| OCR Text |
Show 50 PORTRAITURE OF SLAVERV. oxen; even to those who are notified of the fact, and arc perhaps convinced of it, that they arc free!* The discovery of these captives, on their roacl to the dismal gulpht of (perhaps) interminable slavery to themselves, and their multiplying progeny; in this very accidental, unless providential manner, filled me with a mix. ture of astonishment, compassion and joy. 'Nith a view to commence immediate legal measures, for restoring them to their liberty, I took my pencil and noted down their narratives circumstantially. I had not quite finished, before the purchaser of the mulatto man came into the room. He seemed a little surprised to find me writing, but made no inquiries about it, and having obtained all the information that I wished I continuec~ noting it down, not\vith!:!tanding his being p~csent, unhl my memorandums were completed; when J lefthim in the room, withouthavinghadany conversation with him, ex~ept answering some questions, which he asked me relattve to the wounded slave. Without hesitation, I commenced a suit in the circuit court ofthe United States, for the District of Columbia, for the restitution or kno~n it ~oner, he wou~d have taken him on to --, ( lhe place of Ins res1dence,) even 1f he had been Mtisfied of his being free. One ~la'•.e-'.rradcr, to whom he had Ocen offered, was however so c~nSCI~nbous, that he refused to purchase bim, or the lad who was :~~~ ~~~~;~:~~rc mentioned) being confident that they were ille~ * I have ber-n a<~sured by a gentleman of the hiuhest respectability that a former represt>ntative to coogrPs9, from ;,.te of the souther~ stat~s, acknowledged to him, that he held a mulatto man as a slave, havmg purchased him in company with slaves who affirmed that he was free born, and had been kidnnpped fr~m one of the New~ Ene:lnnd states, who was well educated, and who, he had no doubt, was born as free a man as himself or my informant. Upon being asked, hmv he could ko:r then to retain l1im he replied U¥1t the ::t~~osd~~ ~~~rt of the couatry were such: that tbc1e ihiogs are t I Wl\8 inrormed that the mulatto man was probably destinell for the New-Orlean's market, not very far distant from the Gulph of PORTRAITURE OF SLAV..ERY. 51 their libe1ty. The first attempt to secure the persons of the cuptives, by a writ of habeas co1pus, was ineffectl,lal. I accompanied the deputy marshal myself, to the house in which I found them. The landlord declared that, " if lze had kno1v11 I was writing so long in the room where the Negroes tverc, he should have been very angry 1vith me; and that, if I had no other evidence qf their .freeclom, but their stories, we should not see them." He said, lie b~lieved" Negroes 1vcrc made to seroe the TYhites, and that • they had no more sense than horses."* He stated, that the person who saw me writing, suspected some difficulty, and had directed him to conceal the Negroes, and that he had done it. He told me, in a sneering manner, that ;r I wished to take tlzelpart of the Negrots, he could find me plenty of such busine.•s. He informed me, that he had b.cn in the way of k eeping Negroes for the Traders many years, and took better care qf them than they received in tile jail.t Notwithstanding tl1ewritof habeas corpus was returned Mexico, which probably embraces more personal slnvery, including its neighboring regions, Hum nny region of equal extent oo the globe. * Does 90t thia confession demonstrate the great propriety with which the word 8/avery might be substituted in lieu of the word vi", in Pope's a1lrnirab1e stanza 1 thus: Slavtry is 11 monster or so frightful mien, As to be hated, neecls but to be seen; Yet, seen too oft, ramiliar with her face, J( We first endure- llum pity-then embrace!' t On the ,ensuing day, having persevered in endeavors to secure the captives, the son of this landlord, (to whom I presume manadu, harnkuffi, iron man fillers, itopples, 1.\·c. are as familiar as steeltraps and snares to the hunter of the animals which yiel.d fur,) ex:~ preued his sympathy for U1e loss of the 1•urchasor of the mulatto man, (who still remained in his chains,) should he be set nt liberty. 1 asked him whether he considered it worse for th.c trader to lose a few hundred. dollars in money, Uum ror the rnulutto man to be transported to a &trange country, and be deprived of his liberty for life. To which he replied, nfler 11. short 11ause, t"at he ditlt1ollcno,n.o a.' there wcU much di_J[ere'IU.e! I assured him, that if he didt:wl, I WllS sorry ror him. 'l'h1s illustrates the invincible force of morbid edu· cation and of h3bit. L '1U- I ' I |
