Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-07-03
A Shareholders Letter to his
Escaped Slave,

- law S-AAOASASA ACbCC4 10 Ills
Escaped Slave,
There is in Manchester, England, SAYS the
Manchester Examiner coiored man who. some
years since escaped from serVitude in MARYLAND,
and settled in Pennsylvania. There he found
employment, maintained himself respectfully,
and was enabled in the course of few years to
lay by enough OF his earnings to purchase cot
tage. But the passage of the Fugitive Slave
Law brought sorrow and trouble to his door, as
1t has to hundreds of homes in all of the North
ern States. He was threatened with arrest
and fed, leaving behind him wife and an aged
mother.
he found his way to Manchester, and is there
also earning decent livelihood but being anx-
lous to rejoin his wife and mother, and knowing
that he could better his circumstances if permit
ted to return home, he opened correspondence
with his former master that he might purchase
the privilege of again living in his own country
without being liable to be reduced again to
slavery under the infamous Constitution and
Law of the Union. The EGam,ner publishes
the letter of the slave owner in reply TO the APP
plication and Offer of his former bondman, and
we do not rccollect to have seen lately more
proof evidence of how completely the sense of
justice and mercy is absolutely obliterated from
the mind of stakeholder where a slave is con.
cerned. Such letter might strike one at first
as the very height of cool impudence, and dis
regard of the rights of human being amount
ing to wilful atrocity But in truth it is not so.
This man, we have no doubt, would scorn to
pick a white mans pocket we dare say he is
not in the habit of beating his wife, or his grown
up daughters if has any he probably would
not hang up two cats together by the tail, nor
starve horse to death for punishment, or skin
any warm blooded animal alive for his amuse-
ment. Yet we see he is anxious to rob this
poor fellow, and AYERS his determination to stop
at nothing to effect that object and we are do
ing him no sort Of injustice in presuming that
he would gladly stand by and see Benjamin
Chisly scourged till he stood in pool of his
own blood, aud that no feeling of compunct ton
would ever visit the nsensible heart of the slave
holder if he separate, as he wishes to do. this I'M
offending man forever from the wife of his bo-
som and the mother that bore him. That man
can be made thus towards his felow-man is the
feature of Slavery that most appas us. Here
is the letter:
PRINcE FREDERICK ISLAND, April ID, 1851.
"Mr. Benjamin C. Chisley. Sir: have the
honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favor
of the 18th ult must confess that | do moi
know which feeling predomlnated-surprise Oh
qualification. As strange as it may appear tC
you, was grateful to hear from you at all and
moro to see that you had some respect for the
country you have left. have no doubt but
you feel wish to live in the country of your
birth. Though your lot was cast, as many o.
your color has been, lin slavery it is true thai
for nearly seven years you have enjoyed a de.
gree of freedom which would now, no doubt
make servtude irksome but you must confess
that your mind has not been free from apprehen
sons that you might be caught and brough
again to service, and especially since the pass
ing of the Fugitive Slave Bill by the Congress
of the United States, and the treaty entered int
between Great Britain and the United States T.
deliver up any person that may owe allegianc
to the other country. But to come TO particu
lars, your letter was written for the ostcnsbl
purpose of offering me q sum Of money for you
freedom, which, if granted, would relieve you
mind from further misapprehensions. The sur
you offer is sixteen pounds English money (abou
&C dollars) just about the sum you. would hay
for one year. The reason you assign for offerin
me that amount is, that 1t is as much as you ca
save for that purpose; that you only get fiji
teen shillings week. Nov surprising you ha
been in England, and receiving that amount rror
the time you left me, would you not be able t
offer or pay more than that sum? You hav
been gone for seven years next July, and hav
been in this country up to last summer, for
heard 6 gentleman say that knew you well, tina
he saw you in Boston about that time and fron
what know of your industrious habits and econ
omy, know that instead of &C odd dollars
which yor offer as the amount you are able t
pay, you are able TO pay thousand dollars fol
| your freedom if | were to ask it. do not as
that amount, however, but do ask five hundre
dollars, and that to be paid before | ever sig
any papers that will guarantee to you what yol
want; and for that purpose, have declared tina
| you may, if you choose, come to the Unltc'
States for the purpose of making arrangement
TO raBc the money, or of paying it yourself
which know yon have but if you have not thu
money yourself, know that you can raise it il
Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, in tire,
days, and that you may then send an agent t.
Baltimore, whom | will meet if addressed il
time to do so, on any day that he may apo in
and will then and there execute deed of man
omission or bill of sale, as you may desire, witt
this condition, that you are not TO come to Ma
ryland which need not make, as the laws O
Maryland forbid free persons of color from com
ing into the State from other States to live
This privilege of coming to the United States
without my interfering with you, most solemn
ly declare / will extend to you, if you choose tC
accept of it, until June, and will extend it to Ju
lyif you wish it for the purpose of affording you
ample time for raising the money, but not long
er. This arrangement, if you choose to accep
it, will forever release your mind from further
apprehensions and | most sincerely declare
that will, on my part, perform the above con
ditions; but should you not accept of this my
proposition, then am sure you will not think
hard of me when assure you will accept O
no other, and will use my best exertlons to bring
you to servitude again. | would say, however
in conclusion, that if you would like to return
home to live, will forget and forgive the past
and treat you kindly as know how but mus
say, that prefer the proposition | have made
you above.
"Yours most Respectfully,
"ROBT. w. ROE.
"P. s. You will be kind enough to answer
this, and let me know your intentions in regard