Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-03-11

tell; it is not westward, and that cheers his hope
of freedom He fears the light, lest he should
be discovered; but he longs for one look from the
deck merely to see if the fearful vision eff the land
Of bondage has Misrepresentation it is night
although the night and day are both alike to him.
as far as light is concerned. Nature knows when
night comes, even to one born blind. And nights
came to the American slave, and days, and
dreams, and lights and shades of hope and des-
pair, which he could not describe.
His story was short and simple He was
writing with the ague, and there was a rheu-
matte fever in every joint.-He breathed painful
Nv, and with an effort that shook his chair in the
corner He had an old calico coat ON him
when he hid himself away in the ship; but little
of that hing now upon his shoulders 1t was
the last of November, and he could see but little
of his perlIous passage across the ocean. lie
had done all nature could do to make his crack.
ers last uniiI the ship should anchor at some
foreign port. lie knew he had nothing to hope
of the captain or Of his men, and he put himself
on the closest allowance that could sustain life
! But it was vain. Twcrty-one days he had been
out upon the sea, yet no cry OF land was heard.
The last cracker was gone. Three days aud
nights he had lived withot morse of food
Life and liberty seemed to recede and he cuched
at them in a cry for help. Peradvenlure there
might be flesh in the captains heart, out upon
that nlerminabIe ocean, and he cried louder still
"iSaUe me / perish " He was dragged from
his hiding place, trembling and haggard, int
Tie presence of the captain who demanded in
4 voice Of angry surprise, whence he came. In
few broken words he told his story, and his
eureaties for mercy were interrupted by volIey
Of oaths and threats that he should be sent back
to slavery by the first ship they met bound To
America lie pIeId for mercy with ill the ear
nestncss Of his last hope of freedom, aud thea
in all the strength Of his desplir but III valn.-
He was ordered to be put in irons, and to be-
kept upon bread and water until some vessel
should heave in sight by which the captain and
crew might escape conviction Of humanity, by
sending the fugitive back 10 his bondage But
no such sail was deserted, though sought in the
distance with the telescope; and the slave hoped
4 on in his letters. He was on deck, with his
! hands manaced together, when green land
loomed up from the sea, like Il vision Of new
world. Life and liberty came back to his de-
spairing heart with all the impulse of their strong
yearnlngs, and he easayed to wiring the iron from
his limbs. Now the towers and spires, and the
dim outlines of distant city, arises before hi,
eyes, and the ship entered the waters of the
Rhine and that city was Rotterdam and soor
they were threading their way through flee
of vessels of every flag. The moment hat
come, aud Liberty or Death was to be the issue
of the leap. The sailors were busy in taking
in the sails and letting 90 the anchor Now
0, never land the American slave, ''accouret
as he was" sprang from the deck into the river
His hands were closely ironed together but he
/ struggled manluIIy with the current for life ant
liberty lie was deserted by the crew of a Dutcl
t boat passing near, who rescued him, Just as h
was sinking for the last time, and conducted
him TO the ship to which they belonged II
came before the captain, who recognized tn
jewels Of republic, aud saw that the poo
] man was an American slave, and in bonds fn
+ the color of his skin. His iron bracelets wer
wrung by strong hands from his, and he wa
e conducted to the English consul; and by tn
o next steamer to England, IN few hours he tro
: soil upon which no slave can breathe Whe
saw him, he was still wet with his leap int
the Rhine. A reaction had come over him.
The perllE Of the escape had been encountret
a Nature had eXhaused all her latent energies i
4 the struggle for liberty. The sustaining invigc
+ ration Of fear aud hope was gone, and he hun
e bis head and crouched toward the fire, as
: there were nothing left to ask for, but to di
$ freeman Nor did he ask aloud for this, {
for anything, but sat quaking with the ague, AN
except when left alone for moment in the room
q Here was fellow countryman, appealing to tn
4 world IN the silent remonstance Of his suffering
c against false Imprisonment for color in tn
d American house of bondange. | plead guilt
e for my country, with a sense Of shame came
: describe. 1t was the first time believe thu
d ever had two ovcrcuats at ,ncc and thus wa
= able to colnply literally with the gospel precep
- and share them with suffering felIow-bcing-
= Aud as this was the first time | ever enioye
a that InXnry, put the best of the twain upo
Y hm-a warm aud thick one-aud felt new CON
e fort in the one wore The hat had worn f
two years fitted him well aud left him wit
feeling of gratitude that could give even $
4 poor ga freedom suit" to an American slave i
1 London.
. London, Fb 4h lS47. f. B.