Washington telegraph., 1853-05-18
The Underground Rail Road. -

The Underground Rail Road.
Our readers, at least some of them, know
what an underground railroad means.
when the term i used in abolition quarters
| 1t is an association Of abolitionists. whose
| first business is TO steal, or cause TO be sto-
len, seduced or inveigled, on promises Of
the fairest and most alluripg character
which are never fulfilled or realized-slayes
from Southern plantations. and when they
reach the borders Of the free States. to for
ward them to Canada, with the utmost Sc
cresy and dispatch. They have regular
runners, forwarders and agents transact
business Systematically hurry the poor
negro from the genial cline he is accustom-
ed to, to the icy regions Of Queen Victoria's
Northern possessions, with railroad speed.
and with little risk of detention or reeapture.
The " Underground Railroad Company !"
use many lines in the North. They pene-
trate New York, and the Eastern States,
run through Pennsylvania, and traverse
Ohio, ii all directions. Owing to long ex-
perlence, and to willing hearts, the agents
are admirable adopts at their business To
seduce negro from a comfortable home.
where be has never known the approach Of
want; to steal him from an indulccnt and
provident master to carry him to a cold
strange, and uncongenial country, and there
leave him to shift for himself. and starye.
freeze. and die, in glorious frecdon. affords
them huge and unmixed delight the rob
bing Of the SoutherDer, however, appears 70
give them intense joy. so much so, that one
would be led to think they could subsist On
fraud, 90 to sleep on thievery, clothe them
selves with robbcries as a mantle. and get
down on their knees and thank the powers
Of inlamy that they were natural born fel-
ons. The starving. dissipated, unhappy,
and miserable, free negroes around them.
receive not the slightest attention at their
hands. They arc free,-that is sufficient,
free to suffer from want; free to die from
inattention; and free to fill paupers graves
when they do die Abolition efforts are
alone directed to the making of the slave
free, without fitting or assisting him to earn
living when he does become free. The
consequence is that they wiiher under the
curse Of freedom, live miserable lives, are
nuisance to themselves and the community,
and when they depart this life are buried at
the expense vf the public. The history of
the lives and deaths, and present condition
Of nineteen-twentisths of the runaway ne
groes in the North and in Canada fully sus-
tain and confirm these facts
The underground railroad" " however,
appears 10 be doing brisk business. iudc-
ing from the following notice from the n. Y.
Tribune:
The New York Branch of the Under
ground Railroad has Just elected a new
Board Of Dlrcctefsg and. as We understand,
is doing an extensive business in the for
warding line. 1t said that since the first Of
January 1858, no less than sixty-fve pas
sengers have been transported over this
branch Of the road. and that thirteen took
passage for the north in one train last week.
We sec it stated that the business Of this
road is confined exclusively to the passenger
traffic, that the trains are Express afr ran
in northwardly direction, and issue no re-
return tickets This last circumstance ari-
ses from an indspoSition on TIE part Of the
Company to enter into frzatless competi-
tion with the powerful Southern line, sup
ported by the Government and the Union
Safety Committee"
The srorthy Treasurer Of this Company.
that was, met with nishap year or 50
ago. He bad. in the pursuit Of his piiops
avccationsr forged names and appropriated
moneys. for which vandal court sentenced
him to couple Of years in the penitentiary,
We have no doubt he was just as honest as
any Of the other partners. y. 0. Bm.