Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-05-05
PLAN FOR THE LIBERATION OF
SLAVES.


effected in pursuance Of a regular plan, simple
and definite in lis details, and as applicable 10
any other case ms to his; aud it would seem to
be free from serious objections from any quar-
ter. The following is the narration as given
by hmsel(--N. Y. Tribune.
"Feeng the necessity Of keeping the Sab
bath holy, he would not allow his slaves TO
work on that day. Experience, however, soon
convinced him that men who toied six days
for their master needed many things which he
could not give Them. TO enable them tn do
this, he allowed them half of Saturday, that is
from mid day until night to work for them
selves.
"Seeing the amount of money the slaves ac-
cumulatcd in this wav, he was led to calculate
how long it would take them TO purchase the
remaining five and half days. The result
proved that it could be done in IA or | D years,
and he determined to make the experiment.
For this end he called his slaves together and
explained to them his pan and said, with their
assent he would carry it ont. They assenteG,
this was in 1895, and he made them the follow
ing explanation:
"The one half of Saturday being already
your own, Gin consequence of my agreement
with YOU that no lab " shall he done on the
Sabbath day,) vour first object will be 10 gam
a sufficient sum of money To purchase the 9th
er half of Saturday, which is the one eleventh
master, aud of consequence, the one eleventh
part of the value your master has put upon
YOU, and which YOU have to pay him Tor your
freedom. This potly you will be the most
difficult part of your undertaking, and take The
longest time t. accomplish; and is to be effect
ed by laboring for me on Saturday afternoons
and leaving the amount of your labor in my
hands to be husbanded up for you By fore
going every thing yourselves and drawing as
l,tfla ,ln ant fn hands | pal-
cuate you will be able to accomplish it IN about
seven years. That once accomplished, and
one whole day out of six Your own, you will
90 on more easily and rapidly; indeed, that
once effected, your success is certain; proceed
ing then on your good work, you will be en-
abed easily, by your earnings on one entire
day in each week to effect the purchase of an
other day of your time, in about four years.
Now master and owner of two days in each
week YOU will be able in two more years to
purchase another day, 81 that three days, or
one half of your time, will be your own; in
one and half years more YOU will be able to
purchase another day, making four days your
own; in one more, another, or the fifth day; |
and in six months, the last day, or the whole
of your time will be your own"
The results of the experiments were these;
in less than six years the first half day was
gained and paid for BY them; in about four
years the next second day of the week was
paid for and their own; in about two and
quarter wears the third: in fifteen months the
fourth in year the fifth, and in about six |
months the last or sixth day became their own
and completed their purchase, eflecing their |
freedom in about fourteen and half years.
IL could have been sooner done, but toward |
the last they drew more money. After this |
il took them nearly five months TO nav the
balance due on their children, added to what
the vouths-bnvs and girls-bod earned IN
the morning of the 9lh o! June 542 they all
sailed for Liberia.
some may eXclaim-"Why this round about
way ol giving hall Saturday, keeping accounts /
DC. Fit is all unnecessary, and this working /
TO gam time is an Illusion The whole of the
time oil the slave belongs to, and is the time
oil the master, who can compel the labor with |
out freeing the slave" Mr.. Med. very much |
to the point, replies, that by presenting some end
an object OF desire and hope to the slave, You
make HIM new man, rouse his moral nature, &, |
develope, as YOU no otherwise can, his energies. |
lie prefers this mode To that of promising free
dom at the end Of fifteen years, because ia This |
way his freedom would appear the gift of his |
master, who might repent of and retract Gas |
The slave would lea) his promise; while in
that the slave would have gained it-have |
purchased and paid his master for it. Hope is |
kept alive in his bosom: he has a good in view
continually urging him to fidelity, truth, in |
duStry, economy, and every virtue and good |
work Mr.. McD. calculated 'that their labor
would be given with all the energy of heart,
soul and physical powers that they would in
consequence accomplish more labor in given
time than the same number Of persons would
IN Ordinary circumstances; and lha, in addition, |
they would labor some Two, three or four hours
more of the twenty four than other slaves
were in the habit of doing or would do;" and |
ne says
"From the day on which made the agree
ment with them, Notwithstanding they had,