The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-01-14

eQ, ana tnen trust 10 Uou, L saw Lneul
soon out of early reach, at least; and then,
unseen, / re-entered the wagon [ had left,
and drove, in roundabout way, to the
village tavern, as if had but just arrived
from my journey, and had not visited the
house at all"
"Some hours later, while I was calmly
transacting some superhuou business in
the village, crowd of my neighbors and
slaves came rushing to me, with the It'd
ings that the man lay murdered in my
house, and that Phil and Jessie had ab-
seconded.
'The expression of anxiety in my face
was by no means counterfeted, as | now
returned home, unsuspected by any NOR
tai but my fears were for the fugitives,
not myself. The house was soon thronged,
and by various stratagems, | managed to
delay pursuit for hours; and when the
wordy Investigations were done, announc-
ing myself robbed, led the most eager
and indignant, in the wrong direction of
the chase. sa-..
"In brief, the hunt proved fruitless.
Providence guided the scared refugees,
and feiled their hunters. Through many
perils they continued to escape, from
county to county, and state to state and
not many months afterward | received in
telligence of their wherea bouts, and sent
them sufficient means to make them COM
fertable for life. a"
ain due time the excitement died away;
but, continually annoyed with suspicious
of being an abolitionist, and thoroughly
loathing system Of which | was an un-
willing representative, | resolved to eman-
cipate all my slaves, and seek home far
ther North. was not long in finding a
purchaser for the plantation it was Il
fertile and well-ordered one Half the
proceeds [ divided among my freed
slaves, as their due, the fruits of their
tolls and their progenitors for years and
placing them safely aboard a ship, | sailed
with them to distant parts, where all, who
work in honesty, are masters of them
selves -hnwAuar- humble, ignorant, or
homely.
"Ah, my friends. I, once STAKEHOLDER,
did indeed feel like a'patriarch' when [
parted with those poor ignorants for the
last time; felt that had given them
and theirs to come, their liberty forever :;
and that the authority of the patriarch
had been vindicated, but only by his sur.
render of it could but weep as | coun-
seled them and tore myself from their
clinging arms; aud their tears of graft
tude for release from slavery regarded
as my absolution for connection with it.
"Journeying while, restlessly, from
place to place, at last fixed upon this
spot for nv home; but here, for twenty
years, | have dwelt in peace with God
and nature, my books and thoughts of
her,"
"Is it possible that you can still be in
fuenced by that singular attachment p
asked Mountfort, wondoringly.
at is. [ never loved but once," said
the old man solemnly. "Some natures,
| believe. can love many times. Mine is
not one of them. That poor, despised,
but to me beautiful, slave, is the only
earthly Idol I have ever worshipped.-|
Her image haunts me still 1t made me
the reeluse l am it contents me still to
be so. / can glory in the sacrifice which
blasted me- 1t makes my solitude sub
lime. glory in the sacrifice which I
forbore pot to make when | would not
force her to be nine, but shielded her
alike from the destroyer, from the pangs
of disappointed love, from slavery, from
poverty, from myself! [ have grown
gray here in my solitary fortress, but not
desolate There is nameless happiness
in virtuous melancholy, my friends ; and
the solitude of these long years, though
always tinged with sadness as [ thought
of her, has also been glorified by the hon.
orable retrospection, | can look back
without blush, and onward without a
fear see glory in the grass and splendor
in the fower;' 'boeks in the running
brooks, sermons in stones, and good in
everything"
"Except slavery" interrupted Mount
fort with a smile
"And all other vice" added Lone Jack.
"For slavery is crime, though mayhap
you do not think So"
"Not necessarily wrong" returned
Mountfort, ''as look at it. Power over
the feeble may be used rightfully and to
bless them
"But I deny mans right to WELD the
power of slavery; or that liberty should
be limited to those who have superiority
of MUD. If the homely, poor, ignorant,
feeble, indolent-as the negro is claimed
to be-should be enslaved on account of
those attributes, millions of whites should
this day be placed in chains. But such
defects invoke our assistance, not our
L..a