Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-02-04

- y NAblNOAhlt NNll
How indelibly are the events which occurred
in them impressed upon my memory Oh,
Slavery! Slavery ~
The citizens outside awaited anxiouslv the
good ministers egress from the iail, and when
lie appeared, crowded around him to know
the result. He looked like one faded with a
long journey. He was worn down, cit is
useless-it is useless-let him die in peace.m
was all he said and seeing that he was deem.
~ moved, and taking it for granted that he
had been engaged in devotional exercises
with the dying, silence pervaded the rroup,
and he was allowed to depart in peace. And
neverln public, or in a mixed audience, would
That minister refer TO Isaac, or the hours he
spent with him
No other effort to elicit information from
the leader was made, and none who prom-
lsed him he'll T, were discovered through him.
The death-day came. A lninhty crowd
gathered to witness the sad event TO which,
in that place, it was 10 be devoted and the
military, with cleaning swords and bright
bayone's' stood under the gallows to guard
against escape or difficulty. Six 4" feions"
were upon the gallows-it could hold no
Inore-and Isaac was first on the list. BE
men,, said he, when one Of the number show
ed some tlmldlty, "and die like men. I'll
give you an eNample-then obey my BROTH
en- That brother stood next him. Isaac
gazed intentIy upon the crowd-some thought
he was looking for his wife and children
and then spoke his farewell to his young mas
tiers. a few words passed between him and
his brother, when, saying dudibly, "Ill die
a freeman" he sprang up as high as he could
and fell heavily as the knotted rope checked
his fall. Instantly his frame was convulsed,
and, IN its muscular action, his feet neared
the plank on which he had stood, looking as
IT he sought to regain it. His brother, turn
ing his face to his comrades, deliberately put
his hand upon his side, and leaning forward,
held the body clear with his elbow, as he
said, /" let us die like him."
The authorities perceived that the terrors
of the law would be lost, and none of 1.-THE
good" they anticipated be secured among he
blacks, especially, who filled up the outer
circle OF the dense crowd, if this lofty hero
ism were witnessed. They proceeded rapid
ly with the execution, and in few moments,
Isaac and his brother, and their felon com
rades, were asleep together!
The bodies Of the blacks, after dangling in
the air The usual time, as if mockery Of Hea-
ven and earth, were cut down, ccfIined, and
carted away to their buridl-place. That was
an out-of-the-way old field, with a stagnant
lagoon on three sides Of il, aud a barren sand
waste, covered with d spare growth Of short
pines, on the other.
Beneath the shade of one of these pines
which skirted the field, and not far oil from
the ieIon's graves, a colored woman, and a
cluster Of little ones, might have been seen.
These were %lsaac's wife and children. They
stood where they were, until all, save one
white man, had departed. lie made a signal,
and they approached the burial-spnt. lie
pointed out a particular spot, and left. None
knew, save our Father, how long the widow
ed one and the iatherleSs remained there, or
what were their emotions. But next morn
ing, a rough stake was found driven into the
earth, beneath which Isaac lay, and ere the
next Sabbath dawned, a pile of stones, with
an upright memorial, was placed at the head
OF his grave. How these stones were obtain
ed-tor none like them were to be seen with
IN thirty or forty miles-no one could say,
though all knew 'cho put them there. The
rude memorial still stands! The grave of
Isaac is yet known! And that widowed one
while she lived-for she, too, has Departed
kept the lone burial-spot free from weeds,
and covered it with the wild rose, as if the
spirit which once had animated the cold clay
beneath, loved a robe Of beauty and sweet
ness
3 mot the least remarkable feature in %Isaac's
conduct was the course he had pursued to-
ward his family, we cannot close without re-
ierrlng to 1t. He was an exemplary husband,
and a wise as well as kind father. His wife
was not superior, intellectually, but she was
ailcctlonate, and he SO moulded her character
as TO make her worthy Of him. His children
were well-behaved, and remarkable for their
polite manners. His very household gave
of this! Every thing was in order;
the furniture was neat; in all the arrange
ments he had an intelligent eye 10 comfort
and taste; he had a watch, and some ~tolera-
bic scripture engravings; and his little gar
den was well stocked with the best vegeta-
bleS, the best fruit, and the rarest flowers.
or the plot lsaac's wife knew nothing
lie had evidently thought of his failure, and
committed no women, and as few married
men as he could. fIe meant, let what might
10 him, that his partner should suffer
no harm. This was evident enough from his
For the first thing he did, after his
arrest, was TO desire an interview with his
old master. That was denied him. Not that
the old gentleman was cruel, or angry-for
he loved lSaac-but because, as he said, "he
could not stand it," The next thing was, to
send for his young master. He came, and TO
him he said, " Massa Thomas, | have sent
for you to say, that my wife does not know
anything about The instruction, OF any of my
action. | wanted to see old master 20 beg
him not to sell, or separate her and the chill.
dren. | must get you TO do that. And, Mas
sa Thomas, when your father dies, | want
you to promise that you will help them.''-
The young man promised, (and we rejoice TO
say his word was kept,) and then Isaac, the
slave and the felon, blessed him. Never
again, until near his last hour, when convers-
with his minister, did he refer 10 his fam
lily, and the only message he sent them was
a torn Bible, with this sentence rudely writ
on one of the leaves. We shall live
again, and be together" So deep was his
affection for his family, and so careful was
he 10 ward or every suspicion or dancer from