Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-07-17
F5es the Cincinnati Morning Herald.
MORALITY OF AIDING SLAVES TO Es-
CAPE.

Liberty Convention for the South and IcSL
hc}d at Cincinnati, jane H. 1916.
The subject Of aiding fugitive slaves to escape
from bondage, having occasoned (as all such sub
Jetts must) some deep feeling in the convention,
offended with some slight discrepancy of opln,
ion between the Kentucky delegates and Others;
when it was happily disposed Of Mr. Codding,
of Illinois, being called upon, came forward and
addressed the meeting nearly as follows:
Mr.. President--I understand that there is
now no question before the house. yet feel I'M
PEELED to detain the attention of the audience a
little longer upon the subject just now disposed
Of, viz: the aiding of escaping slaves.
know that the subject is delicate and diff
cult dare not myself say that all possible aid
ing Of fugitives is right and yet it well known
that we are doing very fair business in Illinois,
under the name of The Underground Railroad
Our company is doing toerably fair carry
ing trade; our custom is constantly increasing,
and we are every way pleaced with our pros
poets.
Yet it is question which we are compelled
to meet We know that fngltiycs are aided;
and that aiding them clashes at thousand points
with the interests, the prejudlces, and angry
feelings ofmen. We are accused Of 'decoyng
and exciting negroes to escape'-or Of Stealing
negroes-of helping them to run away----of even
justifying their stealing horses, and boat-steaI-
ing, in order to get away. These arc among thcI
charges preferred against us by the "Neo YORK;
Observer" and other like prints.
Now, Sir, to put this subject before an audi
ence in its true light, have sometimes ayailed
myself of an illustration of which all must ac-
knowledge the Justice, seeing that it is but apply
ing the principle which Christ has taught us, of
judging what is right in the case Of our neigh
Dor, by making it our own.
have sometimes asked an Illinois audience
to suppose that some ofus (no impossible or UNI
common CASEY had gone out beyond the Missis-
sippi for hunting excursion, and a neighbor Of
ours was taken captive by wandering troop of
Indians, and kept by them in slavery. None
can pretend that Indian slavery is worse to bear
than Ango-Saxon slavery. 1t is not SO bad.
The Indian has not learned the desire of max
ing money as the Anglo. American has. He is
nearly on an equality with his slave, and as Mr..
OIuulH9S Ids SllOWlI3 tlC llud HtSlON0 NOulu
fight and die for the privilege of being slaves to
Indians, accounting it liberty, compared with
bondage to the whites!
Well, sir, orr neighbor is taken captive by In
dians, and we return in de lection, after unaya-
ing search, giving him up for lost. Now, one
day am out in the forest beyond, after the lapse
of months, musing as Co. what if | should
possibly happen to fall upon our lost neighbor?
and, Just correcting this vagrant fancy by a So
Der second thought, | mpossible! -
yes, through the dim brushwood by the upcurl-
ing smoke the figure of a man! our neighbor,
left by his capors to watch their fires and prepare
their food In a moment am at lis side but
he is a Stare, spirit broken--subdued.
"Hist," he says, "don't for Gods sake speak
above your breath. The tribe will soon be in.
They may now lurk within hearing"
"But, says I, "don't ye want to see Mary and
the children?" THAT'S his wife and two daugh-
tiers at home. )-"Why mar" says l, "don't ye
want to see Mary and the babes?"
ooh, ohn' says he, "don't name it"
''But l will, though. Say man, will you see
your wife and children or not"
He looks up and sees there is meaning in my
eye. "Now," says I, pointing to yonder grove,
"Go There's as fleet horse as was ever back
ed Be OFF, Much emotion in the house
And as the saying is, he PUT. Laughter &
emotion. In less than five minutes you see that
horse, with our neighbor on his back, dashing---
rather flying, through brush wood and thcket,
like a creature with wings
The house, which was crowded to Jam with
people of various sentiments on the slave, ques-
ton, here broke out into murmur, OF rather an
uproar of delight at the mans escape. As soon
as it was little stlIed, Mr.. Codding cried out
with an affected sneer;
''Teach negro-stealng will ye?" An uproar
of laughter followed which lasted some time
Well, continued Mr., G., the noble beast bears
him at the top of his speed to the banks of the
Mississippi, but there is no ferry. And he hears
the cry of the blood hounds and the yel!s of his
pursuers and owners on his track. What SHOULD
he do? He motions the animal onward, and he
plunges into the broad bold stream; he reaches
the opposite shore----drops down under the MAJ
he had ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS his limbs in agony
eulogy upon the horse A voice: he deserves
1t,
But our ncghbor, knowing that though in
free State, he is not safe from his pursuers, anc
strong with the thoughts of his wife and children
leaves the noble BRUTE and tries his own spec
at running But weary and out of breath, h
lights upon number Of fine horses on the pra
ries, one of which, as fsent by Providence t
his aid,trots gently up to him and lays his chez
upon the fugltive's shoulder What shall he dc
Shall he back him?
No one says yes; yet every one in the hous
joined in an involuntary murmur at the though
of what hunted man ought, in such case t
do for life and liberty, wife and child. Mr. Coz
ding answered the emotion fthe house as b,
fore, by ringing out the New York Observer
objection to aboltionists
"Tcach horsc-stealing wW gel" TUproaror