The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-12-26

Isigh, or stifed groan. As the boat was
Embossed from her moorings, they cast a
distressed; lingering look towards those
On board, and turned away in silence.
4 My eye now turned to those in the boat;
and although had tried 10 conlrdl my
feelings, amidst my sympathies for those
on shore, / could conceal them no longer,
and | lound mysel t literally weeping with
those that weep" stood near them; and
when one of the husbands saw his wife
on the shore wave her hand for the last
time, in token of her affection, his manly
efforts to restrain his feelings gave way,
and fixing his watery eyes upon her. he
exclaimed, "This is The most distressing
scene of all My dear wife and children,
farewell - The husband of the other
wife stood weeping in silence, with his
manacled hands raised 10 his face, as he
looked upon her for the last time.-Ofthe
poor women on board, three of them had
husbands, whom they left behnd.-One
OF them had three children, another had
two, and the third none. These husbands
and fathers were amidst the throng on the
shore, Witnessing The departure of their
wives and children, and as they took their
leave of them they were sitting together
upon the floor OF the boat sobbing in ST.
Ience, but giving uterance to no com.
plant. But the distressing scene was not
vet ended.
Sailing down the Cape Fear river
twenty-five miles, we touched at the little
village of Smilhporl, on the south side of
the river. 1t was a! this place tina: one 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, and carried him in chains
to Wilmington, where he has since remain
ed in Jail. As we approached the wharf,
food of tears gushed from his eyes, and
anguish seemed 10 have pierced his heart:
The boat stopped but for moment, and
as she left, he bid farewell 10 some of his
acquaintance upon the shore, exclaiming,
Boys, wish you well; tell Molly (mean-
ing his wife) and the children l wish them
well, and hope God will bless them" AT
that moment he espied his wife on the
sloop Of a house some rods from the shore,
and with one hand which was not in the
handouts, he pulled off his old hat, and
waving it towards her, exclaimed, Fare
we'll" AS he saw by the waving OF her
apron, that she recognized him he leaned
back upon the railing, and in a faIterlng
voice repeated. Farewell forever" Az
Ter moments silence, conflicting passions
seemed 10 tear his heart, and he exclaimed,
" What have done that should deserve
this doom? Oh, my wife and children. ]
want 10 live no longer Z" and when the
big tear rolled down his cheek, which he
wiped away with the palm of his unchain.
ed hand he looked once more at the mos
Their of his five children, and the turning
OF the boat hid her face from him lorev'
err.
As | looked around, l saw that mine
was not the only heart that had been af-
feced by the scene, but that the tears
standing in the eyes Of many of my fellow
passengers, bore testimony TO the infu'
ence of human sympathy and l could as
an American cllzen, standing within The
limits Of one OF the old thirteen States. but
repeat The language of Mr., Jefferson in re-
Iaton to the general subject, :" tremb'e
when / think that God is just" After
we left Smithport, lconversed freely with
all these persons; and in intelligence, and
responsibility of appearance, the three
men who have thus been torn from their
families, would compare iavorabIy with
The respectable portion ofthe colored men
at the North. This is specimen of what
almost daily occurs in the business OF the
slave trade.
Yours, in the bonds Of The Gospel
| A. c.