Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-02-26

like the grim genius Of destruction above a
PROSTATE victim, rose the bloody guillotine.
/ had never seen the fearful instrument be-
fore; but its history and the picture OF It's
operations which ! had seen, made 1t familiar
TO me, and | did not need to ask whatii was
! would have escaped from the crowd, hut IL
was by no means easy TO penetrate the mass
behind me that became every moment more
and more dense. lconfcss, too. that a strange
and unwarran,able curiosity had its influence
in lettering me from the attempt, and stool
| hcSitating whether to remain or strive to push
! my way ont into the open space where l
| might breathe air untainted with The smell ol
human blood. 1t was useless to hesitate
4 movement in the crowd turned my eyes
involuntarily towards the scaffold, and | saw
over the guard, two men mounting the steps.
How the blood-thirsty masses were disap-
pointed 1t was only a couple OF %oilcials
who went up to see that all was right in the
eaginery Of death, and in a moment they de-
scended. But the human tigers who painted
for blood on every side, knew what this move
mont p%orirndcd. They had grown familiar
with the formula Of death, and knew as well
the successive steps in this work Of horror,
as they did the movement in the dances
where they were going to reyel that night.
lib5U . HOlu lfDDh NOV l'lt Ntl VI IulAl'l
forms s,Yays to and fro beyond the scaffolJ, as
the ocean swolls after a storm, and see part
ing 10 the right and left, like the Red Sea of
old, they are gathered into heaps on either
side; and through that terrible valley and
shadow OF death with I thousand dark brows
bent upon him, covered with shame and scorn,
his look cast down to earth, CT raised only to
shrink back from the glance Of some remeln-
hercd companion Of other days, comes the
victim Of this horfid festival. | could but
just see him in his approach, and not at all
when he halted for a moment on the other
side Of the blood-stdined altar. where the
consecrated priest Of the law was 10 offer him
up IN solemn sacrifice 10 the God Of Justice.
1t was but n moment. The executioner
mounted the sraifold and took his place and
slowly and feehly, his steps trembling on
the threshold Of eternity, the victim followed,
on the shoulders Of a man who SEEM
ed as careless as though he led a friend to his
place at the table. In a moment the two
priests in attendance were at the poor mans
side, and The stern minion of the law himself
stood respectfully silent while the latest ser
vices of religion were performed-ot that re-
'ision which human law-givers have yet to
learn is one ofihe highest elements of good 60
vernment. The Cross was still lifted before
the eyes Of the wrctched man, and still the
priest exhor;s him TO hope in that Savior,
whose image was lifted up before him. But
his heart tainted. The vast multitude be-
came indistinct; the public place swan round
and round his limbs gave way. He stag
gered and would have fallen, but the assist
ants caught and supported him.
Poor wreiched man! Were the thoughts
Of other Gays floating through his bewildered
brain, that so unnerved him! Did he re-
member the mother whose kindness was
linked with his first recollections, of his sis
tiers, whose glossy ringlets he had twined
around his hoyhood fingers Did the merry
voices of his childhoods playmates ring in his
err againl Did the shadow of the vine
| above his fathers cottage door fall o~nceagain
on his burning brow, or the voice of welcome
as he returned from his first wanderings
sound gratefully in his heart once more 4
Or was it the fear Of death-of death, which
he has dared a thousand times, that unnervet
him Alas who could fathom his thoughts
the thoughts that even TO him came thick
ly and confused ! They lifted him up
The man! with the stamp of youth yet oil
his brow He looked not born for such
place. There was a higher promis' on tina
face where nature had set the seal Of her ap
proval. They stripped the scanty vestmen
from his shoulders, and were shutting on
the last light-lhe precious light of heave
from his eyes, when he started convulsivel
and gIared around as if some horrid though
had seized upon his soul. Oh, Heavens =
what a sight was he in that fearful moment
The very tigers who would have Tapped hi
blood up in five minutes afterwards, WEI
awed into the silence of marble. One coul
not hear even a breath. Oh, We mothers
= was 1t for such an end as this that his motht
felt the anguish of his birth! Was it f
this that she fed him at the source of lif
= while she parted his flaXen hair over the clei
!, fair brow OF his infancy, and prayed that |
;, might live TO be a man. Mercilul God =
why is the double nature of the lamb ar
!" the demon bound up in the heart of man!
> 1t was the work of an instant to bind hi
= to the plank as he stood, and the crowd trer
J bled with eager anxiety as they saw this
= nal preparation completed. The man
- death was ready for the horrid task. III
4 plank as If conscious Of its Office, turnC
- down. and instantly slid along a groove
!, bring the neck under the fatal axe. The pc
: wretch gave one convulsive shriek-a shrit
4 that would have given utterance to an age
u sgonies, and one that sent a thrill of horr
through every heart that was not dead to 4
, voices of humanity. An exclamation bul
- from the lips of the anxious crowd as the
81 tai axe loosed from its place above, flash
. down upon the neck of the devoted man.
i, Oh, horror! cried |, Involuntary. "H sc
- Plus irisie guand h hachs mont tout pleine
w w sang," said "a girl of sixteen, who stood best
me, as the blood jetted from the severed nee
and so it was indeed more sad to see the a
Ii. an instant after 90 mp all dripping with go
The basket into which the head had fall
% was lifted from its place with the blood trio
- ling through 1.-THE body was inmbled il
another, and the cart moved OF with its h
=" rid load, while the gIutted crowd dispers
Il on every side.
q Why sail this, said /! What is the tel
~ bic necessity that requires such bloody sac
a. icesl This man had killed his mistress.
i She had brought him to abject poverty, a
drunkenness, and jealousy had driven him
:" madness. In an evil hour, he yielded to
. demon whose nh1ntom had berkOpe1 him