The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-10-12
AN INCIDENT.


The Africans now in Jail at Hartford are
very far indeed from exhibiting the stolidity
and lack of intelligence so generally charac-
teristc of the Southern negro. On the con-
trary they are. almost without exception,
quick in their movements, animated i'll con-
Versaiion, and, so far as can be Judged by
those who do no; understand their language,
they have inlellects quite as acute as those
OF our Indians, or of any unclViized peo-
pie. A little circumstance occurred on FRI
pay last, which afforded good illustration
OF their PrOmptitude in jumping at con-
clusion."
Mr.. Gallaudet, the we'll known instruct
or OF deaf mutes, has passed some hours
every day ia Jail, conyersing with the Afri-
cans by signs, and endeavOring to make up
a vocabulary of fther language. We may
here observe, by the way, that he finds 1T
tie difficulty in communicating with them.
using tho signs employed in cOnversing
with deaf.nutes--lhat is. the sigus relating
TO visible and tangaSle objects; tho conven-
tional signs, representing letters and words.
are Of course beyond their comprehen-
salon His object on Friday was to ascer-
tain whether they had any distinct idea of a
Supreme Being, as the judge and rew.rder
or punisher O(human actions. To this end
he began by directing their attention to va
rious natural Objects-an elephant-the
sun-the moon--slars--the wind, rain, &c.
When hefound that they perfectly under
stood hn,he asked !hem,by signs, wehther
they knew OF eny thing higher then the suu
moon, stars, &c. (; and several of them an.
swered in succession that they did-tha
Gocly was ABOVE all these ihings. By
farther questioning Mr.. Gallaudet satisfied
himself that Cody was the name for God
? and then he proceeded to inquire whethe
they believed lhsg Cody would punish i'm
. proper actions. He made sigas represen
Iiug the act Of stesllng-that OF striking, AM
other wrongful doings and asked if Cool,
> would whip or punish, for such things
This also several of the negroes aLswere
's in the affirmative clearly showing, all tn
g lime, by their intelligent looks, and thei
g close attention TO his motions, thatthey No
Is only understood but were much intereste
'e in his proeeedi gs.
&c At length, however, Mr.. Gallaudet, sli
10 rising in his scale of inquiries. conveye
to them the idea ol murder by cutting th
'g threat, and asked if Cody would whip f
's this also. But the moment the negro,
AZ caught his meaning they cast down the
10 ewes and were silent; nor could he Undue
y one Of them 10 resume the conversation.
a. indeed 10 hold any further communicate
IN with him. 1t occurred to him immediale
70 that a suspicion had entered their minds
~ his being an enissary of their Spanish ma
ne teIs, and that he was seeking TO entr;
them into some confession Of what 10,
lis pace on board the Amistad.
us Fortunately. just at this time the inte
ig' prefer Ferry came in. ann at Mr.. Gala
det's request explained to them that he W
their friend, and entertained against the
H., no such hostile design as they suspected
as and the good effect of this was quick
in made apparent by their coming up in 81
ent cession TO shake hands with Mr. Galsud
ing and then very readily resuming in the CO
FersaiiOn.-C Commercial ,4dvetiser.