Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-04-24

have only this coarse rag to cover my aching
shoulders !" He kicked the garment scorn-
fully, and added, "Down on your knees, If
we like, and thank them that ye are not fog
ged and shot. or me they'll learn another
lesson!"
MIR. Duncan recognized in the speaker the
reputed son of one of his friends, lately de-
ceased one of that numerous class, which
southern vice is thoughtlessly raising up TO
be its future scourge and terror.
The high bold forehead, and flashing eye,
indicated an intellect too active and daring
for servitude; while his fluent speech and APP
propriate language, betrayed the fact that his
highly educated parent, from some remains
of instructive feeling, had kept him near his
W person., during his lifetime, and thus
formed his conversation on another model
than the rude iargon Of slaves.
His poor, ignorant listeners stood SPELL
bound by the magic Of superior mind and at
first it seemed as if he might carry the whole
meeting in favor of his views. But the aged
man, leaning on his oaken staff, still mildly
spoke Of the meek and blessed Jesus; and the
docility of African temperament responded to
his gentle words.
Then rose a man of middle age, short of
stature, with a quick, roguish eye, and a spir-
it of knowing drollery lurking about his
mouth. Rubbing his head in uncouth FASH
ion, he began. 81 don't know how TO speak
like Bob for l never had no chance. He
says the Devil made white men our masters.
Now, dat's a ting I've thought on a heap
Many a time Nv axcd myself how pom arth
it was, that jist as sure as white man and
black man come together, de white man sure
to get he foot on de black man. Sometimes
l tink one ting, den | tink anoder ting aud
dey all be jumbled up in my head, jest like
seed in de cotton, afore he put in the GIN
At last, | find it all out. White man always
git he foot on de black man no mistake in
dat. But how he do it? III show you
how J"
Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he took
out a ~crumpled piece of printed paper, and
smoothing it carefully on the palm of his hand,
he struck il significantly with his finger, and
exclaimed triumphantly, "Dat's de way dey
do it! Dey got de knowledge! Now, it'll
do no more good to rise agin our masters, dan
put de head in de fire and pull him out agin;
and may be you can't pull him out agin.-
When l was a boy, ] hear an old conjuring
woman say she could c%onjurc de Divil out OF
anybody. | ask her why she don't %conjure
her massa, den; and she tell me, 'Oh, mig
ger neber c~onjure buckra-can't do it, But l
say htRBcI Cdu COHJuiC OuShIds Tl6W TIC 10
itl Get de knowledge! Dat de way. We
make de sleeve wide, and fill full of de tea
and de sugar, ebery time we get in missis'
closet. If we take half so much pains to get
de knowledge, de white man take he foot off
de black man. Maybe de British land, and
maybe de British no land (; but you tell you
sons to marry de free woman, dat know how
to read and write and you tell you gals to
marry de free man, dat know how to read
and write; and den by'm bye, you be de
British yourselves! You want to know how
l manage to get de knowledge! tell you.
l want right bad to learn to read. My old
boss is the most begrud g~-fullest massa, and |
know he won't let me learn. So, when / see
leetle mass with he book, (he bout six year
DID, | say to him-what you call dat! He
tell me dat is A. Oh, dat is A! So | take
old newspaper, and | ak missis, may | hab
dis to rub my brassesl She say yes. | put
it in my pocket, and by'm by, | look to see /
find A; and [ look at him ill l know him
berry well. Den ! ask my young mass, What
you call data He say, dat is B. So / find
him on my paper, and look at him till l know
him berry we'll. Den l ask my young massa
what G II spelll He tell me cat. Den,
after great long time, / can read de newspa-
per. And what you tink | find dere? /
read British going to land. What you do,
s'pose British land When | stand behind
massa's chair, | hear him talk, and | tell all
de boys what he say. Den Bob say must hab
Methodist meeting. and tell massa, Tom 60
Ing to preach in de woods. But what YOU
tink | did toder dayl You know Jim, mas
sa Gubenor's boy! Well, | want mighty
bad to let Jim know British going to land
But he lib ten mile off, and old boss no let
me 90. Well. massa Guhernor he corna d;na
at massa's house and / bring he horse to
dc gate; and l make my bow, and say. massa
Gubernor, how jim dol He tell me Jim
berry well. Den | AK him, be Jim good bow,
He say yes. Den | tell him Jim and l leetle
boy togeder, and | want mighty bad send
Jim something. He tell me Jim hab enough
of cherry ting. Oh, yes, massa Gubernor,
know you berry good massa, and Jim hab ebe-
ry ting he want; but when leetle boy togeder
dero is always something here, (laying his
hand on his hearty ] want to send leetle
backy to jim. know he hab much backy
he want; but Jim and | leetle 10Y togeder,
and | want to send Jim something. Massa
Gubernor say, berry well Jack. So l glib him
de backy, done up in de berry bit O. newspa-
per dat tell British going to land! And massa
Gubernor himself carry it! And massa Cub
ernor himself carry i'll!
lie clapped his hands, kicked up his heels,
and turned somersets like a harlequin. These
demonstration were received with loud shouts
of merriment; and it was sometime before suf.
hclent order was restored to proceed with the
question under discussion.
After various scenes of fiery Indignation,
gentle eXpostulation, and boisterous mirth, il
was finally decided, by a considerable major
lily, that in case the British landed, thew would