Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-08-22
dNOrtester Daily spp.
THE BLACK sAxoNs.
BY MRS. L. MARIA CHILD.


:
Shoot them down with rifles as they have shot
US! Throw their carcasses to the crows they
nave faltened on our bones and then let the
devil take them where they never rake up
fire o nights. Who talks of mercy 10 our
masters 2"
II do, SAID an aged black man. who rose up
before the fiery youth, lettering as he leaned
both hands on an oaken staff. 81 dc be-
cause the blessed Jesus always talked OF mer.
cy. l know we have been fed like hogs and
shot at like wild beasts. Myself found the
body of my likeliest boy under the tree where
buckra* rifles reached him. But thanks be to
the blessed Jesus, l feel it in my poor old heart
to forgive them. | have been a member of a
Methodist church these thirty years, and I've
heard many preachers, wolfe and black; and
they all tell me Jesus sad Do good to them
that do evil to you, and pray for them that
spite you. Now say let us love our enemies
let us pray for them and hen our masters
fog us, and sell our piccaninnies, let us break
out singing
Y on may beat upon my body.
But you cannot harm my soul;
shall join the forty thousand by and bye.
You may sell my children to Georgy,
But you cannot harm their soul;
They will join the forty thousand by and bye.
Come, slave-trader come in too;
The Lords got pardon here for you;
You shall join the forty thousand by and bye.
Come, poor niger, come in too;
The Lords got pardon here for you;
You shall join the forty thousand by and bye
My skin is black, but my soul is white;
And when we get to heaven we'll all be alike;
We will join the forty thousand by ana bye,
That's the way to glorify the Lord
Scarcely had the cracked voice ceased the
tremulous chant in which these words were
uttered, when loud alteration commented :;
some crying out vehemently tor the blood of
the white men, others maintaining that the
old mans doctrine was right. The aged black
remained leaning on lis staff, and mildly re-
piled to every outburst of fury, "But Jesus
said, do good for evil" Loud rose the din of
excited voices, and the disguised Shareholder
sllrank deeper into the shadow
In the midst OF the confusion, an athletic
gracefully proportional young man sprang
upon the stump, and throwing off his coarse
cotton garments, slowly turned round and
round before the assembled multitude In.
mediately all was hushed for the light of a
dozen torches, eagerly held up by fierce, re.
vengeful comrades, showed his back and
shoulders deeply gashed by the whip and ooz-
ing with blood In the midst of that deep ST.
lence he stopped abruptly, and with stern
brevity exclaimed, Boys shall we not muir
der our masters 2"
"Would you murder all" inquired a timid
ellie their slaves"
"Theres Mr.. Campbell" pleaded another,
che never had one of his boys fogged in his
life. You wouldn't kill hm, would you 90
ooh, no, no, &c" shouted many voices
eve wouldn't murder Mr.. Campbell He's
always good to colored folks
"And | wouldn't murder ma MASTER" said
one of Mr.. Duncan's slaves "and I'd fight
agTSSd tt %6r 1et o out to muTder him an
err if can help ; but he shan't be murder
ed, for he's good master"
"Call him good master if you like" said
the bleeding youth, with bitter sneer in his
look and tone. 81 curse the word, The white
men tell US God made them our masters ]
say it was the devil. When they don't cut
up the backs that bear their burdens, when
they throw us enough OF the grain we have
raised to keep us strong for another harvest,
when they forbear to shoot the limbs that toll
to make them rich, there are fools who call
them good masters. Why should they sleep
on soft beds, under silken curtains, while 1Oe,
whose labor brought it all, lie on the floor at
the threshold, or mserably coed up in the
dirt OF our own cabins Why should clothe
my master in broadcloth and fine linen, when
he knows, and know, that he is my own
brother and l meanwhile, have only this
coarse rag to cover my aching shoulders 60
down on your knees, if We like, and thank
me that ye are not fog ed md shot. OF me
they'll learn another lesson !"
Mr.. Duncan recognized in the speaker the
reputed son OF one OF his friends, lately deceas-
ed-one of that numerous class which southern
vice is thoughtessly raising up to be its future
scourge and terror.
The high, bold forehead and flashing eye in
dictated an intellect too active and daring for
fl 4.
pirate language betrayed the fact that his high
ly educated parent, for some remains of in.
stinctve feeling, had kept him near his own
person during his lifetime, and thus formed his
conversation on another model than the rude
jargon OF slaves.
His poor ignorant listeners stood spellbound
by the magic of superior mind ; and at first it
seemed as if he might carry the whole meeting
in favor of his views. But the aged man lean
ing on his oaken staff still mildly spoke of the
meek and blessed Jesus, and the docility of
the African temperament responded to his
gentle words.
Then rose man of middle age, short of
stature with quick, roguish eye and spirit
OF knowing drollery lurking about his mouth.
Rubbing his head in uncouth fashion he be-
gan 81 don't know how to speak like Bob,
for never had no chance. He says the devil
made white men our masters. Now OATS a
ting i've thought on neflp. Many time
Pve axed myself how pom arth it was that Jist
as sure as white man and black man come to-
geder, de white man sure to git he foot on de
black man. Sometimes / tink one ting, den /
tink anoder ting, and dey all be jumbed up in
my head, jest like seed in de cotton afore he
put in de gin. AT last l find it all out. White
man Arrays git he foot on he black man no
mistake in dat But how he do it? I'll show
you how"
Thrustng his hand into his pocket, he took
out a crumped piece OF printed paper, and
smoothing it carefully on the palm of his hand
he struck it significantly with his finger and
exclaimed triumphantly, ''Dat's de way dew
do it Dey got de kno,cledge ! Now it'll dc
no more good to rise agn our masters dan pul
de head in &c fire and pull him out agin and
maybe you can't pull him out agin. When |
was boy hear an old conjuring woman say
she could conjure de devil out of anybody.
ask her why she don't couture her massa den
and she tell me, ooh niggers neber conjure
buckra-can't dot" But l say niger car
conjure buckra. How he do it ? Get de
knowledge. Dat de way. We make de sleeve
wide, and fill full of de tea and sugar cherry
time we git in mssis closet. If we take hal
SO much pains to- get de knowledge, de white
man take he foot off de black man. Maybe dc
British land, and maybe de British no land
but tell your sons to marry de free women da'
know how TO read and write, and tell you
gals to marry de free man dat know how Il
read and write and den, by'mby you be d.
British yourselves !, You want to know how
manage to get de knowledge / tell you.
want right bad TO larn to read. My old hos
fl,s..fs h..., IL. 4