The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-12-26
103

name he stands indicted here for steai,
ing a horse and sleigh. His counsel
had previously got another theft oil d
horse and gig settled by arbitration
Why am | thus minute! II Is that
none of my friends may ever, from any
upexp!ained items, deem mo guilty ofthe
STUPID folly of putting myself 10 the pow,
er CT this man, by any such confession
as he falsely swore 10.
He also speaks OF Paterson's negroes.
Such a man came to the window one
day and charged me with aiding some OF
his slaves to escape. This Hatch knew,
Peterson saw Hatch before the trial.
But was not within 450 miles OF Mary
land (being in Western New ork)when
Patterson's first slave left, according to
his advertisement IN the Sun. Indeed, /
thi nix on that very day was in thehouse
of Henry Bradley, OF Penn Yam, Yates
c.unty. He had another run of last
spring or winter when | was in Philadel-
phia. When came to Baltimore, April
18th or 18th, his advertisements for her
were still in the prints But | never saw
her or any Of the others.
Do you want to know how / feel TO.
wards these perjured beings and others,
to whom owe my Imprisonment! re-
ply, feel kindly. forgivlngly. Some of
Them | deeply commiserate for their aw-
full guilt before God. ] cannot he p pity
ing poor Hatch, very much. trled,by
several hints to give him warning OF what
an exposure awaited him; but it only
seemed to make him more brazen in
crime Who but must pity such man!
Could | be freed to night, by taking up
on my soul one 1.-THE OF his guilt and Iu
ture remorse, [ would not do it; no, not
for more than all life itself ever had or
could have to induce me. And 80 fee!
towards young Heckrolte and those Rig
dons. The latter, professional slave
catchers by occupation, belong to the
most DEGRADED class of southern society.
You have no corresponding class in the
North only here and there individuals,
who might rank with these border blood
hounds and with what Writ 50 Justly !
called the feculum ofthe CREATION viz,
plantation overseers.
No, thank God! freedom has no use, |
no occupations to call into existence,
of such beings, within her domains. -
May Maryland soon cease to have such
creatures within her borders. Slavery
done away, this would soon become a
glorious State; though, no doubt, gen
GRAFTON would pass away before the
dreadful! social immoraties that follow
in the train of slavery would disappear.
Do you ask, Have you any thing to
regret in what you have done, whether
for individual slaves or the cause of(ree.
dom? No, from the bottom of my heart,
NO! According to the light given me,
and the degree of physical and mental
power possessed, have labored faith
fully, and as wisely as knew how. III
others have been wiser, it is because
God made them so. lfthey have done
more, it is because he gave them high
er powers AID ampler opportunities for
action
On another topic l wish to say few
words, This wretcbed Hatch, among
other fctions, coined pretended threats
against the lives ofHeckrotte and the
keepers, &c. Those who have known
my life and opinions and actions from in
fancy, will readily class this with the
six 6.barrelIed pistols story, which ap-
peared in Philadelphia paper, am
told, after my attempt to escape. was
thinking Of it yesterday, as a singular
fact, that one with so large an organ of
combativeness as possess, and as en-
Enthusiastically as loved the driest details
of military science, from my earliest re-
memberance till | was twenty years old
may, do think such books far more a.
musng than novelsD-l say, that in all
my life, | never had quarrel with any
one. No one, | believe. ever suspect
ed me Of any want Of physical or moral
courage, to do any act whatever, dan
gerous or not. Yet soemny declare,
that from infancy to this hour, l never
raised my hand or finger, or used any
weapon or instrument whatever, in vio-
lence against any human being! unless
the correction of my children and pupils
in school be so deemed, am of Solo
mons creed on those topicsD | never
even threatened violence to any one
In my boyhood, avoided the rude sports
Of my pIayma,es. In one instance only
in my life, did | ever wrestle with any
one. That was with my friend and
school,felow, good abo!nionist, VIM.
P. Briggs, of Scituatc. Has he forgot
ten the wrestling bout in the ploughed
field, in the young orchard north fins
fathers house, at Sctuate, or how he
whipped me' Happy boys were we then;
little dreaming Of the future that might
await us; what opinions of morals, poll.
tics, rells ion, we should cherish; what
labors and tolls for ourselves or others
we should perform or endure; what our