The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-07-07
lFlom the Chicago Tribune
How Gen, 0glesby Became au Anti
Slavery Man,

In his great speech ut Metropolitan
Hall last Friday night, Gen. Oslcsby cX'
planned how il happened that he became
an onti.slnscry man. The General is
Southern man by birth, parcnlnge. and
carly association, aud has lived nll his
life time among Southern born people.
Lest any reader may not have read the
speech, we ro-pubiiSh nn extract from il,
giving the circumstances that opened his
eyes to the internal Character Of the IN
stitution. lie said:
May indulge myself for moment to
give YOU few of the reasons why | be-
came an anti.slavery muni Yes, yes /
know that what affects the chnracter oi
any one man in the country is of but liz
tie consequence, still it was big thing
with me, and controlled oil the future
thoughts of my life made me honest on
the question, made mo purely honest.
My father WIS slavc-holder, he had u
wife and eight children, nnd--only one
negro--luugl,tcr--und iden,if d himself
with the institution of slavery. He was
a Virgnian born, living in Kentucky, IA
cooper by trade. A negro tell to his lot
somehow with other things from his faith
er's estate. He took that negro, learned
him the carpenters trade; he lived in the
family, while all the children were being
born he nurscd US, took care Of us, led Us
along by the hand, and father $50 | am
told, and believe IFS true,) never gave
him lash, or kick or an unkind word,
Applause. lie was one of the noblesl
black mon | have ever seen. Amer o
while, in the course Of events, my parents
died and left Us poor--ycry potr. | was
eight years old. saw thut negro put up.
ON aud sold at auction. That did not
concern me very Tucn, scarcely knew
what il meant. saw those who were
my fricnds--whom l loved dearly, and
still loye-I saw them about il, and sup
posed as a boy that il WAS all right. That
negro came often to see us, ns he was
taken away only about eight or ten miles
He was then forty years of age. Shortly
afterwards n son OF the purchaser, in the
wrath and fire of the moment, exposed
his old bare back, and gave him one hun
dred deliberate lashcs. Tkc news came
to us children through my married sistol
that sad story of how poor old Uncle
Tim had been treated. Something set
tied hold of me then, young as | was
and / made resolve, for a boy, OF quit
a serious character, that If ever in tn,
Providence orGod grew up to be wort
anything, enough to buy him bsck {,
fre edom, | would do il. His master,
pre sumo was ps kind as they general,
are. 1t is not the owner of the slave
am abusing, but the institution. an
striking at something higher than a. maj
tho system. Time passed on, aud re
NAMED poor. Finally California becam
the rage, and l went there. | got to
gether money enough to come back hom'
aud 90 to Kentucky; ! kept my promise
/ | bought him and set him free, aud theI
swore eternal vcngence on the institutio
of slavery. [Trc mendous chcering.l Tn
institution slavery never favored me.
love the people, for they were my dea
friends, and owned slaves. Most of M
relations were nearly all Kentuckians
and nearly all slave holders. saw ha,
nothing 10 gain by il. There were N
free schools--no such thing as learnin
10 read or write. | lost my altaohner
for the institution. never saw the da
when wanted to own a slaye--when