Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-05-25
CHR Dailp spy.
A Black Hero.

Black Hero.
On the l4lh day of May, the New York Journal
Of Commerce contained reports of the anniversary
meetings Of the moral reform and religious soc'eues
which were being held ia New York, and on the
the same page with those records Of pie,y and re-
ligious ZEAL it printed, without comment,t the follow
ing Illustration of life in the South:
RUNAWAY NEGRO AT BAY.-The FeIiciana
Q.a1 Wing, Of April 29lh has The following On
Saturday last, runaway negro was killed in the
Parish of East Baton Rouge, just below the line Of
this parish, under the following circumstances
Two citizens of Po,t Hudson, learning that a negro
was at work on flat boat, loading with sand just
below that place, who suspected as being rum
away, went down in SkIff for the purpose Of ar
resting him.
Having seized him and put him into The skilf,they
started back, but had not proceeded far when the
negro seized Ratchet aud assaulted one OF them,
wounding hun very seriously. A scufs ensued, in
which both parties fell overheard. They were both
rescued by the citizen pulling TO them IN skia--
Finding him unmanageable, the negro was put
ashore, and the parties returned TO Port Hudson for
arms and pack Of negro dogs, AMI started again
with the intention to capture him. They got
on his trail, aud when found again be standing
at bay upon large raft of drift wood, armed wtha
club and pistol In this position he bade defiance
to men and dUgs-knGckng the latter into the water
with his ciub,anc resolutey threatened death to any
man who approached him. Finding him obstinate
y determined not surrender, oae Of his pursuers
shot him. He fell al the third fire. and 50 deter
mined was he not be captured, that when ei-
iort was made TO rescue him from drowning, he
made battle with his club, and sunk, waving his
weapon IN angry defiance at his rursuers
IL this man had possessed pale face, and II he
had fought iesoluely aud nobly with Aiseriues,
for his Freedom he would have been accounted
hero and martyr by every man on Ills continent;
but, being black, AMI preierrng to die rather than
submit pack Of towards and boudhouuds, he is
regarded,by the commercial and religious press gem
orally, nothing more than an obstinate rebel and
selI-willed tngger." His buld aud dauntess cour.
age, and the immortal love Of liberty which eevat.
ed him into brotherhood with Wallace Tell, Wash
ington, Ho(er, Kossulh, and Mazzini, were comsd-
cred by our Union loving countrymen, in the same
light with the blemishes on a piece Of Merchandise
they spoIlt his market value.
Look at the case through the medium of democ.
racy. A man is suspected, in this model republic, of
being a slave. He is seized by two ctzens, on sus.
picion, and is deprived of his personal liberty He
attacks and discounts his cowardly captors, who
put him on shore, and post OF for baa dogs and hu.
man-dogs to help them to re take him. With ore
pistol and club, this hunted negro beats off the
brutes that howl and bark at him, and with his de.
termned air and single pistol he iightens the posse
Of "free and enlightened citizens" who came 10 cap
ture him. At last they murder him, and he goes
down to death, still boldly defyug shareholders, and
scornng the chains Of slavery.
We are told by certain political and ethical theo-
rists, that the love of liberty an intuition that it
is principle, and that it is an attribute of the hu.
man soul. This negro, then, was oheying the bet
ter impulses of his soul and.ense, when he wished
to be free; his captors were obeying their low lust
Of money when they sought 10 take him.
In the impartial records Of truth, which the an.
gels write, this man, with his damlless heart and
dark skin, is ranked amongst heroes. In what cat
egory could his cowardly white hunters lie placed!