Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-03-11
From Bmrit's Christian Citizen,
Leaf from the Editors Journal
AN AMERICAN SLAVE IN LONDON.

heaven had been adyentured The desperate
struggle was over: and that boon was his, to die
with, apparently; for he seemed to be trembling
On the EXTREMIST verge of life. There he was,
in that city-world great London, wherein dwell
shapes and phases and faculties Cf human wretch
edness almost infinite in number and variety
But an American slave with the bracelets Of a
Republic, CT their red marks, on his feet and
hands, was as unique a wonder as if common
beggar had never walked the city. Slavery, dis
yuise itself as it may, can never hide under the
rags Of poverty, nor merge its chlttel mark with
he lincments cf common Indebtedness. And
there was this poor man, trembling in the midst
If the bold begg DISTRIBUTING with sense OF
! the guilt of his skin, that original sin of his con-
stituton, for which he had done penance in a
Christian land for thirty years on the tread-mill
Of slyery, 1t is an affecting sight to see an
! American slave any where, either at home or
abroad, while painting with his run for Life. OF
III human beings, meme are gOaded by day and
Night by such a distorted conscience as that
which allcts him. He wears his guilt like the
mark Of Cum, ard every white man he meets is
species of ayenger cf his African blood. Had
all the laws and the prophets been concentrated
| in the command. Thou Shalt haze a w1ite skin
Imi straiqh hair," he could not hive borne
lbout with him more painful sense eff unpordon-
lblo sin, thm TINT under which he hangs his
/ he I'd in the presence cf his fellow beings. H,y-
ing suffered, fer thirty or forty years, a mere de-
! gr .ding punishment fer the crime Of cclor, than
ever visited sin against God en- man, by human
authority how can he dyest himself CT this I'M
natural conscience, that, with a scourge borrow
ed from the drivers hand, chasea him through
every lane cf lie, and fills his dreams with the
baying Ct the blood-hounds and the tread CT his
.pursuers How can he, in a day, or yc1r, &C
qu re a sense and attitude Of innoceAcy before
the verdi and atnd up erect and look the world
in the flce, ana say " f0m not gritty" Not
guilty! Gracious be ycls! what chwTc, then
Ief ise Imprisonment you can enter at the tri-
bun1l ci mankind az lnst these who made you
grind in the house Of bondage for thirty years
|" Not guilty." said he American slave in Lon
don; rat guilty." he sld TREMENDOUSLY, and he
bent his head to his bosom and crouched towards
the fire; for the ague was on him for the nights
he had hin upon the cold floor cf his prison
= house. What desperate plel what an appel
from the llws cf his country! from the unmi
= nous verdict Of six millions Of his countrymen
= which had pronounced him an African by blood
, and sentenced him and all his posterlty t. tn,
L. condition cf brute belsts
t The Bible, Gods Magma C8arta of human
d liberty, Ind been wound around with the slave
+ holders LASH to keep its divine revolutions from
y the bondman. But there was, in all the dark
IS ness that surrounded him, a ray of that ligh
which lighteth every man that comcth into tn
e world and it fell flinty and dmly upon his op
pressed conscience, until he and felt that hi
IS color was net the complexion Of crime; and h
q determined to encounter the tremendous odds
}. md seek Jury in the wide world who shoul
|. listen to his appeal and reverse the verdict TIL
y had made him slave,
i. He could net read; for it is breach of til
n laws, which fix his condition, to teach slave t
Is read. He could not read the names and destin;
ton of the ships that alighted in the harbor, lilt
Il carrier eagles. Whence they came, and whthc
they went, was mystery beyond his means offs;
| luton. He daily saw them spread their gre
white wings and soar away through the blu
:. oceln-irmament, and wondered much what kin
ef land they would alight at--what kind Of pee
pie would hail their coming, And among thes
X querulous thoughts this last would steal in whetf
er C0i0r was crime, on that distant shore. 1t wa
TO little he knew Of the location of countries. Th
. North STIR was the sum and centre Of his gee
~ graphical facts. And Canada was directly unde
the North star, and all who reached that part
c disc Of freedom from Southern bondage, stol
J away by night, and travelled through forests, an
|, over mountains for weeks and months, This h
t. knew by tradition; but where these ships hnishe
l. their course and dropped their anchors, which h
e daily saw vanishing in the distance, was que.
o ton for conjecture. They could not be boun
is fer Canada; he was sure ofthat. But did slave
ry cover all the earth but Canadal Might nj
r one in ten CT those ocean ships anchor by som
d i.reign shore where slave might walk freeman
1t Hope and filth jointly reared that thought into
It living idea, that filled his mind by night and b
# day. His condition could not be worse II
l. could be but a ave, wherever he might be cast
f The note of preparation about Il large mel
: chlntman indicated that it was about to weg
: anchor fJr foreign port. The deck and wha,
t boxes and barrels. But there was one man, eel
ored like half of the rest who carried bag close
: y by his side, net entered upon the ships invoice
: 1t was filled with the fragments and savings irol
: mmy scnty me,ls. With this he found his wa
V into the fore part Of the ship, where he espied
- little space, which another bale or box woul
= close from sight. While the crew were busy i
S slowing away the freight, he skunk into the nal
o row mock with his bag, and the next minute tn
r aperture was closed, and to his great joy he wa
l. left in utter darkness
= The hurried tramp upon deck waxed loude
c and louder; and the fugitive held his brclt
S to listen "ict HOi Hoy" at last fell upo
e his ears like the voice Of salvation, and he close
y hug red the floor to his bosom, to still the nos
h ct his beltmg heart. "IIe! He! Hoy!-hoy!-
II oy--ee! c! hoy!' The ship is siding off from tn
1t wharf The voices on deck are suppressed, an
Il the captlins is heard alone,-"Aye aye! sir!
Is comes down in response from the thronged spar
ID and the sound eff the luttering canvass has a
v ready spread the wings eff hope in the heart
to the American slave. The ship mcves- slowly
Re but she moves. A splash, nowl 1t is the hlv
n ser, and the sailors are pulling it in Now thel
at IS gurglmg sound ag inst the ships side.
II. moves! it moves! "The land eff the free and ii
be home Of the brave recedes inch by inch. Al
Ian Il Il.