Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-06-24
F. Communications.
LETTER FROM JOSEPH BARKER.

W learn lronl lne lelteT DelOW, vi
safe arrival in England. Mr.. b. is, as this letter
indicates the hearty foe of slavery of every char
acter, and wherever found whether it be spiritual,
political, or chattel slavery, and whether it be
found on this side the Atlantic or the other, its
hateful identity he every where detects and abhors
and from him it can expect quarter:
BErrEY, Staaordshirc, May 2j, 1854.
My DEAR FRIEND We got safe here on Sat
urday evening, May Goth, ten days after oav-
ing Boston. We had favorable voyage. We had
no storm, no strong headw.nds, no serious acci
dents. What narrow escapes we had, we cannot
tell for much of the time we sailed through
thick mist, which would not allow us to see what
dangers were around US. Indeed, the mist was
itself our only danger, When it cleared away
we found ourselves surrounded by icebergs. On
Sunday, we sailed for several hours along field
of ice, in which were two sailing vessels bound.
We were sick, as q matter of course. We belong
to a class that is always sick at sea, however calm
the may be. Our company was not very agree.
able. Some were too religious to be friendly with
heretcs and too ar;stocratc to be civil to rcpubli
cans. We had Unitarian minister on board but,
though he knew me, he never made himself known
to me, till near the end of our voyage. Even then
he seemed not anxious to talk with me. Perhaps
il was that ! praised Theodore Parker, and placed
him above Claiming We had John Cassil, an
English publisher on board. Him frightened by
singing, in the hearing Of some other passengers,
an antslavcry parody on Uncle Ned Poor mail.
lie is very anti-slavcry when in England; but in
the company of a Stakeholder, lie darcs not utter
word against the blackest abomination on earth
Tho laval suhiprts /f( (unnn Iirtnro 1,Dl,cI ia,
upon with contempt. They were no doubt
the better able and the more disposed to do this,
in consequence of our better clothes being locked
up in our trunks. We were, besides, inconsiAerate
enough to appear before them without rings, jewels,
gold chains, &c. And we had no titles. SO thor
oughly did they dcspisc US, that though three of
party were ladies, they never once offered US
share of any little luxury that was placed on the
table, but divided between themselves whatever
happened to be placed before them. And as they
sat next the head Of the table the prnca dccacies
always came into their midst. Once yentured to
ask certain bits of cake were private property;
and, in reply, received both the cake and little
insolence. l afterward protested gently against
their royal monopoly of oranges, and received
abuse and three poor oranges, not fit for use
A'SA' u'yt oho VI thV POI 'SSoSb mt " manu-
olives that had been placed ut our end of the
table. did so, observing that we had not picked
out all the best. This seemed to touch their
conscences, though it failed to mend their manners
Some of the passengers very agreeable
but they were such as neither feared God nor
honored the king; men with neither divine grace
nor English loyalty in their souls, but only com
mon humanity.
The first piece of news we got, after the pilot
clmc ON board, was, that the Arctic one OF the
Collins line, had run ashore, and been obliged to
return. This received by the English loyalsts
with exultation. A clergyman on board, belong
ing to the English State Church joined the cxu ta-
ton was shocked. But their loyalty, I sup
pose, required the horrible exhibition at their
hands.
We got quietly through the custom-house. The
searcher knew me, and took my word, and passed
my baggage with as little delay and trouble as
possible. Hence we soon got on shore, and were
ready for the first train homewards.
The country is very beautiful, as you know.
But the weather is bad the sun cannot show him
self more than six or eight hours week, and even
thcn.it is no such sun as we have in America But
the country has beauty, which, in its way, is moi
to be surpassed. Its fields its hedges, its trees
with its gentle slopes, and frequent interchange
of hill and dale present So soft, so green, rich
IA scene that nothing excelit. 1t is all the eye
can wish. But you cannot go far without meeting
objects that spoil your pleasures. Before you leave
the small steamer that takes you ashore, you see
addressed men lifting and carrying loads which
'overtax their powers. You have no sooner reached
the wharf, than miserable objects meet your view,
such rs seldom never present themselves in
America. You have first lot of beggars, who
nevertheless, are afraid to beg, lest the police
should drag them to prison. Next come four rag
ged boys, all beseeching you toallow them to brush
and black your shoes, offering to do the job for
single cent rather than not be allowed to do it at
all. You are next distressed by the sight of coarse
neglected creatures, who never had the opportunity
of learning TO read or write, and who have been
cursed with too much work and too little food from
the day Of their birth. Here are old, little cot
tagcs, adding to the beauty af rural scenery; but
the inmates do not own their little habitations.
Allis the property of one man, and the miserable
creatures who live in them, and who create the
beauty and the wealth with which you are sur
rounded arc at the mercy caprice of single
selfish arisocrat. II is for the land owners around
to say, when they shall work, what TINY shall
do and what they shall receive for their work
They are not owned but the land is owned and
they only work on it at the pleasure of the
owners.
We are now taking our walk in tie country, fifty
miles from Liverpool. Here is woman, wheeling
n wheelbarrow along the public road, gathering
manure. Her husband has few yards of garden
ground, and she is seeking the means of ncrcas-
ing its fertility. A little further on is another
woman with basket following the same oceupa-
ton. She cannot afford to buy wheclbarrow.
She carries her burden of manure her head.
Both these poor creatures are miserable objects.
IL il an awful thing that women wives and moth