Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-04-07
From the Boston Liberator
Letter from Mrs. Frances ID. Gage.


! DEAR GARRIsoS:-I promised to
send you a thought, from time to time,
as l made my way through the soft
and genial climate of the South. a.
time and place should give rise to one.
But were | to give you a tithe of the
thoughts, the deep stirring, bitter
thoughts that arc continually spring
ing into my brain, and asking utter
ance, should have time for nothing
else, nay. not even to mark the facts as
they rise before me.
Frank Blair tells you that emanci-
patton has begun in Missouri, and he
tells you truth. That is, Missouri is
being emancipated. But, alasl while
the country is shaking off its burth-
ems. its people are fastening the chains
Of bondage more powerfully upon the
limbs Of the departing slaves. On the
boat that bore me down the great
Father Of Waters" were a number
of the dark checked children Of Mis-
souri,, sent away by their masters to be
sold to Southern planters. They
were very still and gloomy all the way
down. Now and then, as the little
children gathered about them, and
gambolled in their glee, they would
smile faint, sad smile, that made the
heart ache. There were seven young
girls in the lower cabin or wash-room,
going away from home and friends
from parents, brothers and sisters
perhaps from love. One wept nearly
all the time. / tried to draw from her
the especial cause of her sorrow, but
she gave me no satisfaction The
special couseP What could there be
more terrible than the plain and horii-
BILE fact-she was slave; a slave, to
be bought and sold like beast!
There were several little girls in the
ladies' cabin, children Of the first fam
lilies, no doubt; but noticed that their
mothers had not the slightest objec-
ton to their associating with the
"darkics," (as they facetiously called
them They sat in their laps, played.
talked with, and ate with them-these
girls, some of them boarding-school
misses. But when a lady came on
board at Memphis with dark skinned
boy, and set him down to eat by her
side at the dinner-table, there was a
terrible quaking among the fair ones
lest, possibly, he might not be one
of them. What a commotion there
was
"Now, if he is darkey," said one,
Il tell you that woman ought to be
put off the boat"
Il can't believe he is" said anoth-
er; "she would not be so mean"
Il mean to ask her any how" as
serted third
"If he amt a nigger," whispered
the fourth, che is real handsome.
"And so polite" said a fifth.
That's just what makes me think
he is chimed in sixth; mo white
boy has them manners
SO they whispered and gossipped
until the unconscious objects of all this
flutter among the fowls had finished
their breakfast, and come back into
our midst. The bright, merry boy
walked on out upon the guards, ant
the lady, with her babe, sat down by
tile fire.
els that ere boy a travelling lonS
O. you?" asked an Arkansas madame
who had four slaves and two daughter.
on board.
"He is travelling with me, ma'am
He has been up to Memphis to school
and | am taking him down to hi
mother at Vicksburg."
All right The boy that could no'
be told from darkey was highly res
pcctable ever after, and the lady had
no straw laid in her path.
The steward of our boat, all tn
walters at the table, all the wash-wo
men, and many other hands about th'
boat, were tinged with that bloc,
which has brought the direst of curse
upon their devoted heads; yet, save an'
except their being slaves, l saw m
, cruelty; they were comfortably dresse,
r kindly spoken to, and respectful,
| treated. This shows a fear of publi
r opinion. or relenting of the human
heart. Even the ladies who were s.
fearful Of eating with "darkey, eacl
. and every one expressed her utter dis
appreciation of the system, and wishe
: it could be done away, aud each il
: turn told some grievious wrong enacte
t under its terrible power.
Among all the crowd, l found nc
S one willing to defend the evil. A
{ admitted the wrong, but asked
!. "What can be done with it?" Earl
e prejudice, habit and fear make thei