THE

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

SLAVERY TO FREEDOM.

BY THE

REV. W. M. MITCHELL,

OF TORONTO, C.W.

 

 

Second Edition.

F480 oe de aunng hit
WWM Ait Wit

A ATVATRA UAL: A d fk AW LONDON :
WILLIAM TWEEDIE, 337, STRAND.

MANCHESTER: WILLIAM BREMNER, 11, MARKET STREKT,
AND 15, PICCADILLY.
EDINBURGH: JOHN MENZIES.
1860.

 
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PREFACE,

Tre Author of the following work is a gentleman of
colour, who was born and reared in N orth Carolina,
United States. In early life he was left a destitute
orphan, and had but few educational advantages.
By the local authorities of Guildford County, in that
State, he was bound apprentice to a planter, whose
land was cultivated by the unrequited toil of a com-
pany of his enslaved fellow-creatures, whose labour
was enforced by the whip, and whose faults, real or
fictitious, were punished by torture. His master was
also a heartless trader in human beings. It affords
4 glimpse into slave morals, that though our Author
Was freeborn, and, in consequence of his mother being
an Indian, legally exempt from bondage, it was neces-

Sary to provide expressly, in the indenture by which

he was bound, against his being kidnapped or en-

AMMMMMD MLE j

Snared into slavery. In this service he misspent

twelve precious years of his life, and became inured

to the infliction of the cruelties attendant upon man-

Stealing and slave-driving. During the last five years
WOODFALL AND KINDER, PRINTERS,

ANGEL COURT, SKINNER STREET, LONDON. of the time, the entire management of the business

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1V PREFACE,

was committed to his hands. Hence he is personally
conversant with all the disgusting details of planta-
tion slave-life, of the slave-pen, and of the auction-
block. It has since been a source of grief to him
to recollect the part he took in ordering and superin-
tending the harassing and flogging of men, women,
and children, and in separating for life those dearest
to each other, whose ties of kinship man has no
power to sever. The wife and the child are still the
wife and the child, how far and how long soever they
be parted from husband and parent.

After leaving the unholy business, Mr. Mitchell
was brought under the power of God’s converting
grace. The study of Christianity resulted—as it
ever must, when unbiassed—in his discarding with
abhorrence the iniquities inherent in slavery, which in
ignorance and depravity he had assisted to perpetrate.
He devoted himself from that day to the cause of the
enslaved; and unto this day his devotion has con-
tinued to burn with unceasing ardour and indomi-
table persistency. While engaged in the ministry of
Christ’s gospel, he has justly regarded it an essential
part of his work to promote the freedom of the
oppressed, the undoing of the heavy burden, and the
breaking of every yoke. Believing the enactment of
the Mosaic law to involve a moral principle, which is
of perpetual and universal obligation, he has endea-

voured to act as answering to the voice of God, saying

WB. A’ AR ew a"

PREFACE. V

unto him, “Thou shalt not deliver unto his master
the servant (bondman) which is escaped from his
master unto thee. He shall dwell with thee; even
among you, in that place which he shall choose, in
one of thy gates, where it liketh him best; thou shalt
hot oppress him.’ (Deut. xxiii. 15, 16.) Resident
in the State of Ohio, he was for many years an active
member of a Vigilance Committee, whose business is
to aid fugitives from slavery in escaping to Canada.
This is explained in the following pages, and is done
in violation of iniquitous law, and at the risk of both
money and liberty. But it is in obedience to the will
of God, enjoined by the prophet Isaiah (chap. xvi.,
v. 3, 4):—“ Bring counsel,” 7. e. be deliberately
united, “interpose with equity; make thy shadow as
the night in the midst of noon-day; hide the out-
casts; discover not the fugitive. Let the outcasts of
Moab sojourn with thee (Oh! Sion); be thou to
them a covert from the destroyer.” (Lowth’s Trans-
lation.) Acting thus as a director of the so-called
“Underground Railroad,” he has been a blessing to

humbers of poor creatures, whose blessing in return

has rested upon him and his fellow-directors. By a

Wise man “the blessing of him that is ready to perish”
18 never despised ; and certainly not the loving grati-
tude of those who by his aid attained unto freedom,

Comfort, and respectability. Amongst those whose

scape it has been his honour and privilege to pro-

 
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PREFACE. vu
PREFACE.

ee eee er ae On his coming to me with a letter from a friend, |

mote, it will interest the reader to know, is “ Eliza,” ” al a be; full
, . | eT | rigidly examined his credentials: an eing fully

of Mrs. Stowe, in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” whose “'8!@4Y ty es

: oa Satisfied with them, I have deemed it a privilege to

passage over the ice with her lovely boy has thrilled

| hs ' : : romote his object to the extent of my ability.
so many millions of readers. The Rey. John Rankin, I |

fat ad Having had the pleasure to hear him address many
a well-known Abolitionist, whose zeal during a long oe I

™ . : ai 1 . te
if audiences, 1 have becothe impressed with the impor
life has never flagged, and who has aided in the , | I

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escape of thousands of fugitives,

was the first to
shelter this miraculously aided woman upon her

stepping on the Ohio shore of the river.

He passed
her on to our Author, who took cl

1arge of her for
a brief period, and conveyed her into tl]

another. This fact is related in the book itself. T

refer to it because of the additional proof it affords,
that the talented authoress of that bewitching work
has recorded facts, and has not been guilty of ex.
aggeration.

A few years ago, Mr. Mitchell became

a missionary
to tl

1€ escaped fugitives in Toronto, Canada West, in
the service of the American Baptist Fr
Society—the only one of that denomin

ation in the
United States which takes proper ground in de-
nouncing Slavery

y as a sin, and refusing to touch its

proceeds. He has succeeded in gathering a large

congregation of this class of persons; but their

ee Mission

poverty, and, alas! the strength of prejudice against
colour existing in that British colony, has necessitated
his visit to this country to collect money to build a

chapel. and school-house for their use and benefit.

1e care of

ance of giving a permanent form to the principal nar-
ratives and facts he is accustomed to relate. Hence
I suggested the publishing of the book now in the
hands of the reader. The suggestion having been
Cordially sanctioned by many well-known philan-
thropists, it is hoped that, by their aid and that of
others, the little work will obtain a wide circulation.
By this means good will be done. The excellent
object Mr. Mitchell has in view will be served, as the
condition and claims of the fugitives in Canada—that
interesting class of our fellow British subjects—will
become better known to those who have the means
and the will to assist them. At least a portion of
the profits of the book will be given to the building
now in course of erection, which he hopes will be the
centre of his future labours. Principally, however,
additional information will be diffused respecting that
giant crime—American Slavery. Introduced by us
into that country, and still sustained by our com-
merce, we are more closely connected with it than
any other nation. Its abolition must and will be

brought about mainly by British influence. In this

 
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noble work English Christians must take the lead, as tials are indubitable, his reputation high, and his

they did in effecting emancipation in the West Indies speeches are thrilling. He has done good service in

Dr. Albert Barnes, the celebrated commentator, has behalf of the enslaved since he came to England, and
repeatedly testified that slavery could not exist one
hour if the church in that country put forth her

power. This witness is trué; but I am persuaded

I doubt not he will yet render eflicient aid before he
returns to his family and flock. I sincerely pray for

the complete success of his mission amongst us, for

that the impetus must be given by the church in this his safe arrival home in due time, and for a long

country. Our Christian merchants, manufacturers, future of uninterrupted prosperity in the cause of

and artisans, those princes of wealth, ¢ ‘1s
# .airteaans,; i ealth, enterprise, truth and grace.
skill, and industry, must bring their moral influence

W. H. BONNER.
to bear upon the four-million-fold enormity, and it

Le Trinity Chapel, Trinity Street, Southwark,
will sink beneath the pressure, but not before. livery August 22, 1860.

instrumentality tending to evoke that influence is
valuable—though apparently feeble as this little book.
“Who hath despised the day of small things? ”

P.S.—Out of the multitude of testimonials sponta-
neously borne in favour of Mr. Mitchell, I may
append the two following :—

‘For grains of sand the mountains make, From the Bolton Guardian, April 12, 1860.

© ; ey $ ; ”? . " . .
And atomies infinitude. ** His address was delivered with great freedom and animation,

and gave proofs of mental and oratorical powers of no mean degree.
A spark may fire a Moscow, or a mouse may tease an The audience frequently applauded the noble sentiments of the

elephant to death. God speed this little book, then Speaker.”

?

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and make it mighty to the pulling down of that From the St. Alban’s Tumes, March 1860.

: V4 **Mr. Mitchell is a popular orator, and in himself a fine speci-

stronghold of satanic blood-guiltiness and woe! Mr. Mitchell 1s & popula , 3 ieee
men of the intellectual capacity of the coloured race. We believe

I need not add how cordially I recommend the his visit to England will not only be eminently successful as regards

case of Mr. Mitchell to the beneficent of every its special object, but also in awakening a much stronger feeling

eins . ‘— than even now exists against slavery and the slave-trade.”
denomination and class. Humanity and religion are

alike interested in it. Already he has been well re-

ceived, and in all instances he has elicited testimonies

of his candour, sincerity, and ability. His creden-

 
7

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EXTRACTS FROM REVIEWS

OF THE
“UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,’
By the Rey. W. MITOHELL, of Toronto, C.W.

London : Twrepin, Strand. Price ls. 6d,

Christian World.

The author of this valuable litt]
of colour. Many thousands have
tion to the author in the course of

to procure funds for the e

the poor fugitives.

These will not ]
the book ;

we anticipate their buying it with eagerness.

Morning Star.

He furnishes a great deal of va]

iniquities of the fugitive-slave

Southern States, and the mysterious operations of that most in-
genious as well as usefu] invention, the Underground Railroad.

Mr. Mitchell's work contains a brief sketch of the present condi-
tion and prospects of the various coloured settlements in Canada,

Freeman.

He (the author) has been a blessing to many poor creatures, who,
but for him and his coadjutors, must have been reclaimed by the
odious system from which they were fleeing. The book is one
that cannot be read without deep interest. It is certain like-
wise to increase the reader’s detestation of a system which it is
only wonderful that thousands of American ‘ Christians” still
support and defend

Christian Cabinet,
The ‘‘ Underground Railroad,” from the pen of Rev. W. M.

Mitchell, of Toronto, ¢ W., ought to be read by every man,
woman, and child in England

Weekly Record.

The object of this work is most commendable,
anecdotes, no less true than interesting, and while the writer
assigns to a few out of the many escapes the term ‘‘ providen-
tial,” we would suggest that, in as far as they are all instances of
the power of truth, of courage, and presence of mind on the side of
liberty, they are all entitled to this phrase. An admirable por-
trait is prefixed to this work, which we earnestly hope will secure
the widest possible circulation among all who would desire free-
dom for the slave. Mr. Mitchell, himself a man of colour, writes
calmly, but powerfully, concerning the wrongs of his people,

It is full of

e book is an American, a man
listened with peculiar gratifica-
his journeyings in this country,
rection of school-rooms and chapels for
eed to be urged to welcome

uable information respecting the
law, the escape of slaves from the

a ae NA NN

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

Tun term “Underground Railroad” is perfectly under-
Stood throughout the United States and Canada, but
hot generally understood in this country; therefore
it requires some explanation. The grandeur of some
things consists in their simplicity; at least such
18 the case with this most wonderful of all con-
Structed roads, which is so admirably adapted to our

aa TINS . ‘
Purpose, and does the slave good service. This road has

been in operation a quarter of a century or more. Like

Many other inventions, it has taken considerable
time to acquire its present notoriety, and almost
universal celebrity. It had its origin from the
inventive powers of a slaveholder, as will appear from
the following very obvious, yet natural circumstance.

A slave, in the State of Kentucky, came to the

 
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2 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

conclusion that he was not a mere thing, as the law
termed him, but a man with immortal destinies in
common with other men: he walked upright as a
man, he reasoned as a man, therefore he saw no just
cause why his master should claim a divine right to
him, his wife and children, and their labour. This
claim gave his master another right, that is, to flog
him when he felt disposed. At all events, he would
try the strength of his reasoning powers, as to
whether they were sufficient to guide him safe to
Canada; if not, he could only return to slavery.
He accordingly eloped, and his master followed in
hot pursuit, to the Ohio river, which divides the
slave from the free States; here he lost the track of .
his escaped chattel, not knowing, or having the least
idea as to, the direction the slave had taken; he
therefore, gave up all hope of his recovery. Being dis-
appointed, and the loser of a thousand dollars, and
having no object on which to vent his dirty spleen,
he turned upon the poor Abolitionists, and said—
“ The d d Abolitionists must have a railroad under
the ground by which they run off niggers.” The
significant term “ underground ” emanated from this
circumstance. Of course, up to the present time
the slaveholders have not succeded in locating
this useful road, which is therefore as much con-

cealed from them as though it was literally under the

ground; consequently it is denominated « under-

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THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 13

ground.” And the means by which the slaves still
disappear, like the one just alluded to, beyond the
probability of recovery, so suddenly, and with such
rapid progress, we very appropriately call a rail-
road! This is the derivation of the term “Under-
ground Railroad.’ The reader must now understand,
that the so-called railroad is a mutual agreement
between the friends of the slaves, in the Northern
States, to aid fugitives on their way to Canada.
They are taken from one friend to another, which
is done only by night, until they reach Canada; this
is the whole secret of this mysterious phrase. In

this way we convey 1200 slaves annually into Canada.

The distance which they are led in a night varies. I

have taken them twenty miles in a night, but that is
not a usual distance ; six to twelve miles is more com-
monly the length of each journey. It is supposed by
Some persons who are not sufficiently acquainted with
the policy of the American’ Government, that the fugi-
tive slaves are safe from the death-like grasp of their
masters on their arrival in the free States, but to
them there are no free States, and for them there is
ho safety or freedom within the jurisdiction of the
United States’ Government; no, not an inch of
ground in the land of his birth, on which the slave
can claim his title to liberty. Though there are
fugitive slaves even now in the so-called free States,

their claimants are ignorant as to their whereabouts

 
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14 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

besides, they are protected by public sentiment in
their seyeral localities, in opposition to the Fugitive
Bill, which is unparalleled in the jurisprudence of
nations. Where individual liberty is only secured
by public sentiment, though that sentiment may be,
and sometimes is, better than the law, yet freedom
under such’ circumstances is never safe and secure.
This sentiment must, when occasion requires, yield
to the rigorous demands of the law, however unjust
they may be. To insure the permanent security of
human freedom, we must have the sanction of law
combined with public sentiment, from which law
emanates. ‘The legislatures of some States, though
few, have declared the nefarious Fugitive Bill un-
constitutional, and have refused the use of their
prisons for the security of the slayes when arrested.
This renders it more difficult to capture them, but
even with these obstructions many are captured in

those States. In confirmation of the assertion re-

lative to the insecurity of escaped slaves in the free
States, I adduce the first part of the sixth section of
the Fugitive Bill :—

“And be it further enacted, that when a person
held to service or labour in any State or territory of
the United States has heretofore, or shall hereafter,
escape into another State or territory of the United

States, the person or persons to whom such service

or labour may be due, or his, her, or their agent or

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 15

attorney duly authorized by power of attorney in
writing, acknowledged and certified under the seal of
Some legal office or court of the State or territory
in which the same may be executed, may pursue
and reclaim such fugitive person, either by procur-
ing a warrant from one of the courts, judges, or
Commissioners aforesaid, of the proper circuit, dis-
trict, or county, for the apprehension of such fugitive
from service or labour; or by seizing and arresting such
fugitive, where the same can be done without process,
aud by taking and causing such person to be taken
forthwith before such court, judge, or commissioner,
Whose duty it shall be to hear and determine the
Case of such claimant in a summary manner.”
Should the fugitive endeavour to find freedom in
the free States, he may be pursued. If he should
attempt to evade the States, and go into any terri-
tory of the United States, he is still liable to be
taken; it therefore follows he is nowhere safe in
that Republic.

arrested without first obtaining a warrant from the

Such fugitive, we see, may be

Court, judge, or commissioner, without at all overstep-
Ping the bounds of legal authority. He is to be taken
forthwith before such tribunals as are herein men-
tioned, giving the criminal no chance whatever to
€xtricate himself.

Still adding insult to injury, his case is to be heard

and determined in a “summary manner,” that is,

 

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16 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 17

without ee ye i. the benefit of a jury in vantage of his superiors, but it is infinitely more so
open court, the delivery of the verdict by the judge.
- : prensa 2 hapriiges “Gf to take advantage of the weak and helpless, especially
nese are denied him, But beyond this mean, 2
’ When t rer of the a a

unjust, and wicked encroachment on human rights, . on — od bres hermunmniins
ES : en affirmative or negative, would not affect his condition,
the criminal is not allowed to raise his voice, even 7 ; :
oe it being previously determined with the law, as well
in his own defence, on his trial, as I shall show as publi lai Ma Aden Rides ubd
’ : 1¢ opimion, by which he is doomed to return
from another portion of the sixth section of the ;
: lie nto hopeless bondage.
aforesaid Bill :— '
The glowing hope which kindled in his bosom

“In no trial or hearing, under this act, shall the

bo? while on his journey to a land of freedom, which also

testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted in ey, . a ; ;

AOE ail Spired him to press on with vigour, a smile occasion-
evidence. And the certificates in this and the first all '
ally beaming from his manly countenance at the

section mentioned, shall be conclusive of the right
= Pleasant thought of soon being free in a country i
: y in
> ° o o Py
of the person or persons in whose fayour granted, to “SE OR Py Senne ee reg ne es
. *,* ~y ‘ 2 v 5 - t a a
remove such fugitive to the State or territory; from dion nail. thos ed at 1
her,—all these are blasted; hope no longer in-
‘ , , o
which he escaped.” . ae
a ay ! rap Vigorates his soul, and the pleasant thought of claim-
Notwithstanding this prohibition and denial of  ; 3 PS
ng his own right to freedom no longer exists in his
human rights, I have often heard the judge ask the eS
» palpitating heart.
slave if he owned the claimant as his master, and In'the Northern. States, the slave-has many.Chris
°778 : : . | ) . ey is
was willing to return with him into slavery. The :

tian friends, who would, in absence of law, run any

slave, frightened almost out of his wits, for perhaps .
a Misk to rescue him. Many do even now so far

he had never before appeared in any court, and to dj ; i
; Isregard the 1aw as to rescue the fugitive. I can-

make the matter go as easy as possible with him eS ;
Not say I am clear of this fault, if a fault it be. To

when he reached his former home, answers in the Sait Cs Pte
; prevent this, however, the infamous Fugitive Bill has
affirmative. The unjust judge, for such he truly is, a a
ee 1e following clause, sect. 7 :—

takes advantage of this answer, and delivers up .
" at And be it further enacted, that any person who

the slave under the pretence that it is consonant Ae :
ee Shall knowingly and willingly obstruct, hinder, or

with the desire of the fugitive. It is considered
t= Prevent such claimant, his agent, or attorney, or any

mean and contemptible for an individual to take ad- iy
Person or persons lawfully assisting him, her or them,

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18 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

from arresting such fugitive from service or labour,
either with or without process, as aforesaid; or shall
rescue or attempt to rescue such fugitive from service
or labour, from the custody of such elaimant, his, or

her agent or attorney, or other person or persons, law-

fully assisting as aforesaid, when so arrested, pursuant

to the authority herein given and declared; or aid,
abet, or assist such person so owing service or labour
as aforesaid, directly or indirectly to escape from such
claimant, his agent, or attorney, or other person or
persons legally authorized as aforesaid; or shall har-
bour or conceal such fugitive, so as to prevent the

discovery and arrest of such person, after notice or

knowledge of the fact that such person was a fugi-

tive from service or labour as aforesaid, shall, for
either of the said offences, be subject to a fine not
exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisonment
not exceeding six months, by indietment and con-
viction before the district court of the United
States, for the district in which such offence may
have been committed; or before the proper court
of criminal jurisdiction, if committed within any
one of the organized territories of the United States.
And shall moreover forfeit and pay by way cf civil
damages, to the parties injured by such illegal con-
duct, the sum of one thousand dollars for each fugitive

so lost as aforesaid, to be recovered by action of

7~

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7

debt, in any of the district or territorial courts as _

—

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THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 19

aforesaid, within whose jurisdiction the said offence
may have been committed.”

These provisions are rather prolix in their details.
Should you even attempt to rescue the fugitive, di-

rectly or indirectly, for the said offence you are sub-

Ject to the penalties therein mentioned. This law is

unparalleled in the history of nations, and especially
Christian nations. God has commanded us to assist
the poor and needy, the helpless, the outcast, and
the down-trodden. In the law which God delivered
to Israel when she assumed an independent position
among the nations of the earth, He made a provision
for the fugitive slave. He commanded, first of all,
that Israel should not turn him back or deliver
him to his heathen master from whom he had fled.
She was taught her duty towards the fugitive, evi-
dently showing that the slave was quite justifiable
in the attempt to obtain his freedom, consequently
it would be wrong for Israel to deliver him up. As
right and wrong are in opposition to each other,

If

the slave has a right to run away, he has a right

both cannot be right, though one must be.

also to remain away. And if so, it is the duty of
those to whom he flees to protect him in the free and
unrestrained exercise of this acknowledged right,
Which God plainly intimates in the text, Deut. xxiii.
15 and 16: “ Thou shalt not deliver unto his master
the servant which is escaped from his master unto

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THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

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THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Q1

thee: he shall dwell with thee, even amone you, in fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wicked-
, , . 5 5)

that place which he shall chose, in one of thy gates,
where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress
him.” It was the duty of the Israelites to retain
him within their commonwealth, though the master
should have pursued him even to their very gates.
God has forbidden his delivery. He must be obeyed,
and duty strictly discharged at all hazards. The
language is imperative and unequivocal, cogent and
commanding,—* Thou shalt not deliver the servant to
his master,” &c. This slave had the freedom of
choice to “ dwell where it liketh him best, within thy
gates.” Ie was to remain upon principles of perfect
equality. “Thou shalt not oppress him.”

This portion of the Word of God, as well as other
portions, is shamefully trodden under foot in the
Northern States, by rendering up fugitive slaves.
The immorality does not consist in the character of

the persons to whom they are delivered, whether they
are heathen, pagan, or Christian masters: the com-
mand is, “ Thou shalt not deliver the servant to his
master ;’’ evidently implying, that whatever his char-
acter may be, the simple act of delivering him to his
master is contrary to a Diyine command, and will be
punished as other wrongs, in proportion to its mag-
nitude. Wickedness is systematically framed by law,
andit is truly a fact, “men love darkness rather than

light because their deeds are evil.” “Is not this the

hess, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the
oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke ?”’
These are perfect safeguards to human liberty, which
God has raised for the protection of the weak.

The progress of the slave is very much impeded
by a class of men in the Northern States who are too
lazy to work at respectable occupations to obtain an
honest living, but prefer to obtain it, if possible,
Whether honestly or dishonestly, by tracking runaway
slaves. On seeing advertisements in the newspapers
of escaped slaves, with rewards offered, they, armed
to the teeth, saunter in and through Abolition com-
munities or towns where they are likely to find the
object of their pursuit. They sometimes watch the
houses of known Abolitionists. Their presence causes
some excitement, for it is an unmistakable indication
that the slave has left his prison-house of bondage for
Canada, where he can stand erect as a man, and claim
his own freedom, none daring “ to molest or make him
afraid.’? Weare hereby warned, and for our own safety
and that of the slave we act with excessive caution.
The first discoverer of these bloodhounds communi-
cates their presence to others of our company, so as
to put the entire band in that locality on their guard.
If the slave has not reached us, we are on the look-
out, with greater anxiety than the hunters, for the

fugitive, to prevent his falling into the possession of

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Q2 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

those demons in human shape. On the other hand
should the slave be so fortunate as to be in our pos-
session at the time, we are compelled to keep very
quiet, until the hunter loses all hopes of finding him,
and therefore gives up the search as a bad job, or
moves on to another Abolition community, which gives
us an opportunity of removing the fugitive further
from danger, or sending him towards the North Star:
the latter w

parties.

e prefer, as it is the safest plan for both
We also have patriotic men, white and
coloured, voluntarily going into the slave States and
bringing away their fellow-men; some of these ven-
turous men having themselves been slaves, they are

truly desirous their brethren should taste the sweets

of freedom. They bring them into the free States

and deliver them to the conductors of our Railway,
whose duty it is to forward them to Canada. My
house was for several years one of the stations to
which numbers were brought by these good meu.
No class of men are better prepared for this perilous
and dangerous occupation than fugitives themselves.
First,—they are used to night-walking from their
childhood.

with their own neighbourhood, to which they gene-

Secondly,—they are better acquainted
rally resort, to secure the freedom of their friends

and acquaintances. ‘Thirdly,—they sympathize with

their brethren to a greater extent than others possi-

bly can, from their identity with them; they are

brethren in tribulation.

a a VA Ne a ae

——

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 23

These men must be patriotic,

When they jeopardize their own freedom—

‘‘ Freedom lost so long, now repossess’d ’—

sweet as it is, for others; this is, indeed, carrying out

the great law of love,‘“W hatsoever ye would men should

bP)

do unto you, do ye even so to them.” I have known

instances, of which we shall speak hereafter, where they
have absolutely forfeited their own freedom, when
unfortunately overtaken with their company within

the boundaries of the slave States. A personal friend

of mine is now in prison for ninety and nine years, in
the State of Kentucky, for leading away eight slaves,
being caught within the limits of that State: a man
guilty of no crime but assisting his brethren peace-
ably in regaining what was unjustly taken from them.
“ Behold, the arm of the Lord is not shortened that it
cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated between you and

your God.
that He will not hear, for your hands are defiled with

Your sins have hid his face from you,

blood. They trust in vanity and speak lies.” ‘This

prophecy is verified in their case; their hands are

defiled with the blood of that poor man; their sins
have truly caused God to hide bis face from them.
When God shall uncap the magazine of his wrath,
and the red arm of vengeance shall seize the fiery

Sword of justice, and dash athwart the angry sky,

 
OWL WI we!)

Q4, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

these wicked men will wake up, as from an ominous
dream, to a deep sense of justice and humanity ; but,
alas! too late to retract: “the great day of his wrath
has come, and who will be able to stand?” The right-
eous only,—the redeemed slave in common with
others, who, in this world of wickedness and humaDd
depravity, have worn handcuffs, will then bear palms
of victory; instead of stripes, robes of righteousness;
for scanty meals, inexhaustible festivities ; instead of
their humble cabins, which no one condescends to visib
but their fellows and their drivers, they will look
abroad on the flowery plains of eternal blessedness:
their companions will be good old Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, all the apostles and their associates who hav
fought the good fight, and have kept the faith, and are
now receiving their reward.

In 1852, by an Act of Congress, heavy penalties
were imposed upon all persons who knowingly ente!*
tained or aided a fugitive slave, or, in other words, had
sufficient compassion to “feed the hungry or clothe
the naked.” It was also made the duty of the United
States marshals, and all good citizens, to assist in Te
taking fugitives. Even in the slave States, the neg?
hounds and the hunters are great terrors to prevent
the escape of slaves, as the following extract from the
Onachita Register of June 1, 1852, will exemplify :—

“The undersigned would respectfully inform the

citizens of Onachita, and adjacent parishes, that be

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 28

has located about two miles and a half east of John
White's, on the road leading from Monroes to Bas-
trope ; and that he has a fine pack of dogs for catch-
Mg negroes, Persons wishing negroes caught will do

_ to give him acall. He can always be found at
US gt

t]
|

and, when not engaged in hunting; and, even
‘en, information of his whereabouts can always be
fad of some one on the premises. Terms, 5 dollars
Per day and found, when no track pointed out; when
the track is shown, twenty-five dollars will be charged
for catching negroes.—M. ©. Gorr. Monroes, Feb.
17, 1859.”

I was initiated into this underground business in
the County of Ross, in the State of Ohio, in 1843, and
“ontinued in the office, faithfully discharging the du-
Hes, until 1855. Never, for one moment, have I re-
stetted being thus engaged, though I experienced
7 very unpleasant things during that period.

But God knows how to deliver his own out of
temptation,” Many are the times I have suffered

in , Hg i
the cold, in beating rains pouring in torrents

trom the watery clouds, in the midst of the impe-
tuosity of the whirlwinds and wild tornadoes, leading
on my company,—not to the field of sanguinary war
and carnage, but to the glorious land of impartial free-
dom, where the bloody lash is not buried in the qui-
Yering flesh of the slave, nor where the voice of
Prayer, and the songs of Zion, mingle with the clank-

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

ing of handcuffs, the rattling of chains, the stifled

groans of bereaved wives, and the piercing cries of

orphan children, ascending together to the skies;

where the sound of the one is drowned in the sound of

the other. In this land, sacred to freedom, the poor
fugitive can stand erect, and claim his own liberty, and
worship his God “under his own vine and fig-tree,
where no one dares to molest or make him afraid.”

In 1843, I had an occasion, for the first time, to try
my skill in my new profession, which was to me, |
must confess, quite an awkward business; it is, how-
ever, to be hoped that my zeal and love for human
freedom amply made up for this defect. Some time
previous to my acquaintance with this community, a

slave had made his escape from the State of Maryland,

a

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 27

Upon him, put a rope round his neck, and uncere-
oniously dragged him beyond the limits of the town
authorities, and on to his former place of slavery,
leaving a wife and three children to lament their be-
Teavement.

The news spread, almost with lightning speed,
through the coloured community. We rallied, 200
Strong, in little or no time, augmenting as the news
Continued to spread from house to house; men and
Women were much excited, and on the wing of flight
in hot pursuit, some of the latter consoling the be-
Teaved wife and children, others following the accumu-
lating multitude to witness our success or failure, and,
if necessary in order to secure the freedom of the fugi-
tive, to lend assistance. We, however, came upon
these menstealers three miles from the town. One

and located in this county, supposing himself secure

from the clutches of his proud and self-important end of the rope was attached to the neck of a horse,

tyrant master; he, therefore, became content to re-

main protected only by public opinion. In this un-

molested condition he remained for several years in
connection with the Methodist congregation, and I
believe he was a very useful member. His minister,
probably wishing to increase his salary by the reward
of 100 dollars, which was offered for the slave, or for
intelligence of his whereabouts, betrayed him. While
engaged in his daily avocation, by which he made
an honest and respectable living for his family (he

being a married man), three men came suddenly

o, while the

‘nd the fugitive was walking or running,

Men were riding. The advancing crowd raised a shout;
the slave looked behind, and motioned his hand for
4S to hasten our speed, but we were going at the
top of our speed. When it became apparent to them
that their own liberty and security were in danger,
the men cut the rope from the neck of the steed,
ind, spurring their horses, were soon out of our reach

. > . . 4 ¥ . ]
and sight. The fugitive was borne back on the shoul-

ders of his friends with triumphant shouts. A man

Stved from slavery! The broken heart of a woman

 
a.

OPQ)" \ oat ¢, is ew Cede ie > =
= i. f \ ACK ges — _*
26 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

healed! For reasons best known to themselves, they
never made a second attempt to enslave him, which I
think, upon the whole, was as much to their own
advantage as to that of the fugitive. A much-ad-
mired Christian poet has well expressed a sentiment
which, I am sure, we must all admire and love :—

** How long shall men, by Christ redeem’d,
As beasts of burden be esteem’d ;

And those, by grace Divine renew'd,
Be doom’d to hopeless servitude ?”’
J. ConDER,

I was eventually located in another portion of the
same State ; here my home became more permanently
the place for concealing the flying fugitive, and for
those conducted there. Here it was I witnessed re-
markable specimens of heroism in the person of an
escaped slave, who had five years previously fled from
the State of Kentucky to Canada, and then and there
determined to devote his life to the vital interest of
his brethren, by redeeming as many as possible from
the undying grasp of the greedy monster, the slave-
holder.

own freedom, that he might, peradventure, secure the

He was willing to risk the forfeiture of his
liberty of some. He commenced the perilous busi-
ness by going into the State from whence he had
escaped, and especially into his old neighbourhood,
decoying off his brethren to Canada. The morality of
this business may be questioned by some, but we will
consider it from a practical point of view.

ai ee A NN a

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Q9

Suppose you were a slave, and to secure your free-
dom you had escaped to Canada or elsewhere, leaving
a wife and children in slavery, loving them in that
condition as you do in your present condition of free-
dom, without money to purchase them, or if you had
it, perhaps the owner would not sell them. Would it
be morally wrong, if in your power, to secure their
freedom by stealing them and conducting them into a
land where you could live an undivided family, with
the privilege of educating and bringing up your chil-
dren in the fear and admonition of the Lord? If
morally right to steal one slave, it is morally
right to steal an indefinite number. The word
Steal is not a proper term to apply to this subject; 1
use it with the meaning only of conducting slaves,
With their voluntary consent, without the knowledge
of their owners, into freedom. The above question
must be decided by the reader, if decided at all, in
4ccordance with this view.

This slave brought to my house, in nineteen months,

265 human beings, whom he had been instrumental in
redeeming from slavery, all of whom I had the privilege
of forwarding to Canada by the Underground Rail-
Toad, as explained at the commencement.

He kept no record as to the number he had as-
Sisted in this way, but I have been able, from con-
Versations with him on the subject, to ascertain about

1300 whom he delivered to Abolitionists to be for-

ef

~~

i ¥

4 ;

e

*

st) 7
y\
+
Ww

we
Fr,

:

,

_

+
1’

oy

|

 
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OSE 4

aid \, eS ay

30 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 81

warded to Canada, Poor man! he was finally captured
and sold.

at the command of the tyrants, until fettered with

He had been towards the interior of Ken- handeuffs and chains. Their leader resisted, till

tucky, about fifty miles; and while returning, with
four slaves, he was captured. On one side the Ohio
River is Kentucky, a slave State, and on the other
side of that river is a free State, this river being
the dividing line. Daylight came on them ; they con-
eealed themselves under stacks of Indian corn, which
served them for food, as well as a protection from the
weather and passers-by, waiting till the sun should
go down, and leave behind him a black garment over
the face of Nature. Late in the afternoon of that
day, in the distance, was heard the baying of the
negro-hounds, on their track ; escape was impossible,
To plunge into the river was to find a watery grave.
To turn back was to walk into the lion’s den. Self-
defence was the only alternative ; perhaps they might
cause the enemy to retreat, if not too many for
them. When the four slaves saw their masters,
they said, “J. M., we can’t fight.” He endeavoured
to rally up their courage, and arouse their ambi-
tion, by urging the justness of their cause, but to
no purpose. Their manhood had been crushed out
by the overpowering influence of slavery, brought
to bear on them through the agency of white men,

whose chains they had worn, and whose stripes

they had felt. Our hero was deserted in time of

both his arms were broken, and his body otherwise

abused. When conquered, and fairly in their posses-

Sion, all hopes of escape fled; Freedom was to him as »
& morning’s dream. On opening the eye her beauti-
ful form disappeared; and in her stead was the
frightful ghost of Slavery, looking him directly. in
the face. With broken arms and a mangled body,
Cold iron encircling his manly frame, with a heart yet
beating for liberty, placing no value upon his exist-
ence, throwing back his broad shoulders, his chest
projecting, said, “ Put a ball in that! I don’t wish to
live any longer. I have taken away hundreds of
Slaves. Kill me; if my men had fought, I would
have saved them.” ‘Though he had changed his name,
a3 most slaves do on running away, he told his
master’s name, and to him he was delivered. He
Was eventually sold and taken to New Orleans, more
than 1000 miles from where he then was, and not
less than 1800 miles from Canada. ‘Yet in one year,
five months, and twenty days, I received a letter from
this man, John Mason, from Hamilton, Canada West.
Let a man walk abroad on freedom’s sunny plains,
and having once drunk of its celestial “stream
Whereof maketh glad the city of our God,” after-

Wards reduce this man to slavery, and there 1t 1s next

great necessity: these cowardly slayes quietly stood,

:
:

to an impossibility to retain him,

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

Slavery! That single word, what’ volumes does #

speak! It speaks of chains, of whips and tortures
compulsive labour, hunger and fatigue, and all the
miseries our frail bodies can suffer. It speaks ol
haughty power and insolent commands, of insatiaté
avarice, of pampered pride and purse-proud luxw’y;
and of the cold indifference and scornful unconcer®
with which the oppressor looks down upon his vi’
tims. It speaks of crouching fear, though Job?
Mason had none, because he was a superior may;
above the level of his race. It speaks of low, mea?
cunning, and treacherous revenge, which it entails
upon its vassals. It speaks of humanity outraged

and manhood degraded; the social charities of life,

the sacred ties of father, wife, and child, trampleé

under foot; aspirations crushed, hope extinguished:
and the light of knowledge sacrilegiously put out. I
speaks of man deprived of all that makes him amiable
or noble,—stripped of his soul, and sunk into @
beast. There it leaves him, in the prison-house of
ignorance, a ghost-like form.
children are born. May Heayen have mercy on the;
for man has none!

** And shall the nations dare to hold
In chains, whom Thou hast charter'd free ?
Or buy, with their accursed gold,
The sinewy arm and servile knee ?
Whate’er of crime, whate’er of woe,
Europe has wrough and Afric wept,

To this fate thei

 

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

In his recording volume, lo !
The Angel of the Court has kept.
In that great day, when Afric’s race
Are from their house of bondage cast,
Oh, hide us in some peaceful place,
Till all thy wrath be over-past.”

J. H. WIFren,

lt is often urged, though falsely, by the American
8 Ta >
laveholders and their abettors, that the negro race
d th °
°€s not possess, to the same degree as the white

r fe
“ce, those strong social feelings and filial affections
Which lie

&Ssentj

at the foundation of human society; the
al elements and spontaneous out-growth of

0 '
ur nature: the potent ligaments of the whole social

fabri ms
ric. And as these qualities are developed, man

Agee ,
Cends higher in the scale of intellectual, moral,

80cia] That these qualities

» and religious being.
ar . ;

© not developed in the negro equally with the
Wh} : f : ;

ute race, I readily admit. But that the negro

do
“S not possess them to the same degree as the

» as characteristics of human nature, and
that the

y are not capable of as high a degree of

dey
clopment in the negro as in the white race, I

at all prepared to admit. Whether they

Og :
Possess them or not, a few examples will demon-
Str \

ate. Stern facts are more cogent upon the human

Min : : Wee :
d than fine-spun, hair-splitting logical arguments ;

th

0 eae
: ugh on scientific subjects these are allowable, and
In

n
any respects necessary. I had, at one time, a

C

 
Sa Ne ACs)

RP RK A AR ew a

b4 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

woman with her child at my house, on her way to
Canada. It being my duty, as well as part of my
profession, to assist her, I sent a message to one of
our conductors, some six miles distant, that 1 should
pay him a visit that evening, for what purpose he
quite understood, as the sequel will show. Late in
the night, when the hum of business had gradually
sunk into dead silence, and the foot of the busy tra-
veller was no longer heard, I arose from my bed,
leaving my loved ones sound asleep; then kissing
them, I threw around me an overcoat to protect me
from the cold north wind, and turning my face towards
this poor woman, I felt it was my duty as a father,
my duty as a Christian, to save this mother and her
babe from the iron grasp of slavery, if in my power.
If I ever felt the outbursting of a father’s affections,
and influenced by these feelings to assist a slave-mo-
ther in securing the freedom of her darling babe, it
was then. My wife gave the child to me, and I
walked out to the gate. After looking this way and
that way we proceeded. Our steps were quick and
cautious, our words few and seldom, and rising only
to a whisper. The dead silence was now and then
broken by the bark of a neighbour’s dog, at a dis-
ance. ‘The darkness was augmented by the dim
forest into which we were suddenly to plunge, 4
place pre-eminently suited for an enemy to lie 1

ambush.

The woman pressed close to my side as she

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 35

Walked, at times walking on her toes. Occasionally a
deep sigh and a stifled groan emanated from her heay-
ing bosom. Just here we saw, in the distance, a man
approaching us on horseback, whom she took to be an
enemy. She ran a few paces, but, returning, crouched
by my side, trembling as in the arms of death itself,
pleading for her child with the resistless power of a
woman’s eloquence, in a soft and plaintive tone, in
Which the power of woman’s eloquence principally
Consists. Under other circumstances I should have
been overcome. Again she started, but returned as
before, and said, “For God’s sake give me the child.”
Something like a determination spontaneously arose
in my mind. I was as ignorantas herself as to whom

We were meeting. I replied, ‘‘ No one man can take

?

you; stick to me like a heroine.” Her steps grew

Steady, and her fears began to subside. To her my
Counsel was “a word in season ;”’ its effect was much
more powerful than I anticipated: it proceeded from
the impulse of nature. To our delight and surprise
(to me as well as to her), it was the gentleman to
Whom we were going; he, having received my mes-
Sage, was coming to meet us.

Here was a fair test of a mother’s affections. It
Was literally impossible for her to leave her child,
though at the peril of her own life; her attempts

Were to no avail. How like a mother! Could any

White mother have done more than this woman

c 2

 
Se WA, A yg

86 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

did? Here is the strongest evidence possible
of parental affection existing in the bosom of an
uncultivated slave. “Out of one blood has God
created all men to dwell on the earth,’—made of
one common material, having one common nature,
subject to one common code of laws, with equal im-
mortal destinies, amenable to the same God, redeemed
(if redeemed at all) by the same dying Saviour. Tho
conclusion is therefore obvious, that the negro is as
capable of loving and hating to the same degree as
any other race of people. They that think the
contrary, are feither'prejudiced against the race, or
ignorant of human nature. This woman, as have
many others, reached Canada safely.

As another instance of affection in the coloured
race, | mention that of a company of eight slaves,
who were making their way to Canada, under the
guidance of one of our men, who devote their lives
to that business. He concealed them at a distance of
twenty miles from my house. It was in the month
of January, and consequently very, very cold, and the
ground was covered with snow. Among the com-
pany were two women, one a mother with three
children; the other had no child. I hired a wagon,
and went with this conductor the following evening
to their place of concealment; on nearing the place,
he took me through a forest, when, only a few roods

off the party, I heard a child cry. We found them

SR. A’ AW ew a

n
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 34

nearly frozen. The mother’s feet were so frost-
bitten that she could scarcely walk, and but for the
excitement natural to her position, she would have
Considered it impossible to walk. The children
had suffered less, because the mother had deprived
herself of every comfort to protect them from the
cold. This conduct is an incontestable evidence
of a mother’s love, though she be black! We
Wrapped them in blankets, which we took for the
Purpose, and put them in our wagon, and conveyed
them to my house. On the following evening, those
Who were able were conducted on their way. The
mother and her three children remained at my house,
She being totally disabled. I employed a doctor for
her, who amputated one of her feet, but to no saving
effect. She died in the full triumph of Christian
faith. A few minutes before departing this life, she
Said, in a low tone of voice, “ Will you see that my
children are free?” Here was a mother’s undying

alfection obviously manifested in a dying body. She

loved freedom. She was much grieved because un-

able to pay me for my services. Occasionally, when
feeling a little better, she would say, “If I am
Spared to reach Canada, I will work hard, and send

?

Money to pay you.” This showed a truly good and

a a . a mde ¢ YY ° oi
steat heart. I need scarcely add, that all her chil-
dren are in Canada. She died in a good cause.

Ther

e is nothing greater and of more value to a human

 
THE UNDERGROUND RALLROAD.

being than religion and human liberty. She was
endeavouring to secure to her children the advantages
of both: to accomplish this, she sacrificed her own
life. But by this sacrifice she obtained those ad-
vantages for her beloved ones, and died in freedom
herself. Had she not run away, her children might
have been slaves to-day, whereas they are free. This
good mother is one redeemed from the galling yoke
of unmitigated inhuman echattelism, and has gone
through great tribulation, to join those who have
“washed their robes and made them white in the

blood of the Lamb.”’

** Hark, from heaven a voice proclaiming
Comfort to the mourning slave ;
God has heard him long complaining,

And extends his arm to save.

Proud oppression soon shall find its destined grave.”’

Another interesting case is that of a slave mother,
who fled from the dark dungeon of slavery in Vir-
ginia. Learning that she was to be sold from her
daughter and grandchild, though advanced in years,
it seems she had an instinctive love for freedom, and
attempted to achieve it by running away. During
the night she travelled, concealing herself in the day-
time; otherwise she might have been betrayed, taken
back or lodged in gaol. Her only subsistence was
Indian corn, on which she lived during her perilous

journey. Mothers of England! imagine the suffer-

aie a VA NN ae

©)

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 89

ing of this mother; put yourselves in her position;
No one to whom to tell her sorrows and pour out her
soul. But God, whose eye never sleeps, and whose
ears are never dull of hearing, mysteriously guided
the fugitive unto freedom. He heard and answered
her prayers. ‘Trusting in the God of Israel, her
trembling limbs bore her feeble body northward ;
subject to rain, hail, snow, and impetuous storms; a
Pilgrim, not to the Holy Land, to bow to the Popish
Shrine, but to freedom’s land, to worship God, and
enjoy the boon of liberty, which she purchased at
almost an inconceivable price. Ascending and de-
Scending mountains, making her way through dense
forests, wading creeks, she eventually arrived in the
Key-stone State (as we call it), Pennsylvania. Seeing
in the distance a light, she approached it cautiously,
Necessity compelling her to seek human aid; starva-
tion looking her in the face, tattered rags, wearied
limbs, relaxed muscles, and sunk ambition, were

Nature’s admonitions—were so many voices warning

her of the importance of temporal comforts. She

8aw before her a huge form. She came to a stand-
still, endeavouring to make it out. A voice came
from it,— Thee need not be afraid, it is a friend.”’
She recognized the voice of a Quaker. He took her
into his house, true as they always are to the dictates
of humanity, and the precepts of our religion ; he fed,

clothed, and sheltered her. She remained in his

 
RR. A A wa

“=,
ST ad \weat a "dead ) ey Cae 3 L =,
Se TN. WHR OS * _ fh)
pum : ,

40 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. THK UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, 4]

family some time, they being Abolitionists. Shthem to inform her daughter of her arrival, who

consulted the Quaker as to the propriety of attempitnstantly went to her mother in the forest. Their

ing to rescue her daughter and grandchild frointerview can be better imagined than deseribed.
slavery. He considered her too old, the distanclhe escape was planned, and thus her daughter and
too great, the difficulties to be overcome more tha8on-in-law were rescued from oppression’s heavy
she was capable of, besides the liability of forfeitinhand, and led, in the same direction, to freedom’s
her own freedom ; he, therefore, would not reconland. With light hearts they reached the good
mend her to attempt it. This advice, coming frovQuaker’s dwelling, and were received with his usual
an honest heart, was truly discouraging to herkindness. It was some time before she could con-
nothing but a mother’s love could have borne thvince him that she had been back, and but for the
burden of a broken-hearted mother. Can a mothecorroborative evidence of her relations, she would
forget the child she bore? No! not while she reprobably have failed to convince him. He, as before,
mains a mother. She consulted other friends, anfed and clothed them, and they had a free passage to
received similar advice. Notwithstanding, being proCanada by the Underground Railway. This narrative
vided with food and clothing, she made her way backmay appear marvellous, but it is a fact, for I am
by the providence of God, a distance of four hundre(dealing with facts only.

miles, in the direction she came, through all kinds 0 No human being on earth could give stronger evi-
weather. When her stock of provisions was eXdence of a mother’s affections than this woman. It
hausted, she fed, as before, on Indian corn. 1s a confirmation of what Cowper says, which, though

Approaching the habitation of the hissing serpent#so often recited, never loses its strength and beauty :—
they (feeling an instinctive right to defend thei
_: ** Pleecy locks and black complexions
domiciles) warned the wearied traveller by thei Ciniis Sealed amen +

c : c DS )
sound; nocturnal howls, the barking of the wolf Skins may differ, but affections

i : : . rell in white and black the same.”
dog; the noise of insects, all alike familar to her ear Dwell in white and bisck the 9

She arrived at her destination, and concealed hersel Poor woman, born in a so-called country of free-
in a wood from whence she could overlook he dom, gave birth to a beloved one, whom all regarded
daughter’s humble cabin; seeing negro childrei a8 the gift of our heavenly Father. Like her white

playing in the yard, she accosted them, and sev Sisters, she loved it, but, unlike them, had no acknow-

 
Sw) Rh A’ A ew a

PP eA, * A ) S

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. THR UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 43

ven = ati
eraceful, wicked, and diabolical decision,—“ No person,

along whose veins courses one drop of African blood,

ledged rights; unlike them, she was rearing it for

the auction-block, to be sold as the calf from the

cow, to work on the cotton plantations, there to be
mangled and butchered at the will of the owner.
May Heaven have mercy on these people !—the bowels
of human sympathy seem closed to their piteous cries
and bitter wailings. The American people listen with
eagerness to the report of wrongs endured by distant
nations, which is all well enough. The Hungarian,
the Italian, the Irishman, the Jew and the Gentile,
all find in that land a home, and when any or all of
them wish to speak, they find hearts to sympathize
and ears to hear. The fugitive slave has no home
this side the grave in that republic; they will not
allow him to. pass peaceably through the free States
of that glorious republic, to find a home beyond the
land of his birth, in a more favoured country, where
equal rights and privileges are allowed as the essential
properties of human nature. The soil of America has
been cultivated by slaves for centuries, and they have
performed for their masters the humblest services,
and by the labour of their sable and sinewy arms the
greatest comforts and luxuries of the slaveholders
have been gained from the earth. Among such a
people, and with such recommendations to favour, they
are esteemed less than strangers and sojourners,—
aliens in their native land. From the judicial seat of

that mighty Government comes the shameful, dis-

has rights that a white man need respect.” The chastity
of my daughter cannot be protected as an American
Citizen, because African blood courses her veins ; con-
sequently she has “no rights that a white man need
respect.” She has no virtue that a white man need
regard. She has no honour that a white man need
admire, no noble qualities he need appreciate. The
hegro race is scourged beyond the beneficent range
of both authorities, secular and religious. We plead
their rights in the name of the immortal Declaration
of Independence, and in the still more glorious name

of Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour. We beg for

mercy; while the slave-whip, red with blood, cracks
We invoke the aid of the

Over them in mockery.
ambassadors of Him who came to “ preach deliverance
to the captives, and set at liberty them that are
bound.” We cry to humanity for help, but are re-
pulsed. We appeal to American Christianity, but it
refuses to shield them; to the coloured man “its
bones are brass and its feathers iron.”

We will turn again to the subject of our narrative.
We have a different method still’ by which slaves
escape, and none the less effectual because of its
hovelty. The Abolitionists in the slave States (for
there are many, though they cannot advocate their

a4 . + . . - Be * . 6 .
Principles) very kindly give the slaves information

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

as to the direction of Canada, and the free States
through which they must pass to reach it, also the
names of the most important rivers, all which infor-
mation the slaves remember. With this instruction
alone, the slave starts for Canada; the north star is
his guide, by it he knows his course. When the
clouds intervene, and thus obscure the flickering light
of this “ beautiful star,” Nature has a substitute. A
smooth soft substance called moss, which grows on
the bark of the trees, is thicker on the north side of
the tree, and thus serves as a guide northward till
the heavenly guide again appears. Necessity, it is
said, is the mother of invention, which is certainly
true in the case of the slave discovering such a sub-
stitute. The number of slayes who thus find their
way to Canada we have no means of ascertaining,
but we have reason to believe it is very great.
At the birth of Jesus, the star was a guide to the

wise men of the east, to Bethlehem. Over the birth-

place of the “King of kings,” it became stationary ;

in the case of the slave it is vice verséd—the star stops
not, but the slaves does on his arrival in Canada.
We realize with much pleasure “that the Lord God
is a sun anda shield. He will give grace and glory,
and no good thing will He withhold from them that
‘‘ Bow down thine ear, OLord, and
hear the poor and needy.” He hears the prayer of

walk uprightly.”

the fugitive slave, for many are devoted Christians.

= ee *: om 9 - _> ya's sand a7 pase \
SS | Pk AVA CE we

> ~

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 45

They can say with David, “ Give ear, O Lord, unto
my prayer, and attend to the voice of my suppli-
Cations.” “ All nations whom Thou hast made shall
come and worship before Thee.” Oh, may Africa come
and enjoy this privilege! May the 4,000,000 of
Slaves, in the United States, come: but they are
legally prevented ; thirty-nine lashes is the reward
of each if found off his owner’s premises, whether to
Worship God or otherwise, unless with a written con-
Sent of the owner.

It was a strange oversight on the part of the con-
8ervators of slavery, when they passed the Fugitive
Bil (for law it is not), and especially when they de-
termined upon systematic measures for its rigorous
€xecution. In no other way could they have done so
Nuch to increase the agitation they had determined
to suppress. In no other way could the public atten-
tion have been drawn to the diabgjical character of
Slavery, and to the wickedness and meanness of its
Northern allies and supporters. The north, in many
respects, does the bidding of the south; they are
Slave-hunters for their masters, the slaveholders ; they
dre not permitted to be anything else if they obey the
Fugitive Bill, and, I am sorry to say, many do. I
Say, they are slave-catchers for the south, as the fol-
lowing will show, which occurred in 1852 :—

James Phillips, a coloured man, who had lived four-

teen years in Harrisburgh, Penn., much respected,

 
OWEN, Wa @°@y ny
46 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

and employed in a confidential situation on a rail
way, while on duty was suddenly surprised, knocked
down, and then taken before Commissioner Richard
McAllister, and in a summary manner, and by an ir-
regular process, delivered up into slavery. I ask,
in the name of humanity, who did this atrocious and
abominable act ?—a northern commissioner, who
holds his oflice by the will and consent of the people.
The character of the fugitive entitling him to the
confidence of the people, they bought him, after he
had been given up by the Commissioner. Burns was
taken back from Boston, the hot-bed of abolitionism;
the north gave him up.

The north supports slavery, both Church and State.
But for the Underground Railroad, very few slaves
would be able to reach Canada, coming, as they are
compelled, through the northern States, among as rank
a set of slaveholders as are to be found in South Caro-
lina ; men in the northern States who own slaves in the
south; merchants in New York, Boston, Philadelphia
(but especially New York), who have mortgages on slave
plantations in the south. The northern churches have
not sufficient courage, and still less Christianity, to
open their mouths, and “plead the cause of the widow”
and orphan children. Fugitives may be dragged out
of their own churches and congregations, and hurried
before the commissioners; and before the service of the

church is concluded, their trial is over, and the poor

a eA Ne =e

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. AT

slave is on his way to the south; yet these ministers,
48 a mouthpiece for God, are dumb as Balaam’s
488, and, therefore, their congregations cannot be ex-
pected to be better.
ture, there is a bright side to it ; and on this side are

Notwithstanding this dark pic-

the Beechers, the Cheevers, and many others. In
Some communities, the fugitive can pass unmolested
(yet he is still liable to be betrayed even by the
meanest person), but these places are few and far be-
tween; therefore we are necessitated to manage our
affairs with great care, as the following circumstance
Will illustrate :—

At one time, while in the State of Ohio, I lived near
Kentucky slave State. I was rather notorious as a
Negro-stealer, ahd it was reported that I would ab-
8olutely refuse to deliver up a slave. One day a young
man came to my house (I did not ask him whether
he was a slave or not); he merely said he was travel-
ling on his way to Canada. I knew, from his appear-
ance, he was a fugitive slave, which he did not conceal.
Ina couple of hours his pursuers were in town, hunt-
ing for him. Before I could possibly remove him from
my house, even for my own or his safety, it was lite-
Tally surrounded by them. As my house was detached
from any other, there was no possibility of removing
him without being seen. I was at my wits’ end; what
to do I knew not. If the slave was caught in my pos-

Session, I must pay a fine of 1000 dollars and be im-

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

prisoned six months, neither of which was desirable,

The slave-
hunters demanded my door to be opened, that they

especially having a wife and children.

might search my house. I am not as obedient as I

ought to be, even in cases where duty is at stake;
therefore it is not to be wondered at that I should be
so in this case. I absolutely refused to comply, unless
they had authority from the mayor of the town. As
they did not attempt to come in, I took it for granted
that they did not possess that authority, in which con-
clusion I found I was correct. This defect was met
by despatching one of their company into the town
Action of

In a short space of time

or merely up the street, after a warrant.
some kind was imperative.
J must submit to have my house searched. Just at
this trying moment, I found the great necessity, or
advantage, of having a wife. She rose from her seat,
as if by Divine influence, and said, “ I think it possible

’

to save him.” She immediately dressed him in her
own attire, and in a few minutes he was transformed
into the image of afemale. Feeling myself somewhat
relieved, I opened the front door, and the supposed
ladies passed out. The eyes of the infuriated tigers
were directed into the house, through the door, as this
was the first opportunity they had had; consequently
the women attracted no attention whatever, as it was
a man they were in pursuit of. She took him a couple

of miles in the country, and delivered him into the

aie Se Ve NN a

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, 49

charge of our conductors there. The same evening he
took a free passage to Canada. When the warrant
came, I was quite prepared for my house to be
Searched, which was done. They ran to and fro, and
up and down stairs, like hungry wild beasts, dash-
ing about my chairs, sofa, &c., as though they were
iron, I spoke in a very commanding tone of voice, as
I am told I can do when a little aroused,—“ Gentle-
men, the law allows you, when authorized as you are,
to search my house, but not to break my furniture,
and the next man that dashes any article as that man
did” (pointing to the scoundrel) “ does it at his own
Tisk,”’—my babe (eighteen months old) crying in my
arms. This brought everything to a perfect stand-
Still and dead silence: all their eyes were placed on
Me, and mine were placed on them. The cries of my
child only served to augment my determination. The
child’s mother being engaged in delivering the fugi-
tive out of the power of his pursuers, and I having
Undertaken the charge of the children, I must be
faithful to the trust my wife committed to me, and
faithful also to the flying slave. Eventually, one of the
en, in a kind of unnatural nasal sound, dropping his
Sheepish-looking eyes on the floor, said, with feelings
of much disappointment, “ Might as well go, I reckon ;
No nigger here, I guess.” I do not know whether
they ever discovered that he had been in my house or
D

 
o'r \\ weed / Y Pe j Cd i
a \ GA. ~ A
50 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

the method of his escape; but of this I am satisfied,
that they never got their victim.

I regard the deliverance of this fugitive, by the
agency of my wife, as a direct interposition of God,
effectually operating through her. We are told in
his Word, that “ every good and perfect gift cometh
down from the Father of Lights, in whom is no

99

variableness, nor shadow of turning.” This may be
considered one, the evidence of which is found in the
fact of its effectuality. We may well adopt the cogent
language of David, “In Thee, O Lord, do I put my
trust; let me never be put to confusion: deliver me
in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape. De-
liver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked:
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.”

I a and verily believe, that this prayer will even-

tually be answered in the behalf of 4,000,000 of

shaven, in the hands of unrighteous owners, in the
United States.

owners no moral

[f they should run away, doing their
injury whatever, they are hunted
with dogs over mountain-tops, and through the vyal-
William Smith, who

Pennsylvania, on his at-

leys, and shot down like deer.

shot dead by a slave-
Who will not say

these are unrighteous men? and who would lke to

be in their possession ? A young man, named Lewis,

i Nd

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 51

fled from his master in Kentucky, and came to
Cincinnati, Ohio, probably about fifty or sixty miles
from his home. Being in a free State, and among
Abolitionists, he vainly supposed himself safe. He
had left behind him a companion to whom he was
betrothed, and desirous to know whether he should
€ver realize his expectations as to obtaining her, he
Made application to a fortune-teller, who required
from him a synopsis of his history to begin with,
Which he unhesitatingly, and in full confidence, gave
her. He left her house highly pleased with the idea
of receiving soon the object of his first love; he
almost fancied he had her in his embraces, no longer
twain, but one flesh. Time, the true test of all

things, soon taught our yeung friend it was all

‘magination’s dream, for in a few days he was

arrested as a fugitive slave. On the following morn-

Ing the trial came on, in the court-house. There

Yas no possible chance of saving him by law, so

We made as great a noise about it as possible, to
‘waken sympathy and a proper sense of justice in
the public mind. ‘The court-house was literally filled
With white and coloured persons. Barristers were
“mployed on both sides. Some technical question
“tose between them, and they became much excited,
Uestioning each other’s ve ‘acity and integrity ; they
Tose on their feet, face to face, and each kepé ap-

Pealing to the judge. The people were thoroughly

 
52 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

excited, and their attention was wholly fixed on the
barristers and the judge. The prisoner, in charge of
the sheriff, stood near the bar, and close behind were
the people. Near the prisoner stood my friend; he
put his hat on the prisoner’s head, who, taking the
hint, immediately bowed himself to the floor, and, on
his hands and. knees, made his way between the legs
of the crowded assembly, and escaped, and was, in 4
When the judge had

decided the point at issue, the sheriff found the

few minutes, out of sight.

prisoner missing, and exclaimed hastily, ‘ Where
is the prisoner?—where is the prisoner?” The
inquiry went throughout the court-house. The
crowd simultaneously rushed towards the door ; those
who had committed themselves to negro-catching
were most eager in the search for the prisoner, for
the paltry reward offered by the owner. The moré
respectable portion of the people were not very
active in looking for the prisoner, but rather, among
themselves, enjoyed the cleverness of the trick. The
sheriff, being responsible for the prisoner, offered 4
reward of 1000 dollars for the recapture of Lewis;

who had escaped from the court-house. This tran

spired on Saturday. On Sunday morning we dressed

him in female attire, and escorted him to church ; wé
made a collection in a quiet way, and sent him off t¢
Canada, where coloured men are free. It was thé

fortune-teller, to whom Lewis had gone respecting

SS (Rh. Al AERO ew 2

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 53

his sweetheart, and to whom he had divulged the
Secret of his being a fugitive slave, that caused
him to be eaptured. The wretch was paid 100
dollars (£20) for the information she gave to his
owner.

Some years ago slavery existed in Delaware, and
running away was then as much in practice as it is
Now; consequently numbers of them repaired to
Philadelphia. A Mr. D. Godwin was in the habit of
buying these runaway slaves, thus: he paid the mas-
ters a small sum and took the chance of catching
them; of course, if he did not get them, he lost
his money ; butif he did, the slaves were his. In
this way Mr. Godwin purchased a slave named
Ezekiel, commonly called Zeke. Mr. G. came to
Philadelphia, and called on Isaac T. Hopper, a strong
Abolitionist, for information as to the whereabouts
of this Zeke.

up came a black man, who paid the utmost attention

While talking with Mr. Hopper,

to the conversation; when finished, he said, “ How
do you do, Mr. Godwin? don’t you know me?” He
answered that he did not. “Then you don’t remem-
ber a man that lived by your neighbour, Mr. i
Continued he. “When he specified the time, and some
Other particulars, he said he did recollect such a
Person. “ Well,” answered the black man, “I am he,
and I am Zeke’s brother.”

if he knew where bis brother was.

The speculator inquired
“Oh, yes, Mr.

t

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

Godwin, but I am sorry you have bought Zeke; you'll
“Why, what is

“ When such fellows as

never make anything of him.”
the matter with Zeke?”
my brother come to Philadelphia, they get into bad
company; they are afraid to be seen about in the
day, and they go prowling about at night. I’m sorry
you have bought Zeke; he is just such a character:
though he is my brother.”’ Mr. Godwin, thinking it
was rather a bad case, said, “ Suppose you buy Zeke 2”
“1 should have to maintain him if I did,” replied the
black man. “Suppose, however, I should, what would
you take for him?’ The trader asked 150 dollars,
which the black man most decidedly refused to
give; however, he came down to sixty dollars. The
black man went out, and soon returned with the

money. Mr. Hopper, the Abolitionist, drew up the
deed of purchase, and when duly signed the black
man said, ‘ Zeke is free!” ‘“ Yes,’ said Mr. Godwin.
The black man, not believing the trader, turned to
Mr. Hopper, the Quaker, saying, “Zeke is free,
nobody can take him, can they, Mr. Hopper?” Mr.
Hopper replied, ‘‘ Wherever Zeke is, I assure thee,
he is free.” Being thus assured, the black man
made a low bow towards the ground, and, with a droll
expression of countenance, said, “I hope you are
well, Mr. Godwin; I am happy to see you, sir. I am
Zeke!”

began to threaten and abuse him.

The trader seized Zeke by the collar, and

Zeke said, “ If

Sk. A AW Sew a

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 55

you don’t let go, Mr. Godwin, I’ll knock you down;
I am a free citizen of! these United States, and won’t
be insulted in this way by anybody.” Zeke was
taken before the magistrate, who, after hearing the
particulars, said to Mr. Godwin, “ Zeke is as free
a3 any one in this room, and you have been out-
Wwitted.”

A slave, with his wife and child, made their escape,
and had spent two weeks in the forest, without
anything to eat for four days, not daring to show
themselves to any one, for fear of being captured,
fast losing their physical strength, hunger preying
upon their vitals, almost exhausted with fatigue as
Well, and the hope of living to reach a land of free-
dom haying nigh fied, though an instinctive desire to
do so still lingered in their careworn bosoms. In
this condition seeing a gentleman, as they were con-
Cealed near his farm, passing to and fro, they ven-
tured to show themselves, not knowing whether he
Was a friend or foe; alas! he was an enemy. He

rovided them with food as requested, in a house de-

|
4
l

ached from his own dwelling ; feeling assured that

g : a ae
they were safe, they partook of their meals with great
pleasure ; hope began to revive, and their hearts
filled with joy.

hopes were blasted.

But, alas! in one short hour thei
Joy was turned into sorrow,

y ] 4 a TO Vy .
Peace into confusion. The farmer had betrayed them ;

They

eleven men came with him to capture them.

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

were betrayed into the hands of wicked men; escape

was out of the question. The child seemed conscious
of its danger, which it manifested by screams and
holding on to its mother’s tattered rags. Poor
woman! unable to protect herself, and no law to
secure the freedom of fugitives in the United States,
—the cries of the slave-mother’s child went up
The husband

placed himself at the door, but soon fell back on the

to heaven against their oppressors.

floor helpless. The wife took his place, and, more
successful than he, she felled three men to the ground.
But, alas! resistance was vain. Overcome, she seized
the knife with which she had been eating her food;
resolute as death seizes his victims, intoxicated with
madness—“ oppression makes a wise man mad ’’—she
placed her hand on the head of the innocent child,
saying, “It was for your sake I started for Canada;
{ would rather see you dead than go back to slavery.”
So, suiting the action to the expression, she cut its
throat, and immediately surrendered. Her master
sold her for 1000 dollars (£200).

crushed out a mother’s affection, or, may we not say

Slavery had

it was affection that induced her to rescue the child
from worse than death ?

In the county of Fayette, State of Obio, in a small
village of about 1000 inhabitants, was one of our
Underground Railway stations, in charge of a good

and faithful conductor. Unwisely, not less than ten

Pk A A eww

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 57

or twelve fugitive slaves had stopped in this town,
protected only by public opinion. True, the majority
of the people were Abolitionists, yet the liberty of
fugitives was by no means secure. Unexpectedly, as a
thief in the night, the town was invaded by four slave-
holders, who, with the police, captured three of the
slaves ; the others contrived to make their escape into
the forest. The whole town was aroused in a few
minutes. The three captured slaves were in charge
of one of the company, while the others were on
the look-out for the fugitives who had fled to the
forest. It was dangerous for us, under such circum-
stances, to harbour them in our houses, for fear they
should be searched. ‘There was no time to lose;
what was done must be done quickly.

Sixteen of our party suddenly and furiously rushed
upon the captured slaves, and cut the ropes with which
their limbs were tightly bound, pushing them about
from one to the other. Not a word was spoken the
whole of the time it took to accomplish our design.
It being warm weather, we wore slippers without
heels, to prevent a noise while rescuing the prisoners
and conveying them away. When we had faithfully
as well as hastily performed our duty, we scampered
off in different directions. It was obvious that our
impetuosity had produced the effect intended on the
nind of the Southerner. He was perfectly astounded

and literally terrified at our unexpected approach, and

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

the earnestness with which we went at our work.
When a little recovered from the shock, he poured
forth a volley of oaths, threatening to shoot us if we
did not cease, to which we paid no attention what-
ever. He changed his tactics by calling aloud,
“Police! police!’’ These officers were intentionally
deaf, or so far off that they were unable to come to
his aid until we were quite out of sight. Though
they pretended to be very much excited, and were
looking for us, of course they did not find our where-
abouts. We concealed the three men in a cellar,

where it was not at all likely they would be found.

The others made their escape by the assistance of

Abolitionists in the country. When the alarm was

given in the town, and the news spread from house
to house that three slaves were captured, the others
had sufficient time to secure their liberty by ap-
pealing effectually to their legs for aid, which they
willingly gave.

When thus fleeing from town into the dense forest,
leaping fences, hedges, and ditches, some of their
white friends followed them closely, to baffle the
slaveholders should they follow; thus it would have
difficult to

white friends were to conduct them, when in the

been distinguish the slaves. These

forest, to a place of safety. Our town, and even our
houses, were watched so closely, for several days,
b J ? Py

that it was no longer safe for us or the fugitives,

i ae Ve Ne

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 59

that they should remain. To avoid detection, we
obtained a box, about seven feet long and three feet
deep, into which we put two of the men, side by
side ; we made holes in the sides of the box for ven-
tilation, and thus we conveyed them eight miles to
another station, where we met with their companions.
The day following we took the other man in the same
Way, without the least suspicion, by putting the box
On a wagon; when all together, they took passage on
the Underground Railway to Canada.

America, professedly the freest land in the world,
professes to recognize the natural and inalienable
rights of all men, and, in confirmation thereof,
quotes the immortal Declaration of Independence :—
“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created free and equal, and are endowed, by their
Creator, with certain inalienable rights, among which
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” They
tell us it is a fact that needs no evidence—it is a self-

evident truth, founded in the very nature of man,

= P : ot (74 } € 1]
every way congenial to the nature of things—“ that ail

men are created free,” with a free will, free mind, free
use of his intellectual faculties: yet the slave cannot
Will himself practically free; his wall is subject to the
Will of his master. He cannot will to have a wife, un-
less it is the will of his master, and should the master
be willing, he has no will in living with her, and their

continuing together rests entirely on the will and in-

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

terest of the owner. He has no will in the education
of his children; his intellectual powers are dormant
and stultified, his moral perceptions blunted by not
being educated. The white man can be educated for
a lawyer or judge, a senator, a minister, a president,
&e. The black man is educated only as a “hewer of
wood and a drawer of water.” The children of the
latter are sold to pay for the education of those of
the former, and, strange to say, they are even sold to
contribute towards evangelizing the world. I remem-
ber seeing, during my youthful days, in the State of
South Carolina, a girl sold to contribute to a mission
in China. Is this what the Americans mean by all
men being created free? Where is their equality?
The term slave indicates inequality ; 4,000,000 are in
the prison-house of bondage this day, deprived of their
natural rights and privileges as citizens, as men, as
Christians, and as members of social and civil society.
No Bibles, no tract societies, no Bible societies, no
Sunday-school organizations, no missionary organi-
zations, no churches nor chapels, no ministers. This
is the rule. Exceptions there are, I admit. Dwelling
seventeen years in the slave States enables me to know
the truth of what I state. Mothers are sold from thei
children, which is a literal fact—‘‘ Rachel would not
be comforted, because they are not ’’—husbands from
their wives, sons from their fathers and fathers from

their sons, daughters from their mothers and mothers

a ae NA NC

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, “~_ 61

from their daughters, brothers from their sisters and
Sisters from their brothers, and so on through the
All this is done to fur-

Nish the houses the owners live in; to build chapels,

entire families of the slaves.

Court and state houses, with their lofty spires, the
finger of man’s devotion, pointing heavenward; to
pay the salaries of ministers, to pay the pew-reuts, to
buy the bread used at the Lord’s table, &c. A fugi-
tive slave told me his brother was a member of a
church with him, and that his master sold him, and,
to his certain knowledge, a portion of the money was
Spent in buying plates, which were used at the ad-
Ministration of the Lord’s Supper. I ask, in the name
of a God of justice and humanity, where is the equality
of which the Americans boast so much?

A slave, feeling he has a right to his freedom, peace-
ably walks off in the night, in search of a country in
Which he may just as peaceably live and enjoy his free-
dom as others do. The owner may pursue and chain
him beneath the shadow of Bunker Hill, or even on
the grave in which lie, in silence, Washington’s sleep-
ing remains, and take him back into slavery. All this
is sanctioned by the laws of the country. All this 1s
Connived at by the northern ministers and churches,
and boldly declared, by the southern ministers and
churches, to be a divine right, in which their northern
brethren are divinely obligated to unite, and assist

° ° . 2 ie’ mh
them in subjugating poor fugitives. Thus they make

 
THE UNDERGROUND RATLROAD.

the religion of our Lord a slave-catching religion, 4

man-stealing and woman-whipping religion.

‘* 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 sears.”
T. CAMPBELL.

The providence of God may be obviously seen in the
many successful escapes of fugitive slaves from the
slave States to Canada, many of whom are pious and
devoted Christians, who truly “ walk by faith, and not
by sight.” Weare now about to enter upon one of
the most interesting of these narratives, to me at least,
viewed in connection with Divine Providence. J may
venture to tell the name of this person, Mr. Hedg-
man, a Christian slave in the State of Kentucky, who,
for a trivial fault, was sold from a Christian wife. Te
did as slaves generally do in such cases, humbly, but
unwillingly, submitted to his fate, and put his trust in
God, praying and waiting. ‘Too true, many of them
pass from the busy scenes of this life to the world of
peace without in the least degree realizing their expec-
tations. Here is a Christian brother, for a fault not
amounting to a crime, bound in cold iron chains, with
the lash cracking over his innocent head. In this

brother may be seen the image of God; hig soul, no

ai a VA Ne od ae.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 63

doubt, has been redeemed by the precious blood of
Jesus. He is now to go to the cotton plantation or
the sugar-field. Sorrowfully he casts a wishful look
at his dear wife, the tears standing in his manly eyes ;
again he looks away: his mind is oceupied with past
er
recollections and fearful anticipations. Though re-
duced to this degradation and misery, he is calm
and collected, notwithstanding he occasionally, with

& sigh,

cives vent to the deep heaving of his heart,
at the thought of separation, having no hope of seeing
his wife again in this life. Press, dear reader (if mar-
ried), thy partner to thy heart, and thank God you
Were both born free. His wife shared his grief—his
Mutual burden bore, female-like—a woman’s reign is
that of love—she wept aloud! At the command of
the driver he moved slowly away; he stepped with
Much difficulty, from the weight of sorrow on his mind
and chains on his body. His wife clung to him with
all the strength of a woman’s muscles, and anxiety of
& female heart. ‘“O my husband! my husband!
ty dear husband!’’ Alas! she was abruptly torn from

|

is person. O Heaven, witness this parting scene!
Angels, paint it on the scroll of eternity! Let Gabriel
Write it inthe book of God’s remembrance, that these
Suilty wretches may not escape the punishment which
their sins justly merit. They tread upon ground angels
Would tremble to approach. “ What God has joined to-

Sether let no man put asunder.’ Outraged humanity

 
Pad \ GA, 2a:

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

eries against the slaveholder. Widows and orphan
children will rise up to condemn him in the final ac-
count. It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Go-
morrah in the Judgment than for the slaveholder thus

acting. “ Godis not in all his thoughts.” This man
travelled 1500 miles to New Orleans, and was sold
He prayed to God to
provide a way for his escape, and his prayer was an-
He travelled night

after night, living on spontaneous productions (which

like a beast in the shambles.
swered, for he made his escape.

are pretty plentiful in warm climates), wading through
creeks and marshes. When going through the marshes
in the valley of the Mississippi, the alligators would
snap at him, their jaws, like two flat planks, coming
in contact with force sufficient to take off a limb; he
would leap from them in a contrary direction, crying
“ Lord, have mercy upon me,” and alight, perhaps,
close to another, and then leap again, praying to the
Lord for safety. He was in perils from wild beasts,
the hissing serpent was his companion, the croaking
of the owl was familiar to his ear, the howling of the
wolf, &e.; all these dangers did not make him afraid,
for he felt the protecting arm of the Lord, who sways
the universal sceptre, and holds the hearts of kings 10
his hands.

Winter came on before his arrival in Canada, and
food was quite hard to get. Being some four days

without anything to eat, he was fatigued and dis-

SS Rh AV AW ew 2

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 65

couraged, almost exhausted, his feet frost-bitten
and swollen, starvation stared him in the face,—the
pelting rain from the watery clouds he was familiar
With. But hunger was preying upon his constitution,
stealing his strength, weakening his muscles ; fron
pure necessity he occasionally resolved to give him-
self up, and tell the people he was a runaway slave.
One resource yet remained, to appeal to Almighty
God. Inthe dense forest he bowed down on a log
of wood, and, in his simple and childike manner,
informed his God of his condition, saying, “O Lord!
you fed the prophet by the raven—now feed me: if
you don’t I shall surely die. You gave the Israelites
water, and something to eat, in the wilderness—now,

: : : 29 ‘ ¥
O God, give me something to eat. He resumed his

journey, on faith of his prayer being answered. Ashe

passed out of the wood, he discovered, in the moun-

tains, a small cabin; he went up to it, and met with
& good reception. The landlord said to him, “ You
are running away; I hope you'll get along safe.’’
This man gave him a ham and some bread, and on he
Went ; here was an answer to his prayer. The next
difficulty which he encountered was a river frozen
Over, with the ice not sufficiently thick to walk on,
and he knew not how to cross it, for he could not
Swim. He stood on the banks of that river, and
prayed. He asked God to deliver him from slavery

and all its evils, and enable him to cross the river.
1

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

When he had coneluded his prayer, he got a stick’

and broke the ice. He then commenced fording the |

river, trying the depth as he proceeded; it became |

deeper and deeper, till it was neck-high.

dentially this was the full depth of the river, and |

he arrived safely on the other side.
cold month of January, so that the water frozé
on him, and he was a complete statue of ice; it

this condition he first thanked God for his de-

liverance, and then proceeded on his journey, and

eventually reached Canada.

ordinary natural abilities, moral courage, determina: |
tion of will, and physical endurance ; and, above all, |
a good Christian, praying man: such persons God |

always blesses in the way that to Him seems best.

He became a deacon of a Baptist church, and 2
worthy one too. Now in a land of freedom (for
which he was as thankful as for many other biess-
ings), he began to pray to God to send his wife to
him. In all human probability this was a hopeless
He well
remembered that “the effectual fervent prayer of 4
He

pray year after year, but no wife came, and there

thing, but nothing is impossible with God.

righteous man availeth much.” continued to
was no prospect even of her coming; still he prayed.
He had prayed so much for her, that it seemed
impossible to cease, though all hope had vanished

from bis mind; her image was so indelibly stamped

Prov

It was the)

He was a man of no |

HE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 67

On his heart that he now prayed for her as by

Mstinct. He continued in this way for twelve

years, and, one Sunday morning, in the town of
Amherstburgh or Malden, on Lake Erie, during
Service-time, the steamer from the United States to
Canada arrived there. A lady came on shore, ad-
Vanced immediately up the street leading from the
Water, and when arrived at the chapel-door, she

66

saying, ‘‘ 1 am a stranger

5
a 5

accosted the chapel-keeper,
here, sir.” “I see you are,” said he. “ Where are

you from?” continued he, being anxious to know
her history. “I am from Virginia.” ‘“ What is
your name ?”’ he asked, hoping to do her service, if
She should be in search of her husband, who might

?

be a fugitive. “Mrs. Hedgman, sir.” “ Hedgman!

Pray, where is your husband?” She said, “1 don’t
know: he was sold from me twelve years ago, and was
Sent to New Orleans.

{1 opportunity, he should run away; if he is any-

He frequently said, if he had

?

Where here, I should like to find him.” He asked
her to give him a general description of her husband,
Which she did, with increasing hope that she should
yet see him again, her face flushing as the recollection
of the past rolled across her mind. The chapel-keeper
Said, “ If your description be correct, your husband
8 now in this chapel.’”’ Her eyes sparkled like the
North star, on a clear winter’s night ; much agitated,
She gazed upon him with doubtful hope, wondering if
BR 2

 
Wk. 7 WH OO)

68 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

he intended to deceive her. He opened the chapel
door, and in she stepped ; looking earnestly down the
aisle, she recognized her husband in a moment, as he|
was sitting on the platform, in front of the pulpit, |

with his face towards the door. Her paces wer?)

|
quick, tears flowing down her cheeks. He did
not at first identify her, as she approached, but
quickly, on a second look at the stranger, he traced
the features of his wife, and instantly rising, be?)
clasped her in his arms, embracing her in ecstasy OF
joy. To delineate this meeting is impossible ; it ca?
better be imagined than described. To add to this)
exciting scene, the congregation were in a flood of
tears, arising from deep sympathy for their respected
deacon and his beloved, long-separated wife. Is not
Like he!

husband, the bereaved wife had supplicated for t]i8

this an answer to persevering prayer ?
re-union. They are now living in Canada, doing
well, under the protection of Her Majesty’s Gover®
ment. They now walk abroad on freedom’s plain®
in full enjoyment of its blessings. The above is #
fact, with which I am perfectly acquainted ; they at
now living in that land of Providence. May we nol
trace, in every consecutive step, that “ Ethiop"
shall soon stretch out her hands unto God” ?

It is sometimes the case that masters sell the!
own children, not always voluntarily, but circu”

stances at times compel them. It is no uncomm0?

we. ae VA NN a a)

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 69

Occurrence for the master to select one of the slave

Women and call her his wife. The slave laws recog-

nize no legal marriages between the negro and white

races, whether bond or free. Some of the wealthy

Planters, no doubt, treat these adopted women with
88 much kindness and care as the iniquitous law will
allow. Such was the case with a slaveholder in the
State of Georgia, and he soon became a father, and

the slave wife a mother; this united them more

Closely in the bond of social affection, which lies at the
foundation of social society. Their dear little child
(a girl) increased in beauty as she advanced in age:
Unfortunately the mother died when the child was
(uite young. The father was a humane man : though
© slaveholder, he was not a trader in slaves. The
Mother was a quadroon, and the father a white man,
therefore there was no appearance of African blood
Coursing the veins of the lovely child, of whom the

lather thought so much. He sustained double rela-

“ionship to this child, both as father and master ; but
lor this the child would have been a precious jewel in
Social society. The thought of being a slave never
Once entered her bosom to ripple the peaceful stream
of pleasure in her onward journey of life. As she
‘ipened into womanhood, her kind father educated
her in his own house; though contrary to law, this
infringement was tolerated through the influential

Position of the father in the community. At a proper

NN

«

%
>.

“

y}
& |-

‘>
s

 
, : Saeed Ne Pe ee ) , ged! gue’ Qo ew a
Wa (Wak. 7 Wa GO) we | ek av ama .
ee

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,
70 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

agredable necessity of having her seized by the sheriff,

and sold on the auction-block to the highest bidder ;

age she became the mistress of his house, which, to

some extent, precluded the necessity for his marry-

i i “ys . it is. therefore. much better, both for you and her, to
ing, which had he done, the child’s condition might ; ; ; 5 ;

; Make a private sale.” His daughter was in the power
have been made known to herself and others. Even- ds ' eo P

m of the law. and he in the power of his creditors; with
tually, this planter failed in business, and then came > P ;

| the : he submitted to the proposi-
reatest reluctance, he submitted to :
hard times for his poor daughter, whose name was 8 3 ole

Mary. The farm and all the field-hands, with other ori
His against this horrible deed. Outraged humanity lifts

tion, and sold his own dear child. J ustice cries

property, were taken to satisfy his creditors.

he 7 lw loud. Mercy pleads
, : r powerless voice, and weeps aloud. WV p
legal adviser balanced his accounts, and found the I ’ Pp ‘ij

ip In vai ate of this helpless young woman, fixed
planter still minus 1000 dollars (£200). He asked vain the fate of this help young ,

by law ‘as a slave, her mother being
if aw, because she was a slave, her mo g
the planter if he had given in all the property he y ; . 6

One; and the children follow the condition of the
mother.

That this is the practice, sanctioned by law, in the

could spare, and he answered him in the affirmative.
The lawyer, running his accustomed eyes down the

list of property, consisting of land, horses, cows,

fine orld. the following will show.
st country in the world, the Ic ,
hogs, wagons, ploughs, and human beings, in oné C y 5

“Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee.”

common class, said, “ I don’t see your housemaid’s : 3
Lovistawa.— That slaves shall always be reputed

b

name here.’ He touched a tender chord in the

ich vi . | and considered real estate: shall, as such, be subject
father’s heart, which vibrated and shocked his very wr ,

] I b V Q d ( t 3 ‘to O ¢ | “di 9 t th les rescribed
« . . . ' 0 be m f= ac C accor 1n ‘ O 1e Tu ‘
soul. e W as no a are his a V1s ar knew an 4 hin g or ‘ . “ P

by law; and they shall be seized and sold as real

estate,”

of his relationship to her as a master; he said, “ She)

is my daughter.’ “True,” replied the former, “ but tae
i iw Marytanp.— In case the personal property or a
she is your slave as well. She is worth 1000 dollars easboment Pp i

of any man’s money; if you are willing, I will give Ward shall consist of specific articles, such as sha
| Working beasts, animals of any kind, stock, furniture,
plate, books, and so forth, the court, if it shall deem
it advantageous to the ward, may, at any time, pass
an order for the sale thereof.’—Chap. C. No. 12.

The notorious Henry Clay, in the United States’

that for her, and then you will be entirely out of
debt.” He persistingly and most decidedly refused:
The adviser, knowing the embarrassed circumstance |
of the planter, continued to urge a consent to his!

proposition, and said, “‘ We shall be under the dis

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

Senate, in 1839, based his argument against the abo-
lition of slavery on the value of the slaves as pro-
perty. The following is his language :—

“The third impediment to immediate abolition is
to be found in the immense amount of capital which
is invested in slave property.” The total value of
slave property then, by estimation, was twelve hun-
dred millions of dollars. “ And it is rashly proposed,
by a single fiat of legislation, to annihilate this im-
mense amount of property without indemnity, and
without compensation to the owners,—that is, pro-
perty, which the law declares to be property. Two
hundred years of legislation have sanctified and sanc-
tioned negro slaves as property.” It follows that slave-
holding is identified with chattelhood. In this argu-
ment the slaveholders confide; the nation consents,
and, therefore, slavery exists with all its evils. One of
the sublime lessons of Christianity teaches the slave-
holder to “do unto others as he would have others do

’

unto him.” He never dreams that the degraded slave
is within the pale of this holy canon. For two hundred
years has legislation endeavoured to sanctify or purify
slavery. Legal is not always moral, therefore legisla-
tive assent can never rectify a moral wrong. “Cease
to do evil, and it shall go well with thee.” We may
justify polygamy on the same principle. An African
king has a hundred wives; shall we count that right

because it has been legal in his dominions for two

me a A  . /,

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 73

hundred years? No legislative enactments are para-

mount to the holy laws of God, which He gave to
Israel from the lofty summit of Mount Sinai, in the
midst of thunder, storm, fire, and smoke. “He that
stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in
his hand, he shall be put to death.” This legislative
act is still more ancient and binding than any that
man is capable of enacting.

The young woman under consideration was pro-
perty, and sold as such. The father was at a loss as

to the best way of breaking to his daughter the

dreadful fact that she was a slave, and that he had

been obliged to sell her, and that, in a few days, she

must be delivered to her purchaser. Prostrated be

fore the altar of degradation, she must become a
Victim to his brutal passions, for which she was pur-
chased. The father was unusually depressed, so
much so as to amount to perfect melancholy, and
Occasionally much agitated. This was observed by
poor Mary, who attributed it to the embarrassment
he was in. All of a sudden, he called out “ Mary Ls
“Well, “papa,” was her reply, her dark eyes looking
in his, with a cheering smile, little dr aming what
vas about to fall from the lips of him in whom she
had placed implicit confidence. “Tt is my heart-
rending duty to tell you that you are a slave.”
With astonishment, as though it could not possibly

“! (4 ‘ , ! ’ +
be true, she gazed upon him. “O papa. you don’t

S

Ss

Py

 
a a NA Na

74 THE UNDERGROUND RALLROAD, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 75

mean to say that | am a slave?” “ Yes’ (much Measures were immediately taken to leave that land

agitated), “ and, alas! you are sold.” The horrors of | of blood. It was not a matter of choice, but

slavery, as a mighty avalanche, rolled in upon her stern necessity,—they flew, and came to the city
soul, and she fell, unconscious, to the ground. of Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, a distance of
On recovering her consciousness, as there was no six hundred miles, where I then lived. They were
time to be lost, to save herself from degradation, she immediately married, — then were their desires
obtained an interview with a gentleman of respecta- realized, though not under the most favourable cir-
bility and influence, to whom, unknown to her father, cumstances.
she was betrothed. As soon as her purchaser learned the fact of her
On his entering the room, she fell prostrate at his successful escape, he started men, in haste, to pursue
feet, pouring forth a flood of tears; then, with up- her, who tracked her even into the city where she was.
lifted hands, her tearful eyes fixed on his,. with that The Abolitionists gave her instant notice of their pre-
plaintiveness of voice of which woman only is capable, sence, and she immediately left for Canada. Touching
exclaimed, “Sir, I am a slave, and my father has that land, sacred to freedom, her soul, like the eagle
sold me! You are the only person in this world that unfettered, walked abroad in its own majesty, on the
can save me; upon you my future welfare and hap- flowery plains of liberty, fearless of chains. Though
piness depend. Will you save me? What shall I as white as an English lady, though legally married
hear—oh, what shall I hear from one I love so dear ? ”’ to a white gentleman, whose rights and privileges the
This, to him, was like a thunderbolt,—astounded, he Americans profess to acknowledge and protect, yet,
gazed upon her in her prostrate condition (he could 80 long as she remained in any part of the Union,
hardly realize that it was the object of his affections she was liable to be torn from her husband’s em-
—but it was). He took her by the hands, arf raised braces, and would be, if her pursuers could ascertain
her from that position, with all the sympathy and her whereabouts. He might, but for the circumstances
tender feeling of which his sympathizing nature was that caused their flight, have lived with her illegally in
capable. He wiped the tears from her youthful and the slave State, but could not live with her legally
lovely cheeks, and said, “I will save you.” Weak in a free State, because she was a slave, and, under

and feeble from the shock her nervous system had the Fugitive Bill, might be handcuffed in her own
o

undergone, she sobbed, sighed, wept, and groaned. dwelling, and driven away, like an ox to the slaughter-

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

house. She now lives in Toronto, C. W., and I have
the pleasure of her acquaintance.

Thomas Brown was arrested in Philadelphia, and
rendered up to the slave-claimants. The northern
judges are guilty of turning fugitives into the dark
dungeon of slavery, for they could free every slave
that comes before them, if so disposed, by declaring
the Fugitive Bill unconstitutional, and refusing to com-
ply with its requirements. The following will show
that our railroad is doing good business, and there-
fore ought to be patronized, as we believe it will be :—
‘Five slaves left Mr. C. D. Armstrong, of St. Louis
—a girl, 18 years of age, a woman, 25, and children,
supposed to have been abducted by two white men.”
They consider a girl at 18 years of age not a woman,
as may be inferred from the above distinction, which
is quite consonant with southern custom. Generally,
they call the males boys until they are about 60, after
that period “old uncle,” until the day of their death ;
the females, gal or girl, or, sometimes, ironically,
“my lady,” until they are sixty, then “old aunty,”
to the end of life. The northern men have borrowed
this custom from the southern, and presume to call
free coloured men boys in the north, as the following
will obviously show :—A fugitive slave, on his way to
Canada, being in a free State, and so far from his
home, thought himself out of danger; he ventured to

take the train, as he had a little money, to travel

SRK AV A ew 2" wae)

i
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. i7

publicly to Canada. After getting into the carriage
(in the United States called car), the conductor said,
“Tt is against our rules for coloured men to go first-
class.” The fugitive was of a lght complexion,—he
said, “Am I coloured? Look at me.’ The con-
ductor, supposing it possible he might only be a dark-
skinned man, begged his pardon, and left him. al
afterwards took another view of him, and, not being
Satisfied on the point, called the second conductor,
and asked him if he did not think the man in question
anigger. He said, “ Certainly he is.’ They mioheniny
dragged him out, although he had a first-class tenes
He got on the freight carriage. Nearing their desti-
nation, the same conductor, collecting mag ah
gathering tickets, came to the fugitive: “1 aay boy.
The fugitive seemed to be deaf. “Boy, 1 aalpe-sol
mean you,—ticket, ticket.” The fugitive said, “ What
do you charge per hundred for freight ?” a con-
ductor replied, “25 cents.” “ I weigh yom 150 lbs. ;
as I am freight and not a passenger, I will pay you
accordingly ;”’ which he did. rtht
The Abolitionists are continually accused of ex-
ageerating the cruelties inflicted upon the slaves. a
In the language of a
Tas} 5
senator, many of them are “fat and sleek.” “ They
they are content,

7 . ai ess
is said, they are “well off.

are, generally, not overtasked ;

' ‘sinoinoe and sports; in better con-
merry, fond of singing and sports; 1

dition than the free people in the north, or ope ratlves

~

s

y

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

in England, and would not leave their masters if they
could.” What we have said already is quite sufficient
to disprove that. Mrs. Stowe is accused of mis-
representing the matter in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
There being 45,000 fugitive slaves in Canada, does
not seem to indicate that they were very well treated,
otherwise they would have remained in that pro-
fessedly happy condition. We suppose, having no
means of ascertaining the precise facts of the case,
that of the present generation of slaves, 90,000 have
attempted to secure their freedom by running away;
but only 45,000 have succeeded. The advertisements
for runaways, with which the southern .papers are
crowded, demonstrate the discontent of the slaves,
and their longings for freedom. The unwillingness
of the slaveholders to bring their slaves to the north,
during their summer pilgrimages, testifies their appre-
hensions on the subject. Happy, indeed! Who can
describe the sufferings of parents for ever bereft of
their children; mothers robbed of their daughters:
children torn from their parents; young women, and
married women, exposed to the brutal lusts of slave-
drivers, masters, and overseers; millions doomed
to insult, deprived of opportunities to read God’s
word, to attend upon his worship, to instruct their
children; and taunted for their religious principles:
Advocates for slavery, would you be happy” under

such circumstances? Certainly not; then think not

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 79

that others can be. The day of judgment only will
disclose those registered wrongs of which the coloured
Men, women and children are the victims in the slave
States.

The facts I narrate of the sorrows of the down-
trodden negroes may be considered exaggerations by
the ignorant and unfeeling; but surely not by the
recording angel, who drops a tear at every record
made. Nor can they be by the compassionate Saviour,
Who tells their wanderings, puts their tears into his
bottle, and writes them in his book of remembrance.

The following letter is from the New York Daily
Limes, written by a person who visited the Dismal
Swamps, the celebrity of which has gone far and wide
48 the habitation for runaway slaves :—

“The Dismal Swamps are noted places of refuge
for runaway negroes. They were formerly peopled in
this way much more than at present; a systematic
hunting of them, with dogs and guns, haying been
Made by individuals who took it up as a business,

about ten years ago, has -saused these swamps to be

less frequented. Formerly, children were born, bred,

lived, and died there. The negro, my guide, told me he
had seen skeletons there, and had helped to bury bodies
tecently dead. There are people in the swamps now,
he thought, that are children of fugitives, and fugi-
tives themselves finish their lives there. What a

Strange life it must be! He said, the drivers some-

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

times shoot them. When they saw a fugitive, if he
tried to run away from them, they would call out to
him, and, if he did not stop, they would shoot the poot
fellow, and sometimes killed him. ‘ But some of them
would rather be shot than taken, sir,’ he added
simply. . . . . No particular breed of dogs is
used for hunting the negroes. Bloodhounds, fox-
hounds, bulldogs, and curs were used. A white mat
told me how they trained them for the work, as though
it was a common and notorious practice. They are
shut up when puppies, and never allowed to see 4
negro except while training to catch him. A negro
is made to run from them, and they are encouraged
to follow him, until he gets into a tree, when they are
given meat; after which they teach them to follow any
particular negro by scent. A shoe, or piece of cloth-
ing, is taken off a negro, and the dogs are taught to
scent out the owner of it, and to tree him. Whe?
the drivers take a negro that has not a pass or free
paper, and they don’t know whose slave he is, they
confine him in gaol, and advertise him. If no one
claims him within a year, he is sold to the highest
bidder, at a public sale.”’

I quite understand the method of training dogs, 4°
J have seen it many times. Sometimes they drag 4
child on the ground, holding the puppy’s nose to the
place until he follows voluntarily. Occasionally they

suffer the dog to bite it a little so as to taste the

ae a VA NN co f

i Me
>
“

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

blood, and thus make it vicious. Slavery is, as the
venerable John Wesley said, “the sum of all vil-
lanies.”

It is absurd to talk of the contentment of the slaves.
Kven if they were contented, slavery would still be a
crime; to make a human being property is wrong—
inalum in se.

The slaves are fond of mirth and singing! So they
are, but by this they only prove they are men. But
it is not always an evidence of a contented and happy
mind. The prisoner, under the dread sentence of
death, drags his chains across the dark and gloomy
dungeon, hanging to his ankles, waiting his execution,
humming some favourite tune to dissipate the awful

realities of eternity from his much agitated mind.

None would for a moment say he had rather be a

pris > mM hd
isoner than a free man. ‘The same rule holds good

With the slave. If not, it only shows, very con-
Spicuously, the wickedness of such a system, thus,
like a crucible, crushing out of man the very element
that constitutes him man, and reducing him to a beast,
With only carnal appetites to gratify.

No man, whatever his complexion or condition
ay be, can love slavery; if he says he does, he
8lves the strongest possible evidence of his extreme
nbecility, and ignorance of human nature. The love

of 1; errr er
liberty is an innate principle of man’s mental

Lature, altogether beyond his control. Anything

F

 
a a A NN

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,
THE UNDERGROUND RALLROAD. 83
that opposes the aspi “ations of the human mind, and 4free passage to Canada, wl
76 PassAaLe TO anada. where } AR . 7
8 ada, Where he could be his own

the development of man’s moral nature, he hates and
master.

I think, if jef hej .
: ey ; , if left to their own choic 3 Ww
opposes from the depth of his soul; slavery does this, be the result with a majority of ¢] ee, eae
4 2 : ajority of the exceptions befor
therefore he hates it. Some slaves are satisfied in Joes eptions before

their condition, and would not accept their freedom.

re yn > ; ri * a me 2. . .
ferred to: this evidently shows it is the owners
they ar she

ley are attached to, and not the system. Allow me

* uc 1 | hay © Pe) € c i¢ \ OV’ I PI] b - ’ }

The cause of their contentment 19

not the rule.
] IoOnents wnat: com : .
ponents to. emancipation. The lives of the owners

found in the humanity of their claimants, to whom Would ‘he; pe
e in danger. They would wake up* some

sik This ab-
surdity finds no parallel in the annals of history. It

they are attached by their repeated kindnesses t0
, morning and find all their throats cut.”

them. Thus it is the owners they are attached to,

and not the diabolical system, as the following will
The notorious and far-famed

assumes that the African, or slave, when treated

evidently demonstrate.
Henry Clay (the firm advocate of human chattel-

hood) took with him into the north, andinto Canada,
stic servant, Bill; he defied the Abolitionists

his domes
to take him away from him. He offered to give his
;

servant his emancipation papers the moment he con”
sented to leave him and remain in the north, or 12
Canada. Bill would not accept the overtures of the
Abolitionists; he sternly resisted them all, and de-
clared he had rather be with his master than be free;
so he went with him to the south. Eventually, by 4

stroke of Providence, Mr. Clay was brought toa sick-

bed, and death seemed inevitable. Bill knew he would

be sold with other slaves, at the death of his maste?s

and what hands he should get into he could not judg®

whether a Legree or a Haley; he thought it therefor?

not wise to wait the death of his master, and took

Justly, will exhibit a vindictive spirit, which he does
T r a’ 8OC n
. when treated unjustly ; that when elevated to the
] , 3] ; - £y a : , y

essings of freedom, he will thirst for human blood

bs
Which he does not do when crushed and cursed by
s]; ; a? ? + ee ci i . .
avery; or, if so, it is merely to obtain his pristine
libe ,
rty; 4 Se nitnes 1S W]
; : At present, he witnesses continually his wife
orn from his arms; sees his infants
ee s; sees his infants brought to the
auction-block ; the heavenly gate of knowledge shut
a ear ae
gamst him; the fruit of his hard labour unjustly
taken b
y another ; sees hims ‘spri

} ; sees himself, and offspring, doomed
0awretched servitude, from which there is no re-
dempti

mption, all thie let

a : of which he quietly submits to, and
ni iently endures. Yet, for one single act of kindness
x . ‘ . . ,

: him and his children (a kindness for which they
ave em a . Le
4 prayed, and enduringly waited the answer of

a “I1TeTr sur that + )
at prayer), now that they have obtained that desire,
& PR oP
Rather difficult to wake up after their throats are cut !

FE 2

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

they will cut the throats of the donors. It is pre-

posterous in the extreme.
I will now refer to a noble example, which clitters

By one

in the historic page, relative to this matter.
single Act of Parliament, the slaves of the British
West Indies: were suddenly, as well as peaceably,
changed into free men and women : their souls walked
of freedom, in their own majesty,
The British slaves num-

Mr. W. Goodell and the

abroad on the plains
fearless of lash or chains.
bered 800,000, according to
Honourable Charles Sumner’s report on the subject.
hites and blacks, or negroes, were in the fol-
131,000 Whites, distributed as
a (the largest at
> Bar-

The w
lowing proportion :
follows:—In the island of Jamaic
present), 400,000 Africans, and 37,000 whites

badoes, 120,000 Africans, and 15,000 whites; in St.
in Tobago,

Lucia, 19,500 Africans, and 600 whites ;
14,000 Africans and only 600 whites ; in Monserrat,
600 Africans, and only 150 whites. In all these
places no man was ever put to death by the liberated

slaves. On the contrary, the authorities positively

declare that emancipation took place in the most

peaceable manner.

KX ee 9 ¢ om ’ > al
= in. a VA eee 2

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, 85

9?

public order or tranquillity.” I believe in the doctrine
that our safety consists in doing our duty both to God
and man.

| We will return to our subject. -In the slave States
it is customary for the free coloured men to marry
Slave women. There is no legal marriage when one
party is a slaye, whether the free party be white or
coloured. A free coloured man wished to purchase
his wife’s freedom; not having the money, he agreed
with her master to work seven years for her, at the
end of which he was to possess her. ‘The man faith-
fully performed his duty, but at the expiration of the
Seyen years the master refused to give her up. The
oath of a coloured person being invalidated in any case
Where a white person is a party concerned, the man
had no legal redress. The master, nevertheless, gained
the confidence of the man by affirming, with all the
Solemnity of an oath, that he would let him have her
at the end of the second seven years. ‘The man, ac-
cordingly, served another seven years, and again the
master refused to give possession of the woman. The
man did then what he should have done at first; he
Stole her away, and three others, and started off to

(\. Ye a. > ee, 7 ey . 4 » “a
vanada. Being fifty miles towards the interior of the

g:» Lionel Smith, the Governor of J amaica, in his
speech to the Assembly, says, their “ conduct proves

how well they deserved the’ boon of freedom.” Her

e declared from the throne, “ that eman-
e of

Si ata ’ r e . .
State, they proceeded direct to the Ohio river. They
were nuraned :
ere pursued, and their savage pursuers reached the

é usua ewale' F AY» sae . —_ . 2 fae on
Majesty onc | place of crossing before the fugitives, and, there

lyi : ‘ ;
. ~ . : ng? in aml S re , oS a neces i. Meee,
cipation had taken place without any disturbance ° push, waited their arrival. The fugitives

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

reached the spot in the silent hour of the night. A
skiff being fastened to the bank, they hastily got into
it; but, when receding from the shore, their pursuers
made their appearance, and furiously plunged into the
water, waist deep, and violently seized hold of the
boat, determined they should not proceed, but the
man holding the skiff was immediately shot dead by
one of the fugitives. They then proceeded, as quickly
as possible, across the river, leaving their infuriated
pursuers without the means of following them. On
reaching the other side of the river, they landed in
the free State of Ohio, and there soon found friends
to assist them on their perilous journey to a blessed
land of liberty. I leave the reader to make his own
comments, and to come to his own conclusions, upon
the act of the fugitive taking the life of the man-
stealer. It was the husband who shot the man, and
thus secured the freedom of his wife and the other
slaves that accompanied them. These fugitives were
brought to my house, and I passed them on to Canada,
where the patriarchal custom of buying wives, and
paying for them by bond labour, is not the practice ;
that labour is required to support their wives after

they have obtained them.

ra » a
“Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they

seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had
for her.’ “ He served Laban yet seven other years,

and he gave him Rachel to wife.” This man was by

a a NA NN

THE UNDERGROUND RATLROAD. R7

no means as good as Laban; the latter gave Jacob his

wife at the termination of fourteen years, but the for-
mer refused thus to do. He cheated the man not only
out of his service, but out of his wife as well. Slavery
stops not here; it takes even the children from the
mother; she, legally, has no children; they are her
master’s property.

A slave “can do nothing, possess nothing, nor ac-
quire anything; all belongs to his master.”” A slave
woman, in the State of Georgia, was forced to leave
her child, when only six weeks old, to accompany her
young mistress to the north, on a pleasure-trip. ‘The
mistress stopped in New York, but the servant con-
tinued her journey a little further north than her mis-
tress anticipated. She arrived safe in Canada. This
woman worked hard, saved what money she could for
two years, and then wrote to her late master, and
asked him what he would take for her child. His
answer was £50. She forwarded the money to him,
through an agent, and he sent the child to her. This
child was not legally hers, but her master’s, therefore
she must purchase it from him before she could own
it. Slavery steals from mothers’ arms their dear ones,
and leaves them to mourn their loss. The slave laws
are not obsolete, as some would haye you believe, but
strictly conformed to, when the interest of the owner
requires it. Another case, just in point, 1s that of

Mrs. Forester, of Washington City, the capital of the

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

United States, who sold one of her slaves his liberty
for three hundred dollars; but his wife and three chil-
dren remained her property, as he was unable to pur-
chase them. The man paid the mistress ten dollars
per month for his wife to live with him ; thus he lite-
rally hired his wife. The children lived with their
parents, so that the woman to whom they belonged
was not at the expense of feeding and clothing them.
As they grew up, and arrived at the age of ten or
twelve, the mistress had them fetched away and sold
on the auction-block to the highest bidder. Finally,
she sent the police for Benjamin, the youngest and
the only child left. Some kind friend concealed the
child, quite unknown to the parents; so that they
could not deliver him into the mistress’s possession,
as the others had been. The poor man was therefore
put into prison, on the charge of concealing a runaway
slave. He was fined one hundred dollars and costs,
which amounted together to nearly two hundred doi-
lars. He was kept in prison twelve months. He
could well adopt the cogent language of Jacob, “ Jo-
seph is not, Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin

99

away : all these things are against me. The indus-
trious habits of this slave had won for him the sym-
pathies of the community, who voluntarily made up
the money, and paid the fine, and would, had it been

possible, have released him from his unjust imprison-

ment. The boy Benjamin was hurried away, with

wi a Ve NN a)

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. reds)

Something like lightning speed, towards the north star,
and was soon beyond the possibility of recovery.

John G. Whittier, the American poet, as with a live
Coal dropped from freedom’s altar, firing up his soul
and enlivening his imagination, thus describes wo-
Man’s condition in slavery :—

‘What, oh ! our countrymen in chains !

The whip on woman’s shrinking flesh ;
Our soil yet reddening with the stains,

Caught from her scourging, warm and fresh.
What ! mothers from their children riven !

What ! God’s own image bought and sold !
Americans to market driven,

And bartered, as the brute, for gold!
Speak ! shall their agony of prayer

Come thrilling to our hearts in vain ?
To us, whose fathers scorn’d to bear

The paltry menace of a chain ;
To us, whose boast is loud and long,

Of holy liberty and light ;
Say, shall these writhing slaves of wrong

Plead vainly for their plunder’d rights ?”’

To secure individual aid, they offer money, as the
following will show:—In the counties of Mason and
Bracken, Kentucky, an association is formed to assist
in pursuing and recovering fugitives. Quite liberal
Tewards are offered to citizens in the free States, to
help them, and many do. Four coloured citizens of
Massachusetts were arrested in Galveston, Texas, for
Concealing a fugitive slave on board the brig ‘ Billow,’
of Boston, with intention of aiding him in his escape.

1 : . 2
"hey were tried and conyicted, and had to pay a fine

 
90 THE UNDERGROUND RATLROAD.

they W ere

equal to the value of the slave; in default,

sold as slaves. The governor of the State was autho
rized by the legislature to take steps for their releas®
I do not know whether they ever were set free ; but,
if they had been white men, no pains, money, 0
would have been spared by the State.

The following 1 quote from the San Francis

Herald, 1854

Shepherd issued a warrant for the arrest of a mulat

— Justice

td

—‘* i'yGitIve SLAVE CASE.

y
woman, who was claimed as a fugitive from labour DP!

1 ‘ f ras
T. T. Smith, of Jackson County, Missouri. She w®

. ae
brought to this country by the claimant 1n 1850, aD!

.¢ 1D
remained, together with a number of other slaves, d
his family, until a few months since, when she mar

. if
Her owner het ard

1g

ried a free negro, and escaped.
her arrival here, and came down in search. Beile
informed that she was secreted on board the ship
‘Flying Cloud,’ he applied for a warrant, by virtue
before Justi”

isfactory proot of title
to be

which she was arrested,
Shepherd, by

*

and brought
whom, on sat
she was remanded to the custody of Mr. Smith,

Poor wom

conveyed to the State of Missouri.”
gv!

she must go back into the dungeon of slavery,
She was not so fo

—_ , € ive
fugitives whose narrative I will ¢!

suffer the fury of a task-master.
tunate as the

next.
Ja®)

. ’ . > ‘ ‘les
eight fugitives travelled some two hundred wi

Before the passing of the pernicious slave

r time

of

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

through the State of Ohio, to Cleveland, on the edge

of "er ‘

if Lake Erie, from whence they must cross the lake
tre . e de .

’ Teach Canada, and this they could only do on a

st .
“amboat, and one happened to be just about ready

to at ‘
9 start. The captain was one of the conductors of

0 =
UW railroad. These eight fugitives went on board ;

ag + ,
S they stepped on the captain turned his back to

the

‘em, so that he might be justified in saying he did
tot see them come on board, if he should be ques-
ioned about them; however, they were packed away
*; lreight. Their pursuers were close on them.
Just be ‘fore the steamer left the shore they went on
board, but they did not know their slaves were there.

They intended to go to Detroit, on the State side,

Wis , oli
vhere, in all probability, they would meet them in
the

(" : . ant.

“Nada, as they had, in their opinion, gone another
Way,
) a ,

Passengers all prepared for breakfast, as the steamer
hs "9

ad not then arrived.
the

act of crossing the Detroit river, going into

The next morning, about eight o’clock, the

These negro-catchers, walking

Fm L , oe -
deck, enjoying a morning’s breeze, discovered,
ney ‘
‘expectedly, their negroes, packed away very snugly
al ,
together. They passed many compliments, and

nade many inquiries relative to their escape, Xc.,

diren - .
ectine their remarks chiefly to Jack, a kind
Prince

among them. Next they inquired of the

¢
4ptain as to his landing-point, and the time, anxious

should

0 see ’
Secure their property. The captain said he :

 
WON har erent

PR. Al AR ew a \

bs wr.
Wis

G2 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

be compelled to stop at Malden, alias Amherstburgh,
on the Canada side, at the mouth of the Detroit
river, still twenty miles from Detroit city, on the
State side, their place of destination. Malden was
the captain’s place to take in wood, to enable him to
run his vessel the twenty miles to Detroit.

Knowing, as they did, the moment the steamer
landed at Malden the fugitives were as free as them-
selves, because it is British soil, they implored the
captain not to stop there, for their negroes would
escape. He said he had nothing to do with the
negroes; it was wood he wanted, otherwise the
steamer could not run. ‘lor God’s sake, captain,

> “No use, gentlemen, we

don’t stop at Malden.’
must have wood, or we shall be lost.” ‘“ Captain,
land at Detroit before you do at Malden, and we will

(or £60). ‘To this

sive you three hundred dollars ”
the captain agreed. They immediately paid him the
money, and accordingly they landed at Detroit. One
of these slave-catchers hastened immediately up tow2
to obtain a warrant to arrest the fugitives, while the
others stood at the gangway to see if the slaves came
on shore in common with the passengers. In the
meanwhile the captain gave the lookers-out (Abo-
litionists) to understand what was afloat. They took a
yawl on the opposite side of the steamer, and pitched
the fugitives into it as though they were barrels of

flour. On the opposite side of the river is Canada.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 05

The slaves rowed for their liberty, their eyes set on
freedom’s land, which once reached, they were sate,
beneath British rule; they were filled both with joy
and fear ;—the approaching enemy behind them, and
4 land of liberty before them. The absentee returned
With the sheriff, looking this way and that way, his
Companions being unable to give any information as
to the whereabouts of the slaves, though others might,
had they been so disposed. When the slaves were
halfway across the river, fully out of danger, some
gentlemen shouted out, “ Are those your niggers? I
Could have told you where they were before, had I
known they were yours.” ‘The slaveholder was very

The captain very quietly informed

.

anery indeed.
him he had been paid the money to land there, which
he had done according to contract, but he did not
understand that he was to hold the negroes and keep
them from walking off as other gentlemen. While
the altercation was going on a gentlemen said to the
Southerner, “ They are not over yet, we may overtake
them ; for seventy-five dollars (or £15) I will do all
l can in assisting you.” The money was paid as be-
fore ; they got into a yawl, across they went, but the
fugitives arrived long before they did. They over-
took them, as the gentleman said, but it was in

‘ 7 : M , "a » ate
Canada. The Southerner, knowing where he was,
began to persuade Jack, the leader, by saying, “ You

know the old man was just as sood to you as to one

 
Ne Wa ore

G4 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

of his own sons; come, Jack, go back now. He has

g
made his will since you have come away, and he says
at his death he will set you all free. The old man is
The latter, 1

I should be

quite sorry to meet sucha loss. Jack had not spoken,

very sorry you have all left him.”

believe, had lost eight thousand dollars.

to our knowledge, from his first discovery to this
time; he very attentively listened to all the slave-
holder had to say. “ Well, I had a hard time getting
here—I believe I will stay here now,” replied Jack.
The owner lost both his slaves and his money. I do
not justify for a moment the manner in which he lost
his money; but I certainly do justify the slaves for
remaining in Canada.

I may be allowed to examine what the scriptural ideé
is respecting runaway slaves or fugitives for liberty.
The Jews never sent after a runaway ; there are cases of
going after an ox or an ass, but no instance of a master
going or sending after a stray servant. If the possibi-
lity of property in man had been admitted ; if servants
had been regarded as slaves, and masters as owners,
then the laws of God would no more have permitted
any two-legged property to run away from the owner, t0
steal itself from the master, than four-legged property
a man would have had no more right to run away thad
a horse or an ox. The right to possess property gives
a right to secure that property and prevent its escape.

If thou meet even thine enemy's ox or his ass

ae |

‘
» |

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 95

goin’ astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him

again,’ But, ‘‘ Thou shalt not deliver unto his master
the servant which has escaped from his master; he
Shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place
he shall choose in any of thy gates where it liketh him

> In one case

best, but thou shalt not oppress him.’
the Jew was quite justifiable in turning the strayed
back; in the other he was not justified so to do, be-
cause the right of property was recognized in the
beast, but not in man; for “in the image of God
Created He him.” Man coming from the plastic
hand of Omnipotence, with a mind capable of com-
prehending the nature and character of his Creator,
a heart to feel, a soul to love Christ and his holy
religion, and created a little lower than the angels, to
be hunted down and dragged into perpetual bondage
in a land calling itself free, the freest in the world, is
almost incredible; but it is a lamentable fact,—a fact
hot to be disguised or varnished. Stealing men was
® capital offence for which the offender was put to
death. “He that stealeth, or selleth, or holdeth a
man, shall surely be put to death.”

God has thundered forth his mighty voice, as
“the voice of many waters,” against this wicked
traffic.

“For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,
{ will not turn away the punishment thereof, because

they sold the righteous for silyer and the poor for

vk

¥
>
—

y

 
96 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

a pair of shoes” (Amos ii. 6). God’s retributive
justice will not always remain silent, but erelong
will be manifested in behalf of multiplied thousands
of his redeemed children, sold for silver and gold,
even by professed Christians. They are like the
condemned miserable wretches alluded to by the
Prophet, “Lhe oppressors of God’s sheep, the
destroyers of men; whose possessors slay them and
hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them
say, Blessed be the Lord, for Iam rich.”? Many of
the American slaveholders are rich at the expense
of the blood. bones, and muscles of the slaves. The
slaveholders plead divine authority for capturing fugi-
tive slaves from the case of Hagar. No two thing
are more opposite than these. Hagar was a wife by
the consent of Sarah, whose influence was supreme
over her as well as Abraham, and Abraham sent her
away, therefore she did not run away: if she had
been a slave this would have freed her—instead of
selling her child he gave it to her: many slaveholders
sell their own children by their slave women. He
also furnished her with something for her and the
child to eat in their perambulations. Instead of
preventing her flight, he assisted her by laying the
youth, as well as the bread and water, on her
shoulders. That she was a domestic servant we don’t
deny. She was privileged to go where she liked,

so far as Abraham was eoncerned. Uf the slaveholders

SP BK A AW Sew 2

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 97

Would act upon this principle, slavery would soon
be abolished by the exit of the slaves, until such exit
Would become altogether unnecessary. They again
4ssure us Paul sent back Onesimus, a slave, to Phile-
Non, a slaveholder.—1st. It is for them to prove
Onesimus was a slave. It is one thing to make an
4ssertion, and quite another to prove it. Many per-
Sons don’t like to take things for granted.—2. Having
‘ssumed so much, they must show that Philemon was
“slaveholder. ‘To many it would no doubt seem, to
Prove the former would be to demonstrate the latter,
but it does not necessarily follow. This they have
hot done, for the reason—they can’t. But the
“ccumulated evidence from the passage is on the side
of freedom. This eminent Apostle says, “ Whom I
Would have retained.” It seems he had power to
keep him had he been disposed; from whence

did he derive this power? “Thou shalt not turn

back the servant that escapeth unto thee,’ &c. By

this law Paul could have retained him; he says to
Philemon, “Receive him as ye would me,” not as
4 Servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved in
the Lord. Whatever might have been his previous
“ondition, his state was now evidently that of
freedom : it 18 quite obvious he was not a slave.
Our opinion holds good till the slaveholder proves
that he was. They have had two hundred years
to bring forward their evidence; their failure cannot
G

 
eee) se ae ’ a wre re
9A, ~ 42

OS YHE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

therefore be for the want of time. Jesus says,
“Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul,
mind, strength, and thy neighbour as thyself.”’ Paul
was a consistent Christian, he could not therefore
send Onesimus into slayery where he would not like t0
be sent himself. Again, he would in this be violating
the law of love, ‘ Do unto all men as you would they

> Paul, I am sure, would not

should do unto you.’
have liked Onesimus to send him into bondage:
Dragging fugitive slaves into slavery finds no shelte!
in the Word of God ; it is therefore a crime, and
they that do it are criminals, and will be judged, con’
victed, and punished accordingly.

Slaves have a consciousness of right and wrong;
and understand their duties as servants as well 4
their masters; many will not, therefore, submit 1
the lash; such prefer a change of masters, though by
this change their tasks may be augmented and the!
labour much more severe than formerly. One of this
class lived in the State of Kentucky in 1846, when bé
made his exit to Canada; the master who sold li?
eame to the cabin in which he lived with his aged
mother, in company with his new purchaser, with *
hoe and a rope in his hand, intending to knock hi”
down and tie him, and in this condition deliver hi?
to his new master. As the slave passed out at th?

door of the cabin, the stranger struck at him; the

slave evaded the well-directed blow, and with his kui!

Si 2. A AO ew >” “save

© '

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. )9

Stabbed the man to death. The master, endeayour-
ing to rescue the stranger, was also killed. The
Slave escaped on the best horse his master had to the
Ohio river the same night, a distance of fifty miles ;
On his arrival he crossed the river in a yawl, and with
the bridle in his hand he travelled all day inquiring
for a stray horse, until the A bolitionists took charge
of him and brought him to my house on his way to
Canada, I think, however, the slave would have been
hore justifiable in running away with the horse, with-
Cut killing the man; perhaps he would have been
Without blame had he left the horse; it was, however,
Property stealing property. There are few such men
48 the above, who have in this way made manifest
their ‘apabilities of leading their brethren out of the
prison-house of bondage; that there are such, none
deny, The slaveholders themselves are aware of the
Capabilities of the slaves to free themselves, if they
Cnly knew their own power ; hence come unrighteous
laws, preventing instruction—“ knowledge is power.”
Give the bondsman this power, and he is no longer a
Vassal. Mr. H. B. left his master in Kentucky, and
found a recognition of human rights in Canada, leay-
ing a wife and one child in slavery. Though free he
Was still unhappy; the remembrance of his dear wite
‘nd child would always interrupt the pleasant and
Smooth stream of existence. They would stand by his

bedside in bis nocturnal dreams, and he would awake
G 2

-

 
A HA

LOU THE UNDERGROUND RATLROAD.

pressing his dear little one to his bosom. He went
back after them a distance of four hundred miles.
They met one moonlight night, in the shade of 4
spacious oak, arranged as to the time of leaving, and
the place to meet. On the selected night, when she
was to bid adieu to slavery, her mistress had a party
of friends; it was therefore impossible for her to get
away. A disappointed husband went to the place de-
termined upon. No wife. The next evening he went
to learn the cause of the delay, but, poor fellow! he
was betrayed by some innocent little negro children, to
whom no blame can be attached, exclaiming, ‘‘ Yonder
is Uncle H——.”’ He was sold at New Orleans, oné
thousand miles away again from his dear wife and
child—his body loaded with chains. On his arrival
there, he was put in charge of the sheriff to be taken t0
gaol, there to remain till a purchaser could be found.
It was necessary to take off the chains, especially in 4
crowded city like New Orleans. Going on to priso¥
with the sheriff, being a praying man, he asked God
from the depth of his sorrowful soul to assist him t?
escape. He outran the sheriff, leaping over fences
into fine cultivated gardens, and thus out of one int?
another, until the sheriff lost sight of him. The
officer informed the owner of what had happened;
closing his note with these memorable words "I
will never have anything to do with another praying

nigger.” I trust he has kept his word. This slave

me A

THE UNDERGROUND RATLROAD. 101

came back to his old master, who owned his wife and
child, intending to get them and pass into Canada.
Again he was betrayed, and delivered to his late mas-
ter, who bought his wife and child. They were taken
to New Orleans, and all sold to one man, Deacon
Whitfield, a professed Christian and a deacon of a
church. Mr. H. went to a prayer-meeting without
his master’s consent, for which he asked and was
denied; finishing his task, he went without leave, and
got home before he was needed. But on his arrival
his wife told him that his master had promised he
should have next day four hundred lashes for dis-
obeying his orders. What to do he knew not. He
took, however, a mule, and Pode ten miles into the
forest, remaining there till the following night. He
returned with the mule, and left it, then took his wife
and child, and went in quite a different direction. The
next day the bloodhounds traced them out. They
were taken back. His hands and feet being tied to four
Stakes, his face towards the eround, the deacon had
the field-hands assembled, and ordered the overseer to
strike him four hundred lashes, the deacon sitting in
his chair under the shade of a large tree. This poor
man’s wife was compelled, with the other slaves, to
Witness this scene, which to her was the most painful.
His body was literally cut and mangled to pieces. In
this condition, after being washed with salt and water,

he was put in his cabin, with no doctor to attend him.

= Asa

A a
q
2

 
[ N\. {

102 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

Through the mercy of God he recovered. The deacon

sold him. He was absent seven years from his wifé

and child. His master returned to buy his wife, as
he had been such a faithful servant. This man was not
a Christian either. When they came to the deacon’s

house, after this long absence, he refused to sell his

wife, and added that he would not gratify the fellow so

much as to sell her to them for him. Mr. H. now

spoke. That dear woman, to him the most lovely,
heard and recognized his voice, though not seeing his
face ; she furiously rushed by her master, and fell upon
him, literally bathed in tears. A woman's reign is
that of love. The deacon commanded her to loose her
hold. Mr. H. bowed to the ground upon his knees,
and implored high Heaven in her behalf, her arms stil!
round his neck. Her master applied the lash until
he succeeded in loosing her hold, and drove the de-
graded slave with his master from his presence, and
as long as they were within hearing they heard the
screams, the moaning, imploring cries for mercy from
that poor woman; never, never did he see her any
more. After this he ran away from the Indian
territory and came to Canada, a distance of twenty-
five hundred miles. This man devoted himself
to the elevation of his race in Canada for many
years; he has gone to receive his blessed reward.
[ have heard him tell this story many times.

Slavery is, as an English diyine once said, “the sum

te Na

a1).
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, 1058

of all villanies.’? True, this is an extreme case. but
the courage, the intelligence, and the ability of the
Man under other circumstances, and in any other
Country than America, the land of his birth, would
have been justly considered heroic.

But as to the separation of husband and wife, it is
ho exception ; it isa daily, yea more, an hourly occur-
fence, and in many cases by professing Christians.
While I write, the various professing Christian de-
Nominations of the United States own seven hundred
thousand slaves, many of whom are members with
themselves, and sold, in many cases, by the men that
baptize them. I saw a girl sold by one of these
Pharisaical Christians to obtain money for missionary
Purposes; thus one portion of the human family is

‘ - oe giadhaw
Sold into perpetual slavery to evangelize the other.

‘You may picture the bounds of the ro k-girdled ocean,

But the grief of these mothers can never be told.

The Abolitionists are charged with exaggerating
Slavery, because they preach a free Gospel, and
because they avow what God teaches and declares to
be right, viz. equal rights to all men; because they
declare that slavery is a sin not to be mitigated, but
immediately and unconditionally abolished ; because
the churches and ministers who do not “lift up their
Voice like a trumpet and show [srael thew trans-

. ° a be) > v4 rp , ‘ . ,
Sressions, and Jacob their sins, are in dereliction of

 
104 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

their duty, and thereby have failed to give practical
demonstration of evangelical Christianity, as the
true representatives of Christ. Slavery means to
rob the poor of their wages, to rob men and women
of their liberty (a God-given right), to rob the hus-
band of his wife, wife of husband, father of son,
mother of daughter, brother of sister, and has closed
the door of knowledge against them, and deprived
them of the religion of Christ. It includes licen-
tiousness, concubinage, drunkenness, and, in short,
every evil the human tongue is capable of expressing
is found in the one word “ SLAVERY ;”’ it is there-
fore impossible to exaggerate it. Injustice may be
done to humane masters by misrepresentations ; but
it is the men and] not the system—to justify the
system of slavery is to justify all I have said above;
the latter is the necessary result of the former. I
have been repeatedly asked, “Is not -‘ Uncle Tom’s
Cabin’ overstated? Are the characters true? Are
there any such characters as Uncle Tom, Topsy,
&e?” As respects the former, my answer has been
invariably in the negative: as to the latter, in the
affirmative. As respects the facts which lie at the
foundation of that world-renowned book, the subjects
of Mrs. Stowe’s brilliant stories, written as it were
with a diamond pen, as perhaps no other can write,
they are strictly correct. Seventeen years in the slave

States enables me fully to understand what she says

we. Al A Sew 2

ad
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 105
4

to be quite correct. The person whom she, for conve-
Nience’ sake, denominates Eliza, is a living character.
I lived on the Ohio River over which she crossed,
and have been to the spot more than once, not, how-
ever, till after she became the subject of the story
Which Mrs. Stowe tells so well, perhaps in a manner
that no one else can; she will be remembered by the
coloured people for ages yet to come, both in the
United States and Canada. After she passes from
these mundane shores to a state of unsullied bliss,
“where the wicked cease from troubling and the
Weary are at rest,” she will then live in their memo-
ties. True, the names of the characters in ‘‘ Uncle
Tom” are assumed, their high colouring is the result
of her vivid imagination; their beautiful and most
Wonderful construction in forming a whole, thus em-
bellishing the story in a manner peculiar to herself,

18 the rich production of her refined and well-

y . yp ‘ ny ee
cultivated mind. But as facts, they are true. liza,

Whose real name was Mary, ran away from Kentucky ;
; livered to the

her child was truly sold, but not delivered

purchaser; mothers alone feel the keenest pain when

ir children ; : sed man
Separated from their children; she passed many

i » cottage cing down
Sleepless nights in her humble cottage, looking

On the face of her loved one as it innocently slept its
4

hours away; the tears chased each other down her
youthful cheeks; now and then she gave a deep and

achi sart, a flood
heavy sigh; to give ease to her aching heart,

_

 
LN Wa ore

L06 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

of tears would again burst forth; as she thought of
the parting hour, with increased vigour she pressed
her child to her heaving breast; she pressed its lips
to her own, saying, “ Poor thing, mother’s dear lamb

What will
become of her little child? Oh, I cant live!”

will soon be gone, what will mother do ?

Sorrow again seized her trembling frame; she sank
beneath its paralytic stroke. Her mind was like 4
dungeon dark, without any penetrating ray of light.
To her the future was much darker than the pasi.
She was a helpless slave, doomed to misery and woe,
for no fault of her own; and with her child she came
to the Ohio River, it being frozen over, though melt-
ing very rapidly. The water from the melted snow
and ice on the mountains above was six inches deep
on its surface—the ice cracking both up and down

the river, trembled on the rippling waves of the fast

descending waters like a leaf on the bough of some
On the bank of

that river she was at a stand-still, asking God to help

lofty oak dancing in the breeze.
her with her child, looking behind for the approach
of her pursuers. Beneath the breaking ice was a
watery grave; on the other side was a free land.
She entered on the icy bridge with a beating heart
and cautious steps. With the increasing weight of
her body a large white crack, extending before her,
threatened to let her through into the water; she

leaped in an opposite direction, exclaiming, “ Lord,

 

S| AV AERO ew 2" ~~ S@)

TILE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 107

Save me!?? A similar crack would meet her there.
Again leaping from point to point, accompany ing
each gigantic effort with a prayer, she reached the
Current of the river, where the water runs the
lastest, the ice is thinnest, there buried in a solid
Mass for roods around, seeming to let her down into
the very centre of the river. Here her efforts were
divinely invigorated, the strong arm of Omnipotence
Was beneath her; she reached the shore, one hand
Pressing her child to her bosom, the other clinging to
the steep bank. It was, with her, liberty or death.
Her pursuers at this moment arrived on the shore
She had left, gazing upon the object pursued, more
than astonished, profoundly confused at her success.
The massive sheet of ice broke loose from each bank,
With the thunderings of a mighty cataract ; one piece
“towding upon another went simultaneously down
the rapids with accelerated velocity. Here is an
Sbvious exhibition of the providence of God. ‘The
Substance of this I received from her own lips. She
Was sheltered by J. h., a well-known Abolitionist,
and the following night she came to my house ; with
Steat delight and joy unspeakable I took her in.
That boy rested in my arms while going ten miles
With her to another station. This is no fiction.
Whatever you may think of the book in general,
“Unele Tom” is true in this. The circumstances of

this young woman crossing the river at that time

 
108 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

were published in the leading Anti-Slavery papers of
the north, and no doubt many Anti-Slavery people
here, who read American Anti-Slavery newspapers;
have read it; the Rev. W. H. Bonner told me he
read it. This was several years before “ Uncle Tom’s
Cabin” was written by Mrs. Stowe. I have met
with many of these men and women whom I have
had the pleasure of aiding to the country of freedom:
In the town of Windsor, Canada, a gentleman came
and spoke to me as a friend. I knew him not. Said
he, “ Don’t you know me?” “I do not, sir,” |
replied. He then mentioned where I lived, and a few
incidents, which brought him to my remembrance
Being much pleased, I said, “This is Davis.” He
was dressed well, appeared quite respectable, and
could look a man in the face instead of looking 0”
the ground. He said, if I needed money he had 4
little, and I should have part of it. Here was 4
benevolent heart in the bosom of a coloured mat
once a slave.

It is the opinion of some few slaveholders that
religion is @ more effectual means to extort labout
from the slave than the lash. Such allow thei?
slaves to be taught the precepts of religion, sufficient
at least to produce obedience. Such instruction 1
given orally, and no more than will effect the
subjugation of the slave to the will of his maste?

without the use of a severe punishment. This 18

eer" | A. CV AAS eww >" Se)

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 109

true to no ordinary extent, at least up to a certain
Point. Dr. Brisbane, of South Carolina, a slave-
holder, testifies to the correctness of this opinion.
He says, “ Religion did more good to effect obedience
among his slaves than a wagon-load of whips.” ‘To
the honour and credit of this Christian minister, he
emancipated his slaves, moved north, and became a
Strong advocate of unconditional emancipation. e-
Sides, religion adds to the value of the slave. He
Zenerally sells better in the market after the auc-
tioneer has faithfully represented the praiseworthy
qualities of the slave, which consist in his physical
development, his trustworthiness, his obedience and
Willingness to work, &c. The purchasers have ceased
bidding; he belongs to the highest bidder, if none
goes beyond him. The auctioneer adds, “ He is a
Pious Christian fellow.” The bidding begins afresh.
Why this bidding afresh ? Evidently to purchase
the Holy Ghost thus represented in the slave. This
is no uncommon thing. A slaveholder of this class
gave his slave permission to go to church. The
Minister preached from the following text, “‘ No man
Can serve two masters; he will either hate the one
and love the other, or despise the one and cleave unto
the other.’ The slave was unable to solve these
problems. He returned home quite as ignorant as
he went. Monday morning his master inquired if

he went to church. He answered in the allirmative

 
WO YA Cs ie) YS

110 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

The master wished to know how he liked the preacher;
and he answered, “ Not at all.” “ Why?” “ Because

he told two falsehoods.”

’

“What were they?’
‘He said, ‘No man could serve two masters pit
know I serve you and Master John” (his old mastet
and his young master). “What was the other?”
* He said, I would ‘ eder love de one and hate de oder,
or I would despise de one and cleave unto the oder,’
and de Lord knows I hate you boof.” This, however;
proves the capabilities of the slave to reason. One
very cold winter’s night, I was suddenly aroused by 4
rapid knock at my door. My neighbour had eight slaves
with two horses and a wagon, which was the entire
family. The Ohio river was frozen over. They
brought the horses and wagon across on the ice, if
being quite near to the river. It was impossible
for them to trayel with the horses and wagon, so 1
concealed the fugitives. The next day the owner was
on the look-out in the town. They asked me if I
I said I did, but was

under no obligation to inform him. I told him where

knew where the slaves were.

he could get his horses and wagon. He got them
by paying the expenses, the slaves not having the
means of procuring them ; and I had no right to them.
As to the moral right of such an act of the fugitives,
[ have only a word to say,—that he had got a great

deal more from the slaves than the horses and wagon

| BA. AV AD ew 2" wwe)

THER UNDERGROUND RATLROAD. 111

Were worth. If they had brought in their bill for

, P ok =? " rave 1g |
every day they had worked for him without wages, and

every day that they and their children ought to have
been at school, 1 dare say he would have been quite
Willing to have squared accounts with them by giving
them the horses and wagon. ‘They searched in vain
for their live stock, though we dared not move with
the fugitives until the excitement had soon
abated; and like many others they found their way
to Canada without much trouble. ,

It is with grief and much pain after all our careful-
hess. that we lose some of our fugitives ; the northern
judges deliver them up to the claimants, aus inoy re-
luetantly go back into bondage. In 1853, in the State
of Pennsylvania, twenty-six were delivered up to the
Claimants, as the report of the Anti-Slavery Society of
that year shows. A slave, named Jerry, was rescued
from prison in Syracuse, New York, October, 1851, -—
at the sitting of a United States court, at Buffalo
twenty or thirty persons were indicted for haying
participated in the rescue. Last yous, a fugitive
slave was arrested in Oberlin, Ohio, by being decoyed
out of town, then seized by the United States mar-
Shal, and he was sent immediately on his way to
slavery. The news spread like lightning, and the
citizens lost no time in following these men-stealers,
and at a distance of ten miles overtook them. The

slave was put in the house of a Democrat for sale

 
a ee NA NN

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 113

during the past year: they are augmenting continu-
ally. We add the following to show what description

: e . , y
of persons take their liberty :—‘ Twenty Dollars he-

keeping. The people informed the proprietor 4§
well as the slaveholder that thev wanted the slave;

and intended to have him, peac ably if they could,

and forcibly if they must. Finding they were iD Ward.—Ran away from the plantation of the under-

earnest about it, the slaveholder came out and told ‘igned, the negro man Frederick, a preacher, 5 It.

them, if they would allow him to pass on without 9 in. high, above forty years old, but not looking

M » > > = al . *,* . - . ald " AT ) > “AAG c
interruption, he would give up the fugitive, to which over twenty-eight, stamped M. B. on the breast, and

they agreed, and he was delivered up to them with having both small toes cut off; he is of very dark

triumphant shouts of joy. They, however, sent the complexion, with eyes small but bright, and looks

young man to Canada. These men were prosecuted quite insolent, dresses well, and was arrested as a

. Ty
runaway at Donaldsville some three years ago. ‘The

under the Fugitive Slave Bill; some were fined,
above reward will be paid for his arrest by addressing

Messrs. Armont, Brothers, St. James’ Parish, Shil-

14. -' Taan Cy
lenberger and Co., 30, Torondelet Street.”—New Or-

others suffered imprisonment.
Justices of the peace, judges and jurors, and othet
public authorities, sanction the separation of husband

and wife in a free State—ministers of the Gospel leans Picayune.

sanction it also by their silence. Their voices are It seems from the above that this preacher was

heard against Sabbath-breaking, popular infidelity, not too pious to run away, and thus deprive enue

and (especially in charging the Abolitionists with it) ter of what he had no right to, and that this was the

Second time he had committed treason against the
Slave laws and Southern theology by running away.

Although a preacher, yet he would be a much better

against drunkenness, against the Mormonite system
of polygamy, but not a word against slavery, or sepa-
rating husband and wife, if the people be coloured
or are of negro descent. One even refused to pray One if free. Such advertisements as this are cut out
of Southern newspapers and put into some of the

for a fugitive slave who was in prison awaiting his
Northern papers, so that men who are sufficiently

trial ; prayer on his behalf was requested at a public
4 . - , ‘ ities The
brutalized begin to hunt for the poor fugitives. rhe

Underground Railroad is doing sood business, as the

following will evidently show :—‘ Yesterday a slave

prayer-meeting and was refused, although at the same
time requests from other sources, and on different
subjects, received attention.

Man from Kentucky swam the Ohio river, opposite

ia
Escapes haye been more numerous than ever
hI

 
LK Wa ee

114 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

Fulton; he reached the Ohio side nearly exhausted
with cold and fatigue ; as he lay resting on the shore,
he observed his pursuers on horseback, with rifles,
on the opposite bank. They discovered their victim,
and crossed in a ferry-boat at Pendleton, but the
sight of these human tigers revived the almost
drowned man, and like a deer he scaled the pre-
cipitous hill at the back of Fulton and disappeared.
God speed the fugitive—and I had like to have
said, crush the black hearts of his pursuers!’’ This
was from quite a respectable clergyman who saw the
slave and his pursuers, but whose name I do not
deem it prudent to give.

The Underground Railroad pays the stockholders
very well, but not so well as might be desired; but
business is flourishing to their satisfaction, as the
following would indicate :—*“ The Underground Rail-
road would seem to be in excellent order; a company
of twenty-nine slaves from Kentucky reached here
on Monday evening last, and were safely conveyed
to the Canada side the next morning; they were all
hale young men and women, none of them over
thirty-five years of age, for whose capture we hear
liberal offers proclaimed. They travelled by wagons
through Indiana (a free State), and reached here iu
good condition.”

The Detroit Christian Herald says, “The Under-

ground Railroad is pre-eminently qualified and well

a. Sa es NN

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 115

adapted to do business for a long time, we hope as
long as a slave remains in his chains to weep.” “ Lord,
Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, Thou wilt
prepare their heart; Thou wilt cause thine ear to
hear, to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that
the men of the earth may no more oppress.” God
prepares ways and means for the escape of the slave
to Canada. A slave passing from New York State
into Canada was put on board a ferry-boat at Black-
Tock, near Buffalo, by an Abolitionist ; at this junce-
ture the master came up and saw his slave on board,
bound for Canada; the boat was just receding from
the shore; he drew his revolver, saying to the ferry-
Man, “If you don’t stop, I will shoot you.” The

Abolitionist who put the slave on board, and paid

hig way over to Canada, drew his revolver, and, point-

ing it to the ferryman, said, “ If you donot proceed I
Will shoot you.’* The ferryman, finding himself
between two fires, said, ‘‘ | will die doing right.” He
Went on, and in a few minutes the slave was beyond
the grasp of the tyrant. David very appropriately
declares, “ God will judge the poor and needy, He
Shall save the children of the needy, and shall break
in pieces the oppressor.” I would rather be in the
Condition of the slave than the slaveholder when God
Shall] avenge himself on the evil-doer —and the slave-

holder is one. ‘ He shall deliver the needy when he

_* Neither of them fired a shot.

 
Le Wa ee

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,

erieth, the poor also, and him that has no helper.
He shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.” The
slave is poor and needy—God delivers him from the
iron heel of inhuman oppression. His retributive
justice will not always be shown in silence, but will
eventually waken the guilty slaveholder aS from
an ominous dream, and break upon his head like
the thunderings of a cataract or the roarings of the
Niagara. Sometimes slaves that are invalids take it
into their heads to escape. A woman who had 4
husband with only one leg, managed with the assist-
ance of some good friends to have him removed 10
Canada; her master flogged her every day during a?
entire week for the purpose of extorting from her 4
eonfession as to her husband’s whereabouts; too true
was she to the higher dictates of human nature t0
betray the trust reposed in her by him whom she
loved so dearly; she endured all like a faithful
Christian, ever true both to her husband and to he?
God. Finally she was among the missing, but found
herself in Canada with her husband; though she had
him to maintain, she was free, and in a country that
recognized her freedom. If slaves run away wh?
have only one leg, we may expect escapes to be more
numerous with those who have two legs.

IL am indebted to Mrs. Lucte S. Day for the

following :—

ae ae

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 117

The mansion of Mr. Hayes was pleasantly situated
on one of the bluffs which form a part of the bank
of the Mississippi. On a certain evening, at that
mansion, all the pride of that section was gathered.
Sounds of revelry and mirth echoed through the
apartment; bright forms flitted by the open win-
dows ; and woman’s low, musical laugh told of happy
hearts within.

Away from this crowded scene, near the bank of
the river, stood Clara, the daughter of Mr. Hayes.
But why is she not with the other daughter of his,
the admired of all? Her features, you see, are as
perfect, her eyes as intelligent, her form as graceful,
as that other sister’s. We soon learn—she is a slave.
That settles all the mystery.

Another form approaches her—a tall youth ; and
as he approaches, he whispers to her, “ My sister!”
She looked up with a smile, but soon an expression
of anxiety passed over her face, for she saw a stain
of blood upon his breast, and on his brow the
traces of recent passion. His eye even then flashed
With fire.

“ Oharles, what is the matter ?”’

“Matter! Are we not slaves—mere ciphers—
who dare not call our lives, our souls our own ?

Nothing belongs to us but thought and feeling. 1

Will yet escape, and tell my wrongs to those who will

, . \ .
hear and sympathize. Hush! Do not tell me God is

 
Wh War ee

118 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

just. I never felt his justice. What I am, they
have made me; and if I sink down to deep despair,

All that

| have learned, all that raises me above the brute, |

lL sink under the pressure of their tyranny.

gained myself, being my own teacher. I knew they
wished me not to read, yet to do what they wished
not, was pleasure. Do not think me wild. T have
been tempted almost beyond what I could bear. A

little while ago, as I sat on yonder rock, gazing upon
the bright stars, I wondered if they were worlds,
inhabited like ours; and if so, were slaves there ?
There came many bitter thoughts. I spoke aloud;
when suddenly I received a blow in the face, followed
by these words: ‘Slave, let that teach you what to
think!’ I rose from the ground almost blind with
rage; and there stood Master Henry, grinning with

pleasure. It was too much. I glanced at him, then
at the steep bank; something within me whispered,
and I obeyed. With all the strength of madness and
revenge, |

Sv

Another instant, and he would have floated a

seized and held him over the water.

mangled corpse on the dark waves of this river. But
I looked down, and saw the reflection of the stars
on the water,—they looked like your bright eyes. 1
thought of you, and spared him. But come to our
little cottage; we will collect a few things, and long
ere the morning light we will be far hence.”

Clara threw her arms around her brother’s neck

a ae a Ve NC

119
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 11

» mig ot see the
and, bending her head low that he might not se

SAV not love
‘jp ‘ ° ee ve > TO, Do not Say | do
te ars, said, 1 cannot >

Whom else have I to lover Our mother 1s

dead; our father is worse than none.
I dare not render your escape

I have no one

to love but you.

doubtful by going with you.” .
The morn was near its dawning, 7

Her uplifted face was covered with

and still Clara

knelt in prayer. eH
1 eAT r1i1m
tears : her accents fell not unh ard on the ear oO
a k . ; 4

his tle, “ And if
Who hath said by the mouth of his Apostle,

-hatsoever we ask we
we know that He heareth us, whatsoever we a

iti ‘ re desired of
know that we have the petition that we desi

at promise, and she

Him.” Clara seized hold upon that promise, and
| cather’s safety would

felt that her entreaty for her brother’s safety w

at ; ion
be answered. She arose from that long communio

with God, and with ¢
about her daily task. .
to be found nowhere on the plantation,
went forth

ive cheerf 33 went
omparative cheerfulness

When it was reported that

Charles was |
and even when the company of hunters :
with bloodhounds, pistols, and the nther,. som paar
ments which slavery uses on such occasions, Clara’s
faith remained unshaken.

But let us look forwar

ye) ‘ = ‘y his
brother. All night he has been making

d and watch the fate of that
way

ady

h i) : ri , ADS with a lr

1 the dense underwood ;—he

lacerated hand

now, crawling throug

af +40 + , ioh
made his way, until the bright sun peeped throug
c J h d ;

 
Vax “OW 7 Wa OO) Bs

120 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

the overhanging leaves. Plunging further still into
the forest he came to a brook which he crossed and
recrossed, and then threw himself down to rest in the
welcome shelter of a canebrake. Here he lay still and
unmolested until near noon, when he heard the bay
of the leader of the hounds, which had separated
from the others, and reached the stream. In he
dashed ; again he crossed, and came on through the
rustling cane. Charles’s heart beat wildly—he shud-
dered ; but it was only for a moment. Drawing his
knife, he waited in silence the coming of his savage
foe. The animal approached, and, for a moment,
shrank beneath the acknowledged supremacy which
flashes in the eye of man. Charles seized that mo-
ment, and, catching the dog by the neck, buried the
knife in his throat. He gave a low bay, and all was
over.
Charles had saved himself for a short time, but at
a great risk; for when his pursuers discovered the
dog, they would be certain that the fugitive was
near. Just then, as he heard the baying of the dead
hound’s companions, there was a rustling near him in
another direction, and a great animal of the wolf kind
appeared, falling upon the dead dog to devour him.
Charles, recrossing the brook as noiselessly as pos-
sible, pressed on until he was compelled to rest from
pure exhaustion.

He remained until he was aware by the quiet

wee | B.A A: ee ee)

» \

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 12]

around that his pursuers were gone. Thanking God
in his heart for his preservation, he pursued his toil-
Some way until he found a place of rest on the free
shores of Canada—British monarchy being freer than

*

American republicanism.

Yes, indifferent as a majority of the American
People are to the claims of humanity, honour, and
justice, and apostate as are a large portion of the
Politicians, ministers, and church members, to the
Principles of Republicanism and Christianity, with
reference to their treatment of slaves and the co-
loured people, it is to us a cause of profound grati-
tude to that Great Being who declares that “He

i$ no respecter of persons.’’ He has raised up a

Company of men and women to contend for truth and

freedom against the combined influence of false de-
mocracy and impure Christianity; and to wrestle
Against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
Wickedness in high places. Thanks to God for all
the success he has given to efforts begun and con-
tinued in his name, in accordance with his Spirit, and
in reliance upon his promises. It is obvious to every
intelligent and candid looker-on, that the anti-slavery

Cause, in spite of the sneers of opponents, the de-

Nunciations of men in power, and the designs of the

crafty, is steadily pursuing its march to a glorious

Consummation.

Its progress may be retarded by

 
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

diabolical cupidity, cruelty, and knavery of demons
in human shape, who kidnap, enslave, or eteind theif
unstiending and helpless fellow-men, in foreign lands,
a the high seas, during the coffle-emarch between the
States of the American Union, or on the cane-fields
and sotton plantations; by unprincipled politicians,
who rise to power on pledges to befriend and enlarge
the area of despotism; or by the hireling press, pros
tituted pulpits, corrupted courts, and the multiform
classes whose God ‘is Mammon. It has been so re
werent But the seeming triumphs of these enemies
of the human race is transient: “He that sitteth it
the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall haye them
eae Sle
in derision.” Truth is mighty, and will prevail. The
— of man will be regarded, oppression shall cease;
i nats and mind will be unshackled, “the expecta’
tion of the poor shall not perish.” “The mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it.” The slaveholders may drive
the free coloured people from their comfortable homes
in the slave States as exiles, as some are doing, iD
onder to tighten the chains still firmer on the neal
of the suffering vassals; but let these men remember
we can plant ourselves at the very portals of slavery:
We on hover about the Gulf of Mexico, nearly al
te isles of the Caribbean Sea bid them welcome!
while the broad and fertile valleys of British Guiana:
under the sway of the emancipating Queen, invite

them to their treasure and to nationality. With the

THE UNDERGROUND R ATLROAD.

Gulf of Mexico on the south and Canada on the
North, the latter is already a receptacle for fugitive
Slaves, waiting their more intelligent free coloured
brethren to join them in breaking the galling yoke
from the bleeding necks of theu yet suffering bonds-
Men, and they may still keep within hearing of the
Wails of our enslaved people in the United States.
From these stand-points we can watch the destiny of

4 , : ‘
those we have left behind. Americans should also

remember that there are already on that vast conti-
hent, and in the adjacent islands, a large population of
Coloured people, who are only waiting the life-giving

and organizing power of intelligence to mould them

into one body and into a powerful nation.

The following tabular statement exhibits an ap-

proximate estimate of the numbers of coloured per-
‘an race to be found on the North

Sons of the Afri
American Continent.
tributed in the different countries in the following

The free populations are dis-

proportions :—
United States
Rees) Mi babes Be rie sat ees

Spanish ColonieS ..-cecccecee ohn
South American Republics ......
British West Indies ..

Hayti ..ceseesereere BOS Ee eR
French Colonies...

Dutch ditto
Danish ditto ..... Sie leet peiust 4 ;
Mexico eee
Canada

3,650,000
© 950,000
1.470.000
1,130,000
750,000
50,000
970.000
50.000
45.000
70,000
60,000

eseeeeenevereee? eeaveeeee

TTP TITILAEL TT LR eee

 
~ \. a NA Nee 2 a WE9\

124
PASS HI rf -
f ON: PASS HIM ON! 125 \

He that late the burden bore,
Felt the lash and pangs untold,

are still OTOL :
5 md down as 19 ate my. 1 e -ali7.e ve)
beasts of burden under thé me am geet 0 oe “4
Barter’d, given, bought, or sold-~

calling yoke of
5 g yoke Javerv ,
— of slavery. May the efforts of the f
A s of the fug! p . !
o Pass him on:

es

It thus
thus appears that nearly three-fourths of th

Pass him on! Pass him on!

fluence against this accursed system ; and, under God
may they be made instrumental, i ae
Saale ; istrumental, in some degree, 12
; —e time when all men shall be sano ; as Child

eing entitled to that freed pot ized § C hild, and hath a heart to mourn

ym which is their birth O’er the woes by others felt ;

Every maiden who hath knelt
Down in prayer for brother dear,

Or a loved one yet more near ;

Every youth* who hath a friend

With his thoughts and hopes to blend,
And desireth aye to be

Both in speech and action free ;

right : heir j
ght and their just inheritance !

PASS HIM ON!

Every one who hates the wrong
And would vindicate the right,

+

A L A b 4 O F T IE , ,
' IE UNDERGROUN
‘ ‘GROUND RAILROAT
4 4 i Di : :
Help the weak against the strong,

Pass h; Pry ‘atetg
Ass him on! Pass him on! Aid this brother in his flight—
Pass him on!

Another soul from slavery won:
Another man erect to stand
Fearless of 53
Fearless of the scours
peta e scourge and brand ;
: 1er face now lifted up
La ¢ l
~ ps that drink not sorrow’s cup
“Ves 1} > di
vi 10 longer dimm’d by tears
Breas ill’ 7 te
Ms * is longer fill’d with fears :
imbs that hav
at have
ania fe no galling chain
. ree motions to restrain :
ack . ie
“A ' k no longer bow’d and scored
x . . :
ut with birthrieht nx ag
g yw restored.

Pass him on! Pass him on!
Ye whose sires the sword have drawn,
And with blood your freedom bought ;
Ye by whom the truth is taught,
That the God who dwells on high,
Sees one human family

In the races of mankind,

And would all together bind

In one unity of love,
Blissful as the lie above ;

 
-

Se) BR. A A eww Se)
“4 127
, 4 ON ‘
PASS HIM on! PASS) HIM

7 » farmste: ‘ough the vale
Ye who speak and wield the pen, By the farmstead, in: ms pale;
? » et ¢
Eloquent for rights of men, Lighted by the yer : ‘a W ig
- s prairie Wild anc
And would proudly spurn the thought O’er the prair till abide
That if you had skins less fair, Wace meres : ee te tof of slaves—
ese, Dub Ne 4
You might then be sold and bought, (Hunters thes ipod et
Senta ‘more merclul thi ’
And the galling fetters wear— Fat } ls and waves,
Stor ms and tempests, WwW int S <

Nought the fugitive must stay.
Pass him on!

Pass him on!
Pass him on! Pass him on!
Though his foes be legion ;
Though the bloodhounds on his track, Pass him on! Pass him on!

Yelling, strive to bring him back : ; Crime hath he committed none.

Though man-hunters from the south Would vou have him erovelling hie
Threat you with the pistol’s mouth, In the bonds of slavery ?

Wall peerglihean ; Nobler far to rend in twain |
mec rr ae And throw off the yoke and chain :
Nobler through darkness grim,
Dangers thic ‘k besetting him,
Freedom thus to seek in flight,
’Scaping from the gloom of might
Unto freedom’s glorious morn ;
From the darkness to the dawn
Leapeth he o’er chasms wide.
Help him all who help him can,
ica uno Cod the north star for his cuide

, ; sth - every fellow-man—
Pass him on! Pass him on! Giveth ; every

Heed them not—imprisonment !
Take it, and be well content :
Heed them not; endure the fine ;
Grow, through sacrifice divine ;
Do as you'd be done unto,
Careless of the consequence ;
Keep the higher law in view :

Heed not ruffian violence.

rity Pass him on!
Let him lie your couch upon ;

Give him raiment, give him food,

Give him kindly words and good ; *naland, 1854
Sasi , : oehester. Lnal OU.
Watch and guard his hours of rest ; Rochester, England,

Hide him from the searcher’s quest.

H. G. ADAMS

Through the city wrapp’d in sleep,
O’er the river broad and deep

 
CONDITION OF THE

CONDITION OF THE

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA.

As misrepresentations in some instances have pre-
vailed respecting the true condition of the coloured
population of Canada, I have been induced to make
the following statements, which are derived from per’
sonal knowledge. If these promiscuous suggestions
will in any way gratify the friends of the slave, and
serve the cause of freedom, strengthen the hearts and
hands of British Christians in the glorious work of
emancipation, my highest expectations will be fully
realized, and my soul will rejoice in the Lord.
Perhaps you, who have been cradled in a land of
hberty, cannot altogether enter into the feelings of
those who breathe the air of freedom for the first
time. The slaves, upon their arrival in Canada, gaze
Would you
believe it, tears often flow from their eyes; they lift

It is a glorious thing

with delight upon a land of freedom.

their voices and weep aloud.
to gaze for the first time upon a land where a poor

slave, flying from a so-called land of liberty, would in

RA A a ews
~ A be .

- 9)
FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 129

4 moment find his fetters broken, his shackles loosed ;
and whatever he was in the land of Washington,
beneath the shadow of Bunker’s Hill, or even Ply-
mouth Rock, here he becomes a man and a brother.
But even here, it is too true, they find they naye only
changed the yoke of oppression for the galling fetters
of a vitiated public opinion. True, they come to
Canada exceedingly ignorant ; but who can wae
{t it, born as they are to an inheritance of meen:
nurtured in degradation, and cradled in OPPPORHOR
With the scorn of the white man upon their souls, his
fetters upon their limbs, his scourge upon their flesh ?
What os be expected from their offspring but a
Mournful reaction of that cursed system which spreads
its baneful influence over both body and soul, which
dwarfs the intellect, stunts its development, and
debases the soul ?

‘map, you will clearly see
If you look upon your map, you wil clearly

how Canada ‘s divided from the United States, in

Some parts only by a narrow boundary. Some of hp
States just over the boundary are free States; yet, if
4 fugitive slave be found there, he is taken back to
his former owner, and his bondage made still harder.
But let them once be within the Canadian boundary,
they are free,—they are safe,—for they are i
Under the protection of our gracious RNEER: The
Population of Upper Canada is 0 arly 1,000,000.
The most densely populated portion is from the ex-
I

 
CONDITION OF THE

treme south-west, in a straight line along the Gre!
Western Railway as low down as Toronto, on Lak?
Ontario, a distance of 250 miles. This embraces 4
large scope of country, from the south-west of Lak?
Erie, along Lake Huron west, as far north as Lak?

Simcoe.

Ar

Of this

population 60,000 are coloured people, who are almos!

This is considered, not without good reaso®:

the best farming region of Upper Canada.

entirely in Upper Canada, because of its close cot
nection with the States, 15,000 of whom are supposet
to be freeborn, and at various times to have removel
from the free States of America into Canada, to enjoy
equal rights and privileges with the white citizen*
which they could not do in any portion of the Uniteé
States. Making due allowances for the Canadia?
coloured people, we still have a population of 45,000
fugitive slaves* from the United States, and thié
number is augmented yearly at the rate of 1200:
These are, as it were, only a drop taken from the
ocean of 4,000,000, now in that Republic which boast
so much of its freedom,—liberty for the white ma?
and slavery for the black man,—*“ Liberty for th®
slaveocrats, and a strong hemp rope for the eloque?™
throat of an English Spurgeon,” should he be foun?
in that land of blood, preaching the Gospel to ever)
creature. The coloured people are mostly located ip
towns, villages, and townships, in the region abov’

described.

ll NA

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 131

There seems to prevail among them a disposition
to settle in villages and towns, especially those who
have been porters in stores, warehouses, or waiters in
Private families, their object evidently being to obtain
Situations in their former occupations; failing, as
Many do (which is not to be regretted), they, in
the latter case, do what they should have done in
the former, engage in agriculture. However, expe-
‘lence soon teaches them that they are in the wrong
Place ; consequently a larger proportion now settle in
%ricultural districts than formerly. I may say, the
Majority are thus engaged, perhaps not in every case
ftom choice but the force of circumstances; in either
I am de-

“dedly of opinion, that in Canada, as in all countries,

“ase, however, our object is accomplished.

being settled with emigrants, agriculture is the occu-
Pation ; therefore, we perpetually urge upon them the
'Mportance of thus becoming their own proprietors.
There seems to exist a peculiar fondness for each

Sther, which is characteristic of the coloured race ;

this influences theni to settle together, thus forming

“tge colonies, or settlements as they are called. Land

‘S purchased from Government, by individuals and

“Ompanies, at one dollar and a quarter per acre.

The

y divide it into sections, half sections, quarter

Sections, and even, eighths of sections, as convenience
May require. ‘These speculators sell this land at two
Collars and two dollars and a half per acre, giving the

12

 
I Wa eer 2

CONDITION OF THE

purchasers the advantage of ten years to complete the
payment.

Any man with a little industry and economy can
secure himself a home, as many do, or Government
will grant fifty acres as a homestead, on certain po?
tions, and in certain places, to any one who will settle
thereupon, giving a simple fee deed to the settlers
when their cabins are erected on the spot selected.
But this land is, in the interior districts, a great dis
tance from market, without even roads along which t?
convey their produce to market. To settle in such
districts requires some capital to commence with
which the poor have not, and those who are so for’
tunate find it to their decided advantage to settle
near a good market as possible.

The consequence is, the coloured people, with thé
whites of equal condition, buy land of the speculator®
and remain within reach of markets, their prosperity

depending, in a very ereat measure, upon their ow?

industry. It may be said, to the credit of many 0}

our coloured brethren, that they have bought land by
paying a few pounds in advance, and many of thet!
farms are in a good state of cultivation, and, in some
instances, superior to many of their white neighbout*

In the county of Kent, many are engaged in agi!
culture, residing upon and cultjvating their ow?
farms. One farm near Chatham, of which place we
shall speak hereafter, formerly owned and cultivated

SS PA OV AR eee Se @)

FUGITIYE SLAVES IN CANADA. 133

by a coloured man, recently deceased, 1s regarded,
€ven by those not so favourably disposed to the
Negro race, to be the model farm of the community.
lé is now cultivated by his family, and still retains
its former character.

It is a generally-admitted fact in Canada, that the
Coloured people are much better farmers than the
Trish, or even Canadian French. The better portion
live in two-story frame houses, painted white on the
Outside ; now and then there is a respectable barn on
the premises, around which are fowls, hogs, horses,
Cows, and occasionally sheep, but less attention is
Paid to the latter than to any other kind of stock.
The majority live in log-houses of one room, in
Which a looking-glass, one or two bedsteads, a
bureau, &e. may be seen. A garden is usually
Connected with the house, in which vegetables
Stow luxuriantly; here the mistress occupies her-
Self from ‘two o’clock in the afternoon till five in the
"Vening, and perhaps later. 1 am decidedly of
*Pinion, that na people could do better under similar
cireumstances than the fugitive slaves and the coloured
Population are now doing in Canada. I often think
Many of the friends of the negro race expect too
Much in too short a time from the emancipated. The
Srowth of a nation is slow, especially when degraded
% the African race is. ‘The nefarious system of
Slavery has entailed upon them almost inconceivable

 
CONDITION OF THE

evils, which requires generations to eradicate, whilé for the medical profession. J
to add. that few men are more respected than he, not

they are only in the first generation.

**Oh ! speed the moment on
When wrong shall cease ; and liberty,
And love, and faith, and right
Throughout the earth be known,
As in their home above.”

WHITTIER,

As the foregoing remarks are of a general character
we will now enter more minutely into particular’,
which, in all probability, will be more satisfactory 1

the reader. Toronto, as we have said before, is situ’

ated on Lake Ontario. It is a flourishing town, ad

mirably adapted for a commercial city. The census
returns of 1850 gave a population of 50,000 ; it is now
supposed to be about 80,000, of which 1600‘re co
Of the latter numbet

The coloured population are

loured, or of the African race.
1000 are fugitive slaves.
engaged in various avocations; there are blacksmiths
bricklayers, carpenters, six grocers, one physician, als?
shoemakers, painters, &c., one broom manufactory:
and a. large coal and wood yard, kept by a coloured
gentleman.

A considerable number, who emigrated to Canada
an early period, are in comfortable circumstances. Mr
A., who came from Mobile, Alabama, eighteen 0
twenty years ago, has, by his industry and economy:
accumulated 100,000 dollars in property. He has noW

retired from business, and his three sons are studyin

rs)
FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 155

am exceedingly happy

because of his wealth only, but for his piety also. Mr.

M. owns ¢wo lines of omnibuses, and horses and car-

Mages, Dr. T.. mentioned above, has quite a respect-
able drug-store, in one of the principal streets, which
no gentleman of his profession would feel disgraced
to enter. An ice-merchant, who furnishes hotels,
Public-houses, and private families, during summer
With ice, has a farm under good cultivation. His son-
in-law has, on the same farm, a two-story frame house,

furnished as well inside as it 1s finished outside.

‘intensely cold in Canada,
The winters are long and intensely cc |

durine which but little out-door work can be done,
>

a f ah
Which causes a deal of suflermg among the poor. ‘To

en , . es are esta-
remedy this to some ext nt, soup-houses are ¢

1, bread,

blished, from which they can obtain coal, woo¢

inter of 1858 - one coloured
and soup. In the winter of 1858, only

lamily made application for assistance. However, we
must take this fact into consideration, that the neces-
Sities of this class are, to some extent, supplied by a

few benevolent friends, who interest themselves 1n

their behalf, but not sufficiently to prevent numbers
of them from applying for assistance from the town
fund. Many, too, would rather, and absolutely do,

ae . had seal ake known their con-
suffer much, before they ill make kno

; a eRe os "Ti... ,
v for aid to their white friends, iven

dition, or app!

+ <a things. it is to be supposed, in a
Considering all these things, it is to be sup}

ee ee ed

 
CONDITION OF THE

population of 1600, many and frequent would be tbé
applications. But the true cause is found in the fact
that there is a great disposition in the better classes
to assist their less fortunate brethren, and that they
are very industrious.

Hamilton, at the head of Lake Ontario, around
which the railway trains pass to the Niagara Falls,
New York, and the eastern States, has a population of
24,000, 600 of whom are coloured people. Among
them are blacksmiths, carpenters, plasterers, and on
wheelwright. Many of them own property, but how
Mr. M., 4

mulatto, who still drives his own hack, is worth 15,000

much or to what extent I cannot savy.

dollars. He came to Hamilton seventeen years ago, and
acted as porter in a store twelve years; he then bought
a hack, and he has now two carriages and four horses:
He takes three newspapers, one weekly and two daily:
On the 14th of January, 1859, he said to me, “I shall
have to emigrate to the West Indies to educate my
children, for, the other day, my two daughters were
refused admission into the female academy, because
they are coloured.” ‘This may startle some, but it 15
nevertheless a lamentable fact : prejudice so prevails
against the coloured race, even in Canada. In con-
munities mainly consisting of Englishmen and Scotch-
men it does not prevail to the same extent, therefore;
the more emigration we have of these classes, the bet-

ter for the coloured people. I am persuaded if these

lll NA Ne

is)
FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA, 137

Were a majority in Canada, no prejudice would exist.
May God hasten the period when the glorious text

Shall be fully realized, ‘“ He is no respecter of persons,

but every one, in every nation, that feareth God and

Worketh righteousness, is accepted of Him.” As to
their general morality the following will suffice :—In
1858 there were 1982 arrests and summonses to ap-
Pear before the court; of these 81 were coloured.
Putting down the population in round numbers at
24,000, the proportion of arrests would be about one
in 121. estimating the coloured population, for conve-
Nience of calculation, at 550, would be a fraction over
One in seven. The fact of their being almost exclu-
‘ively emigrants, the proportion of adults among the
Coloured people is greater than the population at
large ; some deduction must, therefore, be made from

eR P
Beggary and pau

eo

their proportionate criminality.
Perism are almost unknown among them. Not a
Coloured person in this place is supported by the
township. They feel their position and know that
they are on their trial, and that they have a character
to establish and maintain.

St. Catherine’s, perhaps about thirty-two miles from

Y : s : : pen ee
lamilton, is a straggling town of about 2500 inhabi-

=

tants ; 900 or 250 will include the entire coloured
Population. JI am not so favourably impressed with

2 4 . pA “a 7 .
the prosperity of the coloured people here. Their

Norals, I am sorry to say, are much lower than in

 
Pa \ 9A, * 2S

CONDITION OF THE

most towns and settlements ; there is more drunken-
ness than we usually see. There are among them a few
good Christians,—pious, devoted persons; but a kind
of goodness without intelligence. One man owns tw?
hacks and four horses. It seems the community has
been left without competent teachers to instruct the
people; the consequence is, they have not done as
well as we could desire. I may add, that several of
them own property, and are in comfortable circum-
stances ; but, upon the whole, they are far behind the
mass of their brethren.

London is a town still further west, on the Great
Western Railway; it has a population of 12,000, of
which 500 are coloured people. What I have said of
them in Toronto and Hamilton will apply to their
brethren here. They are rapidly advancing in this
place in general refinement and respectability ; nearly
all seem engaged in some sort of useful employment:
This is the missionary field of the Colonial Church and
School Society. They have done and are still doing
a great deal to promote the interest and elevation of
this people. I am confident God has blessed the
various agencies and means employed by them in this
glorious work, and I hope He will continue to do 8?
[ only regret that they are not sufficiently catholic. 1”
London the coloured children go to school with the
whites; the latter feel themselves not disgraced by

the association. For the want of such Christian-like

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 189

union, many of the coloured children are growing up
in ignorance, even in a land of freedom, and so it will
be until they are able to establish and sustain their
Own institutions, as I hope, by the grace of God, ere-
long they will. The elevation of a people depends
more upon themselves than upon their neighbours.
I have lone been convinced the sentiment of the emi-
Nent poet is quite true :—
‘¢They that would be free,
Themselves must strike the blow.”
CowPER.

These people are perfectly willing, and manifest a
disposition, to receive instruction, as the following ex-
tract will demonstrate. I quote from the report of
the Church School Society for 1859, page 27 :—

“The tracts are still valued by the poor fugitives
Who can read. They are sometimes returned to be
exchanged, with such expressions as the following :—
‘That’s a nice book, it is so sweet and comforting.’
‘I thought the last my daughter read to me was the
best I ever heard in my life,’ said a poor fugitive the
Other day. A mother said, ‘ That tract you lent me
Was so good and so beautiful that I lent it toa friend
of mine, and that friend lent it to another friend, and
80 it has gone through twenty people’s hands, and 11
has not come home yet.’”? I shall give my testimony
ma subsequent page.

In conversation with the heads of the police in the

 

i. « SN ON oe a. yy

 
INE War eer 2

140 CONDITION OF THE

town of London they said that petty crimes were

more frequent among the people of colour than any
other class, except the Irish, who were much worse.
However, this was a mere opinion, as, in the statis-
tical statements of the police department, the offences
committed by the coloured people were not separately
recorded, as in some other towns. They further said,
beggary and pauperism were unknown among them.
I thought this quite a free and open concession, and
spoke well for them, which I found to be quite true
when visiting their families. Mr. J. is a fugitive
slave, from North Carolina (my native state). He
settled in the town of London twenty-three years
ago; he became a merchant, but is now a dealer in
medicine. He has a good drug-store, and is possessed
of considerable property.

Chatham is a town situated at the head of navi-
gation on the river Thames. Unlike Toronto, Hamil-
ton, or even London, it has but few fine buildings,
and its appearance at first sight would not very
favourably impress a stranger as to its wealth ; never-
theless, there is more business done here than would
seem upon first entering the town. There are three
saw-mills, two shingle-mills, two potash factories,
three cabinet warehouses, four flour-mills, several iron-
foundries, three breweries, &c. It is a port of entry,
and exports a large amount of lumber. This busy

town contains a population of 6000,—2000 are

ot

— >

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 14]

coloured people, who seem to add their quota to its
industry. One gunsmith, four cabinet-makers, work-
ing on their own account and employing others, six
master-carpenters, and a number of plasterers; three
printers, two watchmakers, two ship-carpenters, two
millers, four blacksmiths, one upholsterer, one saddler,
Six master-shoemakers, and, last of all the trades, a
Cigar-maker.

Chatham is the head-quarters of the negro-race in
Canada. It has acquired considerable notoriety, even
in the United States, because of the great number
that have settled there. The better class live in such
houses as before described—two-story frames, painted
White outside ; numbers of their unfortunate brethren
live in log-houses, with gardens around them, well
stocked with vegetables. They have here two day-
Schools, though not very well provided for; one has
eighty pupils, the other thirty. They seem to be
under good training and instruction. They probably
have the largest, if not the best conducted Sunday-
School in Canada among the coloured people. I had
the pleasure of addressing three hundred children in
this school, which is considered a large number to be
in attendance. It is certainly conducted in such a
Manner as to perpetuate a lively interest among the
Scholars, which is an essential element to the pros-
Perity of any school. ‘The other school is well con-

ducted, but not so large. The reciting of passages by

 

alll NA a
CONDITION OF THE

the pupils from both the Old and New Testament
Scriptures, was a sufficient evidence of their aptitude
for learning, which the negro race has ever evinced
when surrounded by favourable circumstances.

There are two chapels in Chatham, Methodist and
Baptist ; the former has quite an intelligent coloured
minister. The latter has no regular pastor; I have
occasionally preached for them. The Press is con-
ducted by a coloured gentleman, well adapted to the
business, the continuance of which up to the present
time is owing to his industry and economy ; though
it is not at present in a very encouraging condition,
that is no fault of his. Newspapers usually depend
on voluntary subscription for support; it is, there-
fore, a very difficult matter to keep one in exist-
ence among an uneducated people, as this class is in
Canada, when its support, entirely or in part, is to be
derived from them. Parents do not see the necessity
of taking papers for the benefit of their children who
can and are learning to read ; in the majority of cases,
if they did, they would not have the means to pay
for one. However, 1 may truly say, in some re
spects, and with the best of feeling for my brethren,
“they haye eyes to see and see not, and ears to hear
and hear not.’’ We need more schools and qualified
teachers in Canada; and as the people advance in in-
telligence, we may have more newspapers and editors.

The schools are very irregularly attended, just as they

KUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 148

attend to everything else, in the most erratic manner
imacinable. However, knowing as we do the cause
Of it, we bear with greater fortitude their imperfec-
tions. Our hope for better things is from the.rising
generation now entering on the great theatre of

human existence, whose minds are still to be de-

Veloped, and their characters to be moulded; and

Unless we are prepared with efficient facilities to
Meet these emergencies, they will still be, intellec-
tually, infants. We believe that the period will
arrive, ere Yong, when they will be enlightened, vir-
tuous, moral, and intelligent, or, 1m other words,
Possess those qualities in a higher degree than they
now do. and lavish their blessings among the various
kingdoms of the earth as freely as they have lavished
On them their chains andignominy. Education, com-
bined with Christian civilization, will enlighten, refine,
and elevate the down-trodden sons and daughters of
Ham,

The hearty loyalty of the coloured population in
Canada is attested by all that come in contact with
them. They love the country that protects them in
the free and untrammeled exercise of their natural and
Inalienable rights. The following anthem is the pro-
duction of a man who was a slave twenty-three years,

how living in Chatham, Canada West :—

i. oe A Ne >.

As/

al%

y

\

 
SS ae oh pr 7.ae » ey \ “a 7D aENN

CONDITION OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 145

Fifty-four miles further west, on the Detroit river,
ATR,—Home AGary,

Bless the Queen ! England’s Queen ated 4] pat &
‘ 5 » + ~ ® . - .

Heaven protect and save ! ad the town of Windsor, which has a population

Oh, may the space be wide between of 2500. Few towns, perhaps, in Canada are older

Her cradle and the grave !

Which connects Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, is situ-

, than this ; it is the place where the larger portion of
Ever may her land remain

Asylum of the free, the fugitive slaves first arrive on British soil, because

A spell to break each galling chain of its close connection with the States. This portion
Of human slavery ! of . at .
) ‘ ‘ - , > r . rar tyr 4 Salk
Cudads, Blea the Quetay te. Canada is divided by the river Detroit from the
State of Michigan ; across the river, at this point, un-
Beneath her sway, equal rights

, ° knx r sy’ , 114 roe ‘ 4 rare) M J
Extend to rich and poor : wn numbers of slaves have passed into a land of

From halls of dukes and gallant knights, test, where the slaveholders cease to trouble them,

To the humble peasant’s door. ¢ : ’ :
Se omy vse and the baying of the negro hounds is no more heard
Hence ever from the peasant’s cot,

. 0 \) « tir ; 4 ry ‘ i+} ra 4 .
And domes of wealth and sheen, Qh the track of the flying fugitive. From 700 to

One prayer ascends ot word and thought, 800 is the number of coloured people in this town .
God save, God save the Queen ! an ;
“hone them, as 1n other towns, are carpenters, shoe-

O’er her may angels spread Makers, bricklayers, grocers, &e. Most of them are
Their all-protecting wing ! :

r doine , i : :

well, and quite a number have comf

Oh, may they shield her heart and head 5 > § q omfortable

From each delusive thing !— homes for their families; but they are not extensive

Shield her from the gloom and care Property-holders, as in some of the places mentioned
By mortal eye unseen bet :

’ : tty efore ‘oe provision-stor ’
That she may live—long live—to wear re, Mr. O. has a large provision-store, and does
The crown, —God save the Queen ! *xtensive business, much more than any other coloured

t . .

' ree sentlem: he town; he is therefore very .
When her long and peaceful reign man in the town ; efore very much
Shall here have been complete, 'espected by them. He lives in a neat, well-furnished
a she “ brighter realms would fain brick-house.—Rev. W. Troy, my colleague and fellow-
ave this terrestrial seat, , ;

labourer among this class, owns property in this town,

May her deathless spirit soar

To that bless’d world of light, ‘lso a farm in the country. Here is mainly his field

Where ills and cares disturb no more E . ° ’
recat Povaticen ccm, of labour, where he is now erecting a chapel with a

And there’s no day nor night! ,
Chool for their benefit. The Lord has abundantly

J. M. Bex, Chatham, 0. W,

 
CONDITION OF THE

blessed his humble efforts in bringing many to a know’
He is the
leading man among them.— Mr. B. has been employed

He has

ledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.

at the railway-station for four or five years.
not been absent a single day, unless prevented by
sickness. By his steady habits and faithfulness t?
labour, he has won for himself a high respectability:
— Mr. Lewis Clark, who was her Majesty’s mail-carrie!
from Windsor, across the river to Detroit, in the State
of Michigan, is a fugitive slave, from the State of
Kentucky, but, to the disappointment of his employer®
in the post-office, he was necessitated to give up that
useful and respectable occupation. His former maste!
having been informed of his locality and avocation:
notwithstanding several years had elapsed since heé
left Kentucky, pursued him to the very borders of
Canada, watching his return with the mail in the city
of Detroit, on the States side, anxious to lay violent
hands on the poor man, to bind him in chains, and
take him into slavery again. Jortunately some friends
informed him that his late master was waiting on th?
other side for his return. Oh, what a blessing to hi?
and his poor wife, that he received this timely info!”
mation! Of course every precaution was taken 1
ascertain the facts of the case, but every advancid$
step only served to confirm the truth of the stat
ment, until it was found absolutely dangerous for hi

to continue in his employment. ‘The slaveholder dar

-_—-—— s--—-4

‘ "ed ¢ om ‘ty UE AN\ \ * rye" y ON
alll ow A’ AA ew a ws AM

~

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 147

hot cross over the boundary line to claim a fellow-man
as hig property in Canada.

‘‘ Slaves cannot breathe in England :

If their lungs receive our air,

That moment they are free.

Mr. Clark, by his industry and economy, has accu-
‘ulated considerable property. He has also money
inthe Bank of Upper Canada. He is distinguished
for his piety and benevolence : but few men in his
Position contribute more for the spread of the Gospel
among his people, which at once achieves for him the
Mr. Clark

lortunate enough to escape with his wife,—children

Universal respect of his brethren. was
they shave none. She is a woman of very superior
hind, quite different from the generality of slaves.
Her condition was one of the exceptions. She was a
domestic servant, quite a favourite in the family, con-
‘equently permitted many privileges, among them
the privilege of learning to read. She was intrusted
With everything in the house, newspapers and books
hot excepted ; to the reading of these she devoted
Nuch of her time, which now proves a greater blessing
to her than it possibly could have done in a condition
of Slavery ; by means of this knowledge she gained
her freedom. Her master, in conversation with the
Rey, W. Troy, mentioned above, said, “ He often

t . e is 7
ld his wife that permitting Anna to read ‘ Uncle

Tom’s Cabin’ (which he as a humane man had pur-

hased for his own family circle), she would be induced
K 2

 
CONDITION OF THE

Now.
T should have had het
God for

! These are not the only persons

after a while to run away.” said he, “ if she had

never read ‘ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’

99

and Lewis to-day, as my slaves. Thank

‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin”’
it has been instrumental in redeeming from the galling
yoke of slavery. Her Christian qualities, no doubt;
won for her good usage, and many kind words from
the family to which she belonged.

would therefore think she had little

Many persons
cause for escaping;
which I admit ; but the fact of her being a slave is 4
sufficient justification. J have often heard her say shé
was treated as well as a slave no doubt could be treated:
She was especially attached to the family, but whe?
the thought would occur to her mind, “ What right had
she and her husband to be slaves to another, for 1°
crime whatever, save the colour of their skin, in which
they had no choice ?”’ this was sufficient to make het
“My Bible tells me, ‘God

is no respecter of persons ;’ why, then, should I be #4

unhappy all her hfe long.
slave to another? I can read as well as my mistres*
T can reason as logically, I can think as clearly ; why
should I not think, reason, and act for myself? A
knowledge of my condition makes me unhappy, inde
pendent of my good usage from humane owners. It

99

is slavery I hate, and not my owners. On hearing
these noble sentiments fall from the lips of a perso”
once aslave, and in a manner most insinuating, with all

the dignity of the most refined and cultivated perso”

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA.

‘nd with an indignation expressive of the deepest

abhorrence for the nefarious system of unmitigated,

Mhuman chattelism, 1 surely felt L was in the pre-
‘ence of a superior being.

Persons without trades, in this town, as in others,
lind sufficient employment at white-washing houses,
fences, cutting and splitting wood, working in gardens,
digging wells, &c., for all which labour they get from
four or five shillings per day. They also get a fair
When the Grand Trunk

7% . -
Railway was being constructed, about 1500 hands

Portion of the public works.

Vere employed, 500 of whom were coloured men. I
“onsider this quite a fair proportion. About ten miles
‘rom Windsor there is a settlement of 5000, which
"xtends over a large portion of Essex County ; of this
Settlement some places are more densely inhabited than
thers. Itis called the fugitive’s home. Several years
480, a very enterprising and intelligent fugitive slave
fame to Canada, bought a large quantity of land from
the Government, divided it into small lots, from one to
“wenty acres, and sold it to his brethren as they arrived
from the States, giving them from five to ten years to
“omplete their payments. This induced many to set-

tle here, by purchasing in this small way. Any one
Could buy less than an acre, but not more than twenty
deres, Emigrants settled here in such numbers, prin-
Cipally fugitives, that it is called the fugitive’s home.

) .
Perhaps the larger portion of this land is still un-

 
r=) ) era weeeee
GA ~ 0.5.21

150 CONDITION OF THE

cultivated, while a great deal is in a high state of
cultivation, and many of the people are doing well.
This plan answered the purpose very well, at that
time, and no doubt it was the best that could be
adopted under the circumstances ; but since the land
monopolists in Canada have become more numerou*:
and there is consequently more opposition in this kind
of speculation, the same class can purchase from thesé
monopolists from the eighth of a section to any inde
finite numbers of acres, with the same period to maké
payments. Thus they become much larger proprie
tors, and have suflicient quantity of land to augmen!
trade by raising live stock, such as hogs, cows, horse®
sheep; or by cultivating grain, beans, peas, Indiat
corn, wheat, and hay, all of which are saleable, and,
when turned into cash, enable them to pay for thei!
land. Many in the fugitive home with mere gardel
spots, have either rented it to their neighbours or left
it to go to wreck, and have bought, leased, or rented
much larger farms elsewhere, which I think upon the
whole is infinitely better than the former, while thé
course pursued by the fugitive in the previous case 18
not to be lost sight of. It shows a spirit of enterpris¢
and a disposition to trade, a philanthropic feeling for
the elevation of his degraded brethren, which he fully
carried out in his own conduct during his life. He
was the leader of his race in that portion of Canada

In the fugitive home are two schools built of hewed

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA.

logs ; perhaps there is school three months in the year
but oftener none at all, sometimes for the want o
teachers, at other times for want of money to pay
teachers.

Government pays only one half of the teachers
Salary, the other portion the parents in the districts
are responsible for. ‘The teachers must collect them-
Selves. The fact is, they seldom have school. The
School-houses are used for worship on Sundays, when
they can get preachers, but few preachers like to go
into the backwoods: if they did they would not like to
£0 through snow, very often half leg-deep, or knee-
deep, Therefore they haye but few sermons during
Winter. Upon the whole there is a great amount of
Spiritual bareness, and intellectual ignorance. As for
industry, I find no fault, in general. Intelligence
does not by any means keep pace with the industrial
habits of the coloured people of Canada, That is to
Say, they are more inclined to industrial habits than
they are to intelligence.

Sunderwich, a few miles from Windsor, has two

thousand inhabitants, four hundred, perhaps, co-

loured, whoare mostly engaged in agriculture, though

living in town; some own farms, others work by the

day in lumber-yards sawing wood, others devote
th

leir time to gardening, which pays very well, and

‘ome few are grocers. ‘They have a chapel, but no

‘chool-house, more for the want of teachers than

 
UN Wa ore

me)
152 CONDITION OF THE

otherwise. In the counties of Kent and Essex;
which contain more coloured people than any other
counties in Canada, they are prevented, by a legal
enactment of the provincial parliament, from educating
name children with the whites. They must, therefore,
build their own school-houses, select their own teachers;
pay half the salary of those teachers, and the Govern-
ment the other half. The elevation of the negroes un-
der such disabilities can be but slow even in Canada.

Amherstburgh, sometimes called Malden, is situa-
ted on the banks of the Detroit river, twenty miles
from the city of Detroit, about which I have pre-
viously spoken. This town has a population of about
2000, probably 800 of whom are coloured people.
This place, with others in this part of Canada, 18
not so prosperous as some other portions. A great
many of the French are settled here; in Lower
Canada the French are very intelligent and refined,
but here they are very uncultivated,—they are quite ¢
different class altogether. The coloured people are
principally engaged in agriculture throughout this
region of country, the western portion of Upper
Canada. Colchester, New Canaan, Sandwich, and
many other places where the coloured people have
settled, seem to be developing the resources of the
country.

I might merely allude to the Dresden settlement,

thirteen miles from Chatham ; this place is quite pros

al i y A AEE. \ “rr a" 7a NN

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 153

perous, having well-cultivated farms, &e. Chatham is
their nearest and best market. In this settlement, my
brother missionary has just finished a small chapel,
which has been in progress for four years, but no
school-house; I suppose he will keep school in the
chapel. The houses here are mainly log-houses, but
they are generally well furnished, and exhibit con-
siderable taste.

Wilberforce settlement is fifteen miles from Lon-
don.—One word as to its origin. Previous to 1829,
a great many coloured people moved from the slave
States into the State of Ohio, which, up to 1845, had
laws preventing coloured people from living therein,
but many came into that State, being ignorant of
the existence of such an enactment. In 1829 this
law was put in force, and 1000 coloured people were
driven out of the State. Previous to their emigra-
tion, they sent a deputation to the Governor of
Upper Canada, to ascertain whether or not he would

allow them to settle in Canada. I copy his reply :-—

“Tell the republicans on your side of the line,
that we royalists do not know men by their colour.

Should you come to us, you will be entitled to all

the privileges of the rest of his Majesty’s subjects.
“Sir James CoLEBROOK.”

This people, knowing that Wilberforce was a

friend to their race, named their colony after lim.

 
154 CONDITION OF THE

This colony, as a farming region, is surpassed perhaps
by few; they live in good houses generally, and pay
more attention to stock than in most of the settle-
ments. The people have more information, and are
proving their capabilities for self-government.

A remark or two relative to the Elgin settlement :
—This is decidedly the most improved of any colony
in Canada; it numbers perhaps 800 coloured people,
with a chapel and school. The school has been in
regular operation for several years, the Kev. Mr. King
God has abundantly blessed

his labours in bringing many to a knowledge of the

being their instructor.

truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and also in developing
their intellects, and moulding their characters, by
which they have unquestionably demonstrated their
original capacities for self-government. I much re-
gret that we have not more such faithful servants
of God among the coloured population of Canada,
we suffer more than can be imagined from the want
of such qualified teachers. He is pushing forward their
eleyation still further; may God bless his efforts in
the future as He has done hitherto! Only one arrest
for crime in that community, among the coloured
people, has occurred from 1850 to the present time.
It would be my pleasure to enter more extensively
into their condition, but in a mere sketch like this it
is impossible ; besides, travelling from place to place,

as I do, 1 cannot give the time and attention the

subject requires.

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA.

I have already protracted my
statements to a greater extent than I first intended ;
however, my only object has been to present facts
derived from personal observation, without any at-
tempt whatever at a display of learning or talent,
of which I cannot boast. I must now redeem my
promise given on a previous page. The negro mind
is peculiarly susceptible of religious impressions, and
much may be hoped and looked for from the plant-
ing of Christianity in a soil so favourable to its
development. Naturally, the negro is gentle, teach-
able, humble, and simple, physically
enduring, which he has beyond a doubt proved, by

patiently enduring the galling yoke of inhuman op-

and mentally

pression on the North American continent for two
centuries. ‘They receive a dying Saviour’s love with
alacrity and joy,—the faith which hopeth all things,

believeth all things, loveth all things, they embrace

readily, because it best accords with their warm and

overflowing sympathies, and unsuspecting, kindly
natures. ‘They are easily moved to tears on religious
subjects, such as the crucifixion of the Saviour, the
joys of the world to come, ce. ; these are themes
upon which they are most easily brought into sym-

pathy.

enchanted, their eyes set upon the speaker, some
with their mouths open, with all the simplicity of

: : eee, rv, wn 7. ”?
children, occasionally exclaiming, * Thank God!

In the midst of a sermon they seem literally

 
                
     
   
         
     
       
     
   
   
   
       
     
       
     
         
         
       
     
   
      

 

  

156 CONDITION OF THE

‘¢ Amen!”’, Thanky Jesus!’ Others shout aloud,
“Glory to God in the highest!” fall on the floor,
and some, more self-possessed, shake each other’s
hands, saying, “ I am free both soul and body.” The
minister pauses until the flash of excitement abates,
and when they resume their seats he proceeds as
before, commencing where he left off. To suppress
the manifestation of their feelings, would be a means
of destroying their happiness.

lt is a great privilege to stand forth and proclaim
the Gospel of salvation to hundreds around you res-
cued from slavery, both soul and body, and invite
them to enter into the glorious liberty of the sons of
God, where they will see their blessed Saviour, and
receive a happy congratulation, “ Enter into the joy of
thy Lord, prepared for thee from the foundation of
the world.” “These are they that have come up
through great tribulations, and have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

I wish, if possible, to disabuse the minds of many
who are not favourably disposed towards the negro
race, or who have only a superficial knowledge of
their condition; they seem to think the negroes are
a nuisance, or, in other words, they are so numerous,
that the Canadians are at a loss to know what to do
with them. It is true some persons in Canada seek
this method of venting their spleen upon this helpless

and unfortunate race; but it is not true that they have

ww eh. AVA eww 2 \~e

 

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 157

become so numerous as to baffle the skill and judg-

ment of the inhabitants as to their well-being. I
would much rather have them flood the cold and
dreary region of Canada, free, than have them con-
tinue in the sunny climes of the slave States, in
the miserable condition of unmitigated slavery,
eradually sinking beneath the bloody lash of unfeel-
ing tyrants into their graves, only to be remembered
by their friends with sorrow, many of whom are des-
tined to share the same mournful fate. Yankees who
live in Canada, Americanized Canadians, also many
of the Irish, when coming in contact with coloured
mechanies and labourers generally, who are as well
skilled in their profession and business as the former,
and perhaps much better, complain very much in-
deed. Sometimes liquor-dealers, who are patronized
more by these classes than the negroes, join in the
unpopular complaints. If the coloured people sell
their produce cheaper in market than some others,
they also complain, “Too many niggers here—they
keep the price down in the market—if they continue
to come, I don’t know what we shall do,” &. These
vile calumniators should remember what the negroes
lose in the price of their produce, they may make up in
the quantity they sell, and thus demonstrate a talent
for trading. These are the character of the com-
plaints, and the source from whence they emanate.

It is quite obvious that it is a mere jealousy of

ia

 
1 Ww ere

CONDITION OF THE

business competition. I think I am quite justifiable
and within the range of human probabilities in say-
ing, not a newspaper editor in Canada would feel free
to subject himself to public censure by uttering such
On the

first of January, 1859, in conversation with his

aspersions upon the coloured population.

Excellency the Governor, Sir Edmund Head, on the

progress of the coloured people, he made the follow-

ing very significant remark, “We have plenty of

On the 12th of the

same month, in conversation with the Governor-

territory for these emigrants.”

General, at his residence, he asked me “if it was my
opinion that the fugitive slaves were on the increase
in their emigration in Canada?” I answered in the
affirmative. He said in reply, “ We can still afford
them homes in our dominions.”’

The provincial parliament recently incorporated an
association as a body politic, for the education of
coloured youths in Canada, of which I was appointed
a member of committee, to write the constitution.
I have only room for the preamble, which simply
shows the object of the association :—‘ Whereas a
charitable association has for some time past existed
in this province, under the name of ‘The Association
for the Education and Elevation of the Coloured
People of Canada,’ having for its object the educa-
tion of the coloured youth of this province, and their

training and preparation for the active duties of life ;

wa ek A A ew es

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 159

and whereas it is expedient to encourage to the ut-
most so laudable an undertaking, and the said asso-
ciation having represented that by being incorporated
they would be enabled greatly to extend their philan-
thropic labours, and more easily manage the affairs
and business thereof, it is expedient to incorporate
the said association, to grant the usual powers of
bodies incorporated for like purposes, therefore her
Majesty,” &c. If these facts, derived from the highest
authority in the country, are in any respect an ex-
ponent of public opinion in Canada, they evidently
show the public in general are in favour of such emi-
gration, which is in direct opposition to the false re-
presentations often made,—that they don’t wish any

more such people, &c. Canada needs and must even-
tually have a sufficient number of labourers, such as
the coloured people, to develope her resources, and
bring the land into cultivation, by which its value will
be enhanced, both to the interest of the owner and
the Government. ‘Taxes assessed for governmental
purposes are in proportion to the value of the pro-
perty thus taxed, consequently the higher the state of
cultivation into which this land is brought, the more
profitable it is to the Government. Therefore every
possible encouragement is held out by Government for
emigration—fugitive slaves, as well as others. It is
to be hoped these evidences are quite sufficient to

satisfy those who have been misled on this point. If

 
om aa |) tk. / ee!)

Sa Rk. A A ew
160 CONDITION OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 161

rou prev » slay rine fr is chai . leach. the clanki
J prevent the slave, flying from his chains and ers, cruel drivers, the bloody lash, the clanking ol
handeuffs, entering Canada, where he is free or | , “ohteous law at

, “ “ s free, under handeuffs, and, above all, the unrighteous laws that

the Magna Charta of the British constitution, which They have sought and

sanction these evil practices.
knows no man by the colour of his ski sk for the a » free r
; kin, I ask for the happily found a home sacred to freedom. In many

slave, and in the name of humanity, where will yv , wannded by many
unanity, where will you instances they find themselves surrounded by many
allow him to go? What shall w 7] me or 7 ns a are well wort

5 all we do with the 1200 sympathizing friends—friends, they are well worthy

coming northward every year, seekine free if . . -o drunk dee
a y year, cing freedom if of the name—many of whom have drunk deep of

‘ IY au , 4 P) Ty r » ‘ " ~ os ) aye) F
haply they may find it? Will you be so cruel, so but, through the providence of a

oppression’s cup,

fiend-like, as to send them back into perpetual bon- Father, have reached their much-
c ; © .

adil ‘od forbid!” T kind Heavenly
dave? “God forbid!” Tney w ait away e 5 “on kinsme ordi
= . Pee Sek ae ee desired haven, like their brethren kinsmen according
and more, in spite of all the fugitive-slave laws that . They are made
S Pic ra ra ‘ . 5 - sa sneiver. 1e are made
nee te pa / - to the flesh, whom they now shelt y*
ie American Government may pass. . | , ceceive many happy
yP welcome to their new homes, and receive many happy
I have elsewhere confined my remarks t we alm poure
¥ arks to the congratulations. It isto them soothing balm poured
better class of the coloured population, in or ( hedenressed spirits
. at. : der to into their wounded souls and much-depressed spirits.
show their capabilities of self-government and civi- ig to supply them with food and

are best suited to the climate

; Our first duty
lized progress.

raiment, such too as

We will now speak more especially of the mass into which they have just come. In almost every
and their condition. On their arrival in Canada they cake thoy: att Se etih of both. The coloured
are in a perfect state of destitution, among strangers, population are expected by the white citizens to
and in a strange country. You who are accustomed perform these duties, or at least bear the burden
tendeendl eretcwitn. means tou Dly: yom NEN of it, from their identity with the sufferers. We have
SRN) ARENT ERY, Gs LORE A OG more emigrants in autumn and winter than any
first time in a foreign country where every face on iin aie of the year, from the obvious reason
See petra eS Deena 1 ee ae that the facilities for effecting their escape are pre-
eehalicuchindoet Womely Sekng) aasogeamento sere eminently better then than at other periods. We are

home; but, alas! it is far, faraway. You are by these . utiome cseinter on
f ’ quite happy to receive them at any time, winter ox

reflections prepared, at least in some degree, to a a i
aii , ee summer, day or night. Though we are very much

sympathize with those who have fled from taskmas eee whilitiog

m . " burdened with increasing responsibilities, yet our

L

 
162 CONDITION OF THE

souls leap for joy when one succeeds in reaching this
virgin soil, Canada. As the mass of the people are
themselves poor, they are unable to meet the entire
demands continually made upon them. The more
benevolent of the community who are interested in
the moral and religious elevation of this class, assist
them, which contributes much to the alleviation of
their suffering, and makes the responsibility much
easier with us. After we have put them in positions
suitable for employment, we feel ourselves very
much relieved. There is a kind of independency
which is rather commendable,—they like to have
the name of administering to their own necessities,

and it is to them a self-mortifi vation when unable

the Anti-slavery friends are
. . . i wes . 4 on ” Sg
to year in sustaining their papers and periodicals,

lectures, Xe. ;

“ tf : : aN \ \ * . fay TON
wy | on A AG Ses

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 36

burdened from year

the consequence is, we have a very

’ distress, : istres avoidable
ereat amount of distress, and distress un ,

and, as may be expected, considerable mortality
among these immigrants.

alled upon, one day in mid-winter, by a man
1 his suffering condition,
volent

I was ce
for a testimonial setting fort!
; . . > ane

that he might make applications to the bene

‘ty for assistance, WI t which, from
of the community for assistance, withou ;

accredite srson
4 minister or some well-known and accredited pe

yplications W be to little or no
or persons, such applications would

1s ade myself ac-
but before doing this, 1 made my

purpose ; | Ns
h the truth of what I was called upon

quainted wit Ape
. : ify. -F se I diately visite
to do so. This may not be applicable to some— to certify. For this purpose I immec y

his family—his repr
worse than he had said. —
which I will not attempt to describe, his wife and
ey had been fortunate enough
1e children

+r , a.) 8 ' . . és ae ‘ Tare C | > true; evel
I think it is not—but it prevails to a very great esentations were quite ,

‘ . , saan a t
extent. I found in a miserable hut,
Even with the aid of many good friends in Canada,

five children, whom tl

we are still unable to meet the demands as thev
i ’
to bring with them from slavery. T'wo of t]

increasingly crowd upon us. The Abolitionists of

A say trom Boston’ and) New were crying, as she said, for something to eat; the
Ape eto eae sy clothes, old and new, poor woman weeping bitterly because she -_ unable
and of all sizes, which have been a great blessing. to supply their wants. She said)“ Sir, I hava! £6
ly prayed God to send us friends: 1 — you
a one.’ I said, “If I can do anything for

a few

Very many haye been relieved who would have peated

suffered almost beyond human conception but for are such

. . , y . . as E . ’ 5? j. ‘ter
the timely aid thus afforded. These contributions cou, I shall be most happy to do. so. \ ft

-

2 ° ¥ ® ‘ .
wi a8 ® ‘eguiar, nor 1 re iti r faith in Christ, &e.,
are voluntary, and are by no means regular, nor in- questions as to her condition, her fa

. . . a -™ nO 1 7 8! f the like
deed do we expect it, though much desired. But I asked her if she had ever been reduced to :

Lw«

 
ah \

164 CONDITION OF THRE

conditi ore. |
- ion before. Her answer was substantially ag
Ollows :-—‘“ Whe as A
: When I was in slavery my two eldest
children were sold a short distance from me: J Ww
, as
not even : red t |
ot even allowed to go to see them, nor were they
allowed to come to s |
e to see me. It] I sg]
. 10ugl ie
eatin ona oat ght L should die
griet; 4 prayed God to take me out of the
to do so. JT

. : . ‘

world; then I i it
; then I thought it was wrong

dlace where > C
- where all the coloured people were free; then
ve id > 63
prayed God to enable me to get there, N
Su get there. Not know-
§ what moment my husband might be sold from
me > from him, w |
, or me from him, we made up our minds to run
away; duriz hri
ay; during the Christmas holidays we asked
| A c ‘ our
master for a pass (his wri
r for a pass (his written consent) to go and see
O thildre “hi , af
ur children, which he kindly granted. We took
children and 3 pa
Idren and immediately started for Canada
ares anada: we
W yA Ta ra TpaAatks "
ere twelve weeks coming ; we prayed and travelled
. | i ! . . c e CC ‘
any atime we would eat corn by the way.” She said
ohana , ay.’ She said,
I have not that for my children now.” She paused
| aUuse(
for a moment, and burst into tears f
pon me ars. We were all
* the time being: ]
1er ¢
srt nga §; her husband could no
g estrain his feelings at t] |
pov | gs at the truthful recital
ll Sé . ta hi . ,
8 sad story, which is only one among tl
as j g thousands.
| Hes im some degree subsiding, ; Ini
sn aa —_ siding, and gaining
seN-possession, “ This,” said she. “ was w
ee Bs ' as worse than
y present condition,” Said I, “ Very true, y
free; but had you not rather be | scabies
J i rather be avery anc
e in slavery and have

enough 19 eat, wi ;
g at, without begging as you have to do?”

Sy in. a 4 See ae ae, Tl}
B.

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 164

“ No, no, I had rather be free and crawl on my hands
and knees from door to door.” I could not but admire
her high-mindedness and love of freedom. I need not
tell you we immediately supplied her with provisions.

Here were two Christian persons who had not attended

a place of worship for sixteen months, not for want of

holy zeal, of strong and erowing desires to do so, but
because their condition would not allow them.

We have a great many, both religious and irre-
ligious, suffering in this respect, more from the want
of suitable clothes to fit them for the weather, and to
attend public worship, than the want of food. The
latter cases are so numerous, we are unable to supply
them. ‘To meet them the best way we can, we hold
meetings in their dwellings on week-evenings; they
will assemble in each other’s houses when they are
absolutely unprepared to do so in public. I knew a

man whose constitution was totally undermined by
consumption, from exposure to the cold, half-naked,
endeavouring to maintain his family. Poor man! he
finally died; but, thank God, he died in the full
triumphs of Christian faith. I was in the habit of
visiting the family of a pious eood man, as | sup-
posed, in whom I was not mistaken; but not seeing
him attend church (as we call all places of divine
service church), I began to think I might possibly be

mistaken in my good opinion of him. I inquired as

to the cause; he said, “ I have not clothes suitable to

at
i

 

  
Pad \ SHA, * dial

166 CONDITION OF THE

o to church ;” pointing to those he had on, he said, |
g ] a ,
I evidently felt, from what I

A great many

“these are all I have,”
saw, the cogency of what he said. |
devoted Christians, with whom I have been acquainted,
were thus prevented from attending the house of God
for the same reason, ven our Sunday-schools, as
well as day-schools, where we have them, a great
number of the children cannot attend because they
are not thus prepared. In cases of Christian people,
1 have known the better class to lend clothes to their
poorer neighbours to attend worship, and the clothes
thus lent returned.—F eb, 23, 1859.

The Report of the Fugitive Mission in Canada has
the following article,—I use it in confirmation of what
I have said:—‘“ There is more than an ordinary
amount of distress prevailing in Canada at the present
time, and failure of the crops last year has caused
considerable rise in the price of provisions in this
city (London); the poor, both white and coloured,

are suffering severely.” The Report goes on to say

what we all too well know is the inevitable effect of
slavery. rom the general improvident habits of the
coloured people many of them are in a wretched con-
The few

boxes just received will enable us to minister to the

dition, both as regards food and clothing.

wants of many in the latter respect, and to some

extent alleviate their sufferings. I am sure the bene-

6

volent Christian friends who have placed it in -our

aie Sy Ne

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA 167

power to do so would feel themselyes more than

repaid could they witness the looks of gratitude and
listen to the expressions of thankfulness given by the
Parents lose many ot

recipients of their bounty.
A. woman in Toronto

their children by exposure.
said she had lost six, another four, all from consump-
tion; this is the disease of which they mostly die ;
when once seated in the constitution, its victim lasts
a short time, therefore it has received the appellation

* qui i -he destitute children
of quick consumption. As to the destitute c

of Ambherstburgh, Mrs. Hurst says:

about the streets with apparently nothing on but
and die.

“ Children go

an

old cotton frock; no wonder they get sick

A woman told me yesterday she had lost ten children

is ye systood that
by consumption.” It is not to be understc

. r C -y by any means, for
Canada is an unhealthy country by any }! ;

.

the contrary is the fact. This mortality of which we

ing is from abs stituti rhich could
are speaking 1s from absolute destitution, whi

he avoided if we were able to meet the cases with
sufficient food and suitable clothing; neither are we
to infer that the coloured people can’t live in Canada
because of the intensity of the cold. True, it is

especially on those coming direct from the

severe, _
imate

south, as the majority do; coming into a ¢
much colder than they have been accustomed to, even
when clothed suitable to the climate, they suffer very
much for two or three winters at least, after which
they become acclimated, and are as healthy as any

 
Ne Wa eel

CONDITION OF THE

people. But, on the other hand, when not properly
clothed they must suffer prodigiously, and many, as
we have said, certainly die. .
” the readiness of the coloured people to re-
sone the Gospel, which they on all proper occasions
evidently manifest, we have already alluded; we add
the testimony of the Rey. Dr. Willes, Professor of Di-
vinity at Toronto College :—“ There are about 60,000
emancipated slaves settled in Canada, most of wiles
have fled fronf bondage. I have repeatedly preached
to congregations of emancipated slaves, and ever
found them attentive and devout. They appear to
me to enter with more spirit into the vais of God

99

than white men generally.” Dr. Wilies is an earnest
and a true friend to the coloured people in Canada ;
t AUG 5
he has very frequently preached for my congregation,
and does now during my visit to this country; he,
as also Mrs. Willes, have relieved the sufferings of
many on their arrival in Canada; they very often
visit the houses and supply their Hodeaaiites: They are
igre and fearless, willing to teach and instruct them
in = knowledge of God, attend their meetings both
religious and political, ready to give all necessary and
good advice. These are the kind of friends we'deet
in that country, and among such a people. |
Having said so much relative to the coloured people
of Canada, we will say a word as to Canada itself.

TI '
] bd y 7m) 1, ‘ an
e province of Canada extends over an area’ of

wy | O. AV AR Sees 2 ~ ew)

FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 169

942.500 square miles, or 240,000,000 acres, and 1s
-third larger than France, and nearly

at Britain and Ireland.
the

consequently one

three times larger than Gre

The settled portion is about 40,000 square miles ;
‘anadas exceeds 2,500,000.

entire population in the €
That part of Canada east of the Ottawa River is called

Lower Canada, the inhabitants are chiefly of French

extraction; this part of the colony comprises
160,000,000 acres, of which not more than 15,000,000

have been surveyed. Of Upper Canada, west of the

ority of the population are

Ottawa River, the maj
stem of lakes form a net-

British; an enormous sy

work of water communication over the entire pro-
vince, and a line of rivers connect the inl

1e most distant recesses of

and lakes

with the sea, so that t}

Canada are within reach of trade and navigation,

and large vessels can proceed a distance of 2000
The lines of railway are the Great

miles inland.
a few other still

Western and Grand Trunk, with
lines, altogether about 849 miles. The reader
him a geographical pird’s-eye view of

| by nature of many very

shorter
has now before

this great province, possesse
ly waiting the indefatigable hand

ereat advantages quiet
levelope them for the benefit

of human industry to ¢
The two great wants of Canada
are capital and production. We are happy to say,
England and Seotland are emigrating

and all the more

of the inhabitants.

the capitalists ot
there much more than formerly ;

 
SS" Ok a AO ee a ~~ ee EP)

CONDITION OF
aia FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 71

rect when based upon the great

necessary, bec ’ the i _y
y, because of the influx of the fugitive slaves vernments are only cor
s of the Bible and influenced by the doctrines

They then become the living and re-

and free coloured ve ‘
ured people from the States, with whom windiala

they come in di
in direct ¢ is ;
) direct contact and aid in their elevation, of the Cross.

suscitating elements of t
a nation de pends upon its con-

In

his 1s

he whole machinery. There-

and it is sti ’
itis still more necessary because the former know

nothing of Americ: aie ,
a 1erican prejudice against colour, which | fore the prosperity of
iS contrary to all law
. aw, both is nn
, 1 human and divine. The formity to the W ord of the living and true God.

this respect, England may be proud—perhaps t

reso. > , . ,
irces of this country must be developed, it there

5 . -
rm; but in this she may re joice and

fore requires

/ ulres t Ara 7 .
s labourers to do that; there is sufficient too strong a te
I verily believe her national prosperity

r tenacity to the Word of God. An
dor to England to in-

room for s
for such labourers from all countries, The 7 praise. God
8. | ‘alse ,

fugitive slay
aves ; a eee
g and the free labourers can all find is the result of he

African king sent an ambassa
t was the secret of E ngland’s

nee. She

Ample space 1: 4

ple space on which to settle and labour: the
|

quire of her Majesty w ha

greatness, he standing in her august prese
«Tell your king

11 alm 5 2 4 7 rl T he

have b ) | I ] t | a l li l-lé . h 5]

presented to him the Bible, saying,
creatness.’’ This act

This Bible 1s

out of whie =
f which they have come to Canada: they need

? ‘
this is the secret of England's
olumes in favour of religion.
nt to raise benighted Africa to the same

by its undying

i « )

best adval BY, mit.
= . ‘ itage. : > A y on . P

g This is a forced emigration; never- | quite ere
eminent and praiseworthy position,
e; she once W alked hand in hand with her

advancement of Christian civl-

theless, I : appy to s
» Lam happy to say many are honourable and

worthy eolonis Te ,
y sts. We look anxiously forward to no influence

sister nations in the
This noble act again speaks volumes in the

ligious, and politi-

dists : r if 5 ‘, bd
ant day when Canada will be the brightest gem
in the crown of viet aint
our W araderenowned r
ad Queen. W are
' v lization.
acknowledgment of equal moral, re
of that degraded race, which the United
Our

> 10 1 5 < e x c ( c bap) bd 1é

capitalists, ; +" ao
Pp , and the labourers still faster. In the ad States most de
ad acta ate OS ic

cidedly refuses to acknowledge.
n was not ashamed nor afraid to stand

vancement of anv ¢ .

it of any country, three agencies are ess
ie $ are essen- gracious (Juee

in the presence of one of the sable sons of Africa, and

from her own hand prese ted to him the precious
The Church is the mighty agent,

tially necessary
y necessary—the Bible, the Church, and the Press
Civilizati . em
ization, without Christianity, makes but slow

Word of God.

yroeress 1 é bl
| S h apn portion ot the world. Human ro
Jy 6"

 
a a
\e

7 a

CONDITION OF THE

under God, to accomplish this great work. To her
God gave this Word and said, “ Preach the Gospel to
every creature ’—to the savage, the rude barbarian,
the cultivated Greek, the North American Indian, the
American slave, the proud and haughty Anglo-Saxon
—yes, “to every creature,’ without respect of per-
sons ; this is the duty of the Church. “Preach de-

?

liverance to the captive.” The press is the great
circulating medium through which she speaks to
thousands in one breath, and sends truth over a whole
empire with lightning speed; thousands of volumes of
God’s Word are cast abroad among the nations of
earth’s teeming millions, by means of which we can
converse with distant friends. Through the press the
justice of God is vindicated—truth, love, and mercy
shown in their true positions and relations—the social,
civil, and political rights of man are advocated. The
press 1s a means of drawing out the latent energies of
the human mind, and of placing man in his legitimate
and proper position before the world.

People with sufficient courage to leave the house of
bondage, and to succeed in reaching a land of free-
dom, as the fugitive slaves have done, should have
these mighty agents to promote their happiness in
their new homes, which they prize so dearly. They
have the Bible, but it needs to be more generally cir-
culated among them. Religious knowledge should be

circulated more freely. We have the Church, but her

Me a VA a ST

,
>}

wo
FUGITIVE SLAVES IN CANADA. 1735

ing, ¢ 4x borders extending.
cords need strengthening, and her borders ext g

ot in direct contact with the
We have the press, but not in direct cont ict

coloured people, and devoted to their special interests,
except the one to which 1 have already retested.

I therefore hope, by the blessing of our common
Lord, that the coloured people in apenase will
eventually be established on a more solid nae, _
thereby be fully prepared for the higher on
life, by means of which they may exert a reflexive

influence upon the nefarious system in the United

States, and thus aid in the great work of human

emaucipation.

 
ENDIX.

SLAVERY originated in a spirit of gain, by which
it is alone sustained. It is thought the same
agency is the only effectual method to overthrow
it in the United States. If not the only effectual
one, to my mind it is certainly one that should not
be overlooked by Abolitionists struggling against
this gigantic evil; they should eagerly and earnestly
lay hold of everything, and adopt every method con-
sistent with Christianity, that would effect its final

abolition. The profit derived from*the culture of

cotton is the chief support of slavery in the United
States, for whatever shall prove available in making
slave labour unprofitable must of course cause the
demand for that labour to cease. To accomplish this
result by means of the cultivation of cotton by free
labour, should be the object of the friends of the
slave, not with motives to injure the slaveholders,
but to free the slave. I doubt not but much more

cotton would be cultivated by the slaves in a state of

freedom than is now cultivated ; it is quite obvious

that a man will do a greater quantity of labour, and
better in quality, by the stimulus of wages, than by

SC. AVA Sew 2s

APPENDIX. 175

the force of the lash. If a white man is prompted
to labour by the love of gain, it is very clear to my
mind a black man will do the same; the love of gain
is an innate principle of human nature, and is not
therefore confined to any class or complexion of
individuals ; only assure them they will receive a just
remuneration for their services, and there will be no
lack of labourers.

Dr. Cooper, of South Carolina, in his letter on
political economy, estimates the labour of a slave at
two-thirds of what a white labourer, at usual wages,
would perform. Put a slave in a condition of freedom
with the white labourer, he would perform as much
labour ; consequently the demand for cotton, both in
the home and foreign markets, would be amply sup-
plied with cotton by free labour, whereas it is now
supplied with slave-grown cotton.

The following will give the reader an approximate
idea of the value of the slaves in cash, and what the
claimants annually realize from their labour. I cut
the following from the New Orleans Delta, a slave-
holding paper, published July 11, 1857 :—

“The slaves, numbering over three and a half
millions; their value, at present prices, sixteen
hundred millions of dollars. The cotton plantations
the south is estimated at eighty thousand; the aggre-
gate value of their annual products, at the present
prices for cotton, is fully one hundred and twenty
millions of dollars. There are over fifteen thousand
tobacco plantations, and their annual products may
be valued at fourteen millions of dollars. There are
two thousand and six hundred sugar plantations, the

products of which average more than twelve millions
of dollars. There are five hundred and fifty rice

 
Sa) Ck A A ew a = \

 

 

j -

mf ‘| 176 APPENDIX.
Wy APPENDIX. 177 le
p. plantations, which yield an annual revenue of four 4
, millions of dollars.” of slave-grown cotton are sold in the British market eo
ry . 33 : P ’ = x ee vi . ° — i : ‘ ‘ ie
2] The above evidence shows that cotton by far exceeds annually ; this amount increases as the demand i
2° ‘ » iY ote ] , - . , penses The npRA * slaves vs 1eAq “7 - » "eA
O° all the other staple products of the sunny south, both inereases. ‘The price of slaves varies with the price
o> . " ‘f ‘ ” 7= 4 ant 6c y > rT , 1c 4 ‘Ta’ - ,y ‘ e
(e in number of farms and annual income. The number of cotton. When cotton is 14 cents per pound a iF
> glawa ’ < + ~ . . > _ lava’ 1a ror P ] ra - wary 7 2) »,y Shy
5 of slaves engaged in the cultivation of each article is slave is worth 1400 dollars; every ¢é nt per pound
ce something like the following: adds a hundred dollars to the value of the slave.” ve
ig ‘ Such was the statement of Mr. Waiker, in which he m~
yar. 1c - vc y ; ; ‘
@ Rice tiseessereceeeessetteees 125,000 was ‘quite correct. Hence an immense forced emi- f
>, SUGZAL ..cccccccsscseveceeee 150,000 eration takes place between the slave States. It is 4
4 BOUMOCS  iitastrctaywee. See ‘aleulated that 30,000 slaves, or more, are bought and
~~ BY. ) a ‘ . :
™ > LUG  ceevtaqsntes bss. ae sold annually; tens of thousands of poor slaves are
torn from their husbands, wives, and children, pre- sf
Tl ..4. wre ‘ . .
Total ....ssseesseeeeeee2, 440,000 cipitated upon the cotton-growing States, swelling in Sp

4 | r BP ge/. many localities an already overcrowded population. |

A These slaves are engaged in the cultivation of arti- : sat ee ' ;

: ‘les to supply fore! ) On many a plantation and in many a slave-cottle

: cles to supply foreign demands, and out of them all a (he ati 1 weeping =

ton 3 , there is heard “a voice of lamentation anc Ww eeping, 2
eotton is the strong pillar ‘J 8
g pillar upon which slavery com- R sping for her childre 7 3
mercially rests, in the United Stat Thinl and great mourning ; Rachel weeping for her chudren, ¥
/ c sUS, } nited States. ‘Lhink yee ; , \

, over 1.000 000 sl ving 1j + ij iy ofa and would not be comforted, because they are not.” t 4
Cy UYU; slaves engaged 1n the cultivs 4 ye ‘ —
on sincle article. Corto wht t] eaprcdicas I have no doubt but the foreign slave trade 1s a
ae | wie *Y é ‘le, COTTON, averaging more than 990 to : . q : ; seal taal an : ‘ ri

plantation, drivers 1 th 7 hat the; 20 toa quietly in opé ation in the United States, 1 confir- i,

ante , fers applying the lasn a ir Wl ae . : : .
ie) lj tn eee PI ye .eir will upon mation of which I quote the New Orleans Delta, +
a | he tender persons of females as well as males oF rays ae a

asl alivst - , ms which declares most positively it is so:— African

¢ Think again, that five-sevenths of all the cotton con- ‘asissiDDI hse

4 sumed in E jj slaves are imported into Mississipp1 and other sea- e
J sumed in England is cultivated by these slaves. The : FEET EF deat for Afri |
‘ shesmat wate x ‘ si | shores. In Mississipp! there is a market for African

ads ¢ ch your garments consist are 8 aine . ;
with the blood of . ain ae stained slaves, and on plantations 1 that great and enter- mz «
1 the blood of the slave; the driver buries the aid He tod ff \ frie:
ie tiontu: lasti % SS eis eg prising State, negroes annually importec from Africa *
= A jloody lash in the quivering flesh of his victims EP i. Ne

A , extorting their unrequited lal to add t | are at their daily work. e

(; x ; "eC ed labour to add to your ‘ a sie hb: ~
Pont = 3 . an Ak jatar oe These Africans are bought by the planters, and you . 9

| ort; in order more effectually to do this, the slaves ~ a’

; aces! eine 3074 a ’ pay for them by paying for the cotton they cultivate. Ta)
ae are kept in ignorance. Give them knowledge, they real ‘9 non ' Q /
“1 ¢ oO" Nhe amount of mortality on those plantations 1s py |

will free themselves. Think of it! Y«
elves. ink of it! You buy chains

3 J 7 ? alar ov k " niyv t those ho are converst t 4

: had cisuttec and hive: by Which the sl alarming, known only to those Wi are conversant 9
a \ andculis, and whips, Dy which the slave ; is , | ;

) pe, %) slaves aré punished, with them, the necessary results of beimg over-

without '

’ a ty you ‘a0 more than this: you pay for the slaves worked and under-fed; when so thev are ;
’ | emselyes, by purchasing cotton. Four million bales | M al
\e
ww | ek. Al a ew a

APPENDIX. 179
APPENDIX.

tne gary of excessive whipping, by withholding proper
legal redress: consequently the average lite of the J Pps, y By RPMS
5 > i oS . .
“o£ food or nourishment, by requiring greater labour
slave on the cotton farms is fourteen years, and on ? .
. bs tis from such slave or slaves than he, she, or they may be
the sugar plantations seven years. Here is the sacri Nel 4 <
; able to perform, by not affording proper clothing,
fice not only of comfort and happiness, which the ' .
_ whereby the health of such slave or slaves may be
slaves have as good a right to enjoy as ourselves, but i aalae ; rod .
ie. — | ee injured or impaired, every such owner or owners
of life itself, simply to augment our happiness, and to J Dé , )

promote the interest of the owners. 1 have repeat-
edly seen slave

of slaves upon sufficient information being laid be-
fore the grand jury, whereupon it shall be the duty
of the attorney or solicitor-general to prosecute said
owner or owners, shall, on conviction, be sentenced

ordered to the fields to work before

s
it was sufficiently light to weed cotton without cutting

it up and then flogged because they did cut it up, : Sabai BS plop alg Voie «ila TM
mle , tah to pay a fine, or be imprisoned at the discretion of the

and work at night as long as they could see how to A hea sie

court.”—Prence’s Digest, 376.

These provisions are of no practical value to the
slaves whatever. The whole matter is a well-arranged

work without injury to the plant, which is very
tender, and must be treated accordingly. As to the
regulation of labour, the laws make the following

7 aes : systematic scheme of diabolical hypocrisy. No slave
provision :—In South Carolina, “ Whereas, many bess YJ .

and no free person of colour, can be a witness against a
owners of slaves, and others who have the care, and 7 err a ™

white person in any case. The planters are not ex-
pected to prosecute each other for ill-treatment to

the slaves. The overseers, who do the flogging and

management, and overseeing of slaves, do confine
them so closely to hard labour that they have not

sufficient time for natural rest, be it therefore enacted, . .
+ , order the working, are not apt to inform against each
that if any owner of slaves, or other persons who shall ,
; other, dependent, as they are, on the planters for
have the care, management, or Overseeing of slaves, Ps
a : employment. Many of the non-slaveholding whites

shall work or put any such slave or slaves to labour .
ne ~~ at the south are a servile and degraded class, like the
more than fifteen hours in twenty-four hours from the
on , : ates > Ame overseers, depending upon the slaveholder for labour
25th day of March to the 25th day of September, or he
: ¢ ; te support their families ; therefore they dare not in-

form against the abuser and have him brought to
justice. In the name of God and outraged humanity,

more than fourteen hours in twenty-four hours from
the 25th day of September to the 25th day of March,

any such person shall forfeit any sum not exceeding '
; . how is the slave to have redress under such circum-
twenty pounds, or under five pounds, current money,
: ‘ede stances ? It follows, they may be worked any number
for every time he, she, or they shall offend therein, at xf x Me
, Et of hours in the day at the will of the drivers, Sundays

the discretion of the justice before whom the com- .% '
“Races * ry: par not excepted, and in all kinds of weather. J have
plaint shall be made.”—2 Brevard’s Digest, 243.
, : repeatedly seen them working on the Sabbath,
Georgia.—‘ Any owner of a slave or slaves who , .
especially in planting tobacco, as this must be done

shal] cruelly treat such a slave or slaves by unneces-
uw 2

    

(e

)

   

Tom)

oe qe > £2 Ye We G
APPENDIX,

in rainy seasons, and in the spring of the year; should
it rain on Saturday night the slaves are ordered out
in the field on Sunday morning to set the plant. The
first gang of slaves I ever remember seeing at work
on Sunday, was on a tobacco plantation ; my young
and untutored mind revolted at the sight; but by
frequent repetitions of the scene | soon became inured
to it. Familiarity with sin tends to harden the hu-
man heart and blunt the moral sensibilities.

The same hypocritical provision is made relative to
the food of the slaves :—Louisiana: “ Every owner
shall be held to give his slave the quantity of provision
hereinafter specified, to wit,—one barrel of Indian
corn, or the equivalent thereof in rice, beans, or other
eran, and a pint of salt ; and to deliver the same to
he slaves in kind every month, and never in money,
under a penalty of ten dollars for every offence.”’—
Martin’s Digest, p. 610. :

You see there is no meat, sugar, coffee, or tea,
mentioned in this act. This barrel of corn is in the
when shelled, it
amounts to one bushel and a half, or forty-eight

ear as it comes from the field ;

quarts, which is to last a slave one month, with one
pint of salt ; allowing thirty days for a month, it would
be equal to one quart and three-fifths per day. This
‘s to be reduced to meal, which would be a little
more than a pint per day. With this they must work
fifteen hours per day one part of the year, and four-
teen hours another. The prisoners in the state
prisons, whether for life or a shorter period of time, are
fed on substantial food, and quite sufficient in quan-
tity, three times a day ; and seldom, if ever, are re-
quired to labour more than ten or twelve hours per

APPENDIX. ISL

Though this act mentions no meat, I have
known the planters to allow the hands from a pound
to a pound and a half of meat per week. Many, not
having utensils in which to cook, broil it on coals
of fire; put it with a morsel of bread into gourds;
take it to the field, which 1s to last them all day.
Mothers, two weeks after childbirth, must be in the
field making a full hand, in many instances putting
her child in the shade of a tree, permitted to nurse it
twice a day, though it may cry from the sting of in-
sects. She may plead for permission to nurse it; the
overseer nay grant it, or he may not; if so, it 18 con-
sidered very kind of him indeed. Reader, bring this
matter home to your own heart, then think and feel
Thus he suffers to cultivate cotton for
Leould write volumes

for the slave.
your benefit as well as others.
on the plantation life of slaves, which 1 have said
nothing about in my book, because it was foreign
from my subject. Ye mothers of England, can you
do anything at this distance to alleviate the condition

of your sisters on those cotton plantations in that
Can you pour the oil of joy into their
Cease as soon as p ‘acticable the use of cot-

country ?
hearts ?

ton bathed in their tears, chasing each other down
their sorrow-worn cheeks ; then you will have snatched
the bloody lash from the hand of the wicked driver
and dashed it into a thousand pieces. The gory
wounds now bleeding while I write will be joyfully
healed with the oil of gladness from your hands.
You will have sealed up the fountain of tears which
for centuries has been opened; you will have placed
your sisters in a position where their chastity can be
protected as yours now is; you will have struck the

a ee ee

—
2

)

 

—~*
— |
APPENDIX.

death-blow to this giant evil. I appeal to you because
you can do much in this matter.

cause the slave cannot.

I appeal to you be-
. [ plead the cause of the
Ar spells the orphan. “TI open my mouth for the
rt ? Y ;
— i he power of turning the scale against the
tyrants and in favour of freedom, commercially speak-
ing, Is in the reach of England’s mighty grasp. Eng-
land is depending on America for cotton. Millions
of her people are employed by means of it. The
pe of thousands hangs upon this feeble thread.
It is with the slaves whether they shall live or die:
it is with the slaves in the United States va
they shall walk the streets of this beautiful country
perfect vagabonds, or be employed in making an
honest living. Suppose the slaves were to cbase cul:
tivating cotton unless they were paid for it, which
they have a perfect right to do, what would become of
millions now depending on them fora living, who are
employed in manufacturing the raw iabatial which
they cultivate ? What would the capitalists do in
Their large manufactories must be
closed; your streets would be filled with beggars, the
dying and the dead. The very moment the ave de-
clares, in the strength of his God, he will cultivate

cotton n oncer wi je dinin') TE P
olonger without wages, England’s commercial

a

Lancashire ?

operations must cease; starvation would pervade the
land ; istress of seas i

d; as mistress of the seas, her mighty ships
would be compelled to haul down their sails. The
whole country would be literally clothed in sackcloth
and ashes. You may say it is not likely the slaves
L think it very probable God may raise
up another John Brown more successful than the
fo , n a . r \ 7 rT « rT 7 :

rmer. The slaves have attempted, in another State,

will do so.

| a. eA ae eee

APPENDIX. 183

since John Brown’s death, to break their chains.

There are half a million of free coloured persons in
the United States, daily growing in wealth and intelli-
gence, one in interest and feeling with their suffering
brethren in the south, a large portion of whom emi-
grated from the slave States, and are willing at a
moment’s warning, when necessary, to place them-
selves at the head of four millions of slaves, and, with
the incidental aid of sixty thousand in Canada, in
defiance of their distardly claimants, would lead them

to the very borders of Canada. With this view of

the subject, say not it is impossible or improbable.

I speak of it not as a scene to be desired, but one
within the range of human probabilities. “ The chains
of the slave will be broken, let the hammer come
fom heaven or hell.”? Let England extricate herself
from this awful dilemma. If the cotton crops fail
in the United States by any means whatever, let it
be their own failure, and not England’s; but now
such a failure would affect England as well as

Let Britain become self-supporting re-
yy cultivating free-labour cotton ;

America!
specting cotton, |
hesides. she would free the slaves thus engaged in

the cultivation of this article. To emancipate one

million would be a death-blow to the entire system.

It is no longer a question whether free labour is
r than slave labour, or whether England has
luce it or not; but what is the best plan
T am glad to learn,

cheape
soil to proc
to accomplish the desired object.

from the last report of the Cotton Supply Association

of Manchester, that the subject is eliciting the atten-

tion of members of both Houses of Parliament, and

' ites

 
APPENDIX.

has obtained the assistance of the chief department
of Her Majesty’s Government; the British consuls
in foreign ports are giving the scheme their attention
and kind consideration. It is quite pleasing in one
respect to see the cotton crops have only doubled in
twenty years. lor the benefit of those who may read
this book, and may not read the report, 1 extract from
it the following:—‘“ We must point to the fact,
that although in 1840 the crop of the United States
was 2,177,835 bales, and in 1860 it may reach
4,500,000 bales, the growth has only been doubled
in twenty years; while the number of spindles em-
ployed in this country and on the continent was, in
1840, 27,266,000, but in 1860, 69,642,000.” In other
words, while the increase of growth has been doubled,
owing to the high prices of almost exclusive markets,
the increase of spindles has more than doubled by the
enormous addition of 15,110,000, requiring an addi-
tional one million bales to give them employment.
The position of the trade is therefore, in 1860, so far
as America is concerned, worse by one million bales,
than it was in the year 1840.
allude to the numerous places that produce cotton
both in Her Majesty’s dominions and beyond them ;
nor yet is it necessary to refer to what has been ex-
pended and what experiments have been tried in
the cultivation of this article, as they are before the
public by other and more able pens than mine. I
have spoken of cotton because it is the giant sup-

It is not necessary to

port of slavery, but I am quite in favour of ceasing to

use all slave-labour produce as soon as practicable.

Cuban sugar, so extensively used in England, is the
ams 5

we aa VA es

APPENDIX. 185

production of slave-labour, and not only does Eng-
land support slavery by its use, but the slave-trade
also. It is supposed that from 30,000 to 40,000
slaves are imported into Cuba annually who are en-
gaged in the cultivation of sugar thus used. May

shall be a!
God hasten the day when slavery shall be no more:

 
TESTIMONIALS. 187

It is my sincere hope that through the publication of your
**Underground Railroad,” and your other efforts, your labours
amongst us may be soon terminated by complete success, and
that as may then, after a safe return to America, long live to
sucsout the needy, instruct the ignorant, and advance the glorious

cause of human emancipation.

Believe me, my dear Sir,

TESTIMONIALS. Very truly yours,

GEORGE THOMPSON,

Rev. W. Mitchell.
Clayton Place, Kennington Road, London,
August 20, 1860.

My dear Sir,

[ read and re-read your small work with deep attention 34, Newington Crescent, 8.
and interest, and rejoice that in your forthcoming publication 19th August, 1860.
you are about to supply some authentic narratives of the perilous
adventures and, in most instances, great sufferings of those who My dear Sir, i . em es
are courageous enough to leave the house of bondage for the [ have read with great 0b ea me Tiere, bones or neh
home of freedom; while I think your book will be a valuable written, and are about to publish vd ne ok ang) ¢ wba Iti
addition to our Anti-Slavery literature, I am desirous that it English sympathy on behalf of the Fugitive Slaves of America,

Ss ; ; f , 4 } observat ions an |
furn | I L li te 7 7) . 3 [ . | I SI ts 0 Vou! ( wh {
. ° = or ‘ ne , . IS ! Cal lg /O the i lends ot the lhe book contains the ¢ li

experience, and is eminently calculated to accomplish the object
, .

Slave. I earnestly wish it may excite such an active and liberal , 7
I hope, therefore, that your enterprise wi

sympathy as may lead to the speedy contribution of the sum you have in view.

ich i ‘ecelve » 8 t+ of all our Anti-slavery friends, and of no
which is needed to enable you to accomplish the object of your receive the support ot ill

. - hlie
. . . . . . q ‘ . 1 ve eral uD l¢ n sy
mM1Ss10n, and then to return to that field of ministerial and bene- small portion of the gen |

i > ay my tribute to the
volent labour which you have left behind you. In conclusion, I must be allowed to pay I .

t st Stness ¢ 5 ‘CesS 7 . é urs in this country on behalf
i can with confidence recommend you to the Aboli ionis NS} of earnest es} and ’ uc Cess of Rie | ube u .

2) i it = vO P “eSSe é d suffering race,

(rreat Britain, having made myself acquainted wi h you! creden- oO] youl Oppres d in =

tials, knowing, also, that you are the authorized agent of the Very truly yours,

F. W. CHESSON,

Free Mission Society, and that you possess the esteem and good

opinion of those whom you represent in Canada. The work in

‘ © ° 1 : P
é ° : ‘ Can ancipation Committee.
which you are engaged is a most important one, both in connec- Hon. Sec, London Emancipa 4

+

tion with the welfare of those who are fortunate en ugh to , oar
sae om ann os Rey. W. Mitchell.

escape from slavery into the British dominions, and the progress-

ive improvement and elevation, morally and religiously, of the

coloured community of Western Canada.

 
 

188 TESTIMONIALS.

From Wm. Howarp Day, Esq., M.A., of Chatham, Kent County,

Canada West.

4, America Square, Minories, London, E.C.,

August 20, 1860.

REV. WILLIAM M. MITCHELL.
Dear Brother,

[ am happy to add a word to the numerous endorsements
already given you, as to the necessity of the work in which you
are engaged in Canada, and as to the earnestness which, from
personal knowledge, I can testify you exercise in that work.

More or less, since 1843, I have been in Canada among the
fugitive slaves, teaching and labouring otherwise for their
benefit. I have even travelled for three hundred miles on foot
from house to house, to visit these people in their homes. For
the last five years I have been a permanent resident among them,
and think, therefore, I know the people and their instructors.
And to you, who know me, I think I ean say, without being
liable to the charge of attempting to flatter you, that among the
ministers in Canada, in direct contact with the coloured people, I
know of none who are preaching with more effect, and labouring
otherwise with more earnest desire to do good, than you.

Meeting you here, providentially, I have been pleased to
attend upon your meetings lately held, and in my humble way
otherwise to evince my earnest desire that you succeed in your
excellent object, viz.: to™Mear a chapel in the city of Toronto,
for the benefit of the coloured people, for the worship of the
Living God.

As a labourer in Canada, I may be permitted to say I do
earnestly hope that you may be soon enabled to return to your
interesting field of labour, laden with the practical sympathy of
this great country for the fugitive slave. The fewness of the
labourers renders this the more necessary, and your position in
the city of Toronto renders it more urgent still.

The book which you now bring forward as a means of enabling
you to accomplish your object, I have read and re-read with

great interest, not merely because it is full of thrilling facts, but

TESTIMONTALS. ISY9

heeause I have been personally acquainted with some of the
individuals named, and the facts detailed. I believe they are all

‘acts Yerhaps it is easier for me to believe
rh: ry pass for—tfacts rhaps it 1s easier
what they pass for—facts. Px |

-e, as before stated, been conversant
them so to be, because I have, as betore stated, been conversa

with those who have thus escaped by this ‘‘ Underground Rail

I ‘1s » of Americ: ondage
road.” But a look into the prison-house of American bondage,

i ‘ith its victims, will convince any that
and an acquaintance with its victims, will convince any
‘‘Truth is stranger than fiction.

i cause it teaches the A B C
This work ought to be circulated, because 1t teaches thi

: a was

; j F as } ener t The De ere 15
of Anti-slavery, as well as its higher mathematic 1

need to again arouse the sentiment of this country as against

chattelization, or human slavery ; and as the pioneers are pass-

ing away—the men who achieved West India freedom—and as

we become commercially more attached to the land of bondage,

= at
we need to indoctrinate anew the present generation. Thus

commerce will not entirely stultify our national conscience; thus

our supineness and indifference, induced mainly by the use ol

slave-labour cotton as opposed to cotton ol free labour, will

+4 py} alk ite 1a W “| ara st,
heart again speak its true word agains
pass away, and the British heart again speak

the enslavement of man. nae

ar sir. is another evidence of what a@ man
This work by you, dear sir, is another evide 3 aad

ike yourself, has hé o acquire education

can accomplish who, like yourself, has had t a

se Nel Ai ill
even in the face of almost ‘nsurmountable difficulties. The

4 > ataAra » 4 ) ’ “ace .
encouragement of this work will therefor: be an encouragement

ab ainst treme s odds, and thereby
to all such as are struggling against tremendous odds, 1

a grand help to our grander cause.
In the best of bonds,

I remain,
Very truly for freedom,

WILLIAM HOWARD DAY.

It affords me much gratification to join with those esteemed
friends who have already testified to Mr. Mitchell's claims being

worthy of the sympathy and support of all Christian people.

j » is engaged is: st important one—the
The cause in which he is engaged 1s a most 1m]

service he is endeavouring to render to the fugitive slave popu-

g lost sig + and his credentials are
lation, one which has been long lost sight of ; and his

 
TESTIMONTALS.

such as must satisfy every one of his fitness for his work, JI
the pleasure of hearing Mr. Mitchell address a large assembly the
other evening, and can testify to his being a maw of no or

ability,

had
linary

ALEXANDER M. POLLOOK, A.M.,
Chaplain to his Excellency the Lord-Lieute
Dublin, 9th April, 1859.

nant.

[ can fully express my hope that the Christian friends in Dublin
will cheerfully accord to Mr. Mitchell such proofs of their good-
will as to enable him and his coloured brethren to hold on their
way cheerfully in the good work of our common Lord.

W. URWICK, D.D.
Dublin, Ireland.

I have pleasure in adding my testimony to that of my highly-

esteemed friend, Dr. Urwick: I have looked at Mr. Mitchell’s

credentials, which are many and strong; and having stopped
myself some time at Toronto, I can well assert that the object he
is endeavouring to carry out is one that deserves our Christian
sympathy.

CHARLES M, FLEURY, D.D.,

Chaplain to his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant,
Dublin, Ireland,

[ have much pleasure in recommending Mr. Mitchell]
cause to the Christian public

and his
» 48 one deserving their sympathy.
The Hon. and Rev. BAPTIST W. NOEL.

London.

(
TESTIMONIALS. L911

Mr. Mircue.t and his cause, with his mies —
worthy companion, Rev. W. Troy, have been recommen stn ss
sympathies of British Christians by the New annanepag age
Abolition of Slavery, Glasgow ; and their mecopticn by ‘ 1€ “ es
slavery Societies in Ireland, Scotland, and England, fo . 2
they have lectured, has been most satisfactory to them and the

friends of humanity in this country.

 

Printed by Woodfall and Kinder, Angel Court, Skinner Street, London.

 
 
 
sy =a . Wa he ome

oma ee Se ee eee