Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-01-17
Ole Anti- 5laurrp Bualc.
From the New York Evening Post.
A NEGRO REVOLT IN CHARLESTON.

a NGuhO hENULl In CHARLESTUN.
Attempts at instruction by slaves have the
origin, as general thing in the cruelties to whcl
they the victims They are not what they mr.,
represented to be hy the ultra Southern press
instructions with preconceved pans thev ar,
mere emeuteS the participators being maddenet
and goaded to seek an immediate revenge. To th,
END Vt illustrating this, 10y an example that may
be taken as u counterpart Of nine tenths of thos,
which occur from year to year, propose giving d
Few facts in relation to the one which took place
at the Charleston WOrkhouse in .he year 1919 -
This insurrectun, as it then msnamed, was
headed by the Boy NichOlas." Various repurts
OF this affair have gone abroad. /, however, ap.
prehend that the facts Of the case are very imper-
fectly known outside of Charleston, the newspa.
per reports being highly cOlored and in harmony
only with the fears and apprehensjons of their n u
thors. instructions are phantOms that rise up,
are magnhed in, and continually haunt the inlagi
nation Of the SOuherner. In fne, they exist onl Y
in his fears, where they becurne giants which
he fancies, can only be overthrown by the most
desperate means. And yet this very Southerner
Is the man who talks must prOfaney Of dissUving
the Union, and thereby protecting his favoritc in.
stituti0n, which alike excites his fears and all
sorbs his energies. lie torgets that such an un-
hPllowed event would find him with the rest Of
Christendom his enemy. Nicholas was II bright
mulatto man, tall of figure, with straight black
hair and finely developed features lie was of a
restless spirit. quick to resent an insult and
nleilScnJ anu hltDOuEn lie
bore the yoke of his slavery with seeming SUBJ
mission, there were times when he would display II
VIII to maintain his manIiness. His mother WAS
OF Indian extraction, and said to have been kid.
mapped into slavery when child. The Indian
blood cnursing in his veins may. in n measure ac.
count for the unbeIiding spirit he evinced nnder
iral Nicholas was stuccO-worker. 10y trade
and one OF the most skilllul workmen in Charles.
ton. his MASTER u man of the name of Kelly,
than whom no tyrant could he more cruel, prom.
ah nj 4. 4
had yearned) on payment of II stipulated sum.
The slave, inspired hy the hope Vt bettering his
condition, labOred extra hours, frequently until
midnight until he accumulated nearly one half Of
the requisite sum. This he paid to Kelly. only
to find his confidence BETRAYED Keg refused
either to fulfil the bargain return the money
Ihls 80 lncensed Nicholas that he resolved, with
feelings nutural to II man basey deiranded of hi
hard earnings to work no longer for an unjust
m 'ster whom lie bid defiance. lie was to-tured
but t.trure availed nothing. lie was sent toNew Or
leans tor stle; but not finding purchaser. he was
brought hack tr Charleston. Still he refused 20
work for the man he said, who had betrayed
him. lie asserted boldly his determination to die
rather than yield to tie demands of his master;
nor did the lash. which had wellnigh cut him To
pieces, serve to suGdue his spirit. After n time
he was placed in The slave-pcn of one Gadsdon
where he sufere tortures it would make one's
heart sick to describe. lie declared be would die
IN the struggle for his rights. An attempt was
officers headed by one Mcnamara, u constable
entered the cell for the purpose OF carrying out
the design. Although he chained hy the leg
TO ring and bolt in the floor, he drew kuife he
had kept concealed in his bnsuui. aud with it dis.
armed the constable, inflicting IL deep wound in
his arm. Nicholas, guaded to maoness, swnre he
would not again be separated from his family
for he was married. Forced to capture him in h>
pen with ropes. alter the manner of an inturatcd
animal his caprnrs bound him to the tail uf II carr
md E,ll ,,.nI 4. [.
almost liieless, to jail Tn, majesty of the law
had been outraged Willie in Jail the most cruel
punlshments were resnrted To, the hope 0t ex-
toring confession that he had intended to kill
Mcnamara. His resolution at length gave out.
and he confessed to intention he never had en-
tertained. lie was then tried before cnurt of
three freehOlders and two judicial magistrates Il
have described his trial at length, in u book called
"Our Worldly. (l| found guilty and sentenced to
be hanged The day was set apart Tor the penal
ty but II kind vuice-the voice of true-ienrtei
Southerner-inierpose in his behalf, and his
carried before the Court Of Appeals
which issued an order for new trial. The order
was issued on the ground that evidence had been
extnrted bv cruelty.
The result of the second trial was that he was
found guilty of an assault upon whte man. and
sentenced 10 three years close confinement in the
workhruse. ut hard labor. In addition t. this il
was ordered that five blows of the paddle be in
ticted as Il punishment on the first of each Month
iEc KEEPER VI tne WOfknuuSe, u lWeNer regard
less of the sentence about turning the slaves
ingenuity to profit lie granted hlm numerous
privileges, accorded HIM the ireedJm of the yard,
set him 10 work at making ornamental stucco, and
put the profits into his pocket. NicI.oas
took advantage of his position to make himself n
favorie with his fellow. prisoners, who stood ready
70 follow his lead.
Separated from his family, the convicted man
became euamored of a beau, ,iful mulatto girl who
had been consigned to the workhOuse by one Gil
christ, n slave-br"ker TO await purchaser. 1t was
on an attempt having been made to take this wo-
man from her place of confinement 10y Gilchrist
and one Austin that the emeute. of which so much
has been said, WAS excited. What followed have
described in Our World" (2) and it would be
impossible for me at this moment to draw n more
faithful picture, may he excused for inserting it
here:
"a year and two months have rolled into the
past since Nicholas. convict took up his abode
within the four walls of the workhouse. lie had
served out thus much of Fudde's 'merCifuP sent
,enee During the silent hours of night fast Sc
cured in his dreary cell. had he cherished and even
in bis dreams fanced, the means OF escaping into
that freedom which had been the day dream. of
his life. But dearly did he love the woman to
whose keeping he cunfded the secret Of his heart
Having secured the confidence of Fladse 1.-THE
keepsr), he might have effected his escape
but the admunit0n Of n faithful heart prompted
him not to leave her behind in slavery. To that
Ammunition lac yielded, and sw0re to secure her
freedom with his own. Not many days had elaps-
ed since he disclosed his solution, to her
when there appeared at the workhouse the tall
figure of Guy Grantham. lie had come for the /
purpose of carrying away the woman, whom he
had sold for the Washington market. where her
charms would indeed be of mueh value.
ALREADY were the calling chains about her
hands, and the miserable woman in tears. about
to be led away unobserved by Nicholas. A COM
panion FASTENED 10 him, in his studio, where he
had Just completed a stucco ornament and whis-
pered the news in his ear. With almost light
ming quickness he bounded from his 'studio,' the
anger of his very soul aroused to Madness and
rescued the woman before she had left the gatc.--
Having done this, he drew long stieto from his
belt, and placing himself between her and her pur-
pursuer, bid him defiance This, according to
flsve law, was ,ebellion and would have justified /