running a thousand miles for freedom-第6节

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ry；　should　he　be　a　white　man；　has　the　legal　power　to　arrest；　and　question；　in　the　most　inquisitorial　and　insulting　manner；　any　coloured　person；　male　or　female；　that　he　may　find　at　large；　particularly　at　night　and　on　Sundays；　without　a　written　pass；　signed　by　the　master　or　some　one　in　authority；　or　stamped　free　papers；　certifying　that　the　person　is　the　rightful　owner　of　himself。

If　the　coloured　person　refuses　to　answer　ques…　tions　put　to　him；　he　may　be　beaten；　and　his　defend…　ing　himself　against　this　attack　makes　him　an　outlaw；　and　if　he　be　killed　on　the　spot；　the　mur…　derer　will　be　exempted　from　all　blame；　but　after　the　coloured　person　has　answered　the　questions　put　to　him；　in　a　most　humble　and　pointed　manner；　he　may　then　be　taken　to　prison；　and　should　it　turn　out；　after　further　examination；　that　he　was　caught　where　he　had　no　permission　or　legal　right　to　be；　and　that　he　has　not　given　what　they　term　a　satis…　factory　account　of　himself；　the　master　will　have　to　pay　a　fine。　　On　his　refusing　to　do　this；　the　poor　slave　may　be　legally　and　severely　flogged　by　public　officers。　　Should　the　prisoner　prove　to　be　a　free　man；　he　is　most　likely　to　be　both　whipped　and　fined。

The　great　majority　of　slaveholders　hate　this　class　of　persons　with　a　hatred　that　can　only　be　equalled　by　the　condemned　spirits　of　the　infernal　regions。　They　have　no　mercy　upon；　nor　sympathy　for；　any　negro　whom　they　cannot　enslave。　　They　say　that　God　made　the　black　man　to　be　a　slave　for　the　white；　and　act　as　though　they　really　believed　that　all　free　persons　of　colour　are　in　open　rebellion　to　a　direct　command　from　heaven；　and　that　they　（the　whites）　are　God's　chosen　agents　to　pour　out　upon　them　unlimited　vengeance。　　For　instance；　a　Bill　has　been　introduced　in　the　Tennessee　Legislature　to　prevent　free　negroes　from　travelling　on　the　rail…　roads　in　that　State。　　It　has　passed　the　first　reading。　The　bill　provides　that　the　President　who　shall　permit　a　free　negro　to　travel　on　any　road　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　State　under　his　supervision　shall　pay　a　fine　of　500　dollars；　any　conductor　permitting　a　violation　of　the　Act　shall　pay　250　dollars；　provided　such　free　negro　is　not　under　the　control　of　a　free　white　citizen　of　Tennessee；　who　will　vouch　for　the　character　of　said　free　negro　in　a　penal　bond　of　one　thousand　dollars。　　The　State　of　Arkansas　has　passed　a　law　to　banish　all　free　negroes　from　its　bounds；　and　it　came　into　effect　on　the　1st　day　of　January；　1860。　　Every　free　negro　found　there　after　that　date　will　be　liable　to　be　sold　into　slavery；　the　crime　of　freedom　being　unpardon…　able。　　The　Missouri　Senate　has　before　it　a　bill　providing　that　all　free　negroes　above　the　age　of　eighteen　years　who　shall　be　found　in　the　State　after　September；　1860；　shall　be　sold　into　slavery；　and　that　all　such　negroes　as　shall　enter　the　State　after　September；　1861；　and　remain　there　twenty…four　hours；　shall　also　be　sold　into　slavery　for　ever。　　Mis…　sissippi；　Kentucky；　and　Georgia；　and　in　fact；　I　be…　lieve；　all　the　slave　States；　are　legislating　in　the　same　manner。　　Thus　the　slaveholders　make　it　almost　im…　possible　for　free　persons　of　colour　to　get　out　of　the　slave　States；　in　order　that　they　may　sell　them　into　slavery　if　they　don't　go。　　If　no　white　persons　travelled　upon　railroads　except　those　who　could　get　some　one　to　vouch　for　their　character　in　a　penal　bond　of　one　thousand　dollars；　the　railroad　companies　would　soon　go　to　the　〃wall。〃　　Such　mean　legislation　is　too　low　for　comment；　therefore　I　leave　the　villainous　acts　to　speak　for　themselves。

But　the　Dred　Scott　decision　is　the　crowning　act　of　infamous　Yankee　legislation。　　The　Supreme　Court；　the　highest　tribunal　of　the　Republic；　composed　of　nine　Judge　Jeffries's；　chosen　both　from　the　free　and　slave　States；　has　decided　that　no　coloured　person；　or　persons　of　African　extraction；　can　ever　become　a　citizen　of　the　United　States；　or　have　any　rights　which　white　men　are　bound　to　respect。　　That　is　to　say；　in　the　opinion　of　this　Court；　robbery；　rape；　and　murder　are　not　crimes　when　committed　by　a　white　upon　a　coloured　person。

Judges　who　will　sneak　from　their　high　and　honourable　position　down　into　the　lowest　depths　of　human　depravity；　and　scrape　up　a　decision　like　this；　are　wholly　unworthy　the　confidence　of　any　people。　I　believe　such　men　would；　if　they　had　the　power；　and　were　it　to　their　temporal　interest；　sell　their　country's　independence；　and　barter　away　every　man's　birthright　for　a　mess　of　pottage。　　Well　may　Thomas　Campbell　say



United　States；　your　banner　wears；　　　　Two　emblems；one　of　fame；　Alas；　the　other　that　it　bears　　　　Reminds　us　of　your　shame！　The　white　man's　liberty　in　types　　　　Stands　blazoned　by　your　stars；　But　what's　the　meaning　of　your　stripes？　　　　They　mean　your　Negro…scars。


When　the　time　had　arrived　for　us　to　start；　we　blew　out　the　lights；　knelt　down；　and　prayed　to　our　Heavenly　Father　mercifully　to　assist　us；　as　he　did　his　people　of　old；　to　escape　from　cruel　bondage；　and　we　shall　ever　feel　that　God　heard　and　answered　our　prayer。　　Had　we　not　been　sustained　by　a　kind；　and　I　sometimes　think　special；　providence；　we　could　never　have　overcome　the　mountainous　difficulties　which　I　am　now　about　to　describe。

After　this　we　rose　and　stood　for　a　few　moments　in　breathless　silence；we　were　afraid　that　some　one　might　have　been　about　the　cottage　listening　and　watching　our　movements。　　So　I　took　my　wife　by　the　hand；　stepped　softly　to　the　door；　raised　the　latch；　drew　it　open；　and　peeped　out。　　Though　there　were　trees　all　around　the　house；　yet　the　foliage　scarcely　moved；　in　fact；　everything　appeared　to　be　as　still　as　death。　　I　then　whispered　to　my　wife；　〃Come；　my　dear；　let　us　make　a　desperate　leap　for　liberty！〃　　But　poor　thing；　she　shrank　back；　in　a　state　of　trepidation。　I　turned　and　asked　what　was　the　matter；　she　made　no　reply；　but　burst　into　violent　sobs；　and　threw　her　head　upon　my　breast。　　This　appeared　to　touch　my　very　heart；　it　caused　me　to　enter　into　her　feelings　more　fully　than　ever。　　We　both　saw　the　many　mountainous　difficulties　that　rose　one　after　the　other　before　our　view；　and　knew　far　too　well　what　our　sad　fate　would　have　been；　were　we　caught　and　forced　back　into　our　slavish　den。　　Therefore　on　my　wife's　fully　realizing　the　solemn　fact　that　we　had　to　take　our　lives；　as　it　were；　in　our　hands；　and　contest　every　inch　of　the　thousand　miles　of　slave　territory　over　which　we　had　to　pass；　it　made　her　heart　almost　sink　within　her；　and；　had　I　known　them　at　that　time；　I　would　have　repeated　the　following　en…　couraging　lines；　which　may　not　be　out　of　place　here


〃The　hill；　though　high；　I　covet　to　ascend；　The　DIFFICULTY　WILL　NOT　ME　OFFEND；　For　I　perceive　the　way　to　life　lies　here：　Come；　pluck　up　heart；　let's　neither　faint　nor　fear；　Better；　though　difficult；　the　right　way　to　go；　Than　wrong；　though　easy；　where　the　end　is　woe。〃


However；　the　sobbing　was　soon　over；　and　after　a　few　moments　of　silent　prayer　she　recovered　her　self…possession；　and　said；　〃Come；　William；　it　is　getting　late；　so　now　let　us　venture　upon　our　peril…　ous　journey。〃

We　then　opened　the　door；　and　stepped　as　softly　out　as　〃moonlight　upon　the　water。〃　　I　locked　the　door　with　my　own　key；　which　I　now　have　before　me；　and　tiptoed　across　the　yard　into　the　street。　　I　say　tiptoed；　because　we　were　like　persons　near　a　totter…　ing　avalanche；　afraid　to　move；　or　even　breathe　freely；　for　fear　the　sleeping　tyrants　should　be　aroused；　and　come　down　upon　us　with　double　vengeance；　for　daring　to　attempt　to　escape　in　the　manner　which　we　contemplated。

We　shook　hands；　said　farewell；　and　started　in　different　directions　for　the　railway　station。　　I　took　the　nearest　possible　way　to　the　train；　for　fear　I　should　be　recognized　by　some　one；　and　got　into　the　negro　car　in　which　I　knew　I　should　have　to　ride；　but　my　MASTER　（as　I　will　now　call　my　wife）　took　a　longer　way　round；　and　only　arrived　there　with　the　bulk　of　the　passengers。　　He　obtained　a　ticket　for　himself　and　one　for　his　slave　to　Savannah；　the　first　port；　which　was　about　two　hundred　miles　off。　My　master　then　had　the　luggage　stowed　away；　and　stepped　into　one　of　the　best　carriages。

But　just　before　the　train　moved　off　I　peeped　through　the　window；　and；　to　my　great　astonishment；　I　saw　the　cabinet…maker　with　whom　I　had　worked　so　long；　on　the　platform。　　He　stepped　up　to　the　ticket…　seller；　and　asked　some　question；　and　then　com…　menced　looking　rapidly　through　the　passengers；　and　into　the　carriages。　　Fully　believing　that　we　were　caught；　I　shrank　into　a　corner；　turned　my　face　from　the　door；　and　expected　in　a　moment　to　be　dragged　out。　　The　cabinet…maker　looked　into　my　master's　carriage；　but　did　not　know　him　in　his　new　attire；　and；　as　God　would　have　it；　before　he　reached　mine　the　bell　rang；　and　the　train　moved　off。

I　have　heard　since　that　the　cabinet…maker　had　a　pre…　sentiment　that　we　were　about　to　〃make　tracks　for　parts　unknown；〃　but；　not　seeing　me；　his　suspicions　vanished；　until　he　received　the　startling　intelligence　that　we　had　arrived　freely　in　a　free　State。

As　soon　as　the　train　had　left　the　platform；　my　master　looked　round　in　the　carriage；　and　was　terror…stricken　to　find　a　Mr。　Crayan　old　friend　of　my　wife's　master；　who　dined　with　the　family　the　day　before；　and　knew　my　wife　from　childhood　sitting　on　the　same　seat。

The　doors　of　the　American　railway　carriages　are　at　t