Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-10-03


Wrong ever builds on quicksanda; but the right
To the firm center lays its move'css bnse'
j Il. Loreh
I'rhe following story which is very sugSes-
tive Mt this crisis, is strictly true. The south
ern gentleman, who visited the swamp in dis
puise. and heard the speeches of the slaves re-
heated them, as nearly as be could recollect, TO
n friend of Mrs. Child, and she committed them
to writing. The incidents occurred during the
war of 1872 when the probability OF the Brit
ish landing on cur coasts was much talked OIL
Mr.. Duncun was sitting alone in his elegant
" furnished paror, in the vicinity of Charles
ton, South Carolina. Before him lay an open
volume Thierry's History of the Norman Con
ouest. From the natural kindness of his char
acter, and the democratic theories deeply i'm
bibed in childhood, his thoughts dwelt more
with q nation prostrated and kept in base sub
lection by the strong arm of violence, than with
the renowned robbers, who seized their rich pos
sessions, and haughtily trampled on their dear
est rights.
"And so that bold and beautiful race became
slaves !" thought he. "The brave and free soul
ed Harods, strong of heart and strong of arm
the fair-haired Ediths, in their queenly beauty,
noble in soul as well as ancestryj these all sank
to the condition of slaves. They tamey sub
mtted to their lot till their free, bright beauty
passed under the heavy cloud of animal dull
ness, and the contemptuous Norman epithet Of
base Saxon churls' was but too Significantly
true. Yet not without efforts did they thus sink.
How often renewed, or how bravcly sustained,
we know not for troubadours rarely sing OF
the defeated, and conquerers write their own
history That they did not rclinquish freedom
without a struggle, is proved by Robin Hood
and his bold followers, floating in dim and
/. II. tho t-eli irts pf
brave outlaws of the free forest, and the wild
mountain passes, taking back, in the very teeth
of danger precarious subsistence from the rich
possessions that were once their own; ard
therefore STYLED thieves and traitors by the rob-
bcrs who had beggared them. Doubtless they
had minstrels of their own, unknown in prince
" halls, untrumpeted by fame, yet singing of
their exploits in spirit stirring tones, to hearts
;; burning with q sense of wrong. Troubled must
, be the sleep Of those who rule conquered ne-
ton y
These thoughts were passing through his
mind, when a dark mul0tto opened the door,
and making servile reverence, said in whced-
ling tones, "Would massa be so good rs glib a
pass to 20 to Methodist meetin'P"
Mr. Duncan was a proverbially indulgent
master, and he at once replied, "Ies, Jack, you
may have pass but you must mind and not
stay out all night
"Oh, no, massa. Tom never preach moro
. than two hours"
Scarcely was the pass written before another
,, servcnt appeared with similar request; and
{ presently another; and yet another. When
these interruptions ceased Mr.. Duncan resumed
his book and quietly read of the oppressed Sax.
ons, until the wish for glass Of water induced
him to ring the bell. No servant obeyed the
summons. With an impatient jerk Of the rope
he rang second time, muttoring to himself
"What curse it is to be waited upon by slaves
If were dying the lazy looms would take theil
own time, and come dragging their heavy heels
( along an hour after, was in the world OF sllr-
J. its. Nv ncighbors tell me it is because never
fog them believe they are in the right. 1t
u is hard case, too, to force man to be ty
rant, whether he will or no.
7 A third time he rang the bell more loudly
but waited in vain for the sound of coming
e footsteps. Then it occurred to him that he had
given every one of his slaves a pass to go t.
the Methodist meeting. This was instantly fol-
= lowed BY the remembrance that the same thing
had happened few days before.
We were then at war with Great britain
: and though Mr. Duncan often boasted the ut
5, tachment of his slaves, and declared them to bt
, the most contented and happy laborers in TIT
n world. who would not take their freedom
they could yet by some coincidence of thought
= the frequency of Methodist meetings immedi
ately suggested the common report that British
troops were near the coast, and about to lant
r in Charleston simultaneously came the re
membrance of Big boned Dick, who, man
months before, had absconded from a neigh
n boring planter, and was suspected of holding
: rendezvous for runaways in swampy depths O
some dark forest. The existence of such
gang was indicated by the rapid disappearance
r of young corn, sweet potatoes, fat hogs, etc
from the plantations for many miles around.
"The black rascal p exclaimed he "if M
: boys are in league with him"--
The coming threat was arrested by q voc
within, which, like chorus from some inyisibl
D choir, all at once struck up the lively ballad c
Robin Hood, and thus brought Big-boned Dick
n like Banquos ghost. unbidden and uncongruou
Mt association with his spontaneous sympathy fo
Saxon serfs, his contempt of "blse SaXo
\ churls" who iamely submitted to their fate, an
i. his admiration of the bold outlaws, who live
by plunder in the wild freedom OF Saxon ior
! ests.
y y His republican sympathies, and the "syster
- entailed upon him by his ancestors" were OF
ID viously out of Joint with each Others and tn
IS skillfuest soldering of cGsuistry could by n
at means make them adhere together. Clear {
&c the tones OF a cathedral bell above the hack
and draws Of q city, the voice OF reason ro'
above all the prctCNts OF sclnSnnCSS ana apoI'
:: gies of sophistry, and loudly proclaimed tht
X his sympathies were right and his praclic
onrI wrong. Had there been at his elbow SON
honest John Woodman, or fearless Elias Hick
on that hour might perhaps have seen him fre
''' man in giving freedom to his serfs. But
VT was alone and the prcjudices of oducatio
= and the habits Of his whole life, conjured up
d fearful array of lions in his path, and he wi
~ not that they were phantoms. The admouitiol
of awakened conscience gradually gave place
oi considerations Of personal safety, and plans fl
pg eF ascertaining the real extent of the danger.
70 The next morning he asked his slaves vi
The assumed nonchalance whether they had GOO
" meeting"
:. ooh, yeas, mossa; berry good meeting"
lc' Where did you meotp'
y ain the woods behind Birch Grove, massa
- The newspaper was brought, and found
contain renewal of the report that Britt
bnr bnr troops were prowli G about the coast. N
eat Duncan slowly paced the room for some tim
apparently studying the figures Of the carp
""' yet utterly unconscious whether he trod on I
,. canvass or green sward. At length he order
on. his horse and drove TO the next plautatic
ler Seeing gang at work in the field, he stoppe
ocs and after some questions concerning the ere
tie he said to one of the intelligent, $50 you h
- II fine meeting last nightw
D. "Oh, yes, massa, berry nice meeting"
te- "Where was II tg'
- The slave pointed far east Of Birch Gro
lu- The white mans eye followed the direction