running a thousand miles for freedom-第2节

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aps；　will　wonder　at　such　inhuman　transactions：　particularly　in　the　Southern　States　of　America；　where　I　believe　there　is　a　greater　want　of　humanity　and　high　principle　amongst　the　whites；　than　among　any　other　civilized　people　in　the　world。

I　know　that　those　who　are　not　familiar　with　the　working　of　〃the　peculiar　institution；〃　can　scarcely　imagine　any　one　so　totally　devoid　of　all　natural　affection　as　to　sell　his　own　offspring　into　returnless　bondage。　　But　Shakespeare；　that　great　observer　of　human　nature；　says：


〃With　caution　judge　of　probabilities。　Things　deemed　unlikely；　e'en　impossible；　Experience　often　shews　us　to　be　true。〃


My　wife's　new　mistress　was　decidedly　more　humane　than　the　majority　of　her　class。　　My　wife　has　always　given　her　credit　for　not　exposing　her　to　many　of　the　worst　features　of　slavery。　　For　instance；　it　is　a　common　practice　in　the　slave　States　for　ladies；　when　angry　with　their　maids；　to　send　them　to　the　calybuce　sugar…house；　or　to　some　other　place　established　for　the　purpose　of　punishing　slaves；　and　have　them　severely　flogged；　and　I　am　sorry　it　is　a　fact；　that　the　villains　to　whom　those　de…　fenceless　creatures　are　sent；　not　only　flog　them　as　they　are　ordered；　but　frequently　compel　them　to　submit　to　the　greatest　indignity。　　Oh！　if　there　is　any　one　thing　under　the　wide　canopy　of　heaven；　horrible　enough　to　stir　a　man's　soul；　and　to　make　his　very　blood　boil；　it　is　the　thought　of　his　dear　wife；　his　unprotected　sister；　or　his　young　and　virtuous　daughters；　struggling　to　save　themselves　from　falling　a　prey　to　such　demons！

It　always　appears　strange　to　me　that　any　one　who　was　not　born　a　slaveholder；　and　steeped　to　the　very　core　in　the　demoralizing　atmosphere　of　the　Southern　States；　can　in　any　way　palliate　slavery。　It　is　still　more　surprising　to　see　virtuous　ladies　looking　with　patience　upon；　and　remaining　indif…　ferent　to；　the　existence　of　a　system　that　exposes　nearly　two　millions　of　their　own　sex　in　the　manner　I　have　mentioned；　and　that　too　in　a　professedly　free　and　Christian　country。　　There　is；　however；　great　consolation　in　knowing　that　God　is　just；　and　will　not　let　the　oppressor　of　the　weak；　and　the　spoiler　of　the　virtuous；　escape　unpunished　here　and　hereafter。

I　believe　a　similar　retribution　to　that　which　destroyed　Sodom　is　hanging　over　the　slaveholders。　My　sincere　prayer　is　that　they　may　not　provoke　God；　by　persisting　in　a　reckless　course　of　wicked…　ness；　to　pour　out　his　consuming　wrath　upon　them。

I　must　now　return　to　our　history。

My　old　master　had　the　reputation　of　being　a　very　humane　and　Christian　man；　but　he　thought　nothing　of　selling　my　poor　old　father；　and　dear　aged　mother；　at　separate　times；　to　different　persons；　to　be　dragged　off　never　to　behold　each　other　again；　till　summoned　to　appear　before　the　great　tribunal　of　heaven。　　But；　oh！　what　a　happy　meeting　it　will　be　on　that　day　for　those　faithful　souls。　I　say　a　happy　meeting；　because　I　never　saw　persons　more　devoted　to　the　service　of　God　than　they。　　But　how　will　the　case　stand　with　those　reckless　traffickers　in　human　flesh　and　blood；　who　plunged　the　poisonous　dagger　of　separation　into　those　loving　hearts　which　God　had　for　so　many　years　closely　joined　togethernay；　sealed　as　it　were　with　his　own　hands　for　the　eternal　courts　of　heaven？　　It　is　not　for　me　to　say　what　will　become　of　those　heartless　tyrants。　　I　must　leave　them　in　the　hands　of　an　all…wise　and　just　God；　who　will；　in　his　own　good　time；　and　in　his　own　way；　avenge　the　wrongs　of　his　oppressed　people。

My　old　master　also　sold　a　dear　brother　and　a　sister；　in　the　same　manner　as　he　did　my　father　and　mother。　　The　reason　he　assigned　for　disposing　of　my　parents；　as　well　as　of　several　other　aged　slaves；　was；　that　〃they　were　getting　old；　and　would　soon　become　valueless　in　the　market；　and　therefore　he　intended　to　sell　off　all　the　old　stock；　and　buy　in　a　young　lot。〃　　A　most　disgraceful　conclusion　for　a　man　to　come　to；　who　made　such　great　professions　of　religion！

This　shameful　conduct　gave　me　a　thorough　hatred；　not　for　true　Christianity；　but　for　slave…　holding　piety。

My　old　master；　then；　wishing　to　make　the　most　of　the　rest　of　his　slaves；　apprenticed　a　brother　and　myself　out　to　learn　trades：　he　to　a　black…　smith；　and　myself　to　a　cabinet…maker。　　If　a　slave　has　a　good　trade；　he　will　let　or　sell　for　more　than　a　person　without　one；　and　many　slave…　holders　have　their　slaves　taught　trades　on　this　account。　　But　before　our　time　expired；　my　old　master　wanted　money；　so　he　sold　my　brother；　and　then　mortgaged　my　sister；　a　dear　girl　about　four…　teen　years　of　age；　and　myself；　then　about　sixteen；　to　one　of　the　banks；　to　get　money　to　speculate　in　cotton。　　This　we　knew　nothing　of　at　the　moment；　but　time　rolled　on；　the　money　became　due；　my　master　was　unable　to　meet　his　payments；　so　the　bank　had　us　placed　upon　the　auction　stand　and　sold　to　the　highest　bidder。

My　poor　sister　was　sold　first：　she　was　knocked　down　to　a　planter　who　resided　at　some　distance　in　the　country。　　Then　I　was　called　upon　the　stand。　While　the　auctioneer　was　crying　the　bids；　I　saw　the　man　that　had　purchased　my　sister　getting　her　into　a　cart；　to　take　her　to　his　home。　　I　at　once　asked　a　slave　friend　who　was　standing　near　the　platform；　to　run　and　ask　the　gentleman　if　he　would　please　to　wait　till　I　was　sold；　in　order　that　I　might　have　an　opportunity　of　bidding　her　good…bye。　　He　sent　me　word　back　that　he　had　some　distance　to　go；　and　could　not　wait。

I　then　turned　to　the　auctioneer；　fell　upon　my　knees；　and　humbly　prayed　him　to　let　me　just　step　down　and　bid　my　last　sister　farewell。　　But；　instead　of　granting　me　this　request；　he　grasped　me　by　the　neck；　and　in　a　commanding　tone　of　voice；　and　with　a　violent　oath；　exclaimed；　〃Get　up！　　You　can　do　the　wench　no　good；　therefore　there　is　no　use　in　your　seeing　her。〃

On　rising；　I　saw　the　cart　in　which　she　sat　moving　slowly　off；　and；　as　she　clasped　her　hands　with　a　grasp　that　indicated　despair；　and　looked　pitifully　round　towards　me；　I　also　saw　the　large　silent　tears　trickling　down　her　cheeks。　　She　made　a　farewell　bow；　and　buried　her　face　in　her　lap。　This　seemed　more　than　I　could　bear。　　It　appeared　to　swell　my　aching　heart　to　its　utmost。　　But　before　I　could　fairly　recover；　the　poor　girl　was　gone；gone；　and　I　have　never　had　the　good　for…　tune　to　see　her　from　that　day　to　this！　　Perhaps　I　should　have　never　heard　of　her　again；　had　it　not　been　for　the　untiring　efforts　of　my　good　old　mother；　who　became　free　a　few　years　ago　by　pur…　chase；　and；　after　a　great　deal　of　difficulty；　found　my　sister　residing　with　a　family　in　Mississippi。　My　mother　at　once　wrote　to　me；　informing　me　of　the　fact；　and　requesting　me　to　do　something　to　get　her　free；　and　I　am　happy　to　say　that；　partly　by　lecturing　occasionally；　and　through　the　sale　of　an　engraving　of　my　wife　in　the　disguise　in　which　she　escaped；　together　with　the　extreme　kind…　ness　and　generosity　of　Miss　Burdett　Coutts；　Mr。　George　Richardson　of　Plymouth；　and　a　few　other　friends；　I　have　nearly　accomplished　this。　It　would　be　to　me　a　great　and　ever…glorious　achievement　to　restore　my　sister　to　our　dear　mother；　from　whom　she　was　forcibly　driven　in　early　life。

I　was　knocked　down　to　the　cashier　of　the　bank　to　which　we　were　mortgaged；　and　ordered　to　return　to　the　cabinet　shop　where　I　previously　worked。

But　the　thought　of　the　harsh　auctioneer　not　allowing　me　to　bid　my　dear　sister　farewell；　sent　red…hot　indignation　darting　like　lightning　through　every　vein。　　It　quenched　my　tears；　and　appeared　to　set　my　brain　on　fire；　and　made　me　crave　for　power　to　avenge　our　wrongs！　　But　alas！　we　were　only　slaves；　and　had　no　legal　rights；　consequently　we　were　compelled　to　smother　our　wounded　feel…　ings；　and　crouch　beneath　the　iron　heel　of　des…　potism。

I　must　now　give　the　account　of　our　escape；　but；　before　doing　so；　it　may　be　well　to　quote　a　few　passages　from　the　fundamental　laws　of　slavery；　in　order　to　give　some　idea　of　the　legal　as　well　as　the　social　tyranny　from　which　we　fled。

According　to　the　law　of　Louisiana；　〃A　slave　is　one　who　is　in　the　power　of　a　master　to　whom　he　belongs。　　The　master　may　sell　him；　dispose　of　his　person；　his　industry；　and　his　labour；　he　can　do　nothing；　possess　nothing；　nor　acquire　anything　but　what　must　belong　to　his　master。〃Civil　Code；　art。　35。

In　South　Carolina　it　is　expressed　in　the　following　language：〃Slaves　shall　be　deemed；　sold；　taken；　reputed　and　judged　in　law　to　be　chattels　personal　in　the　hands　of　their　owners　and　possessors；　and　their　executors；　administrators；　and　assigns；　to　all　intents；　constructions；　and　purposes　whatsoever。　2　Brevard's　Digest；　229。

The　Constitution　of　Georgia　has　the　following　（Art。　4；　sec。　12）：〃Any　person　who　shall　mali…　ciously　dismember　or　deprive　a　slave　of　life；　shall　suffer　such　punishment　as　would　be　inflicted　in　case　the　like　offence　had　been　committed　on　a　free　white　person；　and　on　the　like　proof；　except　in　case　of　insurrection　of　such　slave；　and　unless　SUCH　DEATH　SHOULD　HAPPEN　BY　ACCIDENT　IN　GIVING　SUCH　SLAVE　MODERATE　CORRECTION。〃Prince's　Digest；　559。

I　have　known　slaves　to　be　beaten　to　death；　but　as　they　died　under　〃moderate　correction；〃　it　was　quite　lawful；　and　of　course　the　murderers　were　not　interfered　with。

〃If　any　slave；　who　shall　be　out　of　the　house　or　plantation　where　such　slave　shall　live；　or　shall　be　usually　emplo