Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-12-04
The Underground Railroad.

Not the least important of all the great
railroad enterprises which are rapidly. but
almost imperceptibly, effecting great changes
in the condition Of the country and in the social
and political relations OF the States toward each
other, is that mysterious organization called
the Underground Railroad" As Its managers
publish an annual or quarterly statement of
its operations, and its stock not being recog-
nized by the bulls and bears Of Wall-street, 1t
is not half so much talked about as many other
roads which are not, in truth, of half SO much
importance.
Who is the president Of the underground
railroad, who its secretary, and who compose
its board of managers, what is the value OF the
stock, or the actual extent of its operations, we
do not know, and have no means of learning.
We only know that it confines itself solely 10
the passenger business, that, whatever may be
thought OF its character, it was never doing
better than at present, as we are assured, and
that its operations must be much more sensibly
felt and appreciated in the slave States which
border on free territory than they can be here.
The silent operations Of the "undergrouud
road" must, in time, tell with powerful effect
in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Ken
lucky, and render the peculiar Institution in
those States so Improbable that it will hardly
be worth preserving, for, since this subter-
ranean arrangement for the conveyance of that
peculiar kind of property, which has the power
of walking off with itself, was established,
'stampedes have become more frequent than
ever, and the border counties of the slave
States are fast losing their laboring population.
We happened, by the merest accident a short
time ago, to drop in upon the depot of the
Subterraneal Road, not having any suspicion
of the uses to which it was put; and seeing a
slot OF likely young negroes" sitting there,
who looked as though they had but recently
come from a plantation, we inquired who and
what they were, and found that they had Just
arrived by the Underground Road, and were
only stopping a few hours for refreshment.
They were a fine, hearty.looking set Of men.
very black, and seemingly well pleased with
their prospects. We questioned them as to
the manner in which they found their way, and
how they came to know there was such an in
~stitution as that which had enabled them to
escape from bondage; but they were not
disposed to be communicative Some of them
were from Virginia, some from MARYLAND, and
one from North Carolina. One Of The men, a
very intelligent,looking mulatto, said that he
had Just been sold for $1,000, and not liking
his new master, he thought he would try to
take care Of himself. One of the women was
very sad at the thought Of the little child she
had left behind, and planned a scheme for
going back to "fotch him.
We were informed that The weekly arrivals
by the Underground Road, ut this season of
the year, average eight to ten persons, now
and then one of their number being a woman
with an infant. A short time since there
arrived one day a Virginia matron with six
black Jewels and one at the breast, and it
generally happens that when the husband
comes first the wife soon follows after him.
The most active season for the operation of the
Underground Road, as we understand, is
during the holidays, when the plantation slaves
are INDUCED with more. freedom than at other
times. Christmas week is the season, too, for
hiring slaves for the year, and a change of
masters offers favorable. opportunities for es-
cape.
If the railroads afford facilities for the escape
of slaves, they also, afford increased facilities
for their pursuit and recovery so it would be
unwise in our Southern brethren to raise any
objections to these iron bands which are bind.
ing our States more closely together, on the
score Of the aid they render TO their absconding
property. The greater part of the passengers
by the Underground Road make directly to
Canada, and, while an t~ransitu, stop so short a
time in any one place, that their owners have
but slender chances Of their recovery.-Neao
York Times.