The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-04-28
sTROUDsBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA APRIL 2s, 1852

tieO DenlDO MIN; court naTtial WAS iu .
mediately summoned, and with scarcely
show of evidence that the man had
done anything in connection with the in
surrection. indeed, there was nothing
found. except that he was in the midst
of a crowd looking on whilst building
was burning. which had been set on fire
By the insurrectionists, ts,-he was convic-
ted, and led out to be shot. They were
in such hurry, that they did not even
take the trouble to pass sentence upon
him; and when within an hour and half
from the time he was brought into the
town, be stood under the gallows, |
heard him inquire, "What are you
going to do with mel" They bad not
even bad the humanity to tell him he
was going to die. The officer stepped up
to him, took up his jacket. which had
been torn off when he was brought to the
spot, threw it over his face. and said,
"You will fpd out in a moment" He
stepped back, the word was given, and
the man lay there, bullet through his
braio, and another through bis heart. |
heard one man say to the crowd Of slaves
standing round d,-pointing to the hole in
the slaves head -" You want your FREQ
dom, do you! Put your finger there !
That is the kind of freedom we will give
you, you black devilI" This l heard with
my own ears.
| saw hundreds thus slaughtered in
cold blood. Sharp was the last brought
out to be put to death; and his end was
worthy of his character. had frequent
opportunities to converse with him while
be was in Jail. When 1 saw SO many
put to death, | wrote communication
for one of the island newspapers, with the
intention of directing the Governors at
tertion to the Wholesale slaughter that
was going on 1t had the effect intend
ed. The Governor read it, and the next
post brought down an order to the au-
thorties, civil and military, that no fur
ther executions should take place for
crimes committed during the insurrection,
without bis own warrant. Thus it hap.
pened that Samuel Sharp was detained
in prison several weeks after be had been
tried, and sentence of death pronounced
upon him, and | had frequent opportuDi-
ties of converting with him. He was
man who had read the New Testament,
and read the newspapers, and was in all
respects a superior man. | asked him
what it was that induced him to take
part in this movement, since he had new
er suffered, as many had. under the lash.
Sir" said be, ''in reading my Bible, |
found the white man had no more right
to make a slave Of me than | had to make
slave of the white man; and would
rather 60 out and die on that gallows,
than live slave" The young ladies of
the family to which he belonged made
him a very handsome suit of white cloths,
and | saw him march to his death. |
beard the remarks which be made when
be stood on the platform under the gall
lows; and, sir. l could not but drop tear
to see man like that put to death, whose
only crime was, that be made an effort to
recover that liberty which is the right of
every human being, and of which he. in
common with his brethern, had been
wrongfully and wickedly deprived.
The insurrection was put down, and
the intention which Sharp entertained in
connection with it was frustrated. His
design was not to do violence to any per-
son OF property. but simply to act upon
the principle of passive resistance. He
argued in this way:--"Tbey will put to
death some of US. If we sit down and re-
fuse to work after Christmas, and We
must be content to die for the benefit of
the rest. |. for one, am ready to die, in
order that the rest may be free. They
may put soue of us to death, but they
cannot bang and shoot us all, and if We
are faithful Que to another, We must OBJ
tain our freedom"
Samuel Sharps plan VS. defeated in
this way: He had not calculated suf6i-
ciently upon the impulsise character of
the men he undertook to lead in this
movemcnt-upon their not being accus-
toned to exercise self-restraint; conse-
queDtly, when some of them broke into
the store houses of the estates, and became
intoxicated, and then set FIRE to the bull
dings, that was regarded as signal al!
over the country, and the works and mills
were destroyed on two hundred or three
hundred estates, Sharp said, "When this
occurred. | saw the scheme was defeated.
knew that the whites would slaugh hter
US without mercy. and our freedom be a
long while put of.
But, sir, although the immediate design
of Sharp was not accomplished, yet it was
ultimately. This very insurrection was
one of the events which FASTENED the alb
olition of slavery in the West Indies. |
dare say my friend Mr.. Garrison is sufi
oiently acquainted with the history Of
those times to remember that in the Com
mittee appointed by the House of Lords
to investigate the whole question of sla.
very, and also that 10 the Committee sp.
pointed by the House of Commons. the
decision on the question of the immediate
abolition of slavery turned upon this
point, ,-"Will it be safe to the planters
that slavery be continued y Two of my
l. .r,S xpbn hcc,o g.