Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-02-07
From the New York Evangelist.
The Fugitive Slave Law.

have recently become acquainted with
some facts in reference TO the operation Of
the Fugitive Slave Law, which are sufficient
| ly interesting and important 10 be mnde pub
| lie. For obvious reasons i must omit the
names of places. The facts may be relied
| upon.
| In one of the cities of New England,
there is n small Baptist church of colored
people. IL consists of 100 members. or
these go had escaped from Southern bond-
Oge, and were couscquetly on the list OF the
prescribed 10y the Fugitive Slave Law. The
old law had become dead letter. Uncon-
scious of danger they were pursusng, indus
trously aud cheertiIlly, their several avoca-
tious, when this dreadful edict WINS anuounc-
cd. The panic was terrible. Fa'hers were
ia danger at being torn from their wives and
their children. Mothers were liable, at any
momont, TO he hurried away from their fami-
lies. As il is the law of slavery, tint tho
child is to follow the womb which bore il, tho
children of these mothers, born OF free faith
ers, baptized in free churches, and educated
in free schools were liable at any time to be
manuclcd aud sold TO Southern tasknasters.
In CONSERVATION the little church met, and
with prayers aud tears implored the 0id OF
| God.
| The slave-hunter was immediately nfter
them. Writs were ont for their arrest
They troubled Ivy day and by night. They
dared not appear in the street. They dared
not enter the shop They dared not 90 forth
, to labor. They hid in garrets and cellars
Aflcctionate daughters conveyed food to the
father, whom the slave-hunier, like blood
hound, was tracking out. The church, poor
, aud feeble as il was, raised $500 TO aid their
helplessness and terror. The alternative be-
fore the victims was terrible They must
either be dragged back into slavery; or aban-
doning their families exile themselves alone,
! in poverty aud iiiendlcssncss, in Canada (;
or selling out, at any sacrifice, all their little
concerns trudge their weary way, with their
and their little ones, TO the cold North, where
there wns 10 home TO receive them, no
friends TO greet them, and where perhaps
starvation was 10 be their LOT. But any doom
was preferable to the doom Of slavery.
Nearly all these persons, whose only crime
is tha, they love liberty, have fled from the
stars and stripes of our free republic, TO find
protection beneath the banner of monarchi-
cal England. Some escaped in vessels TO
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Some
have toiled along on foot through the drift
ing SHOWS TO Canada. Some selling their
little all, and aided by the contributions of
their Christian friends have taken The rail-
cars with their children, and escaped to tho
free soil of Queen Victoria. Some yet re-
main. They hope that the opposition which
has been manifested towards the law, that
the warm dcuunciation which Il has encorln-
tered from 30 many generous hearts, may dis
suade the slave hunter from attempting TO
modest them. But they live in constant ter
, ror Every now aud then there is u rnmor,
: that their dreaded ioe has heen seen proving
about their dwellings, looking with evil eye
upon their children. The announcement
, sends the blood rushing back upon the iain,-
" ing hearts.
No pen can describe the sufferings which
p have been and still are endured. They fee
that in the darkest night of despotism, q
more tyranncal edict never crushed human
a hearts. Those who have escaped into Sibe
> rinn exile, have encountered fate almost
MS deporable as that of those who are left
behind. The friends they love, and whose
sympathies they prize, they have lost iorev-
IS or. The church where they loved 10 meet
n to sing aud TO pray finding solace for the
Y, woes of life in the anticipation OF immortal
Z, blessedness, they can never enter more
Those warm homes, where they enjoyed
n that social companionship which the ntfec
, ionute race love SO well, they have exchang
,e ed for loneliness, poverty aud suffering.
Is not law, of which this is not its exag
gerated, but natural operation, disgrace Tc
y the age, aud teniod disgrace TO the coun
~ try which tolerates il? Is it not expecting
too much even of fallen human nature, to
IS think that Christians and patriots can con-
II template il with silent complacency? There
f is God of Justice He will cause even the
J. wrath of man to praise him. But his ear
will not forever be closed TO the cry of the
:. oppressed. JOHN D " ABBOTT
: brunswick, Me-, jan. 1852.