Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-04-22
SLAVERY MERELY NOMINAL
A clicl 3 nmang them takin' notes,
An faith he'll prent IT,"


The City Hotel was brilliantly illuminated
From the bow-windows Of its magnificent parlours
and the curtained easements of its luxurious bou-
doir streamed floods of light, vieng with the mel
low radiance Of the moon, and bathed In whose
united beams the marble pillars that surrounded
the building cleaning out like sheeted sentnels
from the deep shadows of the vcTandah. Within
all was revelry and mrth. Fairy forms, rendered
more bewitchng by the ailuent surroundings which
lavished art bcstows, 1oatcd through the may
dance, followed by admiring eyes Enchanting
strains of music intoxicated the ear. The glare of
gas-lghts, the blaze of jewels the fash of bright
eyes, the ruby wne-cup, the dreamy waltz, all con
sprcd to engulf their votaries in delirous whir
OF wild and madeniug excitement. Suddenly their
mirth was checked by tremendous crash directly
beneath. All started, but u moment after had re-
gained their cOmpOsure, and the dancers were
about resuming their giddy pleasure, when again
the same sound saluted their ears. Crash after
crash succeeded each other with such dcafening
rapdity that the bravest turned pale, and all has
tened with one accord iostlng and hurrying each
other along in the direction Of the uproar. With
rush Of velocity that increased every moment as
the din continued, the excited and frightened mass
bore down upon the broad door Of the dininghall
with such force that it instantly yielded to their
united weight, and they were AZ once ushered into
a scene of confusion that was indcScriIablc In
the centre of the room, upon side Of the table,
which was covered with an indisGnguishallo mass
of splendid plate and cutlery, stood the figure OF
their choieric host, his face heated to white heat
with desperate rage and his hands uplifted in the
act of dashng an armful of crocsery at the per
sons Of his unresisting slaves, who stood around
the room, cut, bruised and bleeding from wounds
already received. One glance he bestowed upon
the crowded entrance; and then, with all the force
of his passion-nerycd arm, let fly his dangerous
missiles in every direction. One poor fellow had
the sharp, jagged end o. broken goblet driven in
to his eye while another. who stood by him. and
whose own left hand was 50 nearly severed that it
hung but by the skin, rendered his assistance in
Withdrawing the cruel dart. Instantly the tigcr-
like eye of the outraged oppressor esped the ac-
ton; and fixing upon 1t ms new cause of ven
geance against one whom he had long endcayoured
in vain to break down from the Independent man
into the servile brute with look Of fendsh cx-
ultation, us much as to say Your time has come
now," he seized carving-knife which Law glitter
ing upon the board, and with frantic bound, leap
ing cacr the table to the very side of his vic
tim, shouted in vehement tones, he fairly shook
with the intensity Of his anger, I've got you now,
and, damn you, I'll make an end Of you'll"
With an erect brow, and spirit calm with the
calmness Of that despair which has borne until life
and flesh are yalueless, the poor the ignorant,
dOwn-trodden slave stood firmly confronting his
master. With ono movement Of his remaining
hand he tore open his shirt, and barred his broad,
beating bosom to the knife of the murderer, saving
"Well, kiU me if you want to; Pye worse than
died thousand times!" Fascinated by the fixed
ness Of that stony gaze, and the strange quiet
of the bitter tones that accompanied it, the
arm of the tyrant seemed stayed as by hand
writing on the wall and who knows whether upon
that throbbing human breast, he might not have
read, in syllnbes of fire, vengeance is mime saith
the Lord " for, with muttered oath Of apology,
aud future revenge, he dropped the weapon, and
once more his bondman stood forth debtor to him
for the welcome gift of life Oh how many times
as he left his hated presence he wished he lad
killed him How often in the depth of his anguish
he had prayed that some random blow trould re-
lease him from life, and life's bitter wrongs But
one cannot die when one would aud, like many
another of his ill-ated race, he must go ON endu-
ring and enduring, far beyond that point which, in
Saxon codes Of honor, is deemed virtue. The
immediate cause of the last shameless act of his
masters lay in the fact, that, during the bustle
confusion, and carelessness always prevalent at
such places upon festival occasions some borrowed
table-furniture had been injured to a considerable
extent. That the servants were the offenders and
that they must be punished was the single thought
Of the furious landlord he drove his frightened
slaves into the dining apartment, and commenced
his frantic assault upon them. Dennis knew that
from this time his chains would be douby CALLING. !
And it was so. Every trihe was made the subject
and occasion of some petty act Of tyranny, always
resulting in the same dark, menancing look, which
seemed to say, I'll have you yet!"' The time
soon arrived. With but one hand to perform the
labor ot two, his task was sometimes barely com
Pleted when the nightly rounds of his yigilant mas
ter We're made. Hetbeing universal fayorite with
his ieow-seryants, hewas often privately assisted
by them and thus with the greatest diligence he |
was for while enabled to ward off the coming
wrath. But his day of doom came, and he stood |
alone and unirieaded before the exultng eye of his
malignant overseer. The latter was never unpre-
pared for such events and raising his heavy riding
whip in one hand while he deliberately cooked a
pistol in the other, howed out, Now, you damned
niger, stir one inch from this spot, before give
you such thrashing as no mortal ever had, and
you are dead mani" Instinctiyely, as he saw
the deadly weapon aimed at his heart, Dennis at
tempted to fly. But there was no chance with the
heartless miscreant in whose power he was; and
before he could reach the door, ball entered his
side, and, with one heavy groan, he fell headlong
upon the floor. One week from that night, just at II
days delirium. He knew that, like the glorious
orb upon which he gazed the sun of his life was
fast sinking into darkness; and at that solemn