[Illustration: [Signature of] Austin Steward]

TWENTY-TWO YEARS A SLAVE, ANDFORTY YEARS A FREEMAN;

EMBRACING ACORRESPONDENCE OF SEVERAL YEARS, WHILEPRESIDENT OF WILBERFORCE COLONY, LONDON, CANADA WEST, BYAUSTIN STEWARD. 

1856

FROM GOVERNOR CLARK. 

STATE OF NEW YORK, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Albany, May 10, 1856. 

MR. A. STEWARD, Canandaigua, Dear Sir:--I notice a paragraph in the "Ontario Times" of this date, making the announcement that you are preparing "a sketch of eventsoccurring under your own observation during an eventful life, " to beentitled, "Twenty Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman;" and that youdesign soon to make an effort to obtain subscribers for the book. 

Being desirous of rendering you what encouragement I may in the work, youare permitted to place my name on your list of subscribers. 

Respectfully Yours, MYRON H. CLARK. 

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ROCHESTER, SEPTEMBER, 1856

MR. WM. ALLING, Dear Sir:--The undersigned have heard with pleasure, that you are aboutissuing a Book made up from incidents in the life of Austin STEWARD. Wehave been the early acquaintances and associates of Mr. Steward, while abusiness man in Rochester in an early day, and take pleasure in bearingtestimony to his high personal, moral and Christian character. In a worldof vicissitude, Mr. Steward has received no ordinary share, and we hope, while his book may do the world good, it may prove a substantial benefitto him in his declining years. 

ASHLEY SAMPSON, THOMAS KEMPSHALL, FREDERICK STARR, CHAS. J. HILL, L. A. WARD, EDWIN SCRANTOM, JACOB GOULD. 

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RECOMMENDATORY. 

ROCHESTER, JULY 1, 1856. 

A. STEWARD, ESQ. , Dear Sir:--In reply to your letter upon the propriety of publishing yourlife, I answer, that there is not only no objection to it, but it will betimely, and is demanded by every consideration of humanity and justice. Every tongue which speaks for Freedom, which has once been held by theawful gag of Slavery, is trumpet-tongued--and he who pleads against thismonstrous oppression, if he can say, "here are the scars, " can do much. 

It is a great pleasure to me to run back to my boyhood, and stop at thatspot where I first met you. I recollect the story of your wrongs, and yourjoy in the supposition that all were now ended in your freedom; of yourthirst for knowledge, as you gathered up from the rudimental books--notthen very plenty--a few snatches of the elements of the language; ofplaying the school-master to you, in "setting copies" for your writing--book; of guiding your mind and pen. I remember your commencement inbusiness, and the outrage and indignity offered you in Rochester, by whitecompetitors on no other ground than that of color. [1] I saw your bittertears, and recollect assuring you--what afterwards proved true--thatjustice would overtake the offenders, and that you would live to seethese enemies bite the dust! I remember your unsullied character, and yourprosperity, and when your word or endorsement was equal to that of anyother citizen. I remember too, when yourself, and others of your kind, sunk all the gatherings of years of toil, in an unsuccessful attempt toestablish an asylum for your enslaved and oppressed brethren--and, not toenumerate, which I might do much farther, I remember when your "oldmaster, " finding you had been successful, while he himself had lost in thechanges on fortune's wheel--came here and set up a claim to yourself andyour property--a claim which might have held both, had not a higher powersuddenly summoned him to a tribunal, where both master and slave shall oneday answer each for himself!

But to the book. Let its plain, unvarnished tale be sent out, and thestory of Slavery and its abominations, again be told by one who has feltin his own person its scorpion lash, and the weight of its grinding heel. I think it will do good service, and could not have been sent forth at amore auspicious period. The downfall of the hateful system of Slavery iscertain. Though long delayed, justice is sure to come at length; and hemust be a slow thinker and a poor seer, who cannot discern in the elementsalready at work, the mighty forces which must eventually crush thisoppression. I know that you and I have felt discouraged at the long delay, years ago, --when we might have kept up our hopes by the fact that everything that is slow is _sure_. Your book may be humble and yourdescriptions tame, yet truth is always mighty; and you may furnish thesword for some modern Sampson, who shall shout over more slain than hisancient prototype. I close with the wish, that much success may attendyour labors, in more ways than one, and that your last days may be yourbest--and am, Your old Friend, And obed't serv't, EDWIN SCRANTOM. 

[Footnote 1: The indignity spoken of was this: Mr. Steward had establisheda grocery and provision store on Buffalo Street, in a part of AbnerWakelee's building, opposite the Eagle Hotel. He put up his sign, a veryplain and proper one, and at night, some competitors, whom he knew, aswell as he could know anything which he could not prove, smeared his signwith black paint, utterly destroying it! But the misguided men who stoopedto such an act--the victims of sensuality and excess--have years ago endedtheir journey, and passed to the bar of a higher adjudication. ]

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CONTENTS. 

I. SLAVE LIFE ON THE PLANTATION

II. AT THE GREAT HOUSE

III. HORSE-RACING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

IV. JOURNEY TO OUR NEW HOME IN NEW YORK

V. INCIDENTS AT SODUS

VI. REMOVAL FROM SODUS TO BATH

VII. DUELING

VIII. HORSE-RACING AND GENERAL TRAINING

IX. DEATH-BED AND BRIDAL SCENES

X. HIRED OUT TO A NEW MASTER

XI. THOUGHTS ON FREEDOM

XII. CAPTAIN HELM--DIVORCE--KIDNAPPING

XIII. LOCATE IN THE VILLAGE OF ROCHESTER

XIV. INCIDENTS IN ROCHESTER AND VICINITY

XV. SAD REVERSES CAPTAIN HELM

XVI. BRITISH EMANCIPATION OF SLAVERY

XVII. ORATION--TERMINATION OF SLAVERY IN THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS

XVIII. CONDITION OF FREE COLORED PEOPLE

XIX. PERSECUTION OF THE COLORED PEOPLE

XX. REMOVAL TO CANADA

XXI. ROUGHING IT IN THE WILDS OF CANADA

XXII. NARROW ESCAPE OF A SMUGGLER

XXIII. NARRATIVE OF TWO FUGITIVES FROM VIRGINIA

XXIV. PLEASANT RE-UNION OF OLD AND TRIED FRIENDS

XXV. PRIVATE LOSSES AND PRIVATE DIFFICULTIES

XXVI. INCIDENTS AND PECULIARITIES OF THE INDIANS

XXVII. OUR DIFFICULTIES WITH ISRAEL LEWIS

XXVIII. DESPERATION OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE

XXIX. A NARROW ESCAPE FROM MY ENEMIES

XXX. DEATH OF B. PAUL AND RETURN OF HIS BROTHER

XXXI. MY FAMILY RETURN TO ROCHESTER

XXXII. THE LAND AGENT AND THE SQUATTER

XXXIII. CHARACTER AND DEATH OF ISRAEL LEWIS

XXXIV. MY RETURN TO ROCHESTER

XXXV. BISHOP BROWN--DEATH OF MY DAUGHTER

XXXVI. CELEBRATION OF THE FIRST OF AUGUST

XXXVII. CONCLUSION

CORRESPONDENCE

PREFACE. 

The author does not think that any apology is necessary for this issue ofhis Life and History. He believes that American Slavery is now the greatquestion before the American People: that it is not merely a politicalquestion, coming up before the country as the grand element in the makingof a President, and then to be laid aside for four years; but that itsmoral bearings are of such a nature that the Patriot, the Philanthropist, and all good men agree that it is an evil of so much magnitude, thatlonger to permit it, is to wink at _sin_, and to incur the righteousjudgments of God. The late outrages and aggressions of the slave power topossess itself of new soil, and extend the influence of the hateful andGod-provoking "Institution, " is a practical commentary upon its benefitsand the moral qualities of those who seek to sustain and extend it. Theauthor is therefore the more willing--nay, anxious, to lay alongside ofsuch arguments the history of his own life and experiences _as a slave_, that those who read may know what are some of the characteristics ofthat highly favored institution, which is sought to be preserved andperpetuated. "Facts are stubborn things, "--and this is the reason whyall systems, religious, moral, or social, which are founded in injustice, and supported by fraud and robbery, suffer so much by faithful exposition. 

The author has endeavored to present a true statement of the practicalworkings of the system of Slavery, as he has seen and _felt it himself. _He has intended "nothing to extenuate, nor aught set down in malice;"indeed, so far from believing that he has misrepresented Slavery as aninstitution, he does not feel that he has the power to give anything likea true picture of it in all its deformity and wickedness; especially_that_ Slavery which is an institution among an enlightened and Christianpeople, who profess to believe that all men are born _free_ and _equal_, and who have certain inalienable _rights_, among which are _life, liberty_, and the pursuit of happiness. 

The author claims that he has endeavored since he had his freedom, as muchas in him lay, to benefit his suffering fellows in bondage; and that hehas spent most of his free life in efforts to elevate them in manners andmorals, though against all the opposing forces of prejudice and pride, which of course, has made much of his labor vain. In his old age he sendsout this history--presenting as it were his _own body_, with the marks andscars of the tender mercies of slave drivers upon it, and asking thatthese may plead in the name of Justice, Humanity, and Mercy, that thosewho have the power, may have the magnanimity to strike off the chains fromthe enslaved, and bid him stand up, a Freeman and a Brother!

CHAPTER I. 

SLAVE LIFE ON THE PLANTATION. 

I was born in Prince William County, Virginia. At seven years of age, Ifound myself a slave on the plantation of Capt. William Helm. Our familyconsisted of my father and mother--whose names were Robert and SusanSteward--a sister, Mary, and myself. As was the usual custom, we lived ina small cabin, built of rough boards, with a floor of earth, and smallopenings in the sides of the cabin were substituted for windows. Thechimney was built of sticks and mud; the door, of rough boards; and thewhole was put together in the rudest possible manner. As to the furnitureof this rude dwelling, it was procured by the slaves themselves, who wereoccasionally permitted to earn a little money after their day's toil wasdone. I never knew Capt. H. To furnish his slaves with household utensilsof any description. 

The amount of provision given out on the plantation per week, wasinvariably one peck of corn or meal for each slave. This allowance wasgiven in meal when it could be obtained; when it could not, they receivedcorn, which they pounded in mortars after they returned from their laborin the field. The slaves on our plantation were provided with very littlemeat In addition to the peck of corn or meal, they were allowed a littlesalt and a few herrings. If they wished for more, they were obliged toearn it by over-work. They were permitted to cultivate small gardens, andwere thereby enabled to provide themselves with many triflingconveniences. But these gardens were only allowed to some of the moreindustrious. Capt. Helm allowed his slaves a small quantity of meat duringharvest time, but when the harvest was over they were obliged to fall backon the old allowance. 

It was usual for men and women to work side by side on our plantation; andin many kinds of work, the women were compelled to do as much as the men. Capt. H. Employed an overseer, whose business it was to look after eachslave in the field, and see that he performed his task. The overseeralways went around with a whip, about nine feet long, made of the toughestkind of cowhide, the but-end of which was loaded with lead, and was aboutfour or five inches in circumference, running to a point at the oppositeextremity. This made a dreadful instrument of torture, and, when in thehands of a cruel overseer, it was truly fearful. With it, the skin of anox or a horse could be cut through. Hence, it was no uncommon thing to seethe poor slaves with their backs mangled in a most horrible manner. Ouroverseer, thus armed with his cowhide, and with a large bull-dog behindhim, followed the slaves all day; and, if one of them fell in the rearfrom any cause, this cruel weapon was plied with terrible force. He wouldstrike the dog one blow and the slave another, in order to keep the formerfrom tearing the delinquent slave in pieces, --such was the ferocity of hiscanine attendant. 

It was the rule for the slaves to rise and be ready for their task bysun-rise, on the blowing of a horn or conch-shell; and woe be to theunfortunate, who was not in the field at the time appointed, which was inthirty minutes from the first sounding of the horn. I have heard the poorcreatures beg as for their lives, of the inhuman overseer, to desist fromhis cruel punishment. Hence, they were usually found in the field"betimes in the morning, " (to use an old Virginia phrase), where theyworked until nine o'clock. They were then allowed thirty minutes to eattheir morning meal, which consisted of a little bread. At a givensignal, all hands were compelled to return to their work. They toileduntil noon, when they were permitted to take their breakfast, whichcorresponds to our dinner. 

On our plantation, it was the usual practice to have one of the old slavesset apart to do the cooking. All the field hands were required to giveinto the hands of the cook a certain portion of their weekly allowance, either in dough or meal, which was prepared in the following manner. Thecook made a hot fire and rolled up each person's portion in some cabbageleaves, when they could be obtained, and placed it in a hole in the ashes, carefully covered with the same, where it remained until done. Bread bakedin this way is very sweet and good. But cabbage leaves could not always beobtained. When this was the case, the bread was little better than amixture of dough and ashes, which was not very palatable. The time allowedfor breakfast, was one hour. At the signal, all hands were obliged toresume their toil. The overseer was always on hand to attend to alldelinquents, who never failed to feel the blows of his heavy whip. 

The usual mode of punishing the poor slaves was, to make them take offtheir clothes to the bare back, and then tie their hands before them witha rope, pass the end of the rope over a beam, and draw them up till theystood on the tips of their toes. Sometimes they tied their legs togetherand placed a rail between. Thus prepared, the overseer proceeded to punishthe poor, helpless victim. Thirty-nine was the number of lashes ordinarilyinflicted for the most trifling offence. 

Who can imagine a position more painful? Oh, who, with feelings of commonhumanity, could look quietly on such torture? Who could remain unmoved, to see a fellow-creature thus tied, unable to move or to raise a hand inhis own defence; scourged on his bare back, with a cowhide, until theblood flows in streams from his quivering flesh? And for what? Often forthe most trifling fault; and, as sometimes occurs, because a mere whim orcaprice of his brutal overseer demands it. Pale with passion, his eyesflashing and his stalwart frame trembling with rage, like some volcano, just ready to belch forth its fiery contents, and, in all its might andfury, spread death and destruction all around, he continues to wield thebloody lash on the broken flesh of the poor, pleading slave, until hisarm grows weary, or he sinks down, utterly exhausted, on the very spotwhere already stand the pools of blood which his cruelty has drawn fromthee mangled body of his helpless victim, and within the hearing of thoseagonized groans and feeble cries of "Oh do, Massa! Oh do, Massa! Do, Lord, have mercy! Oh, Lord, have mercy!" &c. 

Nor is this cruel punishment inflicted on the bare backs of the maleportion of slaves only. Oh no! The slave husband must submit without amurmur, to see the form of his cherished, but wretched wife, not onlyexposed to the rude gaze of a beastly tyrant, but he must unresistinglysee the heavy cowhide descend upon her shrinking flesh, and her manacledlimbs writhe in inexpressible torture, while her piteous cries for helpring through his ears unanswered. The wild throbbing of his heart must besuppressed, and his righteous indignation find no voice, in the presenceof the human monster who holds dominion over him. 

After the infuriated and heartless overseer had satiated his thirst forvengeance, on the disobedient or delinquent slave, he was untied, and leftto crawl away as best he could; sometimes on his hands and knees, to hislonely and dilapidated cabin, where, stretched upon the cold earth, he layweak and bleeding and often faint from the loss of blood, without afriend who dare administer to his necessities, and groaning in the agonyof his crushed spirit. In his cabin, which was not as good as many of ourstables at the North, he might lie for weeks before recovering sufficientstrength to resume the labor imposed upon him, and all this time withouta bed or bed clothing, or any of the necessaries considered so essentialto the sick. 

Perhaps some of his fellow-slaves might come and bathe his wounds in warmwater, to prevent his clothing from tearing open his flesh anew, and thusmake the second suffering well nigh equal to the first; or they mightfrom their scanty store bring him such food as they could spare, to keephim from suffering hunger, and offer their sympathy, and then drag theirown weary bodies to their place of rest, after their daily task wasfinished. 

Oh, you who have hearts to feel; you who have kind friends around you, insickness and in sorrow, think of the sufferings of the helpless, destitute, and down-trodden slave. Has sickness laid its withering handupon you, or disappointment blasted your fairest earthly prospects, still, the outgushings of an affectionate heart are not denied you, and you maylook forward with hope to a bright future. Such a hope seldom animates theheart of the poor slave. He toils on, in his unrequited labor, lookingonly to the grave to find a quiet resting place, where he will be freefrom the oppressor. 

CHAPTER II. 

AT THE GREAT HOUSE. 

When eight years of age, I was taken to the "great house, " or the familymansion of my master, to serve as an errand boy, where I had to stand inthe presence of my master's family all the day, and a part of the night, ready to do any thing which they commanded me to perform. 

My master's family consisted of himself and wife, and seven children. Hisoverseer, whose name was Barsly Taylor, had also a wife and five children. These constituted the white population on the plantation. Capt. Helm wasthe owner of about one hundred slaves, which made the residents on theplantation number about one hundred and sixteen persons in all. Onehundred and seven of them, were required to labor for the benefit of theremaining nine, who possessed that vast domain; and one hundred of thenumber doomed to unrequited toil, under the lash of a cruel task-masterduring life, with no hope of release this side of the grave, and as faras the cruel oppressor is concerned, shut out from hope beyond it. 

And here let me ask, why is this practice of working slaves half clad, poorly fed, with nothing or nearly so, to stimulate them to exertion, butfear of the lash? Do the best interests of our common country require it?I think not. Did the true interest of Capt. Helm demand it? Whatever mayhave been his opinion, I cannot think it did. Can it be for the bestinterest or good of the enslaved? Certainly not; for there is no realinducement for the slaveholder to make beasts of burden of his fellow men, but that which was frankly acknowledged by Gibbs and other pirates: "wehave the power, "--the power to rob and murder on the high seas!--whichthey will undoubtedly continue to hold, until overtaken by justice; whichwill certainly come some time, just as sure as that a righteous God reignsover the earth or rules in heaven. 

Some have attempted to apologize for the enslaving of the Negro, by sayingthat they are inferior to the Anglo-Saxon race in every respect. Thischarge I deny; it is utterly false. Does not the Bible inform us that"God hath created of one blood all the nations of the earth?" Andcertainly in stature and physical force the colored man is quite equal tohis white brother, and in many instances his superior; but were itotherwise, I can not see why the more favored class should enslave theother. True, God has given to the African a darker complexion than to hiswhite brother; still, each have the same desires and aspirations. Thefood required for the sustenance of one is equally necessary for theother. Naturally or physically, they alike require to be warmed by thecheerful fire, when chilled by our northern winter's breath; and alikethey welcome the cool spring and the delightful shade of summer. Hence, I have come to the conclusion that God created all men free and equal, andplaced them upon this earth to do good and benefit each other, and thatwar and slavery should be banished from the face of the earth. 

My dear reader will not understand me to say, that all nations are alikeintelligent, enterprising and industrious, for we all know that it is farotherwise; but to man, and not to our Creator, should the fault becharged. But, to resume our narrative, Capt. Helm was not a very hard master; but generally was kind andpleasant. Indulgent when in good humor, but like many of the southerners, terrible when in a passion. He was a great sportsman, and very fond ofcompany. He generally kept one or two race horses, and a pack of houndsfor fox-hunting, which at that time, was a very common and fashionablediversion in that section of country. He was not only a sportsman, but a gamester, and was in the habit of playing cards, and sometimesbetting very high and losing accordingly. 

I well remember an instance of the kind: it was when he played cards witha Mr. W. Graham, who won from him in one sweep, two thousand and sevenhundred dollars in all, in the form of a valuable horse, prized at sixteenhundred dollars, another saddle-horse of less value, one slave, and hiswife's gold watch. The company decided that all this was fairly won, butCapt. Holm demurred, and refused to give up the property until anapplication was made to Gen. George Washington, ("the father of hiscountry, ") who decided that Capt. Helm had lost the game, and that Mr. Graham had fairly won the property, of which Mr. G. Took immediatepossession, and conveyed to his own plantation. 

Capt. Helm was not a good business man, unless we call horse-racing, fox-hunting, and card-playing, business. His overseer was entrusted withevery thing on the plantation, and allowed to manage about as he pleased, while the Captain enjoyed himself in receiving calls from his wealthyneighbors, and in drinking what he called "grog, " which was no more norless than whisky, of which he was extremely fond, notwithstanding hiscellar contained the choicest wines and liquors. To show his partialityfor his favorite beverage, I will relate an incident which occurredbetween Capt. Helm and Col. Charles Williamson. The Colonel, believingwine to be a healthier beverage than whisky, accepted a bet made by Capt. Helm, of one thousand dollars, that he would live longer and drinkwhisky, than the Colonel, who drank wine. Shortly after, Col. Williamsonwas called home by the British government, and while on his way toEngland, died, and his body, preserved in a cask of brandy, was takenhome. The bet Capt. Helm made considerable effort to get, but wasunsuccessful. 

Mrs. Helm was a very industrious woman, and generally busy in herhousehold affairs--sewing, knitting, and looking after the servants; butshe was a great scold, --continually finding fault with some of theservants, and frequently punishing the young slaves herself, by strikingthem over the head with a heavy iron key, until the blood ran; or elsewhipping them with a cowhide, which she always kept by her side whensitting in her room. The older servants she would cause to be punishedby having them severely whipped by a man, which she never failed to do forevery trifling fault. I have felt the weight of some of her heaviest keyson my own head, and for the slightest offences. No slave could possiblyescape being punished--I care not how attentive they might be, nor howindustrious--punished they must be, and punished they certainly were. Mrs. Helm appeared to be uneasy unless some of the servants were under thelash. She came into the kitchen one morning and my mother, who was cook, had just put on the dinner. Mrs. Helm took out her white cambrichandkerchief, and rubbed it on the inside of the pot, and it crocked it!That was enough to invoke the wrath of my master, who came forthimmediately with his horse-whip, with which he whipped my poor mothermost unmercifully--far more severely than I ever knew him to whip a horse. 

I once had the misfortune to break the lock of master's shot gun, and whenit came to his knowledge, he came to me in a towering passion, and chargedme with what he considered the _crime_ of carelessness. I denied it, andtold him I knew nothing about it; but I was so terribly frightened that hesaw I was guilty, and told me so, foaming with rage; and then I confessedthe truth. But oh, there was no escaping the lash. Its recollectionis still bitter, and ever will be. I was commanded to take off my clothes, which I did, and then master put me on the back of another slave, myarms hanging down before him and my hands clasped in his, where he wasobliged to hold me with a vise-like grasp. Then master gave me the mostsevere flogging that I ever received, and I pray God that I may neveragain experience such torture. And yet Capt. Helm was not the worst ofmasters. 

These cruelties are daily occurrences, and so degrading is the wholepractice of Slavery, that it not only crushes and brutalizes the wretchedslave, but it hardens the heart, benumbs all the fine feelings ofhumanity, and deteriorates from the character of the slaveholdersthemselves, --whether man or woman. Otherwise, how could a gentle, and inother respects, amiable woman, look on such scenes of cruelty, withouta shudder of utter abhorrence? But slaveholding ladies, can not only lookon quietly, but with approbation; and what is worse, though very common, they can and do use the lash and cowhide themselves, on the backs of theirslaves, and that too on those of their own sex! Far rather would I spendmy life in a State's Prison, than be the slave of the best slaveholderon the earth!

When I was not employed as an errand-boy, it was my duty to stand behindmy master's chair, which was sometimes the whole day, never being allowedto sit in his presence. Indeed, no slave is ever allowed to sit down inthe presence of their master or mistress. If a slave is addressed whensitting, he is required to spring to his feet, and instantly remove hishat, if he has one, and answer in the most humble manner, or lay thefoundation for a flogging, which will not be long delayed. 

I slept in the same room with my master and mistress. This room waselegantly furnished with damask curtains, mahogany bedstead of themost expensive kind, and every thing else about it was of the most costlykind. And while Mr. And Mrs. Helm reposed on their bed of down, with acloud of lace floating over them, like some Eastern Prince, with theirslaves to fan them while they slept, and to tremble when they awoke, Ialways slept upon the floor, without a pillow or even a blanket, but, likea dog, lay down anywhere I could find a place. 

Slaves are never allowed to leave the plantation to which they belong, without a written pass. Should any one venture to disobey this law, hewill most likely be caught by the _patrol_ and given thirty-nine lashes. This patrol is always on duty every Sunday, going to each plantation undertheir supervision, entering every slave cabin, and examining closely theconduct of the slaves; and if they find one slave from another plantationwithout a pass, he is immediately punished with a severe flogging. 

I recollect going one Sunday with my mother, to visit my grand-mother; andwhile there, two or three of the patrol came and looked into the cabin, and seeing my mother, demanded her pass. She told them that she had one, but had left it in another cabin, from whence she soon brought it, whichsaved her a whipping but we were terribly frightened. 

The reader will obtain a better knowledge of the character of a Virginiapatrol, by the relation of an affair, which came off on the neighboringplantation of Col. Alexander, in which some forty of Capt. Helm's slaveswere engaged, and which proved rather destructive of human life in theend. 

But I must first say that it is not true, that slave owners are respectedfor kindness to their slaves. The more tyrannical a master is, the morewill he be favorably regarded by his neighboring planters; and from theday that he acquires the reputation of a kind and indulgent master, he islooked upon with suspicion, and sometimes hatred, and his slaves arewatched more closely than before. 

Col. Alexander was a very wealthy planter and owned a great number ofslaves, but he was very justly suspected of being a kind, humane, andindulgent master. His slaves were always better fed, better clad, and hadgreater privileges than any I knew in the Old Dominion; and of course, thepatrol had long had an eye on them, anxious to flog some of "thosepampered niggers, who were spoiled by the indulgence of a weak, inefficient, but well-meaning owner. "

Col. A. Gave his slaves the liberty to get up a grand dance. Invitationswere sent and accepted, to a large number of slaves on other plantations, and so, for miles around, all or many of the slaves were in highanticipation of joining in the great dance, which was to come off onEaster night. In the mean time, the patrol was closely watching theirmovements, and evinced rather a joyful expectancy of the many theyshould find there without a pass, and the flogging they would give themfor that, if not guilty of any other offence, and perhaps they might catchsome of the Colonel's slaves doing something for which they could betaught "to know their place, " by the application of the cowhide. 

The slaves on Col. A. 's plantation had to provide and prepare the supperfor the expected vast "turn out, " which was no light matter; and as slaveslike on such occasions to pattern as much as possible after their master'sfamily, the result was, to meet the emergency of the case, they _took_without saying, "by your leave, Sir, " some property belonging to theirmaster, reasoning among themselves, as slaves often do, that it can not be_stealing_, because "it belongs to massa, and so do _we_, and we only useone part of his property to benefit another. Sure, 'tis all massa's. "And if they do not get detected in this removal of "massa's property" fromone location to another, they think no more of it. 

Col. Alexander's slaves were hurrying on with their great preparations forthe dance and feast; and as the time drew near, the old and knowing onesmight be seen in groups, discussing the matter, with many a wink and nod;but it was in the valleys and by-places where the younger portion were tobe found, rather secretly preparing food for the great time coming. This consisted of hogs, sheep, calves; and as to master's _poultry_, thatsuffered daily. Sometimes it was missed, but the disappearance was alwayseasily accounted for, by informing "massa" that a great number of hawkshad been around of late; and their preparation went on, night after night, undetected. They who repaired to a swamp or other by-place to cook bynight, carefully destroyed everything likely to detect them, before theyreturned to their cabins in the morning. 

The night for the dance _came_ at last, and long before the time, the roadleading to Col. Alexander's plantation presented a gay spectacle. Thefemales were seen flocking to the place of resort, with heads adorned withgaudy bandanna turbans and new calico dresses, of the gayest colors, --their whole attire decked over with bits of gauze ribbon and otherfantastic finery. The shades of night soon closed over the plantation, andthen could be heard the rude music and loud laugh of the unpolished slave. It was about ten o'clock when the _aristocratic slaves_ began to assemble, dressed in the cast-off finery of their master and mistress, swelling outand putting on airs in imitation of those they were forced to obey fromday to day. 

When they were all assembled, the dance commenced; the old fiddler struckup some favorite tune, and over the floor they went; the flying feet ofthe dancers were heard, pat, pat, over the apartment till the clockwarned them it was twelve at midnight, or what some call "low twelve, " todistinguish it from twelve o'clock at noon; then the violin ceased itsdiscordant sounds, and the merry dancers paused to take breath. 

Supper was then announced, and all began to prepare for the sumptuousfeast. It being the pride of slaves to imitate the manners of their masterand mistress, especially in the ceremonies of the table, all was conductedwith great propriety and good order. The food was well cooked, and in avery plentiful supply. They had also managed in some way, to get a goodquantity of excellent wine, which was sipped in the most approved andmodern style. Every dusky face was lighted up, and every eye sparkled withjoy. However ill fed they might have been, here, for once, there wasplenty. Suffering and toil was forgotten, and they all seemed with oneaccord to give themselves up to the intoxication of pleasurable amusement. 

House servants were of course, "the stars" of the party; all eyes wereturned to them to see how they conducted, for they, among slaves, are whata military man would call "fugle-men. " The field hands, and such of themas have generally been excluded from the dwelling of their owners, look tothe house servant as a pattern of politeness and gentility. And indeed, itis often the only method of obtaining any knowledge of the manners of whatis called "genteel society;" hence, they are ever regarded as a privilegedclass; and are sometimes greatly envied, while others are bitterly hated. And too often justly, for many of them are the most despicabletale-bearers and mischief-makers, who will, for the sake of the favor ofhis master or mistress, frequently betray his fellow-slave, and bytattling, get him severely whipped; and for these acts of perfidy, andsometimes downright falsehood, he is often rewarded by his master, whoknows it is for his interest to keep such ones about him; though he issometimes obliged, in addition to a reward, to send him away, for fearof the vengeance of the betrayed slaves. In the family of his master, the example of bribery and treachery is ever set before him, hence it is, that insurrections and stampedes are so generally detected. Such slavesare always treated with more affability than others, for the slaveholderis well aware that he stands over a volcano, that may at any moment rockhis foundation to the center, and with one mighty burst of its longsuppressed fire, sweep him and his family to destruction. When he liesdown at night, he knows not but that ere another morning shall dawn, hemay be left mangled and bleeding, and at the mercy of those maddenedslaves whom he has so long ruled with a rod of iron. 

But the supper, like other events, came to an end at last. The expensivetable service, with other things, which had been secretly brought from the"great house, " was hurriedly cleansed by the slaves, and carefullyreturned. The floor was again cleared, the violin sounded, and soon theywere performing another "break down, " with all the wild abandon of theAfrican character, --in the very midst of which, the music suddenly ceased, and the old musician assumed a listening attitude. Every foot wasmotionless; every face terrified, and every ear listening for the cause ofthe alarm. 

Soon the slave who was kept on the "look-out, " shouted to the listenersthe single word "_patrol!_" and then the tumult that followed thatannouncement, is beyond the power of language to describe! Many a poorslave who had stolen from his cabin, to join in the dance, now rememberedthat they had no pass! Many screamed in affright, as if they already feltthe lash and heard the crack of the overseer's whip; others clenched theirhands, and assumed an attitude of bold defiance, while a savage frowncontracted the brow of all. Their unrestrained merriment and deliciousfare, seemed to arouse in them the natural feelings of self-defence anddefiance of their oppressors. But what could be done? The patrol wasnearing the building, when an athletic, powerful slave, who had been but ashort time from his "fatherland, " whose spirit the cowardly overseer hadlabored in vain to quell, said in a calm, clear voice, that we had betterstand our ground, and advised the females to lose no time in uselesswailing, but get their things and repair immediately to a cabin at a shortdistance, and there remain quiet, without a light, which they did with allpossible haste. The men were terrified at this bold act of their leader;and many with dismay at the thought of resistance, began to skulk behindfences and old buildings, when he opened the door and requested everyslave to leave who felt unwilling to fight. None were urged to remain, andthose who stood by him did so voluntarily. 

Their number was now reduced to twenty-five men, but the leader, agigantic African, with a massive, compact frame, and an arm of greatstrength, looked competent to put ten common men to flight. He clenchedhis powerful fist, and declared that he would resist unto death, before hewould be arrested by those savage men, even if they promised not to floghim. They closed the door, and agreed not to open it; and then the leadercried, "Extinguish the lights and let them come! we will meet them hand tohand!" Five of the number he stationed near the door, with orders to rushout, if the patrol entered, and seize their horses, cut the bridles, orotherwise unfit them for use. This would prevent them from giving an alarmand getting a reinforcement from surrounding plantations. In silencethey awaited the approach of the enemy, and soon the tramping of horses'feet announced their approach, but when within a few yards of the housethey halted, and were overheard by one of the skulking slaves, maturingtheir plans and mode of attack. There was great hesitancy expressed by apart of the company to engage in the affair at all. 

 "Coming events cast their shadow before. "

The majority, however, seemed to think it safe enough, and utteredexpressions of triumph that they had got the rascals at last. 

"Are you not afraid that they will resist?" said the weaker party. 

"Resist?" was the astonished answer. "This old fellow, the Colonel, haspampered and indulged his slaves, it is true, and they have slippedthrough our fingers whenever we have attempted to chastise them; but theyare not such fools as to dare resistance! Those niggers know as well aswe, that it is _death_, by the law of the State, for a slave to strike awhite man. "

"Very true, " said the other, "but it is dark and long past midnight, andbeside they have been indulging their appetites, and we cannot tell whatthey may attempt to do. "

"Pshaw!" he answered, contemptuously, "they are unarmed, and I should notfear in the least, to go in among them _alone_, armed only with mycowhide!"

"As you please, then, " he said, rather dubiously, "but look well to yourweapons; are they in order?"

"In prime order, Sir. " And putting spurs to their horses, were soon at thehouse, where they dismounted and requested one of the party to remain withthe horses. 

"What, " said he, "are you so chicken-hearted as to suppose those d----dcowardly niggers are going to get up an insurrection?"

"Oh no, " he replied, carelessly, but would not consent to have the horsesleft alone. "Besides, " said he, "they may forget themselves at this latehour; but if they do, a few lashes of the cowhide will quicken theirmemory, I reckon. "

The slaves were aware of their movements, and prepared to receive them. 

They stepped up to the door boldly, and demanded admittance, but all wassilent; they tried to open it, but it was fastened. Those inside, rangedon each side of the door, and stood perfectly still. 

The patrol finding the slaves not disposed to obey, burst off the slightfastening that secured the door, and the chief of the patrol bounded intotheir midst, followed by several of his companions, all in total darkness!

Vain is the attempt to describe the tumultuous scene which followed. Handto hand they fought and struggled with each other, amid the terrificexplosion of firearms, --oaths and curses, mingled with the prayers ofthe wounded, and the groans of the dying! Two of the patrol were killedon the spot, and lay drenched in the warm blood that so lately flowedthrough their veins. Another with his arm broken and otherwise wounded, lay groaning and helpless, beside the fallen slaves, who had sold theirlives so dearly. Another of his fellows was found at a short distance, mortally wounded and about to bid adieu to life. In the yard lay thekeeper of the horses, a stiffened corpse. Six of the slaves were killedand two wounded. 

It would be impossible to convey to the minds of northern people, thealarm and perfect consternation that the above circumstance occasionedin that community. The knowledge of its occurrence was carried from oneplantation to another, as on the wings of the wind; exaggerated accountswere given, and prophecies of the probable result made, until theexcitement became truly fearful. Every cheek was blanched and every frametrembled when listening to the tale, that "insurrection among the slaveshad commenced on the plantation of Col. Alexander; that three or four ofthe patrol had been killed, &c. " The day after, people flocked from everyquarter, armed to the teeth, swearing vengeance on the defenceless slaves. Nothing can teach plainer than this, the constant and tormenting fear inwhich the slaveholder lives, and yet he repents not of his deeds. 

The kind old Colonel was placed in the most difficult and unenviableposition. His warm heart was filled with sorrow for the loss of hisslaves, but not alone, as is generally the case in such instances, becausehe had lost so much property. He truly regretted the death of his faithfulservants, and boldly rebuked the occasion of their sudden decease. Whenbeset and harassed by his neighbors to give up his slaves to be tried forinsurrection and murder, he boldly resisted, contending for the naturalright of the slaves, to act in their own defence, and especially when onhis own plantation and in their own quarters. They contended, however, that as his slaves had got up a dance, and had invited those of theadjoining plantations, the patrol was only discharging their duty inlooking after them; but the gallant old Colonel defended his slaves, andtold them plainly that he should continue to do so to the extent of hisability and means. 

The poor slaves were sad enough, on the morning after their merry meeting, and they might be seen standing in groups, conversing with a verydifferent air from the one they had worn the day before. 

Their business was now to prepare the bodies of their late associates forthe grave. Robert, the brave African, who had so boldly led them on thenight before, and who had so judiciously provided for their escape, wascalmly sleeping in death's cold embrace. He left a wife and five slavechildren. Two of the other slaves left families, whose pitiful cries itwas painful to hear. 

The Colonel's family, deeply afflicted by what was passing around them, attended the funeral. One of the slaves, who sometimes officiated as aminister, read a portion of Scripture, and gave out two hymns;--one ofwhich commences with

 "Hark! from the tomb a doleful sound. "

Both were sung with great solemnity by the congregation, and then the goodold man offered a prayer; after which he addressed the slaves on theshortness of human life and the certainty of death, and more than oncehinted at the hardness of their lot, assuring, however, his fellow-slaves, that if they were good and faithful, all would be right hereafter. Hismaster, Col. Alexander, was deeply affected by this simple faith andsincere regard for the best interests of all, both master and slave. 

When the last look at their fellow-servants had been taken, the processionwas formed in the following manner: First, the old slave minister, thenthe remains of the dead, followed by their weeping relatives; then camethe master and his family; next the slaves belonging to the plantation;and last, friends and strangers, black and white; all moved on solemnly tothe final resting-place of those brave men, whose descendants may yet beheard from, in defence of right and freedom. 

CHAPTER III. 

HORSE-RACING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 

Capt. Helm had a race-course on his plantation, on which he trained younghorses for the fall races. One very fine horse he owned, called _MarkAnthony_, which he trained in the most careful manner for several monthsprevious to the races. He would put him on the course every morning, sometimes covering him with a blanket, and then put him to his utmostspeed, which he called "sweating him. " Mark Anthony was to be put on therace-course in October following, as a competitor for the purse of tenthousand dollars, which was the amount to be lost or gained on the firstday of the fall races. Capt. H. Had also another young horse, called_Buffer_, under a course of training, which he designed to enter the listsfor the second day. His course of training had been about the same as MarkAnthony's, but being a year or two younger, it was thought that he had notsufficient "bottom" to risk so much money on, as was at stake on the firstday. 

[Illustration: "Away they go, sweeping round the course with lightningspeed, while every spectator's eye is strained, and every countenanceflushed with intense anxiety. "]

When the time for the races to commence came, all was bustle andexcitement in the house and on the plantation. It was a fine Octobermorning, and the sun shed a mellow radiance on all around, when peoplebegan to throng the race-course. Some came with magnificent equipages, attended by their numerous train of black servants, dressed in livery, --some in less splendid array, --and others on foot, all hurrying on to theexciting scene. There the noblest blood of Old Virginia, of which many arewont to boast, was fully represented, as was also the wealth and fashionof the country for many miles around. 

All were in high spirits, and none seemed to fear that they would be thelosers in the amount of money about to change hands. And for what, pray, is all this grand outlay--this vast expenditure? Merely the pleasure andgratification of witnessing the speed of a fine horse, and the vanity ofprejudging concerning it. 

The arrangements were at length completed, --the horses regularly entered, Mark Anthony among the rest, --and then the word "go!" was given, when eachhorse sprang as if for his life, each striving to take the lead. Away theygo, sweeping round the course with lightning speed, while everyspectator's eye is strained, and every countenance flushed with intenseanxiety. 

Some of the noble animals were distanced the first heat, and others weretaken away by their owners. 

The judges allowed twenty minutes to prepare the horses for the secondtrial of their speed--a trial which must enrich or empoverish many of thethousands present. Already there were sad countenances to be seen in thecrowd. 

The horses were again in readiness, and the word given, --away they flewwith the fleetness of the wind, to come in the second time. 

But who can describe the anxiety written on every face, as they preparedfor the third and last trial? I cannot. Many had already lost all they hadstaked, and others who had bet high began to fear for the result. Soon, however, all was again prepared and those foaming steeds, after havingexerted their animal power to the utmost, have accomplished their task andcome in for the last time. The purse was won, _but not by Mark Anthony_. Capt. Helm was more fortunate the second day. Buffer won the smallerpurse, but the Captain came from the races, a much poorer man than whenthey commenced. These repeated failures and heavy losses had the effect toarouse him to a sense of his pecuniary position, and he soon after beganto think and talk about going to some new country. 

He resolved at last to visit the far-off "Genesee Country, " which heshortly after put in practice, and after an absence of about three weekshe returned in good health, and delighted with the country; the more so, doubtless, because he said, "the more slaves a man possessed in thatcountry the more he would be respected, and the higher would be hisposition in society. "

Capt. Helm finally concluded to sell his plantation and stock, except theslaves, and remove to the Genesee Country, where he designed to locate hisfuture residence. 

The plantation and stock (retaining the slaves) were advertised for sale, and on a certain day named, all would be disposed of at a public sale, orto the highest bidder. 

When the day of sale arrived, there flocked from all parts of thesurrounding country the largest assemblage of people I ever saw in thatplace. A large number of wealthy and respectable planters were present, whose gentlemanly behavior should have been an example to others. 

The majority of that vast crowd, however, were a rough, quarrelsome, fighting set, just such as might be expected from slave-holding districts. There were several regularly fought battles during the first day of thesale. 

One Thomas Ford, a large, muscular, ferocious-looking fellow, a goodspecimen of a southern bully and woman-whipper, had been victoriousthrough the day in numerous fights and brawls; but he had to pay dear forit when night came. Some one or more of the vanquished party, tookadvantage of the dark night to stab him in both sides. The knife of theassassin had been thrust into his thigh, tearing the flesh upward, leavinga frightful and dangerous wound; but what is most singular, both sideswere wounded in nearly the same manner, and at the same time, for soquickly was the deed committed that the offenders made their escape, before an alarm could be raised for their detection; nor have I ever heardof any one being arrested for the crime. 

Ford's groans and cries were painful to hear, but his brother acted like amadman; rushing hither and thither, with a heavy bludgeon in his hand, with which he indiscriminately beat the fences and whatever came in hisway, crying "Oh my brother, my poor brother! Who has murdered my poorbrother?"

Physicians came to the aid of the wounded man who at first thought hemight recover, but in a climate like that of Virginia it was impossible. His friends did all they could to save him, but the poor wretch lingereda few days and died. Thus ended the life of a bad man and a hard master. 

And who will wonder, if his slaves rejoiced to hear of his death? If theymust be sold to pay his debts, they could not fall into the hands of amore heartless tyrant. Who then can blame those feeble women and helplesschildren, long held as chattels in his iron grasp, if they are gratefulthat the man-stealer is no more?

This Ford was a fair specimen of that class, known in more modern parlanceas a "Border Ruffian. " Such as are at this time endeavoring, by theirswaggering and bullying, to cast on the fair fields of Kansas the deepcurse of Slavery--a curse which, like the poison of the deadly Upas, blights all within its influence: the colored and the white man, the slaveand the master. We were thankful, however, that no more lives were lostduring the vendue, which was commenced with the stock; this occupied twodays. 

The reader will see that we had cause to be grateful, when he takes intoconsideration that drinking and fighting was the order of the day, anddrunkenness and carousing the order of the night. 

Then too, the practice of dueling was carried on in all its hideousbarbarity. If a gentleman thought himself insulted, he would immediatelychallenge the offender to mortal combat, and if he refused to do so, thenthe insulted gentleman felt bound by that barbarous code of honor, to takehis life, whenever or wherever he might meet him, though it might be in acrowded assembly, where the lives of innocent persons were endangered. 

A case of this kind happened in Kentucky, where the belligerent partiesmet in a large concourse of people, the majority of them women andchildren; but the combat ensued, regardless of consequences. One woman wasshot through the face, but that was not worthy of notice, for she wasonly a _colored woman_; and in that, as in other slave States, the lawsgive to the white population the liberty to trample under foot the claimsof all such persons to justice. Justly indignant ladies presentremonstrated, but all to no purpose. The Governor of the State was thereand was in danger of being wounded by their flying bullets, and it ispossible that if he had been in the place of the poor African, some actionwould have been taken, and laws made to protect the people against suchinhuman practices. But I must return to Capt. Helm and the vendue. 

The sale continued for several days, during which there was no such thingas rest or sleep or one quiet moment on the premises. As was customary inthat State, Capt. Helm provided the food and drink for all who came, andof course a great many came to drink and revel and not to buy; and thatclass generally took the night time for their hideous outbreaks, whenthe more respectable class had retired to their beds or to their homes. And many foul deeds and cruel outrages were committed; nor could theperpetrators be detected or brought to justice. Nothing could be donebut to submit quietly to their depredations. 

One peaceable old slave was killed by having his head split open with anax. He was found in the morning lying in the yard, with the bloodyinstrument of death by his side. This occasioned some excitementamong the slaves, but as the white people paid but little attention to it, it soon passed off, and the sorrowful slaves put the old man's remains ina rough box, and conveyed them to their last resting-place. 

After the sale was over, the slaves were allowed a holiday, withpermission to go and visit their friends and relatives previous to theirdeparture for their new home in a strange land. 

The slaves generally on Capt. Helm's plantation looked upon this removalas the greatest hardship they had ever met; the severest trial they hadever endured; and the separation from our old home and fellow-slaves, from our relatives and the old State of Virginia, was to us acontemplation of sorrowful interest. Those who remained, thought us themost unfortunate of human beings to be taken away off into the State ofNew York, and, as they believed, beyond the bounds of civilization, wherewe should in all probability be destroyed by wild beasts, devoured bycannibals, or scalped by the Indians. We never expected to meet again inthis life, hence our parting interviews were as solemn as though we werecommitting our friends to the grave. But He whose tender mercies are overall his creatures, knew best what was for our good. 

Little did Capt. Helm think when bringing his slaves to New York that in afew short years, they would be singing the song of deliverance fromSlavery's thralldom; and as little thought he of the great and painfulchange, to be brought about in his own circumstances. Could any one havelooked into futurity and traced the difficult path, my master was totread, --could any one have foreseen the end to which he must soon come, and related it to him in the days of his greatness and prosperity, hewould, I am certain, have turned from such a narrator of misfortune in agreater rage than did Namaan when the man of God told him "to go and dipseven times in the Jordan. "

He could not have believed, nor could I, that in a few years the powerful, wealthy slaveholder, living in luxury and extravagance, would be soreduced that the _necessaries_ of life even, were beyond his means, andthat he must be supported by the town!

But I anticipate. Let us return to the old plantation which seems dearerthan ever, now that we are about to leave it forever. 

We thought Capt. Helm's prospects pretty fair, and yet we shuddered whenwe realized our condition as slaves. This change in our circumstances wascalculated to awaken all our fears that had been slumbering, and bring allthe perilous changes to which we might be subjected most vividly to mind. 

We were about to leave the land of our birth, the home of our childhood, and we felt that untried scenes were before us. We were slaves, it istrue, but we had heart-felt emotions to suppress, when we thoughtof leaving all that was so familiar to us, and chose rather to "bear theills we had, than to fly to those we knew not of. " And oh, the terribleuncertainty of the future, that ever rests on the slave, even the mostfavored, was now felt with a crushing weight. To-day, they are in the oldfamiliar cabin surrounded by their family, relatives and friends;to-morrow, they may be scattered, parted forever. The master'scircumstances, not their own, may have assigned one to the dreadfulslave-pen, and another to the distant rice-swamp; and it is this continualdread of some perilous future that holds in check every joyous emotion, every lofty aspiration, of the most favored slave at the South. They knowthat their owners indulge in high living, and they are well aware alsothat their continual indulgences engender disease, which make them veryliable to sudden death; or their master may be killed in a duel, or at ahorse-race, or in a drunken brawl; then his creditors are active inlooking after the estate; and next, the blow of the auctioneer's hammerseparates them perhaps for life. 

Now, after the lapse of so many years, when my thoughts wander back, asthey often do, to my native State, I confess that painful recollectionsdrive from my mind those joyful emotions that should ever arise in theheart of man, when contemplating the familiar scenes of his youth, andespecially when recurring to the venerable shades and the sheltering roofunder which he was born. True, around the well-remembered spot where ourchildhood's years were spent, recollection still loves to linger; yetmemory, ever ready with its garnered store, paints in glowing colors, Virginia's crouching slaves in the foreground. Her loathsome slave-pensand slave markets--chains, whips and instruments of torture; and back ofall this is as truthfully recorded the certain doom, the retributivejustice, that will sooner or later overtake her; and with a despairingsigh I turn away from the imaginary view of my native State. 

What though she may have been justly styled, "The Mother of Presidents?"What avails the honor of being the birth-place of the brave and excellentWashington, while the prayers and groans of the down-trodden Africandaily ascend to heaven for redress? What though her soil be fertile, yielding a yearly product of wealth to its possessors? And what matter isit, that their lordly mansions are embowered in the shade of trees of acentury's growth, if, through their lofty and tangled branches, we espythe rough cabin of the mangled bondman, and know that the soil on which helabors has drunk his heart's blood?

Ah! to me, life's sweetest memories are all embittered. Slavery had castits dark and fearful shadow over my childhood, youth, and early manhood, and I went out from the land of my birth, a fettered slave. A land whichI can regard only as "the house of bondage and the grave of freedom. " ButGod forgive me for having envied my master his fair prospects at thistime. 

After the sale of the plantation, Capt. Helm was in possession of quite alarge sum of money, and having never paid much attention to his pecuniaryinterests, he acted as if there could be no end of it. He realized aboutforty thousand dollars from the sale of his estate in Virginia, whichwould have been a pretty sum in the hands of a man who had been accustomedto look after his own interests; but under the management of one who hadall his life lived and prospered on the unrequited toil of slaves, it wasof little account. He bought largely of every thing he thought necessaryfor himself or the comfort of his family, for which he always paid themost extravagant prices. The Captain was not as well qualified to takecare of himself and family as some of his slaves were; but he thoughtdifferently, and so the preparations for leaving the old plantation for ahome in the wilds of New York, went on under his direction, and at last webade a final adieu to our friends and all we held dear in the State ofVirginia. 

CHAPTER IV. 

JOURNEY TO OUR NEW HOME IN NEW YORK. 

All things having been prepared for our departure, our last "Good-bye"spoken, and our last look taken of the old plantation, we started, amidthe sobs and prolonged cries of separating families, in company with ourmaster, the overseer and another white man named Davis, who went with usto take back the five-horse "Pennsylvania team, " which was provided forthe conveyance of the food for the slaves, and what little baggage theymight have, and also that of the overseer. 

Capt. Helm had determined to leave his family until he could get hisslaves settled in their future quarters, and a home provided for himself, when they were expected to join him. 

We traveled northward, through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and a portion ofNew York, to Sodus Bay, where we halted for some time. We made abouttwenty miles per day, camping out every night, and reached that placeafter a march of twenty days. Every morning the overseer called the roll, when every slave must answer to his or her name, felling to the groundwith his cowhide, any delinquent who failed to speak out in quick time. 

After the roll had been called, and our scanty breakfast eaten, wemarched on again, our company presenting the appearance of some numerouscaravan crossing the desert of Sahara. When we pitched our tents for thenight, the slaves must immediately set about cooking not their supperonly, but their breakfast, so as to be ready to start early the nextmorning, when the tents were struck; and we proceeded on our journey inthis way to the end. 

At Sodus Bay there was then one small tavern, kept by a man named Sill. 

The bay is ten miles in length and from a half to two miles in breadth, and makes an excellent harbor. The surrounding country then was almost anunbroken wilderness. 

After Capt. Helm had rested a few days at Sodus, he went six miles up thebay and purchased a large tract of land lying on both sides of thatbeautiful sheet of water, and put his slaves on to clear and cultivateit. Then came the "tug of war. " Neither the overseer nor the slaves hadthe least knowledge of _clearing_ land, and that was the first thing to bedone. It was useless to consult the Captain, for he knew still less aboutmatters of that kind. To obviate this difficulty, our master bought out aMr. Cummings, who had some cleared land on the west side of the bay. Onthis he put the overseer and a part of the slaves, and then hired a Mr. Herrington to take charge of the remainder. Herrington and his gang ofslaves was sent to the east side to chop down the heavy timber and clearthe land for cultivation, all of which had first to be learned, for weknew nothing of felling trees, and the poor slaves had rather a hard timeof it. 

Provisions were scarce and could not be procured for cash in that section. There was no corn to be had, and we had but little left. We had noneighbors to assist us in this trying time, and we came near starvation. True, the wild, romantic region in which we were located abounded ingame, --elk, deer, bear, panther, and wolves, roamed abroad through thedense forest, in great abundance, but the business of the slaves was nothunting or fishing, but clearing the land, preparatory to raising cropsof grain the coming season. 

At last Capt. Helm chartered a boat, and manned it to go to the mouth ofthe Genesee River to buy corn. They embarked under favorable auspices, butsoon there came on such a tremendous storm, that the boat could no longerbe managed, and the crew in despair threw themselves on the bottom of theboat to await their inevitable destruction, when one of their number, acolored man named Dunbar, sprang to the helm, and with great difficultysucceeded in running her safely into a Canadian port, where they wereobliged to part with every thing in their possession to obtain the meansto return to their families in Sodus, who had given them up as lost. But, to the great joy of all, they came back at last with their lives, but withnothing for the famishing slaves. Before another boat could be sent forour relief, we were reduced to the last extremity. We became so weak wecould not work, and it was difficult to drag ourselves about, as we werenow obliged to do, to gather up all the old bones we could find, breakthem up fine and then boil them; which made a sort of broth sufficientbarely to sustain life. This we drank, and merely existed, until at last, the long looked for boat returned, loaded with provision, which saved usfrom starvation and gave us strength to pursue our labor. 

CHAPTER V. 

INCIDENTS AT SODUS BAY. 

About this time two slaves who were laboring in the forest, instead ofreturning to their cabin as was expected, got lost, and wandered eightdays in the dense forest without provision, except what they could procurefrom roots and the bark of trees. Great exertion was made to find them;guns were fired, horns blown, and shouts raised, but all to no purpose. Finally, we gave them up, supposing they had starved to death or had beenkilled by wild beasts. One of them was an elderly man, named BenjaminBristol, and the other, Edmund Watkins, a lad of about eighteen years ofage. They wandered in an easterly direction, a distance of some sixty orseventy miles, through an unbroken wilderness, vainly trying to find theirway home. On the eighth day, to their inexpressible joy, they came out onthe shore of Lake Ontario, near Oswego; but young Watkins was socompletely exhausted that he declared himself incapable of furtherexertion, and begged to be left to his fate. Bristol, however, who chewedtobacco, which it was supposed kept him from sinking so low as hiscompanion, took him on his back, and carried him home, which they reachedin a famished state and reduced to skeletons. All were thankful for thepreservation of their lives, and, with the best we could do for them, they soon recruited and became strong as ever. 

One day, two others and myself thought we saw some animal swimming acrossthe bay. We got a boat and went out to see what it was. After rowing forsome time we came near enough to perceive it was a large bear. Those whowatched us from the shore expected to see our boat upset, and all on boarddrowned, but it was not so to be; the, bear was struck on the nose with ablow that killed him instantly, and he was hauled ashore in great triumph. 

While these things were transpiring on the east side of the bay, theoverseer on the west side determined to punish one of the slaves whoworked on the east side. The name of the slave was Williams; a strong, athletic man, and generally a good workman, but he had unfortunatelyoffended the overseer, for which nothing could appease his wrath but theprivilege of flogging him. The slave, however, thought as he was no longerin Virginia, he would not submit to such chastisement, and the overseerwas obliged to content himself with threatening what he would do if hecaught him on the west side of the bay. 

A short time after, the overseer called at the cabin of one of the slaves, and was not a little surprised to find there the refractory slave, Williams, in company with three other men. He immediately walked up tohim and asked him some question, to which Williams made no reply. Attended, as he always was, by his ferocious bull-dog, he flourished hiscowhide in great wrath and demanded an instant reply, but he receivednone, whereupon he struck the slave a blow with the cowhide. InstantlyWilliams sprang and caught him by the throat and held him writhing in hisvise-like grasp, until he succeeded in getting possession of the cowhide, with which he gave the overseer such a flogging as slaves seldom get. Williams was seized at once by the dog who endeavored to defend his brutalmaster, but the other slaves came to the rescue, and threw the dog into ahuge fire which was near by, from which, after a singeing, he ran off, howling worse than his master when in the hands of Williams. He foamed andswore and still the blows descended; then he commanded the slaves toassist him, but as none obeyed, he commenced begging in the most humblemanner, and at last entreated them as "gentlemen" to spare him; but all tono purpose. When Williams thought he had thrashed him sufficiently, he lethim go and hurried to his boat and rowed down the bay, instead of crossingit. The overseer no sooner found himself at liberty than he ran out, calling to a servant girl to bring his rifle, which was loaded. The riflewas brought, but before he could get to the bay, Williams had gone beyondhis reach; but unfortunately another boat was at this moment crossing thebay, which he, mad with rage, fired into. The men in the boat immediatelycried out to him not to repeat the shot, but he was so angry that he sworehe would shoot somebody, and sent another bullet after them. No one washurt, however, but the brave overseer was vanquished. Crest-fallen andunrevenged, he shortly after called on Capt. Helm for a settlement, which was granted, and bidding a final adieu to the "Genesee Country, " hedeparted for Virginia, where he could beat slaves without himselfreceiving a cow-hiding. No one regretted his absence, nor do I thinkany but the most heartless would cordially welcome his return to the landof Slavery. 

[Illustration: "Instantly Williams sprang and caught him by the throat andheld him writhing in his vise-like grasp, until he succeeded in gettingpossession of the cow-hide, with which he gave the overseer such aflogging as slaves seldom get. "]

CHAPTER VI. 

REMOVAL FROM SODUS TO BATH. 

Capt. Helm went to Virginia for his family, and returning with them, concluded to locate his future residence in the village of Bath, SteubenCounty. He purchased a large tract of land near the village, a large gristmill, and two saw mills; also, two farms; one called the "Maringo, " eastof the village; and the other, called "Epsam, " north of it; and a finehouse and lot in the village. He also kept a distillery, which in thosedays was well patronized, for nearly every body drank whisky; and withCapt. Helm it was a favorite beverage. 

The slaves were removed to Bath, where our master was well suited, and waseverywhere noted for his hospitality. He had a great deal of land tocultivate, and carried on a multiplicity of business. 

Soon after we were settled at Bath, Capt. Helm's eldest daughter, Jenny, was married to Mr. John Fitzhugh, her cousin, who had come from Virginiato claim his bride. 

The wedding was a splendid affair. No pains were spared to make it moreimposing than any thing that had ever happened in that country. Neverbefore had the quiet village of Bath seen such splendor. All that wealth, power and ambition could do, was done to make the event one of greatbrilliancy. Europe contributed her full proportion; Turkey, the Indias, East and West, were heavily taxed to produce their finest fabrics to adornthe bride and bridal guests; and contribute delicacies to add elegance tothe festal scene. Two days previous to the wedding, the invited guestsbegan to arrive with their retinue of servants, and on the evening of themarriage the large mansion was thrown open, and there was the mostmagnificent assemblage I ever beheld. In the drawing-room, where theceremony took place, every thing was surpassingly elegant. Costlychandeliers shed their light on the rich tapestry, and beautiful dressesglittering with diamonds, and the large mirrors everywhere reflecting thegay concourse. While the servants were preparing supper it was announcedthat the hour had arrived for the ceremony to commence. The bridal pairtook their place in the center of the apartment. Pearls, diamonds, andjewelry glittered on the bride with such luster, that it was almostpainful to the eye to look upon her. 

The minister, after asking God to bless the assembled guests, and those hewas about to unite in the holy bonds of wedlock, proceeded in a verysolemn and impressive manner with the marriage service. The ceremonyconcluded, and good wishes having been expressed over the sparkling wine, the man of God took his leave, two hundred dollars richer than when hecame. The company were all very happy, or appeared so; mirth reignedsupreme, and every countenance wore a smile. They were seated at tablesloaded with luxuries of every description, and while partaking, a band ofmusic enlivened the scene. 

All business was suspended for several days, the wedding party making atour of ten days to Niagara Falls. After a while, however, affairs assumedtheir usual aspect, and business took its regular routine. 

The grist mill belonging to the Captain was the only one for many milesaround, and was a source of great profit to him; the saw mills also, wereturning out a large quantity of lumber, which was in good demand; and thedistillery kept up a _steaming_ business. It yielded, however, a handsomeincome to Capt. Helm, who was now, for the first time since I knew him, overseeing his affairs himself, dispensing altogether with the service ofa regularly installed overseer. 

The oldest son of our master had been absent from home for sometime, nordid he return to attend his sister's grand wedding. He had sought andobtained a commission in the United States service as a Lieutenant. This had been his own choice; he had preferred the service and hardshipsof a soldier, to a plantation well stocked with slaves, and the quietudeof domestic life. He had cheerfully given up his friends and prospects asa planter, and entered the service of his country. Frank Helm, the secondson, soon followed the example of his older brother, Lina. He obtained alike commission, but he did not, like his brother, get along quietly. Hisprospects as an officer were soon blighted, and all hope of beingserviceable to his country vanished forever. 

CHAPTER VII. 

DUELING. 

Lina Helm was an easy, good-natured, clever fellow; but his brother Frankwas his opposite in nearly every thing; proud, fractious and unyielding. As might be expected, Frank, soon after entering the army, got into an"affair of honor, " according to the duelist's code of laws. He was not, however, the principal in the difficulty. One of his friends and abrother officer, had a quarrel with a gentleman whom he challenged tomortal combat. Frank was the bearer of his friend's challenge, and onpresenting it, the gentleman refused to accept it, saying that thechallenger "was no gentleman. " Then, according to the rules of dueling, noalternative was left for Frank, but to take his brother officer's place, and fight. This he did and came from the bloody field disabled for life. In consequence of his lameness, he was under the necessity of resigninghis commission in the army, which he did, and came home a cripple, andnearly unfitted for any kind of business whatever. 

While on the subject of dueling, permit me to record some of the incidentsof another "affair of honor, " which occurred in the District of Columbia, between Gen. Mason and Mr. M'Carter, two antagonistic politicians. 

M'Carter offered his vote to the inspectors, and Mason challenged it. M'Carter offered to swear it in, when Mason said if he did so he wouldperjure himself. This blew what appeared to be but a spark into an angryblaze, and a duel was momentarily expected; but their warlike propensitiessubsided into a newspaper combat, which was kept up for several weeks, each party supposing they had the advantage of their adversary. In thisstage of the quarrel, Gen. Jackson, with one of his aid-de-camps, Dr. Bruno, visited Washington. Dr. Bruno was a friend of Gen. Mason's, andto him the General submitted the correspondence, desiring his opinionrelative to the advantage one had obtained over the other. Dr. Brunodecided against his friend, which probably exasperated him still more, and the General expressed his determination to fight his antagonist. Dr. Bruno wrote to M'Carter to come to Washington, and he came immediately, and was as readily waited upon by the Doctor, who inquired if he wouldreceive a communication from his friend, Gen. Mason. M'Carter replied, that he "would receive no communication from Gen. Mason, except achallenge to fight. " The challenge was therefore sent, and accepted, andthe Doctor appointed to make the necessary arrangements for the duel. Heproposed the weapons to be pistols, and the distance, ten paces; towhich M'Carter objected, because he said, "the General was a dead shotwith the pistol, while he hardly knew how to use one. " Then it was left toM'Carter to choose the mode of warfare. He proposed muskets and ten pacesdistance. This was agreed upon, and finally the morning arrived for theconflict, and people began to assemble in great numbers to witness thismurderous scene. 

The belligerent parties unflinchingly took their place, each with hisloaded musket at his shoulder, and gazing in each other's face, withfeelings of the most bitter hatred, while their eyes flashed vengeance. 

Oh! what a state of mind was this in which to meet inevitable death? Howcould intelligent men, or gentlemen, if you please so to term them, lookplacidly on such a horrid scene? Was there no heart of humanity tointerfere and arrest the murderous designs of these madmen? Alas, no! Theslaveholder's "code of honor" must be acknowledged, though it outrage thelaws of God and his country. 

Dr. Bruno asks, "Gentlemen, are you ready?" and the duelists take theirdeadly aim at each other. The signal to fire is given, and both weaponsare discharged, and when the smoke had cleared away, what a spectaclewas there presented to the duelist and spectator? Gen. Mason, a husband, a father, a statesman, and a kind friend, lies bleeding, and gasping forbreath. He is no more! Who will bear to his loving and unsuspecting wife, the sad intelligence of her sudden bereavement? Who will convey hislifeless body to his late residence, and throw grief and consternationinto the bosom of his family, and drape in sadness his whole household?And yet this painful task must be performed. The family of General Masonremained entirely ignorant of what was transpiring regarding the duel, until his mangled corpse was brought into his dwelling, from which he hadso recently gone forth in all the vigor of life and manhood. And here letus drop the curtain, nor intrude on that scene of domestic afflictionaround the deserted hearth-stone of the bereaved family of General Mason. 

But where is Mr. M'Carter, the more fortunate party in the duel? Hurryingaway from the frightful scene, his hands dripping with the blood of hisfellow-man, he skulks about, until an opportunity is given him to step onboard a vessel bound to a foreign port; he leaves home, friends andcountry, in the vain hope of finding peace of mind, and ridding himself ofthat guilt and censure which must attach itself to a crime so heinous asthat of taking the life of another. I can but regard the inhuman practiceof dueling as the legitimate fruit of Slavery. 

Men who have been raised in the Slave States, where, if the laws do notgive them the power, they do not restrain them from cruelly punishingevery offender with personal violence, even unto death, if their insulteddignity seems to demand it. It is, however, encouraging to know that fora few years past the practice of dueling has somewhat fallen intodisrepute among the more humane and candid class of community. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

HORSE-RACING AND GENERAL TRAINING. 

After the return of the wedding party, Mr. Fitzhugh purchased a tract ofland near that of Capt. Helm, on which the newly-married couple commencedkeeping house. They, however, became dissatisfied with their location, and soon after sold their possessions and returned to the South. 

Capt. Helm still continued to take the oversight of his slaves, and wasout every day, superintending his business, just as his overseer used todo. 

About this time a man named Henry Tower came to Bath to hire "slave boys, "as we were called. The Captain hired to him Simon and myself, and a Mr. Baker also hired to him one slave named Vol. McKenzie. We three startedfor Dresden, Ontario County, where we arrived in due time. 

Mr. Tower had just bought a tract of land, three miles this side of thevillage of Lyons, on the Canandaigua outlet. Here Mr. Tower contemplatedmaking great improvements, building mills, opening stores &c. This tractof land was comparatively wild, there being but a small frame house for adwelling, one for a store, and another for a blacksmith shop. Mr. Towerhad two brothers; James, the eldest, who took charge of the store, andJohn, the younger, who took charge of the hands who worked on the farm;Henry himself superintending the building of the mills. This firm had agreat number of men in their employ that year. I was kept busy helping thewomen about the cooking and house-work. And here, for the first time in mylife, I had a comfortable bed to sleep on, and plenty of wholesome food toeat; which was something both new and strange to me. 

The Towers were thorough-going business-men; they built a large gristmill, with four run of stone, and also a distillery. In those days it wascustomary for nearly all classes to drink spirituous liquors; hence, thedistilleries were sources of great pecuniary interest to those who ownedthem. But having lived to see the dreadful evils which the drinking ofalcoholic beverages have produced on community, I can hardly speak ofdistilleries in the favorable light in which they were then regarded. 

The Towers, with commendable enterprise, cleared a great number of acresof land during the first year I lived with them, besides doing a heavybusiness in the mill, store and distillery. 

It was customary then for men to assemble at some public place for thepurpose of drinking whisky and racing horses. 

One Saturday afternoon there was to be a race, and all was excitement. Being young, I wished to go with the rest. I hurried through my work asfast as possible, and then, with a trembling heart, set off in search ofmy master, fearing lest he would refuse me the simple request. But hehappened to be in uncommon good humor, and readily gave his consent; andaway I went, "as happy as a lark. " When I reached the race-ground, theywere just preparing to run the horses. Seeing me, they knew me to be apoor friendless little slave boy, helpless and unprotected, and they couldtherefore do with me as they pleased, and have some fine sport at myexpense. 

When I was asked to ride one of the fast horses, I felt proud of the honorconferred, and was assisted to mount, feeling highly elated with the loftyposition I had gained. 

The word "go, " was shouted, and the horse whirled off, and it seemed to meas if he flew with the speed of lightning. My hat fell off the firstthing; and there I was, clinging with might and main to the neck of thefiery animal, my head bare, my feet bootless, and my old stripped shirtblown from my back, and streaming out behind, and fluttering like a bannerin the breeze; my ragged pants off at the knees, and my long legs danglingdown some length below; and at the same time crying "Whoa! whoa!" as loudas I could. Nor was this all; frightened as I was, nearly to death, I casta despairing look behind me, and the loud, derisive laugh of thebystanders rung in my ears. 

Ludicrous as I must have appeared, this was too much, --I felt a giddinesscoming over me, my brain reeled, my hold relaxed, and the next instant Ihad fallen to the ground, where all consciousness left me. When I came tomy senses I was lying in bed, surrounded by all the appurtenances of adying person. 

The first thing I heard was Mr. Tower scolding the men who put me on thehorse, and threatening them with a law-suit for presuming to do such athing without his permission. Mr. Tower considered himself holden to Capt. Helm for my safe return, and was therefore justly indignant at theirplacing my life in such peril. It was indeed a narrow escape, for thehorse was running with all his speed when I fell. My bones were unbroken, however, and I suppose it must have been the tremendous jar I got when Ifell that rendered me unconscious; nor do I think it impossible that thefright may not have contributed somewhat to the catastrophe. 

It was while I was living with that gentleman that the greatest "generaltraining" ever known in Western New York, came off at "Oak's Corners, " inthe town of Phelps. It really seemed to me that the whole world were goingto the training, and I, of course, felt a great curiosity to go where "allcreation" appeared to be going. Mr. Tower permitted me to go, and Istarted off in high spirits. When I arrived within two or three miles ofthe place the road was almost blocked up with people, and when I got toOak's Corners the crowd beggared all description; carriages of all sortswere there, containing eatables of all kinds, and tents of all dimensionswere on the road-side, for the houses could not begin to accommodate thepeople. The entire brigade was to meet at that place, and Gov. Lewis wasexpected to review the different companies, and all were anxious to seethe Governor, for, in those days, it was a rare thing to see so high adignitary in Western New York; the eastern portion of the State having hadevery thing of that kind their own way. 

Nor was the means and mode of traveling brought to such perfection as now. The roads were new and rough, and our best public conveyances only theslow lumbering stage-coach; yet, notwithstanding these inconveniences, there was an innumerable crowd gathered at that place. I spent the day inwalking about the encampment, and seeing what was to be seen, for it wasall new to me. 

Officers were riding over the ground, dressed in uniform, and mounted ontheir splendid steeds: their plumes waving over their cocked-hats in truemilitary array. A band of music, as is usual, accompanied the soldiers. There was also a "sham-fight, " before the breaking up of the encampment, and it was really terrifying to me, who had never seen a battle fought, towitness two columns of troops drawn up, and, at the roll of the drum, behold them engage in deadly conflict, to all appearance, and the smokecurling up in a blackened mass toward heaven; and, above all, theneighing of horses, with the feigned groans of the wounded and dying. Iinwardly prayed to God that those men might ever draw their weapons in afeigned encounter. 

The first night I spent at the encampment was one long to be remembered;it was like the confusion of Babel. Of all the hideous noises I ever heardnone could exceed those made there that night. They fired guns, quarreled, drank, and swore, till day light. There was such a crowd at the tavernthat I did not suppose I could get a bed, so I threw myself down upon adoor-step, and began to compose myself to sleep, when a man came andwakened me, inquiring at the same time whose boy I was. I replied that Ilived with Mr. Tower. "Follow me, " said he; I arose and followed him intothe house, where he procured for me a bed, to be shared with another"boy, " who had already occupied it. 

I had just began to doze, when the explosion of firearms startled all inthe house. The keeper of the tavern ran up stairs in great alarm, and whenan examination was made, we found that a drunken fellow had discharged hismusket in the room below the one where we were sleeping, and that the ballhad passed up through the second floor and completely through the bed onwhich I slept, to the roof, where, having passed through that also, rolledfrom thence to the ground! And yet, strange as it may appear, no one wasinjured, though the house was filled to overflowing with guests. 

There were groups of disorderly and drunken men continually roaming overthe camp-ground at night, who seemed to have no other object than to annoyothers, and torment any one they might find sleeping, by shaking them, or, if soundly asleep, dragging them out of their beds by their feet. Amongthese thus annoyed by them was a physician from Canandaigua. Being apassionate man, they seemed to think it fine sport to arouse him fromsleep and hear him scold. The first time they dragged him from his tent hemerely remonstrated in a very gentlemanly manner, and quietly crept backagain. The rowdies were disappointed; they had expected a "scene. " As soonas he was asleep they attacked him again, dragging him out by the heels;then he was angry, and told them if they repeated the offence it would beat the peril of their lives, and a third time retired to his tent; but athird party soon came, and one, more bold than the rest, entered the tentand laid hold of the Doctor. He sprang to his feet and drew his sword, which he ran through the body of a man supposed to be that of histormentor; but oh! what sorrow and consternation possessed him when hefound he had taken the life of a quiet, unoffending person who happenedto be standing by, attracted to the spot probably by the noise of therevelers. The unhappy Doctor was obliged to flee from his country for atime, but after a while the shadows which had so suddenly fallen on hisfair prospects were cleared away, and he returned to his home and country. 

The second day of the encampment was one of surpassing beauty. The sunshone in all its softened radiance on that vast concourse of human beings. The field presented a spectacle which must have been imposing to those ofmore experienced vision than mine; but to me, in my ignorant simplicity, it was superbly grand; fascinating beyond my power of resistance, and madean impression on my mind never to be effaced. 

The brigade was drawn up in a line, each colonel stationed just so manypaces in front of the line, and all the other officers, such as majors, quarter-masters, &c. , were stationed at an equal distance in the rear. When all were paraded, the Governor of the State made his appearance, dressed in full uniform, his hat being one of the Bonaparte style, attended by his aid-de-camp, who was dressed much in the same manner ashis Excellency Governor Lewis, who, after the salute, took his place atthe head of the brigade, and the military exercises commenced. When theGovernor issued his orders, they were first given to his aid, who passedthem to the officers, and they gave the word of command to the soldiers;for instance if the Governor wished the brigade to "shoulder arms, "--theorder went to the officer who commanded the first regiment, and herepeated the order, and was obeyed; then the same order passed to thenext, and so on, until the whole brigade had complied with the order ofhis Excellency. 

But this, I believe, was the first and last time that the military wereever called out on so large a scale, in the State of New York. It wassupposed that the effect would be decidedly injurious to a community andthe idea was abandoned. Young men were so liable to be fascinated by themagnificent spectacle, that not the rabble only were attracted by the"trappings of war, " but they have a tendency to induce young, and _old meneven_, of fair prospects, to neglect _their agricultural interests_ formilitary pursuits, which, in a new country, were certainly of paramountimportance, if not the greater of the two. 

I know that it became very hard for me to content myself to labor as I haddone, after witnessing this grand display. I was completely intoxicatedwith a military spirit, and sighed for the liberty to go out "on thelines" and fight the British. 

The martial music, the waving plumes, and magnificent uniform, had drivenfrom my mind entirely the bloodshed and carnage of the battle field;beside, I was sick and tired of being a slave, and felt ready to do almostany thing to get where I could act and feel like a free man. 

I became acquainted with a Mr. McClure, a merchant in Bath, who, while ona journey to Philadelphia, to purchase goods, was taken suddenly ill anddied; when his brother, George McClure, came on to attend to his diseasedbrother's business. He was a fine, persevering kind of man, and very soongot to be General McClure, and commanded the brigade in Steuben County, and, as such, was liable to be called at any time when his services wererequired, to go to the frontier and guard our lines from the invasion ofthe English army. 

To him I applied for a situation as waiter, which he readily agreed togive me if I could get the consent of Captain Helm. I thought there wouldbe no trouble about that; and oh! how I dreamed of and anticipated thehappiness of being _something_ beside a slave, for a _little while atleast_. Almost every day I went to the store to talk to Gen. McClure ofthis greatest happiness imaginable, "going to the lines!" and wasimpatient for the chance to arrive that would send me there. 

At last Gen. McClure wrote to Gen. Armstrong, to say that he was ready toobey any order that he might send him, and march to "the lines, " if hisservices were needed; and, to _my_ inexpressible joy, marching orders werereturned. I nearly flew in search of Capt. Helm, never once suspectingthat he would object; because I knew that he did not then require myservices himself, and the pay would be quite as good as he had beenreceiving for my time; besides I had so completely set my heart on going, that it was impossible for me to dream of a disappointment so bitter asthat of being denied going "to the lines. "

Oh! how then were my high hopes fallen, and how much more hateful appearedthat slavery which had blighted all my military prospects? Nor was Capt. Helm's heartless and mercenary reply to my humble pleading any antidote tomy disappointed feelings and desire for freedom. He said, "you shall notgo; I will permit nothing of the kind, so let there be an end to it. The_pay_ is all well enough, I know, but if you get killed your wages willstop; and then who, do you suppose, will indemnify me for the loss? Goabout your business, and let me hear no more of such nonsense!"

There was an emergency I had not provided for; and, as I then believed, the master could make no demand on or for the slaves beyond the grave, Iwas silent; but both master and myself were mistaken on that point; for Ihave since learned numerous instances where slaves have fought and diedin the service of their master's country, and the slave-owner receivedhis wages up to the hour of his death, and then recovered of the UnitedStates the full value of his person as property!

Gen. McClure left soon after for the frontier; my saddened heart followedhim, and that was all; my body was in slavery still, and painful thoughit was, I must quietly submit. 

The General, however, reaped but few if any laurels in that campaign; heburned the small village of Newark, in Canada, for which he got verylittle credit on either side of the lake; so I comforted myself as well asI could with the reflection, that all who "went to the wars" did notreturn covered with glory and laurels of victory. 

I continued to live with the Towers; and in the fall of that year, I hadthe misfortune to cut my foot badly. While chopping fire wood at the door, I accidentally struck my ax against a post, which glanced the blow in sucha manner that it came down with sufficient force to nearly sever my greattoe from my left foot, gashing upward completely through the large joint, which made a terrible wound. Dr. Taylor was immediately called, and sewedthe flesh together, taking two stitches on the upper, and one on theunder, side of the foot, before it began to swell; but when the swellingcame on, the stitches on the upper side gave way, which occasioned the toeto fall over so much, that I have been slightly lame from that day tothis. For several weeks I was unable to be moved, and was regularlyattended by Dr. Taylor, but as soon as it could be done without danger, Iwas taken back to Capt. Helm's, where I found things in much the samecondition as when I left them over a year before. 

On leaving the family of Mr. Tower, I endeavored to express to them aswell in my power the gratitude I felt for their kindness, and theattention I had received during my lameness. 

We returned to Bath in a sleigh, and arrived without accident or any greatsuffering. But the kind treatment I had always received from the Messrs. Tower and family, made it very hard for me to reconcile myself to myformer mode of living; especially now that I was lame and weak, fromsickness and long confinement; besides, it was cold weather. Oh! how hardit did seem to me, after having a good bed and plenty of bed clothes everynight for so long time, to now throw myself down, like a dog, on the"_softest side_" of a rough board, without a pillow, and without aparticle of bedding to cover me during the long cold nights of winter. Tobe reduced from a plentiful supply of good, wholesome food, to the merepittance which the Captain allowed his slaves, seemed to me beyondendurance. 

And yet I had always lived and fared thus, but I never felt so bitterlythese hardships and the cruelties of Slavery as I did at that time; makinga virtue of necessity, however, I turned my thoughts in another direction. 

I managed to purchase a spelling book, and set about teaching myself toread, as best I could. Every spare moment I could find was devoted to thatemployment, and when about my work I could catch now and then a stolenglance at my book, just to refresh my memory with the simple lesson I wastrying to learn. But here Slavery showed its cloven foot in all itshideous deformity. It finally reached the ears of my master that I waslearning to read; and then, if he saw me with a book or a paper in myhand, oh, how he would swear at me, sending me off in a hurry, about someemployment. Still I persevered, but was more careful about being seenmaking any attempt to learn to read. At last, however, I was discovered, and had to pay the penalty of my determination. 

I had been set to work in the sugar bush, and I took my spelling book withme. When a spare moment occurred I sat down to study, and so absorbed wasI in the attempt to blunder through my lesson, that I did not hear theCaptain's son-in-law coming until he was fairly upon me. He sprangforward, caught my poor old spelling book, and threw it into the fire, where it was burned to ashes; and then came my turn. He gave me firsta severe flogging, and then swore if he ever caught me with another book, he would "whip every inch of skin off my back, " &c. 

This treatment, however, instead of giving me the least idea of giving itup, only made me look upon it as a more valuable attainment. Else, whyshould my oppressors feel so unwilling that their slaves should possessthat which they thought so essential to themselves? Even then, with myback bleeding and smarting from the punishment I had received, Idetermined to learn to read and write, at all hazards, if my life was onlyspared. About this time Capt. Helm began to sell off his slaves todifferent persons, as he could find opportunity, and sometimes at a greatsacrifice. It became apparent that the Captain, instead of prospering inbusiness, was getting poorer every day. 

CHAPTER IX. 

DEATH BED AND BRIDAL SCENES. 

Neither Capt. Helm nor his wife made any religious pretensions. I hardlyknow whether or not they were avowed infidels; but they alike ridiculedall religious professions and possessed some very singular notionsregarding life and death. 

I have often heard the Captain say, that no person need die unless theychoose to do so; and his wife was of the same belief. I have frequentlyheard her remark that if mankind would firmly resist death it would fleefrom them. 

An opportunity, however, was soon after given to test the truth of thisstrange dogma. Mrs. Helm's health began to decline, but she would pay noattention to it, following her usual course and regular routine ofhousehold duties; but all in vain; she was taken down, alarmingly ill, andit became apparent to all, that the "king of terrors" had chosen hisvictim. She tried with all her natural energy of character, to bafflehis pursuit and escape his steady approach, but all to no purpose. "Thevalley and the shadow of death" were before her, and she had no assurancethat the "rod and staff" of the Almighty would sustain and comfort herthrough the dark passage. She shrank with perfect horror from the untriedscenes of the future. 

If any one had ever envied Mrs. Helm in her drawing-room, richly attiredand sparkling with jewels, or as she moved with the stately step of aqueen among her trembling slaves, they should have beheld her on her deathbed! They should have listened to her groans and cries for help, while onepiercing shriek after another rang through the princely mansion of whichshe had been the absolute mistress!

[Illustration: "If any one had ever envied Mrs. Helm in her drawing-room, richly attired and sparkling with jewels, or as she moved with the statelystep of a queen among her trembling slaves, they should have beheld her onher death-bed!"]

Surrounded as she was with every elegance and luxury that wealth couldprocure, she lay shrieking out her prayers for a short respite, a shortlengthening out of the life she had spent so unprofitably; her eyeswandering restlessly about the apartment, and her hands continuallyclinching the air, as if to grasp something that would prevent her fromsinking into the embrace of death! There was not a slave present, whowould have exchanged places with her. Not one of those over whom she hadruled so arbitrarily would have exchanged their rough, lowly cabin andquiet conscience, for all the wealth and power she had ever possessed. 

Nothing of all she had enjoyed in life, nor all that she yet called herown, could give her one hour of life or one peaceful moment in death!

Oh! what a scene was that! The wind blew, and great drops of rain fell onthe casements. The room lighted only with a single taper; the wretchedwife mingles her dying groans with the howling of the storm, until, as theclock struck the hour of midnight she fell back upon her pillow andexpired, amid the tears and cries of her family and friends, who not onlydeplored the loss of a wife and mother, but were grieved by the manner inwhich she died. 

The slaves were all deeply affected by the scene; some doubtless trulylamented the death of their mistress; others rejoiced that she was nomore, and all were more or less frightened. One of them I remember went tothe pump and wet his face, so as to appear to weep with the rest. 

What a field was opened for reflection, by the agonizing death of Mrs. Helm? Born and reared in affluence; well educated and highly accomplished, possessed of every means to become a useful woman and an ornament to hersex; which she most likely would have been, had she been instructed in theChristian religion, and had lived under a different influence. Asinfidelity ever deteriorates from the female character, so Slaverytransforms more than one, otherwise excellent woman, into a femininemonster. Of Mrs. Helm, with her active intellect and great force ofcharacter, it made a tyrannical demon. Her race, however, is ended; hersun gone down in darkness, and her soul we must leave in the keeping of arighteous God, to whom we must all give an account for the deeds done inthe body. But in view of the transitory pleasures of this life; theunsatisfactory realization of wealth, and the certainty of death, we maywell inquire, "What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and losehis own soul?"

Some little time after the scene just recorded, there came to Bath a youngphysician named Henry, who commenced practice under very flatteringprospects. He was an accomplished young man, well educated and veryskillful in his profession. He was affable and gay in his manners, andvery fond of company. An intimate acquaintance was soon formed with Capt. Helm and family, and he called almost daily to chat and drink wine withthe Captain, --both being quite fond of a social glass. 

One night in the depth of winter, the Doctor was called to see a patientwho lived six miles down the Conhocton river. Previous, however, to thecall, he had accepted an invitation to attend a party at Capt. Helm's, and there he was found. They had music and dancing, while the wine passedaround very freely. None seemed to join in the dance and other amusementsof the evening with more enjoyment than did Dr. Henry; but after he wassent for, it being a most bitter cold night, he asked the Captain for ahorse to ride to see his patient, to which he readily assented, and hadhis fine _race-horse_ (for the Captain had not left off all his oldhabits), brought out from the stable, and the Doctor sprang lightly intothe saddle. Unfortunately his way led by the race-course, and when thetrained animal came to it he started with such speed as to throw theDoctor to the ground, where he lay all that terrible cold night. In themorning, some person going after wood, came in sight of the Doctor as hewas trying to creep away on his frozen hands and feet. He was put into thesleigh and taken to the village with all possible speed. All was done forhim that could be, but his feet and legs were frozen solid. His uncle, Dr. Henry, was brought as soon as possible, who decided that nothing couldsave his life but the amputation of both legs, just below the knee. Thiswas done; but what a change in the prospects of this promising young man!Instead of stepping lightly about as he used to do, with a smilingcountenance, he at last came forth after a tedious confinement, a cripplefor life, hobbling about on his knees, sad and dejected. And what, thinkyou, was the cause of this terrible calamity? What prevented the Doctorfrom an exertion to save his life? Wine, intoxicating wine, wasundoubtedly the occasion of the heedless and reckless conduct of bothhimself and Capt. Helm. And should not this circumstance be a warning toparents and guardians, to young men and children, "to look not upon thewine when it is red, " and remember that at last "it will bite like aserpent and sting like an adder?" Should it not also remind those who haveguests to entertain, of the sinfulness of putting the cup to theirneighbor's lips? Certainly it should. But I must resume my story. 

About this time Major Thornton of Bath, died. He had long been an intimatefriend and acquaintance of Capt. Helm, and as the reader is alreadyinformed of the death of Mrs. Helm, they will not be surprised to knowthat he began to look earnestly after the widow of his late friend. Itbecome apparent that his solicitude for the loneliness of Madam Thorntonwas not so much as a disconsolate widow, as that of making her the futureMrs. Helm; nor was it less observable that the new-made widow accepted theCaptain's attentions with great favor, and more as a lover than acomforter. 

The result was, after the Major had been dead six weeks, Capt. Helm wasmarried to his widow, and brought her and her servants in great triumphto his house, giving her the charge of it. His own servants weredischarged, and hers took their places. 

All went on pleasantly for a while; then the slaves began to grow sullenand discontented; and two of them ran away. Capt. Helm started a man namedMorrison, a Scotchman, in pursuit, who hunted them ten days, and thenreturned without any tidings of the absconding slaves. They made goodtheir escape and were never heard from afterwards, by those whose interestsuffered by the loss. 

I was one afternoon at a neighbor's house in the village, when I wassuddenly taken so violently ill with pain in my head and side, that I hadto be carried home. When we arrived there, I was allowed a pallet of strawto lie on, which was better than nothing. Day after day, my diseaseincreased in violence, and my master employed a physician to attend methrough my illness, which brought me very low indeed. I was constantlyburning with fever, and so thirsty that I knew not what I would have givenfor a draught of cold water, which was denied me by the physician'sdirection. I daily grew weaker until I was reduced to helplessness, andwas little else than "skin and bones. " I really thought my time had cometo die; and when I had strength to talk, I tried to arrange the few littlebusiness affairs I had, and give my father direction concerning them. Andthen I began to examine my own condition before God, and to determine howthe case stood between Him and my poor soul. And "there was the rub. " Ihad often excused myself, for frequent derelictions in duty, and oftenwild and passionate outbreaks, on account of the hardness of my lot, andthe injustice with which I was treated, even in my best endeavors to do aswell as I knew how. But now, with death staring me in the face, I couldsee that though I was a friendless "slave-boy, " I had _not_ always done aswell as I knew how; that I had _not_ served God as I knew I ought, nor hadI always set a good example before my fellow-slaves, nor warned them aswell as I might, "to flee the wrath to come. " Then I prayed my HeavenlyFather to spare me a little longer, that I might serve Him better; and inHis mercy and gracious goodness, He did so; though when the fever wasturning they gave me up; and I could hear them say, when they came to feelmy pulse, "he is almost gone, " "it will soon be over, " &c. , and theninquire if I knew them. I did, but was too weak to say so. I recollectwith gratitude, the kindness of Mrs. H. A. Townsend, who sent me manydelicacies and cooling drinks to soften the rigor of my disease; andthough I suppose she has long since "passed away" and gone to her reward, may the blessing of those who are ready to perish, rest upon thedescendants of that excellent woman. 

Capt. Helm was driving on in his milling, distillery and farming business. He now began to see the necessity of treating his slaves better by farthan he had ever done before, and granted them greater privileges than hewould have dared to do at the South. Many of the slaves he had sold, weregetting their liberty and doing well. 

CHAPTER X. 

HIRED OUT TO A NEW MASTER. 

While I was staying with my master at Bath, he having little necessity formy services, hired me out to a man by the name of Joseph Robinson, for thepurpose of learning me to drive a team. Robinson lived about three milesfrom the village of Bath, on a small farm, and was not only a poor man buta very mean one. He was cross and heartless in his family, as well astyrannical and cruel to those in his employ; and having hired me as a"slave boy, " he appeared to feel at full liberty to wreak his brutalpassion on me at any time, whether I deserved rebuke or not; nor did histerrible outbreaks of anger vent themselves in oaths, curses andthreatenings only, but he would frequently draw from the cart-tongue aheavy iron pin, and beat me over the head with it, so unmercifully that hefrequently sent the blood flowing over my scanty apparel, and from that tothe ground, before he could feel satisfied. 

These kind of beatings were not only excessively painful, but they alwaysreminded me of the blows I had so often received from the key, in the handof Mrs. Helm, when I was but a little waiter lad; and in truth I must saythat the effect of these heavy blows on the head, have followed me thusfar through life; subjecting me to frequent and violent head-aches, fromwhich I never expect to be entirely free. Even to this day I shudder atthe thought, when I think how Robinson used to fly at me, swearing, foaming, and seeming to think there was no weapon too large or too heavyto strike me with. 

He and I were at one time logging with a yoke of oxen, which it was mybusiness to drive. At that time rattle-snakes were numerous, and a greatterror to the inhabitants. To be bitten by one of these poisonous reptileswas certain and almost instant death; hence, the greatest caution andconstant vigilance was necessary to avoid them while at work. I had beensent with the oxen to draw a log to the pile, and when I came up to it, Iobserved that it appeared to be hollow; but stepping forward, with thechain in my hand, ready to attach it to the log, when, oh, horror! thewarning rattle of a snake sounded like a death knell in my ears, proceeding from the log I was about to lay hold of. I was so muchfrightened by the sound, that I dropped the chain as though it were redhot, left my team, and ran with all the speed in my power, screaming"murder, murder!" as loud as I could. 

This proceeding, which was the fearful impulse of the moment, offendedRobinson, and gave him another opportunity to beat me most cruelly. He washimself as much afraid of rattle-snakes as I; but he was the master and Ithe "slave boy, " which made a vast difference. He caught hold of me, and, with horrid oaths, beat me with his fist again and again; threatening mewith awful punishment if I did not instantly return and bring the log tothe desired spot. I never can forget the mortal agony I was in, whilecompelled by his kicks and blows to return and fasten the chain around thelog containing the deadly serpent. I, however, succeeded with tremblinghands, and drove the oxen, but keeping myself at the fartherest possibledistance from them and the log. When I finally arrived at the pile, Mr. Robinson and some other men, cut a hole with an ax in the log, and killedthe large, venomous rattle-snake that had occasioned me so much alarm andsuch a cruel beating. Nor was the uncontrollable and brutal passion ofRobinson his only deficiency; he was mean as he was brutal. 

He had, at one time, borrowed a wagon of a neighbor living two milesdistant, through a dense forest. On the day of the total eclipse of thesun, it entered his head that it would be fine sport, knowing mymy ignorance and superstition, to send me, just as the darkness was comingon, to return the borrowed wagon. I accordingly hitched the ox-team to itand started. As I proceeded through the wood, I saw, with astonishment andsome alarm, that it was growing very dark, and thought it singular at thathour of the day. When I reached the place of my destination it was almosttotal darkness, and some persons, ignorant as myself, were running about, wringing their hands, and declaring that they believed the Day of Judgmenthad come, and such like expressions. 

The effect of all this was, however, very different from what my masterhad expected. I thought, of course, if the judgment day had come, I shouldbe no longer a slave in the power of a heartless tyrant. I recollect wellof thinking, that if indeed all things earthly were coming to an end, Ishould be free from Robinson's brutal force, and as to meeting my Creator, I felt far less dread of that than of meeting my cross, unmerciful master. I felt that, sinful as I had been, and unworthy as I was, I should be farbetter off than I then was; driven to labor all day, without compensation;half starved and poorly clad, and above all, subjected to the whims andcaprices of any heartless tyrant to whom my master might give the power torule over me. But I had not much time for reflection, I hurried home; mymind filled with the calm anticipation that the end of all things was athand; which greatly disappointed my expectant master, who was looking forme to return in a great fright, making some very ludicrous demonstrationof fear and alarm. But after a few months more of hardship I was permittedto return to Capt. Helm's, where I was treated much better than atRobinson's, and much, better than the Captain used to treat his slaves. 

Capt. Helm, not having demand for slave labor as much as formerly, was inthe practice of hiring out his slaves to different persons, both in andout of the village; and among others, my only sister was hired out to a_professed_ gentleman living in Bath. She had become the mother of two orthree children, and was considered a good servant. 

One pleasant Sabbath morning, as I was passing the house where she lived, on my way to the Presbyterian church, where I was sent to ring the bell asusual, I heard the most piteous cries and earnest pleadings issuing fromthe dwelling. To my horror and the astonishment of those with me, my poorsister made her appearance, weeping bitterly, and followed by her inhumanmaster, who was polluting the air of that clear Sabbath morning, with themost horrid imprecations and threatenings, and at the same timeflourishing a large raw-hide. Very soon his bottled wrath burst forth, andthe blows, aimed with all his strength, descended upon the unprotectedhead, shoulders and back of the helpless woman, until she was literallycut to pieces. She writhed in his powerful grasp, while shriek aftershriek died away in heart-rending moanings; and yet the inhuman demoncontinued to beat her, though her pleading cries had ceased, untilobliged to desist from the exhaustion of his own strength. 

What a spectacle was that, for the sight of a brother? The God of heavenonly knows the conflict of feeling I then endured; He alone witnessed thetumult of my heart, at this outrage of manhood and kindred affection. Godknows that my will was good enough to have wrung his neck; or to havedrained from his heartless system its last drop of blood! And yet I wasobliged to turn a deaf ear to her cries for assistance, which to this dayring in my ears. Strong and athletic as I was, no hand of mine could beraised in her defence, but at the peril of both our lives;--nor could herhusband, had he been a witness of the scene, be allowed any thing morethan unresisting submission to any cruelty, any indignity which the mastersaw fit to inflict on _his wife_, but the other's _slave_. 

Does any indignant reader feel that I was wanting in courage or brotherlyaffection, and say that he would have interfered, and, at all hazards, rescued his sister from the power of her master; let him remember that heis a _freeman_; that he has not from his infancy been taught to cowerbeneath the white man's frown, and bow at his bidding, or suffer all therigor of the slave laws. Had the gentlemanly woman-whipper been seenbeating his horse, or his ox, in the manner he beat my poor sister, andthat too for no fault which the law could recognize as an offence, hewould have been complained of most likely; but as it was, she was but a"slave girl, "--with whom the slave law allowed her master to do what hepleased. 

Well, I finally passed on, with a clinched fist and contracted brow, tothe church, and rung the bell, I think rather furiously, to notify theinhabitants of Bath, that it was time to assemble for the worship of thatGod who has declared himself to be "no respecter of persons. " With my ownheart beating wildly with indignation and sorrow, the kind reader mayimagine my feelings when I saw the smooth-faced hypocrite, the inhumanslave-whipper, enter the church, pass quietly on to his accustomed seat, and then meekly bow his hypocritical face on the damask cushion, in thereverent acknowledgment of that religion which teaches its adherents "todo unto others as they would be done by, " just as if nothing unusual hadhappened on that Sabbath morning. Can any one wonder that I, and otherslaves, often doubted the sincerity of every white man's religion? Can itbe a matter of astonishment, that slaves often feel that there is no justGod for the poor African? Nay, verily; and were it not for the comfortingand sustaining influence that these poor, illiterate and sufferingcreatures feel as coming from an unearthly source, they would in theirignorance all become infidels. To me, that beautiful Sabbath morning wasclouded in midnight darkness, and I retired to ponder on what could bedone. 

For some reason or other, Capt. Helm had supplied every lawyer in thatsection of country with slaves, either by purchase or hire; so when Ithought of seeking legal redress for my poor, mangled sister, I saw atonce it would be all in vain. The laws were in favor of the slave owner, and besides, every legal gentleman in the village had one or more of theCaptain's slaves, who were treated with more or less rigor; and of coursethey would do nothing toward censuring one of their own number, so nothingcould be done to give the slave even the few privileges which the laws ofthe State allowed them. 

The Captain sold my aunt Betsy Bristol to a distinguished lawyer in thevillage, retaining her husband, Aaron Bristol, in his own employ; and twoof her children he sold to another legal gentleman named Cruger. One dayCaptain Helm came out where the slaves were at work, and finding Aaron wasnot there, he fell into a great rage and swore terribly. He finallystarted off to a beach tree, from which he cut a stout limb, and trimmedit so as to leave a knot on the but end of the stick, or bludgeon rather, which was about two and a half feet in length. With this formidableweapon he started for Aaron's lonely cabin. When the solitary husband sawhim coming he suspected that he was angry, and went forth to meet himin the street. They had no sooner met than my master seized Aaron by thecollar, and taking the limb he had prepared by the smaller end, commencedbeating him with it, over the head and face, and struck him some thirty ormore terrible blows in quick succession; after which Aaron begged to knowfor what he was so unmercifully flogged. 

"Because you deserve it, " was the angry reply. Aaron said that he had everendeavored to discharge his duty, and had done so to the best of hisability; and that he thought it very hard to be treated in that manner forno offence at all. Capt. Helm was astonished at his audacity; but thereader will perceive that the slaves were not blind to the politicalcondition of the country, and were beginning to feel that they had somerights, and meant to claim them. 

Poor Aaron's face and head, however, was left in a pitiable conditionafter such a pummeling with a knotty stick. His face, covered with blood, was so swollen that he could hardly see for some time; but what of that?Did he not belong to Capt. Helm, soul and body; and if his brutal ownerchose to destroy his own property, certainly had he not a right to do so, without let or hindrance? Of course; such is the power that Slavery givesone human being over another. 

And yet it must be confessed that among the poor, degraded and ignorantslaves there exists a foolish pride, which loves to boast of theirmaster's wealth and influence. A white person, too poor to own slaves, isas often looked upon with as much disdain by the miserable slave as by hiswealthy owner. This disposition seems to be instilled into the mind ofevery slave at the South, and indeed, I have heard slaves object to beingsent in very small companies to labor in the field, lest that somepasser-by should think that they belonged to a poor man, who was unable tokeep a large gang. Nor is this ridiculous sentiment maintained by theslaves only; the rich planter feels such a contempt for all white personswithout slaves, that he does not want them for his neighbors. I know ofmany instances where such persons have been under the necessity of buyingor hiring slaves, just to preserve their reputation and keep upappearances; and even among a class of people who profess to be opposed toSlavery, have I known instances of the same kind, and have heard themapologize for their conduct by saying that "when in Rome, we must do asthe Romans do. "

Uncle Aaron Bristol was one of Capt. Helm's slaves who had a large amountof this miserable pride; and for him to be associated with a white man inthe same humble occupation, seemed to give him ideas of great superiority, and full liberty to treat him with all the scorn and sarcasm he wascapable of, in which my uncle was by no means deficient. 

At this time the Captain owned a fine and valuable horse, by the name of_Speculator_. This horse, groomed by uncle Aaron, stood sometimes at Bathand sometimes at Geneva; and at the latter village another horse was kept, groomed by a white man. The white groom was not very well pleased withAaron's continual disparagement of the clumsy animal which my uncle called"a great, awkward plow-horse;" and then he would fling out some of hisproud nonsense about "_poor white people_ who were obliged to groom theirown old dumpy horses, " &c. 

Well, things went on in this unpleasant manner for several weeks, when atlast the white groom and Aaron met at Geneva, and the horse belonging tothe former, designedly or accidentally, escaped from his keeper, and camewith full speed, with his mouth wide open, after Speculator. When thefiery fellow had overtaken uncle Aaron he attempted to grasp the wethersof Speculator with his teeth, instead of which he caught Aaron on theinside of his thigh, near the groin, from whence he bit a large piece offlesh, laying the bone entirely bare; at the same moment flinging Aaron tothe ground, some rods off; and the next instant he kicked Speculator downa steep embankment Aaron was taken up for dead, and Dr. Henry sent for, who dressed his wounds; and after several months' confinement he finallyrecovered. It is probable that the biting and overthrow of Aaron saved hislife, as he must have otherwise been killed in the encounter of the twohorses. 

A while after his recovery, uncle Aaron succeeded in procuring a team andsome kind of vehicle, in which he put his wife and children, and betweentwo days, took "French leave" of his master as well as of the lawyer towhom his wife belonged. 

The lawyer, however, was far from being pleased when he missed hisproperty, and immediately set his wits to work to reclaim her. All waskept secret as possible, but it was whispered about that it was to bedone by a State's warrant, for removing the clothing and furniture theyhad taken, and so, being thus arrested, "Madam Bristol" would be glad toreturn to her work in the lawyer's kitchen. But Aaron was a smart, shrewdman, and kept out of their reach, where he soon found friends andemployment, and could go where he pleased, without having an infuriatedmaster to beat and disfigure him with a knotted stick, until his clotheswere bespattered with blood. They appreciated their liberty, and lived anddied in peace and freedom. 

Capt. Helm continued his old manner of treating slaves, dealing out theirweekly allowance of corn or meal; but living as we now did, so much moreintimately with white inhabitants, our condition was materially improved. The slaves became more refined in manners and in possession of far greateropportunities to provide for themselves, than they had ever beforeenjoyed, and yet it was _Slavery_. Any reverse in the fortunes of ourmaster would be disadvantageous to us. Oh, how this fearful uncertaintyweighed upon us as we saw that our master was not prospering andincreasing in wealth; but we had not the dismal fears of the loathsomeslave-pen, rice swamps, and many other things we should have to fear inVirginia. We were still _slaves_, and yet we had so much greater chanceto learn from the kind, intelligent people about us, so many things whichwe never knew before, that I think a slave-trader would have found it adifficult task to take any one of us to a Southern slave market, if ourmaster had so ordered it. 

The village of Bath is rather an out-of-the-way place, hemmed in on allsides by mountains of considerable height, leaving an opening on thenorth, through a pleasant valley, to the head of Crooked Lake. Produceof every kind, when once there, met a ready sale for the New York market. 

In the first settlement of the country this was the only outlet for thecountry produce, which was transported in rude boats or vessels called_arks_, built during the winter season to await the spring freshet; thenthey loaded them with wheat or other produce, and sent them to Baltimoreor elsewhere. They used also to obtain great quantities of fine lumber, and floated it through the same rivers every spring; but it was attendedwith great loss of life and property. 

Bath assumed a warlike appearance during the last war with Great Britain;the public square was dotted all over with officers, marquees, andsoldiers' tents. Some of these soldiers were unprincipled and recklessmen, who seemed to care very little what they did. 

One evening I was walking around the encampment in company with a Mr. James Morrison, a clerk in the land office, looking at the soldiers, untilwe came near a sentinel on duty. He kept his gun to his shoulder until wecame near enough, and then he attempted to run me through with hisbayonet. Young Morrison sprang forward, and seizing the musket, told meto run; I did so, which probably saved my life. 

CHAPTER XI. 

THOUGHTS ON FREEDOM. 

After living sometime in Bath, and having the privilege of moreenlightened society, I began to think that it was possible for me tobecome a free man in some way besides going into the army or running away, as I had often thought of doing. I had listened to the conversation ofothers, and determined to ask legal counsel on the subject the firstopportunity I could find. Very soon after, as I was drawing wood, I met onthe river bridge, Mr. D. Cruger, the eminent lawyer before mentioned, andI asked him to tell me if I was not free, by the laws of New York. Hestarted, and looked around him as if afraid to answer my question, butafter a while told me I was _not_ free. I passed on, but the answer to myquestion by no means satisfied me, especially when I remembered thehesitancy with which it was given. 

I sought another opportunity to speak with Mr. Cruger, and at last foundhim in his office alone; then he conversed freely on the subject ofSlavery, telling me that Capt. Helm could not hold me as a slave in thatState, if I chose to leave him, and then directed me to D. Comstock and J. Moore; the first being at the head of a manumission society, and the lastnamed gentleman one of its directors. 

Our condition, as I have said before, was greatly improved; and yet themore we knew of freedom the more we desired it, and the less willing werewe to remain in bondage. The slaves that Capt. Helm had sold or hired out, were continually leaving him and the country, for a place of freedom; andI determined to become my own possessor. 

There is no one, I care not how favorable his condition, who desires to bea slave, to labor for nothing all his life for the benefit of others. Ihave often heard fugitive slaves say, that it was not so much the cruelbeatings and floggings that they received which induced them to leave theSouth, as the idea of dragging out a whole life of unrequited toil toenrich their masters. 

Everywhere that Slavery exists, it is nothing but _slavery_. I found itjust as hard to be beaten over the head with a piece of iron in New Yorkas it was in Virginia. Whips and chains are everywhere necessary todegrade and brutalize the slave, in order to reduce him to that abject andhumble state which Slavery requires. Nor is the effect much lessdisastrous on the man who holds supreme control over the soul and body ofhis fellow beings. Such unlimited power, in almost every instancetransforms the man into a tyrant; the brother into a demon. 

When the first of our persecuted race were brought to this country it wasto teach them to reverence the only true and living God; or such was theanswer of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth of England, when her subjectsdesired the liberty to bring from their native land the poor, ignorantAfrican. "Let them, " said the Queen, "be brought away only by their ownconsent, otherwise the act will be detestable, and bring down thevengeance of heaven upon us. " A very different position truly, from theone assumed at the present day by apologists for the traffic in humanflesh. But, to return to myself. 

I had determined to make an effort to own myself, and as a preliminarystep, I obtained permission of Capt. Helm to visit some friends living inCanandaigua and Geneva. This was in the winter of 1814. I went first toGeneva; from there to Canandaigua. Between the two villages I met acompany of United States' troops, returning from Buffalo, where they hadbeen to repel an invasion of the British. 

The two villages above named, were small but very pretty, having been laidout with taste and great care. Some wealthy and enterprising gentlemen hadcome from the East into this great Western country, who were making everyimprovement in their power. The dense forest had long since fallen underthe stroke of the woodman's ax, and in that section, flourishing villageswere springing up as if by magic, where so lately roamed wild beasts andrude savages, both having fallen back before the march of civilization. 

I called on James Moore, as directed by Mr. Cruger, and found he was oneof the directors of the "Manumission Society, " as it was then called. Thiswas an association of humane and intelligent gentlemen whose object it wasto aid any one who was illegally held in bondage. The funds of the societywere ample; and able counsel was employed to assist those who needed it. The late lamented John C. Spencer, one of the most eminent lawyers inWestern New York, was then counsel for that society. 

I soon got an interview with Mr. Moore, to whom I related the history ofmy life, --the story of my wrongs and hardships. I told him about my havingbeen hired out by Capt. Helm, which he said was sufficient to insure myfreedom! Oh! how my heart leaped at the thought! The tears started, mybreast heaved with a mighty throb of gratitude, and I could hardly refrainfrom grasping his hand or falling down at his feet; and perhaps shouldhave made some ludicrous demonstration of my feelings, had not the kindgentleman continued his conversation in another direction. 

He said that indispensable business called him to Albany, where he must goimmediately, but assured me that he would return in March following; thenI must come to him and he would see that I had what justly belonged tome--my freedom from Slavery. He advised me to return to Bath and go onwith my work as usual until March, but to say nothing of my intentions andprospects. I returned according to his directions, with a heart so light, that I could not realize that my bonds were not yet broken, nor the yokeremoved from off my neck. I was already free in spirit, and I silentlyexulted in the bright prospect of liberty. 

Could my master have felt what it was to be relieved of such a crushingweight, as the one which was but partially lifted from my mind, he wouldhave been a happier man than he had been for a long time. 

I went cheerfully back to my labor, and worked with alacrity, impatientonly for March to come; and as the time drew near I began to consider whatkind of an excuse I could make to get away. I could think of none, but Idetermined to go without one, rather than to remain. 

Just before the time appointed for me to meet Mr. Moore, a slave girlnamed Milly, came secretly to Bath. She had been one of Capt. Helm'sslaves, and he had a while before sold her to a man who lived somedistance west of the village. Milly had now taken the matter into her ownhands. She had left her master to take care of himself, and was in short, "running away, " determined as myself, that she would be a slave no longer;resolved on death, or freedom from the power of the slaveholder. 

The time I had set for my departure was so near at hand, that I concludedto accompany her in her flight. When the dark night came on, we startedtogether, and traveled all night, and just as the day dawned we arrived atManchester, where we stopped a short time with one Thomas Watkins. 

But I was not to be let go so easily. I had been missed at Capt. Helm's, and several men started in immediate pursuit. I was weary, and so intenton getting a little rest that I did not see my pursuers until they hadwell nigh reached the house where I was; but I _did_ see them in time tospring from the house with the agility of a deer, and to run for the woodsas for life. And indeed, I so considered it. I was unarmed to be sure, andnot prepared to defend myself against two or three men, armed to theteeth; but it would have gone hard with me before I surrendered myself tothem, after having dreamed as I had, and anticipated the blessings of afree man. I escaped them, thank God, and reached the woods, where Iconcealed myself for some time, and where I had ample opportunity toreflect on the injustice and cruelty of my oppressors, and to ask myselfwhy it was that I was obliged to fly from my home. Why was I there pantingand weary, hungry and destitute--skulking in the woods like a thief, andconcealing myself like a murderer? What had I done? For what fault, or forwhat crime was I pursued by armed men, and hunted like a beast of prey?God only knows how these inquiries harrowed up my very soul, and made mewell nigh doubt the justice and mercy of the Almighty, until I rememberedmy narrow escape, when my doubts dissolved in grateful tears. 

But why, oh why, had I been forced to flee thus from my fellow men? I wasguilty of no crime; I had committed no violence; I had broken no law ofthe land; I was not charged even with a fault, except of _the love ofliberty_ and a desire to be _free_! I had claimed the right to possess myown person, and remove it from oppression. Oh my God, thought I, can theAmerican People, who at this very hour are pouring out their blood indefence of their country's liberty; offering up as a sacrifice on thebattle field their promising young men, to preserve their land andhearthstones from English oppression; can they, will they, continue tohunt the poor African slave from their soil because he desires that sameliberty, so dear to the heart of every American citizen? Will they notblot out from their fair escutcheon the foul stain which Slavery has castupon it? Will they not remember the Southern bondman, in whom the loveof freedom is as inherent as in themselves; and will they not, whencontending for equal rights, use their mighty forces "to break _everyyoke_, and let the oppressed go free?" God grant that it may be so!

As soon as I thought it prudent, I pursued my journey, and finally cameout into the open country, near the dwelling of Mr. Dennis Comstock, who, as I have said, was president of the Manumission Society. To him I freelydescribed my situation, and found him a friend indeed. He expressed hisreadiness to assist me, and wrote a line for me to take to his brother, Otis Comstock, who took me into his family at once. I hired to Mr. Comstock for the season, and from that time onward lived with him nearlyfour years. 

When I arrived there I was about twenty-two years of age, and felt for thefirst time in my life, that I was my own master. I cannot describe to afree man, what a proud manly feeling came over me when I hired to Mr. C. And made my first bargain, nor when I assumed the dignity of collecting myown earnings. Notwithstanding I was very happy in my freedom from Slavery, and had a good home, where for the first time in my life I was allowed tosit at table with others, yet I found myself very deficient in almostevery thing which I should have learned when a boy. 

These and other recollections of the past often saddened my spirit; but_hope _, --cheering and bright, was now mine, and it lighted up the futureand gave me patience to persevere. 

In the autumn when the farm work was done, I called on Mr. Comstock forsome money, and the first thing I did after receiving it I went toCanandaigua where I found a book-store kept by a man named J. D. Bemis, andof him I purchased some school books. 

No king on his throne could feel prouder or grander than I did that day. With my books under my arm, and money of my own earning in my pocket, Istepped loftily along toward Farmington, where I determined to attend theAcademy. The thought, however, that though I was twenty-three years old, Ihad yet to learn what most boys of eight years knew, was rather a damperon my spirits. The school was conducted by Mr. J. Comstock, who was apleasant young man and an excellent teacher. He showed me every kindnessand consideration my position and ignorance demanded; and I attended hisschool three winters, with pleasure and profit to myself at least. 

When I had been with Mr. Comstock about a year, we received a visit frommy old master, Capt. Helm, who had spared no pains to find me, and when helearned where I was he came to claim me as "his boy, " who, he said he"wanted and must have. "

Mr. Comstock told him I was _not_ "his boy, " and as such he would notgive me up; and further, that I was free by the laws of the State. Heassured the Captain that his hiring me out in the first instance, to Mr. Tower, forfeited his claim to me, and gave me a right to freedom, --but ifhe chose to join issue, they would have the case tried in the SupremeCourt; but this proposition the Captain declined: he knew well enough thatit would result in my favor; and after some flattery and coaxing, he leftme with my friend, Mr. Comstock, in liberty and peace!

CHAPTER XII. 

CAPT. HELM--DIVORCE--KIDNAPPING. 

The business affairs of Capt. Helm had for some time been far fromprosperous; and now he was quite poor. His slave property proved a badinvestment, and Madam Thornton a far worse one. She had already appliedfor a divorce, and a good share of the estate as alimony; both of whichshe succeeded in getting, the Captain allowing her to take pretty muchher own course. These troubles, with costs of lawsuits, bad management, &c. , had now emptied the coffers of my old master almost to the lastfarthing; and he began to cast about him for some way to replenish hispurse, and retrieve his fallen fortunes. 

Had Capt. Helm been brought up to honorable industry, and accustomed tolook after his own pecuniary interests, he doubtless would have sustainedhis position; or if reverses were unavoidable, he would have bypersevering industry, regained what he had lost. But he had been raised ina slave State, and Southern principles were as deeply instilled into hismind, as Southern manners were impressed on his life and conduct. 

He had no partiality for labor of any kind; horse-racing and card-playingwere far more congenial to his tastes; reduced as he now was, he woulddeny himself no luxury that his means or credit would procure. His fewremaining slaves were given into the hands of an idle, brutal overseer--while they, half fed, half clothed, grew more and more discontented, andran away on every opportunity that offered. 

The Captain at last hit upon a method of making money, which, if it hadbeen carried into operation on the high seas, would in all probabilityhave been called by its right name, and incurred the penalty of thegallows--as piracy. Ought it then to be deemed less criminal becausetranspiring on the free soil of the American Republic? I think not. Norwas it less censurable on account of its failure. 

The Captain's plan was to collect all the slaves he had once owned, manyof whom had escaped to the surrounding villages, and when once in hisgrasp, to run them speedily into a slave State, and there sell them forthe Southern market. To carry forward this hellish design, it wasnecessary to have recourse to stratagem. Some person must be found tolure the unsuspecting slaves into the net he was spreading for them. Atlast he found a scoundrel named Simon Watkins, who for the considerationof fifty dollars, was to collect as many of the slaves as he could at oneplace; and when he had done so, he was to receive the money, leaving Capt. Helm to do the rest. 

Simon set immediately about the business, which was first to go toPalmyra, and in great kindness and generosity, give a large party to thecolored people, --desiring that all Capt. Helm's former slaves, _inparticular_, should be present to have a joyous re-union, and celebratetheir freedom in having a fine time generally. 

Invitations were sent to all, and extensive preparation made for a large"social party, " at Palmyra, at the house of Mrs. Bristol. My parents wereinvited; and Simon took the pains to come to Farmington to give me aspecial invitation. When the time arrived for the party, I went to Palmyrawith the intention of attending. I had not the least suspicion of anything wrong; yet, by some mysterious providence, or something for which Ican not account, a presentiment took possession of my mind that all wasnot right. I knew not what I feared, and could in no way define myapprehensions; but I grew so uneasy, that I finally gave up the party andreturned home, before the guests were assembled. 

Capt. Helm and his assistants came on to Palmyra in disguise, beforeevening, and secreted themselves in one of the hotels to await the arrivalof their victims. 

At the appointed hour the slaves began to assemble in large numbers andgreat glee, without the least suspicion of danger. They soon began theiramusements, and in the midst of their mirth, Capt. Helm and partystealthily crept from their hiding place and surrounded the house; thenbursting in suddenly upon the revelers, began to make arrests. Such atumult, such an affray as ensued would be hard to describe. 

The slaves fought for their lives and their liberty, and the Captain'sparty for their property and power. Fists, clubs, chairs, and any thingthey could get hold of, was freely used with a strength and will of menwho had tasted the joys of freedom. Cries and curses were mingled, whileblows fell like hail on both sides. Commands from our old master were metwith shouts of bold defiance on the part of the negroes, until themiserable kidnappers were glad to desist, and were driven of--notstealthily as they came, but in quick time and in the best way they could, to escape the threatened vengeance of the slaves, who drove them like"feathers before the wind. " But it was a terrible battle and many wereseverely wounded; among them was my father. He was taken to his home, mangled and bleeding, and from the effects of that night's affray he neverrecovered. He lingered on in feeble health until death finally releasedhim from suffering, and placed him beyond the reach of kidnappers andtyrants. 

The Captain and his party, enraged and disappointed in their plans atPalmyra, returned to Bath to see what could be done there toward success, in getting up a gang of slaves for the Southern market. When they cameamong the colored people of Bath, it was like a hawk alighting among aflock of chickens at noon-day. They scattered and ran in every direction, some to the woods, some hid themselves in cellars, and others in theirterror plunged into the Conhocton River. In this manner the majority ofthe negroes escaped, but not all; and those were so unfortunate as to getcaught were instantly thrown into a large covered "Pennsylvania wagon, "and hurried off, closely guarded, to Olean Point. Among those taken wereHarry Lucas, his wife, Lucinda, and seven children; Mrs. Jane Cooper andfour children, with some others, were also taken. 

When Capt. Helm arrived at Olean Point with his stolen freight of humanbeings, he was unexpectedly detained until he could build a boat, --which, to his great dismay took him several days. 

The sorrow and fearful apprehension of those wretched recaptured slavescan not be described nor imagined by any one except those who haveexperienced a like affliction. They had basked for a short season in thesunshine of liberty, and thought themselves secure from the iron grasp ofSlavery, and the heel of the oppressor, when in the height of theirexultation, they had been thrust down to the lowest depths of misery anddespair, with the oppressor's heel again upon their necks. To be snatchedwithout a moment's warning from their homes and friends, --hurried andcrowded into the close slave wagon, regardless of age or sex, like sheepfor the slaughter, to be carried they knew not whither; but, doubtlessto the dismal rice swamp of the South, --was to them an agony too great forendurance. The adult portion of the miserable company determined at lastto go no farther with their heartless master, but to resist unto death ifneed be, before they surrendered themselves to the galling chains they hadso recently broken, or writhed again under the torturing lash of theslave-driver. 

Harry Lucas and wife, and Jane Cooper, silently prepared themselves forthe conflict, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible. Whenthey were nearly ready to start, Jane Cooper sent her oldest daughter andyounger sister, (she who is now our worthy friend Mrs. P. Of Bath), intothe woods, and then when the men undertook to get Lucas and the two womenon board the boat the struggle commenced. The women fought the Captain andhis confederates like a lioness robbed of her whelps! They ran and dodgedabout, making the woods ring with their screams and shouts of "Murder!Murder! Help! Help! Murder!" until the Captain's party, seeing they coulddo nothing to quell them, became so exceedingly alarmed lest they shouldbe detected in their illegal proceedings, that they ran off at full speed, as if they thought an officer at their heels. In their hurry and frightthey caught two of Harry's children, and throwing them into the boat, pushed off as quick as possible, amid the redoubled cries of the agonizedparents and sympathizing friends, all trying in every way possible, torecover from the merciless grasp of the man-stealer, the two frightenedand screaming children. Guns were fired and horns sounded, but all to nopurpose--they held tightly the innocent victims of their cupidity, andmade good their escape. 

Mr. D. C----, a gentleman of wealth and high standing in Steuben County, became responsible for the fifty dollars which Capt. Helm promised to paySimon Watkins for his villainy in betraying, Judas-like, those unsuspectingpersons whom it should have been his pleasure to protect and defendagainst their common oppressor, --his own as well as theirs. 

In addition to this rascality, it can not appear very creditable to thecitizens of Steuben County, that Capt. Helm and Thomas McBirney shouldboth hold high and important offices at the time, and _after_ they hadbeen tried and convicted of the crime of kidnapping. Both of thesegentlemen, guilty of a State's prison offence, were judges of the commonpleas. T. McBirney was first judge in the county, and Capt. Helm was sidejudge; and notwithstanding their participation in, and conviction of, aflagrant outrage on the laws of God and man, they managed not only toescape the penalty, but to retain their offices and their respectablestanding in community for years after. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

LOCATE IN THE VILLAGE OF ROCHESTER. 

I continued to labor in the employ of Mr. O. Comstock, whose son, Zeno, was married during the year 1816, and purchased a farm on the site of thepresent flourishing village of Lockport, to which he moved his family andeffects; but from a mistaken supposition that the Erie Canal, which wasthen under contemplation, would take a more southern route, he was inducedto sell his farm in Hartland, which has proved a mine of wealth to themore fortunate purchaser. 

In the winter of that year, I was sent by my employer to Hartland with asleigh-load of produce, and passed through the village of Rochester, whichI had never before seen. It was a very small, forbidding looking place atfirst sight, with few inhabitants, and surrounded by a dense forest. 

I recollect that while pursuing my journey, I overtook a white man drivinga span of horses, who contended that I had not a right to travel thepublic highway as other men did, but that it was my place to keep behindhim and his team. Being in haste I endeavored to pass him quietly, but hewould not permit it and hindered me several hours, very much to myannoyance and indignation. This was, however, but a slight incidentindicating the bitter prejudice which every man seemed to feel against thenegro. No matter how industrious he might be, no matter how honorable inhis dealings, or respectful in his manners, --he was a "nigger, " and assuch he must be treated, with a few honorable exceptions. 

This year also, my father died in the village of Palmyra, where, as I havebefore mentioned, he received injuries from which he never entirelyrecovered. After about six months severe illness which he bore withcommendable patience and resignation, his spirit returned to God who gaveit; and his sorrowing friends and bereaved family followed his remains totheir final abode, where we laid him down to rest from unrequited laborand dire oppression, until "all they who are in their graves shall hearthe voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live forever, " wherethe "tears shall be wiped from off all faces"--and where the righteousbondman shall no longer fear the driver's lash or master's frown, butfreely join in the song of "Alleluia! The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!"

My father had a good reputation for honesty and uprightness of characteramong his employers and acquaintances, and was a kind, affectionatehusband and a fond, indulgent parent. His, I believe was the life anddeath of a good man. "Peace be to his ashes. "

The following season I commenced a new business--that of peddling in thevillage of Rochester such articles as my employer, Mr. Comstock, desiredto sell: the products of his farm, --wheat, corn, oats, butter, cheese, meat, and poultry--all of which met a ready sale, generally for cash atliberal prices. That market was then but little known to the generality offarmers, and the enterprising gentlemen of that place, were desirous ofencouraging commerce with the surrounding country, offered everyencouragement in their power. Hence, we found it a profitable business, which I continued in for several months. 

The present flourishing city of Rochester was then, as I have said, but avillage in its infancy, situated near the upper falls of the GeneseeRiver, and about seven miles from its mouth. Here, some time previously, three gentlemen from Maryland bought a large tract of land, and as nobusiness man could fail to observe and appreciate its rare advantages theycommenced laying out a village. Sirs Fitzhugh, Carroll, and Rochester, composed the company; but the management of the business devolved almostwholly on Col. Rochester, whose wealth, enterprise, and intelligence wellqualified him for the undertaking; and as it had been assigned him tocognominate the new village, I have heard it said that he jocularly gavehis reason for selecting its present title, as follows: "Should he call it_Fitzhugh_ or _Carroll_, the slighted gentleman would certainly feeloffended with the other; but if he called it by his own name, they wouldmost likely _both_ be angry with him; so it was best to serve them alike. "

There was then two grist mills, --one owned by Mr. Ely, and the other byMr. Brown; one small building for religious worship, occupied by thePresbyterians on Carroll street (now State street); and but two stonebuildings within what now comprises that beautiful city. There were thenno brick buildings at all, but business was good; merchants and mechanicsfrom the East soon began to settle there and give it a thriving aspect. 

About this time another company was formed, whose moving spirit was Mr. E. Stone, a man of worth and talent; the object of which was to locateanother village at the head of navigation and about half way between themouth of the river and Rochester, which they called _Carthage_. 

The company commenced building and improving the place so rapidly, thatmany who came to purchase residences and business stations were at a lossto decide which of the two places would finally become the center ofbusiness. It, however, was soon perceivable that the advantage of waterprivileges, stone, and access to both, was greatly in favor of Rochester. At Carthage the Genesee is narrow and its banks steep and abrupt, risingin many places three hundred feet above the bed of the river, which ofcourse render the privileges and business on it far less easy of accessfor building purposes. I may have occasion to speak hereafter of theexpensive and magnificent bridge at Carthage, which was the wonder andadmiration of the times. 

The following year I concluded to go into business for myself, and was asmuch at loss as others, whether to locate at Rochester or Carthage; butafter considering the matter in all its bearings, and closely watching theprogress of events, my choice preponderated in favor of Rochester, and tothat place I went, designing to enter into business on my own account. 

It was indeed painful to my feelings to leave the home and family of Mr. Comstock, where I had experienced so much real comfort and happiness, where I had ever been treated with uniform kindness, where resided thosekind friends to whom I felt under the greatest obligation for the freedomand quietude I then enjoyed, as well as for the little knowledge ofbusiness and of the world that I then possessed. Thinking, however, thatI could better my condition, I subdued, as well as I could, my risingemotions, and after sincerely thanking them for their goodness andfavors--wishing them long life and prosperity, --I took my departure forthe chosen place of my destination. 

Soon after I left Mr. Comstock's, that gentleman, sent his hired man, named John Cline, to Rochester with a wagon load of produce to sell, ashad been his custom for some time. In vain the family looked for hisreturn at the usual hour in the evening, and began to wonder what haddetained him; but what was their horror and surprise to find, when theyarose the next morning, the horses standing at the door, and the poorunfortunate man lying in the wagon, _dead_! How long they had been therenobody knew; no one had heard them come in; and how the man had beenkilled was a matter of mere conjecture. The coroner was sent for and aninquest held, and yet it was difficult to solve the whole mystery. 

The most probable explanation was, that he was sitting in the back part ofthe wagon, and fell over on his left side, striking his neck on the edgeof the wagon box, breaking it instantly. 

The verdict of the jury was, in accordance with these facts, "accidentaldeath, " &c. 

When I left Mr. Comstock's I had acquired quite a knowledge of reading, writing, arithmetic, and had made a small beginning in English grammar. 

It had been for some time a question which I found hard to decide, whetheror not I should pursue my studies as I had done. If I went into businessas I contemplated, I knew it would end my proficiency in the sciences; andyet I felt a desire to accumulate more of the wealth that perisheth. Considering too that I was advancing in age, and had no means of supportbut by my own labor, I finally concluded to do what I have from that timeto this deeply regretted, --give up the pursuit of an education, and turnmy attention wholly to business. I do not regret having desired acompetency, nor for having labored to obtain it, but I _do_ regret nothaving spared myself sufficient leisure to pursue some regular system ofreading and study; to have cultivated my mind and stored it with usefulknowledge. 

Truly has it been said, "knowledge is power. " But it is not like thewithering curse of a tyrant's power; not like the degrading andbrutalizing power of the slave-driver's lash, chains, and thumb-screws;not like the beastly, demonical power of rum, nor like the brazen, shameless power of lust; but a power that elevates and refines theintellect; directs the affections; controls unholy passions; a power soGod-like in its character, that it enables its possessor to feel for theoppressed of every clime, and prepares him to defend the weak anddown-trodden. 

What but ignorance renders the poor slave so weak and inefficient inclaiming his right to liberty, and the possession of his own being! Norwill that God who is "no respecter of persons, " hold him guiltless whoassumes unlimited control over his fellow. The chain of Slavery whichfetters every slave south of Mason and Dixon's Line, is as closely linkedaround the master as the slave. The time has passed by when African bloodalone is enslaved. In Virginia as well as in some other slave States, there is as much European blood in the veins of the enslaved as there isAfrican; and the increase is constantly in favor of the white population. This fact alone speaks volumes, and should remind the slave-breedingSoutherner of that fearful retribution which must sooner or later overtakehim. 

In September, 1817, I commenced business in Rochester. Having rented aroom of Mr. A. Wakely, I established a meat market, which was suppliedmostly by my former employer, Mr. Comstock, and was liberally patronizedby the citizens; but there were butchers in the village who appeared to beunwilling that I should have any share in public patronage. Sometimes theytore down my sign, at others painted it black, and so continued to annoyme until after I had one of their number arrested, which put a stop totheir unmanly proceedings. 

The village was now rapidly increasing, and yet the surrounding countrywas mostly a wilderness. Mr. E. Stone, who then owned the land on the eastside of the river, thought his farm a very poor one; he, however, commenced clearing it in the midst of wild beasts and rattlesnakes, bothof which were abundant, and in a few years was richly rewarded for hislabor, in the sale of village lots, which commanded high prices. 

In the summer of 1818, I commenced teaching a Sabbath School for theneglected children of our oppressed race. For a while it was wellattended, and I hoped to be able to benefit in some measure the poor anddespised colored children, but the parents interested themselves verylittle in the undertaking, and it shortly came to naught. So strong wasthe prejudice then existing against the colored people, that very few ofthe negroes seemed to have any courage or ambition to rise from the abjectdegradation in which the estimation of the white man had placed him. 

This year, also, I purchased a lot of land, eighteen by fifty feet, situated on Main street, for which I was to pay five hundred dollars. Having secured my land, I began making preparations for building, andsoon had a good two story dwelling and store, into which I moved myeffects, and commenced a more extensive business. 

Some disadvantage as well as sport was occasioned on business men, whoresided on the confines of Ontario and Genesee Counties. It was indeedlaughable to witness the races and maneuvering of parties in those dayswhen men were imprisoned for debt. If a man in Ontario County had asuspicion that an officer was on his track, he had only to step over theline into Genesee, to be beyond the power of an officer's precept. 

A great deal of trouble as well as unpleasant feeling was engendered bythe exercise of that law, which allowed the creditor so great advantageover the debtor. This, together with the fact that very many of thecitizens of Rochester were men of small means, the more wealthy portionfelt called upon to protect their interests, by forming themselves intowhat was called a "Shylock Society, " the object of which was to obtain alist of all the names of persons who had been, or were then, on "thelimits" for debt. This list of names was printed, and each member of thesociety furnished with a copy, which enabled him to decide whether or notto trust a man when he came to trade. The formation of this society gaverise to another, whose members pledged themselves to have no dealing witha member of the "Shylock Society, " and also to publish all defaulters in"high life, " which served to check these oppressive measures and restoreharmony. 

Among others who came to settle in the thriving village of Rochester, wasa colored man named Daniel Furr, who came from the East. He soon becameacquainted with a very respectable young white lady, of good family, whoafter a short acquaintance appeared to be perfectly enamored of her duskyswain; and notwithstanding the existing prejudice, she did not scruple toavow her affection for him, --a devotion which appeared to be as sincerelyreturned by the young "Othello. " They resolved to marry; but to this, serious objections arose, and all that the lady's family and friends coulddo to break off the match was done, but without effect. They could, however, prevail on no one to perform the marriage ceremony in thevillage, and finally concluded to go to a magistrate in the town ofBrighton, four miles distant. At this stage of the proceedings I wasappealed to, to accompany them. I took the matter into consideration andcame to the conclusion that I could take no active part in the affair, norbear any responsible station in the unpleasant occurrence. Is it no sin inthe sight of the Almighty, for Southern gentlemen(?) to mix blood andamalgamate the races? And if allowed to them, is it not equallyjustifiable when the commerce is prompted by affection rather than that oflust and force? But I at length consented to accompany them, afterlearning that all the mischief was already done that could be feared, andthat the gallant lover desired to marry the lady as the only atonement hecould make for the loss of her reputation. 

We arrived at the house of the magistrate about one o'clock at night, andall were soundly sleeping. They were, however, aroused, and when ourbusiness was made known, an exciting scene followed. The magistraterefused at first to marry them; and the lady of the house took aside theintended bride, spending two hours in endeavoring to dissuade her from thecontemplated union; assuring her that her house should be freely opened toher, that no attention should be spared during her expected confinement, &c. ; but all to no purpose. They returned to the parlor where themagistrate again tried his power of persuasion, but with as little successas his lady had met: and then he reluctantly married them. The newly-madehusband paid a liberal fee, and we took our leave. I returned to my hometo reflect on the scenes of the past night, and Mr. And Mrs. Furr to thehouse of a friend of the bride in Penfield. 

The report soon reached the village that the marriage had beenconsummated, which produced a great excitement. Threats of an alarmingcharacter were openly made against the "nigger" who had dared to marry awhite woman, although at her own request. And there was also a class ofpersons who associated together, professing great friendship for thepersecuted husband, and often drew him into their company, pretending todefend his cause while they were undoubtedly plotting his destruction. 

One day, after Furr had been drinking rather freely with his pretendedfriends, he was taken so violently ill, that a physician was immediatelycalled. I was with him when the doctor arrived. He gazed upon thesuffering man with an angry expression, and inquired in a tone of command, "Daniel, what have you been doing?" In vain the poor creature begged forrelief, the doctor merely repeating his question. After looking at him forsome time, he finally administered a potion and hastily left the room, saying as he did so, "that Furr was as sure to die as though his head hadbeen cut off. " And so it proved, though not so speedily as the medical manhad predicted; nor did he ever visit him again, notwithstanding helingered for several days in the most intense agony. It was a strong mangrappling with disease and death, and the strife was a fearful one. Butdeath at last ended the scene, with none of all his professed friends, except his faithful but heart-broken wife, to administer to hisnecessities. No sound save that of the moaning widow broke the stillnessof his death-chamber. A few friends collected, who prepared the emaciatedbody for the grave; enclosing it in a rude board coffin it was conveyed toits last resting place, followed by three or four men, just as the shadesof evening had fallen upon this sin-cursed world; there in darkness andsilence we lowered his remains, and left the gloomy spot to return to hisdisconsolate wife, who had been too ill to join the meager procession. 

It has ever been my conviction that Furr was poisoned, most likely by someof his false friends who must have mingled some deadly drug with hisdrinks or food; nor do I believe that the medicine administered by thephysician was designed to save his life. But to Him who knoweth allthings, we leave the matter. 

His despised, forsaken, and bereaved wife soon followed him to the grave, where she sleeps quietly with her innocent babe by her side; and whereprobably this second Desdemonia finds the only refuge which would havebeen granted her by a heartless and persecuting world. 

Oh, when will this nation "cease to do evil and learn to do well?" Whenwill they judge character in accordance with its moral excellence, insteadof the complexion a man unavoidably bears to the world?

CHAPTER XIV. 

INCIDENTS IN ROCHESTER AND VICINITY. 

After long petitioning, the inhabitants of that section succeeded inhaving the new county of Monroe set off from Genesee and Ontario Counties, in 1821, which gave a new impulse to the business interests of the alreadyflourishing town, which had heretofore labored under some disadvantages inconsequence of having all public business done at Canandaigua or Batavia. 

About this time, too, was the Carthage bridge built by a company ofenterprising gentlemen of that village which at that day was consideredone of the wonders of the age; but as its history is well known to allinterested in the enterprises of those days, it is only necessary to say, that the magnificent structure, so grand in its appearance, such a patternof mechanical ingenuity, exhibiting in all its vast proportions, bothstrength and beauty, combined with utility and grandeur; and erected atsuch an enormous expense of time, labor, and cash, was destined soon tofall. 

It had cost some ten thousand dollars; and had been warranted by thebuilders to stand one year. How great then must have been the loss anddisappointment when in a little more than twenty-four hours after the timespecified, the ruins of that beautiful structure were found floating onthe broad bosom of the Genesee! And yet when we take into considerationthe vast amount of human life which hourly passed over its solid surface, we can but wonder at the intervention of a kind Providence which preventedany loss of life at the time of its fall. A child had but just passed overit, when with one general crash it sank to the waters below; mocking inits rapid flight, the wisdom of the architect and foresight of frailhumanity. The fall of Carthage bridge was indeed a calamity felt by thepublic generally, and sounded the death-knell of all future greatness toCarthage, or at least for some years to come. 

About this time the village was thrown into a state of excitement by thearrest of a colored woman named Ellen, who it was charged had escaped fromservice due to a Mr. D. , south of Mason and Dixon's Line. She had beenarrested in accordance with a law passed by Congress in 1793, whichforbids persons owing service in one State to flee to another; and whichalso obliges those receiving such service, to render to the claimantany fugitive from labor due, &c. Poor Ellen! She had many friends and ablecounsel, but nothing short of an open violation of the law of the land, could prevent her return to the house of bondage. She was tried and givenup to him who claimed dominion over her. Hopeless and heart-broken, shewas escorted from the boasted land and village of freedom, by a company ofthe "Light Horse, " under the command of Capt. Curtis. One poor, persecutedslave woman, upon whose heart had fallen a shadow darker than death's;driving every earthly hope of liberty from her wounded spirit; helplessand forlorn! She indeed must have required this military parade--thisshow of power! And that too, by men who throw up their caps with a shoutfor freedom and equal rights! Oh, "consistency, thou art a jewel!"

As I recollect but one other incident of the kind occurring in Rochester, I will now name it. 

A colored man named Davis, generally known as "Doctor Davis, " with areputation unsullied for industry, truth and sobriety, was arrested as afugitive from slave labor in Kentucky. Two men came on from that State, acting in the double capacity of agents for the claimant and witnessesagainst the slave. They employed Mr. L. As counsel, and hastened on thetrial of the afflicted African. When it became generally known that Daviswas arrested, and about to be tried, the excitement grew intense among allclasses; but more particularly among the colored people. When the trialcame on, the Court room was crowded to overflowing, and every avenueleading to it densely thronged with deeply anxious persons, assembled towitness the result. It became evident, however, that the poor man must begiven up to his grasping master, unless some means were devised to rescuehim from the power of an unjust law. His friends were on the alert, and asthe trial proceeded, the colored men found an opportunity to get him intoa corner of the crowded apartment; where, while the officers stood at thedoor, they dressed him in disguise, and otherwise so completely changedhis personal appearance, that he passed out of the Court room, undetectedby the officers, and as all supposed was safely pursuing his way toCanada. 

The hawk-eyed counsel for the Kentuckians, however, too soon observedexultation written on every dusky countenance, to keep quiet. Starting tohis feet in great alarm, he cried out "Where is Davis?" And oh, how thatquestion startled every one present. Every eye gazed hither and thither, and every ear intently listened for the answer. After a moment ofbreathless silence, the excited counselor was assured that the "bird hadflown, " which announcement was received with a rapturous shout of joy bythe audience, greatly, however, to the discomfiture of the gentlemen fromKentucky, who had thought themselves so sure of their prize. Nor wouldthey be thwarted now. It was not yet too late to overtake their victim, and slavery required at their hands a sacrifice which they were ready tomake. Hand-bills were in immediate circulation, offering a reward of fiftydollars for the apprehension of the flying fugitive. Fifty dollars, forthe body and soul of a man to plunge into the degradation of Slavery!Fifty dollars for the ruin of a fellow being, for whom Christ gave hisprecious life! Yes, fifty dollars are offered to any human blood-hound whowill hunt and worry the poor slave, who must fly from this boasted land ofliberty, to seek protection in the dominion of England's Queen!

Unfortunately for Davis, some of these hand-bills were thrown on board thevery packet on which he had embarked for Buffalo; nor was this all. Thebills would have left him uninjured, but a scoundrel--an apology for aman--was there also, who, for the consideration of fifty dollars waswilling to compromise all pretensions to manhood and humanity, and dragfrom the boat the panting slave, whom he cast beneath the heel of hisoppressor. When Davis was finally retaken, those Kentucky dealers in humanchattels, held him with a grasp that banished all hope of escape byflight; and then in his sorrow and despair the wretched, hopeless mancried out "Oh, my God, must I return to the hell of Slavery? Save me, Oh, dear Lord, save this, thy helpless, friendless servant, from a fate sodreadful! Oh, Christian friends and neighbors, I appeal to you to rescueme from a life far more terrible than death in any form! Oh, God, is thereno protection for me in the laws of New York? I claim it, by all that issacred in her past history! Give me liberty or death! or death!" herepeated, with a shudder; then casting one glance of hopeless agony on hispersecutors, he secretly drew from his pocket a razor, and before he couldbe prevented he drew it across his throat, and fell gasping in the midstof his slave-hunting tormentors, while a collection of bystanders cried"Shame! shame! on the institution of Slavery!"

Poor Davis was not dead, but supposing he soon would be, these gentlemenwere requested to give security, and indemnify the town for all expensesit might incur on Davis' account. But instead of giving their bond asrequested, they took a sudden start for Kentucky, where it was verygenerally desired they might remain. 

With good treatment, Davis, after a long time, recovered sufficiently tobe removed by his friends to a place of safety; and when so far restoredas to be able he returned to Rochester, where he received assistance whichenabled him to reach Canada. I have often heard from him during hisresidence in that country, where no slaves exist and he has done well, having quite an extensive practice in medicine, and lives in the quietenjoyment of that liberty which he struggled so hard to obtain and came sonear losing; yet, to this day he prefers death to Slavery. And who doesnot? None, who have breathed the air of freedom after an experience ofunrequited toil to enrich a brutal and selfish master. Truly is it said, "a contented slave is a degraded being. "

CHAPTER XV. 

SAD REVERSES OF CAPT. HELM. 

I must again introduce to the kind reader my old master, Capt. Helm, whowe left residing in Bath, several years ago. And as I have beforeintimated he had now become a very poor man; indeed so reduced was he nowthat he lived with one of his slave women, and was supported by publiccharity! Learning, too, that I had saved by my industry a few hundreddollars, it seemed very congenial with his avaricious habits to endeavorto obtain what I possessed. In accordance with his plan he employed alawyer named Lewland to come to my place of business, which he did, anddemanded of me to pay Capt. Helm two hundred dollars. He also left anotice, forbidding all persons to take or destroy any property in mypossession; and then impudently inquired how I expected to gain myfreedom; if I thought of applying for a writ of _habaeus corpus_; and manyother questions; to which I replied that I should pay no money on theorder of Capt. Helm; apply for no writ; but should continue to maintain mypersonal rights and enjoy the freedom which was already mine, and which Idesigned to keep, assuring him that the Captain had forfeited his claim, if he had any, to me or my services, when he hired me to Mr. Tower. 

He hung about me for a day or two, and then left me to pursue my business--I saw no more of him. Some time afterward Mr. H. E. Rochester informed methat he had a _subpoena_ for me, which I found was issued by thedirection of Capt. Helm. By Mr. Rochester's counsel, I took it to Mr. A. Sampson, who assured me that my old master had commenced a suit against mein the Court of Equity, and the case would be tried before Wm. B. Rochester, Esq. , who was one of the circuit judges. Capt. Helm claimedevery particle of property I possessed; a claim that occasioned me greatanxiety and some cost. 

Mr. Sampson encouraged me to hope, however, that the case would bedismissed as two other cases of that kind had been. 

I labored to the best of my ability to prepare myself for the trial, whichwas to decide whether I had a right to possess myself and command my ownservices and earnings, or whether all belonged to Capt. Helm. As I lookedforward with anxious forebodings to the day appointed for the suit tocommence, I was startled by the announcement of my old master's _death_!Yes, Capt. Helm was dead; and with him died the law suit. He who had sowronged me, who had occasioned me so much suffering and sorrow had gone tohis account. He who had once been thought to be one of the wealthiest aswell as one of the greatest men in the county, died a pauper--neglectedand despised, and scarcely awarded a decent burial. Like his wife, whodied such a horrid death, he had been reared in affluence and was aninheritor of vast possessions, but his home was in a slave State; he wasraised on a plantation, and nurtured in the atmosphere of Slavery. 

In his youth he had contracted the habit of drinking to excess, besidethat of gambling, horse-racing and the like, which followed him throughlife. Forgotten and scorned in his poverty by many who had partaken of hisabundance, sipped his wine, and rode his fast horses. 

During the last war his princely mansion was ever open to the officers ofthe army, and many a wounded soldier has been cheered and comforted by hishospitality. But now he is regarded as no better than his poorest slave, and lies as lowly as they, in the narrow house appointed for all theliving. 

My old master had two brothers: the oldest, Thomas Helm, was a Captain inthe United States Army, and had been in many hard-fought battles. Hisyounger brother, William, was a Captain also; but Thomas was the man toawaken curiosity. I have lived with him, but never knew of his goingunarmed for an hour, until he left Virginia and came to Steuben County, where he died. When at the South, I have seen strangers approach him, butthey were invariably commanded to "stand" and to "approach him at theirperil. " He finally came to the State of New York, bringing with him his"woman" with whom he lived, and two children, with whom he settled on apiece of land given him by my old master, where the old soldier lived, died, and was buried on one of his small "clearings" under an old appletree. He owned a few slaves, but at his death his "woman" collected everything she could, and among the rest, two or three slave children, to whomshe had no right or claim whatever, and made her way to Kentucky. About ayear ago I visited the spot where the brave old defender of his countryhad been buried, but found very little to mark the resting place of thebrother of my old master. They had passed away. Their wealth, power andbravery had come to nought; and no tribute was now paid to the memory ofone of "Old Virginia's best families. " The _blood_ of which they were wontto boast, was now no more revered than that which commingled with theAfrican and circulated in the veins of his despised and downtroddenslaves. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

BRITISH EMANCIPATION OF SLAVERY. 

As time passed on I found myself progressing in a profitable business. Ihad paid for my house and lot, and purchased another adjoining, on which Ihad erected a valuable brick building. The Lord prospered all myundertakings and I felt grateful for my good fortune. I kept all kinds ofgroceries and grain, which met a ready sale; and now I began to look aboutme for a partner in life, to share my joys and sorrows, and to assist meon through the tempestuous scenes of a life-long voyage. Such a companionI found in the intelligent and amiable Miss B----, to whom I was marriedon the eleventh of May, 1825. She was the youngest daughter of aparticular friend, who had traveled extensively and was noted for hishonesty and intelligence. 

About this time, too, "Sam Patch" made his last and fatal leap from ascaffold twenty five feet above the falls of Genesee, which are ninety-sixfeet in height. From thence he plunged into the foaming river to rise nomore in life. The following spring the body of the foolish man was foundand buried, after having lain several months in the turbulent waters ofthe Genesee. 

This year was also rendered memorable by the efficient labors of ProfessorFinney, through whose faithful preaching of the gospel, many were broughtto a saving knowledge of the truth. 

The "Emancipation Act" had now been passed, and the happy time for it totake effect was drawing nigh. Slavery could no longer exist in the EmpireState nor receive the protection of her laws. Would to God it had socontinued to be what it professed--the refuge of the bondman and the homeof the free. But alas! Now the flying fugitive from Slavery finds nosecurity within her borders; he must flee onward, to the dominion ofQueen Victoria, ere he rests, lest the exaction of the odious "FugitiveSlave Law" return him to the house of bondage. 

But the Emancipation Bill had been passed, and the colored people felt itto be a time fit for rejoicing. They met in different places anddetermined to evince their gratitude by a general celebration. InRochester they convened in large numbers, and resolved to celebrate theglorious day of freedom at Johnson's Square, on the _fifth_ day of July. This arrangement was made so as not to interfere with the white populationwho were everywhere celebrating the day of their independence--"theGlorious Fourth, "--for amid the general and joyous shout of liberty, prejudice had sneeringly raised the finger of scorn at the poor African, whose iron bands were loosed, not only from English oppression, but themore cruel and oppressive power of Slavery. 

They met according to previous appointment, Mr. A. H----, having beenchosen president, Mr. H. E----, marshal, and Mr. H. D----, reader of the"Act of Emancipation, " and "The Declaration of Independence. " A largeaudience of both white and colored people assembled, and the day which hadbeen ushered in by the booming cannon, passed by in the joyous realizationthat we were indeed free men. To the music of the band the largeprocession marched from the square to the hotel, where ample provision wasmade for dinner, after listening to the following oration, which I hadbeen requested to deliver. 

I must not omit to mention that on the morning of that happy day, acommittee of colored men waited upon the Hon. Matthew Brown, and in behalfof the citizens of Monroe County, presented their thanks for his nobleexertions in the Legislature, in favor of the Act by which thousands weremade free men. 

They were received by that worthy gentleman with grateful and pleasingassurances of his continued labor in behalf of freedom. 

Now I will lay before the reader my address to the audience on thateventful day. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

ORATION--TERMINATION OF SLAVERY. 

The age in which we live is characterised in no ordinary degree, by acertain boldness and rapidity in the march of intellectual and politicalimprovements. Inventions the most surprising; revolutions the mostextraordinary, are springing forth, and passing in quick succession beforeus, --all tending most clearly to the advancement of mankind towards thatstate of earthly perfection and happiness, from which they are yet so fardistant, but of which their nature and that of the world they inhabit, are most certainly capable. It is at all times pleasing and instructiveto look backward by the light of history, and forward by the light ofanalogical reasoning, to behold the gradual advancement of man frombarbarism to civilization, from civilization toward the higher perfectionsof his nature; and to hope--nay, confidently believe, that the time is notfar distant when liberty and equal rights being everywhere established, morality and the religion of the gospel everywhere diffused, --man shallno longer lift his hand for the oppression of his fellow man; but all, mutually assisting and assisted, shall move onward throughout the journeyof human life, like the peaceful caravan across the burning sands ofArabia. And never, on this glorious anniversary, so often and sodeservedly celebrated by millions of free men, but which we are to-day forthe first time called to celebrate--never before, has the eye been able tosurvey the past with so much satisfaction, or the future with hopes andexpectations so brilliant and so flattering; it is to us a day of two-foldjoy. We are men, though the strong hand of prejudice and oppression isupon us; we can, and we will rejoice in the advancement of the rapidlyincreasing happiness of mankind, and especially of our own race. We can, and we will rejoice in the growing power and glory of the country weinhabit. Although Almighty God has not permitted us to remain in the landof our forefathers and our own, the glories of national independence, andthe sweets of civil and religious liberty, to their full extent; but thestrong hand of the spoiler has borne us into a strange land, yet has He ofHis great goodness given us to behold those best and noblest of his giftsto man, in their fairest and loveliest forms; and not only have we beheldthem, but we have already felt much of their benignant influence. Mostof us have hitherto enjoyed many, very many of the dearest rights offreemen. Our lives and personal liberties have been held as sacred andinviolable; the rights of property have been extended to us, in this landof freedom; our industry has been, and still is, liberally rewarded; andso long as we live under a free and happy government which denies us notthe protection of its laws, why should we fret and vex ourselves becausewe have had no part in framing them, nor anything to do with theiradministration. When the fruits of the earth are fully afforded us, we donot wantonly refuse them, nor ungratefully repine because we have donenothing towards the cultivation of the tree which produces them. No, weaccept them with lively gratitude; and their sweetness is not embitteredby reflecting upon the manner in which they were obtained. It is thedictate of sound wisdom, then, to enjoy without repining, the freedom, privileges, and immunities which wise and equal laws have awarded us--nay, proudly to rejoice and glory in their production, and stand ready at alltimes to defend them at the hazard of our lives, and of all that is mostdear to us. 

But are we alone shut out and excluded from any share in theadministration of government? Are not the clergy, a class of men equallyineligible to office? A class of men almost idolized by their countrymen, ineligible to office! And are we alone excluded from what the worldchooses to denominate polite society? And are not a vast majority of thepolar race excluded? I know not why, but mankind of every age, nation, andcomplexion have had lower classes; and, as a distinction, they have chosento arrange themselves in the grand spectacle of human life, like seats ina theater--rank above rank, with intervals between them. But if anysuppose that happiness or contentment is confined to any single class, or that the high or more splendid order possesses any substantialadvantage in those respects over their more lowly brethren, they must bewholly ignorant of all rational enjoyment. For what though the more humbleorders cannot mingle with the higher on terms of equality. This, ifrightly considered, is not a curse but a blessing. Look around you, myfriends: what rational enjoyment is not within your reach? Your homes arein the noblest country in the world, and all of that country which yourreal happiness requires, may at any time be yours. Your industry canpurchase it; and its righteous laws will secure you in its possession. But, to what, my friends, do you owe all these blessings? Let not thetruth be concealed. You owe them to that curse, that bitter scourge ofAfrica, whose partial abolishment you are this day convened to celebrate. Slavery has been your curse, but it shall become your rejoicing. Like thepeople of God in Egypt, you have been afflicted; but like them too, youhave been redeemed. You are henceforth free as the mountain winds. Whyshould we, on this day of congratulation and joy, turn our view upon theorigin of African Slavery? Why should we harrow up our minds by dwellingon the deceit, the forcible fraud and treachery that have been so longpractised on your hospitable and unsuspecting countrymen? Why speak offathers torn from the bosom of their families, wives from the embraces oftheir husbands, children from the protection of their parents; in fine, ofall the tender and endearing relations of life dissolved and trampledunder foot, by the accursed traffic in human flesh? Why should weremember, in joy and exultation, the thousands of our countrymen who areto-day, in this land of gospel light, this boasted land of civil andreligious liberty, writhing under the lash and groaning beneath thegrinding weight of Slavery's chain? I ask, Almighty God, are they who dosuch things thy chosen and favorite people? But, away with such thoughtsas these; we will rejoice, though sobs interrupt the songs of ourrejoicing, and tears mingle in the cup we pledge to Freedom; our harpsthough they have long hung neglected upon the willows, shall this day bestrung full high to the notes of gladness. On this day, in one member atleast of this mighty Republic, the Slavery of our race has ceased forever!No more shall the insolent voice of a master be the main-spring of ouractions, the sole guide of our conduct; no more shall their hands labor indegrading and profitless servitude. Their toils will henceforth bevoluntary, and be crowned with the never failing reward of industry. Honors and dignities may perhaps never be ours; but wealth, virtue, andhappiness are all within the compass of our moderate exertions. And howshall we employ a few moments better than in reflecting upon the means bywhich these are to be obtained. For what can be more proper and moreprofitable to one who has just gained an invaluable treasure, than toconsider how he may use it to the best possible advantage? And here Ineed not tell you that a strict observance to all the precepts of thegospel ought to be your first and highest aim; for small will be the valueof all that the present world can bestow, if the interests of the world tocome are neglected and despised. None of you can be ignorant of what thegospel teaches. Bibles may easily be obtained; nor can there be a greaterdisgrace, or a more shameful neglect of duty than for a person of matureage, and much more, for any father of a family to be without that mostprecious of all books--the Bible. If, therefore, any of you are destituteof a Bible, hasten to procure one. Will any of you say that it can be ofno use to you, or that you cannot read it? Look then to that noblest ofall remedies for this evil, the Sunday School--that most useful of allinstitutions. There you may learn without loss of time or money, that ofwhich none should be ignorant--to read. 

Let me exhort you with earnestness to give your most sincere attention tothis matter. It is of the utmost importance to every one of you. Let yournext object be to obtain as soon as may be, a competency of the goodthings of this world; immense wealth is not necessary for you, and wouldbut diminish your real happiness. Abject poverty is and ought to beregarded as the greatest, most terrible of all possible evils. It shouldbe shunned as a most deadly and damning sin. What then are the means bywhich so dreadful a calamity may be avoided? I will tell you, my friends, in these simple words--hear and ponder on them; write them upon thetablets of your memory; they are worthy to be inscribed in letters of goldupon every door-post--"industry, prudence, and economy. " Oh! they arewords of power to guide you to respectability and happiness. Attend, then, to some of the laws which industry impose, while you have health andstrength. Let not the rising sun behold you sleeping or indolently lyingupon your beds. Rise ever with the morning light; and, till sun-set, givenot an hour to idleness. Say not human nature cannot endure it. It can--italmost requires it. Sober, diligent, and moderate labor does not diminishit, but on the contrary, greatly adds to the health, vigor, and durationof the human frame. Thousands of the human race have died prematurely ofdisease engendered by indolence and inactivity. Few, very few indeed, have suffered by the too long continuance of bodily exertion. As you givethe day to labor, so devote the night to rest; for who that has drunk andreveled all night at a tippling shop, or wandered about in search ofimpious and stolen pleasures, has not by so doing not only committed amost heinous and damning sin in the sight of Heaven, but rendered himselfwholly unfit for the proper discharge of the duties of the coming day. Northink that industry or true happiness do not go hand in hand; and to himwho is engaged in some useful avocation, time flies delightfully andrapidly away. He does not, like the idle and indolent man, number the slowhours with sighs--cursing both himself and them for the tardiness of theirflight. Ah, my friends, it is utterly impossible for him who wastes timein idleness, ever to know anything of true happiness. Indolence, poverty, wretchedness, are inseparable companions, --fly them, shun idleness, asfrom eminent and inevitable destruction. In vain will you labor unlessprudence and economy preside over and direct all your exertions. Rememberat all times that money even in your own hands, is power; with it you maydirect as you will the actions of your pale, proud brethren. Seek afterand amass it then, by just and honorable means; and once in your handnever part with it but for a full and fair equivalent; nor let thatequivalent be something which you do not want, and for which you cannotobtain more than it cost you. Be watchful and diligent and let your mindbe fruitful in devises for the honest advancement of your worldlyinterest. So shall you continually rise in respectability, in rank andstanding in this so late and so long the land of your captivity. 

Above all things refrain from the excessive use of ardent spirits. Thereis no evil whose progress is so imperceptible; and at the same time sosure and deadly, as that of intemperance; and by slow degrees itundermines health, wealth, and happiness, till all at length tumble intoone dreadful mass of ruin. If God has given you children, he has in sodoing imposed upon you a most fearful responsibility; believe me, friends, you will answer to God for every misfortune suffered, and every crimecommitted by them which right education and example could have taught themto avoid. Teach them reverence and obedience to the laws both of God andman. Teach them sobriety, temperance, justice, and truth. Let their mindsbe rightly instructed--imbued with kindness and brotherly love, charity, and benevolence. Let them possess at least so much learning as is to beacquired in the common schools of the country. In short, let theirwelfare be dearer to you than any earthly enjoyment; so shall they be therichest of earthly blessings. 

My countrymen, let us henceforth remember that we are men. Let us as oneman, on this day resolve that henceforth, by continual endeavors to dogood to all mankind, we will claim for ourselves the attention and respectwhich as men we should possess. So shall every good that can be theportion of man, be ours--this life shall be happy, and the life to come, glorious. 

 * * * * *

The opinion of the public regarding the celebration and performances ofthat day, together with the behavior of the colored people, will be seenby the following short extract from the _Rochester Daily Advertiser_, published soon after the occurrence of those events:

"ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. 

"The extinction of that curse by the laws of our State, was markedwith appropriate rejoicings on the part of the African race in thisneighborhood. A procession of considerable length and respectableappearance, preceded by a band of music, moved from Brown's Island throughthe principal streets to the public square, yesterday forenoon, where astage and seats were erected, for the speakers and audience. The throne ofGrace was addressed by the Rev. Mr. Allen, a colored clergyman. The actdeclaring all slaves free in this State, on the fourth day of July, 1827, was read, which was succeeded by the reading of the Declaration ofIndependence and delivery of an oration by Mr. Steward. We have heard butone opinion from several gentlemen who were present, and that was highlycomplimentary to the composition and delivery of the same. 

"The exercises were concluded by a short discourse from the Rev. Mr. Allen, and the procession moved off to partake of an entertainmentprepared for the occasion. The thing was got up in good order, and passedoff remarkably well. The conduct of the emancipated race was exemplarythroughout, and if their future enjoyment of freedom be tinctured with theprudence that characterised their celebration of its attainment, thecountry will have no reason to mourn the philanthropy that set them free. "

 * * * * *

Thus ended our first public celebration of our own and our country'sfreedom. All conducted themselves with the strictest propriety anddecorum, retiring to their homes soberly and in proper season. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

CONDITION OF FREE COLORED PEOPLE. 

Pursuant to a call given in the summer of 1830, by the colored residentsof Philadelphia, for a National Convention of their race, I started incompany with a friend to attend it; having previously engaged seats insideMr. Coe's stage-coach as far as Utica, N. Y. , to which place we had paidour fare the same as other passengers. 

We rode on to Auburn very pleasantly, but when at that place, we withothers moved to resume our seats; we were met by a stern rebuke forpresuming to seat ourselves on the inside, and were ordered to ride on theoutside of the coach. In vain we expostulated; in vain we reminded thedriver of the agreement, and of our having paid for an inside seat; wewere told to take the outside of the coach or remain behind. 

Desiring to attend the convention, we concluded to go on, submitting tothis rank injustice and dishonesty, until our return, when we determinedto sue the proprietor of that line of stages. An opportunity was offeredsoon after, when I commenced a suit for damages against Mr. Sherwood, whowas the great stage proprietor of those days. He, however, cleared himselfby declaring that he was in no way responsible for the failures of Mr. Coe, to whom I must look for remuneration. I never found it convenient tosue Mr. Coe, and so the matter ended. 

We passed through New York City to the place of our destination, where wefound many of our brethren already assembled. 

Philadelphia, which I now saw for the first time, I thought the mostbeautiful and regularly laid out city I ever beheld. Here had lived thepeaceable, just, and merciful William Penn; and here many of his adherentsstill reside. Here, too, was the place where the Rt. Rev. Bishop Allen, the first colored American bishop in the United States, had labored sosuccessfully. When the Methodists sought to crush by cruel prejudice thepoor African, he stepped boldly forward in defence of their cause, whichhe sustained, with a zeal and talent ever to be revered. 

Thousands were brought to a knowledge of the truth, and induced "to seekfirst the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, " through hisinstrumentality. Through the benign influence of this good man, friendsand means were raised for his poor brethren, to build houses of worship, where they would no more be dragged from their knees when in prayer, andtold to seat themselves by the door. Oh, how much good can one good andfaithful man do, when devoted to the cause of humanity--following in thefootsteps of the blessed Christ; doing unto others as they would be doneby; and remembering those in bonds as bound with them. What though hisskin be black as ebony, if the heart of a brother beats in his bosom? Oh, that man could judge of character as does our Heavenly Father; then wouldhe judge righteous judgment, and cease to look haughtily down upon hisafflicted fellow, because "his skin is colored not like his own. "

We convened at the specified time, and organized by appointing Rev. R. Allen, president, A. Steward, vice-president, and J. C. Morrell, secretary. The convention which continued in session three days, was largely attendedby all classes of people, and many interesting subjects were ablydiscussed; but the most prominent object was the elevation of our race. Resolutions were passed calculated to encourage our brethren to take someaction on the subjects of education and mechanism. Agricultural pursuitswere also recommended;--and here allow me to give my opinion in favor ofthe latter, as a means of sustenance and real happiness. 

I knew many colored farmers, all of whom are well respected in theneighborhood of their residence. I wish I could count them by hundreds;but our people mostly flock to cities where they allow themselves to bemade "hewers of wood and drawers of water;" barbers and waiters, --when, ifthey would but retire to the country and purchase a piece of land, cultivate and improve it, they would be far richer and happier than theycan be in the crowded city. It is a mistaken idea that there is moreprejudice against color in the country. True, it exists everywhere, but Iregard it less potent in the country, where a farmer can live lessdependant on his oppressors. The sun will shine, the rains descend, andthe earth bring forth her increase, just as readily for the coloredagriculturist as for his pale face neighbor. Yes, and our common motherEarth will, when life is ended, as readily open her bosom to receive yourremains in a last embrace, as that of the haughty scorner of our rights. 

In the city, however, there is no escape from the crushing weight ofprejudice, to ramble over fields of your own cultivation; to forget yoursorrows in the refreshing air that waves the loaded branches of an orchardof your own planting; nor to solace yourself with a gambol over the greenmeadow with your little ones. It is all toil, toil, with a burthened heartuntil shadows fall across the hearth-stone, and dismal forebodings darkenthe fireside, from whence the weary wife retires to refresh herself inbroken slumber for the renewed toil of another day. Will not my friendsthink of these and many other advantages in favor of a country life, andpractice accordingly?

After the close of the convention, I returned to my business in Rochester. 

Until the discussion, which commenced about this time on the subject oftemperance, I had been engaged, as most other grocers were at that time, in the sale of spirituous liquors somewhat extensively. My attention hadnever before been called especially to the subject, though I had witnessedsome of its direst evils; but now, when I saw the matter in its truelight, I resolved to give it up. I was doing well and making handsomeprofits on the sale of alcoholic beverages. I had also experienced a gooddeal of trouble with it. My license allowed me to sell any quantity lessthan five gallons; but it was a fine of twenty-five dollars if drunk onthe premises, --one half of the sum to go to the complainant. If a viciousman got out of funds it became both easy and common for him to give someperson a sixpence, half of which was to be spent for whisky, which madehim a witness for the other, who would make immediate complaint, andcollect his share of the fine. Nor could I prevent men who came withbottles, and purchased whisky, from drinking it where they pleased;consequently I was often called to answer to such complaints. 

One morning a man entered my store and called for liquor, which the clerkgave him. After drinking it, he went directly to the office of A. House, Esq. , and entered a complaint against the clerk who had served him; thenstepped out for consultation with his counsel. At that moment I arrived atthe office of the magistrate to whom I immediately made complaint againstmyself, relating to him also just how the event happened. In a few minutesthe original complainant returned, to whom 'Squire House explained that heshould have arraigned the proprietor of the store, and not the clerk as hehad done. Determined on making a speculation, however, he demanded aprecept for myself. The 'Squire, laughing most heartily, informed him thathe was too late, --that Mr. Steward had the start of him, having justentered a complaint against himself, by which he saves one half of thefine. The man walked out, looking rather "cheap, " nor did he or othersannoy me afterwards by making complaints of that kind. 

But now I saw, as never before, the sin of selling that which would makebeasts of men, and only stopped to inquire what was duty in the matter. All the arguments in favor of its sale were more forcible then than now. All classes of persons used and drank the article; and it required moremoral courage, to relinquish the business than it does now. Nevertheless, it appeared plain to my mind, that duty to God and my fellow-men requiredit, and I cheerfully gave it up forever. 

I could not conscientiously, nor do I see how any man can, continue totraffic in this most fruitful source of pauperism and crime. No benefitwhatever arises from its use as a beverage or from its sale. It is a curseto the drinker, to the seller, and to the community. Those who arelicensed venders take from the government fifty dollars for every one putinto the treasury. The money paid for licenses is a very meagercompensation for the beggary, crime, and bloodshed which rum produces. Allwho have any knowledge of the statistics of the State, or of our prisonand police records know, that intemperance has done more to fill theprisons, work-houses, alms-houses, and asylums of the State than all otherinfluences combined; and yet men uphold the traffic. Their favors are forthose who love its use and sale, and their anathemas for him, who isstriving to save a nation of drunkards from swift destruction; yea, theirown sires, sons, and brothers from the grave of the inebriate. 

When in Rochester a short time since, soliciting subscribers for thiswork, I stepped into a distillery and asked a man to subscribe for it. Hehesitated in his decision until he took a tumbler and filling it withbrandy, invited me to drink. I thanked him, saying I never drink brandy. "Never drink!" he growled, "then I tell you, sir, that you stand a muchbetter chance of being struck by lightning than of getting a subscriberhere. " Oh, very well; most likely had he agreed to take a copy, he wouldhave been sorely displeased with my views of the liquor traffic, andperhaps with the compliment I have here paid him. 

But in the foregoing remarks I have said but a tithe of what my heartfeels, when I think of the sufferings occasioned by drunkenness. 

Even the cup of the burthened slave, writhing in his chains and toilingunder the lash, is not full of bitterness until the demon rum throws inits dregs and fills it to overflowing. 

How often does it occur that a passionate master, heated with wine, --madwith himself and all about him, pours out his vengeful ire on the head andback of some helpless slave, and leaves him weltering in his blood! Howoften may be heard the agonized wail of the slave mother, deploring thedeparture of some innocent child that has been lost in gambling, while themaster was intoxicated!

How often do the shrieks of the poor but virtuous slave girl, ring throughthe midnight air, as she, pleading for death rather than life, rushesscreaming away from a brutal master, infuriated and drunk! If it is afact, and certainly it is, that the master is thus affected by his costlywine; what, think you, will be the temper and condition of the coarse andheartless overseer who drinks his miserable whisky or bad brandy? It ishorrible, beyond description. I have often myself seen a drunken overseer, after pouring down dram after dram, mount his horse and ride furiouslyamong the slaves, beating, bruising, mangling with his heavy cowhide everyone he chanced to meet, until the ground presented the appearance of abattlefield. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

PERSECUTION OF THE COLORED PEOPLE. 

While the colored population of New York were rejoicing in the measure offreedom allowed them by the more wholesome laws of that State, ourbrethren in Ohio were being oppressed and maltreated by the unjust andodious "black laws" of that professedly free State, enacted with specialreference to the disposition of the colored race. 

In Cincinnati, O. , within sight of the slave land of Kentucky, a terriblepersecution had commenced, and an effort was made to drive all coloredpersons from the place. 

Our people had settled there in large numbers, but now a mob had assembledin that city with the determination to drive them, not only from theirhomes and city, but from the State. A bloody conflict ensued, in which thewhite and black man's blood mingled freely. So great had been the loss ofproperty; and go horrid and fearful had been the scene, that our peoplechose to leave, rather than remain under such untoward circumstances. Theylived in constant fear of the mob which had so abused and terrified them. Families seated at the fireside started at every breath of wind, andtrembled at the sound of every approaching footstep. The father left hisfamily in fear, lest on his return from his daily labor, he should findhis wife and children butchered, and his house left desolate. 

Meetings were held to devise plans and means for leaving the place wherethey had been so cruelly treated. But where should they go? And whyshould they be compelled to leave the State of Ohio? The fact is, that theAfrican race there, as in all parts of this nominally free Republic, waslooked down upon by the white population as being little above the brutecreation; or, as belonging to some separate class of degraded beings, toodeficient in intellect to provide for their own wants, and must thereforedepend on the superior ability of their oppressors, to take care of them. Indeed, both the time and talents of eminent men have been wasted inunsuccessful research for the line of demarcation, between the African andthe highest order of animals, --such for instance as the monkey or theourang-outang. Some even, have advanced the absurd idea, that wicked Caintransmitted to them the "mark" which the Almighty set upon him for themurder of his brother; and that he, (who then must have survived thedeluge), is the progenitor of that despised and inferior race--the negroslave of the United States of America!

If it be true, that the natural inferiority of the black man, connects himso closely with the animal creation, it looks passing strange to me thathe should be made responsible for the violation of laws which he has beendeclared too imbecile to aid in framing or of comprehending. Nor is itless strange to see him enslaved and compelled by his labor to maintainboth his master and himself, after having declared him incapable of doingeither. Why not let him go then? Why hold with an unyielding grasp, somiserable and useless a piece of property? Is it benevolence that bindshim with his master's chain? Judge ye. Stranger still is the fact ofattaching such vast influence to his presence and so much concernregarding his movements, when in a state of freedom, if indeed, he is ofso little worth and consequence, and so nearly related to the brutes thatperish. 

Surely, the Legislature of Ohio, or of any other State, would never feelcalled upon to sit in grave counsel, for the purpose of framing laws whichwould impose fine and imprisonment on a monkey, should one chance tolocate within its jurisdiction; nor would they think it advisable for thecourt to assemble, or a jury to be empanelled, to drive from their midstan ourang-outang. And yet this and more must be done to get rid of thehated negro, who has been born in that State, or has fled to it forprotection from the manstealer. 

When strangers pass hastily through this country, and after a carelessglance at the colored population, report them to be "an indolent, improvident, and vicious class of persons, " they should consider some ofthe many obstacles thrown in the way of the most favored of that race. Knowing as they do, the rigor of the law, and feeling as they do, theoppressive power of prejudice, it becomes almost impossible for themto rise to that station they were designed to fill, and for which theirnatural abilities as certainly qualify them, as though they had neverbeen robbed of their God-given rights. But let us return to our triedfriends in Cincinnati. 

They finally resolved to collect what they could of their possessions andestablish a colony in Canada. In accordance with this resolution, theyagreed to first send an agent to obtain liberty to settle there, and ifsuccessful to select and purchase a large tract of land, making sucharrangements as he thought best for their speedy removal to their newhome. Israel Lewis was their appointed agent, who departed immediately forUpper Canada to perform his mission; and there for the present we willleave him and return to Rochester. 

Our more favored brethren in New York felt a deep sympathy for theiroutraged countrymen in Cincinnati; a sympathy equaled only by theirindignation at the cause of such demand. 

A meeting expressive of their views and feelings on that subject, wasconvened in the city of Rochester during which, the following preamble andresolutions were read and unanimously adopted:

_Whereas_, The city of Cincinnati has again become the scene of anotherdreadful mob and bloodshed, where nothing but terror and confusion reignedfor a number of hours together. 

_And Whereas_, Our brethren and fellow citizens were left exposed to thefury of an ungovernable mob, made up of the base, the ignorant, and vile, the very dregs of society; and probably led on by slaveholders, who of allmen are the most execrable; while boasting of liberty, he tramples on thedearest rights of men and in the greatest robber of it on earth. 

_Resolved_, That we deprecate an appeal to arms by any class of our fellowcitizens, except in extreme cases, and we think that such a case has beenpresented in the late outrage at Cincinnati. 

_Resolved_, That when a class of men so far forget the duty they owe toGod, their fellow men, and their country, as to trample under their feetthe very laws they have made, and are in duty bound to obey and execute, we believe it to be the duty of our brethren and fellow citizens, toprotect their lives against such lawless mobs; and if in the conflict, any of the mobocrats perish, every good citizen should say Amen. 

_Resolved_, That we do truly sympathize with the friends of God's poor;the friends of the oppressed, throughout this boasted land of liberty, inthe losses they have sustained in consequence of the mob. 

_Resolved_, That we believe the time is not far distant, when the _QueenCity of the West_, shall be redeemed from the hateful influence of theslaveholder; redeemed from that cruel prejudice of caste which, hangs likea mill-stone around the neck of our people; redeemed from all thoseunequal laws, which have a tendency to make the strong stronger and theweak weaker; redeemed from their falsehearted friends, whose sarcasticsmile is more to be feared than the frowns of an open enemy. 

_Resolved_, That the untiring exertions of our friends, and theindefatigable industry of our brethren, are sure guarantees that the Stateof Ohio will not long be what she now is, --a hissing and by-word onaccount of her iniquitous laws; but that she will rise above every narrowminded prejudice, and raise up her sable sons and daughters and place themon an equality with the rest of her citizens. 

_Resolved_, That we deeply deplore the loss our friends have sustained inthe destruction of their printing press in Cincinnati. 

_Resolved_, That we as an oppressed people, feel it our duty to give ourundivided support to the press and the laborers in our cause. 

 * * * * *

Mr. Israel Lewis made his way to Canada, and having obtained permission toestablish a colony, he bargained with the Canada Company for one townshipof land, for which he agreed to pay the money demanded, in a few days, andthen returned to Cincinnati, by way of Rochester. The poor, persecutedcolored people, had in the mean time made ready for their flight fromtheir homes, their native land, and from this boasted free Republic, toseek a residence in the cold and dreary wilds of Canada; to claim thatprotection from the English government which had been denied them in theland of their birth; and like the overtasked Israelites, "they went outwith their wives and their little ones, " but with smaller possessions. 

During the stay of Mr. Lewis in Rochester, he reported there andelsewhere, that eleven hundred persons were then in the dense woods ofCanada in a state of actual starvation, and called upon the humaneeverywhere, to assist them in such extreme suffering. 

To me he also told the story of their destitution, which affected medeeply. I had at that time just made a public profession of my faith inthe Christian religion and my determination to be governed by its holyprecepts, I felt for the distressed and suffering everywhere; butparticularly for those who had fled, poor and destitute, from crueltask-masters, choosing rather the sufferings of cold and hunger, withliberty, than the meager necessities of life and Slavery. I concluded togo to Canada and try to do some good; to be of some little service in thegreat cause of humanity. 

As soon as practicable therefore, I left Rochester for Toronto, thecapital of Upper Canada, which I found quite a thriving town, andcontaining some fine brick buildings, and some I saw were built of mud, dried in the sun, wearing rather a poor than pretty appearance. At Torontowe hired a team to take us on to Ancaster, fifty miles distant. Wetraveled now through a new country; the roads were very bad, and theinhabitants few. We, however, reached Ancaster, a small village, where weremained one night and next morning pursued our journey to the settlementof the poor fugitives from Cincinnati. After some hard traveling, wefinally arrived at the place where we found our brethren, it is true, butin quite destitute circumstances. Our fare was poor indeed, but as good asthey could get. The township was one unbroken wilderness when purchasedfor the colony, and of course their lands must be cleared of the heavytimber before crops could be got in, hence, there was a great deal ofdestitution and suffering before their harvest could ripen after the landwas prepared for the seed. 

The day after I arrived at the settlement, which consisted of a few rudelog cabins, a meeting was called to give the township a name. Several weresuggested, but I at length motioned to name it in honor of the greatphilanthropist, Wilberforce. This was carried, and the township from thattime has been known by that name. It is situated on what is known as theHuron Tract, Kent County, London District, and is the next north of thetownship of London. Our neighbors on the south, were a company of Irishpeople, who owned the township, and on the west side were a township ofWelshmen, a hardy, industrious and enterprising people. 

In Wilberforce there were no white inhabitants; the land appeared leveland handsome, with but one stream of any magnitude running through it;this was the Oxsable, which was dry during a part of the year. All was onevast forest of heavy timber, that would compare well with that of WesternNew York. Beech, maple, ash, elm, oak, whitewood, bass, balm of gilead, &c. The soil was good for corn, wheat, rye, oats, and most kinds of thegrain and vegetables raised in New York, and was a superior grazingcountry, about fifteen miles from London. This was a village containingperhaps thirty dwellings, and two hundred inhabitants; a court-house andjail all under one roof, built of stone and plastered; small doors andwindows in the style of some of the old English castles. London was builtin the forks, or between the east and west branches of the river Thames;hence, you would hear people speak of "going to the forks, " instead of thevillage; it is about two hundred miles from Buffalo, and the nearest portbetween the two is Port Stanley, thirty miles from London. 

I returned from Canada, where I had seen an oppressed people strugglingwith the hardships and privations of a new settlement; I had seenwretchedness in some places, but by no means sufficient to justifythe report made by Mr. Lewis, and I determined I would remove there withmy family, and do all in my power to assist the colored people in Canada. 

I had witnessed a disposition on the part of some to prevent our brethrenfrom settling in Wilberforce, while the colonizationists made a grandargument of it in favor of their wicked policy. All must see that itbecame a necessity with those who fled to Canada to save themselves fromconstant abuse or from Slavery, and in some instances their lives; and notbecause they admitted the justice of one portion of American citizensdriving another from their native land; nor their right to colonize themanywhere on the habitable globe. 

All these things taken into consideration, determined me to join them inthe enterprize of building up an asylum for the oppressed, where ourcolored friends could obtain a home, and where, by their industry theycould obtain a competency for themselves, besides providing a safe retreatfor the weary fugitive from Slavery; guiding by its beacon light ofliberty, the destitute and oppressed everywhere, to home and plenty. 

I felt willing to make any sacrifice in my power to serve my Lord, byadministering to the necessities of my down-trodden countrymen. How far mydesire has been accomplished God only knows, but I do know that the purestmotives influenced me, and an honest purpose directed my steps in removingto Wilberforce. Not so with all, however. Some there were, Judas-like, who"cared not for the poor; but because he was a thief and had the bag, andbore what was put therein, " made great exertions for a time in favor ofthe settlement. It too soon became apparent that to make money was theprominent object with by far too great a number of the colonists; hence, our future difficulties. 

CHAPTER XX. 

REMOVAL TO CANADA. 

In 1830, I closed my business in Rochester, preparatory to leaving forCanada. Some of my friends thought I had better remain in the States anddirect emigrants to Wilberforce; while others were certain I could benefitthem more by going myself at once, --the latter I had determined to do; butas the time drew near for me to start, an unaccountable gloominessand forebodings of evil took possession of my mind. Doubts of thepracticability of the undertaking began to arise, though nothingunfavorable had occurred. To the throne of grace, I often bore the subjectand besought my Heavenly Father to enlighten my mind, and direct my stepsin duty's path regarding it; but to confess the truth, I never receivedany great encouragement from that source, though it occupied my mindconstantly. During the hours of slumber I was continually being startledby frightful dreams, --sometimes I thought I saw a monstrous serpent aslarge as a log stretched across the road between Rochester and theGenesee River; at another I thought myself in the air so high that I couldhave a full view of the shores of Lake Ontario, and they were alive withsnakes; and then I saw a large bird like an eagle, rise up out of thewater and fly toward the south. 

Notwithstanding these omens, I turned my steps toward Wilberforce. In May, 1831, we bid adieu to our friends in Rochester, and taking passage toBuffalo on a canal boat, we arrived in due time, and from whence we sailedfor Port Stanley, or as it is sometimes called, Kettle Creek. It took aweek to make this trip, which, with favorable wind might have been made intwo days. The mouth of the creek makes a safe harbor at that place, wherethere is also a dock, one ware-house and several farm houses. The placewas then very wild and picturesque in its appearance; we did not stoplong, however, to admire its beauty, but engaged a farmer to take us on toLondon. 

Ten miles on our way, and we came to a newly laid out village, called St. Thomas, from whence we pursued our journey through a new country toLondon, where we arrived tired and hungry, and put up for the night with aMr. Faden. There I purchased a span of horses for one hundred and fiftydollars, and putting them before a new lumber wagon brought on fromRochester, we started for our wild and new home in good spirits, at whichwe arrived in good time. 

The colony was comprised of some fourteen or fifteen families, andnumbered some over fifty persons in all. The first business done aftermy arrival, was to appoint a board of managers, to take the generaloversight of all the public business of the colony. The board consisted ofseven men, chosen by the settlers, and as I was now one of them, they gaveme the office of President. It was also resolved by the board, to send outtwo agents for the purpose of soliciting aid for the erection of housesfor worship, and for the maintenance of schools in the colony. 

The Rev. N. Paul was chosen one of their agents, and he received from me apower of attorney, authorising him to collect funds for the above purposesin England, Ireland, and Scotland; the other, I. Lewis was empowered tosolicit and collect funds for the same objects in the United States. 

Preparations were immediately made to fit Mr. Paul out for his mission toEngland, from whence he was to remit any funds he might receive to ArthurTappan, of New York City; first to pay for his outfit, and afterwards tothe treasurer of the board of managers, for the support of schools inWilberforce. Mr. Paul, however, still lacked money to proceed to England, and therefore went to Rochester, where he found my old and tried friendEverard Peck; who was ever known as the poor man's friend, and the supportof the weak everywhere. To this good man, whose memory is still dear tothousands, Mr. Paul showed his power of attorney, at the same timeinforming him of the condition and wants of the colony; and as was everhis wont, when help was needed, his purse, (though not one of theheaviest), was at his service. Through the kind influence of Mr. Peck, andsome of the colored friends in that city, a note for seven hundred dollarswas drawn up, signed by Mr. P. And cashed at the Bank, which enabled theagent to make the voyage without further delay. He reached England, andcollected quite large sums of money, but entirely failed in the remittanceof any sums, either to Mr. Tappan or myself. When the note of sevenhundred dollars became due, Mr. Peck was obliged to pay, and lose it. Itwas out of my power, nor had any of the friends the means to do any thingtowards paying it, inasmuch as they had assisted Paul all they could andgot nothing in return. There was one thing, however, that the reverendgentleman did do, --he wrote me from time to time, to keep me advised ofthe success of his mission, and once informed me that he had then twelvehundred dollars on hand; but not a farthing could we get. We wrote himagain and again, reminding him of the bank debt, and the uneasiness of hisfriends on account of it, but all to no purpose, --the Atlantic was betweenus, and he was making money too easily, to like to be interrupted. Henever paid one dollar. 

Let us now look after the other agent, who had likewise been fittedout, to prosecute his mission in the States. That he collected moneyprofessedly for the assistance of the colony, is too well known torequire proof, but how much, we could not determine; we had reason tobelieve, however, that he retained quite a large sum. He would neither payit over to the board, nor give any account of his proceedings. Very littledid he ever pay over to the aid of the colony as designed. He wasfrequently written to, and every means in our power used, to induce him togive some account of his mission, but in vain; he would do nothing of thekind. Things went on in this way for two years, when it became evidentthat he had no intention of satisfying the minds of the settlers; andfarther, that he meant to collect what he could, and use it as he pleased. We learned too, that when abroad, he lived extravagantly, --putting up atthe most expensive hotels, giving parties, and doing many things, not onlybeyond his means, but that brought dishonor on the cause and colony. Whenhe returned to the settlement, he would, if he had funds, make presents tohis particular friends instead of paying it to the treasurer, as he waspledged to do, until the majority of the colony became thoroughlydisgusted with his heartlessness and dishonesty. It was also perceivablethat Lewis and Paul both, were getting weary of the solicitations of theboard and complaints of the settlers, and were anxious to be rid of them, and enjoy their ill gotten gains in their own way. 

It was never intended by the managers, to send out agents to beg money tobe divided among the colonists; but to support schools, &c. Most of thesettlers were able to work and did so; and were now getting along quitepleasantly. 

Finally, after we had tried every means in vain, to get a settlement withLewis, and to obtain his papers, there was nothing more we could do, butto warn the public against him, by publishing the facts in the case; thiswe did in various newspapers of Canada and in the States. An articleinserted in the "Rochester Observer, " to that effect, was like throwing alighted match into a keg of powder. The excitement was intense on the partof Lewis and his friends, who were joined by the friends of N. Paul, todestroy, if they could, the board of managers. I, however, being the onlymember of that devoted board, who happened to be extensively known in theStates, their anathemas were all poured out on me, and all their energiesbrought forward to insure my destruction. They were few in number, it istrue, but they had money, and I had little to spend in litigation;besides, Lewis was in debt, and his creditors did not like to see hismeans of paying them swept away. The Canadians seemed to think there wasno harm done if Lewis did get money out of the "Yankees, " as long as itcame into their hands at last, and so, on the whole, they raised atremendous storm, designed, however, to sweep nobody away but myself; andI have continued to this day, notwithstanding all their artful malignity. Nothing, I am persuaded, could have saved me from imprisonment at thattime, had I not possessed a high reputation for truth and honesty duringmy previous sojourn in the colony. 

Lewis had dealt somewhat extensively with Mr. Jones, who was the principalagent for the Canada Company; but failing to fulfil his agreement, regarding the payment for a large tract of land, it so exasperated Mr. Jones, that he declared he would have nothing to do with any of thecolored people; and so when I wanted to buy a lot of land, he would notsell it to me because he so despised Lewis. 

How much harm can one wicked man do! and yet it cannot be right to judgethe character of a whole class or community by that of one person. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

ROUGHING IT IN THE WILDS OF CANADA. 

The "Canada Company, " of which I have so frequently spoken, was anassociation of wealthy gentlemen, residing in England; something like theEast India Company, especially regarding the title of lands. They had senton their agent and purchased a large tract of land known as the "HuronTract, " extending from London to Lake Huron, where they laid out avillage, named Goderich, sixty miles distant from Wilberforce. With thiscompany, Mr. Lewis had contracted for a township of land, as agent for theCincinnati refugees; but failing to meet the demand, the company kindlyextended the time of payment; but when that time also passed withoutreceiving any thing from Lewis, the general agent, Mr. Jones became soindignant, that he utterly refused to sell a foot of land to any coloredperson whatever. This proved to be one of the greatest detriments to theprosperity of the colony it ever met. 

The Society of Friends at this time, however, with commendable sympathyfor the oppressed and abused colored residents of Cincinnati, and withtheir proverbial liberality, raised a sum of money sufficient to purchaseeight hundred acres of land of the Canada Company for the benefit of thecolony. The funds were placed in the hands of one of their number, Frederick Stover, who went to Canada as their agent, purchased the land, and settled colored people upon it, which comprised nearly all of theWilberforce settlement. This occurred before I settled in Canada, andthe consequence was, when I desired to purchase land, none could beobtained. At the time, however, of which I am speaking, the Canada Companywere constructing a road through their possessions, some seventy miles inlength, and the principal contractor, Mr. Ingersoll, had agreed to takeland in part payment for his services on the road. In accordance with thisagreement, he accepted one lot of land situated within the Wilberforcesettlement, which he agreed to sell to Mr. Lewis for twenty-five dollars. Mr. Lewis, knowing that I was anxious to purchase, accepted the offer, and then came and showed the contract, offering it to me on condition thatI paid him the twenty-five dollars which he had just paid Mr. Ingersoll. This I was glad to do; I paid the demand; took an assignment on the backof the receipt, and passed into immediate possession of the land. He atthe same time requested me to take up a note of twenty-five dollars forhim; which I did, on his promising to refund the money in a short time. 

I commenced laboring on the wild land I had purchased; cleared some tenacres, which in consequence of its being so heavily timbered, cost me atleast twenty-five dollars per acre; built a house and barn--supposingmyself its legal possessor, --until I chanced to meet Mr. Ingersoll, whoinformed me that Mr. Jones had refused to sell him the land to be disposedof to a colored person; that he had duly informed Lewis of the fact, andhad returned to him the twenty-five dollars received. Not a word of this, had Lewis communicated to me, though he knew I was making expensiveimprovements, in the faith that I was its only owner. Instead of atoningfor the wrong already done me, he made it the basis of a deeper injury. 

After one year's residence in Wilberforce, I found it necessary to returnto Rochester to settle some unfinished business; and when on my waythither I stopped at London, where I found Lewis, who had not onlypreceded me but had taken out a _capias_, for forty pounds currency. I wastherefore obliged to get bail for my appearance at court, after which Ipursued my journey. 

On my arrival in Rochester, I found business at a stand; and the communityin a state of excitement and alarm, on account of that fell destroyer, thecholera. This was its first visit to the United States, and the fearfulhavoc it was making, spread terror and consternation throughout the land. I returned to Canada; but found on my arrival at London, that "thepestilence that walketh at noon-day, " had preceded me, and taken from thatvillage my friend, Mr. Ingersoll, with several others. So great had beenthe alarm, that instead of my appearing at court as I expected to do, Ifound it adjourned, and the judge returned to his home. 

I hastened on to Wilberforce, which had fortunately escaped the fearfulscourge, with terrible apprehensions. 

Having a little spare time, I went out with my rifle, in search of deer;but soon came upon a large wolf, which I wounded with the first shot; he, however, sprang aside and was gone. On looking about for him I espiedanother!--reloading my rifle, I fired, and he fell dead at my feet, whilemy dog at the same time I heard barking furiously. Having dispatched thissecond intruder, I saw that my dog had the first one, entangled in thebranches of a fallen tree. I searched for my balls, and was vexed to findthat I had left them at home. In this predicament I cut with my knife, aknot from a beech limb, put it in my rifle, and took deadly aim at theenraged wolf. The wooden ball struck him between the eyes and killed himon the spot. 

The two dead animals, with their skins, I sold for nine dollars and ahalf, --making pretty good wages for a few hours labor. 

Hunting was very generally pursued by the settlers, with great earnestnessand considerable skill. The forest abounded with deer, wolves, bears, andother wild animals. Bears were plenty, and very troublesome because sodangerously tame. One day, our children had built for themselves aplay-house, a few rods from the door, and were enjoying their play whenthey were called in to dinner. A moment after, I observed one of thesettlers gazing intently at the play-house; I called to know what soattracted his attention, and he informed me that an old bear, with threecubs, had just then taken possession of the playhouse. And sure enoughthere they were! knocking about among the dishes, and munching the crumbsof bread which the children had left. The man was supplied with a loadedrifle and urged to shoot them, but he begged to be excused from a pitchedbattle with so many; and the bears leisurely took their departure for thewoods without molestation. The play-house, however, was soon deserted bythe children after these unbidden guests had made so free with it; andwe were ourselves somewhat alarmed for the safety of our children, whowere accustomed to roam in the edge of the forest, and make swings of theluxuriant grape vines. 

But such incidents are common in a new country, surrounded as we were by adense wilderness. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

NARROW ESCAPE OF A SMUGGLER. 

From the time I first settled in Wilberforce, my house had ever been opento travelers and strangers; but a conversation I happened to overhear, led me to take a course different from what I had at first intended. I wasat a public house about twenty miles from home, when I heard the landlordadvising his guest to eat heartily, for, said he, "you will find nothingmore worthy of your attention, until you reach Wilberforce. When youarrive at that settlement, inquire for A. Steward, from the States, and hewill give you a meal fit for a prince. " I began to reflect on the subjectand concluded, inasmuch as people would send company to me, it would bebetter to make some preparation for entertaining them. I had plenty offurniture, and all I needed was a larger supply of food, to commencekeeping a tavern. This was easily obtained, and I opened a public housewhich was well patronized. 

One day while I was absent from home, a man drove to the door the finestspan of horses, I think I ever saw, --black as jet, with proudly archednecks, and glossy tails that nearly swept the ground. The gentleman sprangfrom his carriage, bounded through the open door, and in the most excitedmanner, began to inquire "who owns this establishment? When will hereturn? Can I be accommodated? Can I see your barn?" &c. The stable boytook him to the barn, from whence he soon returned; his face flushed, andbreathing so heavily as to be heard all through the apartment; tremblingso violently that he could scarcely speak at all, --but made out toinquire, "if there was not some place besides the barn where he could puthis horses?" He was told that there was a small shelter built for cows, inbad weather, and the next moment he was examining it. In a very short timehe had his horses and carriage stowed away in the cow-shed. He acted likea crazy man; but when he had secured his horses, he re-entered the houseand frankly apologized for his conduct. "I may as well tell you thetruth, " said he; "I am suspected of smuggling goods; a reward is offeredfor my arrest, and the constables are on my track, in pursuit of me. Myname is Cannouse, and I am from M----, in Ontario County. "

But perhaps they can not prove you guilty of smuggling, said I, in anafter conversation. 

"Ah, " said he, "there is for me no such hope or probability; I havebeen engaged for the last few months in the sale of dress-goods andbroad-cloths, and my exposure and flight is the consequence of my ownfolly. While in the village of St. Catharines, I took a young girl out toride, after she had engaged to accompany another young fellow, which ofcourse offended him; and he being too well posted up on my affairs, wentdirectly to the custom house officer and informed against me. I wassitting in the parlor, perfectly at ease, when a young man, a relative ofthe young lady in question, burst into the room, shouting, 'Fly! fly! foryour life! The officers are upon you!' And I did fly; with barely time toreach the woods, for as I sprang through the back door, the officersentered through the front door. My horses were my first consideration;they had been raised by my father, and should I lose them, I should neverdare to meet him again. In my hasty flight, I engaged the young man toconceal them till night, and then to drive them to a certain place where Iwould meet him. This he did, and I kept on my flight until I came to thehouse of a friend, where I halted to make inquiries. The gentleman hadjust come from London, and had seen handbills at every conspicuous place, describing me and my horses. I asked him what I should do? He said, 'youare not safe a moment; there is no hope but in flight; avoid the mainroad, and get to the colony if you can; if you succeed, go to A. Steward;he is an upright man and will never betray you for money, ' And here Iam: if I am arrested, six months imprisonment, three hundred dollars fine, and the forfeiture of my father's valuable and favorite horses, will bemy portion. I have had no regular meal for the last three days, and myhead aches violently. "

We gave him some refreshment, and conducted him to a room, assuring himthat he should have it to himself. All remained quiet until midnight, whena man knocked cautiously at our door. I opened it myself, and a gentleman, looking carefully about the place, inquired, "Are you full?"

"No, " said I. 

"Have you any travelers here to night?"

"Yes. "

"How many?"

"Two. "

"Where are they?"

"In this room; walk in, sir. "

He took the light from my hand, and stepping lightly up to a bed, wheretwo travelers were quietly sleeping, he closely examined their faces. Hesoon returned the light, and without further inquiry retired from thehouse. When his companions came up, I distinctly heard him tell them thatthe smuggler was not there. 

"You may be mistaken, " said the other, "and we must search the barn forhis horses. "

This they did thoroughly, after procuring a lantern; but without findingany thing to reward their diligent search; and they finally drove off. 

When they had gone, Cannouse groaned most bitterly, and trembled from headto foot at the thought of his narrow escape. The next day an officer rodeup to where the children were playing, with a handbill which he read, andinquired if they had seen a person bearing that description, pass _thatday?_ They answered negatively, and he rode on. The poor frightenedCannouse stayed with us a week; and nearly every day during the time, thehouse and barn were searched for him. The children kept watch, and whenthey saw any one coming they would let him know, in time to take himselfand horses into a thicket near by. When he thought pursuit was over, hestarted to leave; but when, in a half hour after, a _posse_ of men droveup to my door, flourishing their handbills, I thought it all over withCannouse. I told them that he was not there; but they chose to haveanother search, and when they found nothing, the officer sprang into hiscarriage, exclaiming, "come on, boys; we'll soon have him now; we havetracked him here, and he can't be far off. "

Cannouse had left us, feeling quite secure; but he had traveled but ashort distance, when he observed a horse shoe loose, and to get itfastened he drove down to a blacksmith's shop, which happened to standat the foot of a hill; and between it and the highway there had been leftstanding a clump of trees which nearly hid it from view. While there, getting his horse shod, the officers passed him unobserved, and hefinally escaped. 

Some time after, a gentleman called on us who had seen Cannouse inMichigan, where he was doing well. He had succeeded in reaching Detroit, from whence he passed safely to his home; but probably learned a lessonnot to be forgotten. He was a talented young man--one who would have feltdeeply the disgrace of imprisonment, --and it was indeed a pleasure to meto do what I could, to effect his release from an unenviable position. Iwould never have betrayed him; but happily I was not asked directly forhim, until he was gone from my house and protection. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

NARRATIVE OF TWO FUGITIVES FROM VIRGINIA. 

The settlers in Wilberforce, were in general, industrious and thriftyfarmers: they cleared their land, sowed grain, planted orchards, raisedcattle, and in short, showed to the world that they were in no wayinferior to the white population, when given an equal chance with them. Inproof of this let me say, that it was uniformly the practice of personstraveling from London to Goderich, to remain in our settlement over night, in preference to going on to find entertainment among their own class ofpeople. And we believe that the whites are bound to admit, that theexperiment of the Wilberforce colony proves that the colored man can notonly take care of himself, but is capable of improvement; as industriousand intelligent as themselves, when the yoke is taken from off theirnecks, and a chance given them to exercise their abilities. True, many ofthem had just escaped from cruel task-masters; ignorant of almost everything but the lash, --but the air of freedom so invigorated and put newlife into their weary bodies, that they soon became intelligent andthrifty. 

Among the settlers might be gathered many a thrilling narrative, ofsuffering and hair-breadth escapes from the slave-land, --one of which Iwill tell as 'twas told to me. 

In a small rude cabin, belonging to one of the large plantations inVirginia, sat at a late hour of the night, an afflicted slave-man and hisdevoted wife, sad and weeping. At length the husband repeated what hebefore had been saying:

"I tell you, wife, we must flee from this place, without delay. Oh, Icannot endure the idea of seeing you sold for the Southern market, to saynothing of myself; and we shall most likely be separated, which I can'tbear! Oh, Rosa, the thought distracts me, --I can't bear it!"

"Are you sure, " said Rosa, "that master thinks of such a frightful doomfor us?"

"Oh yes, I know it; I heard master to-day making a bargain with the slavedealer that has been hanging about here so long; and when it was finished, I heard him reading over the list, and our names, wife, are the first onit. "

"Oh, dear!" sobbed the wife, "we shall certainly be retaken and whippedto death; or else we shall starve in the wilderness! Oh, it is very hardto be compelled to leave all our friends and the old plantation where wewere born!"

"Yes; it is both hard and unjust, " said Joe, and an indignant frowncontracted his brow, --"here is our birth-place, and here, for forty yearshave I toiled early and late to enrich my master; and you, my poor wife, afew years less; and now we are to be sold, separated, and all without achoice of our own. We must go, Rosa. If we die, let us die together!"

"It shall be as you say, Joe, " she replied, "but it frightens me to thinkof the hardships of the way, and the danger of being recaptured. "

"Courage, wife: no fate can be worse than the one designed for us; and wehave no time to lose. Tomorrow night, then, we must make the first effortto gain our liberty, and leave all that is dear to us except each other!"And they retired to rest, but not to sleep. 

The following night was very dark; and as soon as all was quiet on theplantation, they stole out of their cabin and stealthily crept over theground until they reached the highway; and then, guided only by the northstar, they made their way to the nearest woods. So fearful had they beenof being suspected, that they took no provision of any kind with them. Allnight they plunged forward through the tangled thicket and under-brush, surrounded by thick darkness, glancing now and then upward to their onlylight, "Star of the North! though night winds drift the fleecy drapery of the sky, Between thy lamp and thee, I lift, yea, lift with hope my sleepless eye. "

When day dawned they threw their weary bodies on the ground, famishedand thirsty, and waited for the darkness to again conceal them while theypursued their journey. The second day of their flight, the pain of hungerbecame almost beyond endurance. They found a few roots which relieved thema little; but frequently they lost their way, and becoming bewildered, knew not which way to go; they pushed on, however, determined to keep asfar from their pursuers as possible. Their shoes were soon worn out; butbare-footed, bare-headed, and famishing with hunger, they pressed forward, until the fourth day, when they found themselves too weak to proceedfarther. Hope, the anchor of the soul, had failed them! They were starvingin a dense forest! No track or path could they find, and even had theyseen a human being, they would have been more terrified than at the sightof a wild beast!

Poor Rosa, could go no farther--her strength was all gone--and as heremaciated husband laid her on the cold earth, he exclaimed, "Oh, dear God!_must_ we, after all our efforts, starve in this dark wilderness! Besidehis fainting wife, he finally stretched himself, sheltered only by a fewbushes, and tried to compose himself to die! but resting a few momentsrevived him, and he aroused himself, to make one more effort for life!Stay you here, wife, and I will try once more to find the highway; itcannot be far from here; and if I am taken, I will submit to my fatewithout a struggle; we can but die. " So saying, he left her, and began toreconnoitre the country around them. Much sooner than he expectedhe emerged from the wood, and not far distant he saw a house in thedirection from whence he came; being, however, as most of the slaves are, superstitious, he thought it would be a bad omen to turn backward, and socontinued to look about him. It seemed, he said, that some unseen powerheld him, for though starving as he was, he could not take a step in thatdirection; and at last as he turned around, to his great joy, he sawanother dwelling a little way off, and toward that he hastened his nowlightened footsteps. With a palpitating heart, he approached the door andknocked cautiously. The man of the house opened it, and as soon as he sawhim, he said, "You are a fugitive slave, but be not alarmed, come in; noharm shall befall you here; I shall not inquire from whence you came; itis enough for me to know that you are a human being in distress; considerme your friend, and let me know your wants. "

"Bread! Oh, for a morsel of bread!" said the famished creature, while hishitherto wild and sunken eyes, began to distil grateful tears. The "goodSamaritan" stepped to another apartment and brought him a piece of bread, which he expected to see him devour at once, but instead, he looked atit wistfully, literally devouring it with his eyes; turned it over andover, and at last stammered out, "my good master, without a piece of breadfor my poor starving wife, I can never swallow this, tempting as it is. "

"Poor man, " said his benefactor, "can it be that you have a wife with you, wretched as yourself?" He brought out a loaf of bread, some cheese andmeat, and while the fugitive was preparing to return, the kind gentlemansaid, "I am glad you came to me; had you called at the house you firstsaw, you would have been betrayed, and immediately arrested. You mustremember, " he continued, "that you are young and valuable slaves, and thatyour master will make every effort in his power to find you, especiallysince he has made a sale of you. To-day and to-night, remain in the woods, and the next morning you may come to me, if all is quiet; should I seedanger approaching you, I will warn you of it by the crack my rifle. Gonow, to your poor wife, and listen for the signal of danger; if you hearnone, come to me at the appointed time. " He returned, and after feedinghis helpless Rosa, she revived, and soon felt quite comfortable andgrateful. 

When the morning came for them to leave their retreat, they listenedintently, but hearing nothing, Joe started for the residence of hisfriend. He had been gone but a short time, when his wife, who lay inthe bushes, thought she heard the tramp of horses, --she crept nearerthe highway, and peeping through the bush--Oh, horror! what was herconsternation and sickening fear, to find herself gazing upon thewell-known features of her old master, and two of his neighbors, all armedto the teeth! Her heart seemed to stand still, and the blood to chill inher veins. Had she been discovered she would have been an easy prey, forshe declared that she could not move a step. In the meantime her husbandhad got about half way to the residence of his preserver, when his quickear detected the sound made by the feet of horses, and as he stopped tolisten more intently, the sharp crack of a rifle sent him bounding back tohis concealment in the forest. 

The party of horsemen rode on to the dwelling of the kind heartedgentleman, and inquired whether he had seen any fugitive slaves pass thatway. 

"I saw, " said he, "a man and woman passing rapidly along the road, but donot know whether they were fugitives, as I did not see their faces. " Thehuman blood-hound, thanked the gentleman for the information, andimmediately set out in pursuit; but, just as the informant had intended, in a direction _opposite_ to that the slaves had taken. That night, Joeand Rosa visited the house of their benefactor, where they were suppliedwith clothing and as much food as they could carry; and next day they wenton their way rejoicing. They settled in Cincinnati, where they livedhappily, until the mob drove them with others, to the Wilberforcesettlement, where they are in no danger of the auction block, or of aSouthern market; and are as much devoted to each other as ever. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

PLEASANT RE-UNION OF OLD AND TRIED FRIENDS. 

It is well known to those who have assisted in clearing land in a newcountry, that bears, who are not Jews, are very troublesome, and levy aheavy tax on the settlers, to supply themselves with pork-their favoritefood. One old bear in particular, had for a long time annoyed thecolonists, by robbing their hog-stys almost every night. We failed in allour plans to destroy his life, until a woman saw him one day, walking atease through the settlement. A half dozen of us gave chase immediately, and came up with him after traveling two miles. So anxious was I to killhim, that I fired at first sight and missed him, which gave us anothertwo miles chase. When, however, we came up, he was seated on a branch of atree, leisurely surveying us and the dogs, with great complacency. Thecontents of my rifle brought him to the ground, and stirred his blood forbattle. One blow from his powerful paw, sent my fine greyhound some yardsdistant, sprawling upon the ground, and when he renewed the attack, Bruinmet him with extended jaws, taking and munching his head in his mouth. Myrifle was now reloaded, and the second shot killed him on the spot. Wetied his legs together, and lifting him on a pole, marched in triumph intothe settlement, where guns were discharged and cheers given, inapprobation of our success. 

One winter's evening we had drawn closely around the blazing fire, for theair was piercing cold without, and the snow four feet deep on a level. Nowand then, a traveler might be seen on snow-shoes; but though our cabin wassituated on the king's highway, we seldom saw company on such a night asthis. While the wind whistled, and the snow drifted about our dwelling, wepiled the wood higher in our ample fire-place, and seated ourselves again, to resume the conversation, when I was startled by a loud and furiousknocking at the door. I opened it to what I supposed to be three Indians. Their costume was that of the red man; but the voice of him who addressedme was not that of an Indian. "Can you keep three poor devils hereto-night?" said he, and when I made farther inquiry, he repeated the samequestion; "we can sleep, " he continued, "on the soft side of a board; onlygive us poor devils a shelter. "

I told him we were not accustomed to turn away any one on such a night;that they were welcome to come in; and they were soon seated around ourlarge and cheerful fire. 

They had laid aside their snow-shoes and knapsacks, and the heat of thefire soon made their blankets uncomfortable; but as one of them made amove to throw it off, another was heard to whisper, "wait a little; we areamong strangers, you know; so do not make a display of yourself. " Thefellow drew his blanket about him; but we had heard and seen enough toawaken curiosity, if not suspicion. In passing out of the room soon after, I heard one of these pretended Indians say to his companion, "I know thesefolks are from the States, for I smell coffee. " When they finally sat downto table, and saw silver upon it, they cast surprised and knowing glancesat each other, all of which we closely observed, and were convinced, thatthey were not red men of the forest, but belonged to that race who had solong looked haughtily down upon the colored people; that the leastexhibition of comfort, or show of refinement astonished them beyondmeasure. 

In the meantime, my wife had whispered to me that she was sure that theprincipal speaker was no other than the aristocratic Mr. G----, ofCanandaigua. I could not believe it; I could not recognize in thatsavage costume, one who had been bred in affluence, and "the star" ofgenteel society. But my wife soon developed the affair to our mutualsatisfaction: G----, on taking from her a cup of coffee, remarked, "thislooks good; and I have had no good coffee since I left my mother's house. "

"Does your mother still reside in C----?" asked Mrs. Steward. 

"My mother! my mother! what do you know of my mother!" said he, lookingsharply at her; but observing that they were recognized, they began tolaugh, and we had a hearty congratulation all round; while G----, starting-up from table, exclaimed, "Come, boys, off with this disguise; we are among friends now. "

Our Indian guests, now appeared in costume more like "Broadway dandies, "than savages. Dressed in the finest cloth, with gold chains and repeaters;and all that constituted the toilet of a gentleman. After tea theyrequested to dry some costly furs, which they took from their knapsacksand hung around the fire. The following day they took their leave, withmany apologies and explanations, regarding their appearance and conduct. They were in the wilderness, they said, trading for very valuable furs;they had money, jewelry and rich goods, which they had taken that methodto conceal. 

During all this time, there had been another visitor in the house, who wassitting in a corner, absorbed in writing. Our mock Indians had noticed him, and not knowing who he was, expressed a determination "to quiz that deafold devil, " after supper. We all seated ourselves around the fire, andour Canandaigua friends, though no longer savages, had not forgotten thesilent man in the corner; they began to question him, and he arousedhimself for conversation; nor was it long before they forgot their designto quiz him, and found themselves charmed listeners to the brilliantconversation, of that world-renowned champion of humanity, Benjamin Lundy, for he it was. 

On this particular evening, he gave us a sketch of his journey to Hayti;to accompany there and settle some emancipated slaves; which I thoughtvery interesting, and as I have never seen it in print I will here relateit, as near as I can, in his own words:

In the State of Maryland, there lived a slaveholder the proprietor of somesixty slaves, and being somewhat advanced in years, he determined to freethem, in accordance with the laws of that State, which required that theybe sent out of it. 

He had thought the matter over, but being undecided where to send them, hesent for Mr. Lundy to assist him in his proposed plan; who was only tooglad to comply with a request calculated to carry out his own plans ofphilanthropy and equal rights. 

When he had listened to the suggestions and expressed desires of theplanter, he offered his arguments in favor of the West India Islands; andit was decided to send them to Hayti, as their future place of residence. 

Six weeks were allowed for preparations; then Mr. Lundy was to return andtake charge of them on the voyage, and see them settled in their newhomes. 

When the appointed time arrived, Mr. Lundy was there to accompany them onboard a vessel bound for Hayti; on which was furnished as comfortablequarters, as the kindness of their conscientious master and his ownbenevolent heart could suggest. When all was ready, the Christian mastercame on board, to take leave of those faithful servants, --many of whomhad served him from their childhood, and all of whom he had bound to hisheart by kindness and Christian benevolence. It was a sad parting; notbecause the slaves did not love liberty, but because they appreciatedtheir master's kind forbearance, and solicitude for their future welfare. He had ever been a humane and indulgent master; one who lightened theburthen of the poor slave, all in his power. A moment's reflection willshow, that it is invariably this conscientious kind of slaveholders, whoare induced to emancipate their slaves; and not the avaricious, crueltyrant, who neither fears God nor regards his fellow man. 

The master of the slaves had kindly informed them of his intentions, --ofthe probable length of the voyage, and the unavoidable sickness they wouldexperience, &c. ; but now, they were gazing up into his kind face for thelast time, as he knelt in prayer, commending that numerous flock--raisedon his own plantation--to the care and protection of Almighty God, beseeching Him to protect them in the storm and dangers of the ocean; toguide them through this life, and save them in the world to come; untilthe sobs and cries of the poor slaves drowned his utterance. He at lengthtook his final leave of them, and of Mr. Lundy; and the ship sailedimmediately. They, however, met storms and adverse winds, which detainedthem; and then the poor, ignorant slaves began to believe what they hadbefore suspected: that this was only some wicked plan of Mr. Lundy's, laidto entice them away from a kind master, and to plunge them into somedreadful degradation and suffering. "Master" had not told them of theadverse winds, and they were certain that some mischief was intended; theygrew sullen and disobedient; and notwithstanding the kindness of Mr. Lundy, they murmured and complained, until his kind heart sank withinhim; still he pursued the even tenor of his way, trusting in God fordeliverance. He watched over them in sickness, and administered to alltheir wants; but his tender solicitude for their health and comfort, onlyexcited suspicion, and increased their ungrateful ill humor. 

One pleasant evening, Mr. Lundy paced the deck in deep thought. He wassad, and well nigh hopeless. He had seen enough in the fierce look andsullen scowl; and had heard enough of the bitterness, and threateninganger of the negroes, to know that a storm was gathering, which must soonburst in all its wild fury over his devoted head. He was a small, feebleman, compared with those who watched his every movement, and gnashed theirteeth upon him so fiercely. None but the Almighty could save him now; andto Him who "rides upon the wings of the wind, and maketh the clouds Hischariot, " he drew near in fervent prayer; after which he retired in peaceand confidence to his berth. During the night, a fine breeze sprang up;and when he went on deck the next morning, they were in sight of theluxuriant shore of Hayti! The officers of the island boarded the ship; buttheir language was unintelligible to the negroes, who still looked daggersat every one who spoke. They landed; but the fearful, and ungratefulslaves continued sullen and forbidding. Mr. Lundy left them, however, andwent into the country, where he selected their future residence; and madeevery preparation for their comfort and convenience in his power; saw themconveyed to their neat, pleasant homes, and all happily settled. This workwas accomplished; and he merely called to bid adieu to his ungratefulcharge, when he found that one of the slaves had been appointed to speakto him, in behalf of the whole number, and confess how deeply they hadwronged him. While they were conversing, the others gathered around, withtears and prayers for forgiveness; and finally fell at his feet, imploringpardon for themselves, and blessings on the kind, patient and humaneBenjamin Lundy. He hurried from the affecting scene, and soon afterreturned to America. 

Thus that cold evening passed more pleasantly away in our rude cabin; andour Canandaigua gentlemen, after an agreeable acquaintance, and pleasantchat with Mr. Lundy, retired for the night--not like savages, but likegentlemen as they were; and I doubt not, with a more exalted opinion of"the deaf old devil in the corner"

CHAPTER XXV. 

PRIVATE LOSSES AND PRIVATE DIFFICULTIES. 

Soon after settling in Wilberforce, I found that the rumor I had heard inthe States, concerning the refusal to sell land to colored persons, wasliterally correct, and my farm being too small to yield a support for myfamily, and knowing it would be useless to apply for more land, I engagedto carry packages for different merchants in the adjoining villages, aswell as to and from the settlement. Possessing a pair of excellent horsesand a good wagon, I found it a profitable business, and the only one Icould well do, to eke out the proceeds of my farm, and meet my expenses. 

One day as I was returning from the village, one of my horses was takensuddenly ill. I took him to a tavern near by, and as I could discover nocause for his illness, I concluded to leave him a few days, supposing restwould soon restore him. I accordingly hired another horse, and returned tothe colony. In a day or two after, I collected my packages as usual, andstarted on my route, designing to leave the hired horse and take my own;but when I arrived at the tavern, I found some Indians engaged in takingoff the hide and shoes of my poor, dead horse. This was indeed, a greatloss to me; but I consoled myself with the thought that I had one goodhorse left, yet he would hardly be sufficient to accomplish alone, thelabor I had engaged to perform; nor had I the means to spare, to purchaseanother. I therefore hired one, and commenced business again, with thedetermination to make up my loss by renewed diligence and perseverance. 

I started in good spirits; but had proceeded but a few miles, when myremaining horse, which I had supposed perfectly sound, reeled and fell inthe harness! And before I could relieve him of it, my noble animal andfaithful servant, had breathed his last! Without a struggle or a movementhe lay lifeless on the cold earth. I was sad. I deplored the loss of mygood, and valuable team; but more the mystery and suspicion that hung overthe event. I returned home and sat down to devise some plan of procedure. What could I do? Half the means of our support had been suddenlyand mysteriously snatched from us. What could I do next? While thusruminating, I arose to answer a summons at the door, and who should enterbut Mr. B. Paul, a brother to our foreign agent, who had so long absentedhimself from our house, that I was indeed surprised to see him at thistime. He, however, seated himself, with great apparent concern for myrecent loss, which he soon made the subject of conversation and theobject of his visit. 

"There has been, " said he, "a great deal of unpleasant feeling, andinjudicious speaking on both sides, for which I am heartily sorry. Thecolony is too weak to sustain a division of feelings; and now, that yourrecent losses have left you in a far less favorable condition to sustainyourself and family, I have called to make a settlement of our formerdifficulties, and to offer you two hundred and fifty dollars out of thecollections for the colony. "

I saw through the plan at once, and considered it only a bribe, to preventmy exposing the iniquity of others. Should I consent to take a part of theill-gotten spoils, with what confidence could I attempt to stay the handof the spoiler. I wanted money very much, it is true; but after a moment'sreflection, not enough to sanction the manner in which it had beenobtained; and though I confess, the offer presented to me a strongtemptation, I am thankful that I was enabled to resist it. I refused toaccept the money; and after sending away the tempter and his offered gain, I felt my heart lighter, and my conscience more peaceful than is often thelot of sinful, erring man in this world of trial and conflict; and yet Icould but feel that the mystery in which the death of my horses wasinvolved, was partially at least, explained. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

INCIDENTS AND PECULIARITIES OF THE INDIANS. 

During our residence in Canada, we were often visited by the Indians, which gave us an opportunity to learn their character, habits anddisposition; and some incidents illustrative of the peculiarities of thatabused people, I will here mention. 

I recollect one bitter cold night, about eleven o'clock, I happened toawake, and looking out toward the fire, I was surprised to see standingthere, erect and quiet, a tall, brawny Indian, wrapped in his blanket;his long hunting knife and tomahawk dangling from his belt; and his riflein his hand. Had he been in his own wigwam, he could not have lookedabout him with more satisfaction and independence. I instantly sprang tomy feet, and demanded his errand. 

"Me lost in the woods, and me come to stay all night, " was his gravereply. 

"Then, " said I, "give me your weapons, and I will make no objection. "

He disarmed himself, and gave his weapons to me, with an air of haughtydisdain for my fears. I put them in a place of safety and then preparedhis bed, which was nothing more than the floor, where they choose tosleep, with their head to the fire. My offer of anything different fromthis he proudly resented as an insult to his powers of endurance, andwould say, "beds for pale faces and women; hard board for Indians. " Hethrew himself down, drew his blanket about him, and was soon sleepingsoundly. As soon as the day began to dawn, he was up, called for his arms, and after thanking me in the brief Indian style of politeness, departedfor the forest. He had found our doors all fastened, save a low back door, through which he entered, passing through a back room so full ofmiscellaneous articles, that it was difficult to go through it in the daytime without upsetting something; but the Indian understood all this, hemade no noise, nor would he have spoken at all, had I not awakened; andyet, he would have scorned to injure any one beneath the roof that gavehim shelter, unless he had been intoxicated. 

One sabbath afternoon, one of my children was sitting in the door, when atall, emaciated Indian came up and said, "Will my little lady please togive me a drink of water?" While she went for it, I invited him to a seatwithin. There was something dignified and commanding in his appearance, and something in his voice and countenance, that won my confidence andrespect at once. He remained in the place some time, and I learned hishistory. 

In his younger days he had been a great warrior; and even now, whenrecounting, as he often did, the scenes of the battle field, his eye wouldburn with savage fire, lighting up his whole countenance with the fiercestkind of bravery, and often with a hideous yell that would startle our verysouls, he would burst from the room and bound over the fields and forest, with the fleetness of a deer--making the woods ring with his frightfulwar-cry, until the blood seemed ready to curdle in our veins. He had alsobeen one of the famous Tecumseh's braves; and had stood by him when hefell on the fifth of October, 1813. This old brave, whenever he called thename of Tecumseh, bowed his head reverently; and would often try to tellus how very deeply they mourned when it could no longer be doubted thatthe brave heart of Tecumseh, brother of the celebrated Wabash prophet, had ceased to beat. 

"Had an arrow pierced the sun and brought it to my feet, " said the oldwarrior, "I could not have been more astounded than at the fall ofTecumseh. " Then he told us that once, after a great and victorious battle, Tecumseh, in his war paint and feathers, stood in the midst of his braves, when a little pale faced girl made her way weeping to him and said, "Mymother is very ill, and your men are abusing her, and refuse to go away. ""Never, " said the Indian, "did I see a frown so terrible on the face ofTecumseh, as at that moment; when he with one hand clutched his tomahawk, and with the other led the little girl to the scene of riot. He approachedthe unruly savages with uplifted tomahawk, its edge glittering likesilver, and with one shout of 'begone!' they scattered as though athunderbolt had fallen in their midst. "

But the old warrior at Wilberforce fought no more battles, except inimagination those of the past. After peace was declared he bought avaluable piece of land, with the intention of spending the remainder ofhis life more quietly; but unfortunately there lived not far from him aman who had once been the possessor of that farm, and had lost it in someway, and was now in reduced circumstances. 

He was both envious and vicious; and because he could not himself buy theland, he was determined that the old Indian should not have it. Afterhaving tried many ways to get it from him, he finally complained of him, for fighting for the British and against the country where he now resided. This was successful; he was arrested and thrown into prison, and withouta trial, removed from one prison to another, until he, with severalothers, was sent South to be tried as traitors. While on the way, thekeeper of this Indian wished to call on his mother, who lived in alittle cottage by the roadside, to bid her farewell. She was an agedwoman, and when her son left her to join his companions, she followed himto the door weeping, wringing her hands in great distress, and imploringthe widow's God to protect her only son. She had had four; all of whomwent forth, with an American mother's blessing, to fight in defence oftheir country; and this one alone, returned alive from the field ofbattle. Now as he took his final departure for the South, she clasped herhands, raised her tearful eyes to heaven, and while large drops rolledover her wrinkled cheeks, she cried, "Oh, God, protect my only one, andreturn him to me in safety, ere I die. " This scene, the imprisoned, and assome supposed, heartless Indian, watched with interest; no part of itescaped his attention; but they passed on, and safely reached Detroit. The prisoners were conducted to a hotel and secured for the night; ourIndian hero being consigned to an attic, which they supposed a safe placefor him. There happened to be on that night, a company of showmenstopping at that hotel, and exhibiting wax-work; among the rest, was afigure of General Brock, who fell at Queenston Heights, and a costly cloakof fur, worn by the General previous to his death. Nothing of this escapedthe eagle-eye and quick ear of the Indian. When all was quiet in thehotel, he commenced operations, for he had made up his mind to leave, which with the red man is paramount to an accomplishment of his design. Hefound no great difficulty in removing the window of his lofty apartment, out of which he clambered, and with the agility of a squirrel and thecaution of a cat, he sprang for the conductor and on it he slid to theground. He was now free to go where he pleased; but he had heardsomething about the cloak of Gen. Brock; he knew too, that the friends ofthe General had offered fifty guineas for it, and now he would just conveyit to them. 

With the sagacity of his race, he surveyed the hotel, and determined theexact location of the show-room. Stealthily and noiselessly, he enteredit; found the cloak--took it and departed, chuckling at his good fortune. As he was creeping out of the apartment with his booty, a thought struckhim, which not only arrested his footsteps, but nearly paralized his wholebeing. Would not his keeper be made to answer, and perhaps to suffer forhis escape and theft? Of course he would. "Then in the darkness I sawagain, " said the old brave, "that old pale-faced mother, weeping for theloss of her only son, " when he immediately returned the cloak to itsplace, and with far more difficulty than in his descent, he succeeded inreaching his attic prison, where he laid himself down, muttering tohimself, "not yet, --poor old pale-face got but one. "

They took him to Virginia, where, instead of a trial, they gave him aboutthe same liberty they do their slaves. He staid one winter; but when thespring opened, the fire of the red man took possession of him, and whensent to the forest to chop wood, he took a bee-line for his formerresidence. But what was he to do for food? With a rifle, he could livehappily in the woods, but he had none; so after considering the matter, hesaid to himself, "Me _must_ get a rifle, " and instantly started for thehighway. The first cabin he saw, he entered in great apparent excitement, and told the woman of the house, that he had seen a "big deer in thewoods, and wanted a rifle to shoot it. When you hear my gun, " he said, "then you come and get big deer. " She gave him her husband's excellentrifle and a few bullets; he looked at them, and said he must have more, for "it was a big deer;" so she gave him the bullet-mould and a piece oflead, with which he departed, after repeating his former injunction, tocome when she heard the rifle; but, said he, "she no hear it yet. "

He at length arrived at his own farm, from which he had been so cruellydriven, and concealed himself behind a log in sight of his own house, towatch the inmates. He soon learned that it was occupied by the man who hadpersecuted him in order to obtain it, his wife and one child. All dayuntil midnight, he watched them from his hiding place, then assuming allthe savage ferocity of his nature, and giving himself the most frightfulappearance possible, he entered the house, and noiselessly passed to theirsleeping room, where he placed himself before them with a long knife inhis hand. Having assumed this frightful attitude, he commanded them in avoice of thunder, to get up and give him some supper. They were awake now. Oh, horror! what a sight for a guilty man, and a timid woman! "Me come tokill you!" said the Indian, as he watched their blanched cheeks andquivering lips. They tottered about on their trembling limbs to geteverything he asked for, imploring him for God's sake to take all, butspare their lives. "Me will have scalps, " he answered fiercely; but whenhe had eaten all he desired, he adjusted his blanket, and putting on asavage look, he remarked as if to himself, "Me go now get my men and killhim, kill he wife, and kill he baby!" and left the house for his post ofobservation. 

The frightened inmates lost no time, but hastily collecting someprovisions, fled to the frontier, and were never heard of afterwards. 

The Indian immediately took possession of his own and quite an additionleft by the former tenants. 

While the kind-hearted old Indian repeated to me the story of his wrongs, it reminded me of the injustice practised on myself, and the colored racegenerally. Does a colored man by hard labor and patient industry, acquirea good location, a fine farm, and comfortable dwelling, he is almost sureto be looked upon by the white man, as an usurper of _his_ rights andterritory; a robber of what he himself should possess, and too often doeswrong the colored man out of, --yet, I am happy to acknowledge manyhonorable exceptions. 

I have often wondered, when looking at the remnant of that once powerfulrace, whether the black man would become extinct and his race die out, ashave the red men of the forest; whether they would wither in the presenceof the enterprising Anglo-Saxon as have the natives of this country. Butnow I have no such wondering inquiries to make; being persuaded that thecolored man has yet a prominent part to act in this highly-favoredRepublic, --of what description the future must determine. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

OUR DIFFICULTIES WITH ISRAEL LEWIS. 

Being under the necessity of referring again to the difficulties existingin the Wilberforce colony, I shall here introduce a circular, published inNew York city, which will give the reader an understanding of the realcause of our embarrassments, and the character of our agent, Israel Lewis. 

CIRCULAR

_New York, May 9th_, 1836. 

The committee of colored citizens of the city of New York, as servants ofthe public, sincerely regret the necessity of bringing the within subjectbefore the public. Their duty to God, to society, and to themselves, onlyactuates them in this matter. 

The fact that many individuals in different sections of the country, havelong suspected the integrity of Israel Lewis, but possessing no authenticdocumentary evidence, they have been prevented from making an effort, to counteract his too successful attempts and those of his agents, in thecollection of funds from the public, has induced us to transmit thiscircular. 

THEODORE S. WRIGHT, PETER OGDEN, THOMAS DOWNING, GEORGE POTTS, CHARLES B. RAY, DAVID RUGGLES, JOHN STANS, WILLIAM P. JOHNSON, WILLIAM HAMILTON, SAMUEL E. CORNISH. 

 * * * * *

ISRAEL LEWIS. 

_Wilberforce, U. C. , March 28th, 1836. _

The board of managers of the Wilberforce settlement, met and passedunanimously the following resolutions--Present, Austin Steward, PhilipHarris, Peter Butler, William Bell, John Whitehead, Samuel Peters. 

_Resolved_, 1st. That we deeply regret the manner in which our friends inthe States have been imposed upon by Israel Lewis; and that we herebyinform them, as a board of managers or otherwise, that we have receivedless than one hundred dollars of all the money borrowed and collected inthe States. 

_Resolved_, 2d. That although we have not received one hundred dollarsfrom said Lewis, yet, when we shall have received the funds collected byour agent, the Rev. Nathan Paul, in England, we will refund as far as ourabilities will allow and our friends may require, the money contributedfor our supposed benefit, by them in the States. 

_Resolved_, 3d. That we tender our sincere thanks to our beloved friends, Arthur Tappan and others, who have taken such deep interest in thewelfare of our little colony. 

_Resolved_, 4th. That the foregoing resolutions be signed by the wholeboard, and sent to the States to be published in the _New York Observer_and other papers. 

AUSTIN STEWARD, _President_, PETER BUTLER, _Treasurer_, JOHN HALMES, _Secretary_. 

PHILIP HARRIS, }WILLIAM BELL, }JOHN WHITEHEAD, } _Managers. _SAMUEL PETERS, }

 * * * * *

_New York, April 25th, 1836. _

At a public meeting of the colored citizens of New York city, held inPhoenix Hall, Thomas L. Jennings in the Chair, and Charles B. Ray, Secretary, the following resolutions were passed unanimously:

_Resolved_, That the thanks of this meeting be tendered to the Rev. Samuel E. Cornish, for the able and satisfactory report of his missionto Upper Canada, especially to the Wilberforce settlement. 

_Resolved_, That this meeting deem it their imperative duty, to announceto the public, that in view of facts before them, Israel Lewis [1] hasabused their confidence, wasted their benevolence, and forfeited all claimto their countenance and respect. 

_Resolved_, That a committee of ten, be appointed to give publicity to theforegoing resolutions; also, to the communication from the managers of theWilberforce settlement, as they may deem necessary in the case. 

THOMAS L. JENNINGS, _Chairman_, CHARLES B. RAY, _Secretary_. 

[Footnote 1: It necessarily follows that the public should withhold theirmoney from his subordinate agents. ]

It will now appear that I was not the only unfortunate individual who haddifficulty with Mr. Lewis. Mr. Arthur Tappan made known through the press, about this time, that Israel Lewis was not a man to be fully relied uponin his statements regarding the Wilberforce colony; and also, if moneywas placed in his hands for the benefit of the sick and destitute amongthe settlers, it would be doubtful whether it was faithfully appliedaccording to the wishes of the donors. 

For this plain statement of facts, Mr. Lewis commenced a suit against Mr. Tappan, for defamation of character; laying the damages at the round sumof ten thousand dollars. It appeared that Lewis valued his reputationhighly now that he had elevated himself sufficiently to commence a suitagainst one of the best and most respectable gentlemen in New York city;a whole souled abolitionist withal; one who had suffered his name to becast out as evil, on account of his devotion to the colored man's cause--both of the enslaved and free; one who has, moreover, seen his owndwelling entered by an infuriated and pro-slavery mob; his expensivefurniture thrown into the street as fuel for the torch of the black man'sfoe; and, amid the crackling flame which consumed it, to hear the vilevociferations of his base persecutors, whose only accusation was hisdefence of the colored man. This noble hearted, Christian philanthropist, who took "joyfully the spoiling of his goods" for the cause of theoppressed, was the chosen victim of Lewis' wrath and violent vituperation;and that too, where he was well known as a most honorable, humanegentleman; and all for naming facts which were quite generally knownalready. 

Lewis returned to Wilberforce, flushed and swaggering with the idea ofmaking his fortune in this speculation of a law-suit against Mr. Tappan;and to remove all obstacles, he sent a man to me, to say that if I wouldpublish nothing, and would abandon the interests of the colonists, hewould give me a handsome sum of money. I soon gave him to understand thathe had applied to the wrong person for anything of that kind; and he thenlaid a plan to accomplish by fraud and perjury, what he had failed to doby bribery. 

I have before mentioned the fact of my having taken up a note oftwenty-five dollars for Mr. Lewis, on condition that he would soon refundthe money. I did it as a favor, and kept the note in my possession, untilabout a year afterward, when I sued him to recover my just due on thenote. We had then began to differ in our public business, which led toother differences in our transaction of both public and private mattersrelating to the colony. He of course gave bail for his appearance atcourt, and it ran along for some time until he found he could not bribe meto enter into his interests, and then for the first time, he declared thatI had stolen the note! And finally succeeded in getting me indicted beforethe grand jury!

In this I suppose Lewis and his confederates had two objects: first, toget rid of me; secondly, that they might have a chance to account for mycontinued hostility, by saying that it arose in consequence of a privatequarrel, and not for any true interest I had in their collecting moneydeceptively. 

Lewis appeared so bent on my destruction, that he forgot it was in mypower to show how I came by the note. The Court of King's Bench met, butin consequence of the cholera, was adjourned, and of course, the casemust lie over until another year. 

When the time for the trial drew near, I was, in the midst of mypreparations to attend it, counseled and advised by different persons toflee from the country, which I had labored so hard and so conscientiouslyto benefit, and received in return nothing but detraction and slander. Butconscious of my innocence, I declared I would not leave; I knew I hadcommitted no crime; I had violated no law of the land, --and I would donothing to imply guilt. He who hath formed the heart, knoweth its intentand purpose, and to Him I felt willing to commit my cause. True, the courtmight convict, imprison, and transport me away from my helpless family offive small children; if so, I was determined they should punish aninnocent man. Nevertheless, it was a dark time; I was not only saddenedand perplexed, but my spirit was grieved, and I felt like one "wounded inthe house of his friends, "--ready to cry out, "had it been an enemy Icould have borne it, " but to be arraigned, for the _first_ time in mylife, as a _criminal_, by one of the very people I had spent my substanceto benefit, was extremely trying. Guiltless as I knew myself to be, still, I was aware that many incidents had transpired, which my enemies couldand would construe to my disadvantage; moreover, Lewis had money, which hewould freely distribute to gain his point right or wrong, and to get meout of his way. 

In due time the trial came on, and I was to be tried for _theft_! Lewishad reported all through the settlement that on a certain time I hadcalled at his house, and from a bundle of papers which his wife showed me, I had purloined the note, which had caused me so much trouble. To provethis it was necessary to get his wife to corroborate the statement. Thiswas not an easy matter. Mrs. Lewis, indignant and distressed by herhusband's unkindness, had left him and taken up her abode in the family ofa hospitable Englishman. After Lewis had been sent out as an agent for thecolony, finding himself possessed of sufficient funds to cut a swell, heassociated and was made a great deal of, by both ladies and gentlemen inhigh stations of life; the consequence of which was, he looked now withdisdain upon his faithful, but illiterate wife, who like himself had beenborn a slave, and bred on a Southern plantation; and who had with himescaped from the cruel task-master, enduring with him the hardships anddangers of the flying fugitive. 

Now her assistance was necessary to carry forward his plans, and heendeavored in various ways to induce her to return, but in vain. When hesent messengers to inform her how sorry he felt for his past abuse, shesaid she feared it was only some wicked plot to entice her away from thepeaceable home she had found. Lewis saw that he must devise some othermethod to obtain her evidence. He therefore called on the brother of theEnglishman in whose family Mrs. Lewis was, and in a threatening mannertold him that he understood his brother was harboring his wife, and thathe intended to make him pay dear for it. The brother, to save trouble, said he would assist him to get his wife, and that night conducted Lewisto her residence. No better proof can be given that Mrs. Lewis possessedthe true heart of a woman, than that the moment her husband made humbleconcessions, and promised to love and protect her henceforth, she forgavehim all his past infidelity and neglect, and looked with hope to abrighter future. In return Lewis presented her with a note, telling her totake it to a certain person and present it, and he would give her twentydollars on it. This would, he doubtless thought, leave her in his power. 

As Mrs. Lewis could not read, the unsuspecting wife presented the paperall in good faith. The gentleman looked at her sharply, suspiciously, --andthen asked her, if she was not aware that she was presenting him a papercompletely worthless! The poor woman was mortified and astonished; andinstead of returning to her husband, fled to Wilberforce, and called atour house. Knowing how disastrous to me would be her false statement, andignorant of her state of mind, I asked her if she had come to assist Mr. Lewis by swearing against me. I saw at once, that she had not yet beeninformed of her husband's design. 

"Swear against you, Mr. Steward!" said she. "I know nothing to swear thatwould injure you; I have always known you as an honest, upright man, andyou need not fear my turning against an innocent person, for the benefitof one I know to be guilty. Nor would I have left my place, had I knownwhat I now do. " So all help and fear was ended in that quarter. 

When at length the appointed morning arrived, I arose early, but with asaddened heart. I looked upon my wife and helpless family, reflecting thatpossibly this might be the last time we should all assemble around thebreakfast table in our hitherto quiet home, and I could scarcely refrainfrom weeping. I, however, took my leave, and a lad with me, to bring backa message of the result, if the court found sufficient cause to detain mefor trial. But when I found that I must be tried, I felt too unhappy tomake others so, and kept out of the lad's way. He returned without amessage; and I took my seat in the prisoner's box. I had just taken aletter out of the post office, from Rochester, containing recommendationsand attestations from the first men in the city, of my good character, which relieved my feelings somewhat: nevertheless, my heart was heavy, andespecially when, soon after I took my seat, a trap-door was opened and amurderer was brought up and seated by my side!

Chief Justice Robinson, made his appearance in great pomp--dressed in theEnglish court style-then the crier, in a shrill voice, announced theopening of the court, and finished by exclaiming, "God save the King!"His lordship then called the attention of the jury to the law of the land;particularly to that portion relating to their present duty; and the grandjury presented me to the court, for feloniously taking a certainpromissory note from the house of Israel Lewis. The King's Attorney hadbut one witness, and that was Lewis. He was called to the stand, permittedto relate his story, and retire without any cross-examination on the partof my Attorney; but that gentleman called up three respectable white men, all of whom swore that they would not believe Israel Lewis under oath!Then submitted the case to the jury without remark or comment, and thejury, without leaving their seats, brought in a verdict of "NOT GUILTY. "Thus ended my first and last trial for theft! Oh, how my very soulrevolted at the thought of being thus accused; but now that I stoodjustified before God and my fellow-men, I felt relieved and grateful; norcould I feel anything but pity for Lewis, who, like Hainan, had been soindustriously engaged in erecting "a gallows fifty cubits high" for me, but found himself dangling upon it He raved like a madman, clutched thearm of the Judge and demanded a new trial, but he shook him off withcontempt and indignation, as though he had been a viper. In his wild furyand reckless determination to destroy my character, he had cast a foulstain upon his own, never to be effaced. I had felt bound to preserve myreputation when unjustly assailed, but it had been to me a painfulnecessity to throw a fellow-being into the unenviable and disgracefulattitude in which Lewis now stood; and yet, he would not, and did notyield the point, notwithstanding his ignominious defeat. 

He very soon began to gather his forces for another attack upon me, andfollowed the same direction for his accusation, --the land purchase. 

The reader will recollect without further repetition, that as I couldpurchase no land of the Canada Company, because of their indignationagainst Lewis, I was glad to accept of the contract he had made with Mr. Ingersoll, for lot number four in the colony; that I paid the sumdemanded, and took his assignment on the back of the contract, and as wethen were on good terms, it never occurred to me that a witness wasnecessary to attest to the transaction. But after his failure to prove mea thief; his next effort was to convict me of forgery! It will beremembered that Lewis after selling out to me, returned the contract toMr. Ingersoll, and that I had lost by the means, the land, and at leastfive hundred dollars' worth of improvements. Then I brought a suit againstLewis, to recover the money I had paid him for the contract; and then itwas that he asserted and attempted to prove, that I had forged theassignment, and therefore, had no just claim on him for the amount paid. But in this, as in the other case, he met a defeat and made an entirefailure. I recovered all that I claimed, which, was only my just due. Onewould suppose that after so many unsuccessful attempts to ruin me, hewould have left me alone, --but not so with Lewis: he had the ambition of aBonaparte; and doubtless had he possessed the advantages of an education, instead of having been born and bred a slave, he might, like an Alexanderor Napoleon, have astonished the world with his deeds of daring. I am, however, no admirer of what the world call "great men, "--one humble, self-sacrificing Christian, like Benjamin Lundy, has far greater claim onmy respect and reverence. 

Lewis, failing in his second attack, backed up as he had been in all hiswicked course, by a friend wearing the sacred garb of a minister of thegospel, cooled off, and it became evident to all, that he was meditatingsome different mode of warfare. To this concealed confederate, I mustattach great blame, on account of the influence his station and superiorlearning gave him, not only over Mr. Lewis, but the colonists generally, and which should have been exerted for the good of all, in truth andhonesty. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

DESPERATION OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE. 

We had as yet received no funds from our foreign agent, N. Paul, and theboard of managers had resolved to send a man after him. An Englishman anda white man named Nell, would gladly undertake the mission, leaving hiswife and five children among the settlers. Again was I under the necessityof returning to New York, to obtain the funds required to send out Mr. Nell after our agent in England. 

The night before I left home, I had a singular dream which I will brieflyrelate. I dreamed of journeying on a boat to Albany, and of stopping at ahouse to take tea. Several persons, I thought, were at the table, and as acup of tea was handed me, I saw a woman slyly drop something into it. I, however, drank the tea, and dreamed that it made me very sick. 

I found it difficult to drive from my mind the unpleasant impression thisdream had made upon it, but finally succeeded in doing so, attributing itto the many and malicious threatenings which had been made by Lewis andhis associates. They had boldly asserted, that "if I went to the States, Iwould never return alive, " and several other threats equally malignant. I, however, started with Mr. Nell for Rochester, where we made an effortto raise money to aid in defraying the expenses of the voyage, andsucceeded in collecting about a hundred dollars. From thence we passed onto Albany, where we fell in company with a number of Mr. Paul's friends, who appeared to be terribly indignant, and accused me of coming there toexpose their friends, --Paul and Lewis. We had some warm words andunpleasant conversation, after which they left me very unceremoniously, and appeared to be very angry. A short time after, one of them returned, and in the most friendly manner invited me to his house to tea. I was gladof an opportunity to show that I harbored no unpleasant feelings towardthem, and immediately accompanied him home. The moment that we were allseated at the table, an unpleasant suspicion flashed through, my mind. The table, the company--all seemed familiar to me, and connected withsome unpleasant occurrence which I could not then recall. But when thelady of the house poured out a cup of tea, and another was about to passit, I heard her whisper, "I intended that for Mr. Steward, " my dream forthe first time, flashed through my mind, with all the vivid distinctnessof a real incident. I endeavored to drive it from my thoughts, and did so. Pshaw! I said to myself; I will not be suspicious nor whimsical, and Iswallowed the tea; then took my leave for the steamboat, on our way toNew York city. 

When we had passed a few miles out of Albany, the boat hove to, and therecame on board four men--one of the number a colored man. The white menrepaired to their state-rooms, leaving the colored man on deck, after theboat had returned to the channel. He attracted my attention, by hisdejected appearance and apparent hopeless despair. He was, I judged, about forty years of age; his clothing coarse and very ragged; and themost friendless, sorrowful looking being I ever saw. He spake to no one, but silently paced the deck; his breast heaving with inaudible sighs; hisbrow contracted with a most terrible frown; his eyes dreamily fastened onthe floor, and he appeared to be considering on some hopeless undertaking, I watched him attentively, as I walked to and fro on the same deck, andcould clearly discover that some fearful conflict was taking place in hismind; but as I afterwards repassed him he looked up with a happy, patientsmile, that lighted up his whole countenance, which seemed to say plainly, I see a way of escape, and have decided on my course of action. His wholeappearance was changed; his heart that before had beat so wildly was quietnow as the broad bosom of the Hudson, and he gazed alter me with a look ofcalm deliberation, indicative of a settled, but desperate purpose. Iwalked hastily forward and turned around, when, Oh, my God! what a sightwas there! Holding still the dripping knife, with which he had cut histhroat! and while his life-blood oozed from the gaping wound and flowedover his tattered garments to the deck, the same exultant smile beamed onhis ghastly features!

[Illustration: "I walked hastily forward and turned around, when, Oh, myGod! what a sight was there! He still held the dripping knife, with whichhe had cut his throat. "]

The history of the poor, dejected creature was now revealed: he hadescaped from his cruel task-master in Maryland; but in the midst of hissecurity and delightful enjoyment, he had been overtaken by the humanblood-hound, and returned to his avaricious and tyrannical master, nowconducting him back to a life of Slavery, to which he rightly thoughtdeath was far preferable. 

The horrors of slave life, which he had so long endured, arose in alltheir hideous deformity in his mind, hence the conflict of feeling which Ihad observed, --and hence the change in his whole appearance, when he hadresolved to endure a momentary pain, and escape a life-long scene ofunrequited toil and degradation. 

There happened to be on the boat at the time, several companies of citizensoldiers, who, shocked by the awful spectacle, expressed their decidedabhorrence of the institution of Slavery, declaring that it was not forsuch peculiar villainy, that their fathers fought and bled on the battlefield. So determined were they in their indignation; so loudly demandedthey a cessation of such occurrences on board our boats, and the soil ofa free State, that the slaveholders became greatly alarmed, and with allpossible dispatch they hurriedly dragged the poor bleeding slave into acloset, and securely locked the door; nor have I ever been able to learnhis final doom. Whether the kindly messenger of death released him fromthe clutches of the man-stealer, or whether he recovered to serve hisbrutal master, I have never been informed. 

After this exciting scene had passed, I began to realize that I wasfeeling quite ill; an unusual load seemed to oppress my stomach, and bythe time we had reached New York city, I was exceedingly distressed. Ihastened to a boarding house, kept by a colored woman, who did everythingin her power to relieve me; but I grew worse until I thought in reality, Imust die. The lady supposed I was dying of cholera, sent to Brooklyn afterMr. Nell; but having previously administered an emetic, I began to feelbetter; and when I had finally emptied my stomach of its contents, _teaand all_, by vomiting, I felt into a profound sleep, from which I awokegreatly relieved. The kindness of that lady I shall not soon forget. Shehad a house full of boarders, who would have fled instantly, had theyknown that, as she supposed, I was suffering from cholera; and instead ofsending me to the hospital, as she might have done, she kept all quietuntil it was over, doing all she could for my relief and comfort; yet, itwas a scene of distress which I hope may never be repeated. 

On the following morning, I saw in the city papers, "A Card, " inserted bythe owner of the poor slave on board the steamboat, informing the publicthat he was returning South with a fugitive slave, who, when arrested, evinced great willingness to return; who had confessed also, that he haddone very wrong in leaving his master, for which he was sorry, --but hesupposed that the abolitionists had been tampering with him. That was all!Not a word about his attempt to take his life! Oh no, he merely wished toallay the excitement, that the horrid deed had produced on the minds ofthose present. 

I was indignant at the publication of such a deliberate falsehood, andimmediately wrote and published that I too was on board the same boat withthe fugitive; that I had witnessed an exhibition of his willingness toreturn to Slavery, by seeing him cut his throat, and lay on the deckwallowing in his blood; that the scene had so excited the sympathies ofthe soldiers present, that his owner had been obliged to hurry him out oftheir sight, &c. 

When this statement appeared in the newspapers, it so exasperated thefriends of the slaveholder, that I was advised to flee from the city, lestI might be visited with personal violence; but I assured my advisers thatit was only the wicked who "flee when no man pursueth, but the righteousare bold as a lion. " I therefore commenced the business that brought meto that city. Messrs. Bloss, Nell, and myself, made an effort, and raisedbetween three and four hundred dollars for the purpose of sending Mr. Nellafter Rev. N. Paul. 

Most of the funds collected, we gave to Mr. Nell, who sailed from New York, and arrived safely in England, just as N. Paul was boarding a vessel toreturn to New York. 

Had Mr. Nell acted honorably, or in accordance with his instructions, hewould have returned with the agent; but he remained in England, and foraught I know is there yet. He was sent expressly after Mr. Paul, and whenhe left that kingdom, Nell's mission was ended. He proved himself lessworthy of confidence than the agent, for he _did_ return when sent for, and he did account for the money he had collected, though he retained itall; but Mr. Nell accounted for nothing of the kind; and if he has everreturned, I have not seen him. Mr. N. Paul arrived in New York in thefall of 1834, and remained there through the winter, to the greatdisappointment and vexation of the colonists. I wrote him concerning ourcondition and wants, hoping it would induce him to visit us immediately;but he had married while in England, an English lady, who had accompaniedaim to New York, where they were now living; nor did he appear to be inany haste about giving an account of himself to the board of managers whohad employed him. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

A NARROW ESCAPE FROM MY ENEMIES. 

During my absence in New York city, Lewis and his confederates wereprophesying that I would never trouble them more, and shaking their headsquite ominously at the happy riddance. One day, our hired man entered thehouse and inquired of my wife, when I was expected home. She told him shedid not know, having received no intelligence from me. He assured her thata letter had been received by some one in the colony; that he had seen it, and had heard Mr. Lewis speak of conveying it to her, --but as it did notcome, she gave it up, supposing some mistake had been made. I had, however, written, naming the time when she might expect me; but no letterof mine reached her, during my long absence, for which she could notaccount. A short time before that specified for my return, a woman, whosehusband was an associate of Mr. Lewis, came to my house, and urged mywife "to leave word at the village of London, to have Mr. Steward detainedthere, should he arrive toward evening, and by no means allow him to startfor the colony after dark. " My family had so often been alarmed by suchwarnings, and had so frequently been annoyed by the violent threateningsof Lewis, that they ceased to regard them, and paid little attention, tothis one. 

I arrived at London on the day I had appointed for my return, but wasdetained there until a late hour; feeling anxious, however, to get homethat night, supposing that I was expected, --I therefore hired a horse toride the remaining fifteen miles to the settlement. 

The road from London to Wilberforce led through a swamp, known as"McConnell's Dismal Swamp, " and it was indeed, one of the most drearyplaces in all that section of country. I am certain that a hundred menmight conceal themselves within a rod of the highway, without beingdiscovered. 

The horse I had engaged, was a high spirited animal, and to that fact, Idoubtless owe my life. The moon shone brightly, and nothing broke thestillness of the night, as I rode onward, but the clatter of my horse'shoofs, and an occasional "bow-wow" of some faithful watch-dog. 

When I reached the swamp and entered its darkened recesses, the gloom andstillness was indeed fearful; my horse started at every rustling leaf orcrackling brush, until I attempted to pass a dense thicket, when I wasstarted by the sharp crack of a rifle, and a bullet whizzed past me, closeto my ear! The frightened horse reared and plunged, and then springing asif for life, he shot off like an arrow, amid the explosion of fire armsdischarged at me as I rode away. I lost my balance at first, and came nearfalling, but recovering it I grasped the rein tightly, while my fierysteed flew over the ground with lightning speed; nor did I succeed incontrolling him until he had run two miles, which brought me to my owndoor. 

I found my family well, and very grateful that I had arrived safely afterso fearful an encounter. 

When morning came I sent a person out to inquire whether any of thesettlers were out the night previous, and the report was, "Israel Lewisand two other men were out all night; that they had been seen near theDismal Swamp;" moreover, Lewis was seen to come in that morning with hisboots covered with swamp mud, --these the Rev. Mr. Paul's boys cleaned forhim, all of which was evidence that he it was, who had way-laid me withcriminal intent. 

I afterwards learned, that those three men left the settlement at dusk, for the swamp; that they stationed themselves one rod apart, all on oneside of the road, each man with a loaded rifle, --the poorest marksman wasto fire first, and if he did not bring me down, probably the secondwould; but Lewis being the best shot of the three, was to reserve his fireuntil the last, which they supposed I could not escape. It was quite darkin the thicket, and my spirited horse plunged in every direction sofuriously, that they could take no aim at me, until he had started to run, when we were soon beyond their reach. 

We had already had so much difficulty in our little colony that we weregetting heartily sick of it. I was well aware that Lewis was thirsting forrevenge; that he wished to do me a great wrong; and yet I was thankful onhis account, as well as on my own, that he had been prevented fromimbruing his hands in the blood of a fellow being. 

Had he succeeded in taking my life, as he undoubtedly intended to do, hewould have been arrested immediately, and most likely punished as amurderer. He had boldly threatened my life, and the colonists wereexpecting something of the kind to take place. Had I not arrived at thecolony, it was known at London that I had started for the settlement thatnight, and an immediate search would have been instituted; nor could thewicked deed have brought the least peace to the mind of Lewis or hiscompanions, "No peace of mind does that man know, Who bears a guilty breast; His conscience drives him to and fro, And never lets him rest. "

CHAPTER XXX. 

DEATH OF B. PAUL, AND RETURN OF HIS BROTHER. 

The bold and wicked attempt to take my life, recorded in the precedingchapter, aroused a feeling of indignation in the community against Lewis, and completely destroyed the little influence he had left; moreover, hehad now been so extensively published as an impostor, that he couldcollect no more money on the false pretense of raising it for the benefitof the colony. As soon as his money was gone and his influence destroyed, --many who had been his firmest friends, turned against him, and amongthis class was the Rev. Benjamin Paul. He had ever professed the greatestfriendship for, and interest in the success of Mr. Lewis. Heretofore, whenever he went to the States he was commissioned by that gentleman'sfamily, to purchase a long list of expensive articles, which the poorcolonists were seldom able to buy; and he generally returned to themrichly laden with goods, purchased with, money given to the poor, sick, and destitute in the colony. 

Mr. B. Paul had ever been a very proud man, but not a very healthy one. Hewas inclined to pulmonary diseases; but had kept up pretty well, untilLewis was effectually put down, and his own character involved in many ofhis notorious proceedings, together with the disappointment occasioned byhis brother remaining so long in England, when his health failed, and hesank rapidly under accumulating disasters, to the grave. 

The Welshmen had partially engaged him to preach for them the ensuingyear, but something they had heard of him changed their minds, and theywere about appointing a meeting to investigate his conduct, when they wereinformed of his illness, and concluded to let it pass. His son, with whomhe lived, became deranged, and his oldest daughter on whom he was greatlydependent, had been dismissed from school, where she had been for sometime engaged in teaching. All these unpleasant circumstances in his sicklystate weighed heavily upon his proud heart; and he not only declined inhealth, but sank into a state of melancholy and remorse for his pastcourse of living. As he lay pining and murmuring on his death bed, Icould but reflect how different the scene from that of an apostle of theLord Jesus Christ, who could exclaim, when about to be offered, "I havefought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith;henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. "

I called to see him as he lay writhing in agony, his sunken eyes gleamingwildly, rolling and tossing from side to side, while great drops ofperspiration stood upon his forehead, continually lamenting his misspenttime, and the life he had led! He took my hand in his cold, bony fingers, thanking me that I did not so despise him, that I could not come to seehim in his sorrow and affliction. Generally, however, when he raved andtalked of his wicked life, his family excluded all persons from his roomexcept his attendants. 

Pride, which had ever been his besetting sin, displayed itself in hisconduct to the last, for he had a lengthy will made, dispensing somesixteen hundred dollars to different individuals, when he must have knownthat his whole possessions would not amount to half that sum. As I lookedupon him I could but reflect on the mysterious ways of Providence. Beforeme lay a man, who had for years arrayed himself against me, using all hisinfluence as a man and a minister to injure me, by setting Lewis forwardin his wickedness; his family living in extravagance and a style farbeyond their means, while mine had labored hard and were sometimesdestitute, often harassed and perplexed on every side by himself andparty. And for what? Because I would not join hands with iniquity, anddeeds of darkness. Notwithstanding the contrast, when I heard his bitterlamentations and self-reproaches, I could lift my heart to God, ingratitude for His protecting goodness, which had preserved me an _honestman_. I had often erred no doubt, but it had never been designedly; andnever did I value a good conscience more than when standing by thedeath-bed of Benjamin Paul, who now had passed the Jordan of death; and itis enough to know that his future, whether of joy or woe, will be metedout to him, by a merciful and just God, --nevertheless, his last moments onearth were such as ought to arouse every professed Christian, to redoubleddiligence in watchfulness and prayer, lest they fall into temptation, --lest they determine to become rich, and thereby fall into diverse andhurtful lusts, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. 

Soon after the event above narrated, a law was passed in the Province, allowing each township to elect three commissioners, whose duty it shouldbe, to transact the public business pertaining to the township. Eachtownship should also elect one township clerk, whose business it shouldbe, to hold and keep all moneys, books, and papers belonging to said town;with power to administer oaths, and in fact, he, with the commissioners, were to constitute a board, possessing all the power of a court, inrelation to township business. 

In our colony, located in the township of Bidulph, the colored people werea large majority of the inhabitants, which gave us the power to electcommissioners from our own settlement, and therefore, three black menwhere duly chosen, who entered on the duties of their office, while yourhumble servant, A. Steward, was elected township clerk, with all theresponsibility of the office resting upon him and the same power given himas though he had been born in Her Britannic Majesty's dominion, with aface as white as the driven snow. I felt the responsibility of my office, but not more deeply than I did this assurance of entire confidence, andrespect shown me by my townsmen, after all the cruel persecutions I hadmet; after all the accusations of theft, forgery, &c. , that vicious personcould bring against me. 

The Rev. Nathaniel Paul, with his lady, arrived at Wilberforce in thespring of 1835, to the great joy of the colonists, to find that hisbrother had gone the way of all the earth, and his remains quietly restingon his own premises, where his afflicted family still resided. 

In the colony there was a great deal of excitement regarding the courseour agent would pursue, and all waited with anxious expectancy to see himenrich the treasury with his long-promised collections. 

We had agreed, on sending him forth as an agent for the colony, to givehim fifty dollars per month for his services, besides bearing his expenses. 

The reverend gentleman, charged, on his return to the colony, the sumspecified, for four years, three months and twenty days. We spent severaldays in auditing his account, with increased fearful forebodings. We foundhis receipts to be, in the United Kingdoms of Great Britain, one thousandsix hundred and eighty-three pounds, nineteen shillings; or, eightthousand and fifteen dollars, eighty cents. His expenditures amounted toone thousand four hundred and three pounds, nineteen shillings; or, seventhousand and nineteen dollars, eighty cents. Then his wages for over fouryears, at fifty dollars per month, left a balance against the board ofseveral hundred dollars, which we had no funds to cancel, inasmuch as thereverend gentleman had paid us nothing of all he had collected in Europe, nor even paid a farthing toward liquidating the debts incurred for hisoutfit and expenses. 

There was also in Mr. Paul's charge against the board of managers, an itemof two hundred dollars, which he had paid to Wm. Loyd Garrison, while thatgentleman was also in England; but by whose authority he had paid or givenit, it was hard to determine. We gave him no orders to make donations ofany kind. To take the liberty to do so, and then to charge it to our poorand suffering colony, seemed hard to bear; still we allowed the charge. Had we, in our straitened and almost destitute circumstances, made adonation of that, to us, large sum of money to Mr. Garrison or any bodyelse, certainly _we_ should, at least, have had the credit of it; and asMr. Garrison had made no acknowledgment of the receipt, I wrote him onthe subject, and his answer will be found, heading our correspondence, inthis volume. 

Not a dollar did the treasurer ever receive of the Rev. N. Paul, unless wecall the donations he had made without our permission, a payment. He did, it is true, award to the board, the sum of two hundred dollars, paid byhim to Mr. Garrison, and fifty dollars more given by himself to Mr. Nell, on his departure from England. Not a farthing could we get of him; and inshort, as far as the monied interest of the colony was concerned, hismission proved an entire failure. How much good the reverend gentlemanmay have done in spreading anti-slavery truth, during his stay in Europe, is not for me to say. The English, at that time held slaves; and reportspeaks well of his labors and endeavors to open the eyes of that nationto the sin of slavery and the injustice of the colonization scheme. Itis said that he continually addressed crowded and deeply interestedaudiences, and that many after hearing him, firmly resolved to exertthemselves, until every chain was broken and every bondman freed beneaththe waving banner of the British Lion. Perhaps his arduous labors assistedin freeing the West India islands of the hateful curse of Slavery; if so, we shall not so much, regret the losses and severe trials, it was ours tobear at that time. 

The indignant and disappointed colonists, however, took no such view ofhis mission; and knowing as they did, that he had paid not a cent of cashinto the treasury, nor liquidated one debt incurred on his account, theybecame excited well nigh to fury, --so much so, that at one time we foundit nearly impossible to restrain them from having recourse to Lynch law. They thought that the reverend gentleman must have large sums of money athis command somewhere--judging from his appearance and mode of living, andthat a little wholesome punishment administered to his reverence, by graveJudge Lynch, enthroned upon a "cotton bale, " might possibly bring him toterms, and induce him to disgorge some of his ill-gotten wealth, which heso freely lavished upon himself, and was withholding from those to whosewants it had been kindly contributed. 

Just, as was their dissatisfaction, I was satisfied by the examination ofhis accounts, that he had spent nearly all of the money collected for us;his expenses had been considerable; beside, he had fallen in love, duringhis stay in England, with a white woman, and I suppose it must haverequired both time and money to woo and win so fine and fair an Englishlady, said also to possess quite a little sum of money, that is, severalthousand dollars, all of which our poor, little suffering colony must payfor, --the reverend gentleman's statement to the contrary notwithstanding. 

We succeeded at last, after a tedious effort, in satisfying the minds ofthe settlers to the extent, that a violent outbreak was no longer to befeared or dreaded. When all was quiet in the colony, I ventured to make myfirst call on the wife of N. Paul, who was then stopping with the widow ofthe late Rev. B. Paul, residing some three miles from us. 

The houses of the colonists were generally built of logs, hewn on bothsides, the spaces chinked with mortar, and the roof constructed of boards. The lower part was generally left in one large room, and when anotherapartment was desired, it was made by drawing a curtain across it. Whenwe arrived at the residence of Mrs. Paul, we were immediately ushered intothe presence of Mrs. Nathaniel Paul, whom we found in an inner apartment, made by drawn curtains, carpeted in an expensive style, where she wasseated like a queen in state, --with a veil floating from her head to thefloor; a gold chain encircling her neck, and attached to a gold watch inher girdle; her fingers and person sparkling with costly jewelry. Hermanners were stiff and formal nor was she handsome, but a tolerably fairlooking woman, of about thirty years of age: and this was the wife of ouragent for the poor Wilberforce colony!

N. Paul had now settled his business with the colonists, and being aboutto leave for the States, we appealed to his honor as a man and aChristian, to call at Rochester and pay the seven hundred dollar bankdebt, for which he was justly and legally holden, and relieve honorably, those kind gentlemen who had raised the money for him. He well knew thecondition of our friend E. Peck, and that the names of some of our coloredfriends were also attached to the note; all of whom were relyingimplicitly on his or our honor to pay the obligation. That we had no fundsin the treasury he was well aware; also, that all were deeply concernedabout that debt. All this he knew; and in answer to our earnest andrepeated injunction, he promised most faithfully and solemnly that hewould call at Rochester, and take up the note. On those conditions he wasallowed to leave the colony, and when parting with me, no more to meet inthis life, his last assurance was, that he would cancel that obligation. What then could we think of his word, when we learned soon after that hepassed Rochester, without calling, direct to Albany; nor did he everreturn, or make any explanation of his conduct; nor give any reason whyhis promise was not redeemed and the money paid. 

He preached in Albany until his health failed, then he was obliged to livethe best way he could, and at last to depend on charity. 

His disease was dropsy, from which he suffered deeply, being unable to liedown for some time previous to his death. I have been told that hisdomestic life was far from a peaceable or happy one, and that in poverty, sorrow and affliction, he lingered on a long time, till death at lastclosed the scene. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

MY FAMILY RETURN TO ROCHESTER. 

I was now seriously meditating a return to Rochester. My purpose in goingto Canada, has already been made known to the reader, as well as some ofthe disappointments I met, and some of the trials and difficulties I hadto encounter. 

Now, after laboring, and suffering persecution for about five years, myway was comparatively clear; still I wished to leave the Province andreturn to the States, in which prospect my family greatly rejoiced. Doubtless most persons in the position I then occupied, would have chosento remain; but for several reasons, I did not. 

Notwithstanding I had been during my youth, a poor, friendless, andilliterate slave, I had, through the mercy of God and the kindness offriends, not only obtained my freedom, but I had by the industry andperseverance of a few years, acquired a tolerable English education, established a profitable business, built for myself a good and extensivebusiness reputation, and had laid the foundation for increasing wealth andentire independence. 

Indeed, so far as a competency is concerned, I possessed that when I leftRochester. My house and land was paid for; my store also, and the goods itcontained were free from debt; beside, I had several hundred dollars inthe bank for future use, --nor do I boast, when I say that the comfort andhappiness of myself and family, required no further exertion on my part tobetter our worldly condition. We were living in one of the best countrieson the earth, surrounded by friends, --good and intelligent society, andsome of the noblest specimens of Christian philanthropy in the world. Mywife and children, had not only been accustomed to the comforts, if notthe luxuries of life, but also to associate with persons of refinement andcultivation; and although they had willingly accompanied me to Canada, where they had experienced little less than care, labor and sorrow, itcannot be thought very strange that they should desire to return. We werecolored people to be sure, and were too often made to feel the weight ofthat cruel prejudice, which small minds with a perverted education, knowso well how to heap upon the best endeavors of our oppressed race. Yettruth and justice to my friends, compel me to say, that after a shortacquaintance, I have usually been treated with all that kindness andconfidence, which should exist between man and man. 

At my house of entertainment in Canada, it was not uncommon for gentlemenof my former acquaintances, to stop for a friendly chat; merchants, journeying through our settlement, after goods, would frequently call, with their money, watches, and other valuables, carefully concealed abouttheir persons; but when they learned our name, and had become acquainteda little, they would not only freely expose their wealth, but often placeall their money and valuables in my hands, for safe keeping; nor was theirconfidence ever misplaced to my knowledge. 

Another thing: when I went to Wilberforce, I supposed that the colonistswould purchase the whole township of Bidulph, and pay for it, which mighthave been done, had they been fortunate enough to put forward better men. Then when we had a sufficient number of inhabitants, we could have sent amember to Parliament, one of our own race, to represent the interests ofour colony. In all this we were disappointed. The Canada Company, in theirunjust judgment of a whole people, by one dishonest man, had stopped thesale of lands to colored persons, which of course, put an end to theemigration of respectable and intelligent colored men to that place; norwas there any prospect of a favorable change. Moreover, the persecutionswhich gave rise to the colony, had in a great measure ceased; anti-slaverytruth was taking effect on the minds of the people, and God was raising upmany a friend for the poor slave, to plead with eloquent speech and tears, the cause of the dumb and down-trodden. 

These, with other considerations, influenced me in my decision to leaveCanada. As soon, however, as my intentions were made known, I wasimportuned on all sides, by persons both in and out of the settlement, to remain awhile longer, at least. This will be seen by a reference to theappendix. 

After due deliberation, I concluded to send my family to the States, andremain myself, until my year should terminate, for which I had beenelected township clerk. In accordance with this determination, I madepreparation to take my family to Port Stanley, forty miles distant. Butwhat a contrast was there between our leaving Rochester, five yearsbefore, and our removing from the colony! Then, we had five two-horsewagon loads of goods and furniture, and seven in family; now, ourpossessions were only a few articles, in _a one-horse wagon_, with anaddition of two members to our household! The settlers collected about us, to take an affectionate leave of my wife and children; but tears and sobs, prevented an utterance of more than a "God bless you, " and a few likeexpressions. The scene was indeed an affecting one: all the weary daysof our labor; all the trials and difficulties we had passed; all the sweetcommunion we had enjoyed in our religious and social meetings; all theacts of neighborly kindness, seemed now to be indelibly impressed on everymemory, and we felt that a mutual regard and friendship had bound uscloser to each other, in the endearing bonds of Christian brotherhood--bonds not to be broken by the adverse scenes incident to frail human life. 

Arrived at Port Stanley, we were kindly entertained by a Mr. White, afugitive slave from Virginia, who owned a snug little farm on the bank ofKettle Creek, and who appeared to be in a good and prosperous condition. Being detained there, waiting for a boat, on which I was anxious to seemy family comfortably situated before I left them, I was aroused at anearly hour on the second morning of our stay, by a loud rapping at thedoor; and hearing myself inquired for, I dressed myself immediately, andfollowed Mr. White into the sitting room, where I saw two strange men, armed with bludgeons! I soon learned, however, that one of them was theunder-sheriff, who had come to arrest me for a debt of about fortydollars, and the other armed man had come to assist him, I assured themI was ready to accompany them back to London, which I was obliged to do, aprisoner, leaving my family among comparative strangers. The debt hadbecome due to a man who had worked for us in the building of a saw-mill. Iarranged the matter without going to jail, but before I could return toPort Stanley, my family, kindly assisted by Mr. White, had departed forBuffalo. The weather was cold and the lake very rough, but they safelyarrived in Rochester, after a journey of three days. During their passageup the lake my oldest daughter took a severe cold, from which she neverrecovered. 

I returned to the colony to attend to the duties of my office, and toclose my business with the colony, preparatory to joining my family, whowere now settled in Rochester, but in very different circumstances fromthose in which they had left it. I had deposited quite a sum of money inthe Rochester Bank; but our continual expenditures at Wilberforce, in myjourneyings for the benefit of the colony, and in the transacting ofbusiness pertaining to its interests, had left not one dollar forthe support of my family, or to give me another start in business. Nevertheless, I felt willing to submit the case to Him who had known thepurity of my intentions, and who had hitherto "led me through scenes darkand drear, " believing he would not forsake me now, in this time of need. 

Consoling myself with these reflections, I renewed my endeavors to do mybest, leaving the event with my God. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE LAND AGENT AND THE SQUATTER. 

I have named, I believe, that all the colored people, who purchased landsof Lewis, could get no deed nor any remuneration for their improvements. This they thought hard and unfair. Some had built a house and barn, cleared land, &c. ; but when they wished to pay for their farms, they couldget no deed, and were obliged to lose all their labor. 

This raised such a general complaint against the land agents, that theyfinally agreed to pay the squatters for their improvements, if they wouldleave their farms. An opportunity was soon offered to test their sincerityin this agreement. A shrewd fellow, who had been many years a sailor, named William Smith, had made valuable improvements on land, for which hecould get no deed, and then he wished to leave it. His wife, also, diedabout this time, leaving him with eight children, which determined him toleave the colony, and after providing homes for his children, to return tohis former occupation on the high seas; but he also determined not toleave without receiving the pay which the agents had agreed to give forhis improvements. 

"Oh yes, " said they, in answer to his repeated solicitations, "you shallbe paid, certainly, certainly; you shall be paid every farthing. " But whenthe appointed day came for the pompous land agents to ride through thesettlement, you might see Smith station himself at first one and thenanother conspicuous place on the road, hoping they would have themagnanimity to stop and pay him, especially, as he had informed them ofhis destitute and almost desperate condition, with eight young children tomaintain, and no means to do so, after giving up to them the farm. Beforethem as usual rode their body servant, of whom Smith would inquire at whathour the agents might be expected. And most blandly would he be informedof some particular hour, when perhaps, within the next ten minutes, thelordly agent would fly past him, on their foaming steeds, with the speedof a "lightning train. " This course they repeated again and again. Oneday, when all of the land agents rode through the settlement in thismanner, Smith followed them on foot over fifty miles. He at lastintercepted them, and they promised with the coolest indifference, that ona certain day, not far distant, they would certainly pay him all heclaimed, if he would meet them at a certain hotel in London. To this heagreed; and the poor fellow returned to the colony almost exhausted. 

His funds were nearly all spent, and he wished to take his children to NewYork; yet his only hope was in the integrity and honor of the land agents. 

On the day appointed, he was at London long before the hour to meet, hadarrived. He entered the village with a determined air, and saw the agentsjust riding up to a hotel, --but not the one they had told him to call at. He, however, waited for no invitation, but entered the hotel and inquiredof the servant for his master. He said his master was not there!

"I know he is, " said Smith, "and I want to see him. "

The servant withdrew, but soon returned to say that his master was engagedand could not see him that day. Smith followed the servant into the hall, calling out to him in the most boisterous manner, demanding to be told thereason _why_ he could not see his master. The noise which Smith purposelymade, soon brought into the hall one of the agents, a Mr. Longworth, ashort, fat man, --weighing in the neighborhood of three hundred pounds!When he saw Smith, he strutted about, assuring him that this disgracefuluproar was quite uncalled for, and finally putting on a severe look, toldhim that he could not have anything for his improvements; of course not, --he really could not expect; certainly not, &c. Smith plainly assured theagent that his "blarney" would avail him nothing; he had come by their ownappointment to get his pay, and that he certainly should _have_--if not inthe way they themselves agreed upon, he would choose his own method ofgetting it! Thus saying, he stepped back, threw down his woolly head, andgoat fashion, let drive into the fat Englishman's "bread basket!" Hesprawled about and soon recovered his standing, but continued to screamand halloo with rage and mortification, more than with pain, until he hadbrought to the spot landlord, boarders, and servants, to witness theaffray; but Smith, nothing daunted, administered two or three moreeffectual butts with his hard head into the lordly agent, when the subduedand now silent English gentleman, drew from his pocket book, and carefullycounted out, every dollar Smith had at first demanded. Smith accepted itpleasantly, thanked him and withdrew, amid the shouts and jeers of thespectators, which the agent was more willing to avoid than he. That wasthe way the land agent paid the squatter. 

It seemed, however, a little too bad, to make a fine English gentleman, feel as "flat" as Longworth appeared to feel; yet it was undoubtedly theonly method by which Smith could recover a farthing. The agents, it wassupposed, did not design to pay for any improvements; indeed, some veryhard and unjust incidents occurred in connection with, that matter, andprobably Smith was about the only one, who ever received the full value ofhis claim. 

There was committed about this time, a most shocking murder, in the Londondistrict. A farmer who had a respectable family, consisting of a wife andseveral children, became so addicted to the use of spirituous liquors, that he neglected both his family and farm so much, that his friends feltcalled upon to request the distiller, who was his near neighbor, tofurnish him with no more intoxicating drink. This, so exasperated thepoor, ruined and besotted wretch, that he raved like a madman--such as heundoubtedly was--crazed and infuriated, by the contents of the poisonedcup of liquid damnation, held to his lips by a neighboring distiller; afellow-being, who for the consideration of a few shillings, could see hisneighbor made a brute and his family left in destitution and sorrow. Perhaps, however, he did not anticipate a termination so fearful; yet thatis but a poor excuse for one who lives by the sale of rum. When arumseller gives that to a man, which he knows will "steal away hisbrains, " and make him a maniac, how can he anticipate his future conduct?And who is responsible? Ah, who?

When Severin found he could get no more intoxicating beverage, he in hisdemoniacal rage, conceived the idea of despatching his whole family, andset about his purpose by first snatching the young babe and casting itinto the fire! When the poor wife and mother came shrieking to the rescueof her darling infant, he with one furious blow, laid her a bleedingcorpse at his feet! Two other young children he next murdered, and leftthem mingling their blood with that of their mother's, while he ranfuriously after the two older ones, who were endeavoring to escape to aneighbor's for assistance; and overtaking, killed them both! When themiserable wretch had completed his hellish design, he started for hisnearest neighbor, named Smith, and told him that there was a black and awhite man at his house, murdering his family, requesting him to go totheir assistance. Mrs. Smith, believing that Severin designed to murderher husband, insisted on his calling his young men to assist him, which hedid; and on arriving at the scene of slaughter, a most horrid spectaclewas before them: five dead bodies weltering in blood, aside from that ofthe innocent babe, whose little form lay roasted and charred, on the fataland bloody hearthstone of the drunkard! Victims all, of an intoxicatedhusband and father! When the guilty man saw the mangled remains of hishousehold, he only increased his depravity by trying to make othersresponsible for the wicked deed, --exclaiming in feigned anguish, "my dearwife! my poor children! I was afraid they would murder you! Oh, my lostfamily!" &c. Community was soon alarmed; Severin, arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to suffer the extreme penalty of the law. 

It is sufficient for us to say, that the evidence was clear andconclusive, that he was the only murderer of his family; nor was itdoubted that Mrs. Smith's suspicion was correct; yet, with all the arrayof positive testimony brought against him, he denied the commission of thecrime to the last moment of his life! When brought out for execution, hewas placed under the gallows, and the rope with its fatal noose adjustedaround his neck, when one of the attorneys arose, and with greatsolemnity, addressed him, in the most impressive manner: "We have done, "said he, "all in our power to save your life; but you are justlycondemned, and in a few minutes more, will enter the presence of theAll-seeing eye of Jehovah; now let me beseech you, in the name of God, totell the truth, before you die. " Severin declared himself innocent of thecrime, for which he was about to suffer; but was consoled, he said, withthe belief that he should, in a few short moments, meet in blissfulre-union his dear, murdered wife and children in heaven, to part no more!

Prayers were read; and during the reading of the Lord's prayer, at thewords "Thy will be done, " the hardened wretch was launched into eternity. 

No room was left to doubt the fact, that Severin with his own handdestroyed the life of his unhappy and abused wife, and also that of hishelpless family. Yet in one sense, may we say with the murderer, it wasnot he who committed the awful and inhuman deed, but boldly and truthfullycharge it to man's bitterest foe--Rum! What but the maddening effects ofspirituous liquors, could so demoralize, so demonize a man, as to convertthe once loving husband and proud father, into a reckless fiend, aheartless savage? Oh, Rum! earth contains not another so fell a foe!

Should any who may read these humble pages, find an effectual warning inthe unhappy end of Severin, one which shall induce them to pause in theircourse, or at once and forever abandon the use of alcoholic drinks, Ishall gratefully feel that I have not written this incident in vain. 

Before I left Wilberforce, the Rev. S. E. Cornish, made a visit, andpreached the Word of Life to the colony, greatly to the satisfaction andcomfort of the settlers. After distributing liberally of his abundance, to his poor brethren, he departed for the States, attended by the prayersand blessings of the Wilberforce colonists. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

CHARACTER AND DEATH OF I. LEWIS. 

I have spoken in the preceding chapter, of a visit from the Rev. S. E. Cornish, to the colony. He had previously written me, concerning theobject of his proposed visit, which was to obtain the depositions of theboard of managers, relative to all the money received through their agentsfor the colony. He was sent to Canada then, and once afterwards, for andat the expense of A. Tappan, on business pertaining to the law-suitinstituted by I. Lewis against that gentleman, for defamation ofcharacter. The depositions taken in the colony, with the expense of twicesending an agent to Canada, must have made a round sum for that kindgentleman to pay, merely for telling a truth already known!

Mr. Cornish had also been informed of my intention to leave the colony, and that my family were already gone. He, knowing something concerning thestate of things, urged me to remain at least, until his arrival, as willbe seen by a reference to his letter in the appendix. 

As I look back on those scenes of labor and trial, I find cause fordeep humiliation and gratitude to God, for His goodness and graciousprotection, over my frail life, through unseen dangers of various kinds, and for his continued favors and unmerited blessings. Many of my fellowmen have fallen in death's cold embrace since that time, while my healthand life has been mercifully preserved. 

Three of the leading characters of the Wilberforce colony are now dead. Rev. Benjamin Paul, lies in the silent grave-yard in Wilberforce, C. W. Hisbrother, Rev. Nathaniel Paul, also sleeps the dreamless sleep of death, and his dust rests in the beautiful cemetery in Albany, N. Y. 

Israel Lewis has also finished his earthly career after robbing the poorof their just dues, and persecuting those who endeavored to defend them;after living in extravagance--"faring sumptuously every day, "--he becamereduced in circumstances; despised and dishonored, his proud spirit was atlast broken. His health gave way; when at length, unattended and alone, hefound his way to a hospital in Montreal, where he soon after died, leavingnot enough of all his gains to afford him a decent burial!

Oh, what a reward "for all his labor under the sun!" His fame, his wealth, and his law-suits, all have perished with his memory. Poor man!

Israel Lewis was born a slave, raised on a Southern plantation, andsubjected to all the cruelties and deprivations of a bondman. His naturalabilities were above mediocrity, but having never had the advantages of aneducation, or the privileges of a society calculated to cultivate andrefine his natural aspiring intellect, and to direct his indomitable willin the acquirement of the more imperishable graces of the human heart, hehad come to manhood with a determined, selfish disposition, to accomplishwhatever gratified his vanity or administered to the wants of his animalnature. 

And may we not, with propriety here inquire, whether our common Father, who has declared himself to be "no respecter of persons, " has endowed menwith enlarged capacities for the attainment of that knowledge and wisdom, so requisite to the elevation of character, --for the express purposeof seeing them made beasts of burden, and their superior facultiesprostituted by the sensuality imposed by Slavery, and to be sold aschattels, with impunity? I tell you, nay. The day when Almighty God willavenge the work of his own hands, hasteth greatly! Were it not so, wemight rejoice in the ignorance of the poor slaves, and pray that none ofthem may ever be endowed with a superior intellect to that of the brutesthey are made to resemble. Then would the proud spirit no longer chafe, and manhood writhe in the unbroken chain; but, like the ox to the yoke orthe horse to the harness, they might submit, without a conscious violationof their dearest and God given rights. But we were speaking of IsraelLewis. 

A natural energy and strength of character, he had inherited; a malicious, selfish, and consequently a deceptive disposition, his life as a slave hadundoubtedly bestowed upon him. Intellect must have scope, and when nothingis left within its grasp but vice, can we wonder that the slave possessingthe most talent, should generally prove the greatest villain. 

Uneducated as was Lewis, his quick perception, his ungoverned passions, and his native independence, not only made him a dangerous slave, but anunfaithful and overbearing companion. He, however, took a wife--a slavelike himself, --whose devotedness and good sense, cannot be made manifest, more than in her willingness to leave all that was dear to her on earth, and flee from their birth-place, she knew not whither; but confiding inthe professed love and protection of her husband, she cheerfully followedhim to the dense forest, in search of that freedom, denied them in theirnative country, --submitting herself gladly to all the hardships andfearful anxieties of a fugitive slave. What to her were horsemen, armedwith dirk and rifle! What though the trained and inhuman blood-hound bayedupon their track! Was not he who had sworn a life-long allegiance to herby her side! Should he be killed or retaken, what could she desire, but tobe his companion still! Slavery even, bitter as was the cup, might containfor her _one sweet drop_, while connubial love lighted up their rudecabin, and sweetened their daily toil; but the additional anticipation ofLIBERTY, to their domestic happiness--oh blessed hope! How it quickenedtheir weary footsteps, and, with fixed eyes upon the star of the North, they pressed forward through every difficulty, until they finally reachedCincinnati, O. There they lived quietly, and with others, suffered theterrors of the mob, where also he was chosen agent, to seek a more safeand quiet home for his afflicted and outcast countrymen. The office wasaccepted, and Lewis became the founder of the Wilberforce colony. 

The personal appearance of Israel Lewis was prepossessing; his manner andaddress easy and commanding. To those unacquainted with his private life, his ungoverned passions, and his unprincipled, revengeful disposition, hecould appear the gentleman, the philanthropist, and the Christian. 

His education was limited; yet he had managed to gather a sufficientknowledge of the sciences to enable him to read and write, together withquite a fund of general information; and then his shrewdness and tactaccomplished all the rest. To strangers he could appear a ripe scholar, ifleft unquestioned. He was a good speaker, and once spake with eloquenceand marked effect before the Legislature, assembled in the Senate Chamber, at Albany, N. Y. 

Had the childhood of Mr. Lewis been passed under more favorable auspices;had his intellectual faculties been so cultivated as to predominate overhis animal propensities, and his towering aspirations directed toward theaccomplishment of acts, lofty in their benevolence, noble in theirsacrifice, high in their honorable purpose, and great in their purity; Ican but believe that his powerful intellect would have achieved the fameof a Lundy, or would have bequeathed to his brethren a memory like that ofa Clarkson. Instead, we have found him devoting his energies to thegratification of his avarice, pride, and ambition--characteristicsdirectly opposed to the deportment of the humble Christian, and such asour Heavenly Father has never promised to prosper. How truly has "the wiseman" said, "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he thathateth gifts shall live. " How strikingly has this passage been verified inthe course of Lewis! For a few paltry sums of gain, could he consent, notalone to rob the poor, for whom it was kindly given as unto the Lord, butto turn scornfully away from that poor, illiterate, and humble slave wife, whom he had, in their mutual adversity, vowed to cherish in _prosperity_as well as in all other circumstances through life. That wife, who hadborne with him the sorrows of Slavery--the humble choice of a bondman!She, who fled with him anticipating additional happiness in a life offreedom! Poor woman! Disappointment is of an earthly growth, yet God ismerciful; notwithstanding we have the same authority as above, for sayingthat "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord:though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. "

In the hands of a righteous Judge we leave him, who, for the wealth thatperisheth, --who, for worldly honor and selfish gratification, could barterhis honesty and integrity, as "Esau, who sold his birth-right for a messof pottage. "

To me the lesson is an impressive one, and I am thinking it would be wellfor us all to examine the foundation on which we stand. If based upon thesolid and broad foundation of christianity, doing to others in all thingsas we would they should do to us, sacrificing on all occasions our ownease, and worldly honor, for the benefit of our fellow-men, and thegood of our country, then indeed, we need fear no evil; if the windsof adversity howl about our dwelling, we shall find it will stand, being founded on a ROCK. But if we build upon "the sands" of fame orself-aggrandizement, and, like the towering oak, lift our insignificantheads in proud defiance of the coming storm, we may expect that oursuperstruction will fall! "And great will be the fall of it!"

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

MY RETURN TO ROCHESTER. 

Having closed my business in Wilberforce, I prepared to leave on theexpiration of my term of office as township clerk, which was now nearat hand. Notwithstanding, I ever felt a sensation of relief and pleasure, when I thought of returning to my old home and friends in the States, yetas often as I look abroad over the settlement and remember all my glowinghopes, --all my delightful anticipations of a prosperous future for thosepoor, struggling colonists; when I recollected with what zeal and honestpurpose, with what sincerity and sacrifice I had prosecuted my labor amongthem, --a dark shadow of disappointment would flit across my mind, howeverwelcome it might be. That I had firm and tried friends in the colony, Ihad never the least reason to doubt, not to suppose their number lessafter a five years residence with them; but our expectations had not beenrealized. Our hope of settling a township, to be represented in Parliamentby one of our own people, was now forever blasted. I remembered too, thatmany of the colonists had been unjustly incited against my course; but inthe retrospect my heart did not condemn me. Errors many, no doubt I hadcommitted; but I was grateful, when reviewing the whole ground, for aconscience void of offence toward God and man; and I finally took my leaveof all, craving the choicest blessings of Heaven to rest upon that infantcolony and its interests. 

On the nineteenth day of January, 1837, I left Wilberforce, passingthrough Brantford, Hamilton, Queenston, Lewiston, and from thenceto Rochester. During my journey, I could not avoid feeling sad anddespondent, as my mind incessantly returned to the review of my mission, upon which I could look with no other decision than that of an entirefailure. I had spent my time, wasted my substance for naught, and was nowreturning to my dependant family, --that, with myself, had been stripped ofnearly every means of comfort and support. 

What would my Rochester friends think of my conduct? Notwithstanding allmy despondency and evil foreboding at that time, I am now well satisfiedthat my labor was not all in vain, but that some good did result from it. 

As I drew near the city, a gloom like thick darkness overshadowed me: Ithought of the unfavorable transactions which had occurred between thedirectors of the colony and my friends in Rochester, and fell towondering how they would receive me. 

On the twenty-third of January, 1837, I finally re-entered the citypenniless; but as I soon found, not so friendless as my fears would haveit. Among, the first to welcome me back to my old home, was that friendof "blessed memory, " Everard Peck, who had been apprised of some of thelosses I had met and the trials I had passed through. This gentleman wasalso one of the first to propose to be one of five men, who should loan meone hundred dollars each, for five years. Through the disinterestedkindness of this worthy gentleman, I was in a few days after my arrival, well established in a store of provisions and groceries. The five kindgentlemen, to whom I was so deeply indebted for the loan, were: EverardPeck, George A. Avery, Samuel D. Porter, Levi W. Sibley, and Griffith, Brother & Co. 

This noble act of generosity and kindness, on the part of my friends, tofurnish me with the means to commence business, especially when theirprospect was anything but flattering, regarding my ever being able torefund their well-timed and gracious liberality, --affected me more deeplythan all the censure and persecution I had elsewhere received. Their frownand displeasure, I was better prepared to meet than this considerate actof Christian sympathy, which I am not ashamed to say melted me to tears, and I resolved to show my appreciation of their kindness by an industryand diligence in business hitherto unsurpassed. 

E. Bardwell, then a merchant on Exchange Street, next laid me under alasting obligation by offering to sell me goods on credit; othersproffered assistance by promising their continual patronage, which was tome the same as cash, --and soon the store I had opened on Main Street, wasdoing an extensive business. My profits were small to be sure, and I hada heavy rent to pay for my store and dwelling, yet I was making acomfortable living for my family, and laying by something to reimburse thekind friends who had helped me in the time of need, when I found that thehealth of my family required more of my time and assistance than everbefore. My oldest daughter, who, I have before mentioned, having taken aviolent cold on Lake Erie, was now confined to her bed. All that could bedone to save the life of a darling child--our first born--was done; and ifwe sometimes went beyond our means, it was a satisfaction to us to see herenjoy some of the comforts of life of which my mission to Canada haddeprived her. One physician after another was employed to stay theapproach of the destroyer: some said they could cure her, if paid inadvance; to all of which I cheerfully acceded, but only to see our belovedsink lower, and patiently pine away. 

No one but a parent who has watched the rapid decline of a darling child, and marked with a bursting heart the approaching footsteps of the spoiler, can imagine how powerless we felt at that time. The wealth of the Indias, had we possessed it, would have been freely given, although it would havebeen unavailing, to shield that loved and gentle form from pain, and wewere obliged to look hopelessly on, while our little patient, sufferingdaughter sank lower and lower every day. In vain were our parental armsoutstretched for her protection; from death we could not save her. She hadlong since ceased to glide about the house, and soothe with her silverytones all the childish fears of the little ones. Helpless she now lay, burning with fever, and wasting from our sight, "till soft as the dew onthe twilight descending, " the cold damps of death gathered on her youthfulbrow. One pleasant morning after passing a restless night, I observed herto gaze earnestly upward, and a moment after I called her name butreceived no answer. 

 "Her languishing head was at rest; Its thinkings and achings were o'er; Her quiet, immoveable breast, Was heaved by affliction no more. "

On the fifteenth day of April, 1837, she sweetly fell asleep, aged elevenyears. Sorrowfully we followed her remains to Mount Hope, where we laidher down to rest until the resurrection morning. Death had now made itsfirst inroad in our family circle, and since then we have laid two otherloved ones by her side. We sorrowed, but not without hope. 

My business continued to prosper, and I concluded to buy a small varietystore, containing some three or four hundred dollars worth of goods on thecorner of Main and North Streets, formerly owned by Mr. Snow, but, havingtwo stores on my hands, I did not make much by the trade. 

The first summer after I returned to Rochester, the friends of temperancemade a fine celebration, and gave me the privilege of providing thedinner. 

I considered it not only a privilege, but an honor, and felt very gratefulto the committee who conferred the favor upon me. 

The celebration came off on the Fourth of July, and was indeed a splendidaffair. The multitude were addressed on the public square, by some of thebest speakers in the country. I laid in a large quantity of provisions ofevery available kind, built a bower, hired waiters, and prepared seats forfive hundred to dine; but when the oration was over, and the multitudecame to the table, I found that as many more seats were wanted. We, however, accommodated as many as we could, at one dollar each, and allpassed off well, to the great satisfaction of all concerned. 

When all was over, and the friends learned that I had on hand a largeamount of cooked provision, they continued their kindness by purchasingit, thus preventing any loss on my part. 

My store on the corner of Main and North Streets, was at the head of themarket, and I was enabled to supply both of my stores with country produceon the best possible terms. I kept two clerks at each store, and allseemed prosperous for a time, when from some cause, which I could neverunderstand, my business began to fail. My family had ever lived prudently, and I knew that was not the cause. I thought to better my circumstances bytaking a store in the Rochester House, but that proved to be a bad standfor my business, and after one year, I removed to Buffalo Street, oppositethe Court House. I ought to say, that as soon as I found that my incomewas getting less than my expenses, I went to the gentlemen who had loanedme the five hundred dollars, and showed them the true state of my affairs, and they kindly agreed to take fifty per cent. , which I paid them. 

After locating on Buffalo Street, I took in a partner, named John Lee, ayoung man, active and industrious, who paid into the firm three hundreddollars, with which we bought goods. With what I had on hand, this raisedthe joint stock to about a thousand dollars, on which we were makingfrequent additions, and on which we had an insurance of six hundreddollars. Our business was now more prosperous than at any previous time, and we began to look up with hope and confidence in our final success. One night I returned to my home as usual, leaving Lee in the store. Abouttwelve o'clock, Mr. Morris awoke me with a few loud raps, and theannouncement that my store was on fire and a part of my goods in thestreet! I hastened to the place, where I found, as he had said, what wassaved from the fire piled up in the street and the fire extinguished. Thebuilding was greatly damaged and the goods they rescued were nearlyruined. Now we were thrown out of business, and the firm was dissolved. With the assistance of W. S. Bishop, a lawyer, we made out the amount ofdamage, which was readily paid by the agent for the insurance company. 

When the Fourth of July came round again, the temperance men resolved onhaving another demonstration, and as before, I was requested to supply thedinner, which I did, after the same manner as the year previous. 

Having been thrown out of business by the fire, I began to examine mypecuniary matters, and found that I was some three or four hundreddollars in debt, which I had no means of paying. True, I had met with agreat misfortune, but I felt that to be an honest man I must meet allobligations, whether legally bound to do so or not; yet it was beyond mypower at that time, and I finally concluded to leave the city, and try tobetter my condition by some other business, or at least to clear myselffrom debt. 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

BISHOP BROWN--DEATH OF MY DAUGHTER. 

I removed with my family to the village of Canandaigua, where I commencedteaching a school for colored children, assisted by my daughter. Theschool was sustained partly by the liberality of the citizens of thevillage, and partly by donations from abroad. It was continued two years, and the children made rapid progress while they were under our tuition. 

Soon after I left Rochester, I visited New York city, and while there, Ijoined "The African Methodist Episcopal Conference. " Bishop Brown, ofPhiladelphia, presided over the deliberations of that body, and appearedto be a man of deep piety, as well as apt in business, and was a native ofone of the Carolinas. I found a pleasing acquaintance also, with BishopWalters of Baltimore, Md. He was small in stature; but a powerful speaker, and discharged every duty with "an eye single to the glory of God. " He hasnow gone to give an account of his stewardship, and I pray that "hismantle may fall" upon one as capable of leading our people as he. Theconference consisted of some sixty or seventy ministers of the gospel, with these two Bishops at their head. The conference continued its sessionten days. When it was closed, Bishop Brown, with several others, startedon a visit to the West. They called at Rochester, and then passed over toCanada, where a conference was to be holden. We arrived, after a pleasantjourney, at Hamilton, where the English government have a regiment ofblack soldiers stationed. It was common, in passing through the streets ofHamilton, to meet every few rods, a colored man in uniform, with a swordat his side, marching about in all the military pomp allowed only to whitemen in this _free republic_. 

All being in readiness, Bishop Brown opened the conference under theauthority of Her Britannic Majesty, with great solemnity, which seemedto be felt by the whole assembly. This meeting appeared to me farmore interesting than the one we had attended in New York city. Thecolored people were much more numerous in Hamilton, and in far bettercircumstances than in New York. It is a hard case to be poor in any largecity, but to be both poor and black, as was the condition of the majorityof our friends in New York, was indeed a terrible calamity. Every class, no matter how worthless they might be, would be allowed to rent a house inpreference to a colored man. The consequence was, our people were crowdedback into the most unhealthy alleys, in old dilapidated tenements unfitfor human beings to dwell in, and such as could not be disposed of to anyother class of people. I am happy to say, however, that a favorable changehas taken place in New York, since the time of which I am speaking. Capitalists have noted the good reputation of the colored people astenants, and have of late erected good dwellings for their accommodation. In Hamilton there was none of that wretchedness and squalid poverty, norany of that drunken rowdyism so common in Eastern cities, perceivableamong the colored people. 

Our conference was largely attended by all classes, both black and white, --many of the latter invited the Bishop with his associates to theirdwellings to dine, indeed we seldom took a meal at our lodgings, soconstantly were we solicited by friends to accompany them home. 

We also found many fugitive slaves in that city, many of whom wereintelligent mechanics. Some of them took us about the place, showing usthe different buildings they were engaged in erecting; quite a numberwere employed in building a church which appeared to be done in aworkman-like manner. 

In the meantime our meeting was progressing in a very interestingmanner, and when the closing services were commenced, the house was filledto overflowing; still many could not be accommodated. The preaching wassolemn and impressive, and it really seemed to me that the glory of Godfilled the house in which we worshipped; saints rejoiced and shouted"glory to God, in the highest, " while sinners trembled and cried out, "what must we do to be saved from the wrath to come. " There were severalhopeful conversions during the session of conference; and after its closewe spent one day in making social calls, and viewing the city and itssurroundings. 

Burlington Bay makes an excellent harbor for shipping, while BurlingtonHeights loom up on the north in all their wild and terrific grandeur. Nearthe bay resides Mr. McNab, so notorious in the history of the Canadianrevolution. We went in a large company to look at his beautiful groundsand residence, over which we were politely conducted by his amiable lady. 

It was indeed a lordly mansion, with its surroundings laid out in theEnglish style of princely magnificence. 

On our return to the city at evening, we were invited to attend a grandsoiree, got up in honor of the Bishop's first visit to that place. Severalfamilies of colored people combined to provide the splendid entertainment, while one lady presided at the board. She was very beautiful and verydark; but a complete model of grace and elegance, conversing with perfectease and intelligence with all, both black and white ministers, whosurrounded the festive board, as well as our Irish friends, not a few ofwhom were present. One honest son of the Emerald Isle entered, and notunderstanding the matter, inquired of his brother "Pat, " in rather a loudwhisper, "What's all them nagurs setting to that table for?" He, however, soon satisfied himself, and all passed off quietly and in excellent order. At a late hour the company, after a benediction, withdrew and dispersed. 

We left Hamilton the following morning, feeling grateful and pleased withour meeting and visit. 

It was a beautiful morning; the lake was still, no sound was heard but therushing waves, as our boat moved on through its placid waters, toward ourdestination, then called Fort George, now Niagara, where we took stage forthe Falls. 

At that place of resort, we stopped to view the stupendous work ofAlmighty God, and listen to the ceaseless thundering of the cataract. Howtame appear the works of art, and how insignificant the bearing of proud, puny man, compared with the awful grandeur of that natural curiosity. Yetthere, the rich from all parts of the world, do congregate! There you willfind the idle, swaggering slaveholder, blustering about in lordly style;boasting of his wealth; betting and gambling; ready to fight, if hisslightest wish is not granted, and lavishing his cash on all who have theleast claim upon him. Ah, well can he afford to be liberal, --well can heafford to spend thousands yearly at our Northern watering places; he hasplenty of human chattels at home, toiling year after year for his benefit. The little hoe-cake he gives them, takes but a mill of the wealth withwhich they fill his purse; and should his extravagance lighten itsomewhat, he has only to order his brutal overseer to sell--soul and body--some poor creature; perchance a husband, or a wife, or a child, andforward to him the proceeds of the sale. While the wretched slave marchesSouth with a gang, under the lash, he lavishes his funds in extravagantliving, --funds gathered from the tears and blood of a helpless humanbeing. Have you, dear reader, ever watched the slaveholder at such placesas I have, gliding through the shady groves, or riding in his splendidcarriage, dressed in the richest attire, and with no wish ungratified thatgold can purchase; and have you ever been guilty of envying him, or ofwishing yourself in his condition? If so, think of the curse which restson him who grinds the face of the poor. Think of his doom in the day offinal retribution, when he shall receive at the bar of a righteous Judge, "according to the deeds done in the body, " and not according to his wealthand power. Think you, that the prayers, cries, and pleadings of thedown-trodden slave that for years have been ascending to the throne of ajust God, will never be avenged? Yea, verily, the day of reckoning hastenson apace, and though, "He bear long with them; He will surely avenge themof their adversaries; and that speedily!"

As we pursued our journey to Buffalo, we passed Grand Island, from whenceMordecai Emanuel Noah, some years ago issued a proclamation, calling onthe Jews to come and build on that island the "City of Refuge, " but whichI believe was not responded to, as I saw it remained in its nativewildness. He had also a monument erected there at the time, which might beseen from the highway and canal, consisting of a white marble slab, sixfeet in height, with a suitable inscription upon it, to direct the poorJew to the City of Refuge. 

It was quite conspicuous, but not so magnificent as Gen. Brock's atQueenston Heights. 

Arrived at Buffalo, we held several meetings which were very interesting. The colored people were then numerous in that city, and owned one of thelargest churches in Western New York. We found a large and prosperoussociety under the superintendence of Elder Weir, who was a good andtalented man, setting a godly example for his flock to imitate. At BuffaloI parted with my pleasant and instructive traveling companion, BishopBrown, never to meet again on the shores of time. Soon after that pleasantjourney he died, and passed from his labor to reward. 

Buffalo was then, as now a great place for business. Vessels from allparts of the country crowded the docks, and I then thought that it must intime become one of the largest cities in the Union. After a pleasant visitwith our people there, I returned to my home in Canandaigua, where I nowbegan to feel quite settled. 

I had been requested to act as agent for the "Anti-Slavery Standard, " withwhich I complied, and leaving my daughter to teach the school, I spent themost of my time in traveling through the country to advance the interestsof that paper. 

When I returned from Buffalo, she was complaining of poor health, nor wasit long before we saw that she was rapidly declining. 

This beloved daughter, I had spared no pains nor money to educate andqualify for teaching. I had encountered all the trials and difficultiesthat every colored man meets, in his exertions to educate his family. Ihad experienced enough to make me fear that I should not always be able toget my children, into good schools, and therefore determined at whatevercost, to educate this child thoroughly, that she might be able, not onlyto provide for her own wants, but to teach her younger brothers andsisters, should they be deprived of the advantages of a good school. Well had she rewarded my labor; well had she realized all my fondest hopesand expectations, --but alas! for human foresight and worldly wisdom! Theaccomplishments and qualifications of a teacher were attained; and proudlywe looked for the achievement of our long-contemplated design. How hard tobelieve that the fell destroyer was upon her track! Her education hadqualified her for teaching the sciences; but now I saw, that her faith inthe religion of the blessed Christ, was assisting her to teach her ownheart a lesson of patience, and quiet submission to the will of Him whoholds the issues of life, --and Oh, how difficult for us to learn thesolemn lesson, that her wasting form, her gradual sinking away, washourly setting before us. 

Slowly her strength failed; she, however, saw our sorrowful anxiety, andwould try to relieve it with a cheerful appearance. One day perhaps shewould be able to walk about, which would revive our wavering hope; thenext she was prostrate and suffering; then hope died and we were sad! Allthe spring time she languished; the summer came, the roses bloomed, andthe grain began to ripen, but she was wasting away. The orchard yieldedits golden harvest; the birds sang merrily on the trees, but a dark shadowhad fallen on our hearthstone, and a gloom, like the pall of death, restedon our household. Her place at table was already vacant; no longer shecalled the little ones about her to hear them repeat their tasks, --all ofwhich admonished us, that soon the bed where we could now see her, wouldbe vacated; and we should no longer witness her patient smile, and knowthat she was still with us. The pastor of the Baptist church often calledto pray with, and for, the quiet sufferer, which she appreciated veryhighly, for she was a Christian in every sense of the word. 

On the thirtieth day of August, at about eleven o'clock, A. M. , without astruggle or a groan, her spirit returned to God who gave it. "Sweetly asbabes sleep, " she sank into the embrace of death. Happily, triumphantly, had she seen the grim messenger approach; but she knew whom she hadbelieved, and that He was able to keep that which she had committed toHim, unto the resurrection of the just. 

She had previously made a confession of her faith in Christ, and had beenburied with Him in baptism. A few days after her demise, a long, sad trainwound its way to the village church yard, where we deposited the remainsof our beloved, --Patience Jane Steward, in the eighteenth year of her age;and then returned to our desolate house, to realize that she had left aworld of pain and sorrow, where the fairest rose conceals a thorn, thesweetest cup a bitter drop, for a home where the flowers would never fade, and where pain, sorrow and death will never come. We all felt the solemnand impressive warning, "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye thinknot, the Son of Man cometh. "

As often as I recalled her triumphant, peaceful death, her firm relianceon God, and sweet submission to His will, I could not forbear contrastingher departure with that of Mrs. Helm, whose death I have elsewheredescribed; and could fervently pray, that I might live the life of therighteous, that my last end might be like hers. 

 "Behold the Western evening light, It melts in deep'ning gloom; So calmly Christians sink away, Descending to the tomb. 

 The winds breathe low, the withering leaf Scarce whispers from the tree, -- So gently flows the parting breath, When good folks cease to be. 

 How beautiful on all the hills, The crimson light is shed; 'Tis like the peace the Christian gives, To mourners round his bed. 

 How mildly on the wandering cloud, The sunset beam is cast, -- 'Tis like the mem'ry left behind, When loved ones breathe their last. 

 And now above the dews of night, The yellow star appears; So faith springs in the breast of those, Whose eyes are bathed in tears. 

 But soon the morning's happier light, Its glory shall restore; And eyelids that are sealed in death, Shall wake to close no more. "

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

CELEBRATION OF THE FIRST OF AUGUST. 

The anti-slavery friends in Canandaigua, had resolved to celebrate theanniversary of the West India emancipation, in suitable manner in thatvillage, for which funds had been unsparingly collected, to defray theexpenses of the coming demonstration. The first of August, 1847, fell onSunday, and our people concluded to devote that day to religious meetings, and the second to their proposed celebration. 

Frederick Douglass and Mr. Van Loon, from Poughkeepsie, addressed thepeople on the Sabbath; and also, on the same evening, a large concourse atthe Court House. The day following, there were not less than ten thousandpeople assembled on the beautiful grounds, belonging to the villageAcademy-attentive listeners all to the eloquent speeches delivered, andinterested spectators of the imposing exercises. 

When the vast multitude had convened, the exercises were commenced by theRev. S. R. Ward, who addressed the throne of grace, after which, Mr. Frederick Douglass delivered an oration, in a style of eloquence whichonly Mr. Douglass himself can equal, followed by a song from the Genevachoir, and music by Barring's band. Rev. H. H. Garnet, editor of "TheNational Watchman, " next spake, and with marked effect, followed byMessrs. Ward and Douglass; after which, the assemblage formed aprocession, and marching to the Canandaigua Hotel, partook of a sumptuousdinner, provided by the proprietor of that house. At six P. M. , they againassembled on the square, and were most eloquently addressed by both Wardand Garnet; at the close, they repaired to the ladies' fair, where theyfound everything in a condition which spake well for the enterprise andindustry of our colored sisters. Their articles for sale, were of a choiceand considerate selection, and such as sold rapidly and at fair prices. When all was pleasantly over, the ladies contributed twenty dollarstoward paying the speakers present. 

A most beautiful ode was composed by a warm and generous friend of thecause, which was sung in the grove, in a spirit which produced a thrillinginterest. Gladly would I give the reader the whole composition, but itslength makes it objectionable for this place, but should they happen tohear a soul-stirring and sublime ode, commencing with, "Hail! to this day returning; Let all to Heaven aspire, " &c. , they may know it is the one to which I refer. 

It was indeed, a glorious day for the colored population generally; andmany were the indications of a diminution of that prejudice so prevalenteverywhere. Some, who had supposed the colored man so inferior tothemselves as to be incapable of making an interesting speech, wereconvinced of their error, after hearing Messrs. Douglass, Ward and Garnet. Mr. Van Loon was a white clergyman, but a brother indeed; his soulillumined by the pure light of the gospel of peace; his heart full ofsympathy for the oppressed; his tongue pleading eloquently for equalrights; and his hands busily engaged in breaking every yoke, resting onthe necks of poor humanity. So vigorously, so zealously did he unfold thehorrors of the slave system; so truthfully and faithfully did he exposethe treachery of northern politicians, and so pathetically did he appealto the humanity of every professed Christian to speak out boldly for thedumb; to shield, by the holy principles of their religion, the poor, bound, illiterate slave, from Southern cruelty and bondage, --that some ofour aristocratic citizens, some of our white savans, repaid his truthfuleloquence, by visiting upon him the bitterest maledictions. From thenegro, said they, we will accept these statements as true, --from him, theyare pertinent and forcible; but when such unpalatable truths are utteredby a white clergyman, we cannot abide, nor will we listen to them!

Let consistency blush, and justice hang down its head! Is not truth thesame, whether proclaimed by black or white, --bond or free? Is a falsehoodto be pardoned because uttered by a negro? If indeed, as was admitted, thesentiments expressed by our eloquent colored speakers, were _true_, couldthey be false, when enforced by our intellectual friend, Van Loon?Certainly not; nor would the case have been so decided by these Solons, inany other case: or where the prejudice against color had not warped andblinded their otherwise good judgments. Our speaker, however, performedhis duty faithfully, and with great satisfaction to the colored people andtheir true friends present. 

The remains of this fearless champion of liberty; this humble disciple ofthe despised Nazarene, now sleeps in death, beside the placid watersof the Hudson, while his cherished memory lives in the affections ofthousands, who "are ready to perish, " and is honored by the pure in heart, wherever his name has been known throughout the land. In the day of finalreckoning, think you, he will regret having plead the cause of thebondman? Ah, no; nor can we doubt that to him will be rendered thewelcome plaudits: "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou intothe joy of thy Lord. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I willmake thee a ruler over many things. " What then are the few lightafflictions endured in this life, when compared with "an eternal weightof glory, " awarded to the faithful in that which is to come?

Pleasant, happy, and beneficial, as had been the reunion of old and triedfriends, to celebrate a glorious event, yet, like all earthly enjoyments, it was brought to a termination, reluctant as were the friends toseparate. Since that day, many have been the demonstrations of gratefuljoy and gladness on the glorious anniversary of the emancipation of slaveson the West India Islands; and yet, in this boasted "land of the free, andhome of the brave;" this famous and declared _free_ Republic, --theAmerican slave still clanks his heavy chain, and wears the galling yokeof the bondman!

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

CONCLUSION. 

For several years past, anti-slavery truth has been spreading, and inproportion as light has shone upon the "peculiar institution, " exposing tothe world its crimes and blood, --enstamping upon its frontlet, "THE SUM OFALL VILLAINIES, "--has the wrath of the impious slaveholder been kindled, and his arm outstretched to strengthen the chain, and press closer theyoke upon the helpless slave, proving conclusively that he loves darknessbecause his deeds are evil. Nor is this all; he and his apologists willinsolently tell you, that _you_ are the guilty ones who have tightened thebonds of the slave, increased his hardships, and blighted his prospect offreedom, by your mistaken kindness, in showing the slaveholder theenormity of his sin! Can this be so? Have we any direct influence over hishuman chattels? None. Then who is it that rivets the chain and increasesthe already heavy burden of the crushed slave, but he who has the power todo with him as he wills? He it is, who has been thrust, unwillinglyperhaps, into sufficient light to show him his moral corruption, and thecharacter of the sin he is daily committing; he it is, whose avarice andidleness induces to hold fast that which is to him a source of wealth, --and by no means to allow the same light to fall in upon the darkenedintellect of his slave property, lest his riches "take to themselveswings;" or, as may be more properly said, _take to themselves legs and runaway_. 

What stronger proof can we ask in favor of our position, than theintolerant spirit of the South? If the system and practice of Slavery is arighteous one, instituted by an All-wise God, certainly no human power--especially one so impotent and futile as the abolition power is said to be--can ever overthrow it. Why then are the mails so closely examined, andfines imposed on prohibited anti-slavery documents? Is it beyond theirpower to confute the arguments adduced, or are they fearful that a ray ofNorthern light may fall on the mind of some listening slave, and directhim to the depot of an under-ground railroad? Judge ye!

What but this same fearful and intolerant spirit, --this over-bearing, boasting spirit, was it, that cowardly attacked a Christian Senator, whileseated unsuspectingly at his desk, and felled him to the floor, bleedingand senseless? Was not the villainous blow which fell upon the honoredhead of CHARLES SUMNER, dealt by the infamous Brooks of South Carolina, aimed at the free speech of the entire North? Was it, think you, apersonal enmity that the cowardly scoundrel had toward our worthy NorthernSenator, which induced the attack? No, no. Brooks spake for the South, andboldly has it responded--Amen!

It has said through its representatives, that you Northerners are becomingtoo bold in speaking of our sin, and we will use brute force to repel it--an argument with which we are familiar. You have told us that we ought notto hold slaves, nor extend slave territory, which will in a measuredestroy our slave market, and prove injurious to our slave-breedingpopulation. You have told us we have no right to usurp Kansas, --no rightto murder "Free State men, " and no right to sustain there, a set of"ruffians" to make Kansas a slave State. You have told us, that we haveno right to live on the unrequited toil of our slaves; nor to sellthem to the highest bidder; nor spend the proceeds of the sale in idleextravagance. Now know, all ye Northerners, by this cowardly blow on thedevoted head of your honored and respected Senator, that we shall nolonger permit you to tell us such unpalatable truths, nor allow you theprivilege of free speech! We have too long held the balance of power inthe government to yield it now; and we give you to know, that whatever weask of this government, we expect to obtain; nor will we hear any of yourobjections. When we desire you to turn blood-hound, and hunt for us ourfugitive slaves, we expect you to do it, and to see them returned to theirmasters, without a murmur on your part. Should you object or dare refuse, we shall certainly _cane somebody_, or else do what we have threatened forthe last quarter of a century, --"DISSOLVE THE UNION!" Bah!

My house has ever been open to the fugitive slaves; but more particularlywhen I resided in Rochester, did I have occasion to see and feel thedistresses of that class of persons; and it appears to me, that the heartmust be of adamant, that can turn coldly away from the pleadings of thepoor, frightened, flying fugitive from Southern bondage. 

For many years past, I have been a close and interested observer of myrace, both free and enslaved. I have observed with great pleasure, thegradual improvement in intelligence and condition of the free coloredpeople of the North. In proportion as prejudice has diminished, they havegradually advanced; nor can I believe that there is any other greatimpediment in the way to a higher state of improvement. That prejudiceagainst color is not destroyed, we very well know. Its effects may beseen in our down-cast, discouraged, and groveling countrymen, if no whereelse. Notwithstanding the late diminution, it exists in many of ourhotels: some of them would as soon admit the dog from his kennel, attable, as the colored man; nevertheless, he is sought as a waiter;allowed to prepare their choicest dishes, and permitted to serve the whiteman, who would sneer and scorn to eat beside him. Prejudice is found also, in many of our schools, --even in those to which colored children areadmitted; there is so much distinction made by prejudice, that the poor, timid colored children might about as well stay at home, as go to a schoolwhere they feel that they are looked upon as inferior, however much theymay try to excel. 

Nor is that hateful prejudice--so injurious to the soul, and all the bestinterests of the negro--excluded from the professed church of Christ. Oh, no; we often find it in the house of worship, in all its cruel rigor. Where people assemble to worship a pure and holy God, who can look upon nosin with allowance--the creator of all, both white and black, --and wherepeople professing to walk in the footsteps of the meek and quiet Jesus, who has taught us to esteem others better than ourselves; we often see thelip of some professed saint, curled in scorn at a dusky face, or a scowlof disapprobation if a colored person sits elsewhere than by the door oron the stairs. How long, O Lord, must these things be!

Of my enslaved brethren, nothing so gratifies me, as to hear of theirescape from bondage; and since the passage of that iniquitous "FugitiveSlave Bill, " I have watched with renewed interest the movements of thefugitives, not only from Slavery direct, but those who have been compelledto flee from the nominally free States, and ask the protection of amonarchial government, to save them from their owners in a land of boastedliberty!

The knowledge I have of the colored men in Canada, their strength andcondition, would cause me to tremble for these United States, should a warever ensue between the English and American governments, which I pray maynever occur. These fugitives may be thought to be a class of poor, thriftless, illiterate creatures, like the Southern slaves, but it is notso. They are no longer slaves; many of whom have been many years free men, and a large number were never slaves. They are a hardy, robust class ofmen; very many of them, men of superior intellect; and men who feel deeplythe wrongs they have endured. Driven as they have been from their nativeland; unprotected by the government under which they were born, and wouldgladly have died, --they would in all probability, in case of a rupture, take up arms in defense of the government which has protected them and thecountry of their adoption. England could this day, very readily collect aregiment of stalwart colored men, who, having felt the oppression of ourlaws, would fight with a will not inferior to that which actuated ourrevolutionary forefathers. 

And what inducement, I ask, have colored men to defend with their livesthe United States in any case; and what is there to incite them to deedsof bravery?

Wherever men are called upon to take up arms in defense of a country, there is always a consciousness of approaching wrong and oppression, whicharouses their patriotism and incites to deeds of daring. They look abroadover fields of their own cultivation; they behold too, churches, schools, and various institutions, provided by their labor, for generations yet tocome; they see their homes, their cherished hearthstone, about to bedesecrated, and their wives and little ones, with their aged sires, exposed to the oppression of a ruthless foe. Then, with what cheerfuland thrilling enthusiasm, steps forward the husband, the father, thebrother, and bares his bosom to the sword, --his head to the storm of thebattle-field, in defence of his country's freedom, and the God-givenrights of himself and family! But what sees the oppressed negro? He sees aproud and haughty nation, whose Congressmen yearly meet to plot his ruinand perpetuate his bondage! He beholds, it is true, a few Christ-likechampions, who rise up with bleeding hearts to defend his cause; but whilehis eye kindles with grateful emotion, he sees the bludgeon of the South--already reeking in the blood of freemen--raised and ready to fall withmurderous intent upon the head of any one, who, like the illustriousSumner, dare open his mouth in defence of Freedom, or speak of the wrongsof the poor negro, and the sins of the Southern autocrat!

What inducement then, has the slave to shoulder his musket, when theAmerican drum beats the call, "To Arms! To Arms!" Does he not rememberthat the wife of his bosom; the children, --"bone of his bone, and flesh ofhis flesh, "--and the rude hearth-stone they for a time are allowed tosurround, belong not to himself, but to the tyrannical master, who claimsdominion over all he possesses. As his property then, let the slave ownergo forth in defence of his own, and lay down his life if he please; butthe poor slave has no home, no family to protect; no country to defend;nor does he care to assist in sustaining a government that instead ofoffering him protection, drives him from the soil which has beencultivated by his own labor, --to beg at the hand of England's Queen, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. "

Humiliating as it is for an American citizen to name these things, theyare nevertheless true; and I would to God that America would arise in hernative majesty, and divest herself of the foul stain, which Slavery hascast upon her otherwise pure drapery! Then would she be no longer ahissing and by-word among the nations; but indeed what she professes tobe, "the land of the free, and the home of the brave;" an asylum for theoppressed of every clime. 

But should the monarchial government of England call for the services ofthe colored man, freely would his heart's blood be poured out in herdefence, --not because he has a particular preference for that form ofgovernment; not because he has ceased to love his native country, --butbecause she has acknowledged his manhood, and given him a home to defend. Beneath the floating banner of the British Lion, he finds inducements tolay down his life, if need be, in defence of his own broad acres, hisfamily and fireside, --all of which were denied him under the Stars andStripes of his fatherland. But a short time ago, the colored men ofCincinnati, O. , were promptly denied the privilege they had solicited, tojoin with other citizens, in celebrating the anniversary of WASHINGTON'SBirth Day! Oh, no; there must be no colored man in the company, met tohonor him who still lives in the heart of every American citizen, --"thefather of his country, "--and yet, who scorned not to sleep beside hisfaithful negro! Nor did the nephew of the illustrious General, despise thecommand of the black regiment, which Gen. Jackson so proudly commended fortheir bravery, and bestowed upon it his personal thanks, for theirservices on the field of battle. 

Do the Northern or Free States of the Union think to clear their skirts ofthe abomination of Slavery, by saying that they own no slaves? Very true. But is the poor, flying fugitive from the house of bondage, safe onemoment within your borders? Will he be welcomed to your homes, yourtables, your firesides? Will your clergymen bid you clothe and feed him, or give him a cup of cold water, in the name of a disciple of that holyChrist, who has said, --"inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the leastof these little ones, ye have done it unto me?"--Or will your ownmiserable Fugitive Slave Law, close the mouth of your clergy; crush downthe rising benevolence of your heart; and convert you into a humanblood-hound, to hunt down the panting fugitive, and return him to thehell of Slavery? Oh, my God!--the fact is too horrible to acknowledge, and yet it is a stubborn one. Not on one foot of land under the broadfolds of Columbia's banner, can the slave say, "I am free!" Hungry, naked, and forlorn, he must flee onward; nor stop short of the outstretched armsof an English Queen. Yet, thanks be to our Heavenly Father, that all havenot bowed the knee to the Southern autocrat or slave power. A few noblesouls, thank God, remain, who, in defiance of iniquitous laws, throw openwide their doors to the trembling, fleeing bondman, whose purses arefreely emptied to supply his wants, and help him on in his flight to theBritish dominion. But can these out-gushings of a benevolent heart--thepurest impulses of a noble nature--be permitted to flow out spontaneously, in open daylight? Alas, no! You must be quiet; make no noise, lest anUnited States' Marshal wrest from you the object of your Christiansympathy, and impose on you a heavy fine, for your daring to do to anotheras you would he should do to you. 

Is not the necessity of an "_under ground railroad_, " a disgrace to thelaws of any country? Certainly it is; yet I thank God, that it does afforda means of escape to many, and I pray that the blessings of Heaven mayever rest upon those who willingly superintend its interests. Oh, mycountry! When will thy laws, just and equal, supersede this humiliatingnecessity!

Is my reader about to throw the blame of our nation's wrong on England, and accuse her of first tolerating Slavery? We admit it; but did she notrepent of the evil she had done, and speedily break every yoke, and letthe oppressed go free? Certainly; no slave now breathes in England'satmosphere. But, say you, her white poor are slaves to the aristocracy, from which sentiment I beg leave to differ. Oppressed they may be, anddoubtless are, as the poor are apt to be in any and every country; butthey are not sold in the market, to the highest bidder, like beasts ofburden, as are the American slaves. No Englishman, however poor, destitute, or degraded he may be, but owns himself, his wife and children;nor does he fear that they be sold and torn from his embrace, while he islaboring for their support. Poverty, my friend, does not comprise thebitterness of Slavery, no more than "one swallow makes a summer, "--nordoes it consist solely in ignorance and degradation. Its bitterness arisesfrom a consciousness of wrong; a sense of the violation of every right Godhas given to man, and the uncertainty of his future, over which he has nocontrol. 

If the American people flatter themselves with the idea of getting rid ofthe hated negro race, by colonizing them on the sickly soil of Liberia, or any other country, they will surely find themselves mistaken. Theyare Americans; allied to this country by birth and by misfortune; and herewill they remain, --not always as now, oppressed and degraded, --for all whohave any interest in the matter, well know that the free colored people, are rapidly advancing in intelligence, and improving their condition inevery respect. Men of learning and genius, are now found among those withfleecy locks, and good mechanics with dusky complexion. 

This marked improvement in the condition and rapid advancement inintelligence among our people, seems to have alarmed the colonizationists, and made them fearful that those very down-trodden slaves, who have foryears labored for nought; whose blood and tears have fertilized theSouthern soil, may, perchance, become their equals in intelligence, andtake vengeance on their oppressors for the wrongs done them; and lestthey should do so, they would gladly remove them to some far-off country. 

Yet here, in North America, will the colored race remain, and ere long inmy opinion, become a great people, equal with the proud Anglo-Saxon in allthings. The African has once been a powerful nation, before ChristianEnglishmen invaded her coasts with rum, and incited her chiefs to war, bypurchasing with gaudy, but worthless trinkets, her conquered captives; andwe have every reason to believe, that though her glory as a nation hasdeparted, that her sons will yet be acknowledged free men by the whitepopulation of this country. 

There have been black generals in the world before Napoleon was born, andthere may be again; and to-day, notwithstanding all the prejudice againstcolor, that everywhere exists in this guilty nation, there are men oftalent among us, inferior to none on the earth; nor are their numbers few, though rapidly increasing. 

Well may the South arouse herself, form societies, replenish its treasurywith a tax imposed on the free colored people, to defray the expense ofsending manumitted slaves to Liberia!

Listen a moment to the cant of the colonizationist. Hear him talk of theduty he owes to Africa, and how happy, how intelligent, how prosperouseverything is in Liberia. But when that delightful country asks to betaken into fellowship with the United States, and to have her independencerecognized--ah, then he lifts his hands in horror and begs to be excusedfrom so close a relation. 

This is all cant, in my humble opinion; and when I see men so anxious tosend the negro out of their sight, I feel quite certain that they areconscious of having deeply wronged him, and think to remove him, to atonefor their guilty consciences. Would they refuse to acknowledge theindependence of Liberia, if their interest in the colored people wasgenuine, especially when several other nations had done so? Oh, no. Butthat is not "_the rub_. " How could one of our lordly nabobs of the South, sit in Congress with perhaps one of his own manumitted slaves as arepresentative from Liberia or Hayti! He would die of mortification. Verywell then; but let him talk no more of sending colored men to that countryto make them free men. 

The colored people generally, I am happy to say, have a right conceptionof the colonization plan, and will never be induced to go to Africa, unless they go as missionaries to the heathen tribes, who certainlyshould have the gospel preached to them. Some, from a sense of duty, maygo as teachers, --which is all well enough, --but certain it is, that noamount of prejudice or abuse, will ever induce the colored race to leavethis country. Long have they been oppressed; but they are rising-comingup to an elevated standard, and are fast gathering strength and courage, for the great and coming conflict with their haughty oppressors. 

That there must be ere long, a sharp contest between the friends ofFreedom and the Southern oligarchy, I can no longer doubt. 

When our worthy ministers of the gospel, are sent back to us from theSouth, clothed with a coat of tar and feathers; when our best and mostsacrificing philanthropists are thrown into Southern dungeons; when ourlaboring men are shot down by haughty and idle Southern aristocrats, inthe hotels of their employers, and under the very eye of Congress; whenthe press is muzzled, and every editor, who has the manliness to speakin defence of Freedom, and the wickedness of the slaveholder, is caned orotherwise insulted by some insignificant Southern bully; and when at last, our Mr. SUMNER is attacked from behind, by a Southern, cowardly scoundrel, and felled senseless on the floor of the Senate chamber, for his defenceof Liberty, --then, indeed, may Northern men look about them! Well may theybe aroused by the insolence and tyranny of the South!

And for what _is_ all this? Do not our Southern men know, that if lightand truth are permitted to reach the minds of the people, that Kansas willbe lost to them as slave territory, wherein the Southern slave-breeder candispose of his own flesh to the highest bidder! Hear them talk as they do, in their pious moments, with upturned faces, in solemn mockery, ofreturning the negro to his _native_ Africa! How many pure Africans, thinkyou, can be found in the whole slave population of the South, to saynothing of their nativity? Native Africa, indeed! Who does not know, thatin three-fourths of the colored race, there runs the blood of the whitemaster, --the breeder of his own chattels! Think you, that a righteous Godwill fail to judge a nation for such flagrant sins? Nay, verily. If theAll-wise God, who has created of one blood all nations of the earth, hasdesigned their blood to commingle until that of the African is absorbed inthat of the European, --then is it right, and amalgamation of all thedifferent races should be universally practiced and approved. If it beright for the Southern slaveholder, to cruelly enforce the mixture of theraces, to gratify his lust, and swell the enormity of his gains, certainlyit cannot be wrong to amalgamate from choice and affection. Let us askthen, why did our Omnipotent Creator make the marked distinction?Certainly not for the purpose that one race might enslave and triumphover another; but evidently, that each in his own proper sphere mightglorify God, to whom their respective bodies and spirits belong. Why, indeed, was the black man created, if not to fulfil his destiny _as anegro_, to the glory of God?

Suffer me then to exhort you, my countrymen, to cease looking to the whiteman for example and imitation. Stand boldly up in your own nationalcharacteristics, and show by your perseverance and industry, your honorand purity, that you are men, colored men, but of no inferior quality. Thegreatest lack I see among you, is unity of action, pardonable, to be sure, in the eyes of those who have seen your oppression and limited advantages;but now that many of you have resolved to gain your rights or die inthe struggle, let me entreat you to band yourselves together in oneindissoluble bond of brotherhood, to stand shoulder to shoulder in thecoming conflict, and let every blow of yours tell for Freedom and theelevation of your race throughout the land. Speak boldly out, for the dumband enslaved of your unfortunate countrymen, regardless of the frowns andsneers of the haughty tyrants, who may dare lift their puny arm, tofrustrate the design of the Almighty, in preserving you an unmixed andpowerful race on the earth. 

While I would not that you depend on any human agency, save your ownunyielding exertion, in the elevation of our race; still, I would not haveyou unmindful of, nor ungrateful for, the noble exertions of those kindwhite friends, who have plead the cause of the bondman, and have done allin their power to aid you, for which, may the God of the oppressedabundantly bless them. 

Let your attention be given to the careful training and education of therising generation, that they may be useful, and justly command the respectof their fellow-men. Labor for a competency, but give not your wholeattention to amassing the wealth that perishes; but seek to lay up foryourselves "treasures where moth doth not corrupt, nor thieves breakthrough and steal. "

Suppose not, my brethren, that your task is a light one, or one that canbe performed without years of patient toil and unyielding perseverance. Our oppressors are not very ready to credit our exertion, --too oftenforgetting the effects of our long degradation, and vainly expecting tosee us arise at once, to the highest standard of elevation, able to copesuccessfully with those who have known no such discouragements ordisadvantages, as has been our lot to bear. 

These and many other obstacles must be bravely met, and assiduouslyremoved, --remembering that Slavery has robbed some of us, and prejudicemany others, of that perseverance so necessary to the accomplishment ofany enterprize; but in the elevation of ourselves and race, let us neverfalter and grow weary, until we have reached the elevated station Goddesigned us to occupy, and have fitted the rising generation to fill andimprove it after our earthly course is finished and we leave to them thestage of action. 

Allow me, however, to entreat, that no success which may attend yourdetermined efforts; no position which you may attain, --may ever so occupyyour mind, as to cause you to forget for one moment, the afflictions ofyour countrymen, or to cease to remember the groaning millions in bonds, until every slave shall triumphantly chant the song of deliverance fromSlavery's dark prison house. 

Bear with me, my dear brethren, while I claim a friend's license, to say, that I would not that you place implicit confidence in any of thepolitical organizations of the present time; but remember that themajority of those parties are diligently laboring for their own interest. Look you then to yours; are you less capable of securing your rights thanthey? Never was there a time when indolence and supineness among us, wouldbe so unpardonable as now, nor when so much depended on our active andjudicious exertions. 

Let us not forget, that in the past, we could and did truthfully complain, that we had no helper, --bound and crushed beneath an overwhelming weightof prejudice and ignorance, we lay helpless at the feet of our politicalspoilers. A favorable change has since been effected in the publicsentiment; and now that we see thousands who are willing to aid us, andas many more who will not hinder our labor, --shall we fold our hands inidleness?--or shall we renew our energies, in the cause of freedom and ofour own advancement? Although we may not implicitly rely upon thepolitical exertion of others, let us not fear to co-operate with thefriends of liberty everywhere, as far as a good conscience will permit, and our limited privileges will allow, by our determined zeal for theright, make our influence felt in the nation. See what wrong andoppression our white brethren have met in Kansas, from the slave power;and let their noble deeds of patriotism; their liberal sacrifices forfreedom, be not only our example, but an incentive to do our duty. Havethey more at stake in that mighty struggle than we, that they should leavetheir homes of refinement and comfort, take their lives in their hands andbravely contend for their rights, surrounded by scenes of blood andcarnage? Certainly not. No people on the earth can have greater incentivesto arouse them to action, than the colored people of this country nowhave; I trust therefore, that our future independence and prosperity, willsuffer nothing from the inactivity of our race. 

Some may entertain the belief that the African slave trade is entirelyabandoned. I think not. Often are seen strange, suspicious lookingvessels, lying along the African coast, for no other purpose than thatof kidnapping the poor, ignorant natives. Stealthily the slave-traderlands his wicked crew, in the vicinity of some negro village or cluster ofhuts, and when a favorable opportunity occurs, he and his men rush uponthe frightened African, burn their huts, and amid the shrieks of thecaptives, and the groans of the helpless and aged, who have been trampleddown in their rude haste to secure the young and able-bodied natives, bearthem to the vessel, where they are stowed away in the hold of the ship, which bears them to Christian (?) America, where they are sold as slaves. 

Some years ago, a woman engaged in washing clothes, near the sea coast, had a lad with her to take care of her two younger children--one a youngbabe--while she was at work. They wandered away a short distance, andwhile amusing themselves under some bushes, four men, to them strangelooking creatures, with white faces, surrounded them; and when the ladattempted to run away, they threw the infant he held in his arms, on theground, and seizing the other two children, bore them screaming with fear, to the ship. Frantic and inconsolable, they were borne to the Americanslave market, where they were sold to a Virginia planter, for whom theylabored sorrowfully and in tears, until old age deprived them of fartherexertion, when they were turned out, like an old horse, to die; and diddie destitute and uncared for, in their aged infirmity, after a long lifeof unrequited toil. That lad, stolen from Africa's coast, was mygrand-father. 

It is not, however, necessary for us to look beyond our own country, tofind all the horrors of the slave traffic! A tour through the SouthernStates will prove sufficient to satisfy any one of that fact; nor willthey travel over one of them, before--if they have a heart of flesh--theywill feel oppressed by the cruel outrage, daily inflicted on theirfellow-beings. The tourist need not turn aside to seek evidences: he willvery readily observe the red flag of the auctioneer floating over theslave pen, on which he may read in large letters, waving in the pureair of heaven, "SLAVES, HORSES, AND OTHER CATTLE, _in lots to suitpurchasers!_" He may halt a moment, and look at the multitude, collectingunder the folds of that infamous banner, where will be found a fewgentlemanly appearing slave holding planters, superbly mounted, andperhaps with their servants in waiting; but the larger number he will findto be drunken, coarse, brutal looking men, swaggering about in thecapacity of slave-traders. 

Let him enter the low, dingy, filthy building, occupied by humanmerchandize, and he will there behold husbands and wives, parents andchildren, about to be sold, and perhaps separated forever! See the trader, as he examines with inhuman indifference the bones and sinews, the teethand joints of the _articles_ on hand, even of females, and hear him makeinquiries concerning her capabilities, that would make a savage blush! Andsee the miserable woman lift her red and swollen eyes to the face of theheartless trader, and the next moment cast a despairing glance over themotley crowd, in search of a compassionate look--a pitying eye. Should shesee one countenance wearing a kind, humane expression, it will most likelybring her frantically to his feet, where, kneeling, with uplifted hands, she pleads: "Oh, Massa, do buy me! Do buy me and little Sam! He be all ofthe chil'ens I got left! O, Lord! O, Lord! Do, Massa, buy me, and this onebaby! Oh, do Massa!" But the weight of the cow-hide drives her to theauction block, where in mock solemnity she is represented as "an articleof excellent breed, a good cook, a good seamstress, and withal a goodChristian, a ra'al genewine lamb of the flock!"--and then she is struckoff to the highest bidder, who declares that he "won't have the young'unany how, 'cause he's gwine to drive her down to Lousianny. "

He may see, too, the wild, despairing look of some frightened young slavegirl, passing under the lustful gaze of some lordly libertine, whodeclares himself "in search of a fancy article for his own use!"

One after another is taken from the block, until all are disposed of, amidthe agonized wail of heartbroken wives and mothers, husbands and fathers, and the piercing screams of helpless children, torn from a parent'sembrace, to be consigned to the care of strangers. 

Nor need I inform our traveler of the inhuman method generally approved, in hunting with trained blood-hounds, kept and advertised for the purposeof recapturing any poor slave who may attempt to escape from this cruelbondage. He may perchance, come across the mangled and lifeless body ofsome fugitive, which has just been run down and torn in pieces by the dogsof the hunter! Should he stop a few moments, he will soon see a hole dugin the ground, and the remains of the slave pitched into it, coveredsufficiently to hide the unsightly mass from view, and there will be anend of the whole matter! "Shall I not visit for these things? saith theLord; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"

In giving to the public this unvarnished, but truthful narrative, of someof the occurrences of my humble and uneventful life, I have not beeninfluenced by a vain desire for notoriety, but by a willingness to gratifya just and honorable request, repeatedly made by numerous and respectedfriends, to learn the truth concerning my connection with the Wilberforcecolony; the events which there transpired during my stay, and the cause ofmy losing a hard-earned property. Regarding the affairs of the colony, Ihave, therefore, endeavored to be particular, --believing that duty tomyself and brethren, required me to give them the within information; butnothing have I set down in malice. Much more might have been said relativeto some of the leading characters in that settlement, had I not beenfearful of its assuming the character of a personal enmity or retaliation. He who knows and will judge the actions of men, will bear me witness, thatI have cherished no such feelings toward any of those who then lived, butnow sleep in death. 

In justification, however, of my statements regarding the character of Mr. Lewis, I will call the attention of the reader to some of the many lettersreceived from good and eminent men, to show that I was not alone in thelow estimate of his virtues. Gladly I leave that unpleasant subject, hoping that nothing in our past history will serve to becloud the brightfuture beginning to dawn on the prospects of our disfranchised andoppressed countrymen. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

LETTER FROM A. STEWARD TO WM. L. GARRISON. 

MR. GARRISON, Dear Sir:--In a recent examination of the business transactions betweenthe Board of Managers of the Wilberforce Colony, and their agent Rev. N. Paul, I find a charge made by him, and allowed by the board, of the sum oftwo hundred dollars, which he paid to yourself. Finding no receipt oracknowledgment from you, I write to ask you to favor me with one, or anexplanation of the facts in the case, either of which will greatly obligeme, as I design to make it public. Truly Yours, &c. , A. STEWARD. 

Canandaigua, N. Y. , May, 1856. 

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MR. GARRISON'S REPLY TO A. STEWARD. 

DEAR SIR:

You state that Rev. N. Paul, as agent for the Wilberforce Settlement, U. C. , in rendering his accounts on his return from England, charged theBoard of Managers with the sum of two hundred dollars, paid by him to mewhile in England; that said sum was allowed by the board; adding that youdo not recollect of my acknowledging or giving credit to the Settlementfor it. 

In reply, I can only assure you that there must be a mistake in regard tothis item. I borrowed no money, nor had I any occasion to ask a loan of myfriend Paul, my expenses being defrayed by funds contributed by friends inthis country; nor could I with propriety receive, nor he give me any partof the money contributed for the benefit of the Wilberforce Settlement;hence, a loan or gift from him, could have been nothing more than apersonal matter between ourselves. Moreover, had he at that time orany other, given me in good faith the sum named as belonging to theSettlement, (believing that as we were laboring together, for the interestof one common cause, the board would not hesitate to allow it, ) he wouldcertainly have demanded a receipt, which it would have pleased me to give, of course, that he might satisfy the board that their liberality had beendisbursed according to their wishes, or his judgment. But receiving nomoney from your agent, will be a sufficient reason for not acknowledgingit, or giving due credit to the Settlement. 

I can account for this charge on his part, in no way, except that as hewas with me a part of the time I was in London, and we traveled togethera part of the time, during which, he ably and effectively assisted me inexposing that most iniquitous combination, "The American ColonizationSociety, "--he charged to me, (that is, to my mission) sundry items ofexpense which he undoubtedly believed justly incurred by his helping meto open the eyes of British philanthropists to the real design of thatsociety; and I shall ever remember with gratitude, his heartiness and zealin the cause and in my behalf. I owe much to the success that so signallycrowned my mission, to his presence, testimony, and eloquent denunciationof the colonization scheme. I, however, received no money from him, andcan but think that the above explanation was the occasion of his makingthe charge, and which I trust will leave on his memory, no intentional[final word missing from text]. 

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FROM MR. BAKER TO A. STEWARD. 

MR. A. STEWARD, Dear Sir:--Israel Lewis, the former agent of your Settlement, last springrepresented to me the suffering condition of your poor, and requested thatI should forward some goods, for which I should be paid; I did so, and sent goods to the amount of one hundred thirty-six dollars andninety-eight cents. The goods were sold at cost. 

I am also endorsed on a note for two hundred thirteen dollars and tencents, which falls due 24th of this month, and which I shall have to pay. This note was given by Lewis for the purpose of raising money to fit outMr. Paul, on his mission to England. I was promised that the money shouldbe here to meet it. 

I have heard nothing from Lewis or this business since, and as Iunderstand you are the agent, I must look to you to make provision to meetthe note, and pay for the goods. Good faith requires that all contracts byyour agency be fulfilled. 

Yours, Respectfully, CORNAL BAKER. 

New York City, Dec. , 1833. 

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FROM MR. L. A. SPALDING TO A. STEWARD

DEAR FRIEND:

In August last, Israel Lewis, accompanied by Rev. Nathaniel Paul calledupon me and exhibited a power of attorney, signed by you as president ofthe trustees of the colony, authorizing Lewis to take loans, &c. , for thebenefit of the colony. 

Feeling a deep interest in the progress of the colony, I agreed to becomesecurity with E. Peck, at the Bank of Rochester, for the payment of sevenhundred dollars, which soon was raised by Lewis on the note, for thebenefit of the colony. I was in hopes to have seen you. E. Peck andmyself, both are willing to aid you in your noble enterprise, --and mayothers feel the same disposition. But as we have families and friends, wholook to us for support and protection, it is proper that we should haveyour personal pledge to save us from embarrassment. 

We know your character _well_, and we have also great confidence in IsraelLewis, and the others engaged with you, --but none of them are sothoroughly known to us as yourself. 

Our asking for your personal pledge, does not arise from any fears thatthe note will not be paid; but as it was signed to aid you, we think itproper that you should respond by guaranteeing that we shall not beinjured. 

I accordingly copy the note in question, and write a guarantee which Iwish you to sign and hand to my brother. 

I feel much anxiety in regard to your progress; in your forming schools;religious and temperance societies; and in your taking every measure toelevate the unfortunate colored man who may go to your colony forprotection and improvement. 

Very Respectfully Yours, LYMAN A. SPALDING. 

AUSTIN STEWARD. 

Lockport, N. Y. 1831. 

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FROM THE CONVENTIONAL BOARD, PHILADELPHIA, PA. , TO A. STEWARD. 

MR. AUSTIN STEWARD, Wilberforce, U. C. , Esteemed Friend:--I am charged by the conventional board, to inform youthat at the last session of the general convention, you was duly electedtheir _General Corresponding Agent_, for the Wilberforce Settlement andparts adjacent. Respectfully and in an official capacity, would I ask youto accept the appointment. 

And in pursuance of the said appointment, the board would be happy to haveat least a monthly correspondence from you, on all such matters as may, inyour opinion, be thought conducive to the prosperity of the settlement, the elevation and future happiness of the free people of color. 

In particular, we would wish you to give as accurate an account aspossible, of the number of settlers; the number of acres as purchased; atwhat price; what number are improved and under culture; what number ofhouses or tenements are in the Settlement, &c. , &c. 

What are your present prospects in regard to crops; your politicaladvantages or disadvantages. 

We would also respectfully ask you to inform us, what number of settlersmight emigrate there each year, without injuring the Settlement. Also, what kind of machines you most need; also, what are the terms for whichlaborers are contracted for and how paid. 

The board have been thus particular, because they rely with fullconfidence on your _patriotism_ and capability, which have beenunanimously assigned to you. 

You will perceive our object is, to contribute, as far as lays in ourpower, pecuniary_ aid, and assist in securing you such _agricultural_ and_mechanical_ emigrants as, in your opinion, the Settlement may need; andin all our recommendations to you, we shall endeavor to have an eye tocharacter, knowing full well that by that alone you must _stand_ or_fall_. 

We have been informed here by a letter (purporting to be written by a Mr. Stover), that the Canada Company actually refuses to sell land to coloredpersons; and that they are anxious to buy out the colored settlers atWilberforce. 

Be pleased to inform me if that be a fact, with its particulars; and ifthere be any disadvantages in purchasing land by colored emigrants. 

The board would be happy to know if you have had any news from your agentin England. If any, what are his prospects?

You will please be particular and candid in stating your wants (as well asdisadvantages) to us, as we will do our utmost to satisfy them, as wellas promote the happiness of the settlers, and the prosperity of theSettlement. 

Be pleased to answer as soon as possible, for we as brothers in common, feel deeply interested. 

With sentiments of sincere friendship, I remain, yours, JUNIUS C. MORRELL. 

A true copy from the record. 

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RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE WILBERFORCE COLONY. 

At a meeting of the Board of Managers, held September 30th, 1831, to callthe Agents to an account:

Resolved, That the Report of N. Paul be accepted, and unanimously agreedto. 

At a meeting of the Board of Directors, all the members present, March18th, 1832:

Resolved, That we disapprove of the conduct of Israel Lewis, in his beingabsent so long, and also his not communicating with the Board ofDirectors, and not informing them from time to time, how he is prosecutinghis agency. 

Resolved, That the chairman of this board be instructed to write to saidLewis, to return home, and lay before this board his doings. 

At a meeting of the Board, held April 1st, 1832, all the members andIsrael Lewis present with them, he made the following Report, and resignedhis office as agent, which was accepted:

Lewis said that seven hundred dollars was all that he had collected. Thathe paid one hundred and fifty dollars for board in New York, thirty-fivedollars for clothes, and two hundred dollars to N. Paul, as an out-fit forEngland. 

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CIRCULAR. 

THE BOARD OF MANAGERS FOR THE COLONY, _To the Christians and Philanthropists in the United States:_

We, the undersigned inhabitants and Board of Managers for the Colony ofWilberforce, beg leave to state that the frost cut off the crops in thispart of the country last year, and some of the colonists are in greatneed of assistance. And we flatter ourselves that when the peculiarcircumstances of this infant Settlement are duly considered, this appeal, to a generous and discriminating public, will not be made in vain. 

The board are sensible from the cause above stated, that the inhabitantsof Wilberforce will be _compelled_ to ask _aid_ from the friends ofhumanity in the States, or they must _suffer_. 

Under these circumstances they commissioned the Rev. James Sharp, astheir agent, and sent him to the States; but owing to the opposition ofIsrael Lewis, --who had been formerly employed as agent, but was removedfrom the agency--his labors were almost wholly lost to the board. 

We would simply say, that Lewis was acting for a _certain_ company here;but we have made inquiries, and find but _one man_ in Wilberforce thatbelongs to said company, and he is an old man, in his dotage. That man is_Simon Wyatt_. We might say _more_, but we think there has been enoughwritten to satisfy the public. 

In consequence of the unfaithfulness of Israel Lewis, and the numerousagents that may be looking around the country after him, the board havecome to the conclusion to dispense with a traveling agent for the present. 

And we would humbly request Lyman A. Spalding, Esq. , of Lockport; E. Peck, Esq. , of Rochester; Rev. Dr. Budd, of Auburn; Charles Davis, Esq. , ofLudlowville, Tompkins County, N. Y. ; Arthur Tappan, Esq. , city of NewYork; to act as receivers for the Colony. The above named gentlemen, willsee that the funds which they may receive, be faithfully applied accordingto the wishes of the donors. 

All money placed in each of the banks at Rochester and a duplicate sent onto the Colony, may be cashed here without any discount. 

To Christians we appeal: by the brotherhood of Christ, and by their ownhopes of being united in him, to extend to us the means of obtainingbread; give us, in the name of Jesus, of your abundance; give us, as Godhas blessed you, for the poor among us want bread and clothing. 

It is to be hoped that every clergyman in the States, will lay thiscircular before their respective congregations, and give every person anopportunity to throw in their mite into the treasury of the Lord!

AUSTIN STEWARD, _Pres't_JOSEPH TAYLOR, _Sec'y. _PHILIP HARRIS, JOHN WHITEHEAD, PETER BUTLER, SAMUEL PETERSON, WILLIAM BROWN. 

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FROM REV. J. BUDD TO A. STEWARD AND OTHERS. 

MESSRS. PAUL AND STEWARD:

I have ever taken a great degree of interest in the welfare of yourcolony, and have in various ways, brought it before the public. 

It has pained me deeply to learn that there are divisions among you. Thewhole deportment and manner of Lewis, who has been here, has evidentlyimpressed the public in his favor. Although I do not wish to take groundas his advocate, to the extinction of others, I am not inclined to thinkhim dishonest from the testimony now before me. 

But, apart from him, my present impression is that the most effectual wayfor you to promote the cause of the Colony, is not, at this stage of thebusiness, to appear before the public in a hostile attitude to Lewis. 

I know some excellent and prominent gentlemen in this quarter, who thinkhe is unkindly treated; at any rate, while the investigation, latelycommenced at Albany, is going on, it appears to me not wise in you to putforth any further publication reflecting upon Lewis. He may have actedimprudently; but he has excited himself very much, and should the ideaprevail that you and he are in a state of collision, it would be very badfor you. 

I consider your Colony as a very important matter, and will do all in mypower to promote your welfare, but it is very material not to prejudicethe public against you. 

Before I move in the matter, I wish to know the real state of the matterbetween Lewis and the Colony. As soon as I can know that he has defraudedyou and deceived the public, I will not hesitate to give my views on thesubject, and put forth any efforts in my power for your advancement. 

There should no sectarian or party feeling be allowed to creep into yourinstitution. 

I thank you for naming me as a receiver for your Colony, and shouldanything come to me, I shall hand it over to James S. Seymour, Esq. , Cashier of the Bank of Auburn, who should have been named instead of me. Ihope you will put his name in my place, or at any rate, name him with me, for he has been from the first, much interested in your behalf. 

If you will allow me, I will briefly say, that my opinion is, your bestway to relieve your immediate wants, would be to issue a brief circular, stating the failure of your crops, your newness of settlement, &c. , &c. ;and call upon the public for help, without naming Lewis or alluding toyour difficulty with him; let your papers be properly authorized, and saythat the agent you employ is not engaged in getting funds to pay for land, found schools, &c. , but to get _immediate_ provisions for the Colony. 

If you will send an agent here and prepare your circular in this way--letit be short--and I will print it and give copies of it to him forcirculation, free of charge. 

With many prayers for the prosperity of your Colony, I am your Friend, JOHN BUDD. 

Auburn, N. Y. , May, 1833. 

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REPLY TO J. BUDD BY A. STEWARD. 

To THE REV. J. BUDD, Sir:--We feel under renewed obligation to you, for you friendly advice;but we have already sent out several copies of our circular to differentplaces, and probably some of them have been printed before this time. 

We have no object in view, but truth, justice, --the greatest good of theSettlement, and of our brethren in general. Israel Lewis has, however, collected large sums of money, for our relief, of which we have not hadthe benefit. Nearly two years ago, he was appointed agent for the Colony, to collect funds to build a meeting-house, to endow schools, &c. In lessthan one year he received more than two thousand dollars, which hesquandered; and we have neither _meeting-house_ nor _schools_, nor never_will have_, so long as the money goes into the hands of Lewis. All thatwe would have forgiven him gladly, if he would consent to be _still_ andnot _usurp_ the agency _against_ the wishes of the people. 

Sir, is it not expected that he would appear well; as you say, that "thewhole deportment and manner of Lewis, who has been in this place, evidently have impressed the people in his favor, "--while collectingmoney with the eye of the public upon him. But follow him home intoanother kingdom, and there see the man in his true character; strippedof his borrowed plumage, --and we will guarantee that you would agree withus, in believing that he _is_ an _arch hypocrite_. 

We should be sorry to prejudice the public against our Settlement, moreespecially when we are actuated by the purest motives, --that of preventingthe Christian public from being imposed upon, by drawing large sums fromthem for us, as they suppose, when in _truth_ such sums _never_ reach usat all. 

Sir, we know that you are actuated by the purest motives, but you aredeceived in the character of the man, (Lewis). When I was living inthe States and only saw him there, collecting money for the poor, Ithought him honest as you now do; but two or three years' residence inWilberforce Colony, has abundantly satisfied me that his object is toget money, that he may live in a princely style, and not for the benefitof the poor as he pretends. 

Such are the true facts in the case. We should be glad to have the name ofJames S. Seymour, Esq. , added to the list, and any other prominent citizenyou may think would help the cause. 

In regard to the investigation at Albany, we do not see how the public areto arrive at the facts in the case from any statement Lewis may make; forall his statements that I have seen in print, are positively void oftruth, in the most essential part, so that they are of little or noimportance at all unless substantiated by other testimony. 

The circular contains no testimony that has not been heretofore laidbefore the public. Mr. Benjamin Paul recently wrote a letter to theeditors of "The Baptist Register, " in which he stated that Lewis had fedand clothed the colonists like a father, which is not true; and sosensible was Paul of the fact, that when the letter reached here, togetherwith the surprise it created wherever Lewis was known, that Paulcheerfully contradicted it, confessed that he was mistaken, and thus madeit known to the public. 

We certainly have no sectional feelings in the matter, though Lewis haslabored hard to impress the public with a contrary belief; and he has evenbrought false charges of the basest kind against our more respectablecitizens, all to draw the attention of the public from the true facts inthe case. 

It is a general time of health here in the Colony. The season is veryfavorable; our crops look well, and with the blessings of God we shallraise enough to supply our wants this year. 

Yours, with due respect, In behalf of the Colonists, A. STEWARD. 

Wilberforce, June, 1833. 

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FROM A. STEWARD TO G. BANKS AND OTHERS. 

MESSRS. BANKS, WILBER, BROCKENBERG & HARRIS:

I have received a communication through your corresponding secretary, Mr. James C. Brown, and I hasten to answer it. The last communication I havereceived from Mr. N. Paul, was in December, 1833, at which time he wasvigorously prosecuting his mission, as will more fully appear by theannexed copy of said letter, which I cheerfully send you. His return isexpected daily. 

[Copy OF N. PAUL'S LETTER. ]

MY DEAR BROTHER STEWARD:

When I last addressed you, I informed you that I expected to leave thiscountry before a return letter from you could be expected. I thereforestated, if I remember correctly, that you need not write. 

I now find that I shall be detained much longer than I then calculated;and this detention is owing to the Slavery question. The friends of thecause, advised me to forego my object, until that question was settled;and then they would turn their attention to my cause, and render me whatassistance they could. 

All their united strength was needed now, while that question waspending. But thanks be to God, that is now settled. On the first day ofAugust next, will be the proudest day that ever Britain knew; for fromthat time henceforth, there will not remain a single slave throughout HisMajesty's dominions. 

The friends of the cause are now turning their attention to Slavery in theUnited States, and are about to form a society for the abolition ofSlavery throughout the world. They all think highly of our Settlement, andwill give it their cordial support. 

The leading abolitionists have given me letters of recommendationthroughout the Kingdom, and have appointed one of their most effective mento travel with me, --his name is John Scoble, a very ready, intelligent, earnest, and an eloquent speaker. I think I can do more now in one month, than I could in three before the question was settled in regard to theirown slaves. 

You will at once see that although the people concluded my object to be animportant one, yet, they generally thought that they ought to lend alltheir aid in removing the stain from their own land first This stain isnow effectually effaced, and my meetings are exceedingly crowded. Iaddressed an audience at Norwich of from three to four thousand persons, week before last, when about five hundred dollars was collected. So yousee I am getting on. I start, the Lord willing, next week for Scotland, and shall spend the winter there and in the North of England. In thespring I shall return and take passage for Canada. I doubt not, that youare anxiously looking for my return; yet, you cannot want to see me morethan I want to return; but I tell you now as I have told you before, thatI shall not return until I have done all that can be done by my labor. 

Yours, N. PAUL. 

SIRS:

The above copy will give you all the recent information we have receivedconcerning the mission of our foreign agent. 

Please accept my kindest regards, with my acknowledgments of yourdistinguished consideration, while I remain, Yours truly, AUSTIN STEWARD. 

Wilberforce, U. C. 

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FROM A. STEWARD TO MR. NELL. 

DEAR SIR:

We are glad to acknowledge your favor of October last, and to hear of yoursafe arrival in England, your health and fair prospects. 

Since my removal to Wilberforce, I have opened a school, which Mrs. Steward has engaged to teach for one year; while I shall probably devotemy time to traveling through the States, for the benefit of the Colony, which is indeed poor, and in want of some assistance; and yet, not adollar have we in the treasury to help them with. 

Mr. Paul has not returned, though we are daily expecting him. Our friendsin New York, still have confidence in his pledge to do right; and we areanxiously expecting its fulfilment. 

Your wife, Mrs. Nell, and the children are well, and we are still doingall in our power for their comfort; but my means, in consequence of havingbeen so much abroad the past season, are limited; by which you will see, my dear Sir, the necessity of remitting funds to me, that I may make yourfamily more comfortable in all things, without distressing my own. 

The settlers are well, and are looking with hopeful expectancy for you todo something handsome for them, in which I do hope they may not bedisappointed. Lewis is still in New York. We have appointed another agent, named Scott, but who is doing nothing for the Colony now. 

May the blessings of God rest upon you, and your endeavors; your gooddeportment put to silence your enemies; may they who foresee that you willcheat the poor colored children, be sadly mistaken, and your good deedsfinally enrol your name on the proud list of philanthropists, headed by aWilberforce and a Clarkson. 

Yours, in great haste, AUSTIN STEWARD. 

Wilberforce, Dec. , 1835. 

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FROM L. A. SPALDING TO A. STEWARD AND OTHERS. 

DEAR FRIENDS:

I have received a letter from Israel Lewis, New York, requesting me toforward fifty dollars to the treasurer of the Wilberforce Colony, whichI will do at the first convenience. I sent fifty dollars some time since, which I presume was received. 

I have also received a letter from B. Lundy, who speaks very flatteringlyof the Settlement; but gives me some information relating to Lewis, whichwill injure you, unless you act wisely. 

Now I suggest for your consideration, whether it would not be best to keepperfectly quiet relative to him, until after he returns and settles withthe directors. If he cannot then satisfy you, he will no doubt surrenderup his documents and agency like a man, and leave you to appoint another. 

By all means you must agree among yourselves, not suffering any differenceof opinion to become public. Your enemies will seize upon this, and injureyour prospects; besides, you gain nothing by it. Your friends too, couldthen say that you acted imprudently. I hope to have a good account of thesettlement of your difficulties if any should exist. 

Respectfully your Friend, LYMAN A. SPALDING. 

AUSTIN STEWARD & BENJ. PAUL. 

Lockport, N. Y. , 2d Mo. , 4th, 1832. 

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FROM REV. S. E. CORNISH TO A. STEWARD. 

DEAR STEWARD:

I have this day received your letter, and God willing, I will be with youin the course of ten or twelve days. Please to keep your people together, until I come. I will see that they be not oppressed by that notoriousIsrael Lewis. I believe him to be one of the worst men living, whose deedswill yet come to light. Do stay in the Colony and keep all things as theyare until I come. 

Yours, with high esteem, SAMUEL E. CORNISH. 

P. S. --I am glad that Mrs. Steward is in Rochester; your Colony is by nomeans suited to her talents and refined mind. She never could be happythere. My love to all the Colonists; I will do every thing for them in mypower. S. E. C. 

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FROM B. LUNDY TO A. STEWARD AND OTHERS. 

ESTEEMED FRIENDS:

Again I take this method of communicating some private information to mypersonal friends, relative to my proceedings in Mexico. My last visit tothat country, (like the one preceding), having been prolonged far beyondthe time which I had anticipated, I feel it incumbent on me to explain thecauses thereof especially to such as take an interest in the enterprize inwhich I have engaged, and those who have kindly assisted me with, means todefray the expenses of my journey, &c. 

Soon after the date of my last printed letter, which was issued from thisplace, I went to New Orleans, with the intention of taking a passage bysea, to some port in Mexico; but after waiting in that city about twoweeks, and finding no opportunity to obtain one, I proceeded up the RedRiver, and journeyed through Texas again by land. My health continued verygood for some length of time; but when I reached the middle part of theTexas country, it was my misfortune to come again in contact with thedireful "cholera, " and again I was the subject of its virulent attacks. Mydetention was great, and affliction severe; though I finally expelled thedisorder as I had done before. My sufferings were somewhat aggravated inseveral instances, by the fearful prejudices of the people among whom Itraveled. I was very anxious to get through my journey, and often assayedto travel before I was in fact well enough. The consequence was, that Ifrequently took relapses, and sometimes had to lie out under trees, evenin time of rain, within sight of houses, the people being unwilling togive me shelter therein, fearing that my disorder was contagious. 

At length I reached the Mexican town of San Antonio de Bexar, and there Itarried, until I had got pretty well rid of the cholera. I then pursued myjourney to Monclova, the seat of government for the State of Coahuila andTexas, in company with several Mexican gentlemen and foreigners. Previousto this time, I had traveled several hundred miles entirely alone, andgenerally encamped in the woods or plains at night. On my arrival atMonclova, I was doomed to encounter "misfortune" of a very differentcharacter. Here I found that the Englishman, (mentioned in my otherletter), with whom I had contracted to petition for two grants of land, _had totally failed in his application_. The petition had been laid beforethe Governor, and he was about issuing the grants, when he received a_decree_ from the Legislature--which was then in session--forbidding himto grant any more land, under any pretext. This measure was taken toprevent the great land speculators from carrying on their swindlingoperations in Texas. An act was soon after passed by that body, repealingall their Colonization laws; and thus every hope that I had so fondlyentertained, and each fair prospect, seemingly so near its realization, _was instantly blasted and utterly destroyed_! If ever the fortitudeof man was tried, mine was then. If ever stoic philosophy might besuccessfully called to the aid of human courage, I felt the necessityof invoking it upon that occasion. Nearly two years of toil, privation andperil, have been wasted. My sufferings had been great, though my spiritsoared on the bouyancy of hope. Now the fair superstructure of animportant enterprise, whose ideal magnitude had employed my mind, to theexclusion of many hardships endured, suddenly vanished from my sight, andleft before me a hideous and gloomy void with no other encouragement thantotal disappointment, conscious poverty and remediless despair! What_should_ I then have done? My health was restored, but my detention andconsequent expenses had been so great that my funds were nearly exhausted. I came to the country for an important purpose; and I reasoned withmyself thus; although my way is closed in this State, cannot something bedone _elsewhere_? I will not boast of the stoutest heart among men, butmine _must not quail_. Something further _must_ be done if possible, andI will try. 

In the course of my travels, I had seen a part of the adjoining State ofTamaulipas, and had been informed that the colonization laws thereof wereliberal. I was even aware that some parts of it are more suitable for theculture of the sugar cane, than any tract I could have obtained inCoahuila and Texas. And upon a little reflection, I determined to makefurther investigations in Tamaulipas, and had been informed of the State. As soon as my horse was a little rested, I set out, _alone_, on a journeyof between four and five hundred miles, part of the way through an awfullymountainous region, and much of it an uninhabited wilderness. I encampedout almost every night, during the whole journey; very seldom near anyhuman habitation. I had no fire-arms nor anything to defend myselfagainst the ferocious beasts of the forest, which I had evidence toconvince me were frequently numerous, and not far distant. In two weeks Ireached the city of Matamoras, in the State of Tamaulipas, quite destituteof funds, after parting with almost every disposable article belonging tomy wardrobe, &c. The people of this place being all perfect strangers tome, I did not for a while unfold to them the real object of my visit; butinstead thereof, I opened a shop, and commenced working at my old trade--the saddling business. I soon got as much work as I could do--supportedmyself, replenished my pocket, made some acquaintance with a number ofpeople, and obtained more information respecting the Colonization laws ofthe State. A few weeks elapsed, while I was employed in this way. I thenmounted my horse again, and proceeded to the capital of the State; andafter negotiating for some time with the Governor and Council of theState, I succeeded in obtaining a grant of land, upon advantageous terms. I then performed another journey of almost two hundred and fifty miles, "alone, " to Matamoras again; and soon thereafter embarked for the UnitedStates. 

My friends will thus perceive that I have not been idle; though much timehas been occupied in my last expedition. I shall not attempt to excitetheir sympathy by exhibiting the twentieth part of what I have suffered. Ido not even like to look back upon some of the scenes through which I havepassed. But thanks to a kind and all-sustaining Providence, completesuccess has at last crowned my exertions. I strove hard to command it; andI leave it to others to say whether I have _deserved_ it or not. 

The terms upon which I have obtained my grant of land will be noticed in apublic address, which I shall forward with this letter. 

Since my arrival in this place, I have been confined by sickness; but amnow convalescent, and shall visit my friends to the eastward, as soon ascircumstances will permit. I cannot close this communication without anexpression of my sincere thanks to those kind friends who rendered meassistance in defraying the expenses of my last Mexican tour. Their favorswill be most gratefully remembered, and I shall feel myself underadditional obligations to labor for the melioration of the condition ofthe poor and suffering _slave_. 

In the next number of the "Genius of Universal Emancipation, " I shallinsert the names of those who contributed to aid me in the prosecution ofmy enterprise; and correct information relative to all proceedingstherein, will be given in the pages of that work, as the businessconnected with it progresses. 

I am, most respectfully, your Friend, B. LUNDY. 

N. & B. PAUL, AUSTIN STEWARD, REV. J. SHARP. 

Nashville, 5th Mo. , 1835. 

THE END.