Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-01-24

doubtless a hope that their children might one day
enjoy the blessed boon Of freedom, sweeteued the
bitter cup Of their own hopeless servitrde,
Mary found a pure pleasure in teaching her viii.
ling pupils. for it is truly a delightful task to teach
the youn idea how to shoot, and pour the fresh
instruction DER the Infant mind;' and the delight
and pleasure Of this useful occupation does not
depend upon the color of the pupil, though strange
to say the laws Of some Of our sovereign States"
have discovered a nice distinction here. While it
is considered honorable to aid u fair blue eyed lit
tie one up the rugged sleeps of science, and
smoothe the rough way before him, and even a
dark eyed brunette, with hair smoothe and glossy
MS the ravens wing may he taught, and no dis
grace attach to the teachers name; yet II the child
is the son or daughter of q STARE, born to hopeless
bondage and tinged with the faintest hue that
marks the accursed descendants of Ham," then
the act Of teaching them to read becomes q crime,
punishable BY imprisonment. Ard this law, afro
cious and vile as it is, is the natural fruit OF the
system. for knowledge is power; and give the slave
knowledge, elevate and ~enlightln his mind, and
the shackles falls from his limbs and he stands
forth clothed in all his God. given rights, a man
and a freeman. Shrewd and tyranical legislators
have fell the force of this reasoning, and the re-
suit has been the enactment by proud and chival-
rous Kentucky of q law that would disgrace the
reign of a Russian Car. And yet Mary in the
simplicity of her innocent heart, never dreamed
that she was o~utraging the laws Of her country,
and committing n crime, in thus teaching those ig
I nornnt children the seeds of science, called A, Il,
c." and opening for them the golden gates OF
know ledge that might lead them to tho promised
land Of liberty.
Judge then Of her surprise and terror. when
the officers Of offended justice entered her pleas
ant parlor where she was quietly engaged with
her little students, and in the absence Of her hus'
band arrested her for n great CRIME, conveyed her
away TO await u trial before a jealous people.
Judge too of The Indignation and resentment oil
her husband, when he returned and learned from
the terrified slaves, the fate of their young mis-
tress. Aud yet Love was powerless here, for it
could not shield nor protect her from the wrath Of
outraged justice. Her trial came on. All the tai
ent that money could procure was brought to heI
aid, but eloquence and legal skill were alike in
vain. She had been taken in the very act of de-
liberately breaking the laws of the sovereign PEG
pie, and the evidence was strong and direct agains
her. The crowd which so densely filled the ca
pacious court room, seemed eager for her ccnvic
ton and punishment, and the fact of her comm:
from a free state seemed to lie regarded as a'mos
, IL crime. The youth and beauty of the fair prison
4, er excited no compassion, both judge and jur.
were fully determined to vindicate the honor 0
:, the State and satisfy the claims Of outraged jus
J, tice by her condemnation and punishment. Tn
r verdict Of guilty was brought in against her an
she was conveyed to prison to suffer for the grea
crime of which she had been found guilty. Frol
!, the sacred sanctuary Of home, from the society c
d her youthful husband, she was torn. to become til
companion of rude coarse con VETS from who's
presence she shrupk as from the pestilential va
e pors which breathe death aud desti uction over a
y that it touches. The gloomy walls of a prison re
o. ceived her, as one who was unworthy to breath
lh the free air of heaven, or to look up to the glorl
n Gus skies and burning stars, save through a grate'
r window. Her pure spirit pinned for the freedom o
&c her childhood's home, for the solitude OF her earl,
IN woodland haunts as the Gagged bird pines for hi
nest in the wildwood tree, but her conscience oil
Q, cred no reproach, and her heart opproved tho crime
d which had cut her of from the privileges Of soci
d ETY..
g Many are the bright illustrious names, whicl
e make us proud of our connection with the huma1
race, who have thus languished in prison or sui
S cred an ''ignominious death" for no crime, say
h that of L.ating oppression and loving liberty.
e Those names which now shine as 'stars of tn
first magnitude" in the shining galaxy of histor,
are names which have 'been cast out as eviP !
the dark period of the worlds history. and name
o. which are nolp linked with crime and dishonor &c
the same cause, shall in the bright days of 9TH
re good time coming ''shine rs stars in the hrm'
Ii ment forever" leading the embattled hosts Of fire.
&c men on to victory against the last vestige of Of
ID preston which curses our race. And those nam
to less martyrs whose graves arc unknown to fame,
ir but whose silent Influence and unobti usive goo
IS deeds have paved the way 10 the success OF Irut
~ and Freedom, shall not lose their reward. Thong
,g they have contributed but the widows mite
I'd to the good cause. a good deed shall not be los
p. .ior the good that men DO. lives after them;' on
~ the world is made better by every act of unselhs
es benevolence; and these simple acts of kindne'
lit and UNIVERSAL love, may Le as the tiny seeds thi
he slumber in the soil deep down in the bosom
"a. earth, which chance or accident throws to the su
Ell face and the genial warmth of the summer su
e- warns into life and beauty to carpet with aowe
the woodland dell. So in the far off future, Il
good seed now sown by the humblest child
truth, may blossom in the wilderness of tim
making the earth fairer and brighter for those wi
+, shall come after US.
AsuTABULA, Co., Ohio,
Midnight, Dec. 20.