collected articles-第2节

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acquaintance　as　soon　as　I　could　decently　do　so；　and　went　to　another　part

of　the　boat。　　Once　across　the　river；　I　encountered　a　new　danger。

Only　a　few　days　before；　I　had　been　at　work　on　a　revenue　cutter；

in　Mr。　Price's　ship…yard　in　Baltimore；　under　the　care　of　Captain　McGowan。

On　the　meeting　at　this　point　of　the　two　trains；　the　one　going

south　stopped　on　the　track　just　opposite　to　the　one　going　north；

and　it　so　happened　that　this　Captain　McGowan　sat　at　a　window　where

he　could　see　me　very　distinctly；　and　would　certainly　have　recognized

me　had　he　looked　at　me　but　for　a　second。　　Fortunately；　in　the　hurry

of　the　moment；　he　did　not　see　me；　and　the　trains　soon　passed　each

other　on　their　respective　ways。　　But　this　was　not　my　only　hair…

breadth　escape。　　A　German　blacksmith　whom　I　knew　well　was　on　the

train　with　me；　and　looked　at　me　very　intently；　as　if　he　thought

he　had　seen　me　somewhere　before　in　his　travels。　　I　really

believe　he　knew　me；　but　had　no　heart　to　betray　me。　　At　any　rate；

he　saw　me　escaping　and　held　his　peace。



The　last　point　of　imminent　danger；　and　the　one　I　dreaded　most；

was　Wilmington。　　Here　we　left　the　train　and　took　the　steam…boat

for　Philadelphia。　　In　making　the　change　here　I　again　apprehended　arrest；

but　no　one　disturbed　me；　and　I　was　soon　on　the　broad　and　beautiful　Delaware；

speeding　away　to　the　Quaker　City。　　On　reaching　Philadelphia　in　the　afternoon；

I　inquired　of　a　colored　man　how　I　could　get　on　to　New　York。　　He　directed　me

to　the　William…street　depot；　and　thither　I　went；　taking　the　train　that　night。

I　reached　New　York　Tuesday　morning；　having　completed　the　journey　in　less

than　twenty…four　hours。



My　free　life　began　on　the　third　of　September；　1838。　　On　the　morning

of　the　fourth　of　that　month；　after　an　anxious　and　most　perilous　but　safe

journey；　I　found　myself　in　the　big　city　of　New　York；　a　FREE　MAN

one　more　added　to　the　mighty　throng　which；　like　the　confused　waves

of　the　troubled　sea；　surged　to　and　fro　between　the　lofty　walls　of　Broadway。

Though　dazzled　with　the　wonders　which　met　me　on　every　hand；　my　thoughts

could　not　be　much　withdrawn　from　my　strange　situation。　　For　the　moment；

the　dreams　of　my　youth　and　the　hopes　of　my　manhood　were　completely　fulfilled。

The　bonds　that　had　held　me　to　〃old　master〃　were　broken。　　No　man　now

had　a　right　to　call　me　his　slave　or　assert　mastery　over　me。　　I　was

in　the　rough　and　tumble　of　an　outdoor　world；　to　take　my　chance　with

the　rest　of　its　busy　number。　　I　have　often　been　asked　how　I　felt

when　first　I　found　myself　on　free　soil。　　There　is　scarcely　anything

in　my　experience　about　which　I　could　not　give　a　more　satisfactory　answer。

A　new　world　had　opened　upon　me。　　If　life　is　more　than　breath　and　the

〃quick　round　of　blood；〃　I　lived　more　in　that　one　day　than　in　a　year

of　my　slave　life。　　It　was　a　time　of　joyous　excitement　which　words

can　but　tamely　describe。　　In　a　letter　written　to　a　friend　soon　after

reaching　New　York；　I　said：　〃I　felt　as　one　might　feel　upon　escape

from　a　den　of　hungry　lions。〃　　Anguish　and　grief；　like　darkness　and　rain；

may　be　depicted；　but　gladness　and　joy；　like　the　rainbow；　defy　the　skill

of　pen　or　pencil。　　During　ten　or　fifteen　years　I　had　been；　as　it　were；

dragging　a　heavy　chain　which　no　strength　of　mine　could　break；

I　was　not　only　a　slave；　but　a　slave　for　life。　　I　might　become　a　husband；

a　father；　an　aged　man；　but　through　all；　from　birth　to　death；　from　the　cradle

to　the　grave；　I　had　felt　myself　doomed。　　All　efforts　I　had　previously　made

to　secure　my　freedom　had　not　only　failed；　but　had　seemed　only　to　rivet

my　fetters　the　more　firmly；　and　to　render　my　escape　more　difficult。

Baffled；　entangled；　and　discouraged；　I　had　at　times　asked　myself

the　question；　May　not　my　condition　after　all　be　God's　work；

and　ordered　for　a　wise　purpose；　and　if　so；　Is　not　submission　my　duty？

A　contest　had　in　fact　been　going　on　in　my　mind　for　a　long　time；

between　the　clear　consciousness　of　right　and　the　plausible　make…

shifts　of　theology　and　superstition。　　The　one　held　me　an　abject

slavea　prisoner　for　life；　punished　for　some　transgression　in

which　I　had　no　lot　nor　part；　and　the　other　counseled　me　to　manly

endeavor　to　secure　my　freedom。　　This　contest　was　now　ended；　my

chains　were　broken；　and　the　victory　brought　me　unspeakable　joy。



But　my　gladness　was　short…lived；　for　I　was　not　yet　out　of　the　reach

and　power　of　the　slave…holders。　　I　soon　found　that　New　York　was　not　quite

so　free　or　so　safe　a　refuge　as　I　had　supposed；　and　a　sense　of　loneliness

and　insecurity　again　oppressed　me　most　sadly。　I　chanced　to　meet　on　the　street；

a　few　hours　after　my　landing；　a　fugitive　slave　whom　I　had　once　known　well

in　slavery。　　The　information　received　from　him　alarmed　me。　　The　fugitive

in　question　was　known　in　Baltimore　as　〃Allender's　Jake；〃　but　in　New　York

he　wore　the　more　respectable　name　of　〃William　Dixon。〃　　Jake；　in　law；

was　the　property　of　Doctor　Allender；　and　Tolly　Allender；　the　son

of　the　doctor；　had　once　made　an　effort　to　recapture　MR。　DIXON；

but　had　failed　for　want　of　evidence　to　support　his　claim。

Jake　told　me　the　circumstances　of　this　attempt；　and　how　narrowly

he　escaped　being　sent　back　to　slavery　and　torture。　　He　told　me　that　New　York

was　then　full　of　Southerners　returning　from　the　Northern　watering…places；

that　the　colored　people　of　New　York　were　not　to　be　trusted；　that　there　were

hired　men　of　my　own　color　who　would　betray　me　for　a　few　dollars；

that　there　were　hired　men　ever　on　the　lookout　for　fugitives；

that　I　must　trust　no　man　with　my　secret；　that　I　must　not　think

of　going　either　upon　the　wharves　or　into　any　colored　boarding…house；

for　all　such　places　were　closely　watched；　that　he　was　himself　unable

to　help　me；　and；　in　fact；　he　seemed　while　speaking　to　me　to　fear　lest

I　myself　might　be　a　spy　and　a　betrayer。　　Under　this　apprehension；

as　I　suppose；　he　showed　signs　of　wishing　to　be　rid　of　me；

and　with　whitewash　brush　in　hand；　in　search　of　work；　he　soon　disappeared。



This　picture；　given　by　poor　〃Jake；〃　of　New　York；　was　a　damper

to　my　enthusiasm。　　My　little　store　of　money　would　soon　be　exhausted；

and　since　it　would　be　unsafe　for　me　to　go　on　the　wharves　for　work；

and　I　had　no　introductions　elsewhere；　the　prospect　for　me　was　far　from

cheerful。　　I　saw　the　wisdom　of　keeping　away　from　the　ship…yards；

for；　if　pursued；　as　I　felt　certain　I　should　be；　Mr。　Auld；　my　〃master；〃

would　naturally　seek　me　there　among　the　calkers。　　Every　door　seemed　closed

against　me。　　I　was　in　the　midst　of　an　ocean　of　my　fellow…men；

and　yet　a　perfect　stranger　to　every　one。　　I　was　without　home；

without　acquaintance；　without　money；　without　credit；　without　work；

and　without　any　definite　knowledge　as　to　what　course　to　take；

or　where　to　look　for　succor。　　In　such　an　extremity；　a　man　had　something

besides　his　new…born　freedom　to　think　of。　　While　wandering　about　the　streets

of　New　York；　and　lodging　at　least　one　night　among　the　barrels　on　one

of　the　wharves；　I　was　indeed　freefrom　slavery；　but　free　from

food　and　shelter　as　well。　　I　kept　my　secret　to　myself　as　long　as　I　could；

but　I　was　compelled　at　last　to　seek　some　one　who　would　befriend　me　without

taking　advantage　of　my　destitution　to　betray　me。　　Such　a　person　I　found

in　a　sailor　named　Stuart；　a　warm…hearted　and　generous　fellow；　who；　from　his

humble　home　on　Centre　street；　saw　me　standing　on　the　opposite　sidewalk；

near　the　Tombs　prison。　　As　he　approached　me；　I　ventured　a　remark　to　him

which　at　once　enlisted　his　interest　in　me。　　He　took　me　to　his　home　to　spend

the　night；　and　in　the　morning　went　with　me　to　Mr。　David　Ruggles；

the　secretary　of　the　New　York　Vigilance　Committee；　a　co…worker　with

Isaac　T。　Hopper；　Lewis　and　Arthur　Tappan；　Theodore　S。　Wright；　Samuel　Cornish；

Thomas　Downing；　Philip　A。　Bell；　and　other　true　men　of　their　time。

All　these　（save　Mr。　Bell；　who　still　lives；　and　is　editor　and　publisher　of　a　paper

called　the　〃Elevator；〃　in　San　Francisco）　have　finished　their　work　on　earth。

Once　in　the　hands　of　these　brave　and　wise　men；　I　felt　comparatively　safe。

With　Mr。　Ruggles；　on　the　corner　of　Lispenard　and　Church　streets；

I　was　hidden　several　days；　during　which　time　my　intended　wife　came　on

from　Baltimore　at　my　call；　to　share　the　burdens　of　life　with　me。

She　was　a　free　woman；　and　came　at　once　on　getting　the　good　news　of　my　safety。

We　were　married　by　Rev。　J。　W。　C。　Pennington；　then　a　well…known　and　respected

Presbyterian　minister。　　I　had　no　money　with　which　to　pay　the　marriage　fee；

but　he　seemed　well　pleased　with　our　thanks。



Mr。　Ruggles　was　the　first　officer　on　the　〃Underground　Railroad〃

whom　I　met　after　coming　North；　and　was；　indeed；　the　only　one　with　whom

I　had　anything　to　do　till　I　became　such　an　officer　myself。

Learning　that　my　trade　was　that　of　a　calker；　he　promptly　decided

that　the　best　place　for　me　was　in　New　Bedford；　Mass。

He　told　me　that　many　ships　for　whaling　voyages　were　fitted　out　there；

and　that　I　might　there　find　work　at　my　trade　and　make　a　good　living。

So；　on　the　day　of　the　marriage　ceremony；　we　took　ou