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

But you cannot harm their soul
They will join the forty thousand by and bye.
Come, STAKEHOLDER, come in too,
Ihe Lords got pardon here for you;
You shall join the forty thou sand by and bye.
Come, poor niger, come IN too,
The Lords got pardon here for you
You shall join the forty thou sand by and bye.
My skin is black but my soul is white
And when we get to heaven Wen be all alike;
We shall join the forty thousand by and bye.
That's the way to gorify the Lord"
Scarcely had the cracked voice ceased the
tremulous chant in which these words were ut
tered, when loud alteration commenced; some
crying out veacmertly for the blood Of the while
men, others maintaining that the old mans doc
trine was right. The aged black remained lean
ing on his staff, and mildly replied to every out
burst of fury But Jesus said, do good for
evil" Loud rose the din of excited voices ;;
and the disguised STAKEHOLDER sank deeper into
the shadow,
In the midst of the confusion, an athletic,
gracefully proportoned young man sprong upon
garments, slowly turned round and round before
the assembled multitude. Immediately all was
hushed, for the light Of a dozen torches, eagerly
held up by fierce, revengeful comrades, showed
his back and shoulders deeply gasbed by the
whip, and still oozing with blood In the midst
of that deep silence, he stopped abruptly, and,
with stern brevity exclaimed, Boys shall we
not murder our masters ?"
"Woud you murder all ?" inquired timid
voice at his right hand "They don't all cruel,
ize their slaves"
"There's Mr.. Campbell" pleaded another,
he never had one of his boys hogged in his
life. You wouldn't murder him, would you?"
"Oh, no, no, no." shouted many voices, Z" we
wouldn't murder Mr.. Campbell. He's always
good to colored folks"
"And wouldn't murder n.y master" said one
of MIR. Duncans slaves; "and I'd fight anybody
that set about to murder him. amt going tc
work for him for nothing any longer, if car
help it; but he sha'nt be murdered, for he's O
good master"
: "Call him good master if ye like !" said the
bleeding youth, with bitter sneer in his lool
, and tone. 81 curse the word. The white mel
, tell us God made them our masters l say it wa
t the Devil. When they don't cut up the back
, that bear their burdens; when they throw u
!, enough Of the grain we have raised, to keep u
a strong for another harvest; when they forbea
t to shoot the limbs that toll to make them rich
t there GIe fools who call them good masters :
n Why should they sleep on soft beds, under silke
o curtains, Thiie tOe, Whose labor bought it all, Ii
g on the floor at the threshold, or mserably cole
up In the dirt of our own cabins Why shoul
j l clothe my master in broadcloth and fine liner
t when he knows, and know, that he is my ow
K brother and |, meanwhile, have only this coars
rag to cover my aching shoulders ?" He kicke
> the garment scOrnlully, and added, " Down o
your knees, if ye like, and thank them that yo
are no. Aoggod and shot. Of me they'll lear
: another lesson !"
MIR. Duncan recognized in the speaker the re
. puted son of one of his friends, lately deceased
one OF that numerous class which Southern vic
8 Is thoughtlessly raising up, to be its futur
J scourge and terror.
9 The high, bold forehead, and flashing eye, in
e dcated an intellect too active and daring fo
: servitude; while his fluent speech and appropri
: ate language betrayed the fact that his highl
s educated parent, from some remains of instinct
J. I've feeling, had kept him near his own perso
: during his lifetime, and thus formed his convers
t, alton on another model than the rude jargon c
: slaves.
: His poor ignorant listeners stood spe-boun
n by the magic of superior mind and, at first,
!, seemed as if he might carry the whole meetin
e in favor of his views. But the aged man, lean
+, ing on his oaken staff still mildly spoke of tn
2, meek and blessed Jesus and tho docility {
Is African temperament responded to his gent
"a words
Or Then rose man of middle age, short of staI
ID ure, with quick, roguish eye, and spirit {
ID knowing drollery lurking about his MOUTH
at Rubbing his head in uncouth fashion, he con
ID mcnced:
E. 81 don't know how to speak like Bob, for
never had no chance. He says de devil mad
i white men our masters. Now dat's ting Nv
ID thought on heap. Many time I've axed my
'e self how 'pon airth it was that jlst as sure q
Ill white man and black man come togeder,
'e white man he sure to get he foo! on de bac
d man. Sometimes I tink one ting; den | tin
4 anoder ting; and day all be jumbled up in N
"a head, Jest like seed in de cotton afore he put
v, de gin. AT last find it all out. White ma
at aiCayS git he foot on de black man; no mistaE
in dat. But how he do it I'll show you how
p- Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he toe
s. out q crumped piece of printed paper, al
smoothing it carefully on the palm of his ham
r he struck it significantly with his finger, and e!
m claimed triumphanlly, "Dat's de way dey do il
OF Dey got de knowledge! Now, it'll do no moi
w good to rise agin our masters, dan put de hed
I'd in de fire and pull him out again. and may b
IN you can't pull him out again. When was
no boy, hear an old conjuring woman say ST
could coniure de devil out of anybody as
up her why she don't coniure her massa, den; ar
ed she tell me, 'Oh, nigger neber conjure buckra-
Sc can't do't' But | say niger can conlu
1 buckra. But how he do it? Get dc knowledge
at Dat de way. We make de sleeve wide, and
ny full of de tea and de sugar, ebery time we g
es in massa's closet If we take half SO mut
is, pains to get de knowledge, de white man 500
| take de foot off de black man. Maybe de Bri
ch ish land, and maybe de British no land but te
h vou sons to marry de free woman, dat know ho
us to read and write and tell you gals to mar
nd de free man, dat know how to read and writ
let and den by'm bye, you be de British yOurSelOt
nd You want to know how | manage to get
in knowledge tell you. want right bad