Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-03-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
From The True Wesleyan.
THE FUGITIVE

1t was night The sun had Withdrawn his
scorchng beams from the sgh-burdcned planta-
| ton, and the toil-worn slave had been released
from the Iabors of long and sultry day, and some
two or three hours bad elapsed since the evening
Zephyrs and falling dew came to the relief of their
painting breasts. The unfeIing driver had gone to
his repose, or to his rOtng and darkness mantled
the surrounding country, and covered alike the
abode Of the slave-oWner, and the cottages where
slumbered the wrcched hjects ofhis oppression.
| n general silence reigned,-SaV now and then
groan from such as were too hcart-broken to for
| get their orr0ws in sleep, and occasional stir
oi'some one of the blood-hounds, as one after an
other would start up and snuff the breeze that now
and then sighed over the land of oppression. 1t
was clear, and the North Star shone with unusual
gbness Amid the throbbng hearts and sleep
less heads on the plantation Of which we speak,
was Ben, slave, whose more intelligent mind and
finer sensibilites caused him to feel more keeny
the cravings of the chains that held him in hope
! less servltudc
| Ben had been brought up in Virginia, on of
the tobacco plantations, where he resided until he
was twenty-three, without ever realizing the more
feafu rgor Of slavery, as it exists amid the deep
er darker horrors of the sugar plantation, the cot
ton field and the rice swamp. He had a wife and
one chd,-a woman he called his wife, for slaves
have no wives, or husbands, or children, in law,
which they can call their own, and while he remain
ed in the ncighborhood where he was born, and
toed in the tobacco field, in sight of the little hills
he had been wont to look upon fromhis childhood,
aAd return each night from the unrequited labors
Of the day. to minglc his few joys and his sorrows
with kindred emotions that responded in the bO-
som of his wife, and told in his weary arms the
little pledge of their love, he was not the most I'M
happy being in the world; for though slavery in its
mildest form is bitter pill, it was not so bad as it
might have been. But there was a eaful change
! hoy, NM, ~ pI yytbi In NOT
until it was too late to avert its calamity.
There was a slave SPECTATOR in the neighbour
hood, from Alabama, buying up drove Of huma)
cattle for market, and some alarm was felt among
the slaves; but Ben thought himself secure, as he
supposed himself favorite of his MASTER and had
no idea he would part with him for any price. In
this Ben was rght-had the circumstances Of the
tobacco grower allowed him to have been govern
ed by his own incnatons; but he was untortu-
nately involved, and had no means of meeting a
pressing demand against him, but by the sale OF
some Of his slaves, and he must sell such as the
purchaser would by, and it so happened that the
hero of our story was the only one that the soul
driver was willing to purchase at anything like
what the owner thought fair price. These ne
gotiatons, however, were all kept secret from
Ben, until matters were all settled, when it burst
upon him like storm!
As he returned from work one night, just as the
shadows of twilight were collecting around the
neighboring hills and obScuring the prospects OF
the surrounding country, he had no sooner entere'
his humble dwelling than ne was selzeu ana manu-
cu1ed, and driven away to a nel9hborIhs Jau' INC
explanation was necessary, the truth Hashea upoi
his mind with all Its horrors; ne was soIu'-So,'
from his wife and little one, Whom ne so lenoerI!
loved With him it was a sleepeso night; and /
would be vain to attempt to describe the anguish
of the poor wife and mother. But it was witt
both untold anguish; for slaves have no listening
ear Of law and public redress into which to pou
= their sorrows, and tell their wrongs when injured
1t was but few days before tie requisite mum
Der was made out, and Ben with the rest wcr
marshacd and chained together, and under wa
for the State of Alabama. Now, Mr.. -, VIII
thus sold Ben, was, after all, humane being, am
had sold Ben from necessity, as an execution wa
already levied upon him, and the best he could d
was to dispose Of him at private sale, and rails
the money to satisfy the execution, which he did
These facts, his generous heart prompted him t
communicate to the poor slave, as Justification O
his conduct. Another mark Of his kindness wa
seen in allowing the wife of poor Ben to visit hir
to take final farcwe on the morning of his de
parturc. The scene can he better imagined tina
expressed, and we can give ONLY an outline, as re
lated to us hy Ben himself onr afterwards.
1t was known when the whole comuany was +
leave. and at an early hour. Betty, the wife q
Ben. was lurlinr obout the iii awaiting the hon
when he should be brought out, that She might Sc
and embrace him for the last time And as tn
sun rose, and persons began to stir, she woul
have been arrested, had it not been that she had
rs written permit from her master, stating the obie(
of her visit. This, however, did not secure he