Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-02-17
From the Emancipa'or
The late Slave Sale at Washington,
By REV. JOSHUA LEAyITT.


which the House made eager haste to lay Oh the
table The reading of the history has deeply af-
fected my heart for now hud that was we'll &C
quainted with this unhappy victim to the slave
laws ofthe Congress of this republic. The mans
name is Henry | forgot his other name. He
was kind and industrious, and had been hired in
Mr. Spsiggs clearinghouse, for good many
years. Mr. Calhoun, Of Massachusetts, Slade, of
Vermont, Severance, of Maine, Irwin, of Penn
sylyana and many other members of Congress,
have been boarders in that house, and will remem-
!, Der with kindness the unfortunate Henry. His
wife, named Sylvia was also servant in the same
house. Sylvia was free, and all her wages went
TO help make up the sum for which the owner OF
Henry, Mrs WilcoXon, had agreed to make the
:, husband free They had been for some years ex-
erting themselves to the utmost to raise the mon
ay required for this end, and were within fUe doll
ars of completing the last payment of only $ll,
end were now looking forward to the consuma-
ton, with feelings which none but slave brought
f within sight of Liberty can ever realize
1t seems this was the point that this female de-
mon mad been watching for BY making the
promise, she had not only received the entire
wages of Henry (making him no return but
scanty cothing,) but had excited him to use his
g utmost efforts in every way to swell his receipts
by odd Jobs, and the like. This had gone towards
the purchase, And not only this, but she had
IN this way secure' to efory years all the nee
{ cssarries Of life And as soon as she had thus
b got att she coaid, she sold him to Williams, the
+ infamous slave-dealer,-a man named Wllker-
" son, belonging to the NJ. e. Church. South ac-
=, ting as broker in the business. As Henry was
e still slave by the laws of Congress in the Dis
n trict of Columba Mrs. W. had Il perfect legal
l. right thus to repudlate her contract after rccev-
4 ing all but the entire purchase money, and APP
! proprate the money to herself, because all that
the slave earns belongs to his owner by the aforc-
is said laws Of Congress- And then she had an
,. equal legal right 10 sell her slave to whomsocv-
a er she pleased, and she chose to sell him to the
i shareholders, because they would send him i'm
it mcdiately off to New Orleans, and thus he would
be ont of the way, and not in condition to MAKE
~ fuss, or create an uncomfortable public feeling
It towards his mistress.
i. The sayedealer and his minions came to the
lie house Of Mrs Sprigg in the afternoon, went in
h to the basement where Henry and his wife were
re at the time, one Of them seized him suddenly by
u; the throat while others handculfed him; they
" then drew their pistols, and marched him off t.
~ the slave pen in view of the Capitol As soon a,
q. Mr. g. learned what had been done, he wen
H. down to the pen but was told by the agent tina
to " the niger has gone; we sent him mmedatcI'
or on board ship, at Alexandria, and he has sailet
n to New Orleans" The next day, Mr.. G. brough
10 the matter before the House. where it was dis
II" posedof as our readers have already learned
The most appalling Of all the incidents of such
transaction is, the quiet apathy with which it j
regarded by the body Of the people of the fire.
States. When will they awake, and by thei
y petitions their personal influence, and thei
IL U0tcS, compel heir representatives, to put an en-
h" to the legality Of such nhuman doings Hon
il T. s. HamIin, editor of the True Democrat, VIII
"a has been in Congress- and was boarder at Mr.;
cr Sprigg's, makes the following feeling remark
" on the case
ia "Whilc reading the foregoing letter, could NJ
S help weeping, If stanGng by the grave of depare
=" friend During the winter spent by the senior edit
~ of this paper, and his wife, in Washington this Syk
% was kind and constant attendant oar servant wher
VI boarded, and better heart throbbed in
10 human bosom Her kndnes especially when we wer
~ confined by sickness several days will never be forgu
10 ten. At this tine, we inquired into her history Sh
a' about thirty years OF age and always FREE
l' Her husband a slave. Some three years belor
- he had purchased his freedom, and was 10 pay fOu
'e' hundred dollars. BY their JOINT efforts, they had
that time paid between two and three hundred dollar
al and they hoped 20 pay the balance, she said in two
three years;a which time he would be free, aud then
ne she said happiness will be perfect" She was on
ia of General lauisons servants during the time he wa
ne President, and waited upon him during his sickness.
no Our heur is to tu to comment upon the crcumsar
Of this case to speak ofthe cruetes and barba
en- tiles of the damnabIo slave trade OF the District
81 ol Columbia.
ms But what shall we say of Northern Speaker, tina
u !. ILL. l..
-, pointed committees, who have in their keeping til
tI laws of that District majority of whom are Squeho
~ Gers? We thank God that the representative frul
= this District did not soil his anti-slavery principles
W. voting for any such speaker"
lid Mr. Hamlin has, herhaps, fallen into uerbc
if error, in stating the majority of the commite
of on the District of Columbia to be shareholder
in, Five of the committee are from the free State
no it is true; but the fifth man is Mr.. Fickn, Of !
IL, linois, who, if not quasi stakeholder under til
IN, laws of Illinois, is the most thoroughly devote
M minion Of slavery ever sent to Congress from tn
North, Excepting always Moses Norris Of Ne
Hampshirc,) and ready 10 do for slavery thing
SO mean and unprncipIed, that Shareholders, c
even sIayetraders, would shrink from doing.
How soon has the glory departed from tn
no name of Gen Harrison, that the whole whig pal
he ty do not spring to their arms to prevent so grc
Mr. Gus an outrage to one who had the honor ofser,
net ing him while he occupied the chair ofstate an
Of making his bed in his last sickness!
But, although wing House of representative
has coIdIy laid this case upon the table, tn
stricken wife mourns in her cruel widowhooc
sh. the hapIess slave will soon be tonr for life o
ms' sugar plantation in Louisiana, and voice froI
er lnsulted Heaven warns this guilty nation lest the
trespass too far on the devine forhearance,
ui. hushing up from public notice such iniquites
of these Depend upon it, God will make inqus
i'd ton for blood, unless the land shall purge itsel
a ,n We propose to all the friends ofemancipatio
,aG without distinction of party to make this occu
WI renee the occasion for new, aud concerted, an
i'm. determined effort, at once to brerk up the who
We business of buying and selling slaves in the hi
his trict of Columbia. Let us, from all our neigl
,ed borhoods, send up petitions to Congress, askin
sea them to pass an act prohibiting the selling
its buying ofhuman beings in the District ofColun
Law ba or sending any of the present nhabitan