Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-12-04
A Chance for the Charitable.

Rev. ]. W. Higsinson, in call for funds to
set family of slaves Ot liberty, gives the fol-
lowing touching history. We find it in the
Worcester (Mass.) Spy:
About thirty years since, a certain man cmi-
grated from a town in this State to Augusta,
Georgia. Like many New England men, he
soon became q stakeholder; like many he took
for his mistress one Of his slaves. lie built q
house for her, and visited her frequently. She
was an intelligent woman, was well acquainted
with his business affairs, and had good deal Of
influence over him.
They had four childrcn-threc daughters and
a son. lie supported them, and treated them
as his children; the son was educated for gun
smith, and became quite skilful. These facts
were generally known in the community where
they lived and these statements, in fact, came
from tha, quarter It was commonly supposed,
however, by those who knew tho father, that
he had made a will emancipating his children
and their mother, and leaving his property to
them. The family declared that he intended
coming North very soon, to live here with them.
But he died suddeaiy, (likc st. Clair in Uncle
Tom.) No wW ras found.
So far, it is no uncommon series of events,
under the peculiar institution. But now comes
the startling point. The children and their
mother became, of course, the property Of the
heirs of the fathcr-four distant relatives, re-
siding in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
The Southern ncighbors were touched by the
circumstances of the case, and represented them
to the Northern heirs The children were at
their mercy. What said those heirs They
sold the mother aud children separately, at auction
and divided the proceeds.
Let me, however, be just to them. Three of
the heirs once signed paper libcrating the fam
ily. The fourth, who held his share in right Of
his wife, promised, by his wlcs death bed, to
sign the paper. His wife died, and he then re.
fused. The other heirs yielded, made no at
tempt to redeem the family, and took their
share of the money.
have seen that man whose avaricc thus sem
tenccd to bondage and wrctrhcdncss the chill
dron of Tie individual whose property fell thus
strangely into his hands lie bore the outward
aspect Of a man, but God had written terrible
rotribu,ion upon his shameful lips and down.
cast eye. visited him eighteen months ago,
in company with that slave mother, and new
e7 saw anything more pathetic than the way
that base man cowerd before tho just indigna-
ton of that wronged woman. 1t seemed the
foreshadowing of some terrible Day of Judg-
mrnt when the black race shall rise up before
the Anglo. Saxon, and point the finger of etcr.
nal reproach and say, "Thou art the man !"
Fortunately for this wrctched family, they
were all bought IT auction by ono benevolent
man he bought them in hopes that the heirs
might redeem them; or rather, he bought the
woman another man paid Sl,2jO for the son.
Since then by the noble efforts of the mother
and daughters, (aidcd by ono heir, who advan.
ccd 5000 the SON has been liberated, and is
now in California. But that mother and those
daughters are still in slavery.
An effort is at last being made for tho release
Of these women. OF tho four heirs, ono is
poor, and can pay nothingi another (tho guilt
est) refuses to do anything; another promises
5000; the fourth died some years since, leaving
! SlOO in the hands of a trustee, who is now
poor, and utterly unable to pay it-though it
may possibly be recovered from bondsman.
The family have been allowed by their masters
to accumulate $500 towards their freedom.
And there has been subscribed in the Eeighbor.
hood where the father of these children origina-
ted, about $500. This leaves $500 to be raised
in addition, before tho whole sum of 81 400
cnn be paid unless (Which is improbablc) the
above bequest be recovered,