The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-01
REMARKABLE SCENE IN THE MAsSACHU-
SETS LEGISLATURE.

REMARKABLE SCENE IN THE MASSACHU-
SETS LEGISLATURE.
A Shareholder and a Fugitive Stare Confront
| ed-TheT Speeches about Slavery.
| BosToN, Feb. 10, 1855.
| The Representatives Hall was the scene, on
last Tuesday afternoon, of a remarkable spec
tacle. The occasion was hearing, before the
Committee on Federal Relations, of parties in
terested in the passage of personal liberty bill.
| Mr. Wendell Phillips opened the discussion in
temperate language, and was followed by two
Boston lawyers, who spoke eloquently and to
the point. AS the last of these concluded, the
chairman Of the Committee announced that he
| was informed that STAKEHOLDER, and owner of
| fifty slaves, was present, and that they should
| be glad to extend to him the courtesy of a
hearing, if he desired to say anything on the
subject
.Thereupon all eyes were turned eagerly upon
a thin, swarthy man, of perhaps thirty-fve or
| forty years of age, who arose and stepped for
ward to the Committees table. He bowed to
| the Chairman, and commenced in rather low
tone, when the audience with simultaneous
movement, hocked towards the speaker, and
seated themselves rs near as possible. He APP
| peared embarrassed, and indeed acknowledged
| that he was g kind o skeered." Chat was his
|
| left home he did not expect to come to Boston.
much less to find himself speaking in the Legis-
lature of the State. He thanked the Committee
| for the privilege, and Immediately began upon
| the old story of the happy condition of The
Slaves, as compared with the poorer classes of
the North stated that his slaves had six pounds
Of meat per week, with hominy, rice, &c, and
lived about as well as himself; that great pro-
gress was now making in the religious educa-
ton and privileges of the slaves that there
were many slave preachers, who were allowed
to preach, standing side by side with the mis-
sionaries' that the slaves had no responsibility
and no thought-"w do their thinking for
| them"
ave cannot blame you," said he, q for pro-
tecting them when they come among you, ap-
plause i but there's no use in agitating the
subject of abolition. Things are not ripe for
that yet. What could you do with the slaves ?
You don't want them in Massachusetts,; they
don't want them in New York. You had much
better use the zeal you are spending in this
matter, In providing way to keeping out the
foreign emigrants A sop for the Know Moth
| ings. Now, | was born in the free state of
Pennsylvania, and raised in Ohio. And half
of all the slaves ever bought, bought to rescue
them from cruel treatment on other planta-
tons. Hearty appause.-So one man has
twenty-five slaves, out of fifty, that have been
treated unkindly and cruelty.
at is a mistake and SANDER to say that
slaves are treated unkindy as a general thing.
Now, if any of my slaves run away, and come to
| Boston, you are welcome to keep them but
| they won't come-they would not make the
exchange. The old story. But if you want
abolition, give me forty per cent of the market
value of the slaves in the United States, and
will free and deliver them all to you. The
Sonth-tAat is, the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and adj
NIT that slavery is great evil. Applause, and
EXPLANATIONS Of ooh oh I You judge of the
| slaves by the specimens you see here. But /
tell you that them that runs d,ody Is the tcorst
| Of the lot,' and much more TO alike effect.
When, after having spoken some ffteen min
utes, he concluded somewhat in the following
terms "Now, I'm some skeered like, and l
don't want to take up much of your time" go
on, sir, we are happy to hear you as long as you
desire" from the Chairman. "Now, I'm willing
to meet any man single handed on this subject,
and l think can convince him. l thank you,
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen, for the privilege
of addressing you"
| On his resuming his seat, the Chairman arose
and said: "There is an uneducated colored
| man, fugitive slave, present, who has ex-
pressed wish to answer the gentleman who has
| Just spoken" And in the midst of applause,
Lewis Hayden, merchant tailor, well known
| in this city, stepped forward. He was neatly
and addressed. He has a fine head, inside
and out, and he proceeded, as nearly as / can
remember, in these terms: 81 am happy to
have heard the brother who has just spoken I;
| l say BROTHER though l suppose he don't
claim any relationship to me. A laugh. He
says the runaway negroes are the worst part of
slaves. You have most of you, seen, Fred.
Douglas and some others Of US; and if we are
| the worst part, you can form some idea what
| the balance are who remain in slavery.
| "He saws the masters think for the slaves,
| and speaks of this fact as blessing to us.
Why, Mr.. Chairman, the severest fogging |
| ever had was for telling my master / thought
| He had ordered me to do something which /
| thought was mistake, and l did not do it. He
| asked me why l didn't do as | was bid. re-
piled that thought it had better not be done,
| or to that effect. He rejoined, chad no bust
ness to think and logged me. Another time
| l omitted to do something which was no part of
nv duty, and which was not ordered to do,
and the omission caused some mischief. My.
master said; why didn't you do it?' l replied,
| Il didn't think it was to be done He reloined,
| 'Why didn't you think and fogged me.
"When think of their mode of dealing with
us, am reminded of the old Irishman who
wanted an excuse for beating his wife /; and, as
he was riding homeward on his old mare, he
said to himself: 'Tll ak her, did she feed the
old haste and if she says no, I'll tell her, why
didn't We feed the old crittur? and III put the
strap ontl her; but may be she'll say, "yes,
did feed her." and I'll say, "and why in the
dis name did you feed herr" and I'll blather
her for that A laugh The gentleman
speaks of the religious privileges and the gos-
pei we enjoy. Yes-the missionary and the
slave priest stand up side by side, and say,
Servants, obey your masters and such like
gospel is all we hear. But as soon as slave
begins to feel himself near a man, he wants
free gospel.
"The gentleman tells ps that America is not
L for I'll and raufs fho bic