Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-02-03

the tears gushing from their eyes, and they raised
their neat cotton aprons, and wiped their faces I'M
der the cutting anguish of severed affections. They
too, were mothers and sisters, weeping at the the
departure of their and brothers; and there,
too, were fathers, taking the last look of their
wives and children. My whole attention was di-
rected to those on the shore, and they seemed to
stand in solemn submissive silence, occasionally
giving utterance to the intensity Of their feelings,
by a sigh, or stifed groan. As the boat was
loosed from her moorings, they cast distressed,
lingering look towards those on board, and turned
away in silence My eye now turned to those in
the boat; although had tried to control my feel
ings, amids my sympathles for those on shore, |
could conceal them no longer, aud found myself
literally "weeping with those that weep" stood
near them, and when one of the husbands saw his
wife upon the shore waive her hand for the last
time, in token of her affection, his manly efforts to
restrain his feelings, gave way, and fixing his wa
terry eyes, exclaimed, " This is the most distress
sing thing Of all My dear wife and children,
farewell! The husband of the other wife stood
weeping in silence, with his manacIed hands raised
-
sOfthe poor women on board, three of them had
husbands whom they left behind. One of the
third had none. These husbands and fathers were
among the throng on the shore, witnessing the de-
parture of their wives and children; and as they
cook their leave of them they were sitting together
upon the floor of the boat sobbing in silence, but
giving utterance to no complaint But the dis
tressing scene was not yet ended. Sailing down
the Cape Fear river twenty-five miles, we touch
ed at the little village of Smithport, on the south
side of the river. 1t was at this place that of
the slaves lived, and here was his wife and five
children; and while at work on Monday last, his
purchaser took him away from his family, carried
him in chains to Wilmington, where he has since
remained in Jail. As we approached the wharf,
flood of tears gushcd from his eyes, and anguish
seemed to have pierced his heart The boat stop
ped but for moment, and as she left he bid fare
we'll to some of his acquaintance whom he saw
upon the shore, cxcIaming, Boys, | wish you
we'll; tell Molly (meanng his wife) and the chill
dren, wish them well, and hope God will bless
them" At that moment he espied his wife on a
stoOp of house some rods from the shore, and
with one hand which was not in the hand-cuhs he
pulled off his old hat, and waving it towards her
exclaimed " Farewell" AS he saw, by the waiv-
ing of her apron, that she recognized him, he lean
ed back upon the railing and in falterng voice
repeated, " Farewell, forever" After moments
silence, conflicting passions seemed to tear open
his heart, and he exclaimed, " What have done
that should suffer this doom? y, my wife and
children, want to live no longer!'' and then the
big tear rolled down his cheek which the wiped
away with the palm of his unclaimed hand, look
ed once more at the mother of his five children,
and the turning ofthe boat hid her face from him
forever. As looked around, saw that mine was
not the only heart that had been affected by the
scene, but that the tears standing in the eyes OF
many my fellow passengers, bore testimony to
the influence of human sympathy; and | could, as
an American citizen, standing within the limits OF
the old thirteen States, but repeat the language OF
Mr.. Jefferson, in relation to the general subject
81 tremble when think that God is just" After
we left Southport, | converscd freely with all
these persons; and in intelligence and respectable
ity of appearance, the three men who have thus
been torn from their families, would compare ia
vorably with the respectable portion ofour color
ed men at the north This is specimen of what
almost daily occurs in the business of the slave
trade.