Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-04-10


And see that tyranny is ALWAYS weakness,
Or fear with its own bosom i'll at ease,
Would laugh away in scorn the sand-wove chain,
Which their own blindness fegned for adamant.
Wrong ever builds on qucksandsj but the Right
To the firm centre lays its mOveless base
J. II. LOWELL.
Mr.. Duncan was sitting alone IN his elegantly
furnished parlor, in the vicinity of Charleston,
South Carolina. Before him lay an open vol.
ume, Thierry's History of the Norman Conquest
From the natural kindness of h5 character, ard
democratic theories deeply imbued in childhood,
his thoughts dwelt more with nation Frustrated
and kept in base subjection by the strong
arm of violence, than with the renowned rob-
bers, who seized their rich possession, and
haughtily trampled on their dearest rights.
"And so that bold and beautiful race became
slaves !" thought he. "The brave and free-souled
Harods, strong of heart and strong of arm the
fair-haired Ediths, in their queeny beauty, noble
in soul as well as ancestry they all sank to the
condition of slaves They tamely submitted to
their lot, till their free, bright beauty passed un-
der the cloud of animal duness, and the con-
temptuous Norman epithet of base Saxon churls'
was too significantly true. Yet not without eff
forts did they sink. How often renewed, or how
bravely sustained, we knew not; for Trouba-
dours rarely sing of the defeated, and conquer
ors write their own history. That they did not
rellnquish freedom without struggle, is proved
by Robin Hood and his bold followers, floating
in dim and shadowy glory on the outskirts Of
history brave outlaws of the free forest, and
the wild mountain passes, taking back, in the
very teeth of danger, a precarious subsistence
from the rich possessions that were once their
by the robbers who had beggared them. Doubt
less they had mnstrels of their own unknown
in princely halls, untrumpeted by fame yet
singing of their exploits, in spirit-stirring tones
to hearts burning with a sense of wrong
Troubled must be the sleep of those who rule 0
conquered nation"
These thoughts were passing through his
mind, when dark mulatto opened the door, and
making servile reverence, said, in wheedng
tones, Would massa be SO good as glib a pass
to go to Methodist meeting ?"
Mr.. Duncan was a proverbially indulgent
master; and he at once replied, Yes, Jack
you may have pass but you must mind and
not stay out all night"
"Oh, no, massa Tom neber preach more
than two hours"
Scarcely was the pass written, before another
servant entered with similar request; and pres
emily another; and yet another When these
interruptions ceased, Mr.. Duncan resumed his
book, and quietly read of the oppressed Saxon
until the wish for glass of water induced hin
to ring the bell. No servant obeyed the sum
mons. With an inpatient jerk of the rope, ht
rung second time, muttering to himself, "Wha
a curse it is to be waited upon by slaves! If
were dying, the lazy looms would take their owl
time, and come dragging their heavy heels along
an hour after l was In the land of spirits. Ny
neighbors tell me 1t is because never fog them
| believe they are in the right. 1t is a har
will or no."
A third time he rang the bell more loudly, bu
waited in vain for the sound of coming footsteps
Then it occurred to him that he had gwen on
of his slaves pass to go to the Methodist meet
ing. This was instantly followed by the remem
brance that the same thing had happened fe'
days before.
We we're then at war with Great Britain
and, though Mr.. Duncan often boasted the al
tachment of his slaves and declared them to b
the most contented and happy laborers in tn
world, who would not take their freedom if the
could, yet, by some coincidence of thought, tn
frequency of Methodist meetings immediatcl
suggosed the common report that the BIRTHS
troops were near the coast, and about to land
Charleston. simultaneously came the remen
brance of big boned Dick, who, many montt
, before, had absconded from aneighboring plan
er, and was suspected of holding a rendezvor
for ruDaways in the swampy depths of dal
, ferest. The existence of such gang was il
r dicated by the rapid disappearance of youn
. corn, sweet potatoes, fat hogs, &C., from tt
, plantations for many miles around.
"The black rascal" exclaimed he, if n
/ boys are in league with him"
The coming threat was arrested by a voiC
, within, which, like a chorus from some invisib
Q choir, all at once struck up the lively ballad
Robin Hood and thus brought big-boned DC
like Banquos Ghost, unbidden and unwelcom
into incongruous association with his spontan
GUS sympathy for Saxon serfs, his contempt
h "base Saxon churs," who tamey submitted
e their fate, and his admiration of the bold on
d laws, who lived by plunder in the wild freedo
e of Saxon forests.
/. HIS republican sympathies, and the "syste
It entailed upon him by his ancestors" were OBJ,
y ously out of joint with each other and the SIX
a fullest soldering of casuistry could by no mea
d make them adhere together. Clear as the ton
d of a cathedral bell above the hacks and dra
o of city, the voice Of Reason rose above all Il
g pre;eXts of selishness and the apologies of sop
"a Istly, dHu louuIy PlUCldlneu uldl HIS sympalnl
we're right, and his practice wrong. Had the
been at his elbow some honest John Woolma
{ or fearless Elias Hicks, that hour might perha
e. have seen him freeman, in giving freedom
y his serfs But he was alone and the prejud
es of education, and the habits of his whole Ii
coniured up fearful array of lions in his pat
and he wist not that they were phantoms 7
admonitons of awakened conscience gradua
gave place TO considerations of personal safe
and plans for ascertaning the extent Of his da
h ger.
d. The next morning he asked his slaves W