The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-17
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON, d. c, MARCH II, 1859

this subject having been made the object Of
this allegation. SO far as any personal abuse
is concerned, it may go for what it is worth. Ii
the object is to ascertain whether l assist fugi
tive slaves who come to my door and ask it, the
matter is easily disposed of l march right up
to the confessional, and say, do. recollect
the case of young woman, who came to my
house, who had not single trace of African de
scent either in feature or complexion. Accord
ing to her own story, she was bethrothed to q
man of her race, though not of her color, and
was, before her marriage, sold to a hbertine
from the South, she being in st. Louis. She
escaped, and, in her fight from life of infamy
and fate worse than death, she came and i'm
plored aid +? Was l to refuse it? Was to be-
wray the wanderer? Was to detain her, and
give her up prey to the incarnate fend who
had selected her as victim to offer up on the
altar of sensualism T?
Who would do it =? would not, did not Nc
human being, black or white bond or free, ma
tive or foreign, infdel or Christian, ever came
to my door, and asked for food and shelter, in
the name of a common humanity, or Of plying
Christ, who did not receive it. This have done
This l mean to do, as long as God lets me live
l shall never bewray him that VANDERBILT"
shall never become slaye-catcher. Any on
who chooses may transform himself into blood
hound-snuff, and scent, and howl, along the
track of the fugitive-loll out his tongue, and
lap up the dirty water that stands in mud
dy pools by the way side-overtake the rife
SCARED and lash-excoriated slave, Ia mother,
may be, with her infant, the love of whom has
nerved her for the Aght,) thrust his canine teeth
into the quivering flesh, brace out his fore feet
and hold the captive till the kidnapper comes
with letters and handouts, to load down ankles
and wrist, and then receive, as reward of this
brutism, pat on the head from the slave.
catcher, and the plaudit, Good dog, Bose"
Sir, l never will do this. l never will de-
grade my manhood, and stihe the sympathies Of
human nature. 1t is an insult to claim it.
wish had nothing worse to meet at the judg
ment day thanthat. would not have the guilt
of causing that wall of mans despair, or that
wild shrek of woman's agony, as the one or the
other is captured, for all the diadems of all the
stars in heaven.
Is it desired to call attention to this fact.
Proclaim it then upon the house-tops. Write
it on every leaf that trembles in the forest,
make 1t blaze from the sun at high noon, and
shine forth in the milder radiance Of every star
that bedecks the armament Of God. Let it echo
through all the arches of heaven, and reverbe-
rate and below along all the deep gorges of hell,
where slavecatchers will be very likely to hear it.
Owen Lovejoy lives at Princeton, Illinois. three
quarters OF mile east of the village, and he
aids every fugitive that comes to his door and
asks It, Thou invisible demon of Slavery, dost
thou think to cross my humble threshold, and
forbid me to give bread to the hungry and
shelter to the houseless! | BID YOU DEFI-
ANCE IN THE NAME OF MY GODl