The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-08-23

North Caroline, containing several shor,
lyrical compositions, BY George, slave q.
james Horton, Of Chatham county, North
Carolina. The publication was made BY
some benevolent citizens Of Raleigh, for
the purpose Of calling attention to the au-
thor, and to awaken feeling in bis behalt,
which might enable them 10 ell up q sub.
scription Tor purchasing his freedom. In
the preface they say:
"None will imagine il possible that pic.
ces produced rs these have been, should be
FREQ from Flemish in composition or taste.
Tho author is now ,hirty-.wo years Of age,
and has always laborcd in the field on his
masters farm, promise aously with tho few
others which Mr.. Horton owns, in circum-
stances Of the greatest possible simplicity.
Ills master Gays he knew nothing Of his
poetry, but AZ he heard il from others
George knows how IL read, and is now
learning TO write. All his pieces are writ
ten down BY others; aud his reading, which
10 done at night, aud ut the usual intervals
allowed 10 slaves, has been much employed
on poetry, such Al he could procure-this
being the species of composition most in.
teresting 10 him. |, is thought best to
print his productions without correction,
that the mind IT the reader may be in no
uncertainty ns to the originality aud genu-
iucncss 81 every pnr,. We shall conclude
this account Of George with an assurance
that he has been ever faithful, honest,
aud industrious slave. That his heart hns
felt deeply aud sensi,ively in this lowest
possible condition Of human nature, will
easily he believed, and is impressively con.
iirmed by one of his sinnzas:
t'Comc, melting PITY, from afar,
And break this vast enormous bar
Between a wretch and thee:
Purchase few short days Of time,
Aud bid a vassal soar sublime,
On wings Of liberty"
The pieces in this little collection indi-
cate genius Of no common order. Conned
in tho midst Of the squalid misery and de-
grading associations of tho STARE quarters
Al hours snatchcd from the intervals ii res,
permitted 10 the weary field hand, or while
working with his comrades in the corn6eds
Of his master, by one who could only, by
the piicb-lisht Of his cabin fire, with ditli-
Guilty read the few books which fell into his
hands, they certainly mcri, an honorable
place among the 'Curo-iiies 81 Literature
Compared with the earliest productions Of
the Eurick Shepherd, which sre ia print,
they by no nesns sink in the rcadcr's csii
nation. Take the following. from the
piece ON Creation ms an example, "a ta-
vornh,e one, ii il trnc) Of the felicity u cx-
preston and vigor of thought, which char
ncterizo the slave poet
"When each revolving wheel,
Assumed lis sphere sublime,
Submissive earth then heard the peal,
And struck the march Of Time.
ssTho march IN Heaven begun,
And splendor filled the skics,
When Wisdom babe tho morning sun
With JOY from Chaos rise.
1.-THE angels heard the tune
Throughout creation ring:
They selxed ,h. ir golden harps full soon,
And touched on every string.
"When Time and Space were young,
The music rolled along
The morning s,srs together sung,
And Heaven was drown'd in song"
l. there not something Of tho divine a6ra-
tus here manifested? The wind blowcih
where il lis,eth. Something Of that inspi-
ration Of genius which enabled Haydn, TO
hear the choral harmonies Of tho sCrea-
iion'-,he songs Of the morning stars and
the rejoicing Of the sons Of God-secms to
have struggled in the breast Of the poor ne
gro rhymes. Surely there il . spirit in
man, aud tho inspiration Of the Almighty
givcth him understanding Even in the
slave, cast down from the position which,
God assigned him, bearded with beasis, and
classcd with the wares Of the merchaot-
degraded, abject. and despised-Nalure re-
cognises her lord, although crownless aud
dethr"ned. and ministers TO him in tho or
gan sounds Of the pines which skirt his
task field. in the sunset glory which burns
upon HE hnmeward path, aud in the stars
which shine dawn upon his humble cabin.
], 10 no. even in the power Of Slavery to
wholly unmake The divincst work Of Crca-
iion--the chatiel which il lifts upon the
auction block is but the mutilsled and dis
figured imnee Of God.
Tho following pathetic verses on the
death of young slave girl named Rebec-
ca, are worthy = place with the best pro-
auctions IL the gifted slave poet Of Cuba,
,he martyr oi Freedom, Juan Placido.-
There is something deeply affecting in this
dirxc for . slave, BY slavc. How bright
and beautiful does even tho grave seem to
him who rejoices that through ito portals
the spirit of his sister has passed into the
glorious liberty Of The children II God,
where ihe servant IL FREQ from tho master,
and The wicked cease from troubling!
81 view thee now launched on Essrnity's ocean,
Thy soul, how il smes a. il floats on the waves
II rmiIee NJ il filled with the e1ftest emotion,