The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-28
Our pnl,uds,paia Corre.p ondence.

PHILADEL pHIA, May %, 1856.
Interesting Incident in the Life Of an Emancpaied
S2are.
The little incident herein related, will hope, be
of interest to Of your readers who may be dis.
posed to favor the abolition movement Of the day,
(and Heaven grant they may be few) 1t was given
me by an eminent member of the Philadelphia bar.
and is but one Of the many instances Of the kind,
which serve to show the folly and mistaken zeal Of
those who seek the freedom Of the negro.
Some fifteen years since drew the papers which
manumtted party Of seven slaves from South
Carolina; their master, through the interference of
some abolitionists, having resolved to give them
their liberty. They all arrived here, and were soon
scattered and separated.
/ had not seen any of them since their manu- mis-
sion until Monday last; when. sitting in my office,
there came feeble tap ut the door; it opened and
old, withered colored woman. graceful and polite
even II her age, entered and timidly called me by
name There was an expression OF anxiety and sor
row resting upon her face, and although time and
grief had left their traces there recognized her as
being one OF the party of slaves who had secured for
themselves the boased liberty Of the North. She
said she miserabiy poor; had daughter whose
folly was bringing her in sorrow TO the grave, and
begged of me- as a friend OF her dear old massa,"
that would assist her in getting home, that she
might die under her masters roof.
promised To do all in my power for her, and
as she was about leaving, while the tears of graft
tude coursed their way down her aged cheeks,
asked Ter whe rher she had been happier since she
became free woman than when slave. Drawing
her weak form up to its full height she said proudly
yet sadly
"a never was q slave, sir, until came here. |
never knew what slavery was till left my happy
hone in Carolina
The tears filled her eyes, her voice faltered, and
sinking upon a chair she sobbed as though her
heart would break.
There was an impressive eloquence in her voice
and hardships undergone; of fifteen long weary
years of Northern 'treedom of toll, and caro-, and
heart bleeding. It spoke, too, OF a happy home"
in the sunny South OF "dear massa, aud an earnest
longing tor the life on the old plantation, where q
kind hand provided daily bread, and where the
chill face OF poverty and care found no resting
place. All! yes, she had never known what slavery
are who have left their Southern masters only to
endure Northern slavery aye, ten times more ter
rible, and who IN their aching hearts, re-echo the
monintul plaint OF that home sick wanderer: 1--WE
never were slaves till we came here
1t is the strongest argument against the frenzied
cry OF raving abolitionists that ever reached my
ears II tells the slave in language clear and pro-
the lash Of their masters. than the chill, freezing
atmosphere o. Northern charity; better endure the
socaed yoke OF slavery, with all its burdens, rather
than drag ont a miserable lifetime of misery in the
service OF abolition masters. who amid the sor-
rows of q free negro move with the GOODNESS and
Eealil.ssLess Of an iceberg.
tell yop, the free negro OF the north is the
'verest slave that bre4thes" and the voice OF that
lorely, irerdless woman is full OF truth and sor-
FOWL never was slave until came here