Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-04-20
Sketch of The Slave Trade.

Sketch of The Slave Trade.
The peculiar practical importance al the
present time, of every reliable testimony 10
The character Of the Slave traffic in the Dis
trlct of Columbia, prompts us 10 republish a
sketch Of il by J. NJ. McKim, which origi-
nally appeared in the Emancipalor. Though
written eleven years ago, it is, probably, as
true a picture Of that internal trade now as
thfn' ana in the present aspect of the Slavery
question, it will be read with a fresh inter-
est. After describing his journey from Har-
risDntg TO Baltimore the writer continues
We arrived at Baltimore that evening,
and at Q o'clock the next morning set out for
Washington. AS the country through which
we passed is very barren and devoid Of in
teresi, ! threw myself into a seat beside the
stove OF the car, and gave myself up 10 my
" reflections. From these | was not arou-
sed until we reached a stopping place, about
IL miles from this city. Here, as | was get
ting out OF the car, a man opened the door Of
a baggage car which was next before ours,
and was urging in a colored lad-'come, get
in-hurry away-get in' Then another was
brought and put inland another in the same
way. Then came the mother, with an infant
jill itl DOSOll-lhb ltdlS HOuIlHU over HtT
cheeks, and sobbing as though her heart was
broken. Last of all came the sad locking
father with his youngest boy =; they entered
the car with the rest, and the white man, first
mentioned, who, it appeared, was the pur
| cASs, along with them, when the cars star
Ted, the colored people left behind (~slaves,
suppose) came 10 The door, and kept bowling
farewell until we got out Of sight. As we
passed a field in which some hands were a
work, the poor fellow just now spoken Of a:
the father looked ont and in the most touch
ing manner cried 'fGreUeH! farctreHr ad'
ding with a kind of melancholy satisfaction
IRE got my whole family wiM m E = | turn
ed away from the sad scene. II this is the
pain, thought ! inflicted by the traffic, where
family ties are left unbToken, hat must be
The agony Of the poor victims, where these
lies are ruthlessly sundercd As such re-
Elections were rushing upon my mind, was
joined by the friend, with whom | had the
dispute the day before, and who had berated
the abolitionists without mercy there Mr.
McKim, there's a case for yOu.' Yes, said
a case for YOU too, Mr.. What dc
you think Of it! 'Oh, it's too bad, its lar
rid,' said he, 'its DIABOLiCAL.' And hav
ing thus begun, he continued TO assert hi:
adherence Of The system of slavery in term:
that would have been regarded as very de-
nunciatoTy, if found in the columns Of The
Liberator. Our conversation was at length
interrupted by our arrival at the city depot.
took lodgings at private boarding house
and with as little delay as possible, FASTENED
10 the Capitol. Soon after ! got to the
House, Mr.. Adams took the floor in con
%tinuance of a speech begun on a former oc
casion, on our relations with Mexico. Ht
was animal verling in severe terms upon thu
conduct of the administration, in taking
hostile attitude towards that government
when he was interrupted with the annuncia
lion that The hour had arrived for the : orde
of the day. This was a question which wa
producing much excitement among party pc
l~iticians, but which possessed no interest 70
me-further than it served TO elicit eXhib'
5 items of the mental powers of distinguish
members Of the House, with whose name
= the nation is familiar. Thus went by III
! day.
The next morning, in pursuance Of ii
! main object of my visit 10 this place, | b
: out for w. II. Williams SiaUe Jactory.
= was a matter of some doubt 10 me, as | we
7 along, whether | should get in. ] had bee
: told that if | wanted TO get admiitance
C must let on that | wanted to buy slaves
= This, of course, | could not do: but ma,
n up my mind to be perfectly candid, and pTa
tice no kind of deception. inquired for /
place and was directed 10 il by a color
man and by The way you reed never be a
j. loss 10 find That house, while there is a c
d lored man in Washington 10 inquire Of.
!, was in 9Th street, between Pennsylvania a.
Maryland avenues, not far from the centre
- the city. and within a short distance of t
stars and stripes Of the capitol. Ills a lar
but lonely and desolate looking house.
raped at the door, which, after waiting SOL
time, was opened by a stout, thickset ma
dressed in a pea jacket-coat and fur cap, vi
large whiskers and stern countensnce.
Mr.. Williams at homel No sir, he is
Natchez.' Have you any negroes now
3 hand = yes, sir, We have a few; walk II
a | don't wish TO purchase any merely wi
8 10 see your establishmenl-if you have
" objection None at all, walk in sir, N
o Williams is now residing in Natchez-l a
7, here as his agent. We have very few slav
for sale Of our own-most that are here b
long 10 other people, While thus talkin
D, he took me in and handed me a seat. An