Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-08-14
ATnRILLING INCIDENT.

SO long as individual Christians can be.found,
and even ecclesiastical assemblies, who doubt
whether slavery is sinful, it may be profitable to
keep before the people such incidents as the fol-
lowing:
"A cclorcd man by the name of Macintosh,
employed as boatman upon the Mississippi,
himself free, had wife in bondage at St. Louis.
She was cruelty treated as most slaves are, On
visit to his wife, learning what she suffered,
prompted by the best of motives he ventured to
60 to her master and demonstrate with him on
the treatment of his wife. The STAKEHOLDER I'M
dertook to chastse him on the spot, in true over
seer style. Macintosh defended himself, as
who would not The STAKEHOLDER called to his
aid constabes, who undertook to arrest this free
enan, guilty of no crime, but that of mourning
danger for his own wife,, lie resisted, and in
the scufls that ensued one of the constabes
was killed. Macintosh was bound, dragged
away to prison, and locked up in a fclons cell.
At the dead of night, the enraged popunce, with
iron bars, sledges and picks, repaired to the
prison and commenced moving the walls. Stone
after stone was loosened from its bed, while the
IuDDiC, Will HDIIlu OdllS anu lulplGOd-
tions, mutterek revenge; and with the zeal
Of devils incarnate urged on their heliish work
When at length they got sight Of their victim, a
savage yell rent the air, such as would do honor
to the internal pit. Macintosh was seized ant
dragged from out the enclosures of the law, and
thence taken out Of the precincts of the city
A stake was erected, the victim was made fas
to it, apple of faggots was laid around, the infu.
rated mob, eager to slut their vengeance in thc
blood of an innocent man, formed circle, and
atorch was applied.
Can the history Of Paganism present blackel
scene? Those scenes of savage barbarity thu
recital Of which has so often made our youthful
blood run cold, are innocent recrestions compar
ed with this cold blooded murder perpetrated b.
the hands Of nominal Christians, in a land 0
liberty and law While wrthng in the mids
of the flames, and struggling in the agonieS 0
death, his murderers were making the welkil
ring with obscene jests and blasphemouS oaths
Should the Missionary Herald report such
scene from heather shores, what sensation
would have been produced! How many heart
would swell with indignation against tho savag
perpetrators, and what an impulse would be Civ
en- to Christian zeal in all the churches, to sen,
those bsnighted the gospel of peace But whel
perpetraed by our own citizens, within the juris
diction of our own humane laws, in Christian
city, and within the halIowed precincts of Chris
tian churches what effect does itproduce1 Onl
one editor of the bloody city, dared mention tn
fact in tone of condemnation; and he paid tn
forfeit Of his penalty with his life
The next day, the Rev. Mr.. Lovejoy VIII
was publishing religious paper in ST, Louis
hearing of the diSgraceful scene, walked out t
see the spot He there found, among others,
large collection Of boys, amusing themselves b
throwing stones at the skull of the murdere
Macintosh? Overwhelmed with sorrow an
Indignation, he returned to his study, and penn
ed description of the whole transaction, whic
being published kindled another fame that wa
quenched only by the murder Of Lovejoy hin
self