Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-01-17

Old Dominion. l found here q new aud strange
state Of things. l had no conception of the cor
dishty with which my tenants would greet me-
Indeed, such was the rush to my house. and so
anxious were they to hear and learn al the cir
cumstsnces connected with my long absence from
home, that | found my time very much occupied
by them, and my progress in arranging nv long
neglected business was consequently much I'M
pedsd. Nor could l prevent inquiries from
another class, who, it seems, had become deeply
interested in the subject of politics. This class
had, from the mutual ordinations and recriniina-
tons Of the Buchanan and Fillmore orators during
the late campaign, INDUCED the hope that a great
party, with which they supposed me connected.
had been organized in the country Tor their dellv-
erance from slavery.
Notwithstanding my hatred Of every species of
oppression, and the slight confidence l
entertain that so great a cancer as slavery can be
eradicated from the body polite without the
shusion of some blood, so great is my horror of all
violence, aud my hove Of amelioration by the diff
fusion Of knowledge and Of Christian patience and
forbearance among men, that | spared no pains in
urging those under the yoke" to submit to the
power which they have no means OF successfully
resisting. And if my immediate neighborhood
shall be spared the horrors and the distressing
anxisties which have murdered %siecp'in 80 many
of the wealthy families of Virginia and other
Southern States during the holidays, l shall have
the vanity to believe that my ad ice had more in
huence than the armed patrols, which we see on
svory hand, in restraining that violence which
was ready to burst here, as it has in other portions
Of the country.
Consultation with friends after my return soon
satisfied me that disturbances would probably
result from the intense anxiety which was every
where discoverable among the slave population,
and that my life, to say tho least, would be exceed
ingly insecure in the event of an outbreak in my
vicinity for it would be as easy in the mad whi"l-
wind of passion and excitement to implicate meas
1t was the Salem victims in the charge OF witch
craft. |, therefore, early in last month, posted
handbills throughout my neighborhood. advertis-
ing my perishable property for sale on Monday
the Goth day of December. | then rented my lands
aud tenements to nine of my old friends, who
seemed willing to take them, and on the eve OF
the day of sale | found that a notice, originally
published in my own county paper, had been ex'
tensively published in other papers circulating in
the vicinity, indicating that the sale was to be the
day after the fair. The notice was as follows:
John c. Underwood, the Virginia Exile has
returned to our county, and we notice offers his
entire personality at public sale, on Tuesday, Both
inst."-Berrypitte (Ctark County, Gazette.
endeavored to be charitable enough to believe
that the error was the result of mistake, but was
assured by a slaveholding friend that it was pub,
lished with the design Of misleading and prevent
ing persons from attending tho sale to buy my
property. The sale, however, took place on Mon
day last, at no greater sacrifice than could be ex-
pected under all tho circumstances.
As some indication, however, of the excitement,
I give you some extracts from Il letter received che
day before the sale, bv my wife, written by one
from whom for more than twenty years we have
both received many and frequent evidences of
friendship:
SATURDAY, December q, 1856.
my DEAR MARIA-I scarcely know which to
write to. yourself or Mr.. Underwood, to endeavor
once more to bring your minds to the real state OF
public feeling against Mr.. Un~dorwood-the feel
ing is one of intense and proper resentment
against any man who advocates, as MIR. Under
wood does, and uses all means to propagate his
principles in a slave State but of all this, it is
only necessary tn say ut This time that the people
will not much longer tolerate his presence in this
country-lor since the negro disturbance, l do
assure you he is in danger of the very worst treat
ment, (Which will, little as he appears to believe
il, burst over his head most unexpectedly, il he
does not leave the country quickly. Ard is the
feeling not right, when he and his party have
done ever ything in their power to bring about the
incendiary spirit OF our slaves?
'Just to think of such acts as the murder of
poor Mr., Green, IA good and respectable. and law
loving citizen,) on Wednesday night. by five negro
men, bursting into his house, killing him with
an axe in his bed hacking up his body with knives.
and then setting fire to his house-this was all
done ON Wednesday night, and so near us that we
bHW III Ilt liz Tic h'uHV hhfoO i"s'hNf =
from the neighborhooi of Gaines Station, where
he lived the negroes were taken. confessed their
crime and are now in Jail. But, no doubt all this
will only excite a feeling of maglignant gratiica-
ton with Mr.. Underwood's party, for they openly
gloat in their public and private speeches, and in
che columns of their incendiary papers, of having
given rise to such q state of things. Then let me
assure you once more of the deep-seated resolves on
the part of the people against MIR. Underwood, and
urge you to use your influence with him to adver-
tise and sell every dollars worth of land, as well
as his personal property, and quit the country
altogether. This is no idle advice, and let me beg
of you to be guided by it,"
But Tuesday the Both. was one of the most
anxious and exciting days of my life. We were
sad at seeing our household goods scattered around
us for though in form, a voluntary sale, 1t was
in fact a forced sale-nOt brought about, either, by
one of those providential events when the Great
Father calls an earthly father home to his rest, but
it was forced upon us by the oppression OF
proud and cruel men, who neither feared
God nor regarded humanity. Our little chill
dren were grieving over the sale OF the
horses and colts, cows and calves, pet lambs and
playthings, which they had been accustomed t.
call their own, and to which they had become at.
tached, rs farmers children often are. To increase
the gloom and desolation caused by this general
breaking up aud scattering of those old and iamil-
lar associations and objects to which our hearts
rfondly chung, our kind n~eighbor, Mr.. Feltner,
called late in the afternoon with a message from
another friendly n~eighbor, that We must immedi-
ately prepare for the reception of a Committee of
Vigilance. which was coming on with the most
hostile intentions. This seemed to explain the
mistake published in the papers respecting the
day of salo. And now came trouble to my wife
and her female friends, who urged me to leave the
house and them, rs they supposed the mob would
be appeased if made certain of my absence. My
little son, however, with a courage beyond his
years. desired to 60 to the store for more powder
and lead, and to call in the neighbors who had
repeatedly and in the kindest manner offered their
services whenever they might be required. This
was tho course | had resolved upon, and which
was promptly adopted.
Our fire arms were loaded and put in order
were ready, and responding generously
TO our call, when another message arrived. At
any other time it would have been sorrowful in
the extreme, for it told that a man, known to us