Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-08-05
MRS. MARGARET DOUGLASS.

We doubt whether any case of oppression in
our country has ever excited more general sympa-
thy and deeper interest, than that of the lady
who heads this article. A SOuthcrncr by BIRTH n
South Carolinian ty education, and resident on
Virginia, she was imprisoned in the common jan
Of Norfolk for the crime of teaching lew hltlc
children to read In ordinary cases of persecution
we generally find some plea for Withholding our
sympathy it was caused, We are apt to say by
the imprudencc of the suffering party or it might
have been avcrted by timely concession; or the
person willingly exposed himself or herself to 1t.
in the case of Mrs. Douglass, no such plea is poss-
ible. She did nothing more than the first ladies
of Norfolk were doing; they taught Sunday
School for the children of the free colored people,
and she, taking two or three of their pupils with
the books already in their hands, permitted her
daughter to teach them. She was not even aware
Of the existence Of any law against it. The ex-
ample Of others, and her own ftrvent riety made
her feed that her daughter was doing something
not only fundamentally, but mcriturious. The
teacher, a maiden Of some seventeen summers,
assembled her pupils in the true missionary spirit.
without thought of conccalmcnt The mother had
no theories to demonsrate--nO social problems to
solve. She had probably never seen an abolition
book, pamphlet, or newspaper. She did not even
suspect that an act promp cd by the purcst benev-
oencc, could be construed into anything offensive
to the peace and dignity of the great State OF Nr-
ginia.
She was destined to be rudely awakened from
her tranquility. Some vigant Shareholder, wish
ing, we suppose to break up the Christ Church
Sunday School for colored children, and afraid to
proceed against the first ladies in Norfolk, who
taught it, selected the pous widow and her daugh-
tor to make atonemcnt for them. Mrs. Douglass,
her daughter and the children were suddenly ar
rested and taken before the Mayor Of Norfolk.
His Honor, after informing Mrs. Douglass of the
existence of law iorbidding the teaching Of col
orcd children to read, whether bond or free dis
missed all the parties. This was OH the 9th day
of May. The school was not resumed, and Mrs
Douglass supposed the whole matter was forgotten,
when more than two months afterward, she re-
ceived summons for herself and daughter to ap-
pear before the Court. As soon as she had recov.
cred from the shock of such an insult and dis
grace, Mrs Douglass resolved to appear without
counsel. She could not imagine that Judge lkcr
some of the members of whose family taught in
the Christ Church colored Sunday School, coult
condemn her; or that the Hon. Tazewell Taylor
the Dixons Southgates, pinkums, Watsons Hunt
ers, and other "frst families" that supplied teach
ers, would not betriend her. She appeared bcfor
the court and plead her own cause. The jury
touched by the aggravated circumstances of tn
prosecution, imposed only the nominal fine of on
-dollar. But the judge, infamous as Jcfreys, foi
getting that near kinswoman of His own mig
have been the cuprit as well Mrs. Douglass
sentenced her to the county Jail for one month
She was poor widow, with none to belrend her
and therefore, proper object of punishment un
der an abominablc law. ..
Mrs. Douglass, since the expiration of an i'm
prisonment almost incredible in the ninctcentl
century has resided in Philadelphia. Her mar
rativc just published by Jewett 4 Co., of Boston
has been laid before us. From it we gather TIL,
above facts. 1t makes a pamphlet Of some sovcnt,
pages. Written with all the warmth of an out
ragged Southern lady, glowing with dramatic inte
rest, descriptive of persons and things in Norfolk
abounding in keen satire and hearty feeling, anC
concluding with an intensely eloquent appeal I,
Southern ladies on certain evils of Southern SO
ciety, it is one Of the most remarkable production
of the American press We predict for it an cx
tensivc circulation in all sections of the Union--
/ IPhHadeLphia Register.