Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-06-05
POOR PAULINE
A TOUCHING TALE OF TRUTH.
BY ]. G. WHITTIER.

pdldSIdpu StdliHR lld- 90 1OuuS oldNt-Eul Ndo
recently hanged at New Orleans, for the
crime Of striking and abusing her mistress.
The Religious Press of the North has not, so
far as we are aware, made any comments
upon this execution. 1t is too busy in pull
ing the mote out of the eye Of the Heather,
to notice the beam in our nominal Christian
ity at home. Yet this case, viewed in all its
aspects, is an atrocity, which has, God be
thanked, no parallel in heather lands. II is
a hideous olIshoot of American Republican
ism and American Christianity.
1t seems that Pduline-a young and beau
tiful girl-attracted the admiration Of her
master, and being, to use the words of the
law, his /" chattel, personal to all intents and
purposes UhdiSOerer," became the victim of
his lust. So wretchod is the condition Of the
slave-woman, that even the brutal and licen-
tious regard of her master is looked upon as
the highest exaltation of which her lot is sus-
ceptible. TIT slave-girl in this instance, ev-
identity so regarded it and as a natural con-
sequence, in her new condition, triumphed
over and insulted her mistress-in other
words, repaid in some degree the scorn and
abuse with which her mistress had made her
painfully familiar.
The laws OF the Christian State Of Louis
lana in1ict the punishment of Death upon the
slave who lifts his or her hand against a
white person. Pauline was accused of beat
ing her mistress, tried and found guilty, and
condemned TO die. But ii was discovered on
the trial, that she was in q condition to be-
come a mother and her execution was de-
layed until the birth OF her child. She was
returned TO her prison cell. There for many
weary months, uncheered by the voice of
kindness, alone, hopeless, d~esolate, she wait
ed for the advent of the new and quickening
life within her, which was TO be the signal
of her own miserable death! And the bells
there called to mass and prayer meeting, and
Methodists sang, and Baptisis immersed, and
PrcsbyteEians sprinElcd-and young mothers
smiled through tears upon their newborn
children; md maidens and matrons of that
great city sat in their cool verandahs and talk
ed of love and household joys, and domestic
happiness,-while all that dreary time the
poor slave-girl lay in her dungeon, waiting,
with what agony, the dear and plying God
of the white and the black only knows, for
the birth of the child of her adulterous viola
tor! Horrible Was ever what George
Sand Justly terms "the great martyrdom of
maternity that fearful trial which love
alone converts into Joy unspeakable-endured
under such conditions !-What was her sub
stitute for the kind voices aud gentle sooth-
ings of affection the harsh grating of her
prison lock-the mockings and taunts Of I'M
feeling and brutal keepers What with the
poor Pauline took the place of the hopes and
joyful anticipations which support and solace
the white mother, and make her couch of
torture happy with sweet dreams? The
prospect of seeing the child of her sorrow, of
feeling its lips upon her bosom, of hearing
its feeble cry-alone, unvioited Of lis unnatu-
raj father; and then in a few days, just when
the mothers affections are strongest, and the
first smile of her infant compensates for the
pangs Of the past,-the scaffold and the hang
man. Think Of that last terrible scene-the
tearing OF the infant from her arms, the death
march 10 the gallows, the rope around her
delicate neck, and her long and dreadful
struggles (for attenuated and worn by ply
steal suffering and mental sorrow, her slight
frame had not sufficient weight left to pro-
duce the dislocation of her neck, on the fall
ing of the drop,) swinging there alive for
nearly halt an hour, a spectacle for fends in
the shape of humanity. Mothers of New
England such are the fruits of Slavery
Oh, in the name of the blessed God, teach
your children to hate it and to pity its victims.
Petty politicians and empty headed Con-
gTess deba.cis are vastly concerned lest g the
honor OF the country" should be compromis-
ed in the natter Of the Oregon boundary.
Fools !-one such horrible atrocity as this
murder OF poor Pauline, compromises" us
too deeply 10 warrant any further display of
their patriotism. 1t would "compromisc"
Paradise itself. An intelligent and philan-
thropic European gentleman, who was in
New Orleans at the time of the execution,
in a letter to a friend in this vicinity, after
detailing the circumstances Of the revolving
affair, cxclaims, God of goodness God Of
justice there must be a Future State to re-
dress the wrongs of this. | am almost
tempted to say there must be a future state or
no God !"-ESser (Aass.) Transcript.
ILLUSTRATION OF FoRGIvING LovE.-A
friend of mine, with whom | was at the time,
staying a few days as guest, told me the fol-
lowing circumstance. | once had a poor
neighbor, who had a wife and several small
children. His children were crying for
bread, and he had none to give them. In his
need, he broke open my barn, and stole three
bushels Of rye. l caused him to be arrested,
and brought before the court. He confessed
the deed, and stated before the court the rea-
son why he acted as he did. He was con-
victed, condemned, and thrust into Jail. His
family, WHO wept by his side in the court,
with crushed hearts and weeping eyes, re-
turned TO their desolate home. The husband
and father had been convicted of felony, and
cast into prison for deed which he had COM
mltted to keep them from starving.
got into the wagon, after had seen him
thrust into prison, and went on my way to-
wards my house, congratulating myself that
| had done good service to the State by Sc
1 Atra - n gls-F ~ r