Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-08-27
WHOLE NO. 1O7.

''N'C ''hihHio ldSs Jul ' dH sure u was |
a round dozen, and the Oldest boy was the
only one able TO help himself. God help
him, poor man, as he climbs those prison |
steps, snd feels The little hands fast Juggling !
at his heart! But Sherry knew his duty,
and was faithful to what was given him to do.
Every one in the building loved him, and
when l saw him, six years after his impris-
onment, he had risen, so said the o~verseet, TO !
be the head baker Of the establishments
In the mean time his friends had not been
idle. New England blood had boiled as il
listened TO his story, and scores Of Baltimore
merchants signed, once and again, a petition
to the Governor in his behalf. The last eff
fort was founded on his exemplary conduct
during the six years of his Imprisonment, and
was presented to a new Governor, Just after
he had taken his chair, and while his heart,
it was thought, would be inclined 10 mercy.
Alas! how far were the petitioners mistaken.
He was a little man, and measured all things
by a little standard. "Genilemen," said he,
if | were 10 take any action in this matter,
in the present state of the public mind, u IA
vorite though ! am, ! should be impeached!'
And there the matter cndrd-lill it was car
ried to a higher court, and the governor be-
came defendant.
This happened just before my first arrival
in Baltimore, two years ago. went to see
Sherry, whose tall frame had bent, and whose
dark hair had whitened all over during those
painful six years. He was busy at his oven,
his apron was white with flour, and he SEEM
ed only intent on serving the hungry men
about him-but, deeply engraven on his fine
manly features was a look of dissatisfied anxi-
ETY. which l shall never forget. Only once
during those six years had he heard from his
home; for neither he nor his children could
write; and that once, by dint of misery thrift,
his eldest son had made tine long journey,
and brought him welcome tidings Of health
and peace, abouthis hearth. His hymn-book
OF course, had been taken from him, but his
Bible, whose "anti-slavery and rcvolutiuna-
ry" principles the government Of Maryland
is not yet sharp-sighted enough TO discern,
was his only companion in his cell. As |
looked upon the grey-haired man, and saw
his lip qulver, as he spoke of his family, my
heart throbbod almost to bursting, and | de-
termined that something should be done to
relieve him. Once and again my husband
had communication with Influential persons
concerning him, but all who knew anything
/ of the matter, more especially the intimate
{ personal friend Of the Governor, declared that
y all the proper means had been tried-but one
v resource was left him, calmly to wear out tn,
remaining part of his sentence-the governo
r had determined to pardon no persons convict
r ed on such counts. So | desisted, but offer
3 since, when i would have closed my eyes fol
a nights rest, has the image of that injured
|; man, grey-haired and STOPPING, come between
me and sleep, and the tears have started 10
my eyes as ] regretted that | did no, present
that petition in my single woman's strength.
There were two things which made Sherry's
case seem peculiarly hard. The first was that
: uniform testimony TO his probity and excel
lence of character, which prevented slavchol-
5 ders themselves from doubling his account OF
the manner in which he obtained the book
: and the other was the fact that the statue
which made it criminal TO held it, did not be.
9 come a law till Sherry had had it full two
years in his possession, and he was as igno.
rant of the statute itself as he was Of any sin
lister Interpretation which the government Of
# Maryland might choose TO put upon plain re-
e presentations Of fact. But Two years of i'm
d prisonment remain to him, and doubtless he
e prays more and more earnestly that life may
be spared, till lie shall gaze once more upor
v that family circle. Yet, who but the all-wist
70 Father of US all, can tell whether it be bes
that his prayer should be heard-whether tina
n gaze would not be one of agony We vii
e not doubt the fidelity of his wife, we will be
,e lieve that the spoiler has touched none o
a those whom he, by the grace Of God, KEEP
Dr. holy but, at least, he will find her WHOM
: he loved bent under the sense Of social degra
III dalion, the weight of unusual cares and tn
ID pressure of poverty. He will hardly know
w. her sunken eve and anxious brow. The bab
Is who was unconscious of his fate, will hav
ly grown to the active boy the girls who clu;
to tered about his knee will be wives, perhap
he mothers, and God grant that none Of that dei
of circle may have been sold into servitude
I'm pay the poll tax or secure the livelihood
he the rest. Yet this and more things migf
have been in those long ten years. Howevt
in. Joyful the return, Sherry will see with pal
of that the hours when he was needed in h
his home have passed by, principles are alTead
,ur decided for his children, and if they coul
nd not read the language in which their BIB
fl; is written, before he went away, they PROB
IA bly, never will.
,m have written this history without con
10 ment, simply as it occurred. Ii seems TO II
GU that an expression OF strong Indignation won
es. weaken the anti-slavery rgument conialnt
st. in these pages. Let the story burn in 20
ey. hearts, American freemen, and klndle the
ian the fire Of truth. The time shall yet com
In when we shall see her torches blazing on
m. our hills, and her God-lit barks floating eve
in on the bosom of the Chesapeake. A syste
a which to sustain itself among men feeds all
cir on the hearts blood of slave and freeme
re, trampling every where at the North a
a South alike on human right and human Ia
lad SO surely as God is true, contains within
.ct. self the seeds Of its own death.
ed, -
md Like. Gragts Ike work.-The i'll paid n
es- has usually become an inferior workman
Try OF this the following homely illustrate
len mentioned at a late farmers club, is an
of 1900 uWhiIs, ;nsnec,ina fro -