Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-08-28

ldCe was w iO hiSSHo SSA't~A AtSl'Suj 90
now returned home, unsupported by any
mortal but my fears were for the fugi-
tives, not myself. The house was soon
thronged, and by various stratagems, l
managed to delay pursuit or hours and
when the worly investigations were done
announcing myself robbed, led, the
most eagre and indignant, u the wrong
direction of the chase.
"In brief, the hunt proved fruitless.-
Providence guided the scarfd fugitives,
and foiled their hunters. through many
perils they continued to Escape, from
county TO county, and Stae to State
and not many months afterwards I re
ceived intelligence Of their whereabouts,
and sent them sufficient mans to make
them comfortable for life.
in due time the exciRment died
away but, continually annoyed with
suspicious of being an aboltionist, and
thoroughly loathing a system Of which l
was an unwilling representative, / re-
solved to emancipate all my slaves, and
seek a home farther North. | was not
long in finding purchaser for the plan
tation; it was a fertile and wel-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, l sailed with them to distant parts,
where all, ,who work in honesty, are
masters of themselves, however humble,
ignorant or homely.
"Ab, my friends, 1 once a stakeholder,
did feel indeed ike a patriarch when l
parted with those poor ignogants for the
last time for l felt that l had given
them, and theirs to come, their liberty
forever; ana that the authority of the
patriarch had been vindicated, out only
by his surrender of it! | could but
weep as / counselled them and tore my
self from their eliasins arms, ana ,iloil
tears of gratitude for release from .slay-
cry I regarded as my absolution for con-
lection with it.
"Journeying awhile, restlessly, from
place to place, at last fixed upon this
spot for my home; but here, for twenty
years, have dwelt in peace with God
and nature, my books aud thought of her"
rs it possible thas you can still be in
luenced by that singular attachment"
asked Mountfort, wondegingly,
at is. have never loved but once"
said the old man, solemuly. "Some na-
lures, l believe can love many tines
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 recluse am; it contents me to be SO.
can glory in tie sacrifice which blasted
me. 1t makes my solitude sublime. l
glory in the sacrifice which forbore to
make when l would not force her to be
mine, but shielded her alike from the de-
stroyer, from the pangs Of disappointed
love, from slavery, from poverty, from
myself! l have grown gray here in my
solitary fortress, but not desoiate. There
is o nameless happiness in yirtuous mel
my friends; and the solitude OF
these long years, though always tinged
with sadness as I thought Of her, has al
ways been glorifed by the honorable ret
rospection. can look back without a
blush, and onward without fear; see
glory in tie grass, and splendor in the
flower :" books III the running brooks,
sermons in stones, and good in every
thing"
Except slavery" interrupted Mount
fort, with a smile.
"And all over vice, added Lone Jack.
For slavery is a crime, though mayhaP
you 90 not think so.'
"Not necessarily wrong returned
Mounhort, 'as l look at it. Power over
the feeble may be used rightfully and to
bless them"
"But 1 deny mans right to WELD the
power of slavery or that liberty should
be limited to those only who have supe-
riority of mind. If the homely, poor,
ignorant, feeble, indOlent-as the negro
is claimed to be-should be enslayed on
the account Of those attributes, millions
of whites should this day be placed 10
chains. But such defects invoke our as
sistance, not our scorn; a helping hand
and not a trampling foot. God never
made a slave. Mans tyranny has done
it."
"The South could not live without
Slavery"
Il differ with you. If the white could
not cause his fields to flourish SO well, he
still could live. And better the ground
should lie idle than that every harvest