, do you Albert?"
" I cannot say I feel alarmed; but I would be more
comfortable at this time if I had not so precious a
charge. There may be no real danger, but there can
be no harm in preparing for what might happen. If
we should have a storm I wish you would take your
seat on that large box, so as to appropriate it and keep
it. Your father brought me two life-preservers and
a good cord, when we came on board, and charged me
to use them in case of accident. You smile, Mary, at
my earnestness, and perhaps my love for you induces
anxiety which circumstances do not warant. Still you
can keep in mind my directions."
Albert walked towards the bow of the steamer,
while Mary again fixed her attention upon the varie.
gated clouds.  She did not participate in Albert's
apprehensions, and thought his anxiety needless. Yet
his earnest request made that sort of impression upon




ALBERT AND MARY.                   85
her mind which rather conduced to religious contemplation.
The broad disk of the sun could be seen through
the floating cloud, and as Albert returned, Mary remarked:-" Albert, an hour ago I tried to look at
the sun, but his light dazzled my eyes to blindness.
I could not mark its shape nor perceive its beauty.
But now the cloud floats before it, and through its
light vapor I see the sun's circular infinity, and admire its beauty and its glory undazzled by its effulgence. So it is I see God through Christ, as he transmits the glory of his Father. And it is by thus seeing God through Christ, instead of by the eyes of
intellect and mere mental observation, that I obtain
hope in God and feel prepared to enter upon the
realities of that world which is eternally lighted by
the invisible presence of Jehovah. Seeing him  in
Christ Jesus, I feel an assurance of his mercy, and
am freed from those apprehensions which your scepticism and distrust occasion yourself."
"My dear'Mary," replied Albert, " do not suppose
my counsel to you originated in any fear for myself
personally. It may be from want of reflection, but
really I do not know what the fear of death is. Your




86             NARRATIVE OF
safety, Mary, is the cause of my present anxiety. I
do not doubt your preparation for eternity, but I am
not willing to resign you yet to the companionship
of angels. If you perish beneath these billows, and I
survive, my hope for happiness in this life is blasted.
What is to be beyond the grave I know not; and
my religion concerns the life that now is. I must
make the best of time, and leave eternity to be taken
account of when I am fairly launched into it. Perhaps enjoying this. world with you, I might learn
from you to prepare for eternity. At present my
care must be to get my dear Mary safely over this
treacherous ocean."
The sun now sank beneath the western horizon.
The variegated colors of the sky were rapidly commingling into one dense canopy of gloom.
The passengers earnestly inquired of the captain
about the prospect. He hoped to run into the port
of Wilmington, but he exhorted them to have brave
hearts for the danger was imminent. The storm was
rapidly increasing. All urged that the I)-esslre of
steam be increased to the utmost capacit:;, of th:e bo':t.
0, what an anxious crowd were upon the deck of
that steamer, as they strained their eyes towards the




ALBERT AND MARY.                  87
land, and anon lost their balaZnce Iy tIe dashing of
"o(ws! The lightning p: tyed with terrific splen-:-rating witlh the blackness of the heavens;
Lne roar of the wave s only hushed by the
S:,Ai l artillery of the skies.
MIary was sitting where Albert had directed, awaiting with great calmness the result of the storm.
Albert carefully fastened her with a cord to the
box, having first placed beneath her arms the lifepreserver. Placing another life-preserver around himself, he stood by lMary's side with watchful anxiety.
Suddenly a heavy sea threw the boat forcibly to one
side, and Albert mechanically stretching forth his
hand to save himself, accidentally got caught in the
rope that he had entwined about the box, and with
Mary was tossed into the sea and overwhelmed with
the waves.
The steamer was several hundred yards ahead of
them before Albert succeeded in adjusting his position to maintain a good hold upon the box. His first
thoughlit was to examine how  Mary was situated.
The lilghtning gave him sufficient assurance that she
was alive and unhurt. At that moment a dreadful
explosion directed their eyes towards the steamer,




l88             NARtATIVE Or
and the awful sight was exhibited of their late associates blown into the air and then sinking beneath
the waves.
The loss of the Pulaski has made many a flowing
tear. But few were left to tell the horrors of that
night. The public are familiar with their description
of the sad disaster. But they knew not the fate of
Albert and Mary, and only added them to the catalogue of the lost
It was with the greatest difficulty that Albert
could afford his charge any aid, and they must both
soon have perished if the storm  had been long protracted.  But fortunately, the wind shifting, the
clouds were soon dispersed, and the stars shone out
brightly.
Before morning they were rescued from their perilous situation, and found themselves, on recovering
from their exhaustion, in the comfortable cabin of a
fast-sailing brig. The storm, although exceedingly
perilous to a steamboat, was not such as to damage a
well-trimmed vessel; and the brig, soon after the explosion, bore down towards the wreck, and recovered
from a watery grave the interesting subjects of our




ALBERT AND MARY.                 89
Mary was taken on board in a state of entire unconsciousness, while Albert was too much interested
for her to make any special observation of the persons
by whom they were rescued.
After seeing her sufficiently restored to animation
to be left to repose, he retired from her state-room
and suffered himself to be assisted to a berth.
The sun was high in the heavens when they were
awaked from their slumber and invited to breakfast.
Every accommodation in the way of dry clothing was
supplied them, and they met in the saloon of the brig
to embrace, in the transport of grateful hearts.
Having recovered their self-possession, they looked
around for their deliverers. [None were in the saloon
with them but a highly-accomplished looking lady
and the steward and stewardess.
The lady saluted them in the blandest and most
refined manner, and expressed her sincere gratification that they had been so soon delivered, from their
perilous situation, and were already so well recovered
from their exhaustion.
"To whom, Madam," said  Albert, "are we indebted for these expressions of kindness and tender
solicitude?"




90             NARRATIVE OF
"I am, sir, the wife of the captain and master of
this brig. My husband will pay you his respects as
soon as you have partaken of some of this warm
Java and these hot rolls."
"I would not," said Mary, "be doing justice to my
own feelings were I to sit down to breakfast without
first asking your liberty, Madam, to read a beautiful
psalm which occurs to my mind at this moment."
"Certainly," said the lady; "and, steward, invite
the chaplain in to offer prayer. Doubtless it will be
perfectly agreeable to our young guests."
A reverend and benevolent looking gentleman, in
black, soon entered from the deck, and, in the kindest
manner and address, saluted the young couple, expressing, with deep emotion, his sympathy with them
and his anxiety in their behalf.
Mary pointed out to him the Psalm she had selected.
He read it; made a few highly-appropriate comments,
and, while all knelt, such a strain of grateful praise
and of fervent prayer flowed from the lips of the
warm-hearted minister as seldom is surpassed.
Mr. Gracelius, for this was the minister's name, was
of the orthodox faith, and had longr been engaged in
preaching the doctrines of the Calvinistic school. Yet




ALBERT AND MARY.                 91
he was not bigoted or rigid. His heart was full of the
milk of human kindness, and he carried conviction to
his hearers, not more by the strength of his logic than
the benignity of his address. He was just such a
minister as the devout and accomplished Mary St.
Clair would have full confidence in. She was delighted to think that she had been so fortunate as to
meet such a friend and spiritual counsellor at such a
time; and she at once gave utterance to the warm
feelings of her heart, and begged that Mr. Gracelius
would feel at perfect liberty to counsel and advise her.
"My advice then is, my dear young sister, that
first of all you sit down to your breakfast, and allow
Mrs. Templeton to help you and the young gentleman
to your coffee."
Albert and Mary could not but feel that they had
fallen among true friends. And, having eaten a
cheerful breakfast, they both expressed their sincere
gratitude to their kind hostess, which she received
with equally deep emotion.
Captain Tenmpleetlon now entered, and with great
courteo-usness,'lendctd withl warmth of address, gave
his hand to Albert, and, with a graceful bow to Mary,
expressed the pleasure he felt in having rescued them




92             NARRATIVE OF
from a watery grave. " And now, my young friends,"
said the Captain, " I wish you to make yourselves perfectly at home in my vessel; and as soon as I can
with safety restore you to your friends, I shall do so."
"Permit me to inquire," said Albert, " to what port
you are destined?"
"We do not go into any harbor in the United
States," replied the Captain; "but should we meet
with a merchant vessel under favorable circumstances,
you will be placed on board."
I" Is not this a merchant vessel?" inquired Albert.
" No, sir. This is an armed brig."
" Of what nation?" asked Albert.
The Captain smiled as, with a courteous bow, he
replied, " We are pirates;" and immediately went on
deck, leaving Albert and Mary in perfect amazement.
Recovering himself in a moment, Albert said to'
Mrs. Templeton: " Your husband is very jocose 1"
" No, sir; he was serious in what he said. - We are
pirates. But you need be under no apprehension of
danger, nor feel tlhe slightest alarm. I know that you
have been trained to believe that pirates are necessarily devoid of humane feelings, and are ever thirsting for blood. But I trust we are as hospitable and




ALBERT AND MARY.                93
kind a people to our guests, as are to be found on
land."
Albert and Mary were indeed the guests of a piratical crew; but they were soon relieved of all apprehension of personal danger; for there was that in the
deportment of all on board which satisfied them of a
sincere desire to serve and accommodate them  in
every way.
A few days brought them into such intimacy with
the crew that they spoke with freedom, even on the
subject of piracy. They were indeed astonished to
find that even Mr. Gracelius advocated the claims of
pirates as a civilized and religious people.
On board the brig they had morning and evening
prayers, and a lecture one evening in the week, and
two sermons on the Sabbath. What seemed particularly remarkable was the sound evangelical faith of
the Captain and his family, and the unexceptionable
doctrines that were preached by their minister. There
was so much fervor, earnestness, and pathos in the
sermons of Mr. Gracelius, that Mary was constrained
to admit to Mrs. Templeton that she had never heard
better.
They had been on the brig about three weeks,




94             NARRATIVE OF
without any event calculated to disturb the sensibilities of our young friends, beyond the unaccountably
strange sentiments of the piratical crew. Everything
was conducted with so much order and propriety,
good taste and moral deportment, that they could
scarcely believe at times otherwise than that a mere
sportive hoax was being played upon them.
But the tranquil, social pastimes were now interrupted by a new scene of action.
It was a pleasant morning; a gentle breeze filled
the sails. An unusual arrangement of the vessel attracted the attention of Albert. Soon he observed
men at the guns, and Captain Templeton standing in
a commanding position. The brig was bearing down
upon a French merchantman.
Albert hastened to Mary, and disclosed to her the
state of things. Mary at first trembled, but soon composed herself with trust in God. Albert, taking her
arm into his, led her to where Captain Templeton was
standing:
" Captain," said Albert, " I perceive you are bearing down upon that merchant vessel.  Is it your
object to place us on board, or do you design to capture her?"




ALBERT AND MARY.                 95
"Mr. Gillon," replied the Captain, " I shall see to
it that you and your young charge are safely provided
for; and that you may be perfectly easy on that score,
I now inform you that when I take possession of that
merchantman, I shall make arrangements for you to
be taken in her to a suitable port, whence you can
find your way to your friends. Be composed now,
and pay such attention to Miss St. Clair as the unusual occasion may seem in your judgment to require.
In a few moments we shall have something to do, and
perhaps a necessity to use our guns. But I hope not. If
you will retire to the cabin, Mrs. Templeton will entertain you there better than you are likely to be on deck."
There was so much politeness in the Captain's manner, and yet evident fixedness of purpose, that Albert
attempted no answer. There was now no doubt that
their hospitable entertainers were pirates. They retired to the cabin, and sat there in profound silence.
Soon Mrs. Templeton came in, and in her gentle winning manner began to prepare Mary for the scenes
that might transpire.
"You must not be alarmed, my dear. You will
be perfectly safe. I only regret we are so soon likely
to lose your company."




96             NARRATIVE OF
"O Mrs. Templeton!" said Mary, " how can you
prosecute such a life! It is so wicked! Excuse me,
ma'am, but I cannot suppress my feelings of horror."
At this moment the conversation was interrupted
by the entrance of Captain Templeton, who, with a
calm countenance, said:" Wife, I perceive that there are several guns on
that vessel, and I judge that the crew and passengers
are somewhat numerous. We shall have to proceed
with caution, and as we are likely to have somewhat
of a warm time, I think I should feel better satisfied
to have a season of prayer."
Albert knit his brow in moody silence. Mary
heaved a deep sigh. Mr. Gracelius was called in,
and having read the 20th Psalm, he offered up the
following prayer:
" Oh! Thou mighty God of Jacob, who didst accompany Thine ancient Israel through all their trials, and
didst fight their battles for them, we thank Thee that
Thou hast taught us to put our trust in Thee. And
we beseech Thee, oh! blessed Father, for the sake of
Thine own Son Jesus Christ, to help us at this time in
our endeavor to appropriate to the support of this
branch of thy Zion, the treasures which, for the mere




ALBERT  AN-D MARY.                 97
purposes of an unhallowed  commerce, are being
transported to that people who have  ever distinguished themselves by their infidelity, and by their
scorn of all true religion; who have also by their
mighty leaders devastated kingdoms and shed seas of
blood to gratify a vain-glorious ambition.
"Oh! Lord, we would not shed blood needlessly,
and we therefore pray Thee to enable us in the approaching conflict, to have a single eye to Thy glory,
and thus preserve a calm and kind temper, whatsoever may be the resistance offered on this occasion.
And wilt Thou, 0 Lord, assist our beloved captain to
do his duty, and to so command his men and order
the battle, that when all shall be over, he may have
a conscience void of offence towards God and to.
wards man. And whatsoever treasures may come to
us, may we gratefully employ in Thy service and to
Thy glory, rem-nembering that Jesus Clrist, who died
for us and rose again for our justiflcation, first becamn
poor, that we through his poverty inighlt b  mnlade
rich, and tllerefore tlhat we ought to use our wealthll
to lie advanncement of Christianity in our own souls
andl among  our f!ow-beings, as the' best evidcl.ce of
our gratitude for our earthly prospi'ty, anld i'r thos:




98             NARRATIVE OFP
treasures which are laid up for us in heaven; and to
Thy gracious name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be
the praise forever. Ameen."
The tone of the chaplain's voice, the fervid manner
and the striking pathos of this short prayer, had a
strong effect upon Captain Templeton and his wife.
They both rose from their knees with tears in their
eyes.
The Captain grasped the hand of Mr. Gracelius,
and earnestly said: "I feel strengthened, my brother;
and I can now say, If the Lord be for us, who can be
against us!" He then passed out and resumed his
position on the deck.
"Miss St. Clair," said Mrs. Templeton, "do you
think that can be wickedness which the Lord sanctifies with his communion?"
Before Mary could reply, the loud report of
a cannon gave notice that the action had commenced.
The struggle was a short one, the French vessel was
captured, with the loss of her commander, who fell at
the first fire. It took but a short time to have all on
the merchantman in fetters, and the vessel manned by
the pirates.




ALBERT AND MARY.                 99
It was not until the morning after the capture that
matters became composed on the pirates' vessel, and
everything in usual order.
At breakfast Mary took the liberty to ask the Captain what he designed to do with his prisoners.
"I always endeavor," he replied, "to remember the
obligations of humanity and Christianity.  Sometimes, for our own safety, we are compelled to put our
captives to death, but I do so always with great reluctance, and never without prayer to God that their
souls might be saved. In this case I think we shall
not be under this painful necessity."
" Captain," said Albert, " it is perfectly unaccountable to me how a man of your naturally humane and
benevolent disposition can engage -in this business of
robbery and murder."
"Well, Mr. Gillon," replied the Captain, " I make
every allowance for one who has been educated as
you have been, and taught that pirates were only
worthy of the gallows; although I cannot but feel
that your language is not such as your refined and
polished manners would warrant me to expect and
require. Our business is not robbery and murder.
The laws under which we live, both social and politi



100            NARnRATIVE  OF
cal, are as decidedly opposed to such crimes as among
any other people."
"I did not," replied Albert, " intend to be ungentlemanly in my language, and was not aware that these
terms wvere offensive to you. But, s', you only increase my amazement.  I cannot comprehend how
you can characterize your business by terms more appropriate. Is it not so that piracy is but the practice
of robbery and murder, when it takes away a man's
possessions, and then destroys his life to make tihe
booty secure?"
"I perceive, Mr. Gillon, that you labor under the
delusion that all pirates are bad and cruel men. I
confess, sir, there are many of our people who treat
their prisoners with unnecessary severity, and frequently inflict death when the occasion does not demand it. But, my dear sir, this is the abuse of piracy,
not its legitimate use."
"And do you really mean to say, Captain Temple~oi,"  said Mary, "that piracy can be made an honorable business?"
"Of course I do, miss," replied the Captain, " and I
regret that Miss St. Clair can suppose I would engage
in a business that I did not believe to be honorable."




ALBERT AND MARY.                  101
" But, Captain, you profess to be a Christian, and it
is a great mystery to me how you can reconcile your
profession with your practice.  Surely you do not believe that the Scriptures justify such a life."
" That is precisely my belief, Mliss," replied the Captain.  " Piracy is a Bible institution, and if it were
not so, I would abandon it at once."
"Ah!" said Albert, "that accounts for it.  It is
that belief in the Bible that leads the mind and the
heart astray from the clear principles of a sound moral
philosophy. Even my good Mary, here, is so warped
by her reverence for the Bible, that she defends the
institution of slavery, which I abhor with all my
heart. But, Captain, although I amnt not surprised at
your belief that the Bible sanctions piracy, since it is
quoted by Christians in support of all sorts of wickedness, I am surprised that a man of your good sense
and keen moral perception in regard to other matters
of life, should not perceive that slavery, and piracy,
and war, and everything of the sort, are irreconcilable with sound morality."
"I do not know," replied the Captain, "what
might be the conclusions of abstract reasoning upon
the subject outside of the Bible, for I have never




102              NARRATIVE OF
thought very profoundly about it. But I feel satisfied
so long as I have the assurance that the revealed
ATord is on myv side."
" But, Captain," said Mary, "I am  not willing to
allow that the Bible is on your side.  It shocks me to
hear you say so."'i AVell, Miss St. Clair, I must turn you over to brotlher Gracelius, who is well posted up in Bible matters.
IHe will be able to show you that piracy is a Bible institution."
" Yes, my young sister," said Mr. Gracelius, who
had not been inattentive to the conversation, while he
was enjoying an excellent cup of coffee.  "The Scriptures do most certainly sanction the institution of
piracy."
Here Mr. Gracelius took from his pocket a small
Bible, and proceeded to say: "On such a question, I
am strongly disposed to pass by all ethical and nmetaphysical dissertation, and appeal at once to the only
standard of right and wrong which can prove decisive.
It is the responses of the sacred oracles to which we
must after all appeal."
"I could wish, Ar. Gracelius," said Albert, "tlat
you would discuss this question rather upon the foun



ALBERT  AND  MARY.                 103
dation principles of morality, than by arguments front
a volume which sanctions war, slavery, death penalties, and a host of other evils, by the very confessions
of Christians themselves."
"I perceive," said Mr. Gracelius, "that you, sir,
have never yet learned the true grace of God through
regeneration, or you too would bow submissively to
the teachings of the sacred Scriptures, and acknowledge tllhem as the highest standard of right and morality. I cannot, therefore% hope to seriously affect your
mind by an appc:t  to ithe Biible. But Miss St. Clair, being
a Christian, will feel the force of such high authority."
"Truly, Mr. Gracelius," said Mary, " I do take the
Bible as my highest standard of truth; and it is from
the principles taught by the Bible that I have the
assurance that piracy is awfully criminal. And I am
utterly astonished that a man of your apparent piety,
and who so well understands the doctrines of Christianity, can for a moment think that the Bible justifies
such crimes."
"My dear young sister," said the minister, "you
are begging the question when you call. piracy a crime,
for that is the very thing you are to prove. But let
us see what piracy is:




104              NARnATIVE  OF
"In order to clear away rubbish, and to arrive at
once at the point, let me remind you that it is simply
th1e ssest/c!l character of piracy which we are discussing,.  Pilracy itself is nothing more than tile appr:opriating of the product:s of another's labor and skill,
wvit'hout his consent or contract.  The absence of tih
contract, or the consent of the procducer, does not alter
the nature and extent of the pirates' righlt.  The cass
is analogous to that of parents and children. A father
lhas a rigllt to tlhe prodluctions of his child's labor
during his minority, without tile contract or consent
of the child, and h1e imay even transfer that right. Eut
I grant tlhat this does not justiif the father in doing
anythlin  to the detriment of the child, either morally,
intcllectually, or physically.  And, beyond doublt,
tlits is the true light in which Christianity uwould have
pirates regard their relations.  The capture of a vessel,
ad the treatment of prisoners, involve a great responsibility.  Nothin   more should be done than is absolutely essential to the maintenance of the peculiar
institutions of piracy.  It is not the relation of the
pirate to the producer or prisoner which is sinful, but
infidelity  to the solemn trust which that relation
creates.  It does not follow, because he has a right to




ALBERT  AND  MARY.                105
the produce of another's labor or skill, that he has
also a right to inflict unnecessary violence on his person, or take from him all means of livelihood. AVhenever it can be done, without jeopardizing the wellbeing and interests of our society and institutions, iwe
ought to spare the prisoner's life, make him comfortable while in our hands, place him as soon as possible
where he can return to his home, and leave him means
enough to keep him from starving or absolute destitution.
"To include in the idea of piracy, that also of robbery and murder, is to Confound two things entirely
distinct, and which really have no sort of connection.
If I take from another that which I have no right to
by the laws of the society or government under which
I live, then I am a robber; for that alone is property
which the law makes property, as one of your own
great statesmen has very properly said; and if I take
life, when not essential to maintain my own rights
under the laws of that government which I recognize
in my social obligations, I am a murderer. I therefore
insist upon it, that, in discussing this subject, we regard as appropriate to the question only the essential elements of piracy, and not its abuses; for,-at




106            NARRATIVE OF
piracy may exist without inflicting these aggravated
wrongs.
"Christian pirates have great regard for the welfare,
temporal and spiritual, of their fellow-beings, and
oftentimes exercise the spirit of the most self-denying
missionaries.  Such men and women do honor to
human nature. They are the true friends of their
race.
"Now, here is piracy-a system of society and
government which gives opportunity to inculcate
among graceless men who fall into our hands the
principles of the Gospel of Christ; and many an
ungodly man has had the opportunity in our cabin
of hearing the doctrines of the cross, lwho, whilst
immersed in the business, and cares, and pleasures of
life, never darkened the door of a meeting-house on
land. And many of them have been converted to
the Christian faith, and have become excellent and
worthy Christian pirates.':Those of our captains who have Christian sailors
under them  have the best-managed vessels; and
really their crews do more of effective work, both in
battle and in ship duties, than any ungodly crew that
can be found.




ALBERT  AND MARY.                  107
"No, Sister Mary, depend upon it, you have imbibed a prejudice against piracy, and you suppose it
to involve all sorts of crime. But the true question
of issue between us is pruned to this:-Is it necessarily a crime in the sight of God to control the
property, or curtail the personal liberty, or take the
life of a human being in any case?
"Every government has necessarily a right to pass
laws indispensable to its existence; and it has a
right, also, to establish those regulations which shall
best promote the good of the whole population.
Now, what political organization is most desirable
for a particular people, depends on circumstances;
but, whatever be that adopted, whether democracy,
or despotism, or piratical confederation, the rights
of man, as a human being, are trenched upon; and
visionary have proved and will prove all projects
of constructing and fashioning society according to
philosophical notions  and theories of abstract unalienable rights.  That piracy or afiy civil institution
interferes with the property of a man, or a class of
men (as, for instance, merchants), does not then
make it necessarily, and, amid all circumstances, a
crime."




108            NARRATIVE OF
AMr. Gracelius here paused, and gave MBary an
opportunity to put in a word.
"But," said she, "after taking off what you call
the rubbish, Mr. Gracelius, and pruning the question
down as much as you please, I cannot possibly
admit that the Bible anywhere justifies piracy under
any circumstances whatsoever, either abstractly or
practically. I call upon you for anything in all
the Bible that gives the slightest countenance to
such a mode of life, or such a government, as you
are pleased to term it."
"I should rather require of you," replied the
learned divine, "to make out from  the Bible your
charge that piracy is a crime. I know not a word
from the first of Genesis to the end of Revelation
where piracy is once condemned. But I pass this,
and, waiving my clear logical rights, undertake to
prove the negative, and to show that the Bible does,
most explicitly, both by precept and example, bear
me out in my assertion, that piracy is not necessarily, and always, and amidst all circumstances, a
sin. WHAT GOD SANCTIONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND PERMITTED IN THE NEW, CANNOT BE SIN.
"I begin with the patriarch Jacob, whose name




ALBE iT AND MAIRY.              109
Israel has been appropriated from  his day to this
time to the true church. How did Jacob acquire
his great riches? Was it not by appropriating the
property of Laban to himself? And did not God
bless him in thus doing?  There is not a word of
condemnation; but, on the contrary, Jacob, in
telling his brother that he had much property, remarked, that God had dealt graciously with him.
Here, you see, is a marked case of an appropriation of another's property by a very adroit stratagem, which is fully justified by the Old Testament,
and uncondemned by the New.
" Had Jacob not represented in his person a different
community from Laban's, of which he was to be the
Patriarch, his mode of acquiring wealth out of Laban
would have been censurable. But his conduct towards Laban was consistent with what was subsequently allowed under the Mosaic laws on the part
of the Jews towards other nations. They could, for
instance, make slaves of the nations round about;they could take usury of them;-they could despoil
them by war, and they could do a variety of things
in relation to the people of other nations which would
have been robbery, fraud, murder, and so on, if done




110            NARRATIVE  OF
by Jews to Jews. Thus the idea that that is property which the law  makes property, is of divine
origin.
"Take now the case of the Israelites in their exodus
from  Egypt; they were positively enjoined by the
Divine command to borrow of their Egyptian neighbors their various costly jeweleries, not with the idea
of returning them, but of appropriating them permanently to their own benefit.
"David, who was a man after God's own heart, did
not regard it robbery to obtain from the Priest the
shew-bread itself, although to do so he deceived the
Priest by telling that which, under other circumstances, would be called a lie. It was essential to his
life-to his support. It was not therefore criminal to
tell the falsehood in order to obtain the bread. Now,
it is upon this very principle that your government
and all civil governments employ diplomatic agents, in
order to secure by adroitness and craftiness cormmercial and other advantages; and it is upon the same
principle that we pirates justify our proceedings. It
is essential to the support and maintenance of our
people; and there is as much in the Scriptures to
warrant our stratagems to decoy vessels and get the




ALBERT AND MARY.                111
benefit of their cargoes, as for your government to obtain advantages by diplomatic adroitness. We must
have a living.
"But you say we not only rob but murder. But as
all appropriations of others' possessions are not essentially robbery, so all killing is not essentially murder. If you will look into the Book of Judges, xiv.
19, you will find that the taking of spoil even by
violence and bloodshed, is not necessarily a crime-is
not necessarily robbery and murder. It is the case
of Samson when he had to give thirty changes of
raiment to those who had expounded his riddle. It is
said: "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,
and he went down to Askelon and slew thirty men
of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of
garments unto them which expounded the riddle."
Now, notice this particularly, that Samson did all this
under the influence of God's Spirit. And you will
remember that Paul in Hebrews mentions Samson
with special commendation.
"Now, if Samson, and David, and Jacob did such
things, we feel justified in proceeding accordingly.
"But as I have not time to go into very minute detail, I pass at once to two very important points in




112            NA1RRATIVE Or
the New Testament.  The first occurs in Christ's
parable of the unjust steward. There the steward is
commended for making an arrangement by which he
secured his permanent interest by adroitly subtracting
from what was due his Lord by his debtors. He had
acted unjustly in the office of steward, being bound
by honor to fulfil its duties and his obligations to his
employer, but so soon as his obligations to his employer ceased on being ordered out of the stewardship, and his very living cut off, then it was no longer
unjust, but commendable to do that which before
would have been fraud or robbery.
"The other case is that of our blessed Lord himself.
He sent his disciples to take away from the place
where they were tied an ass and her colt; and he told
them how to escape should they be caught at it, by
saying:'The Lord hath need of them.' Now, when
we take away the property of others, we may reply
to those who question us,' The Lord hath need of?!r:m,' for every good pirate will endeavor so to use
what he obtains as to promote the best interests of
relicgion, and to glorify our blessed Redeemer.
"And now, my dear young sister, what more need
I say to establish the point that piracy is not essen



ALBERT AND  MARY.                113
tially sinful-that it is not malum in se?  Indeed, it
stands upon the same footing that slavery does, and
is vindicated by the same process of reasoning. The
argument for slavery is identically the same in principle as for piracy. And you know it is upon the
ground that. slavery is not under all circumstances a
sin, that Christians in the Northern States hold communion with you of the South. And I admire that
charitable spirit which induces them to believe that
Southern Christians do not uphold the barbarous features which wicked and cruel masters impress upon
the system of slavery. They give you, therefore, very
properly, the right hand of Christian fellowship,
which they could not do if slaveholding were sin in
itself. And I doubt not they would as readily commnune with Christian pirates, since it is evident that
piracy is not, any more than slavery, malum in se."
Mary made no reply, but sat musing with a countoennce overwhelmed with sadness.
Mir. Gracelins looked as though he had accomDlished a decided victory; and Captain Templeton
smiled with approbation.
Albert after a short silence exclaimed with great
emphasis: " I thank God mzy Bible is my reason, my




114           NARRATIVE OF
conscience, and my heart. I this day glory in being an
infidel."
"Oh i Albert, Albert I" cried Mary, and burst into
tears.
Albert seeing he had wounded the feelings of one
he loved so dearly, tried to soothe her by remarking
that he had met at the North with some persons who
maintained that the Bible was misunderstood and
misinterpreted by the most of the commentators and
theologians, and that when rightly explained and received, would be found to be perfectly in harmony
with the sympathies and philanthropic emotions of
the human heart, and with the principles of enlightened reason. But as these persons were generally
called fanatical and visionary, he had not paid much
attention to their strictures. " I intend, however," he
added, "to take an early opportunity to investigate
the Bible for myself, and if it prove itself to be better
than its commentators and expounders, perhaps I
shall become a Christian. But I cannot be a Christian if Christianity props up slaveholding and piracy."
Here the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a messenger, who announced that every
preparation had been made, and that Mir. Gillon and




ALBERT AND MARY.                115
Miss St. Clair could now go on board the merchant
vessel. On rising to depart, Albert with much feeling
addressed the Captain:
"Captain Templeton, we are much indebted to you
for saving our lives, and for the hospitality and very
kind attentions we have received. I would that I
could repay you in some way. But you will pardon
me, so young a man, for expressing the profound wish
of my heart, that you would abandon this horrible life,
and no longer delude yourself with the idea that the
Bible is the highest authority for the regulation of
man's life. Recognize every man, everywhere, as
your brother, and treat all as you have treated Mary
and myself, —treat all as your own heart, left to its
most benevolent promptings, would dictate, and (the
Bible to the- contrary notwithstanding) you will please
God better than you can do by any adherence to theological dogmas, that make the Almighty the aathor
of piracy, slavery, war, death-penalties, and such like
institutions and practices."
"And I, too, hope," replied Captain Templeton,
"that you will look into this matter with care, and
come to the conclusion to follow that good book
rather than the ignis fatuus of mere human reason




116            NARRATIVE  OF
and natural conscience. I admire your honesty and
candor, Mr. Gillon, and, although I cannot but regard
your views as fanatical, I trust that when the ardor of
youth shall give place to the reflections of maturer
years, you will be as firm a believer in the Bible as I
am."
" Alh " said Mr. Gracelius, "that will depend upon
the grace of God. Farewell, young man, and may
the Lord convert your soul and give us a happy meeting again, where we shall sing the song of the Lamb
forever and ever."
Mary, still in tears, took Mr. G-racelius by the hand
and said:
"Mr. Gracelius, I am not at all convinced that the
Scriptures favor your views, although I am not prepared to meet your arguments. But I fear you have
so confirmed Albert in his infidelity, that it will be
exceedingly hard to get him hereafter even to listen to
Christian instruction."
"Oh  my young sister," replied the minister, "the
grace of God can conquer the worst of infidels, and I
hope your friend will yet become an ambassador of
Christ."
By this time the party were standing on deck, ready




ALBERT AND MARY.                 117
to bid the last adieu. Our young friends were soon
on board the merchant vessel and out of sight of their
strange benefactors.
They found that the pirates had liberated the crew
and passengers, and returned them to their vessel, retaining only the rich cargo.
Having been well supplied with funds, in gold,
when they left home, which Albert had about his person when taken up by the pirates, they found no difficulty, on reaching France, in mnaking their way to
England, and thence to the United States.
On the voyages Albert perused the Scriptures with
great attention, not only because Malary had urged him
to do so, but because he felt that lie needed to be informed of the true nature and charcacter of what was
claimed to be sacred writings. Ie was careful to
avoid conversation on the subject during the progress
of his investigations; and Mary herself was not,
after her last interview with Mr. Gracelilus, sufficiently
quieted in her own mind to give expression to her
thoughts.
It was in November, when an Indian summer was
augmenting the beauty of the scenery about the harbor of New Yo.i t-1: i.... A:',r, —  friends were sitting




118            ET_ NARRATIVE OF
together in Mary's spacious state-room on board the
noble vessel which was just passing Staten Island.'"Albert," said Alary, with deep emotion, and the
tear in her eye, " I have become an Abolitionist."
"And I," said Albert, with yet deeper emphasis,
"have %ecome a Christian."
" Thank God-thank God i" exclaimed Mary. "0,
Albert, I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear yoli
say so. But I do not need any explanation, for I see
through it all. The pirates have made me an Abo
litionist, and the Bible has made you a Christian. I
have now learned how to understand its teachings,
and you have learned that the precious volume has
been grievously tortured to uphold the evil instead of
the good."
"It is even so,  Mary;" replied Albert. "I have
been reading and studying with an earnest desire for
truth. I find much, in the Old Testament, calculated
to bewilder, and much that requires the New Testament to explain. I find, scattered through the Old
Testament, holy principles that are brouglit into fll]
relief by Jesus Christ, who has, by his exaplule, 811,
in his instructions to his disciples, elucidated what
was obscure and rejected from the claims of divine




ALBERT AND MARY.                 119
authority what was only Jewish misconception. I am
satisfied that it does not uphold violence, oppression,
and wrong, and throw around these things the sanction of the divine mind. I find that everything
taught by Jesus Christ is in full harmony with the
most benevolent and-honorable feelings of the human
heart, and with the highest sense of justice and
consciousness of right, and is diametrically opposed
to all base carnal passions and affections, and to all
that is violative of human equality and brotherhood.
"' I believe in Jesus Christ. And I had the ideal
of such a Saviour for man before I saw that the Jesus
of the New Testament is the true Captain of Salvation. And now I find that such a Saviour really exists, I am willing to follow his leadings, although I
know it will require self-denials and sacrifices. I tell
you, Mary, I found out from reading the Bible that I
was an unregenerated man, and needed God's spirit
to purify and sanctify my heart; and I have learned
this from studying carefully the life and doctrines of
Christ, who, in the flesh, gave a full manifestation of
the godhead, and by hits righteousness brought to my
own view my unrighteousness.
"I read of Jesus dying on the cross rather than not




120            NARRATIVE OF
carry out every jot and every tittle of the divine morality, and every principle of pure and undefiled religion. I stand in admiration of this divine heroism.
I learn farther that his great mission was to induce
sinful man to abandon his sins and become reconciled
to God; and that it was in carrying out this mission
that he subjected himself to the tortures of the cross.
Under the influence of God's Spirit, this brings me to
true repentance, and I determine to reform by taking
Jesus as my exemplar and the captain of my salvation. I am thus made reconciled to God's law, and
feel pardoned for the past and hopeful for tihe future.
My faith in Christ gives me strength to live the life
of a Christian, and thus I am saved. Jesus Christ's
death has in this way reconciled me to God, and
being thereby brought into harmony with God, God
is reconciled to me. Jesus Christ therefore making
atonement or reconciliation for me, has truly suffered
in my stead. That is to say, his suffering in order to
impress me with my obligations to God and his law,
has by reconciling me to God's law, kept me from suffering the penalty of law. And when I think that
God made this provision for this fallen world-that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be



ALBERT AND MARY.                 121
lieveth in him should not perish but have eternal
life, and I realize it all with trust and confidence, I
feel that the kingdom of heaven is within me. I am
truly happy."
"My dear Albert,' responded Mary, " you make
me to see all this in a new light. I confess I never
before properly understood the doctrine of the atonement. I did not before understand that atonement
for man, and reconciliation between God and man,
were one and the same thing. But I now perceive
that there is no atonement unless we become Christlike; and that just in proportion as we are Christ-like,
we are in harmony with God, and are thus far saved.
God converts the soul from  the love of sin to the
love of Christ, and that love of Christ insures obedience to his commandments to the full measure of our
knowledge. To be clothed upon then with the righteousness of Christ, and to have Christ's righteousness
imputed to us, are not terms signifying a righteousness extraneous from ourselves, and only regarded in
place of righteousness in us, but really and truly to
manifest a righteousness which will be seen and recognized by our ownselves and otChers as a righteousness derived from Christ, because t vo li]ve as Christ




122            NARRATIVE OF
would have us to live. 0 how pleasant it is to se.
the matter in so clear a light!"
"And now," said Albert, "I wish to know how it
is you a little while ago called yourself an Abolitionist. Did you really mean what you said in its full
import?"
"Yes I did," replied ~Mary. " That argument made
by Mr. Gracelius was so exactly similar to the mode
of interpreting the Scriptures in behalf of slavery,
that I at once saw if it were good for slavery, it was
just as good in defence of piracy; and that I must
give up the Bible under such a mode of interpretation, or admit that piracy itself is sanctioned by the
Bible. I could not give up my precious Bible, for I
have felt so much of its hallowed influences upon my
soul, that I could not think of parting from it. I
have, like yourself, spent this voyage studying it with
great care, and whatever may be the criticisms of the
learned upon words, I am certain that the whole
spirit of Christianity, as developed before and since
Christ, utterly condemns any and every system, or
practice, or principle which does not recognize all
men as brethren. And I also perceive that many
things have been wrested from their original meaning




ALBERT AND MARY.                123
to subserve the purposes of oppression and tyranny.
I now so read that good book, that I discriminate between the erroneous ideas and practices of the Jews
and the divine law-between historical facts and traditional inferences-between man's misconceptions
and the true principles of religion. I now can and do
see from the Bible itself that slavery is all wrong;
and being so, I am obliged to be an Abolitionist; for
I know that no Christian ought to continue the practice of what is wrong in itself on any consideration.
But, Albert, how was it that you who did not believe
in the Bible, became an Abolitionist?"
" Why, Mary, the truth is, I did not believe in the
Bible, because, being an Abolitionist, professed Christians and ministers instructed me that the Bible
sanctioned slavery, and that it required obedience to
earthly masters and rulers, even although their commands and laws be contrary to the divine law. This
was so contrary to my sense of natral right that I
said to myself I cannot honor the true God by submitting to the authority of the Bible; and therefore
it, vas I took an utter aversion to the Bible. My
respect for my parents prevented me from telling
them -when they would urge me to read the Bible,




124            NARRATIVE OF
that their own views and practice had already convinced me that it was an unrighteous book; for I
could not believe that my father would hold slaves
under any conviction of its rightfulness drawn from
nature, and that my mother would treat the blacks as
she did, had she been governed by her natural sense
of justice; but that by early education in the Bible,
they had been trained to regard slaveholding perfectly
compatible with the divine law, and the black as some
heathenish being, whom it was no oppression to enslave. But now having examined the Bible with
care, I see that they who take that Book to justify
the enslaving of men, have been most dreadfully
deluded."
"' Well, Albert," said Mary, " you know the obligations of Christianity require action as well as sentiment. If we are Christians truly, we have to serve
Christ fully. We dare not, therefore, withhold our
testimony against slavery any more than against any
other crime. How then can we return to Carolina?
We cannot be happy there amidst an institution which
we abhor."
"Mary, like yourself, I now feel," said Albert,
"that a Christian must not hide his light under a




ALBERT AND MARY.                125
bushel. We must speak for the dumb and for the
truth as it is in Jesus. But with such views and intentions we would not be suffered in South Carolina.
What, then, are we to do?"
Aary, after a few moments' meditation, answered,
"Albert, our parents think we were lost with the
Pulaski. Let it stand so. They will suffer more
if we go back to them with such sentiments as we
now entertain. And for your sake, and for our
parents' sake, and for the sake of Christ, I am willing to sacrifice all my worldly prospects and try to
make a living by my own exertions in some place
where my own feelings will not be shocked with the
perpetual violation of Christian law by my own slaveholding relatives, and where I shall not be myself an
annoyance to them."
HTere their dialogue was interrupted by the arrival
of the ship at the wharf, and in a short time our young
friends were safely landed in New York.
Suffice it to say, in conclusion, that they both agreed
never more to be dependent on the wealth of their
parents,-assured as they were that all they could
bestow upon them would be the product of unrequited
toil. They were soon united m holy wedlock, and,




126            NARRATIVE OF
after engaging in teaching an academy a short time,
Albert became a faithful and zealous minister of the
gospel; and he and his loving wife in process of time
succeeded in revealing their situation to their parents,
in such terms as to reconcile them to their anti-slavery
views, and to induce them finally to emancipate their
slaves.
They are all living happily in moderate circumstances, in a little town in one of the free States, —in
the direct line of the "under-ground railroad;" and
many a poor fugitive finds a comfortable shelter in
either of their humble cottages.
A short time since, Mary was reading the discussion
between Dr. Wayland and Dr. Fuller, on the subject
of slavery, and was startled to find the very words of
Mr. Gracelius and his identical argument, used by the
champion of American slavery.
" Albert," said she to her husband, " would you be.
lieve it, Dr. Fuller and Mr. Gracelius are one and the
same person."
" It surely cannot be!" said Albert. But to this
day the matter looks very mysterious to them. And
it is hoped that Dr. Fuller or Dr. Wayland will ex



ALBERT AND MARY.                 127
plain the coincidence of the arguments in some satisfactory manner.




ColXt all) T'rst.
HIS is the motto of all persons sincerely disposed
to embrace the cross of the anti-slavery enterprise.
The duty it imposes is two-fold; 1. To toil for the
spread of the truth; and 2. To trust to the dissipation
of error. The most potent barrier set up against the
opponents of slavery is made of the prejudices carefully instilled into the popular mind against them.
I propose, in brief, to point out their origin.
It is sedulously inculcated:
1. That anti-slavery is a pure sectional feeling, and
springs from jealousy of the South.
Fifty years ago this idea might fairly have been
entertained. Many of the arguments then used have
no better root than political jealousy. But it is not so
now. The ruling objection at present is, that slavery
is WRONG, no matter where it may be found; that it




TOIL AN&D  TRUST.                 129
is a moral evil, and an oMffnco against religion, not
less than a great political curse; that indifference to
it among good men encourages its extension among
bad men; and that nothilng  but resolute and universal
condemnation of it in every form  will stimulate to
its abolition.  How far the:se views are from jealousy
of the South, must appear obvious enoughl to all who
reflect that those who entertain them, consider the
result to be arrived at as one lwhich imust spring from
the voluntary convictions of those most affected by
it, that they are getting rid of the only seriou3 drawback to their own prosperity.  O2 course, then, it is
the best interests of the South, —their strength, moral,
social, and political, —that anti-slavery men believe
they are promoting, by their course.
2. That the errnemies of slavery desire to subvert
the Constitution and to dissolve the Union.
Possibly, a few impatieht spirits may have got so
far.  They constitute, however, but a very s:nall
portion of the number includld in the term.  N-inetenths of thlcse hold tllat neithllr tlhe Constitution nor
the Union should be brought into qulestio:n at all.
They consider that the r-smo't to thcm as a protection
and safeguard to slavery, by  i!l-judginrg and ras'l




130          TOIL AND>. TriRUST.
conservatives, has done more to put them into serious
danger, than the acts of all others combined during
the present century. Any man who relies upon a
good government to sustain acknowledged evil, does
much to modify the notions of goodness which honest
and conscientious men have entertained respecting
that government. He furnishes an entering wedge
for doubt and distrust, which, if not removed, will
grow into aversion. Anti-slavery men reason differently.  They separate slavery from  the Constitution and the Union, and, by seeking to destroy the
former, desire to perpetuate the latter. They hold,
that against the concentrated moral sentiment of the
whole country, acting through its legitimate public
channels, and aided by the prayers and the hopes
of all the civilized world, it would be much more
difficult to maintain slavery in the States, than if the
dangers of general misgovernment and disunion were
to come in to distract the public attention, and open
up social disasters of a worse kind than those which
they seek to remedy.
3. The spirit of this reform is denunciatory, violent,
and proscriptive.
It is inevitable that all movements directed against




TOIL AND TRUST.                131
the established errors of communities originate with
men more or less fanatical in spirit. None but they
have the necessary elements of character to advance
at all. But, as others become convinced of the fundamental truths which they utter, the tendency of their
association is to modify and soften the tone, and make
it more nearly approximate the correct sentiment.
At this period, there is quite as much of liberality
among anti-slavery men as is consistent with a determined maintenance of their general purpose. Though
disposed to be just to all who conscientiously differ
with them in opinion, they cannot overlook the fact
that many honest persons are too indifferent, and
more are too compromising in their views of slavery.
To rouse the one, and alarm the other class into a
conviction of their responsibility for their apathy, is
one of the most imperative duties. It may be that
this is not always done in the most courtly or the
choicest terms. Some allowances must be made for
the spirit of liberty. These cases form, however, the
exception, and not the rule, among anti-slavery men.
The great majority well comprehend that the greatest
results will follow efforts made without bitterness of
temper. They remember that whilst the Saviour




132          ToIL  AND  TRUST.
denounced without stint the formal scribe, the hollow
Pharisee, and the greedy money-changer, he chose
for his sphere of exertion the society of publicans and
sinners.
4. Anti-slavery men seek to set slaves against their
masters, at the risk of the lives and happiness of
both.
This impression, which is much the most common,
is, at the same time, the least founded in truth of all.
No evidence, worthy of a moment's credit, has ever
been produced, implicating any class of them in a
suspicion of the kind. Nothing proves the absence
of all malignity towards the slaveholders more clearly
than this. If they sought really to injure them, what
could be more easy than to stimulate disaffection along
so extensive a line of boundary as that of the slave
States?  Probably few of them entertain any doubt
of the abstract right of the slave to free himself from
the condition in which he is kept against his own consent, in any manner practicable. How easy then the
step from this opinion to an act of encouragement!
That it has never been taken furnishes the most conelusive proof of the falsity of the popular impression,
and of the moderations of the anti-slavery men, who




ToIL AND TRUST.                133
seek only, in the moral convictions of the masters, for
the source of freedom to the slaves.
But though it be true that all these common impressions are delusions strewn in the way of antislavery men to impair the effect of their exertions, it
by no means follows that they should be induced by
them  to assume a moderation which encourages
sluggishness. No great movement in human affairs
can be made without zeal, energy, and perseverance.
It must be animated by a strong will, and tempered
by a benevolent purpose. Such is the shape which
the anti-slavery reform  is gradually assuming.  Its
motto, then, should be, as was said in the beginning:
" TOIL AND TRUST.'
QUINCY, 10 July, 1853.




Vricutsfip for  tfl ElaIe if Iicll $s),l for
T is a mistake on the part of the people of the
south to suppose that those who desire the extinction of slavery, whether residing in America or England, are actuated by unfriendly feelings toward them
personally, or by any hostility to the pecuniary or
social interests of their section of country. The most
important and influential classes of the population,
both of England and of the northern States of this
Union, have a direct and strong pecuniary interest at
stake, in the prosperity and welfare of the south. If
the people of Massachusetts or those of Lancashire
were employed in raising cotton and sugar, and if the
prices which they obtained for their produce were
kept down by southern competition, then there might
perhaps be some ground for suspecting a covert hostility in any action or influence which they might attempt to exert on such a question. But the contrary




FRIENDSHIP FOR THE SLAVE.   135
is the fact. New England and Old England manufacture and consume the cotton andl sugar which the
south produces. They are directly and deeply interested in having the production of these articles go on
in the most advantageous manner possible.  The
southern planter is not their competitor and rival. He
is their partner. Iis work is to them  and to their
pursuits one of co-operation and aid. Consequently
his prosperity is their prosperity, and'his ruin would
be an irretrievable disastter, not a benefit, to them.
They are thus n tuIraly 1his friends, and, consequently,
when in desiring a change in the relation which subsists between him and his laborers, they declare that
they are not actuated by any unfriendly feeling toward him, but honestly think that the change would
be beneficial to all concerned, there is every reason
why they should be believed.
There was a time when the laboring population of
England occupied a position in respect to the proprietors of the soil there, very analogous to that now
held by African slaves in our country. Bu t the system has been clhanged. Fro-m beiung serf.;, compelled
to toil for masters, under the influence of compulsion
or fear, they have become a free peasantry, working




13G    FRIENDSHIP FOR   TIIE SLAVE.
in the cmploymcent of landloraIs, for war:gmes.  But this]
change has not depresse-d or dl grl-1a(ied tthi  lalldior'cd,d
or illjuret  them  in 1any way.  On lhe con'rary-, it has
priobably c!cvatd11 an1  inmpraved the condi;tion of the
imaster quite as mau11  as iU has t'iat of the man.
Ima ine such a change as thi's on any soutL ern
plantation: the Christin l master dcsirin    conseicntio!usly to obey the divine cornmandl, —-ivi   exnc:ressly
for his guidance, in his responsible relation of employer,-thlnt he slould "give unto his servants that
- il ich is just and. cqual,-f rbearing thraten:ng,"r'    csolves tlhat he w   ill lecn.efortJi induce industry on his
estate by the payment of honest wages, instead of
coercingI his laborers by menaces anl(l stripes; anct after
carefulv considerl:ng the whole ground, he estimates,
as fairly and flitLhfAlly as ie can, whlat proportion of
the whole avai!s of his culture properly belong to tlhe
alaor performed by his men, and what to the capital,
sk.;ill, Iand supervision, furnished and exercised by himslf, —and then fixes upon a rate of wagres, graduating
the scale fairly and honestly according to the strength,
the diligence,  and the fidelity of the various laborers.
Suppose, also, that some- suitab!e arrangement is made
on the plantation or in the vicinity, by which the ser



FRIENDSHIP FOR THE SLAVE.   137
vants can expend what they earn, in such comforts,
ornaments, or luxuries as are adapted to their condition and their ideas. Suppose that, in consequence
of the operation of this system, the laborers, instead of
desiring, as now, to make their escape from the scene
of labor, should each prize and value his place in it,
and fear dismission from it as a punishment. Suppose
that through the change which this new state of things
should produce, it should become an agreeable and
honorable duty to superintend and manage the system,
as it is now agreeable and honorable to superintend
the operations of a manufactory, or the construction or
working of a railway, or the building of a fortress, or
any other organized system of industry where the
workmen are paid, and that consequently, instead of
rude and degraded overseers, intemperate and profane, extorting labor by threats and severity, there
should be found a class of intelligent, humane, and
honest men, to direct and superintend the industry of
the estate, —men whom the proprietor would not be
ashamed to associate with, or to admit to his parlor or
table. In a word, suppose that the general contentment and happiness which the new system would induce in all concerned in it, were such that peace of




138   FRIENDSHIP FOR THE SLAVE.
mind should return to the master's breast, noow, —especially in hours of sickness and suffering, and at the
approach of death,-so often disturbed, and a sense of
safety be restored to his family, so that it should no
longer be necessary to keep the pistols or the rifle
always- at hand, and that the wife and children could
lie down and sleep at night, without starting at unusual or sudden sounds, or apprehending insurrection
when they hear the cry of fire. Suppose that such a
change as this were possible, is it the part of a friend
or an enemy to desire to have it effected?
But all such suppositions as these, the southern man
will perhaps say, are visionary and utopian in the
highest degree. No such state of things as is contemplated by them, can by any possibility be realized
with such a population as the southern slaves. Very
well; say this, if you please, and prove it, if it can be
proved. But do not charge those who desire that it
might be- realized, with being actuated, in advocating
the change, by unfriendly feelings towards you,-for
most assuredly they do not entertain any.
Slav CO




" 0, these childen, how they do lie round our hearts." —MimI, EDMONDSON.
THE  clock struck the appointed hour, and the
sale commenced. Articles of household furniture,
horses, carts, and slaves, were waiting together to be sold
to the highest bidder. For strange as it would seem
in another land than this, beneath the ample folds of
the " Star-spangled Banner," human sinews were to be
bought and sold. Bodies, such as the Apostle called
the "temples of the Holy Ghost," in which dwelt
souls for which Christ died;-men, women and little
children, made in the image of God, were classed with
marketable commodities, to be sold by the pound, like
dumb beasts in the shambles. Husbands would be
torn from their wives, mothers from their children,
and all from everything they loved most dearly.




140               CH RISTINE.
The group of human chattels excited great interest
among the lookers-on, for they were a choice lot of
prime negroes, and rumor said that he would get a
rare bargain who bought that day.
It was a saddening sight, that dusky group, whose
only crime was being' --- guilty of a skin
Not colored like our own,"
as they waited with anxious looks and quivering
hearts to hear their doom, filling up the dreary moments with thoughts of the chances and changes
which overhung their future.
A bright-eyed boy, of twelve years old,
"A brave, free-hearted, careless one,"
with a proud spirit playing in every line of his handsome face, and in every movement of his graceful
form, was first called to the auction-block. His good
qualities were rapidly enumerated, his limbs rudely
examined, his soundness vouched for, and he'became
the chattel personal of a Georgian, who boasted of his
good bargain; and on being warned that he would
have trouble with the boy, declared with an oath, that
he would " soon take the devil out of him."




CHRISTINE.                 141
Matty, a sister of this lad, was next placed upon the
stand. Her beauty, which the excitement of that
dreadful moment only served to heighten, hushed for
awhile the coarse jests of the crowd. She was a
splendid-looking creature; just entering upon womanhood. But her beauty proved, as beauty must ever
prove to a slave woman, a deadly curse. It enhanced
her market value, and sealed her deadly fate. It attracted the eye, and inflamed the passions of a wealthy
Louisianian, named St. Laurent, who gave a thousand
dollars in hard gold in exchange for her, that he
might make her his petted favorite. Wives, mothers,
daughters of America, have you nothing to do with
slavery, when such is the fate of slave women? Can
you sit silent, and at your ease, knowing that such
things are?'When Matty was removed from the auction-block,
she fell upon her brother's neck, and wept such tears
as only they can weep whom slavery parts, never to
meet again.
" Christine!" cried the loud voice of the auctioneer.
Matty checked her passionate grief, and turning saw
her mother, with her baby in her arms, standing where
she herself had stood but just before. Quickly her




142              CHRISTINE.
keen eye sought the form of her new master. With
a sudden impulse she threw herself at his feet, exclaiming, " 0 master, master, do buy my mother too!"
The man gazed for a moment on the beautiful face
upturned to his, with a look which made the lashes
droop over her pleading eyes, and tapping her cheek
with his finger, he said,
"I What  coaxing so early, my pretty one? No,
no; it will not do; I have no use for the old
woman."
"Oh, master, she is not old. Do buy my mother,
master!"
" Here is a prize for you, gentlemen," broke in the
harsh tones of the auctioneer.  " There is the best
housekeeper and cook in all Virginia. Who bids for
her? $300 did you say, sir? $325-thanks, gentlemen, but I cannot sell this woman for a song. She is
an excellent seamstress. $400-$450-$500 —I am
glad to see you are warming up a little, gentlemen,but she is worth more money than that. Look at
her I What a form! what an eye I what arms! —there
is muscle for you, gentlemen.; Upon my honor she is
the flower of the lot,-a dark-colored rose,-black, but
comely; and her baby goes with her. $550, did I




CHRISTINE.                143
hear you say, sir? Will no one give more than $550
for such a woman and baby?"
"The baby is of no account," said Mr. St. Laurent;
"she would sell better without it. If I buy her, I
shall give away the little encumbrance."
The poor slave-mother heard him, and strained her
baby to her bosom, as if she would say, " You shall
never take him from me." The boy looked into her
face, and smiled a sweet baby smile, and put his little
arms about her neck, and laid his cheek on hers. One
would have thought he understood what was passing
in her heart, and strove to comfort her. " $575-$600
— $650," —and Christine and her baby boy became
the property of Mr. St. Laurent.
" I would not have bought the woman," said he,
turning to an acquaintance, " but for the girl's importunity. I feared she would have the sulks if I didn't,
and I want to keep her good-natured. I shall give
the mother as a wedding-present to my daughter. But
anybody may have the child, who will take him off
my hands?"
"I will take him, sir, and thank you too," said a
little, sharp-looking, bustling man, stepping briskly
up, and bowing to Mr. St. Laurent.




144               CHRISTINE.
"Will you, my friend? Then he is yours, and you
may take him away as soon -as you please."
"If I take him now, the woman will raise a storm,"
said the little man; "I know a better way than that,"
and drawing Mr. St. Laurent aside, he communicated
his plan, and they parted mutually satisfied.
Meanwhile the sale went on, but we will not follow
further its revolting details. Christine, with her baby
and Matty, were put in safe quarters for the night.
Notwithstanding the intense anxiety that filled their
minds, and a superstitious fear in Christine's heart
that the worst had not yet come, an unaccountable
drowsiness oppressed them, and before long both fell
into a deep death-like sleep.
Morning broke over the green earth. The sun
gilded the mountain-tops, and bathing the trees in
splendor, was greeted with ten thousand bird-songs..He kissed the dewy flowers, and their fragrance rose
as incense on the morning air. He looked into the
winildows of happy homes; and wakened golden-haired
children to renew their joyous sports, and mothers,
whose
" - souls were hushed with their weight of bliss
Like flowers surcharged with dew,"




CHRISTINE.                145
sent up their morning thanksgiving to "Him  who
never slumbers," for His protection of their "laughing dimpled treasures." Suddenly a warm ray fell
upon the face of the sleeping slave-mother. She
wakened with a start, and with one wild shriek of
agony sprang from the bed. Her babe was gone.
Why need we dwell upon what followed? What
pen can describe the anguish of the heart-broken
mother, when she knew that while under the influence of opiates which she had unwittingly taken, her
boy had been taken from her, and that she should
look upon her darling's face no more. Mother I look
at the darling nestler upon your own bosom, and ask
yourself how you would have felt in Christine's
place.
After the first burst of agony was over, she did not
give way outwardly to grief.  One might have
thought she did not grieve.  But she carried all
her sorrows in her heart, till they had eaten out her
life.
On the morning of Eleanore St. Laurent's bridal
day, Christine was sent for to perform some service
for her young mistress. But the spoil had been taken
out of the hands of the spoiler-the bruised heart was
7




146             CHRISTINE.
at rest. The outraged soul had gone with its complaints to the bar of the Eternal.




THE American slave is a human being. He possesses all the attributes of mind and heart that
belong to the rest of mankind. He has intellect with
which to think, sensibility with which to feel, and toil
which prompts him to vigorous and manly action.
Nor is he destitute of the sublime faculty of reason,
which is related to eternal and absolute truths.
Imagination and fancy, too, he possesses, in a very
large degree. But all these faculties, which nature
has bestowed upon the slave in common with other
men, by a decree of slavery fixed and unalterable like
the laws of the Medes and Persians, are undeveloped,
and the results, therefore, of their activities are not to
be found. How mean then it must be to reproach
the unfortunate slave with a lack of intellectual quali



148     CONDITION  OF THE  SLAVE.
ties, such as characterize men generally. In proof of
the statement, that slaves have these qualities, it is
only necessary to refer to the many fugitives who, by
their great thoughts, their masterly logic, and their
captivating eloquence, are astonishing both the Old
and the New World. Education is what the white
man needs for the development of his intellectual
energies. And it is what the black man needs for
the development of his. Educate him, and his mind
proves itself at once as profound and masterly in its
conceptions, and as brisk and irresistible in its decisions, as the mind of any other man.
But, in addition to his intellectual, the slave possesses a moral nature, capable of the highest development and the most refined culture.  A  conscience
tender and acute, the voice of God in his soul bidding
him to choose the right and avoid the wrong, is his
lawful inheritance bestowed upon him by his Heavenly
Father. This no one can deny who knows aught of
the love of moral truth manifested by the slaves of
this country. God has not left the slaves without
moral sense. Nor has he denied him the spiritual
faculty which, when cultivated, enables him to recognize God in his spiritual manifestations, to discern and




CONDITION  OF THE SLAVE.              149
appreciate spiritual truths, and to feel and relish the
gentle distillations of the spirit of divine love as they
fall upon his heart like dew upon the grateful earth.
The moral and spiritual nature of the slave, however,
like his intellectual, goes uneducated and untrained.
Deep, dark, and impenetrable is the gloom which enshrouds the mind and soul of the slave. No ray of
light cheers him in his rhidnight darkness. No one
is allowed to fetch him the blessings of education, and
no preacher of righteousness is suffered to illumine his
dark mind by the presentation of sacred truth.
It is indeed true that slavery is a political, a civil,
and a commercial evil. It is true that it is most excruciating and frightful in its effects upon the physical nature of its victim. But slavery is seen in its
more awful wickedness and terrible heinousness, when
we contemplate the vast waste of intellect, the vast
waste of moral and spiritual energy, which has been
caused by its poisonous touch.
And yet the power of the State, and the influence
of the Church, are given to its support.  Many of
our leading statesmen are engaged in devising and
furthering plans for the extension of its territorial
area, thereby hoping to perpetuate and eternize its




150    CONDITION  OF THE SLAVE.
bloody existence, while the majority of our most distinguished divines find employment in constructing
discourses, founded upon perverse expositions of
sacred writ, calculated to establish and fix in the minds
of the people the impression that slavery is a divine
institution.
Although this mighty power of the State, and influence of the Church, be opposed to the slave, let
him not despair, but be full of hope. For God is
upon his side, truth is upon his side, and a multitude
of good and able men and women are engaged in
working out his redemption.
OBERLIN, August 27, 1863.




'i-e Wthte a vs.a
N"  OTHING," says Dr. Spring, " is more plain to;~l my mind than that the word of God recognizes the relation between master and slave as one of
the established institutions of the age; and, that
while it addresses slaves as Christian men, and
Christian men as slaveholders, it so modifies the
whole system of slavery as to give a death-blow to all
its abuses, and breathes such a spirit, that in the same
proportion in which its principles are imbibed, the
yoke of bondage will melt away, all its abuses cease,
and every form of human oppression will be unknown. The Bible is no agitator. It changes human
governments only as it changes the human character.
It aims at transforming the dispositions and hearts of
men, and diffusing through all human institutions the
supreme love of God, and the impartial love of man."




152      THE BIBLE  VS. SLAVERY.
Now, this either means that the Bible requires
that all institutions be adjusted and harmonized with
the moral law-the law of love-or it means nothing.
For, we maintain, that slavery is per se wrong, where
the enslaver has no direct warrant from heaven, or
the enslaved has not forfeited liberty by crime on
principles of recognized and universal equity; and
the whole Bible forbidding wrong must be held as
forbidding slavery, or any arbitrary and inhuman
tamperings with the inalienable rights of a fellowcreature.
If slavery is not a wrong in itself, irrespective of
what are called its abuses, then all that is essential in
it may be retained from age to age; and all the
amelioration which the Christian law superinduces
may be such as to consist with the violation of
the natural prerogatives of humanity, and with the
denial to man of the essential and dearest privileges
of social and domestic life, with the denial of the
rights of conscience too.  For slavery, as distinguished from service by contract, is this thing and no
other: —it is labor undefined, unrewarded, on the
condition of being used as vendible property, and
every independent right of the slave, as an intellectual




THE  BIBLE  VS. SLAVERY.              153
and moral being, is ignored. By practical indulgence
such rights may be sometimes conceded. But the
slave-law ceases as such when these are recognized.
Now, we hold it a libel on the Bible to affirm that
it sanctions such slavery. We must warn you of the
fallacy that lies in this distinction of the thing itself,
and its abuse.  What is called the abuse here is the
essence and the characteristic of the subject. Service
as well as slavery may be abused. Everything may
be abused. But, the claim of the slaveholder is itself
the abuse of the God-ordained relation of master and
servant. Can men be regarded as a chattel?-that is
the question-and so regarded without his consent,
and his family treated as such permanently, without his
consent, or even with it?
It comes of this bad interpretation of the Christian
law, that in the nineteenth century slavery still remains,-is cherished. It is not that the principles of
Christianity do not tend to extinguish it. But men,
forcing their false interpretation on the Scriptures,
plead their authority for a system or institution, to
which their whole spirit is opposed,-and which confesses its unscriptural character by keeping out Christian light, and forbidding the Scriptures with the slave.




154     THE BIBLE VS. SLAVERY.
To talk of the spirit of Christianity, in distinction
from its express or implied law against slavery, is as
if one would trust for the extinction of sin against the
sixth or seventh commands of the decalogue, by general inculcation of meekness or purity, without denouncing murder and defining it, or defining between
allowed and disallowed affinity in the marriage law.
We may if we do not proscribe theft, and bring the
positive law of God to bear against it, and bring
a law into harmony with the divine, be understood,
while we talk only of the abuses of property, as warning rather against spending stolen goods in a bad
way, than against theft itself? But the design of the
moral law is to define rights, as well as to govern the
use of them; and it requires that not only the tempers
of men, but the institutions of society, be adjusted by
the law of equity and charity. It forbids not only
the abuse of just power, but all false usurpations of
power, and classes man-stealers and extortioners as
murderers.
Who, if he but examines the laws of social and rela
tive duty, as laid down in the New Testament Epistles,
may not discern that the relation of master and servant is recognized side by side with the permanent




THE BIBLE VS. SLAVERY.             155
relations of parent and child, husband and wife, which
rest on the law of nature; just because it is not the
temporary, unnatural, and violent relation of slaveholder and slave which is recognized, but that of
master and servant by contract. The other, its very
apologists allow, will pass away; but these duties are
enhanced in a law of permanent application, and rest
on natural principles, common to all times and all
nations.
42




" DiBe   dofr6 Ong  cfirgeXct  On.".
LIKE all Reforms which have for their object the
amelioration of man's condition; the advancement
of the Redeemer's kingdom; the cause of human freedom has encountered many oppositions calculated to
impede its progress. It has temporarily suffered from
cruel defection within, and the most virulent persecution without the camp.
John, the forerunner of Jesus, had for his portion
" locusts and wild honey." But those who have stood
forth in the sunlight, the advocates of the crushed and
bleeding bondman; whose motto is, " Our country is
the world, and our countrymen all mankind," have
had no honey for their portion. Oh no! they have
ever dwelt among the tempest and the storm, with
thunder, lightning, and whirlwind, to feed upon.
Some have been called, for the advocacy of the




I"THE WORK GOES BRAVELY ON."  157
truth, to wing their flight from the prison-house to
Heaven; and others, to bare their bosoms to the redhot indignation of relentless mobs, arrayed in murderous panoply. They have gone; but, thank God,
"THE WORK GOES BRAVELY ON 1''
The great men of the nation, the mighty men, the
chief priests and rulers, have risen in their strength,
and resolved to crush, as with an avalanche, the irrepressible aspirations of the bondman's heart for FREEDOM; they have attempted to padlock the out-gushing sympathies of humanity; to trample in the dust
the sacred guarantees of the palladium of their own
liberties, but their "terribleness hath deceived them,
and the pride of their heart," for the desolating angel
hath sealed their lips in the silence of the tomb, and
we, the recipients of their crushing cruelties, thank
God " THE WORK GOES BRAVELY ON."
*-9, —a2 nt




Btvfho bt0g lIt a   1i5forttllw but.ra trimen
LONDON, September 2, 1853.
" FOR your movement on behalf of the slave, I have
profound respect. I assure you of my unfeigned sympathies and of my earnest prayers. In
my view, you deserve the high esteem of all who love
and serve God. Nothing would be deemed by me a
greater honor than co-operation with you actively in
your work of faith and your labor of love. With full
consent of all that is within me, do I range myself
among those who deem American slavery not a sad
misfortune, but a heinous crime: a crime all the more
heinous, because justified and even perpetrated by
men who call themselves the servants of Christ.
"I am, madam, yours respectfully,
* -; At a



THERE is nothing in the universe that can deserve
the name or do the work of valid LAW but the
commandment and the ordinance of the living God.
All human enactments, adjudications and usages not
founded on these, are of no legal force, and should be
trampled under foot. The practice of slaveholding,
for this reason, can never be legalized, and all legislative or judicial attempts to sustain it are rebellion
against God, and treason against civil society. To
teach otherwise, would be to set up other gods above
Jehovah, to promulgate the fundamental principle of
atheism, and proclaim war against the liberties of
mankind.
//SAM', maR




I ASK no prouder inscription for my humble tomb,
than " Here lies the Friend of the Oppressed."
Itd/  — 7lc




G#~ Siaa ion Of  wmerira,
BRUNSWICK, Maine, September 30, 1853
MISS JULIA GRIFFITH,
Y Dear Madam, your letter of September 23d
I have received. I regret exceedingly that it
is not in my power to furnish the article you have
done me the honor to solicit, for the "Autographs
for Freedom."  Particularly do I regret this now,
when the great conflict between aristocracy and democracy is about being renewed all over the continent
of Europe, and when despots are pointing with exultation to the unparalleled enormities of our "peculiar
institutions," and the friends of republican equality, in
all lands, are disheartened by our example. Would
the slaveholders of the south but consent to place
those who till their lands, under the protection of
wholesome and impartial law, and pay them honest




162    THE MISSION  OF AMERICA.
wages, it would ere long cause human rights to be respected in every corner of the globe. It should be
the mission of America, by the silent influence of a
glorious example, to revolutionize all despotisms. We
have a vast continent to subdue and to adorn, and we
need the aid of millions more of willing hands to accomplish the magnificent enterprise. With much
esteem I am truly yours,
- a   t w           OD








~~fl
C-       -'6;- tB7   -   4
7',42~~~~~~~~~*




THE late Dr. Chalmers, not long before his death,
spoke with disapprobation of Abolitionists in the
United States, " for undertaking," as he said, ".to. decide, without sufficient evidence, upon the irreligious
character of ministers and church-members. They,
forsooth, undertake to exclude men from the Lord's
table, who are in good and regular standing in the
church of Christ, because they happen to hold slaves I
They pretend to decide who, and who are not Christians 1"  It is marvellous that so learned and so distinguished a man should have fallen into such a mistake; and, on hearsay, ventured to utter a most
calumnious accusation against the friends of the slave.
The Abolitionists might, perhaps, make decisions in
the case not wide of the mark, founded upon the rule
given by Jesus Christ: " By their fruits ye shall know




164  DISFELLOWSHIPPING SLAVEHOLDERS.
them."  But, in declaring that slaveholders ought not
to be fellowshipped as Christians, they do not say
whether a slaveholder is or is not a Christian. On the
contrary, they leave each one with his Maker, the INFALLIBLE JUDGE. But this they do:-they hold that
no slaveholder, professing to be a Christian, is entitled
to Christian FELLOWSHIP, because slaveholding is a sin,
and should subject the offender to discipline. Neither
Dr. Chalmers nor any other divine could deny the
propopriety of this, provided they believed that slaveholding is a sin, or an ecclesiastical offence. The
apostle Paul directed that Christians should not eat
with an extortioner. A slaveholder is an extortioner.
If, then, a Christian may not eat a common meal with
such an offender, may he sit at the Lord's table with
him? I trow not.
LEWIS TAPPAN.




ft af frornt an1 Itray 3o0kf
MAY, 1849.
SAMUEL R. WARD AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
PERHAPS a fitter occasion never presented itself,
nor was more properly availed of, for the exhibition of talent, than when Frederick Douglass and
Samuel R. Ward debated the "question" whether the
Constitution was or not a pro-slavery document.
With the " question" at issue we have, at present,
nothing to do; and with the arguments so far only as
they exhibit the men.
Both eminent for talent of an order (though differing somewhat in cast) far above the common level of
great men.
If any inequalities existed, they served rather to
heighten than diminish the interest of the occasion,
giving rise to one of the severest contests of mind
with mind that has yet come to niy notice.




166             A  LEAF FROM
Douglass, sincere in the opinions he has espoused,
defends them with a fervor and eloquence that finds
scarcely a competitor.
In his very look-his gesture-in his whole manner,
there is so much of genuine, earnest eloquence, that
they leave no time for reflection.  Now  you are
reminded of one rushing down some fearful steep,
bidding you follow; now on some delightful stream,
still beckoning you onward.
In either case, no matter what your prep6ssessions
or oppositions, you for the moment, at least, forget
the justness or unjustness of his cause and obey the
summons, and loath, if at all, you return to your
former post.
Not always, however, is he successful in retaining
you. Giddy as you may be with the descent you
have made, delighted as you are with the pleasure
afforded, with the elysiumr to which he has wafted
you, you return too often dissatisfied with his and your
own impetuosity and want of firmness. You feel that
you had had only a dream, a pastime, not a reality.
This great power of momentary captivation consists
in his eloquence of manner-his just appreciation of
words.




MY SCRAP BooiK.                167
In listening to him, your whole soul is fired —every
nerve strung-every passion inflated-every faculty
you possess ready to perform at a moment:s bidding.
You stop not to ask why or wherefore.'Tis a unison of mighty yet harmonious sounds that
play upon your imagination; and you give.yourself
up, for a time, to their irresistible charm.
At last, the cataract which roared around you is
hushed, the tornado is passed, and you find yourself
sitting upon a bank (at awhose base roll but tranquil
waters), quietly meditating that why, amid such a
display of power, no greater effect had really been
produced.
After all, it must be admitted, there is a power
in Mr. Douglass rarely to be found in any other
man.
With copiousness of language, and finish of diction,
when even ideas fail, words come to his aid-arranging themselves, as it were, so completely, that they
not only captivate, but often deceive us for ideas; and
hence the vacuum that would necessarily occur in
the address of an ordinary spea7cer is filled up, presenting: the same beautiful harmony as do the lights and
shades of a picture.




168              A  LEAF FROM
From  Mr. Douglass, in this, perhaps, as much as
in any other respect, does Mr. Ward differ.  Ideas
form the basis of all Mr. Ward utters.  Words are
only used to express those ideas.
If words and ideas are not inseparable, then, as
mortar is to the stones that compose the building, so
are his words to his ideas.
In this, I judge, lays Mr. Ward's greatest strength.
Concise without abruptness-without extraordinary
stress, always clear and forcible; if sparing of ornament, never inelegant. In all, there appears a consciousness of strength, developed by close study and
deep reflection, and only put forth because the oc.
casion demanded,-a power not only to examine but
to enable you to see the fairness of that examination
and the justness of its conclusions.
You feel Douglass to be right, without always see
ing it; perhaps it is not too much to say, when Ward
is right you see it.
His appeals are directed rather to the understanding than the imagination; but so forcibly do they
take possession of it, that the heart unhesitatingly
yields.
If, as we have said, Mr. Douglass seems as one




MY SCRAP BooK.                169
whirling down some steep descent whose very impetuosity impels; —ere you are aware of it, it is the
quiet serenity of Mr. Ward, as he points up the
rugged ascent, and invites you to follow, that inspires
your confidence and ensures your safety.  Step by
step do you with him climb the rugged steep; and, as
you gain each succeeding eminence, he points you to
new scenes and new delights;-now grand-sublime;
now picturesque and beautiful;-always real. Most
speakers fail to draw a perfect figure. This point I
think Mr. Ward has gained. His figures, when done,
stand out with prominence, possessing both strength
and elegance.
Douglass' imagery is fine-vivid-often  gaudily
painted. Ward's pictures-bold, strong, glowing.
Douglass speaks right on; you acknowledge him to
have been on the ground-nay, to have gone over the
field; Ward seeks for and finds the corners; sticks
the stakes, and leaves them standing; we know where
to find them.
Mr. Douglass deals in generals; Mr. Ward reduces
everything to a point.
Douglass is the lecturer; Ward the debater. Douglass powerful in invective; Ward in argument. What
8




170             A  LEAF FROM
advantage Douglass gains in mimicry Ward recovers
in wit.
Douglass has sarcasm, Ward point.
Here, again, an essential difference may be pointed
out:
Douglass says much, at times, you regret he uttered.
This, however, is the real man, and on reflection you
like him the better for it. What Ward says you feel
to be but a necessity, growing out of the case,-that it
ought to have been said-that you would have said
precisely the same yourself, without adding or
diminishing a single sentence.
Douglass, in manner, is at all times pleasing; Ward
seldom less so; often raises to the truly majestic, and
never descends below propriety. If you regret when
Douglass ceases to speak, you are anxious Ward
should continue.
Dignity is an essential quality in an orator-I mean
true dignity.
Douglass has this in an eminent degree; Ward no
less so, coupled with it great self-possession. He is
never disconcerted-all he desires he says.
In one of his replies to Mr. Douglass I was struck
with admiration, and even delight, at the calm, digni



MY SCRAP BooK.                171
fled manner in which he expressed himself,'and his
ultimate triumph under what seemed to me very
peculiar circumstances.
Douglass' was a splendid effort-a beautiful effusion.
One of those outpourings from the deeps of his heart
of which he can so admirably give existence to.
He had brought down thunders of well-merited applause; and sure I am, that a whisper, a breath from
almost any other opponent than Mr. Ward, would
have produced a tumult of hisses.Not so, however, now.  The quiet, majestic air,
the suppressed richness of a deep-toned, but wellcultivated voice, as the speaker paid a few well-timed
compliments to his opponents, disturbed not, as it had
produced, the dead stillness around.
Next followed some fine sallies of wit, which broke
in on the calm.
He then proceeded to make and accomplished one
of the most finished speeches to which I have ever
listened, and sat down amidst a perfect storm of
cheers.
It was a noble burst of eloquence,-the gatherings
up of the choicest possible culled thoughts, and poured
forth, mingling with a unison of brilliant flashes and




172            A  LEAF FROM
masterly strokes, following each other in quick succession; and though felt-deeply felt, no more to be
described than the vivid lightning's zig-zag, as produced from the deep-charged thunder-cloud.
If Douglass is not always successful in his attempts
to heave up his ponderous missiles at his opponents,
from the point of his descent, he always shows determination and spirit.
He is often too far down the pass, however, (herculean though he be,) for his intent.
Ward, from the eminence he has gained, giant-like,
hurls them back with the force and skill of a practised marksman, almost invariably to the detriment of
his already fallen victim.
In Douglass you have a man, in whose soul the iron
of oppression has far entered, and you feel it.
He tells the story of his wrongs, so that they stand
out in all their naked ugliness.
In Ward, you have one with strong native powers,
— I know of none stronger; superadded a careful and
extensive cultivation; an understanding so matured,
that fully enables him to successfully grapple with
men or errors, and portray truth in a manner equalled
by few.




MY SCRAP BooK.                        173
After all, it must be admitted, both are men of ex.
traordinary powers of mind.
Both well qualified for the task they have undertaken.
I have, rather than any-thing else, drawn these outline portraits for our young men, who can fill them up
at leisure.
The  subjects are both  fine. models, and may be
studied with profit by all,-especially those who are
destined to stand in the front rank.
NOTE.-It has been some years since the above sketch was
drawn; and though my impressions, especially of Mr. Douglass, has
undergone some slight change since,-seeing in him enlarged, strengthened, and more matured thought, still I think, on the whole, the careful observer will attest substantially to its correctness.




'a Wlo is mR  sRfl  bat 
IT gives me great pleasure to express my interest in
your objects, by the following sentiment: Sympathy for the slave,-the clearest exhibition in modern
times of the spirit which, in the parable of the Samaritan, first illumined the wrong of oppression, and the
divineness of brotherly love.
AK it




won[sdatinV   for fe   itabet
SLAVE though thou art to unfeeling power,
Till wrong shall reach her final hour,
Mourn not as one on whom the day
Will never shed a healing ray.
The star of hope, that leads the dawn,
Appears, and night will soon be gone.
Long has thy night of sorrow been,
Without a star to cheer the scene.
Nay; there was One that watched and wept,
When thou didst think all mercy slept;
That eye, which beams with love divine,
Where all celestial glories shine.
Justice will soon the sceptre take;
The scourge shall fall, the tyrant quake.




176 CONSOLATION FOR THE SLAVE.
Hark I'tis the voice of One from heaven;
The word, the high command is given,
"Break every yoke, loose every chain,
To usher in the Saviour's reign."
Eve17-~IC~L~C~  ~~L~Z~




THE Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin: a key to unlock
any mind that is not rendered inaccessible by the
rust of conservatism or party-spirit, and to open the
fountain of every generous affection, which is not
closed with impenetrable ice. With this k.ey may
every one become familiar, who would know, and
both in word and deed "bear witness to the truth!"




~le    Stat Q Lf5511io    of xibatfg.
IF Liberty were to go on a pilgrimage all over the
earth, she would find a home in every house, and
a welcome' in every heart. None would reject the
favors she offers if brought to their own doors. Sure
and prompt as the impulses of instinct, every bosom
would open to admit her and her blessings, butwhen her gospel is proclaimed as a common bounty
to all the world,-when she is seen visiting and feasting with publicans and sinners, and sitting with her
unwashed disciples in familiar and loving companionship, Coesar and the synagogue are alike alarmed and
enraged. When she is found daily. in the marketplace and on the mountain-top, in the hamlet and on
the highway, ministering to the multitude, healing
and feeding them,-showing the same love and reverence for humanity in every variety of conditions, and




TRUE MISSION  OF LIBERTY.   179
however disguised or degraded,-the cruelty of caste
and the bitterness of bigotry straightway take counsel among themselves how they may destroy her.
Heaven help us! Divided as we are, into the
hating and'the hated, the oppressors and the oppressed, we have settled it, somehow, that we are of
necessity at war with each other-that the welfare of
one in some way depends upon the wretchedness of
another. How much madness and misery would be
spared if we could in any way learn that we are
brethren.
-.....




Q,, t tra`~igttt of   dront
THE religion of Jesus, acting as a vital principle in
the individual heart, and thus leaving the entire
mass of humanity, to this alone are we to look as of
sufficient power to do away the evils that are now rife
in the world. Just so far as the true spirit of Jesus is
infused into the soul, and acts in the life of man, we
know that sin, in its various forms of sensuality,
oppression, and bloodshed, must disappear. All
reforms, which are not based on this corner-stone, are
superficial; and, however goodly their proportions
may appear to the eye of man, they want that firm
foundation which will secure them against being
undermined or overthrown by the force of adverse
circumstances. "Other foundation can no man lay,
than that is laid," for the building up of all that is
really excellent and heavenly.




TRUE SPIRIT OF REFORM.              181
But, while we acknowledge the omnipotence of true
religion for the ratification of all social wrongs, we
are not to rest in the inculcation of its abstract principles and outward forms alone. It is not enough that
we ourselves become, or persuade our fellow-men to
become professed disciples of Jesus; not enough that,
in a general way, we urge the precepts of the gospel.
The obtuseness of the human heart, when hardened
by habit and early education, requires that we make
particular application of the precepts of Christ, and
address our efforts to the removal of specific sins: the
sins of our own age and country. It may be that our
brother, sincerely intending to act in the spirit of
Jesus, is yet blinded by the force of habit, and fails to
see the sin in which he is living. If our position
make us to see more clearly than he the course he
should pursue, let us endeavor gently to remove the
veil from his eyes, remembering how often our own
vision is dimmed by prejudice and outward circumstances. In the moral, as well as in the natural world,
we believe that God demands our active cooperation;
and, as the farmer not only sows the seed, but roots
out the weeds. from among the grain, so are we to
endeavor to eradicate from the broad field of the moral




182     TRUE SPIRIT OF REFORM.
world those evil practices which obstruct the growth
of the harvest of pure and undefiled religion.
"The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of
the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he
receive the early and latter rain." So are we obliged
often to have " long patience," until we see the manifest blessing of God on our labors.  But patient
waiting becomes a virtue, only when combined with
the exercise of our best powers in promoting the
object of our desire. We must adapt our efforts to
the express object which we seek to attain. Taking
those spiritual weapons which are "mighty for the
pulling down of the strongholds" of sin, let us assault
the great -evils of slavery and oppression of every
name and kind, always marching under the banners
of the Prince of Peace, whose conquests are achieved
not by violence, but by the subduing power of Godlike love. Let us go forth, brethren, sisters, a feeble
band though we may seem to the eye of man, yet
strong in the assurance that the hosts of heaven are
encamped round about us, and that " more are they
that are with us, than they that are" on the side of
the oppressor; and let us not falter until in God's own
good time the word shall oe spoken, not as, we




TRUE SPIRIT OF REFORM.              183
would hope, in the whirlwind or the earthquake, but
in the "still small voice" of the oppressor's own conviction, saying to the slaves, "' Go free 1",.w I've~




e   &1ttcolne to tElrsf 0+ +. b.towry
oit 14r 2turlt from  6urmef
SHE comes, she comes, o'er the bounding wave,
Borne swift as an eagle's flight;
She comes, the tried friend of the slave,Truth's champion for the right.
Not as the blood-stained warrior comes,
With shrill-sounding fife and drums;
But peaceful by our quiet homes,
The conquering heroine comes.
Then welcome to our Pilgrim shore,
Tho' sad affliction* meet thee;
Three million welcomes from God's poor,
The south winds bear, to greet thee.
* The sicblonss of ber daughter.




A WELCOME TO MRS. H. B. STOWE. 185
To thee, with chain-linked hearts we come,
Which naught but death can sever,
To thank thee for thy " Uncle Tom,"
Thy gentle-hearted " Eva."
When the crushed slave himself shall own,
Three million fetters broken,
Shall mount before thee, to the Throne;
Of thy true life, the token.
Then welcome to our northern hills;
Thy own New England dwelling;
The birds, the trees, the sparkling rills,
All, are thy welcome swelling.
ROCHESTER, N. Y., October 19th, 1853.




Vor bya r
FROM THE GERMAN OF HOFFMAN, IN FOLLERSLEBEN.
IT is a time of swell and flood,
We linger on the strand,
And all that might to us bring good
Lies in the distant land.
0 forward! forward I why stand still?
The flood will ne'er run dry;
Who through the wave not venture will,
That land shall never spy.




"al lat tas Ganaa to ba V4 Wit t$U g +7
THE question is often asked, both in Canada and in
the United States: What have we in Canada to
do with the Institution of Slavery, as it exists in the
neighboring Republic? I do not think that a better
answer is necessary, than that which is contained in
the following extracts-the former of which is taken
from a speech delivered by George Thompson, Esq.,
at the formation of the Anti-Slavery Society of
Canada-the latter from  the valuable work of the
Rev. Albert Barnes on Slavery:
"Are we separated geographically and politically
from the country where slavery reigns? We are, for
that very reason, the persons best able to form an unbiassed and sound judgment on the question at issue.
We have as much to do with this question as with
any question that concerns the happiness of man, the




188         WHAT. HAS CANADA
glory of God, or the hopes and destinies of the human
race. We have to do with this question, for it lies at
the foundation of our own rights as a portion of the
human family. The cause of liberty is one all over
the world. What have you to do with this question?
The slave is your brother, and you cannot dissolve
that Union. While he remains God's child he will
remain your brother. He is helpless, and you are free
and powerful; and if you neglect him, you are not
doing as you would have others do to you, were you
in bonds. Know you not that it is God's method to
save man by man, and that man is only great, and
honorable, and blest himself, as he is the friend and
defender of those who need his aid. You are dwellers
on the same continent with three millions of slaves.
Their sighs come to you with every breeze from the
South. Oh, haste to help them, that this glorious
continent may be freed from its pollution. and its
curse."
Extract from Barnes on slavery:
"Slavery pertains to a great wrong done to our
common nature, and affects great questions, relating
to the final triumph of the principles of justice and
humanity. The race is one great brotherhood, and




TO DO WITH SLAVERY?              189
every man is under obligation, as far as he has the
ability, to defend those principles which will permanently promote the welfare of the human family.
*     *     *     e    The questions of right and
wrong know no geographical limits; are bounded by
no conventional lines; are circumscribed by the windings of no river or stream, and are not designated by
climate or by the course of the sun. There are no
enclosures within which the question of right and
wrong may not be carried with the utmost freedom."
Other answers might be given, but these are quite
sufficient.
c~~~g7Rgr,,.t~zcc




AER~ dlqfitlt,'lavr t    itt  a     aprgaent.
BUT ours is the saddest part of this sad business.
It would be hard enough to live surrounded by
bondmen, even though we had never known any
other way of life.  Still, for one who had grown
up with young slaves for playmates and for nurses,
there might be much in the relation to quiet the conscience and soothe the sensibilities. Strong attachments, we all know, are often realized, even in a
condition of things so anomalous. Perhaps, too, a
large number of those about us would be as feeble in
capacity as humble in their circumstances. One so
born might tolerate such a position. But how different,-how, in comparison, and in every way intolerable, to be set as watchmen and interceptors of these, the
brighter and the better, who, beyond all controversy,
have outgrown the estate of bondage, and who are so




THE FUGITIVE SLATVE BILL.    191
loudly called of God to be freemen, that they will
brave any peril in obedience to the call! I How can
we do this and still be men and Christians? Would
our brethren at the south do it for us? If we have,
in our haste, so covenanted, must we not rather pay
the penalty than fulfil the bond? I recognize obedience to civil government as the solemn duty of all
save those who without cause are made outlaws by the
State. Government protects our hearths and shelters
those who are dearest to us. But we can honor the
law by submitting to its penalties as well as by complying with its demands, and the penalty would be
my election when a man who had seized his manhood
at the peril of his life should claim of me shelter and
the means of escape. Before I refuse that, " may my
right hand forget its cunning and my tongue cleave
to the roof of my mouth."




{Ge fncratzjnmnt  of t1e  itae-Voher+
EXTRACT.
SUCH is the unholy and gigantic power that, leaving its territorial domain, has usurped the seat of
freedom-that has established at our capitol a central
despotism, and bends to its will with iron hand the
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of our
Federal Government.
I have marvelled, sir, as you have, that the Spirit
of Freedom in our fair land has so long slumbered
beneath such an outrage, But I imagine her awakening. As she is about to awaken in her strength, and
with the voice of the people, like the sound of many
waters, rebuking this insolent slave-power, as Milton
tells us its father and inventor was of old rebuked,
as he sought to pass the bounds of his prison-house,
and to darken with his presence the realms of light



ENCROACHMENT OF SLAVE-POWER. 193
" And reckon'st thou thyself with spirits of Heaven,
Hell-doom'd I and breath'st defiance here and scorn,
Where I reign King, and to enrage thee more
Thy King and Lord? Back to thy punishment
False fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,
Lest with a whip of scorpions I pursue
Thy lingering, or with one stroke of this dart,
Strange horrors seize thee and pangs unfelt before."
Faithfully yours,
9<1 Jn< 




THE fundamental, essential cause of slavery and its
concomitants, ignorance, degradation and suffering
on the one side, as of idleness, prodigality and luxuryborn disease on the other, is a false idea of the nature
and offices of Labor.
Labor is not truly a curse, as has too long been asserted. It only becomes such through human perverseness, misconception and sin. It was no curse to
the first pair in Eden, and will not be to their descendants, whenever and wherever the spirit of Eden shall
pervade them. It is only a curse because too many
seek to engross the product of others' work, yet do
little or none themselves. If the secret were but out,
that no man can really enjoy more than his own moderate
daily labor would produce, and none can truly enjoy this
without doing the work, the death-knell of Slavery in




/








THE DISHONOR  OF LABOR.             195
general-in its subtler as well as its grosser formswould be rung. Until that truth shall be thoroughly
diffused, the cunning and strong will be able to prey
upon the simple and feeble, whether the latter be called
slaves or something else.
The great reform required is not a work of hours
nor of days, but of many years. It must first pervade our literature, and thence our current ideas and
conversation, before it can be infused into the common
life. Meanwhile, it would be well to remember thatEvery man who exchanges business for idleness, not
because he has become too old or infirm to work, but
because he has become rich enough to live without
work;
Every man who educates his son for a profession,
rather than a mechanical or agricultural calling, not
because of that son's supposed fitness for the former
rather than' the latter, but because he imagines Law,
Physic or Preaching, a more respectable, genteel vocation, than building houses or growing grain;
Every maiden who prefers in marriage a rich suitor
of doubtful morals or scanty brains to a poor one, of
sound principles, blameless life, good information and
sound sense;




196     THE DISHONOR  OF LABOR.
Every mother who is pleased when her daughter receives marked attention from a rich lawyer or merchant, but frowns on the addresses of a young farmer
or artisan of slender property, but of well-stored mind,
good character and industrious, provident habits;
Every young man who, in choosing the sharer of
his fireside and the future mother of his children, is
less solicitous as to what she is good for, than as to
how much she is worth;
Every youth who is trained to regard little work
and much recompense-short business-hours and long
dinners-as the chief ends of exertion and as assurances of a happy life;
Every teacher who thinks more of the wages than
of the opportunities for usefulness afforded by his or
her vocation;
Every rich Abolitionist, who is ashamed of being
caught by distinguished visiters while digging in his
garden or plowing in the field, -and wishes them to
u.cderstand that he so works, not for occupation, but
for pastime; and
Every Abolition lecturer who would send a hireling
two miles after a horse, whereon to ride three miles to
fulfil his next appointment respectably;




THE DISHIONOR OF LABOR.    197
Though meaning no such thing, and perhaps
shocked when it is suggested, is a practical and powerful. upholder of the continued enslavement of our
fellow-men.
In the faith of the " good time coming,"
I remain yours,
HORACE GREELEY.
NEWYORK, Nov. 7, 1853.




c (EJils  etf  otolldipation
I SPEAK the words of soberness and truth when I
say, that the most inveterate, the most formidable,
the deadliest enemy of the peace, prosperity, and
happiness of the colored population of the United
States, is that system of African colonization which
originated in and is perpetuated by a worldly,
Pharoah-like policy beneath the dignity of a magnanimous and Christian people; —a system which receives
much of its vitality from ad captandum appeals to
popular prejudices, and to the unholy, grovelling
passions of the canaille;-a system that interposes
every possible obstacle in the way of the improvement
and elevation of the colored man in the land of his
birth; —that instigates the enactment of laws whose
design and tendency are obviously to annoy him, to
make him feel, while at home, that he is a stranger




THE EVILS OF COLONIZATION.  199
and a pilgrim —nay more,-to make him " wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;"-to
make him " a hissing and a by-word," " a fugitive anrd
a vagabond" throughout the American Union; —a
system that is so irreconcilably opposed to the purpose of God in making " of one blood all nations ~or
to dwell on all the face of the earth," that when. the
dying slaveholder, under the lashes of a guilty conscience, would give to his slaves unqualified freedom,
it wickedly interposes, and persuades him that " to do
justly and love mercy" would be to inflict an irreparable injury upon the community, and' that to do his
duty to God and his fellow-creatures, under the circumstances, he should bequeath to  his surviving
slaves the cruel alternative of either expatriation to a
far-off, pestilential clime, with the prospect of a premature
death, or perpetual slavery, with its untold horrors, in his
native land. Against this most iniquitous system of
persecution and proscription of an inoffensive people,
for no other reason than that we wear the physical
exterior given us in infinite wisdom and benevolence,
I would record, nay engrave with the pen of a
diamond, my most emphatic and solemn protest;
more especially would I do so, as the system, under




200 THE EVILS OF COLONIZATION.
animadversion, is most inconsistently fostered, and
shamelessly lauded, by ministers of the gospel in the
nineteenth century, as a scheme of Christian philanthropyl "0 my soul, come not thou into their
secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou
united."
TouoNTo, C. W., Oct. 31st.








~ ~ ~            ~          ~ ~~~:Lu- - - --- ll  oi           ~.T_ —  -: -n.P -.s -- - -   -i= ---   -n --— @




Qte  Basis of f r zmtitan   $tomtltntiolt
" HAPPY," (said Washington, when announcing
the treaty of peace to the army,) "thrice
happy shall they be pronounced hereafter, who shall
have contributed anything, who shall have performed
the meanest office in erecting this stupendous fabric of
freedom and empire on the broad basis of independency, who shall have assisted in protecting the Rights
of Human Nature, and establishing an asylum for the
poor and oppressed of all nations and religions."
You remember well that the Revolutionary Congress in the declaration of independence placed the
momentous controversy between the Colonies and
Great Britain on the absolute and inherent equality
of all men. It is not, however, so well understood
that that body closed its existence on the adoption of
the Federal Constitution with this solemn injunction,.9*




202          THE BASIS OF THE
addressed to the people of the United States: " Let it
be remembered that it has ever been the pride and
boast of America, that the Rights for which she contended were the Rights of Human Nature."
No one will contend that our Fathers, after effecting the Revolution and the independence of their
country, by proclaiming this system  of beneficent
political philosophy, established an entirely different
one, in the constitution assigned to its government.
This philosophy, then, is the basis of the American
Constitution.
It is, moreover, a true philosophy, deduced from the
nature of man and the character of the Creator. If
there were no supreme law, then the world would be
a scene of universal anarchy, resulting from the eternal conflict of peculiar institutions and antagonistic
laws. There being such a universal law, if any human
constitution and laws differilng from it could have any
authority, then that universal law could not be
supreme. That supreme law is necessarily based on
the equality of nations, of races, and of men. It is a
simple, self-evident basis. One nation, race, or inidividual, may not oppress or injure another, because the
safety and welfare of each is essential to the common




A~mERICAN CONSTITUTION.    203
safety and welfare of all. If all are not equal and free,
then who is entitled to be free, and what evidence of
his superiority can he bring from nature or revelation?
All men necessarily have a common interest in the
promulgation and maintenance of these principles, because it is equally in the nature of men to be content
with the enjoyment of their just rights, and to be discontented under the privation of them. Just so far as
these principles practically prevail, the stringency of
government is safely relaxed, and peace and harmony
obtain. But men cannot maintain these principles, or
even comprehend them, without a very considerable
advance in knowledge and virtue. The law of nations,
designed to preserve peace among mankind, was unknown to the ancients. It has been perfected in our
own times, by means of the more general dissemination of knowledge and practice of the virtues inculcated by Christianity. To disseminate knowledge, and
to increase virtue therefore among men, is to establish
and maintain the principles on whicl- the recovery and
preservation of their inherent natural rights depend;
and the State that does this most faithfully, advances
most effectually the common cause of Human Nature.
For myself, I am  sure that this cause is not a




204         TttE BASIS OF THE
dream, but a reality. Have not all men consciousness
of a property in the memory of hunman transactions
available for the same great purposes, the security of
their individual rights, and the perfection of their individual happiness? Have not all men a consciousness of the same equal interest in the achievements of
invention, in the instructions of philosophy, and in
the solaces of music and the arts? And do not these
achievements, instructions, and solaces, exert everywhere the same influences, and produce the same
emotions in the bosoms of all men? Since all languages are convertible into each other, by correspondence with the same agents, objects, actions, and emotions, have not all men practically one common language? Since the constitutions and laws of all societies
are only so many various definitions of the rights and
duties of men as those rights and duties are learned
from Nature and Revelation, have not all men practically one code of moral duty?  Since the religions of
men, in their various climes, are only so many different forms of their devotion towards a Supreme and
Almighty Power entitled to their reverence and receiving it under the various names of Jehovah, Jove,
and Lord, have not all men practically one religion?




AMERICA1N  CONSTITUTION.    205
Since all men are seeking liberty and happiness for a
season here, and to deserve and so to secure more perfect liberty and happiness somewhere in a future
world, and, since they all substantially agree that
these temporal and spiritual objects are to be attained
only through the knowledge of truth and the practice of virtue, have not mankind practically one common pursuit through one common way of one common and equal hope and destiny?
If there had been no such common Humanity as I
have insisted upon, then the American people would
not have enjoyed the sympathies of mankind when
establishing institutions of civil and religious liberty
here, nor would their establishment here have
awakened in the nations of Europe and of South
America desires and hopes of similar institutions
there. If there had been no such common Humanity,
then we should not ever, since the American Revolution, have seen human society throughout the world
divided into two parties, the high and the low-the
one perpetually foreboding and earnestly hoping the
downfall, and the other as confidently predicting and
as sirnerely desiring, the durability of Republican
Institutions. If there had been no such common




206         THE BASIS OF THE
Humanity, then we should not have seen this tide of
emigration from insular and continental Europe flowing into our country through the channels of the St.
Lawrence, the Hudson, and the Mississippi,-ebbing,
however, always with the occasional rise of the hopes
of freedom abroad, and always swelling again into
greater volume when. those premature hopes subside.
If there were no such common Humanity, then the
poor of Great Britain would not be perpetually appealing to us against the oppression of landlords on
their farms and work-masters in their manufactories
and mines; and so, on the other hand, we should not
be, as we are now, perpetually framing apologies to
mankind for the continuance of African slavery
among ourselves. If there were no such common
Humanity, then the fame of Wallace would have long
ago died away in his native mountains, and the name
even of Washington would at most have been only a
household word in Virginia, and not as it is now, a
watchword of Hope and Progress throughout the
world.
If there had been no such common Humanity,
then when the civilization of Greece and Rome had
been consumed by the fires of human passion, the




AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.    207
nations of modern Europe could never have gathered
from among its ashes the philosophy, the arts, and the
religion, which were imperishable, and have reconstructed with those materials that better civilization,
which, amid the conflicts and fall of political and
ecclesiastical systems, has been constantly advancing
towards perfection in every succeeding age. If there
had been no such common Humanity, then the dark
and massive Egyptian obelisk would not have everywhere reappeared in the sepulchral architecture of our
own times, and the light and graceful orders of Greece
and Italy would not as now have been the models of
our villas and our dwellings, nor would the simple
and lofty arch and the delicate tracery of Gothic design have been as it now is, everywhere consecrated to
the service of religion.
If there had been no such common humanity,
then would the sense of the obligation of the Decalogue have been confined-to the despised nation who
received it from Mount Sinai, and the prophecies of
Jewish seers and the songs of Jewish bards would
have perished forever with their temple, and never
afterwards could they have become as they now are,
the universal utterance of the spiritual emotions and




208  THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.
hopes of mankind. If there had been no such common humanity, then certainly Europe and Africa, and
even new America, would not, after the lapse of centuries, have recognized a common Redeemer, from all
the sufferings and perils of human life, in a culprit
who had been ignominiously executed in the obscure
Roman province of Judea; nor would Europe have
ever gone up in arms tq Palestine, to wrest from the
unbelieving Turk the tomb where that culprit had
slept for only three days and nights after his descent
from. the cross, —much less would his traditionary
instructions, preserved by fishermen and publicans,
have become the chief agency in the renovation of
human society, through after-coming ages.
WM. H. SEWARD.




"COULD I embody and unbosom now,
That which is most within me; —could I wreak
My thoughts upon expression, and thus throw
Soul, heart, mind, passions, feelings strong or weak,
All that I would have sought, and all I seek,
Bear, know, and feel, and breatle,-into one word,
And that one word were lightning "I would speak it, not to crush the oppressor, but to
melt the chains of slave and master, so that both
should go fiee.
NEw YoaiK, November 8tb, 1853.




3      at a         g U r+
SCENE.-A BREAKFAST TABLE.
MRS. GOODMAN, a widow.
FRANx GOODMAN, her son.
1R. FRKEEMAN, a Southern gentleman, brother to Mrs. Goodman.
MR. DRYMANS, a boarder.
MR. FREEMAN. (Sipping his coffee and looking over the
morning paper) reads —
" The, performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin attracts
to the theatre very unusual audiences. In the " genteel row" last evening, we observed the strictest religionists of the day, not excepting puritanic Presbyterians, and the sober disciples of Wesley and Fox.
For ourselves, we must candidly confess we have
never witnessed such a play upon all the emotions of
which humanity is susceptible. Mrs. Stowe, however
unworthy the name of Patriot, is at least entitled to
the credit of seizing the great thought of the age, and




A  DIALOGUE.                 211
embodying it in such a form as to make it presentable
to every order of mind and every class of society.
She says, in effect, to Legislators, let me furnish your
amusements, and I care not who makes your laws."
Politicians would do well to look to this-(laying
down the paper and speaking in a tone of impatience)so, so, Fanaticism is leading to its legitimate results.
Uncle Tom in our parlors, Uncle Tom in our pulpits,
and Uncle Tom in our plays.
Mr. Dryman. Truly " he eateth with publicans and
sinners."
Mr. F. (Not noticing Mr. D.'s remark.) One would
think this last appropriation of the vaunted hero
would be sufficient to convince the most radical of
the demoralizing influence of these publications.
Frank. (Modestly.) How differently people judge.
Why, last evening, when I saw crowds of the hardened and dissipated shedding tears of honest sympathy, when Uncle Tom and Eva sang,
"I see a band of spirits bright,
And conquering palms they bear"I felt that the moral sentiment was asserting its supremacy even in places of amusement.




212              A  DIALOGUE.
Mr. F. Worse and worse, my nephew and namesake a theatre-goer.
Mr. D. (In an under tone.) Namesake! " that's the
unkindest cut of all."
Frank. Not exactly a theatre-goer, uncle, though I
confess I might be, were the performance always as
excellent as last evening.
Mrs. Goodman. Frank, my son, I hope thee will
not attempt to drink from a dirty pool because a pure
stream flows into it.
Frank. But the rank and file of Democracy drank
deep libations to Liberty there, mother.
Mr. D. (Passing his cup.) "Drink deep or taste not
of the Pierian spring."
Mr. F. (Sarcastically.) Take care, you'll be found
using the products of slave labor!
Frank. (Jocosely.)
"Think how many backs have smarted,
For the sweets," &c.
Take a bit of toast,.Mr. Dryman, our northern products are perfectly innocent, you know?
Mr. D. (He1ping himself bouttifully.) "Ask no questions for conscience's sake."




A  DIALOGU.E;               213
Mr. F. The practice of you Northerners is consistent with your professions.
AMr. D. " Consistency, thou art a jewel!"
Frank. It is very hard to be consistent in this
world, uncle. My mother once made a resolution to
use nothing polluted by Intemperance or Oppression,
but finding that it required her to take constant
thought " what we should eat and drink, and wherewithal we should be clothed,'" she was fain to relax
her discipline.
Mrs. G. Frank, thee must not transcend the truth
in thy mirthfulness.
Frank. Well, mother, did not some experiment of
the kind lead to the conclusion, that I might exercise
my freedom in worldly amusements?
Mirs. G. Yes, my son, but thy enthusiasm about the
theatre makes me fear I have gone beyond my light.
Mr. F. (Bitterly.) Never fear, sister, the young man
will soon prove that Abolition Societies and Theatres
are admirable schools of morals.
Frank. Uncle Tom at least has a good moral, and
so has William Tell and Pizarro-indeed I do not remember of ever reading a play which had not.
Mr. F. (In a tone of irony.) When I see a young




214             A  DIALOGUE.
man spending his time at the theatre, in search of good
morals, I think he " pays too dear for his whistle."
Mrs. G. And yet brother Frank speaks the truth.
What success does thee think a play would meet,
which should represent such a man as Uncle Tom
yielding his principles and faith to the will of a
Legree?"
Mr. F. (.With great asperity.)'Do you, too, Rebecca,
advocate theatres?
Mrs. G. It is not of theatres, but of books, that I
am speaking. Does thee recollect any work, the whole
plot and design of which is made to turn upon the
triumph of the wicked over the good?
air. F. (iMusing.) Why —I-don't remember nowFrank (In great surprise.) Why, mother, are there
no books written in favor of Slavery?
Mrs. G. I cannot' think of any book which can be
said to be written for Slavery, in the sense that Uncle
Tom's Cabin is written against it. Such a work is, I
think, impossible. No poet would attempt to portray
its moral aspects, and delineate its beauties, with the
idea of exciting our admiration and approval.
Mr. F. Spoken just like a woman! Your sex always seize upon some thought gained through the sen



A  DIALOGUE.                215
sibilities, and then bring in a decision without farther
investigation.
Frank. And is not the instinct of a woman a more,perfect guide in morals, than the reason of man?
Mr. F. (Sarcastically.) Certainly-if it direct her
son to the theatre.
Mr. D. Or teach him the supremacy of the "Higher
Law."
Frankc. (Wlith warmth.) My mother did not direct
me to the theatre, sir; she has taught me to love
better things; —to her I owe all the lofty sentiments
of virtue and truth.
Mrs. G. Softly, softly Frank, theatres and Slavery
will be quite sufficient for this discussion, without introducing Woman's Rights. (To Mir. Freeman.) Would
it not be more consistent, brother, for thee to disprove
my argument, than to object to my method of obtaining it?
iir. F. Nothing can be easier-you have asserted in
round terms that no work was ever written in favor
of Slavery. What an absurdity! If you have any
information you must know that the southern press
groans with publications upon this topic.
Mrs. G. Still if thee examine the matter, thee will




216             A  DIALOGUE.
find that every one of these books treats Slavery as a
curse, and describes it not as a good but an evil, of
which each man loads the guilt upon his forefathers or
his neighbors.
Mfr. F. Granted they call it a curse, but assuredly
they bring forward a defence.
Mrs. G. Yes, they defend the Constitution; they
defend the rights of the south; they advocate Colonization, or point out the errors of Abolitionists, but
what one in word or in effect advocates the principles
of human Slavery? The truth is, brother, the system
has the literature of the world against it; and the
south ought to see in this reading age an infallible
sign that the days of its cherished institutions are
numbered. Does thee not perceive that every novel
and every poem carries to the parlor; or, if it please
thee, to the theatre, an influence which will eventually
re-act on the ballot-box.
Frank. Do you mean, mother, to include in your
remarks the discourses of Reverend Divines upon the
Patriarchal Institution?
Afrs. G. I cannot except even these; for they acknowledge it an evil, though they contend its exists
by divine ordination, just as they assert Original Sin




A  DIALOGUE.                  217
to be the offspring of Eternal Decrees; but they no
more convince the Slaveholder, that he loves his bondman as himself, than they convict him of the guilt of
Adam's transgression.
Mr. F. What do you say to Webster's great speech
on the compromise measure?
Mirs. G. (Pleasantly.) Is not the moral view of a
question, about as far as a woman's instinct ought to
go?
Mr. F. Oh, no; go on, your strictures are quite
amusing.
ilfrs. G. Well, then, since we have taken the position of a reviewer, we must confess that the last effort of
the great Daniel appears to us to be on an Act of Congress.
Jlir. D. And at the Presidential chair.
Mrs. G. (Continuing.) It did not touch the merits of
slavery at all. Webster knew the feelings of the
constituents too well to attempt such a task.  He
therefore skilfully diverted their attention from his
real issue, to the glorious Union, and its danger from
agitators, and he thus carried with him the sympathies
of many honest haters of oppression.
Mr. F. Well, sister, I do not know but you will
10




218             A  DIALOGUE.
prove that there is not an advocate for slavery on the
face of the earth.
Mrs. G. Only such advocates as there is for robbery
and war. Those who find it for their interest to practice these crimes condemn them in the abstract, or at
most only apologize for them, as necessary and expedient, under peculiar circumstances.
Frank. (Laughing.) Why, mother, I shall certainly
subscribe for your "'North American Review," particularly if you fill the literary department as ably as
you have the moral and political, to test which, let me
propound a question? If the reward of the good be
the charm  of fiction, how do you account for the
pleasure derived from tragedy, where the good are
overwhelmed with the evil?
Mrs. G. (Smiling.) With great diffidence we reply
to the query of our learned friend. The force of
tragedy consists in its depicting evil so ruinous as to
involve even the innocent in the catastrophe; the
pleasure is derived, we think, from the failure of the
mischievous design, and the merited retribution which
falls upon the head of the plotters.  In Romeo, "a
scourge is laid upon the hate of the Montagues and
Capulets, by which  all are punished;" Hamlet's




A DIALOGUE.                    219
wicked uncle is justly served, drinking the poison
tempered by himself; and Iago pulls down ruin upon
himself no less than upon Cassio.
Frank. (Bowing playfully.) Your review meets my
entire approbation, inasmuch as it confirms my doctrine, that theatres always give their verdict in favor
of virtue.
Mr. D. " Casting out devils through Beelzebub."
Mrs. G. The artistic effect of every work of the
imagination is wrought upon what critics call the
"sympathetic emotion of virtue," and the decisions of
this faculty, so far as we understand them, always
correspond with what Christians believe concerning
the " final restitution of all things.".
Frank. The theatre, then, ought to promote good
morals-why does it not?
Mr. D.
"And many worthy men
Maintained it might be turned to good account,
And so perhaps it might, but never was."
Mrs. G. The "sympathetic emotion of virtue," not
having an object, never rises to passion, and therefore never produces action.  Philosophers tell us
that a thought of virtue passing often through the




220.            A  DIALOGUE.
mind, without being wrought out into a fact, weakens
the moral sense; thus people may read the best of
books, and witness the finest exhibitions of moral
beauty, and constantly retrograde in virtue.  The
dissolute characters of players, who continually utter
the loftiest sentiments, and practice the lowest vices,
are accounted for on this principle; and we ought to
judge the theatre as we do slavery, by its demoralizing effect upon those engaged in it.
Mr. F. Do you mean to say, Rebecca, that slaveholding has the same effect upon me that stage-playing has upon the actor?
Mrs. G. Well, brother, I put it to thy own conscience. Does thee not, daily, in dealing with thy slaves,
stifle thy emotions of piety, generosity, and love, and
is it not easier to do this now than it was twenty years
ago, when, with a heart full of tenderness and truth,
thee left us for thy southern home?
Mr. F. (Rising and pacing the room with great agitation.) Now, sister, you are going to introduce another absurdity! Do I practice the principles learned
in the nursery? No, I do not! Do I believe "honesty
is the best policy" and its kindred humbugs? Of
course I don't I Show me the man who does? Do I




A  DIALOGUE.                221
follow the precepts of the sermon on the Mount? Not
I! The man who should undertake to do so would
make himself a perfect laughing-stock. I should like
to see one of your northern hypocrites attempt it.
Ha!.ha! ha!  "Lay not up treasure upon earth,"
and "take no thought for the morrow;" why, what
else do people take thought for, either North or
South? It is not what they shall eat, drink, or wear
to-day, that worries them, but how they shall lay up
something for themselves or their children hereafter.
You silly women are always talking about righteousness, as if you really thought it could enter in human
plans, but we men of the world, who have to wring
the precious dollar from the hard hand of labor, know
better! I tell you, Rebecca, I don't believe there is a
business-man in your pious Quaker city even, who
would dare acquaint his wife and daughters with all
his little arrangements for amassing wealth. Ha! ha!
ha! How the pretty things would stare at the tricks
of the trade, and simper: "Is that right?"  As
though anybody thought business principles were
gospel principles!. As though they expected a man
was going to love his neighbor as himself, when he
was making a bargain with him I It provokes me to




222            A  DIALOGUE.
see you make yourself so ridiculous! You ought to
know that every man acts on the principle, that
"Wealth is the chief good;" and you ought to know,
too, that there the slaveholders have the advantage of
you entirely. They do right to work, and grind it
out of the slaves on a large scale, and call Abraham
and Moses to witness the patriarchal method, while
your northern mercenaries scheme and speculate how
they can turn a penny out of ignorance and poverty,
and have not even the apology of a precedent for
their meanness. Why, one of our generous southern
planters is as far above one of your stingy shave-threecents-on-a-yard-tradesmen, as Robin Hood is above a
miserable tea-spoon burglar. The south sails under
false colors, does it? What flag do your platform
men give to the wind, I should like to know? What
do they care for the Fugitive Slave Law? Half of
them would help a runaway to Canada with as good a
will as they'd eat their dinner. (Coming close and
sitting down, so as to look fixedly in her face.) I'll tell
you what, sister, the chivalry of the south responds to
you northern Christians who prate so loud of brotherhood and charity, in the words of young Cancer to




A  DIALOGUE.                 223
his mother —" Libenter tuis prceceptis obsequar, si te
prius idemfacientem videro."
Mrs. G. (very gently.) These strictures, brother, are
too keenly just. They remind me of Kossuth's assertion, that there is not yet a Christian nation on the
earth, nor yet a Christian church, that dare venture
entirely upon the principles of the Gospel. Still, the
aberration of reformers proves no more in favor of
slavery, than the vices and miseries of civilized life
prove that barbarism is the natural and happy state
of the human race; nay, these very aberrations prove
that a centripetal power counteracts the opposing force,
and holds them within the genial influence of the
sun of truth.
The law of spiritual gravitation is little understood.
But thousands of philosophers are closely observing
the phenomena, and carefully comparing them with
the data given in the Sermon on the Mount; and it is
not too much to hope that this generation will give to
the world a Newton, whose moral mathematics shall
demonstrate that the law of love is the true theory of
individual and national prosperity.
Mr. F. Well, sister, I wish you much joy of your
millennial state; but before the Sermon on the Mount




224             A  DIALOGUE.
becomes the code of nations, I guess you will
findMr. D. (interrupting.) " A little more grape, Captain
Bragg!"
Frank. I tell you, uncle, "there's a good time
coming." Mother is a prophet. I have watched her
words all my life, and I never knew them fall to the
ground.
Mfrs. G. Observe, my friends, that the Sermon on
the Mount puts blessing before requirement. If you
accept these beatitudes as the gift of your Divine
Master, you will find that obedience to the precepts
which follow, is not the unwilling service of a bondsman, but the free and natural action of an unfranchised
spirit.
CLOVER STREET SEM., November 10th, 1853.












.  tine C  of PtWtite  Witt Come
WE are conscious of the odium that rests upon us.
CWe feel that we are wronged; but we are not
impatient for the righting of our wrongs. We bide
our time. The men that shall come after us, will do
us justice. The present generation of America cannot
"judge righteous judgment," in the case of the uncompromising friends of freedom, religion, and law. They
are so debauched and blinded by slavery, and by the
perverse and low ideas of freedom, religion, and law,
which it engenders, that they "call evil good, and
good evil; put darkness for light, and light for darkness; put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." They
have been living out the lie of slavery so long, and
have been, thereby, deadening their consciences so
long, as to be now well nigh incapable of perceiving
the wide and everlasting distinctions between truth
and falsehood.
GERRITT SMITH.
10*




u! WHAT a strange thing is the human heart!
With its youth, and its joy and fear!
It doats upon creatures that day-dreams impart,Full sorely it grieves when their beauties depart,
And weeps bitter tears over their bier.
The veriest gleamings that dart into birth,
Reveal to its being of light:
The dimliest shadows that flit upon earth,
Allure it, with promise of pleasure and mirth
In a country, where never is night.
It leaves the sure things of its own real home,
To pursue the mere phantoms of thought!
WVell knowing, that certain, there soon must come,
An end to the visions, that so gladsome,
It bewilder'd, has eagerly sought.




,  ~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~6igiii.iiii~~iij?1!~il:?!:'?i~~:i








HOPE AND CONFIDENCE.               227
It fleeth the wholesome prose of life,
Vith its riches all sure and told:
And scorning the beauties, that calmly in strife
Truth fashions, it longs for the things all rife
With glitter, and color, and gold.
It buildeth its home'neath an ever calm sky,
Near streams wherein crown-jewels sleep,And there it reposeth: while soothingly nigh,
Some loved one, perchance, doth most wooingly sigh,
As the zephyrs all full-laden creep.
Thus it musingly wasteth its strength, in dreams
Of bliss, that can never prove true:
And ever it revels amid what seems,
A paradise smiling with Hope's warm beams,
And flowers all spangled with dew.
But, even as flowers are broken and fade,
And yield up their perfumes-their souls,So vanish the colors of which dreams are made,So perish the structures on which Hope is staid,
And the treasures to which the heart holds.




228      HOPE AND CONFIDENCE.
In vain does it follow the wandering forms
That promise, yet always recede: —
Too briefly the sunshine is darken'd by storms:
Hope minstrels it onward, yet never informs
Of the dangers unseen, that impede.
The Heart trusts the outward: " Of man'tis the whole."
Thus Confidence clings to decay I
It feels the sweet homage that riches control,And laughs in contempt at the wealth of the soul:
And behold! now, friends wait for their prey.
It trusteth in glory, and beauty, and youth,In love-vows that ne'er are to die:
But soon the Death-king, in whose heart is no ruth,
Enfolds it,-and mounting aloft, of Truthi
Thus sings, as turns glassy the eye.
"There's nothing so lovely and bright below,
As the shapes of the purified mind!
Nought surer to which the weak heart can grow,
On which it can rest, as it onward doth go,
Than that Truth which its own tendrils bind.




HOPE AND CONFIDENCE.              229
"Yes I Truth opes within a pure sun-tide of bliss,
And shows in its ever calm flood,
A transcript of regions, where no darkness is,
Where HOPE its conceptions may realize,
And CONFIDENCE sleep in' The Good."'
0S,. X < r7




To T      Mf
DISINTERESTED benevolence, my dear sir, has
nothing at all to do with abolitionism. Nay, I
doubt very much if there is such a thing -as disinterested benevolence; but be this as it may, there is no
occasion for it in the anti-slavery ranks.
It is selfishness,-sheer selfishness, that has thus far
carried on the war with slavery and wrong in all times;
and selfishness must break the chains of the American
slave.
Self-love has fixed the chain around the arm of every.
leader and every soldier in the American anti-slavery
army. Where would William Lloyd Garrison have
been to-day, if any combination of circumstances could
have shut in his soul's deep hatred of oppression, and
prevented its finding utterance in burning words?




A  LETTER.                  231
He would have been dead and rotten. It is necessary
to his own existence that he should AVwor1k, —worhll for
the slave; and in his work he gratifies all the strongest instincts of his nature, more completely thani even
the grossest sensualist can gratify his, by unlimited indulgence.
Gerritt Smith, too. Suppose he was compelled to
hoard his princely fortune, or spend it as most others
do 1 0 dear! wvhat a dyspeptic wae should have ill six
month.s; ancd (ll the 1:,Tdlropathic institutes in the
country could ie-ver lycep him alive five years.
John P. tHale would soon be done with his rotund
person and jovial face, if he could no longer send the
sharp arrows of his wit and sarcasm  into the consciences of his human-whipping neighbors.
It is a necessity of all great nations to hate meanness, and nothing under God's heaven ever was so
mean as American slavery. Think of it. AJen who
swagger around with  pistols and bowie-knifes to
avenge their insulted honor, if any one should question it, -imagine one turning up his sleeves to horsewhip an old woman for burning his steak, or pocketing her wages, earned at the wash-tub!
No one with a soul above that of a pig-louse, could




232           A  LETTER  THAT
help loathing the system, the instant he saw it in its
native meanness. Then, in order to keep his own
self-respect,-to gratify the love of the good and true
in his own soul, he must express that loathing.
No disinterestedness about doing right, for nobody
can be so much interested in the act as the doer of it.
Wrong-doing is the only possible self-abnegation,
of which the whole range of thought admits.
All the humiliation and agony of the Saviour himself, were necessary to himself. Nothing less could
have expressed the infinite love of the Divine nature;
and in working out a most perfect righteousness for
those he loved, he also wrought out a most perfect
happiness for himself.
The eternal law of God links the happiness of all
the creatures made in His image in an electric chain,
united in the Divine love; and He, who has "a fellowfeeling for our infirmities," has given us a fellow-feeling
with the sufferings of each other. So that no soul in
which the Divine image is not totally obscured, can
know of the misery of another, without a sympathetic
throb of sorrow.
The true heart in Maine cannot know that the slavemother in Georgia is weeping for her children, torn




SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.               233
from her arms by avarice, without feeling her anguish
palpitating in its inmost core.
It is the pulsations of the sympathetic heart which
stretches out the hand to interfere between her and
her aggressor; and abolitionists are just seeking a
soft pillowthat they may " sleep o' nights."
It is selfishness, I tell you, all selfishness! The
great whale when she gives up her own large life to
protect her young one, and the little wren when she
carries all the nice tit bits to her babies, are as true to
themselves as the old pig when she shoulders all her
little family out of the trough.
The whale enjoys death, and the wren her little fellows' supper, with a better zest than an old grunter
does her corn, and Winm. Gildersten in spending money
and laboring to prevent any more scenes of brutal violence in his State, by punishing the one past, gratifies
his own loves and longings quite as much as Judge
Grier in grunting out his wrath against all lovers of
liberty.
The one would enjoy being hanged for the cause of
God and Humanity, more than the other would the
luxury of hanging him, even if'he could have all the
pleasure to himself, —be not only judge and persecu



234               A  LETTER.
tor, as he prefers, but marshal, jailor, and hangman
to boot.
More than this, every creature, so far as other creatures are concerned, has a right to be happy in his own
way. Nero had as much right to wish for power to
cut off all the heads in Italy at one blow, asln innocent pig to wish for capacity to eat all the corn in the
world. Mankind has no right to punish either for the
desire or its manifestation,  They slhould only make
fences to prevent the accomplishment of the wish.
Americans have no right to punish Judge Grier for
wishing to porsecute everybody who attempts to enforce State laws against murderous assaults by his
officers. They should content themselves vitl fencing his Honor in, or, if necessary, putting a ring in
his nose. He has as much right to be Judge Grier as
George 5Washington had to be George Washington,
and: is no more selfish in following the instincts of his
nature, than Washington was in following his.
WVithout any great respect,
I am your friend,




ONCE I wished I might rehea,-rse
Freedom's poean in my verse,
That the slave who caught the strain
Should throb until he snapt his chain.
But the Spirit said, I "Not so;
Speak it not, or speak it low;
Name not lightly to be said,
Gift too precious to be prayed,
Passion not to be exprest
But by heaving of the breast;
Yet, —would'st thou the mountain find
W-here this deity is shrined,
WVho gives the seas and sunsct-skies
Their unspent beauty of surprise,
And, when it lists him, waken can
Brute and savage into man;




236               ON FREEDOM.
Or, if in thy heart he shine,
Blends the starry fates with thine,
Draws angels nigh to dwell with thee,
And makes thy thoughts archangels be;
Freedom's secret would'st thou know?Right thou feelest rashly do.
PA,, ra




careq   "6it
AN ANTI-SLAVERY REMINISCENCE.
SOME years ago a free colored woman, who was born
in New England, and had gone to the south to attend upon some family, was shipwrecked, as she was
returning northwards, on the coast of North Carolina.
She, however, as well as some of the crew of the
vessel, was saved. The half-civilized people of that
region rendered some assistance to the shipwrecked
party; but Mary Smith was detained by one of the
natives as a slave.
The poor woman succeeded in getting a letter
written to some person in Boston, in which the particulars of her story were narrated. Either this letter,
or one afterwards written, contained references to people in Boston who were acquainted with her.




238.             ARY  SMITH.
It was not very easy, even with Lhese references, to
get sufficient evidence to prove the freedom and identity of an obscure person, who had been away from
Boston for some years. A strong interest, however,
was felt in the case wherever it became known. And
Rtev. Samuel Snowden, well-remembered by the name
of Father Snowden, with his usual indomitable energy
and perseverance in aiding persons of his own color
in distress, succeeded in finding people in Boston who
were well acquainted with Mary Smith, and recollected
her having left that place to go to the south. Pursuing his inquiries with great diligence, he ascertained
the place of her birth, which was somewhere in New
Hampshire. I forget the name of the town.
Affidavits were now procured, which established the
place of Mary Smith's birth, her residence in Boston,
and the time of her departure for the south, and other
circumstances to corroborate her story.
Edward Everett, who was at this time Governor of
lMassachusetts,. at the request of Mary Smith's friends,
forwarded the documents they had obtained, accoinpanied with an urgent letter from himself, demanding
her release from captivity, on the ground of her being
a free citizen of Massachusetts.




MARY SMIITH.                239
The Governor of North Carolina replied very
courteously to Governor Everett. He admitted the
right of the woman to her freedom, and acknowledged that no person in North Carolina could lawfully detain her as a slave. But, at the same time he
said, that as Governor, he had no power to interfere
with the person who held her in custody. The decision on her right to freedom, depended on another
department of the government. He promised, however, to write to the man who held her, and solicit her
release.
The remonstrances of the Governor of North Carolina proved successful. Mary Smith soon arrived in
Boston. And some of her old acquaintances who
had given the evidence which led to her release, hastened to meet her and congratulate her on her escape
from bondage. At the meeting tley looked on her
for some moments with astonishment, for they could
trace in her features no resemblance to their former'
companion. A speedy explanation took place, frolm
which it appeared that all the documents sent to
North Carolina related to one Mary Smith; but the
woman whose liberty they procured, was another
Mary Smith.




240                MAIRY SMITH.
Governor Everett had a hearty laugh when Father
Snowden told him the happy result of his letter to the
Governor of North Carolina.
The moral of this story is, that a plain, common
name, is sometimes more useful to its owner, than a
more brilliant one.
NoTE. —I have endeavored to give the facts of Mary Smith's story
with exact accuracy, writing from memory only, without the aid of
anything written. It is possible I may be mistaken in some immaterial circumstance.




REEDOM   and Liberty are synonymes. Freedom
is an  essence; Liberty, an accident. Freedom
is ornm -ith a msan; Liberty may be conferred on him.
Fireedom  is progressive; Libolrty is circumscribed.
Freedom is the gift of God; Liberty, the creature of
society. Liberty may be taken away from  a man;
but, on whatsoever soul Freedom may alight, the course
of that soul is thenceforth onward and upward; society, customs, laws, armies, are but as wythes in its
giant grasp, if they oppose, instruments to work its
wil, if they assent. Human kind welcome the birth
of a free soul with reverence and shoutings, rejoicing
in the advent of a fresh off-shoot of the Divine Whole,
of which this is but a part.
NTfEW-Yosx, -ov. 22d, 1853.




yOU want my autograph. Permit me, then, to sign
myself the friend of every effort for human emancipation in our own country, and throughout the
world. God speed the day when all chains shall fall
from the limbs and from the soul, and universal liberty co-exist with universal righteousness and universal peace. In this work I am
Yours truly,
N&Wvr yorzi, Nov. "of












'.(e  ~glrtg   oll0oiqau  of tIe  ~frtfla of
t1e   1itfksbarrc'ia~gec.
"~HE was approached from behind by Deputy Marshal Wyncoop and his assistants, knocked down
with. a mace and partially shackled. The fugitive,
who had unsuspectingly waited- upon them during
their breakfast at the Phenix Hotel, was a tall, noblelooking, remarkably intelligent, and a nearly white
mulatto; after a desperate effort and severe struggle,
he shook off his five assailants, and with the loss of
everything but a remnant of his shirt, rushed from
the house and plunged into the water, exclaiming: " I
will drown rather than be taken alive." He was pursued and fired upon several times, the last ball taking
effect in his head, his face being instantly covered
with blood. He sprang up and shrieked in great
agony, and no doubt would have sunk at once, but




244        A  DYING  SOLILOQUY.
for the buoyancy of the water. Seeing his condition,
the slave-catchers retreated, coolly remarking that
"dead niggers were not worth taking South."
Than be a slave,
Dread death I'll brave,
And hail the moment near,
When the soul mid pain,
Shall burst the chain
That long has bound it here.
Earth's thrilling pulse,
Man's stern repulse,
This weary heart no longer feels;
Its beating hushed
Its vain hopes crushed,
It craves that life which death reveals.
That moment great
My soul would wait,
In awe and peace sublime;
Nor bitter tears,
Nor slave-born fears,
As I pass from earth to time.




A DYING  SOLILOQUY.              245
The angry past,
Like phantoms vast,
Glides by like the rushing wave;
So soon shall I,
Forgotten lie,
In the depths of my briny grave.
The time shall be,
"When no more sea"
Shall hide its treasures lone;
Then my soul shall rise,
Clothed for the skies,
To find its blissful home.
Foul deeds laid wrong
The whip and thong,
Have scored my manhood's heart,
But ne'er again
Shall fiends constrain
My body to the slave's vile mart.
The'whelming wave,
This corpse shall lave;
Let the winds still pipe aloud,




246       A  DYING  SOLILOQUY.
Let the waters lash,
The white foam dash,
O'er my mangled brow and bloody shroud.
Roll on, thou free,
Unfettered sea,
Thy restless moan, my dirge,
My cradle deep
In my last lone sleep,
Is the scoop of thy hollow surge.
Would I might live,
One glance to give,
To those whose hearts would bless,
Each word of love,
All price above,
As mine to theirs I press.
The wish is vain;
My frenzied brain,
Is dark'ning even now;
Above, above,
Is Heaven's love,
And mercy's wide arched bow.




A. DYING SOLILOQUY.            247
Glad free-born soul
With grateful hold,
Now grasp the gift from Heav'n —
Thy -freedom won,
New life begun,
Forgive, thou'rt there forgiv'n.
/     4   -             zD,




Bot lt at    rce.
TNBOU'0NDED in thy expanse-far reaching
From shore to shore-ever beautiful
Are thy crystal waters —O sea. -
Beautiful —when thy waves, the white pebbles-lave,
When the weary sea-birds sleep, upon the bosom of
-the deep.
But when thy storm-pressed billows burst,
The grasp which man would "lay upon thy mane,"
Then do I most love thee, sea,
Thou emblem of the Free.
When above me beam the stars,
How beautiful in their infinitude of light,
O'er the blue heavens spread, like gems
Upon tle brow of youth!
Far, far Garay, beyond the paths of day,




LET ALL BE FREE.                249
More glorious yet, as suns which never set,
In darkness never! but shining forever I
You are more loved by meYe emblems of the Free.
All earth of the beautiful is full.
Beautiful the streams which leave the rural vales,
Fi inged with scarlet berries and leafy green!
O world' of colors infinite, and lines of ever-varying
grace,
How by sea and shore art thou ever beautiful!
But the torrent rushing by, and the eagle in the sky,
The Alpine heights of snow where man does never go,
Afore lovely are to me,
For they are Free.
Beautiful is man, and yet more beautiful
WVoman: coupled by bare circumstance
Of place or gold, still beautiful.
But this must fade!
Only the soul, grows never old:
They most agree, who most are free:
Liberty is the food of love!
11i*




250           LET  ALL BE FREE.
The heavens, the earth, man's heart, and sea,
Forever cry, let all be Free!
KENTUCKY, 1853.








I
i )70
i:~; 
i
s r
I
~
i
B ~z

Z

 — 
i
s
id
iij:-::  ii::


i ";'
I 1'?MM 5 "::-_-; —1_-     __,,, __
1Ti




To the Editor of the "Autographs for Freedom."
DEAr, MADAM,If the enclosed paragraph from a speech of mine delivered in
May last, at the anniversary meeting of the American and Foreign
Anti-Slavery Society, shall be deemed suited to the pages of the forthcoming annual, please accept it as my contribution.
With great respect,
RocHESTER, November, 1853.
C  - t           t +.
N0  colored man, with any nervous sensibility, can
stand before an American audience without an iAtense and painful sense of the disadvantages imposed
by  his color.   He  feels  little  borne  up  by  that
brotherly sympathy and generous enthusiasm, which
give wings to  the  eloquence, and  strength to the
hearts of other men, who advocate other and more
popular causes. The ground which a colored man
occupies in this country is, every inch of it, sternly




252               EXTRACT.
disputed. Sir, were I a white man, speaking for the
right of white men, I should in this country have a
smooth sea and a fair wind. It is, perhaps, creditable
to the American people (and I am not the man to detract from their credit) that they listen eagerly to the
report of wrongs endured by distant nations. The
Hungarian, the Italian, the Irishman, the Jew and the
Gentile, all find in this goodly land a home; and
when any of them, or all of them, desire to speak,
they find willing ears, warm hearts, and open hands.
For these people, the Americans have principles of
justice, maxims of mercy, sentiments of religion, and
feelings of brotherhood in abundance. But for mny
poor people, (alas, how poor!)-enslaved, scourged,
blasted, overwhelmed, and ruined, it would appear
that America had neither justice, mercy, nor religion.
She has no scales in which to weigh our wrongs, and
no standard by which to measure our rights. Just
here lies the grand difficulty of the colored man's
cause. It is found in the fact, that we may not avail
ourselves of the just force of admitted American principles. If I do not misinterpret the feeliongs and philosophy of my white fellow-countrymen generally, they
wish us to understand distinctly and fully that they




EXTRACT.                 253
have no other use for us whatever, than to coin dollars out of our blood.
Our position here is anomalous, Lunequal, and extraordinary. It is a position to which the most courageous of our race cannot look without deep concern.
Sir, we are a hopeful people, and in this we are fortunate; but for this trait of our character, we should
have, long before this seemingly unpropitious hour,
sunk down under a sense of utter despair.
Look at it, sir. Here, upon the soil of our birth, in
a country which has known us for two centuries,
among a people who did not wait for us to seek them,
but who sought us, found us, and brought us to their
own chosen land,-a people for whom we have performed the humblest services, and whose greatest comforts and luxuries have been won from the soil by our
sable and sinewy arms,-I say, sir, among such a
people, and with such obvious recommendations to
favor, we are far less esteemed than the veriest
stranger and sojourner.
Aliens are we in our native land. The fundamental
principles of the republic, to which the humblest white
man, whether born here or elsewhere, may appeal
with confidence in the hope of awakening a favorable




254              EXTRACT.
response, are held to be inapplicable to us. The
glorious doctrines of your revolutionary fathers, and
the more glorious teachings of the Son of God, are
construed and applied against us. We are literally
scourged beyond the beneficent range of both authorities,-human and divine. We plead for our rights, in
the name of the immortal declaration of independence,
and of the written constitution of government, and we
are answered with imprecations and curses. In the
sacred name of Jesus we beg for mercy, and the slavewhip, red with blood, cracks over us in mockery. We
invoke the aid of the ministers of Him who came " to
preach deliverance to the captive," and to set at liberty them that are bound, and from the loftiest summits of this ministry comes the inhuman and blasphemous response, saying: if one prayer would move the
Almighty arm in mercy to break your galling chains,
that prayer would be withheld. We cry for help to
humanity-a common humanity, and here too we are
repulsed. American humanity hates us, scorns.us,
disowns and denies, in a thousand ways, our very personglity. The outspread wing of American Christianity, apparently broad enough to give shelter to a
perishing world, refuses to cover us. To us, its bones




EXTRACT.                  255
are brass, and its feathers iron. In running thither
for shelter and succor, we have only fled from the
hungry bloodhound to the devouring wolf,-from a
corrupt and selfish world to a hollow and hypocritical
church.




(,r~tratt from a      Dri lipbtis   ahlnt olt
On, Freedom! when thy morning march began,
Co6val with the birth and breath of nman;
Who that could view thee in that Asian clime,
God-born, soul-nursed, the infant heir of timeWho that could see thee in that Asian court,
Flit with the sparrow, with the lion sport,
Talk with the murmur of the babbling rill
And sing thy summer song upon the hill~Who that could know thee as thou wast inwrought
The all in all of nature's primnal thought,
And see thee given by Omniscient mind,
A native boon to lord, and brute, and wind,
Could e'er have dreamed with fate's prophetic sleep,
The darker lines thy horoscope would keep,
-Or trembling read, thro' tones with horror thrilled,
The damned deeds thy future name would gild?




ON FREEDOM.                           257
Lo! The swart chief of Afric's vergeless plains,
Poor Heaven-wept child of nature's joys and pains,
Mounts his fleet steed with wind-directed course,
Nor checks again his free unbridled horse,
But lordless, wanders where his will inclines
From Tuats heats to Zegzeg's stunted pines I
View him, ye craven few, ye living-dead I
Wrecks of a being whence the soul has fled I
Ye Goths and Vandals of his plundered coast I
Ye christian Bondous, who of feeling boast,*
Who quickly kindling to historic fire
Coutemn a Marius' or a Scylla's ire,t
* " Ye Christian Bondous who of feeling boast I"
Unable in the whole range of my vernacular, to find an epithet
sufficiently expressive to enunciate the aggravated contempt which all
feel for that pseudonymous class of philanthropists, who flauntingly
parade a pompous sympathy with popular and distant distresses, but
studiously cultivate a coarse ignorance of, and hauteur to, the Greeks,
which "are at the door," I have had recource to the Metonymy, Bondou,
as rendered mournfully significant through the melancholy fate of
the illustrious Houghton.-Vide Report African Discovery Society.. "Contemn a Marius' or a Scylla's ire."
Napoleon in his protest to Lord Bathurst, provoked by the petty
tyranny of Sir Hudson Lowe, said of the " Proscriptions," and (by negative inference) in extenuation of them, that they "were made with the
blood yet fresh upon the sword." A sentence, which, falling from the lips
of one of the most imperturbably cool and calculating of mankind, under circumstances superinducing peculiar reflection on every word
uttered, cannot but come with the force of a whole volume of excoria



258                  ON FREEDOJI.
Or kindly lulled to sympathetic glow,
Lament the martyrs of some far-off woe,
And tender grown, with sorrow hugely great,
Weep o'er an Agis' or Jugurtha's fate! a
Viexv him, ye hollow heartlings as he stalks
The dauntless monarch of his native walks
Breathes the warm  odor which the girgir bears,t
five evidence against the demoralization of war, even upon the most
abstracted and elevated natures.-Vide Letters of lliolt/0olon and Las
Cdses.
* "Weep o'er an Agis' or Jugurtha's fate."
Agis, King of Lacedemon and colleague of Leonidas, was a youth of
singular purity and promise. Aiming to correct the abuses which had
crept into the Spartan polity, he introduced regenerative laws.
Among others, one for the equalization of property, and as an exampie of disinterested liberality, shared his estate with the community.
Unappreciated by the degenerated Senate however, he was deposed,
and, with his whole family, strangled by order of the ingrate State.Edin. BEncyc.
It is said that when Jugurtha was led before the car of the conquerer, he lost his senses. After the triumph he was thrown into
prison, where, whilst they were in haste to strip him, some tore his
robes off his back, and others, catching eagerly at his pendants, pulled
off the tips of his ears with them. When he was thrust down naked
into the dungeon, all wild and confused, he said, with a friantic smile,
"Heavens! how cold is this bath of yours i" There struggling for six
days with starvation, and to thelast hour laboring for the preservation of his life, he came to his end.-Pliut. Cai. 2~ar.
t "Breathes the warm odor which the girgir bears."
The girgir, or the geshe el aube, a species of flowering grass.
Piercing, fragrant, and grateful in its odor, it operates not unlike
a mild stimulant, when respired for any length of time, and is
found chiefly near the borders of small streams and in the vicinage
of the Tassada.-Lyn. Gui. and Soud.




ON FREEDOM.                        259
Shouts the fierce music of his savage airs,
Or madly brave in hottest chase pursues
The tawny monster of the desert dews;
Eager, erect, persistent as the storm,
Soul in his mien, God's image in his form I
Yes, view him thus, from Kaffir to Soudan,
And tell me, worldlings, is the black a man?
See, the full sun emerging from the deep,
Climbs with red eye, the light-illumined steep,
And brightl-r beautiful continuous smiles
A fecund blessing on those Indian Isles!
Like eastern woods which sweeten as they burn,
So, the parched earths to odorous flowrets turn,
And feathered fayes their murmurous wings expand,
Waked by the magic of his conjuror's wand,
Flash their red plumes, and vocalize each dell
Where browse the fecho and the dun-gazelle,*
* "Where browse the fecho and the dun-gazelle."
Among the wild animals are prodigious numbers of the varlcolored species of the gazelle, the bohur sassa, fecho, and madoqua. They are extremely numerous in the provinces depopulated
by war and slavery, enjoying the wild oats of the deserted hamlets
without fear of molestation from a returning population.-Notes on
Central A4frica.




260                ON FREEDOM.
While half forgetful of her changing sphere,
The loathful summer lingers year by year.
Here, in the light of God's supernal eyeIIis realms unbounded, and his woes a sighThlc dusky son of evening placed whileome
Found iwith the Gnu an ever-vernal home,
And wiser than Athenas' wisest schlools,*
Nor led by zealots, nor scholastic rules,
Gazed at the stars that stud yon tender blue,
And hoped, and deemed the cheat of death untrue;
* "And wiser than Athenas' wisest schools,
Nor led by zealots, nor scholastic rules,
Gazed at the stars which stud yon tender blue,
And hoped and deemed the cheat of death untrue."
Though Socrates and Plato, particularly the former, are generally
admitted by writers of authority, among whom, indeed, are
Polycarpe, Chrysotom, and Eusebius, to have in a manner suspected rather than believed, the immortality of the soul; yet we
have no evidence of their ever having, by the finest process of
ratiocination, so thoroughly convinced themselves as to introduce
it generally as a tenable thesis on the portico. A beautiful thread
of implicit belief and fervent hope, of after life, assimilating to the
hmuil1inch-glround of our own American Indians, and though sensuous
s.l.1 step far in advance of the black void of ancient philosophy,
has always run through the higher mythologies of the Negro. So
notorious, indeed, was the fact among early Christians, that that
ubiquitous riddle, "Prestor John," was, by believers, regarded as
naving a locale in Central Africa; while Henry of Portugal actually despatched two ambassadors, Corvilla and Payvan, to a
rumored Christian court, south of the Sahara.-Edin. Encyc. Early
Chris. His. Port.




ON. FREEDOM.                       261
Yet, supple sophist to a plastic mind*
Saw gods inll  oods and spirits in the wind,
Heard in the tones that stirred the waves within,
The mingled voice of Hadna and Odin,
Doomed the fleeced tenant of the wild to bleed
A guileless votive to his harmless creed,
Then gladly grateful at each rite fulfilled,
Sought the cool shadow where the spring distilled,
And lightly. lab'rous thro' the torpid day,
Whiled in sweet peace the sultry eve away.
Or if perchance to nature darkly true,
He strikes the war-path thro' the midnight dew,
Steals in the covert on the sleeping foe,
And wreaks the horrors of a barbarous woe;
Yet, yet returning to the home-girt spot* "Yet supple sophist to a plastic mind,
Sees gods in woods, and spirits in the wind."
The imagination of the African, like his musical genius, which
extracts surprising harmony from the rudest of sources, the clapping
of hands, the clanking of chains, the resonance of lasso wood, and
perforated shells, seems to invest everything with a resident spirit
of peculiar power. Accordingly, his mythologies are mostnumerous
and poetical-his entire catalogue of superior gods alone, embracing a more extended length than the Assyro-Babylon Alphabet,
with its three hundred letters.




262                 ON FREEDOld.
The vengeful causes and the deed forgot —*
Where greenest boughlls o'er sloping banks impend,
And gurgling waves to bosky dells descend;
Intent the long expectant brood to sea,
He halts beneath the broad acacia tree;
And warmly pressed by wonder-gloating eyes,
Displays the vantage of each savage prize;
Stills with glad pride and plundered gems, uncouth,
The ardent longings of his daughter's youth;
Bids the dark spouse the tropic meal prepare,
Mid laughing echoes from the bird-voiced air;
Passes before him in a fond review
The merry numbers of his crisp-haired crew;t
e " Te vengeful causes and the deed forgot."
All travellers agree in the facile ductility and inertia-like amiability of the native African character.-Br.EwTEIR on Africa.
f' The merry numbers of his crisp-haired crew."
The negro race is, perhaps, the most prolific of all the human
species.  Their infancy and youth are singularly happy.  The
parents are passionately fond of their  children. —GoLBURn's
Travels.
"Strike me," said my attendant, "but do not curse my mothler."
The same sentiment I found universally to prevail.
Some of the first lessons in which the lMandings women instruct
their children is the practice of truth. It vrwas the only consolation
for a negro mother, whose son had been murdered by the Moors,
that "the boy had never told a lie." —PAK's Traves.




ON FREEDOM.                          263
Recounts the dangers of the last night's strife,
Joys with their joy, and lives their inner life;
And then when slow the lengthened day expires,
AMid twilight balms and star-enkindled fires,
With il  al the father sees each form  retire,
A ruthless heathen, but a loving sire.*
Innocuously thus, thro' long, long years
Untaught by learning, yet unknown to fears,
The swartlhy Afric while I the jodund hours,
A  petted child  ~f ni t.er;s rosiest bowers,
Till lured by wealth the hardy Portuguese,t
Seeks the green waters of his Eastern seas,' "With all the father sees each form retire,
A ruthless heathen, but a loving sire."
"Or led the combat, bold without a plan,
An artless savage, but a fearless man."
CAMPBELL.
1 "Till lured by wealth the hardy Portuguese,
Sought the green waters of his Eastern seas,
And venturous nations more excursive grown,
Pierced his glad coast from radiant zone to zone."
Vasquez de Gama, a Portuguese nobleman, was the first to discover a maritime passage to the Indies; unless, perhaps, we credit
the improbable achievement of the Phoenicians, related by Herodotus as occurring, 604 B.c.
De Gama doubled the cape in 1498, explored the eastern shores as
far as Melinda, in Zanguebar, and sailing thence arrived at Calcutta
in 5May. This expedition, second to none in its results, save that of




264                0 N  F 1 E IrE     r i.
And venturous nations more excursive grown,
Scan his glad coast from  radiant zone to zone,
Then Fortune's minion in a foreign clime,
Cursed by his own and damned to later time,
Of incest born and by the chances thrown
A tainted alien on a ravished throne,
Gapes the foul flatteries of a fawning train,
And fatuous mock'ries, which themselves disdain,
A fancied monarch, but the witless sport
Of adulation, and a practiced court,
Vaunts to his broad realms and Timour-like proclaims
Illusive titles of barbaric names,
Cheats his own nature, and now generous grown,*
Columbus six years before, drew the attention of all Europe. Whole
nations became actuated by the same enthusiasm, and private companies of merchants sent out whole fleets on voyages of discovery,
scouring the entire coast from Cape Verd to Gaudfui, and discovering the Mascharenhas and most of the islands of the Ethiopean
Archipelago.
* "Cheats his own nature and now generous grown,
Dispenses realms and empires not his own."
Charles V. granted a patent to one of his Flemish favorites, containing an exclusive right to import four thousand negroes!-Hist.
Slavery.
The crime of havingfirst recommended the importation of African
slaves into America, is due to the Flemish nobility, who obtained a
monopoly of four thousand negroes, which they sold to some Genoese merchants for 25,000 ducats.-Life of Cardinal Ximenes.
They (the Genoese) were the first to bring into a regular form,




ON  FREEDOM.                    265
Dispenses souls and empires not his own,
Draws the deep purple round his royal seat,
Lifts his low crest, affects the God complete,
By giving with light breath, oh, shame to tell!
These heirs of leav'n unto the fate of hell.
Sped by the mandate of his recreant train,
Lo! commerce, broad winged seraph of the main!
Shodk her white plumage and coqueting, won
Propitious favors from the southern sun,
Till manly hearts and keel-impelling gales,
Furled on the coast her half-reluctant sails.
Abashed, amazed, with fear-dilated eye
The marvelling tribes these new-born wonders spy;
See from the shore, bright glittering in the sun,
The moving freightage of each galleon;
Wait till the measured strokes of oars bring near
These way-lost wanderers of another sphere,
Then timorously glad, yet awe-struck still,
Lead from the sunshine to the breezy hill;
With courteous grace a resting place assign'Neath rustling leaves and grape-empurpled vine,
that commerce for slaves, between Africa and America, which has
since grown to such an amazing extent.-Robertson.
12




266             ON FREEDOM-.
And led by craft in artless pride make known
The lustrous lurements of their gorgeous zone,
As in the field some skilful ranger sets
The fraudful cordage of his specious nets,
Places some fragrant viand in the snare,
And captive takes the unsuspicious hare;
So the bold strangers with superior will
Lay their base plans with disingenuous skill,
Ope their stored treasures and with art display
Their worthless figments to the air of day,
Roll their large lids, and with grave gestures laud
Each tinsel trinket and each painted gaud;
With mystic signs of strange import apply
Some gew-gaw bauble to the gloating eye;
Touch with nice skill, yet craft-dissembled smile,
Gems from the mine and spices from the Isle,
Affect no care, yet hope a thrifty saleThe wealth of Empires in th' opposing scaleWhile he, the poor victim of their selfish creed,
Prescient of evil art foredoomed to bleed,
Pleased yet alarmed, desiring but deterred,
Flutters still nearer like a snake-charmed bird;
Alas, too often taken with a toyToo soon to weep a kindred fate with Troy I




ON FIREEDOM.                       267
Evils received, like twilight stars dilate,
The less the light, the larger grows their state;
Thus the first error in that savage air,
Spreads as a flame, and leaves a ruin there.
Too dearly generous and too warmly true,*
The simple black wears out the fatal clew,From barter flies to trade; from trade to wants;
From wants to interests and derided haunts;
Thence, rolls from off the once-sequestered shore,
The turgid tide of havoc and of war;
No warning ringing from the red adunes,
No prophets rising, and no Laocoons,
Remotest tribes the baleful influence own;
Feel to extremes, and at their centres groan.
Now laughs the stranger at their anguished throes,t
Feeds on their ills, and battens on their woes;
* "Too warmly generous and dearly true,
The simple black," &c.
It will remain an indelible reproach on the name of Europeans,
that for more than three centuries their intercourse with the.
Africans has only tended to destroy their happiness and debase
their character.-Edin. Ency.
f " Now laughs the stranger at their anguished throes."
The arts of the slave-merchant have inflamed the hostility of
their various tribes, and heightened their ferocity by sedulously increasing their wars.-Ibid.




268                 ON FREEDOM.
Glads his freed conscience at each pillaged mine,
And finds forgiveness at a Christian shrine;
By specious creeds and sophists darkly taught,*
To semble virtue and dissemble thought,
With Saviour-seeming smile, adds fuel to the flame,Ulysses' craft, without Ulysses' aim,And sadly faithful to his dark designs,
Fiction improves; heroic rage refines;
For lo! Achilles, victor of the train!
Draws Hector lifeless, round the Ilian plain;
But ah! these later Greeks more cruel strive,
And bind their victim to the load alive!
Oh, beats there, Heaven, beneath thy gorgeous blue,
One heart so basely to itself untrue,
So dead of pulse, and so insensate grown,
It feels not such a cause dear as its own?
* "By specious creeds and sophists darkly taught."
Hamlet's advice to his offending mother;" Assume a virtue, tho' you have it not."
Adding hypocrisy to avowed unworthiness, was the acknowledged
injunction of the church, wherever and whenever she participated
in secular affairs, with a view of emolument. For a peculiar illustration of this favorite doctrine, see Clement VI.'s edict, when, in
virtue of the right arrogated by the holy see to dispose of all countries
belonging to the heathen, he erected (1344) the Canaries into a kingdom, and disposed of them to Lewis de la Corda, a prince of Castile.




ON FREEDOM.                      269
Dwells there a being'neath thine eye, oh, God!
A fellow-worm from out the self-same clod,
Whose fevered blood does not impatient boil,
Fierce as a tiger's in the hunter's toil,
To see degenerate men and States prolong,
So foul a deed-so thrice accursed a wrong?
Tell me, ye loud-voiced winds that ceaseless roll,
Eternal miracles from pole to pole,
Breathes-there on earth so vile and mean a thing
That crushed, it will not turn again and sting?
And say! ye tyrants in your boasted halls,
Read ye no warnings on your darkened walls?
Hear ye no seeming mutterings of the cloud
Break from the millions which your steps have bowed?
Think ye, ye hold in your ignoble thrall,
Mind, soul, thought, taste, hope, feeling, valor, all?
No; these unfettered scorn your nerveless hand,
Sport at their will, and scoff at your command,
Range through arcades of shadow-brooding palms,
Snuff their free airs and breathe their floating balms,
Or bolder still, on fancy's fiery wing-*' "Or bolder still on fancy's fiery wing." 
That I do not exaggerate the belle lettres and classical accomplishments of at least two of the "chattels" of the "peculiar institution," in the lines following the above, see "Poems written by
Rosa and Maria," property of South Carolina, and published in 1834.




270               ON  FREEDOM.
Caught from their letters at the noon-day springWith star-eyed science, and her seraph train
Read the bright secrets of yon azure plain;
Hear Loxian murmurs in Rhodolphe's caves*
Meet with sweet answers from  the nymph-voicea
waves;
Sit with the pilot at Phoenicia's helm,
And mark the boundries of the Lybian realm;
See swarthy Memnon in the grave debate,
Dispute with gods, and rule a conqu'ring state,
And warmly and kindling dare-yes, dare to hope,
A second Empire on the future's scope!
And thou, my country, latest born of time!
Dearest of all, of all the most sublime!
How long shall patriots own, with blush of shame,
So foul a blot upon so fair a name?
How long thy sons with filial hearts deplore,
A Python evil on thy Cyprean shore?
* "Hear Loxian murmurs in Rodolphe's caves."
Loxian is a name frequently given to Apollo by Greek writers
and is met with, more than once, in the " Choephorae of Eschylhs."
-Camp bell.
Euripides mentions it three times, and Sophocles twice, its
euphony recommends it more than any other name of the fairhaired god.




ON FREEDOM.                 271
What! and wilt thou, the moral Hercules
Whose youth eclipsed the dream of Pericles,
Whose trunceant bands heroically caught,
The Spartan phalanx with the Attic thought,
The wizard throne of age-nursed error hurled,
Defied a tyrant and transfixed a woorld!
Wilt thou see Afric like old Priam sue,
The bones of children as in nature due,
And foully craven, ingrate-like forget,
Thy life, thy learning's her dishonored debt?
Say; wilt not thou, whose time-ennobling sonsThy Jay's, thy Franklin's and thy Washington's,
Caught the bright cestus from fair freedom's God,
And bound it as a girdle to thy sod;
Ah! wilt not thou with generous mind confess
The might of woe, the strength of helplessness?
High-Heaven's almoner to a world oppressed,
WVho in the march of nations led the rest! 
WVill there no Gracchus in thy Senate stand
And speak the words that millions should command?
No Clysthementhe'neath thy broad arched dome,
Predict the fortunes with the crimes of Rome?
" And in the march of nations led the van."
Campbell.




272            ON FREEDOM.
Shall time yet partial in his cycling course,
Bring thee no Fox, no Pitt, no Wilberforce?
Still must thou live and corybantic die,
A traceless meteor in a clouding sky;
Thy name a cheat; thyself, a world-wide lie?
No; there will come, prophetic hearts may trust,
Some embryo angel of superior dust,
With brow of cloud and tongue of livid flameAnother Moses, but in time and nameWhose Heaven-appealing voice shall bid thee pass —
On either hand a wall of living glass;Ope for the Lybian with convulsive shock
His more than Horeb's adamantine rock,
And gazing from some second Pisgah, see
Thy idol broken and thy people free.
RICHMOND, Dec. 1st, 1853.








/
~-N~~~~~~~~~~~~~/,':~'............. -~,"':'eP~~ass~s+
i~,....  ~
~~c~~~:   -''~~~~-   ~..




BArOOKLYN, December 6th, 1853.
DEAR SIR,Your note of November 29th, requesting a
line from me for the Autographs for Freedom, is received.
I wish that I had something that would add to the
literary value of your laudable enterprise. In so great
a cause as that of human liberty, every great interest
in society ought to have a voice and a decisive testimony. Art should be in sympathy with freedom and
literature, and all human learning should speak with
unmistakable accents for the elevation, evangelization,
and liberation of the oppressed. In a future day, the
historian cannot purge our political history from the
shame of wanton and mercenary oppression. But
there is not, I believe, a book in the literature of our
12-*




274              A  LETTER.
country that will be alive and known a hundred years
hence, in which can be found the taint of despotism.
The literature of the world is on the side of liberty.
I am very truly yours.








-- -"iC
fiij
II'===i,jiliv-rraa8ijildsfpr,ii -~ —~PPKPaaar%;4nasmmn —4-;~t-s-La-ip 3JJ r Ir-~~~sssh'B-4~~'0~-; -— i-Sllilja4-I~tfiP
I~:;1 "6't~:!\:;r
1;I~ —cP7Pirt~sjjeiE maumnnumul —nRLnuu~lmn-n I~-I --- PaaaaanparaPPitrxetL-li=
I-L
-uno,own,nwauroI 5554t;'iif
 —:-:
i ~
I;;; r;-~s 'r!
.~ =
rr -'~ ~.r

hr
-5:








~ —----— ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~.i~? —-t-~ —
_~ —~~ —~~~~ —-_-:-,~-:=....=I:.~_. —_ -.~.__ ~ —:_-:=~ —----  s'~~~ —....,....
PLAYFORI)  HALL, SUFFOLi[.    The scat of Thomas Ciai',~~'koi,~
=-=- ------ --- - -~i_~-;-_;~Z-=_;_I_ L i:_ —~;=~ ~ _~;~-:   ~-~~~-~i~~  o




g   ea~  5ellt at atfaoir  Watt.
IT was a pleasant morning in May,-I believe that is
the orthodox way of beginning a story,-when C.
and I took the cars to go into the country to Playford
Hall. "And what's Playford Hall?" you say. "And
why did you go to see it?" As to what it is, here is
a reasonably good picture before you. As to why, it
was for many years the residence of Thomas Clarkson,
and is now the residence of his venerable widow and
her family.
Playford Hall is considered, I think, the oldest of
the fortified houses in England, and is, I am told, the
only one that lhas water in the moat. The water
which is seen girdling the wall in the picture, is the
moat; it surrounds the place entirely, leaving no
access except across the bridge, which is here represented.




278            A DAY SPENT AT
After crossing this bridge, you come into a green
court-yard, filled with choice plants and flowering
shrubs, and carpeted wvith that thick, soft, velvet-like
grass, which is to be found nowhere else in so perfect
a state as in England.
The water is fed by a perpetual spring, -whose
current is so sluggish  as scarcely to be perceptible, but which yet has the vitality of a running
stream.
It has a dark and glassy stillness of surface, only
broken by the forms of the water plants, whose leaves
float thickly over it.
The walls of the moat are green with ancient moss,
and from  the crevices springs an abundant flowering
vine, whose delicate leaves and bright yellow fiowers
in some places entirely mantled the stones with their
graceful drapery.
The picture I have given yoCa represents only one
side of the moat.  The other side is grown up with
(lark and thick shrubbery and ancient trees, risinc
and embowering the whole place, addling to t1he reti:di
and singular effect of the whol-.                 S 
specimen of a sort of thing which dces i,:t C(iSt  ihi
America.  It is cue of those significaint li'ndmuarks




PLAYFORD HEALL.                 279.h-icl unite the present with the past, for which we
-- Ist return to the country of our origin.
Play7ford Hall is a thing peculiarly English, and
Thomas Clarkson, for whose sake I visited it, was as
peculiarly an Englishman,-a specimen of the very
best kind of English mind and character, as this is of
characteristic English architecture.
WVe Anglo-Saxons have won a hard name in the
world. There are undoubtedly bad things which are
true about us.
Taking our developments as a race, both in England
and America, we may be justly called the Romans of
the nineteenth century. WVe have been the race
which has conquered, subdued, and broken in pieces,
other weaker races, with little regard either to justice
or mercy. With regard to benefits by us imparted to
conquered nations, I think a better story, on the
whole, can be made out for the Romans than for us.
WVitness the treatment of the Chinese, of the tribes of
India, and of our ow n American Indians.
But still there is an Anglo-Saxon blood, a vigorous
sense of justice, as appears in our Habeas Corpus, our
jury trials, and other features of State organization,
and, when this is tempered in individuals, with the




2801         A  DAY SPENT AT
elements of gentleness and compassion, and enforced
by that energy and indomitable perseverance which
are characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon mind, they form
a style of philanthropists peculiarly efficient.  In
short, the Anglo-Saxon is efficient, in whatever he
sets himself about, whether in crushing the weak, or
lifting them up.
Thomas Clarkson was born in a day when good,
pious people, imported cargoes of slaves from Africa,
as one of the regular Christianized modes of gaining
a subsistence, and providing for them and their households. It was a thing that everybody was doing, and
everybody thought they had a right to do. It was
supposed that all the coffee, tea, and sugar in the
world were dependent on stealing men, women, and
children, and could be got no other way; and as to
consume coffee, sugar, rice, and rum, were evidently
the chief ends of human existence, it followed that
men, women, and children, must be stolen to the end
of time.
Some good people, when they now and then heard
an appalling story of the cruelties practiced in the
slave ship, declared that it was really too bad, sympathetically remarked, "What a sorrowful world we




PLAYFOIRD  HALL.               281
live in," stirred their sugar into their tea, and went
on as before, because, what was there to do-hadn't
everybody always done it, and if they didn't do it,
wouldn't somebody else?
It is true that for many years individuals, at different times, remonstrated, had written treatises, poems,
stories, and movements had been made by some religious ladies, particularly the Quakers, but the opposition had amounted to nothing practically efficient.
The attention of Clarkson was first turned to the
subject by having it given out as the theme for a prize
composition in his college class, he being at that time
a sprightly young man, about twenty-four years of
age. He entered into the investigation with no other
purpose than to see what he could make of it as a college theme.
He says of himself: " I had expected pleasure from
the invention of arguments, from the arrangement of
them, from the putting of them together, and from
the thought, in the interim, that I was engaged in an
innocent contest for literary honor, but all my pleasures were damped by the facts, which were now continually before me.
"It was but one gloomy subject from morning till




282           A  DAY  SPENT AT
night; in the day time I was uneasy, in the night I
1had little rest, I sometimes never closed my eyelids
for grief."
It became not now so much a trial for academical
reputation as to write a work which should be useful
to Africa. It is not surprising that a work, wvritten
under the force of such feelings, should have gained
the prize, as it did. Clarkson was summoned from
London to Cambridge, to deliver his prize essay
publicly. He says of himself, on returning back to
London: 6 The subject of it almost wholly engrossed
my thoughts.  I became at times very seriously
affected while on the road. I stopped my horse occasionally, dismounted, and walked.
" I frequently tried to persuade myself that the contents of my essay could not be true, but the more
I reflected on the authorities on which they were
founded, the more I gave them  credit. Coming in
sight of Wade's Mill, in Hertfordshire, I sat down disconsolate on the turf by the roadside, and held my
horse.  Here a thought came into my mind, that
if the contents of the essay were true, it was time
that solmlebody slhould see these calamities to an
end."




PLAYFORD  HALL                  283
These reflections, as it appears, were put off for
awhile, but returned again.
This young and noble heart was of a kind that could
not comfort itself so easily for a brother's sorrowK as
many do.
He says of himself: "In the course of the autumn
of the same year, I walked frequently into the woods
that I might think of the subject in solitude, and find
relief to my mind there; but there the question still
recurred,'are these things true?' Still the answer
followed as instantaneously,'they are;' still the result
accompanied it,-surely some person should interfere.
I began to envy those who had seats in Parliament,
riches, and widely-ex-iended connections, which would
enable tlhem to take up this cause.
"Finding scarcely any one, at the time, who thought
of it, I was turned frequently to myself, but here
many difficulties arose. It struck me, among others,
that a young man only twenty-four years of age could
not have that solid judgment, or that knowledge of
men, manner's, and things, which vwere requisite to
2qualify;i.a to uiindclrtake    a task of such magnitude
landij  importance; alnd  with whom  was I to unite?  I
L-blieved, also, that it looked so much like one of the




284          A  DAY SPENT AT
feigned labors of Hercules, that my understanding
would be suspected, if I proposed it."
He however resolved to do something for the cause
by translating his essay from Latin into English, en-.larging and presenting it to the public.  Immediately on the publication of this essay, he discovered to his astonishment and delight, that he was
not the only one who had been interested in this
subject.
Being invited to the house of William Dillwyn,
one of these friends to the cause, he says: " How surprised was I to learn, in the course of our conversation, of the labors of Granville Sharp, of the writings
of Ramsey, and of the controversy in which the latter
was engaged, of all which I had hitherto known nothing. How surprised was I to learn that William Dillwyn had, himself, two years before, associated himself
with five others for the purpose of enlightening the
public mind on this great subject.
"How astonished was I to find, that a society had
been formed in America for the same object. These
thoughts almost overpowered me.  MNy mind was
overwhelmed by the thought, that I had been providentially directed to this house; the finger of Provi



PLAYFORD  HALL.                285
dence was beginning to be discernible, and that the
day-star of African liberty was rising."
After this he associated with many friends of the
cause, and at last it became evident that in order to
effect anything, he must sacrifice all other prospects in
life, and devote himself exclusively to this work.
He says, after mentioning reasons which prevented
all his associates from doing this: " I could look, therefore, to no person but myself; and the question was,
whether I was prepared to make the sacrifice. In favor of the undertaking,I urged to myself that never
was any cause, which had been taken up by man, in
any country or in any age, so great and important;
that never was there one in which so much misery was
heard to cry for redress; that never was there one in
which so much good coul  be done; never one in
which the duty of christian charity could be so extensively exercised; never one more worthy of the
devotion of a whole life towards it; and that, if a
man thought properly, he ought to rejoice to have been
called into existence, if he were only permitted to become an instrument in forwarding it in any part of
its progress.
"Against these sentiments, on the other hand, I had




286           A  DAY  SPENT AT
to urge that I had been designed for the church; that
I had already advanced as far as deacon's orders in it;
that my prospects there on account of my connections
where then brilliant; that, by appearing to desert my
profession, my family would be dissatisfied, if not unhappy. These thoughts pressed upon me, and rendered the conflict difficult.
"But the sacrifice ofmy prospects staggered me, I own,
the most. When the other objections which I have related, occurred to me, my enthusiasm instantly, like a
flash of lightning, consumed them; but this stuck to
me, and troubled me. I had ambition. I had a thirst
after worldly interest and honors, and I could not extinguish it at once. I was more than two hours in
solitude under this painful conflict.  At length I
yielded, not because I saw any reasonable prospect of
success in my new undertaking, for all cool-headed
and cool-hearted men would have pronounced against
it; but in obedience, I believe, to a higher Power.
And I can say, that both on the moment of this resolution, and for some time afterwards, I had more sub.
lime and happy feelings than at any former period of
my life."
In order to show how this enterprise was looked




PLAYFORD  HALL.                287
upon and talked of very commonly by the majority
of men in these times, we will extract the following
passage from Boswell's Life of Johnson, in which
Bozzy thus enters his solemn protest: " The wild and
dangerous attempt, which has for some tine been persisted in, to obtain an act of our Legislature, to abolish
so very important and necessary a branch of comlnncrcial interest, must have been crushed at once, had not
the insignificance of the zealots, who vainly took the
lead in it, made the vast body of planters, merchants
and others, whose immense properties are involved in
that trade, reasonably enough suppose, that there
could be no danger. The encouragement which the
attempt has received, excites my wonder and indignation; and thoulgh some men of superior abilities
have supported it, whether from a love of temporary
popularity, when prosperous; or a love of general
mischief, when desperate, my opinion is unshaken.
"To abolish a statute which in all acres God has
sanctioned, and man has continued, would not only be
robbery to an innumerable class of our fellow-subjects,
but it would be extreme cruelty to the African savages,
a portion of whom it saves from. massacre, or intolerable bondage in their own country, and introduces into




288           A DAY SPENT AT
a much happier state of life; especially now, when
their passage to the West Indies, and their treatment
there, is humanely regulated. To abolish this trade,
would be to'    shut the gates of mercy on mankind."'
One of the first steps of Clarkson and his associates,
was the formation of a committee of twelve persons,
for the collection and dissemination of evidence on
the subject.
The contest now began in earnest, a contest as sublime as any the world ever saw.
The Abolition controversy more fully aroused the
virtue, the talent, and the religion of the great English
nation, than any other event or crisis which ever occurred.
Wilberforce was the leader of the question in Parliament. The other members of the Anti-slavery
Committee performed those labors which were necessary out of it.
This labor consisted principally in the collection of
evidence with regard to the traffic, and the presentation of it before the public mind. In this labor




PLAYFORD  HALL.                289
Clarkson was particularly engaged. The subject was
hemmed in with the same difficulties that now beset
the Anti-slavery cause in America. Those who knew
most about it, were precisely those whose interest it
was to prevent inquiry. An immense moneyed interest was arrayed against investigation, and was determined to suppress the agitation of the subject. Owing
to this powerful pressure, many who were in possession of facts which would bear upon this subject, refused to communicate them; and often after a long
and wearisome journey in search of an individual who
could throw light upon the subject, Clarkson had the
mortification to find his lips sealed by interest or
timidity. As usual, the cause of oppression was defended by the most impudent lying; the slave-trade
was asserted to be the latest revised edition of philanthropy. It was said that the poor African, the slave
of miserable oppression in his own country, was
wafted by it to an asylum in a Christian land; that
the middle passage was to the poor negro a perfect
elysium, infinitely happier than anything he had ever
known in his own country. All this was said while
manacles, and hand-cuffs, and thumb-screws, and instruments to force open the mouth, were a regular part
13




290          A  DAY  SPENT AT
of the stock for a slave ship, and were hanging in the
shop windows of Liverpool for sale.
For Clarkson's attention was first called to these
things by observing them in the shop window, and on
inquiring the use of one of them, the man informed
him that many times negroes were sulky and tried to
starve themselves to death, and this instrument was
used to force open their jaws.
Of Clarkson's labor in this investigation some idea
may be gathered from his own words, when stating
that for a season he was compelled to retire from the
cause, he thus speaks. "As far as I myself was concerned, all exertion was then over. The nervous system was almost shattered to pieces. Both my memory
and my hearing failed me. Sudden dizzinesses seized
my head. A confused singing in the ear followed me
wherever I went. On going to bed the very stairs
seemed to dance up and down under me, so that, misplacing my foot, I sometimes fell. Talking, too, if it
continued but half an hour, exhausted me so that profuse perspirations followed, and the same effect was
produced even by an active exertion of the mind for
the like time.
These disorders had been brought on by degrees, in




PLAYFORD  HALL.               291
consequence of the severe labors necessarily attached
to the promotion of the cause. For seven years I had
a correspondence to maintain with four hundred persons, with my own hand; I had some book or other
annually to write in behalf of the cause. In this time
I had traveled more than thirty-five thousand miles in
search of evidence, and a great part of these journeys
in the night. All this time my mind had been on the
stretch. It had been bent too to this one subject, for
I had not even leisure to attend to my own concerns.
The various instances of barbarity which had come
successively to my knowledge within this period, had
vexed, harrassed, and afflicted it. The wound which
these had produced was rendered still deeper by those
cruel disappointments before related, which arose from
the reiterated refusals of persons to give their testimony, after I had traveled hundreds of miles in quest
of them. But the severest stroke was that inflicted by
the persecution, begun and pursued by persons interested in the continuance of the trade, of such witnesses as had been examined against them; and whom,
on account of their dependent situation in life, it was
most easy to oppress. As I had been the means of
bringing these forward on these occasions, they natur



292          A  DAY SPENT AT
ally came to me, when thus persecuted, as the author
of their miseries and their ruin. From their supplications and wants it would have been ungenerous and
ungrateful to have fled. These different circumstances, by acting together, had at length brought me into
the situation just mentioned; and I was therefore
obliged, though very reluctantly, to be borne out of
the field, where I had placed the great honor and glory
of my life."
I may as well add here that a Mr. Whitbread, to
whom Clarkson mentioned this latter cause of distress,
generously offered to repair the pecuniary losses of all
who had suffered in this cause. One anecdote will be
a specimen of the energy with which Clarkson pursued evidence. It had been very strenuously asserted
and maintained that the subjects of the slave trade
were only such unfortunates as had become prisoners
of war, and who, if not carried out of the country in
this manner, would be exposed to death or some more
dreadful doom in their own country. This was one
of those stories which nobody believed, and yet was
particularly useful in the hands of the opposition, because it was difficult legally to disprove it. It was
perfectly well known that in very many cases slave



PLAYFORD  HALL.               293
traders made direct incursions into the country, kidnapped, and carried off the inhabitants of whole villages, but the question was, how to establish it?  A
gentleman whom Clarkson accidentally met on one of
his journeys, informed him that he had been in company, about a year before, with a sailor, a very respectable looking young man, who had actually been
engaged in one of these expeditions; he had spent
half an hour with him at an inn; he described his person, but knew nothing of his name or the place of his
abode, all he knew was that he belonged to a ship of
war in ordinary, but knew nothing of the port. Clarkson determined that this man should be produced as a
witness, and knew no better way than to go personally
to all the ships in ordinary, until the individual was
found. He actually visited every sea-port town, and
boarded every ship, till in the very last port and on
the very kist ship which remained, the individual was
found, and found to be possessed of just the facts and
information which were necessary. By the labors of
Clarkson and his cotemporaries an incredible excitement was produced throughout all England. The
pictures and models.of slave ships, accounts of the
cruelties practised in the trade, were circulated with




294          A  DAY SPENT AT
an industry which left not a man, woman, or child in
England uninstructed. In disseminating information,
and in awakening feeling and conscience, the women
of England were particularly earnest, and labored
with that whole-hearted devotion which characterizes
the sex.
It seems that after the committee had published the
facts, and sent them to every town in England, Clarkson followed them up by journeying to all the places,
to see that they were read and attended to. Of the
state of feeling at this time, Clarkson gives the following account:
" And first I may observe, that there was no town
through which I passed, in which there was not some
one individual who had left off the use of sugar. In
the smaller towns there were from ten to fifty, by estimation,.and in the larger, from two to five hundred,
who made this sacrifice to virtue. These were of all
ranks and parties. Rich and poor, churchmen and
dissenters had adopted the measure.  Even grocers
had left off trading in the article in some places. In
gentlemen's families, where the master had set the example, the servants had often voluntarily followed it;
and even children, who were capable of understanding




PLAYFORD  HALL.                295
the history of the sufferings of the Africans, excluded
with the most virtuous resolution the sweets, to which
they had been accustomed, from their lips. By the
best computation I was able to make, from notes taken
down in my journey, no fewer than three hundred
thousand persons had abandoned the use of sugar."
It was the reality, depth, and earnestness of the public
feeling, thus aroused, which pressed with resistless
force upon the government; for the government of
England yields to popular demands, quite as readily
as that of Ameica.
After years of protracted struggle, the victory was
at last won. The slave-trade was finally abolished
through all the British empire; and not only so, but
the English nation committed, with the whole force
of its national influence, to seek the abolition of the
slave-trade in all the nations of the earth. But the
wave of feeling did not rest there; thne investigations
had brought before the English conscience the horrors
and abominations of slavery itself, and the agitation
never ceased till slavery was finally abolished through
all the British provinces. At this time the religious
mind and conscience of England gained, through this
very struggle, a power which it never has lost. The




296           A  DAY SPENT AT
principle adopted by them was the same so sublimely
adopted by the church in America, in reference to the
Foreign Missionary cause: " The field is the world."
They saw and felt that as the example and practice
of England had been powerful in giving sanction to
this evil, and particularly in introducing it into
America, that there was tihe greatest reason why she
should never intermit her efforts till the wrono was
righted throughout the earth.
Clarkson to his last day never ceased to be interested
in the subject, and took the warmest interest in all
movements for the abolition of slavery in America.
One of his friends, during my visit at this place,
read me a manuscript letter from him, written at a
very advanced age, in which he speaks with the utmost
ardor and enthusiasm of the first anti-slavery moveinents of Cassius Clay in Kentucky. The same friend
described him to me as a cheerful, companionable
being, —frank and simple-hearted, and with a good
deal of qtiiet humor.
It is remarkable of him that with such intense feeling for human suffering as he had, and worn down
and exhausted as he was, by the dreadful miseries and
sorrows with which he was constantly obliged to be




PLAYF.ORD HALL.                297
familiar, he never yielded to a spirit of bitterness or
denunciation.
The narrative which he gives is as calm and unimpassioned, and as free from any trait of this kind, as,
the narrative of the evangelist.
I have given this sketch of what Clarkson did, that
you may better appreciate the feelings with which I
visited the place.
The old stone house, the moat, the draw-bridge, all
spoke of days of violence long gone by, when no man
was safe'except within fortified walls, and every man's
house literally had to be his castle.
To me it was interesting as the dwelling of a conqueror, as one who had not wrestled with flesh and
blood merely, but with principalities and powers, and
the rulers of the darkness of this world, and who had
overcome, as his great Master did before him, by
faith, and prayer, and labor.
We were received with much cordiality by the
widow of Clarkson, now in her eighty-fourth year.
She has been a woman of great energy and vigor, and
an efficient co-laborer in his plans of benevolence.
She is now quite feeble. I was placed under the
care of a respectable female servant, who forthwith
1 an




298          A  DAY SPENT AT
installed me in a large chamber overlooking thecourt-yard, which had been Clarkson's own room;
the room where for years, many of his most important
labors had been conducted, and from whence his soul
had ascended to the reward of the just.
The servant who attended me seemed to be quite a
superior woman; like many of the servants in respectable English families. She had grown up in the
family, and was identified with it; its ruling aims and
purposes had become hers. She had been the personal attendant of Clarkson, and his nurse during his
last sickness; she had evidently understood, and been
interested in his plans, and the veneration with which
she therefore spoke of him, had the sanction of intelligent appreciation.
A daughter of Clarkson, who was married to a neighboring clergyman, with her husband, was also present
on this day.
After dinner we rode out to see the old church, in
whose enclosure the remains of Clarkson repose. It
was just such a still, quiet, mossy old church, as you
have read of in story-books, with the grave-yard
spread all around it, like a.thoughtful mother, who
watches the resting of her children.




PLAYFORD  HALL.                 299
The grass in the yard was long and green, and the
daisy, which in other places lies like a little button on
the ground, here had a richer fringe of crimson, and
a stalk about six inches high. It is, I well know, the
vital influence from the slumbering dust beneath,
which gives the richness to this grass and these flowers; but let not that be a painful thought; let it
rather cheer us, that beauty should spring from ashes,
and life smile brighter from the near presence of
death. The grave of Clarkson was near the church,
enclosed by a railing and marked by a simple white
marble slab; it was carefully tended and planted with
flowers. In the church was an old book of records,
and among other curious inscriptions, was one recording how a pious committee of old Noll's army had
been there, knocking off saints' noses, and otherwise
purging the church from the relics of idolatry.
Near by the church was the parsonage, the home
of my friends, a neat, pleasant, sequestered dwelling,
of about the style of a New England country parsonage.
Tho effect of the whole together was inexpressibly
beautiful to me. For a wonder, it was a pleasant day,
and this is a thing always to be thankfully acknowl



300           A DAY SPENT AT
edged in England. The calm stillness of the afternoon, the seclusion of the whole place, the silence
only broken by the cawing of the rooks, the ancient
church, the mossy graves with their flowers and green
grass, the sunshine and the tree shadows, all seemed
to mingle together in a kind of hazy dream of peacefulness and rest. How natural it is to say of some
place sheltered, simple, cool, and retired, here one
might find peace, as if peace came from without, and
not from within. In the shadiest and stillest places
may be the most turbulent hearts, and there are hearts
which, through the busiest scenes, carry with them
unchanging peace. As we were walking back, we
passed many cottages of the poor.
I noticed, with particular pleasure, the invariable
flower garden attached to each. Some pansies in one
of them attracted my attention by their peculiar
beauty, so very large and richly colored. On being
introduced to the owner of them, she, with cheerful
alacrity, offered. me some of the finest. I do not
doubt of there being suffering and misery in the agricultural population of England, but still there are
multitudes of cottages, which are really very pleasant
objects, as were all these.  The cottagers had that




PLAYFORD  HALL.               801
bright, rosy look of health which we seldom see in
America, and appeared to be both polite and selfrespecting.
In the evening we had quite a gathering of friends
from the neighborhood-intelligent, sensible, earnest,
people —who had grown up in the love of the antislavery cause as into religion. The subject of conversation was: "The duty of English people to free
themselves from any participation in American slavery,
by taking means to encourage the production of free
cotton in the British provinces."
It is no more impossible or improbable that something effective may be done in this way, than that the
slave-trade should have been abolished. Every great
movement seems an impossibility at first. There is no
end to the number of things declared and proved impossible, which have been done already, so that this
may do something yet.
Mrs. Clarkson had retired from the room early;
after a while she sent for me to her sitting-room. The
faithful attendant of whom I spoke was with her.
She wished to show me some relies of her husband,
his watch and seals, some of his papers and manuscripts; among these was the identical prize essay




802          A  DAY SPENT AT
with which he began his career, and a commentary on
the Gospels, which he had written with great care, for
the use of his grandson. His seal attracted my attention-it was that kneeling figure, of the negro, with
clasped hands, which was at first adopted as the badge
of the cause, when every means was being made use
of to arouse the public mind and keep the subject before the attention. Mr. Wedgewood, the celebrated
procelain manufacturer, designed a cameo, with this
representation, which was much worn as an ornament
by ladies. It was engraved on the seal of the AntiSlavery Society, and was used by its members in sealing all their letters. This of Clarkson's was handsomely engraved on a large, old-fashioned cornelian,
and surely if we look with emotion on the sword of a
departed hero, which, at best, we can consider only
as a necessary evil, we may look with unmingled
pleasure on this memorial of a bloodless victory.
When I retired to my room for the night I could
not but feel that the place was hallowed-unceasing
prayer had theme been offered for the enslaved and
wronged race of Africa by that noble and brotherly
heart. I could not but feel that that those prayers
had had a wider reach than the mere extinction of




PLAYFORD HALL.                303
slavery in one land or country, and that their benign
influence would not cease till not a slave was left upon
the face of the earth.
I O




MUCH has been discussed and written, both at the
North and South, concerning the policy and propriety of permitting those in bondage to gain the
rudiments of a common education.
Many who conscientiously (for having lived among
them, I do believe that there are "conscientious"
slave-owners) hold their laborers in servitude, believe
that the experiment might be successfully tried. Indeed, it is often tried on plantations, even in States
where the. law enforces strict penalties against it.
They believe that the slaves, if permitted to learn to
w-oad,   would be more moral, faithful and obedient; and:,c- cannot reconcile it with their sense of duty to
keep from them the perusal of the Bible.
The majority7 however, think differently; and the
majority will alwa.s- make the laws. Th/ey believe




TEACHING THE SLAVE TO READ.  305
that there is a talismanic power in even the alphabet
of knowledge, to arouse in the bondsman powers
which they would crush for ever. They believe that
one truth leads on to another, and that the mind, once
aroused to inquiry, will never rest until it has found
out its native independence of man's dominion. They
point triumphantly, in proof of the policy of their
system, to the " spoiled slave," as they term many of
those in whose training the opposite course has been
pursued. More trouble, vexation, and insubordination,
they confidently allege, has been caused by permitting
slaves to learn to read, than by any other indulgence.
It may be so; it is certain that, in many instances,
masters have failed to win the gratitude to which they
thought themselves justly entitled, for their kindness
and care. They have found their servants growing
discontented and idle, where they hoped to make them
docile and happy. Searching for the cause of this,
they perhaps turn upon the course of training they
have followed, and accuse it of being opposed to the
best interests of the slave. Could such reasoners but
look upon the matter in its true perspective, they
would cease to wonder that "good" should, in their
view, "work out evil." Learning and Slavery can




306   TEACHING  THE SLAVE TO READ.
never compromise; they are as the antagonistic poles
of the magnet.
In the first place, Slavery blunts the mind, and renders it, in its early years, unsusceptible to those impressions which are generally so lasting, when made
upon youthful minds. Many who have tried to educate colored children, have been led to accuse the race
of natural inferiority in its capacity to gain knowledge.
We have no right to draw that inference from the few
attempts which have been made on a part of the race
whose mental faculties have, through many generations, been crippled by disuse.
I had once under my charge, for a short time,
a negro girl, born. in Africa-" Margru" of the
" Armistad," with whose history most are familiar. On.her ancestory hung no clog of depression, except that
of native wildness. There was no lack of aptitude
to learn in her case. She astonished all by the ease
with which she acquired knowledge, particularly in
mathematical science. That a native heathen should
be a better recipient of knowledge than one brought
up in the midst of American civilization, speaks well
for "the race," but ill for "the system," which.has
trained the latter.




TEACHING  THE SLAVE TO READ.  807
Not only is this native dulness to be overcome, but
time for study is to be found-time enough for the
faculties to unbend from the pressure of labor, and
fix themselves upon the mental task. This is what
few employers consider themselves able to afford.
Once a week, in their opinion, is quite often enough
for the slave to repeat his lesson; and through the
week he may forget it. No wonder that both the indulgent master and the teacher-yes, and the learner,
too, often become discouraged, and give up the task
before the Word of God is unlocked to " the poor,"
for whom it was expressly written I
I speak as one who has felt these obstacles, having,
with the approval of one of the class to whom I have
alluded, taken charge of a Sunday school among his
servants.'More attentive and grateful pupils I never
had, but it has pained my heart to feel the difficulty
of leading them even to the threshold of knowledge;
and there leaveing them!
In an adjoining household, however, it was still
worse. George, a light-colored "boy" of twenty-five,
the " factotum" of his mistress, was the husband of
our cook, Letty. I had succeeded in taking Letty




308   TEACHING  THE SLAVE TO READ.
through several chapters in the New Testament, and
this had aroused the ambition of George.
"What do you think?" exclaimed one of the
family to me, one morning; "Mrs. --   has been
whipping George I"
"Why! for what could that have been? I thought
he was a favorite servant!"
" For taking lessons of Letty in the spelling-book!"
It was even so. The poor fellow wanted to learn to
stammer in his Testament, and Letty, like any truehearted wife, had given him the little assistance she
could render.  The whipping failed of its intended
effect, however. Going one evening, at a late hour,
into Letty's cabin, I found George seated by. her on
the floor, in the corner of their mud fire-place, poring
intently over the forbidden spelling-book! He started
up confused, but seeing who it was, he was reassured,
and went on with his lesson!  Whether George,
Letty, or any of those who have gained the rudiments
of science, will be more happy in their servitude, is to
me exceedingly doubtful. Thus far the severer classes
of masters have the right; a slave, to be perfectly
contented as a slave, must be in total ignorance. But
better, far better, greater suffering, if it bring enlarge



TEACHING THE SLAVE TO READ. 809
ment of man's higher being, than that system that
would smother the soul in its bodily case.  Let the
slave have the key to the gate of Life Eternal, even
if his pathway through this life must be more thickly
sown with thorns. Let the opposing principles wage,
until the right of one is asserted. And, oh! above all
pray fbr the day when these fetters shall be stricken
from the souls God has created, wherewith to people,
we firmly trust, no mean "tabernacle" of His New
Jerusalem I
TMBODATx, Nov. 25, 1853.








FUN-JOTTINGS;
OR,
LAUGHS I HAVE TAKEN A PEN TO!
The Most Popular Author Before the Public!
ONE VOLUME 12Mo. MUSLIN-PRICE $1.25.
FOURTH THOUSAND IN SI.XTY DAYS!
ALDEN, BEARDSLEY & Co., Auburn, N.Y.,     pblrs.
WANZER, BEARDSLEY & Co., Rochester, N..,   Pubishe rs.
Extracts from  Notices of the Press.
"From the title of the volume one would suppose that it
was made up exclusively of funny anecdotes and amusing stories. Such, however, is not the fact. Many incidents narrated
in the book, will be read with other feelings than those inspired
by the perusal of laughable anecdotes. But they, as well as the
real'Fun-Jottings,' will be perused with interest. The work
is written in Willis' peculiar and happy style. It will unquestionably meet with a wide sale. It is printed in the hbest style
of the art, and handsomely bound."-Auburn Daily Adv.
" Some twenty choice love stories, all ending in fun, and
redolent with mirth, are related with humor and sentiment,
which are decidedly captivating."-Syracuse Journzal.'; These Fun Jottings' embrace the best of Willis' livelier
efforts. *  *  *  The most clever, graphic, and entertaining
sketches ever produced in this country." —Boston Post.




2         EXTRACTS FROM NOTICES OF THE PRESS.
a" It is a good book, and will be read by thousands."- ChGcago Journal.
" Some of AMr. Willis' happiest hits and most graceful specimens of compositions are here included."-N. Y. Evangelist.
" Fresh, lively, gay, and gossipping, these'Fun Jottings'
deservedly merit the enduring garb in which they appear."HTome Gazette.
"One of Willis' pleasant books, in which the reader is always sure to find entertainment."-Philadelphia MAlirror.
"; The contents are better than the title."-N. Y. Tribune.
" A volume of light sketches, written in Mr. Willis' most
amusing style, and will be read by everybody."-Detroit Adver tiser.
" It contains the best specimen of the prose writings of Mr.
Willis."-Allontgomery Gazette.
"The book is entertaining and spicy-just thekind of reading to keep one' wide awake' during the long nights that are
now approaching."-Phil. News.
" For laughter without folly, for a specific in innocent mirthfulness against ennui and hypo —as a cordial to the animal spirits when drooping with care or flagging with excess of laborthis volume of'Fun-Jottings' bears the palm."-N. Y. Independent.
"It is funny and fascinating-a collection of Willis' dashing
sketches-half comic, half pathetic." —Cincinnati Herald.
"Mr. Willis' reputation as a story writer, has long been
well established, and lovers of this kind of reading will find a
rich entertainment in this volume."-Hartford Times.




THE FARM AND THE FIRESIDE;
OR,
THE ROMANCE OF AGRICULTURE,
BEING
HALF HOURS OF LIFE IN THE COUNTRY, FOR RAINY
DAYS AND WINTER EVENINGS.
BY REV. JOHN L. BLAKE, D.D.
AUTHOR OF FARMEIRS EVERY-DAY BOOK; THE FARMER AT HOME; AND A
GENERAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.
COMMENDATIONS OF THE PERIODICAL PRESS.
From the Ohio Farmer.
DR. BLAKE is justly regarded as one of the best agricultural writers
in the country, and the work before us is one of the most interesting
productions of his pen. Its peculiar merit, as a work for the fireside,
consists in the variety of its topics, its plain and simple, yet attractive
style, its fine engravings, and the interesting romance which the author
has thrown around Rural and Agricultural Life. In this respect, " The
Farm and the Fireside" is a work well adapted to the youthful mind.
We hope it may be extensively read, as it cannot fail to improve the
taste and promote inquiry in the most useful and practical of all departments of science.
From the New-York Evangelist.
The aim of the author has been to throw over labor, home and agricultural life, their true dignity and charm; to introduce the farmer to
the delights and privileges of his lot; to embellish the cares of toil
with those kindly sentiments so naturally associated with the country
end its employments. It is a pleasant book-one that will enliven the




2           COMMENDATIONS OF THE  PRESS.
fireside, elevate and purify the thoughts, and, at the same time, impart
a great deal of valuable agricultural knowledge. We know not how
the natural trains of thought of the farmer could be more aptly met
or more safely and agreeably led, than they are by these brief ant
varied discussions. The range is as wide as life itself-morals, rellgioD
business, recreation, education, home, wife and daughters-every rel'%
tion and duty is touched upon, genially and instinctively.
From the New-York Tribune.
We have here another highly instructive and entertaining volume
from an author, who had laid the community under large obligations by
the enterprise and tact with which he has so frequently catered to the
popular taste for descriptions of rural life. Its contents are of a very
miscellaneous character, embracing sketches of natural history, accounts
of successful farming operations, anecdotes of distinguished characters,
singular personal reminiscences, pithy moral reflections, and numerous
picturesof household life in the country. No family can add this volume to their collection of books without increasing their sources o3
pleasure and profit.
From the Northern Christian Advocate.
The venerable author of this work is entitled to the warmest thanks
of the public for his numerous and valuable contributions to our literature. He is truly an American classic. We have been conversant
with his writings for the last twenty years, and have always found
them both useful and entertaining in a high degree. His writings on
Agriculture contain much real science, with numerous illustrative inci
dents, anecdotes, and aphorisms, all in the most lively and pleasing
manner. By this means the dry details of farming business are made
to possess all the interest of romance. The style is clear, easy, ana
dignified; the matter instructive, philosophical, and persuasive. This
work is an eloquent plea for the noble and independent pursuit or
Agriculture.
Prom the National Magazine.
We return our thanks for the new volume of Dr. Blake, " The Farm
and the Fireside, or the Romance of Agriculture, being Half Hours and




COMMENDATIONS OF THE  PRESS,                     8
Sketches of Life in the Country," a charming title, certainly, and one
that smacks of the man as well as of the country. Eschewing the
dryness of scientific forms and erudite details, the author presents detached, but most entertaining, and often very suggestive articles on a
great variety of topics-from the " Wild Goose" to " Conscience in the
Cow,"-from the " Value of Lawyers in a Community" to the "Objections to early Marriages." The book is, in fine, quite unique, and just
such a one as the farmer would like to pore over at his fireside on long
winter evenings.
From the New-York Recorder.
"The Farm and the Fireside," is a most interesting and valuable
work, being a series of Sketches relating to Agriculture and the numerous kindred arts and sciences, interspersed with miscellaneous moral
instruction, adapted to the life of the farmer.
From the Germantown Telegraph.
We have looked through this work and read some of the " Sketches,"
and feel a degree of satisfaction in saying that it possesses decided
merit, and will commend- itself, wherever known, as a volume of much
social interest and entertainment. The sketches comprise "Country
Life" generally-some of them are just sufficiently touched with romance to give them additional zest; while others are purely practical,
and relate to the farmer's pursuit. We regard it as a valuable book,
and are sorry our limits will not admit of bestowing upon it such a
notice as it really deserves.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine.
This work is a collection of miscellaneous sketches on the Romance
of Agriculture and Rural Life. Matters of fact, however, are not excluded from the volume, which is well adapted for reading in the
snatches of leisure enjoyed at the farmer's fireside.
From the True Democrat.
Dr. Blake's publications are all of a high order, and are doing a most
important work towards refining the taste, improving the intellect, and




4           COMMENDATIONS OF THE PRESS.
rendering attractive the various branches of Agricultural science. Indeed we know no author who has so successfully blended the romantic, the rural and beautiful with the poetical, the useful, and true,
as has Dr. Blake. This is a peculiar feature of all his works. His
style is plain, simple, and perspicuous; and, with unusual tact and
judgment, he so manages to insinuate himself upon you, that you are
at once amused, delighted, and instructed with the subject he is discussing. In this respect he relieves the study of agricultural science
from the abstruseness of technical science, and thus renders himself
easily comprehended by all classes of readers.
From the New-York Evening Post,
The author's object is to improve the soil through the mind-not so
much to place in the hands of farmers the best methods of raising
large crops-for these he refers them to Leibig's Agricultural Chem
istry, and to treatises of the like description-but to make them fees
how useful, agreeable, and ennobling, is the profession of agriculture',
and, above all, how profitable the business must become when skilfullv
and economically carried on. These money-making considerations are,
we suspect, the best moral guano that can be applied to the farmer's
spiritual soil  The author writes well of the countryman's independence, the good effect of fresh salubrious air upon his health, and the
moral influence of his every-day intimacy with nature upon his mind.
"The Farm and the Fireside" is a kind of Bucolical annual-to be
read in seasons of leisure-intended for the Phyllises and Chloes, as
well as for the Strephons and Lindors. Dr. Blake has enriched it with
curious anecdotes of domestic animals, and of the best way of raising
and selling them. He describes model-farms, and the large incomes
made from them. He expatiates on the advantages of matrimony in
rural life, expounds the true theory of choosing a helpmate, discusses
the advantages of Sunday-Schools, and recommends neatness of attire
and punctuality in bathing. In short, this volume is as diversified in
its aspect as the small garden of a judicious cultivator, where, in a
limited space, useful cabbages, potatoes, and all the solid esculent
greens, grow side by side with choice fruits and pleasant flowers.




IMMENSE SALE!
LEWIE I
OR,
THE BENDED TWIG!
Author of " SILVER  LAKE  STORIES."
EIGHTH THOUSAND NOW PRINTING!
#1o Boosr sells like it —None so well supplies tne demand!
Sup3rbly Printed and Beautifully Bound.
Price from  $1.00. to $1.75, according to style.
ALDEN, BEARDSLEY & Co., Auburn, N.,        Publishe
WANZER, BEARDSLEY & Co., Rochester, N. Y.,  Publishe
What the Press Say:
CoUSIN CICELY is very industrious-whether in penciling
lights or shadows, in describing domestic scenery, or inculcating
religious principles, the fair author possesses a happy facility, so
as to render her productions alike agreeable and instructive —
Protestant Churchman.
This book is written in a style well calculated to please,
and contains an inestimable moral-plain, concise, and void of
superfluities, that a child may understand it- characters life-like
t:,d well sust:tined, and the whole plan of the work is good.Yacts Co Whi'.




2    ~ IWHAT THE PRESS SAY.
The contents of the work are of the first order and unexceptionable.-Rochester Daily Union.
The story is not only well written, but it has merits in the
dramatic grouping of incidents, graphic delineation of character,
and the affecting interest which attracts and supports the reader's
attention through the whole work, from the opening scene to the
finale.-Rochester Daily Democrat.
This is a new work from the pen of the gifted author of the
" Silver Lake Stories." It is got up in a style of mechanical elegance equal to the issues of Putnam and Appleton, and the
quality of its contents will not be found behind that of threefourths of the publications that emanate from the pens of more
wide-known authors, and from publishing houses that employ
none but the best writers.-Canandaigua Messenger.
It is a story designed to illustrate the deplorable effects of a
neglect of proper parental discipline in infancy; in a well-written
preface, the authoress, " Cousin Cicely," assures us it is substantially a narrative of facts. It traces the career of a spoiled and
petted boy, whose mother was too weak and  indolent to restrain
him as she ought, through the several stages of a perverse childhood, a reckless boyhood, and a passionate, ungovernable youth,
till this victim of a parent's folly is found in a felon's cell, with
the mark of Cain on his brow.-.-uburn Daily.Advertiser.
The authoress, who, by the way, need not be afraid to sail
under her own proper colors hereafter, claims that most of the
incidents are taken from real life; a very creditable averment, as
the work, with slight modifications in each individual case, would
prove a faithful portraiture of the early training and subsequent
career of nine-tenths of the victims of the gallows, and of the
penitentiary. —Mirror, Lyons, NJ. Y.
The writer of this, and of many other pleasant volumes"Cousin Cicely," as she chooses to be called-is gifted with rare
talents, which she is wisely devoting to useful ends. Her charmmg "Silver Lake Stnnres," have effected much good, and this




WHAT THE PRESS SAY.
work is well calculated to do the same, both with children of the
larger and of the smaller growth. *  *  *  Difficulties of va,
rious natures arise, on the last and most important of which hangs
the catastrophe of the story. But what that is, and how the book
ends, is for the reader to find out, not for us to tell. —.lbany Eve
Journal.
*  *  * One of the domestic sort-speaking of home, dwel.
ling upon home affections and family character, and the incidents
of common life, yet as deeply interesting as the most romantic
narrative. It has not been paraded before the public with ostentatious praise; but it will be far more acceptable to the reader
than many works that have thus attracted interest in advance,
without being able to meet and repay it. —./lbany Atlas.