The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-04
I INCH LAW In KENTUCKY.

To the Ee tor of the National Era:
Enclose you will find subscription money
due your 'aper, from one of our neighbour
here.
Friendtr here feel, that tried veterans in the
cause Of ymanity ought to be sustained W,
are here during trials similar to those you en-
dured, VII a l first knew you, some fifteen
years sine You and your friends were ther
hunted an prosecuted, in free States, much as
we are no in slave States.
Not Ion since, some good substantial farm
ers, in d giant part of this county, sent me O
written RED best to come and preach to them
l went, an3 had a very encouraging meeting.
left anothss appointment.
The SLICE power, conscious, 1 suppose, Of
inability tQdefend their institution by argumen,
or reason. resorted to the only defence of O
bad cause, brute force. On the morning of the
appointme IT, some men were seen carrying
guns, and paking, as We were informed, prep
arations 70 mob. / said to friends, those
in the rigkJ have nothing to fear-we will &c
along, anef meet the consequences" At the
meeting-hy hse we found plain, well dressed
orderly congregation of men and women, wait.
ing. immediately opened the exercises, and
had advakced about half way through my dis
course, VIXEN company of about thirty men
rode up, most of them with guns on their
shoulders.
Strange attitude in which to take man who
goes all liver the surrounding country with
nothing bit Bible in his hand and some
tracts in h saddle pockets.
They demanded that should come out. !
preached 70. Some came in, with their guns
in their hs IDS, and drew me out by force They
also took (r. JONES' quiet citizen, who was
travelling s colporteur. They demanded OF
me pied, that would leave, and not come
back any ,lore. told them I could not, con.
sistent wies my views of duty, so pledge, and
had madesnp my mind to suffer any conse.
quences, rsther than do 80.
They tock us some two miles, caused Mr..
Jones passially to strip himself. One of them
removed l;s under garment, and whipped him
severely: They again asked me to pledge. l
threw of 10y coat, and told them no I would
meet my saffering first
They did not strike me. They brought us
further ou.toward our homes-about five miles,
/ suppose from the place of preaching-and
when the. had further threatened US, they let
Us 90.
Some c. your readers may ask, as persons
here do, aWhy, when you saw probabilities of
their contzng, did you not prepare to repel
them witt their own kind of weapons?"
suppose q moral reform, especially in
its begins ing, is not advanced by such con.
tests. In such contests, both parties have
friends. iny of these injured, and once array
ed, passie overrides reason, aud the moral
question b Lost sight of in the sanguinary strug.
gle.
If the fong are victorious, they are feared
for their ,ower; if the right Are victorious,
they are sAised for their skill. In both cases,
the moral question is left out-impress upon
conscience is not made. Physical courage
may be imired, but the moral effect is not
there; the heart of the beholder or nearer ia
not sofienra.
/ was d one period of my life deceived as
to the tru. character of Abolitionisss. have
been raist !, as you know, under slaveholding
influence l know something, too, of the infn-
rating Ell ct OF false reports and sometimes
see how ,hers might "put MS to death, and
think the were doing God service" It is
Chfistlk< it Is the part of Christian magma
niuaity, to- ,ear long.
When Dssion shall subside, and light come
before tn, minds of some of them, they will
repent an be saved-as was true of some of
the enemi of Christ, and as has been true of
some of " former enemies in other counties
in this Sta Q.
Those DO will not hear the truth, but de-
iberately nah on in wrong doing, God will cut
down; ju as he did the mobs in Lewis and
Mason CO mites years since There the first
instgator aed suddenly, calling for prayers,
and no on had heart to pray for him. Another,
who shot me, was drowned suddenly in the
Ohio rive another, who drew knife on me,
was shot tenant in his own field; another,
who struc me with stick over my head, with
evident IN pnt to Kill me, was soon afterward,
in contest With another man, cut across the alb
domen; ! q bowels gushed out, and he died.
The last le, believe, that there raised q vio-
lent hand ,gainst me, is now dead.
The m. that in an adjoining county took
me down tst summer 10 wasting away, as am
told, with, similar fatality. How good ia God,
even in Il death of these men, to warn others,
lest, "unI apply, they should be found fighting
against G. di"
Anotht, fact ia, that Q righteous course
never hassbeen retarded by prosecutions, how.
ever sev< q. The heavier the prosecutions,
the more, tality thew give TO the zeal and rietv