The Republican journal., 1881-11-10


people of the North. had no proper
idea of the wealth. refinement, enterprise,
and high civilization of this section of the
country. My columbian Orator." al
most my only book, had done nothing to
enlighten me concerning Northern Socie-
ty. | had been taught that slavery was
at the bottom of all wealth. With this
foundation idea, came naturally to the
conclusion that poverty must be the gen
eral condition Of the people of the free
States. In the country from which
came, white man holding no slaves was
usually an ignorant and poverty stricken
man, land men oftheir class were contempt
uously called "poor white trash Here
| supposed that, since the slave hold
ers at the South were ignorant, poor and
degraded as class, the non slave-h hold
ers at the North must be in a similar con-
dition | could have landed in no part
of the United States where should have
found a more striking and gratifying con-
trast, not only to life generally in the
South, but in the condition of the colored
people there than in New Bedford. was
amazed when Mr.. johnson told me that
there was nothing in the laws or constitu-
ton Of Massachusetts, that would prevent
a colored man from being governor of the
State, if the people should see fit to elect
him. There, too the black children at
tended the public schools with the white
mans children, and apparently with
out objection from any quarter To I'M
press me with my security from recapture
and return to slavery, Mr.. johnson as
sured me that no slave holder could take
a slave out of New Bedford; that there
were men there who would lay down their
lives to save me from such a fate.
The fifth day after my arrival put on
the clothes Of common laborer, and
went upon the wharves in search of work
On my way down Union street saw a
large pile of coal in front Of the house of
Rev, Ephraim Peabody, the Unitarian
minister. went to the kitchen door and
asked the privilege of bringing in and put
ting away the coal. ''What will you
charge p said the lady. II will leave that
to you, madam" "You may putt away"
she said. was not long in accomplish
ing the job, when the dear lady but into
my hand tW0 sjtrey hab-d0il0rs, TO un-
derstand the emotion which swelled my
heart as clasped this money, realized
that had no master who could take it
from me,-Ha it 2c0S mine -that WB
hdtdS Wefe My OUW, and could earn
more of the precious coin,-one must
have been in some sense himself a slave
My next job was slowing sloop at
Uncle Gid Howland's wharf with a
cargo Of oil for New York | was
not only free man, but a free working
man, and no master stood ready at the
end OF the week to seize my hard earn
ings.
The season was growing late and work
was plenty. Ships were being fitted out
for whaling, and much wood was used.in
storing them. The saving this wood
was considered a good job. With the
help of old Friend johnson BLESSINGS on
his memory | got saw and "buck,'
and went at it. When | went into d
store to buy cord with which to brace
up my saw in the frame, | asked for a
tips" worth of cord. Tue man behind
the counter looked rather sharply at me,
and said with equal sharpness, "Iou
don't belong about here" was alarmed
and thought | had betrayed myself A
ftp in Maryland was six and quarter
cents, called tourpence in Massachusetts,
But no harm came from the "ti'pennv-
w blulioIl ULlNt L tOllitCIllN 1tiiNt IIlttI
fully went to work with nv saw and
buck. 1t was new business to me, but
never did better work, or more of it in
the same space of time on the plantation
for Covey, the negro breaker, than | did
for myself in these earliest years of my
freedom.
Notwithstanding the Just and humane
sentiment of New Bedford three and forty
years ago, the place was not entirely free
from race and color prejudice The good
influence OF the Reaches, Rodmans, At
nolds, Grinnells, and Robesons did not
prevade all classes Of its people The
test of the real civilization of the com
munity came when | applied for work al
my trade, and then my repulse was EN-
phatic and decisive. 1t SO happened that
Mr.. Rodney French, a wealthy and enter
prising citizen, distinguished as an anti
slavery man, was fitting out vessel for
a whaling voyage, upon which there was
a heavy job Of callling and coppering to
be done. | had some skill in both
branches, and applied to Mr. French for
work He, generous man that he was, told
me he would employ me, and | might 60
at once to the vessel. | obeyed him. but
| dpOlI l1ttIlliuS lIlC ilOtil-SttlSt, NiClC
other calkers were at work, | was told
that every white man would leave the
ship, in her unfinished condition, if struck
a blow at my trade upon her. This unciyil,
unhuman, and selfish treatment was not
SO shocking and scandalous in my eyes
at the time as it now appears to me.
Slavery Injured me to hardships that made
ordinary trouble sit light upon me. Could
have worked at my trade could have
earned two dollars q day, but as a
common labOrer | received but one dol
lar. The difference was of great impor-
tance to me, but if could not get two
dollars, | was glad to get one; and SO |
went to work for Mr.. French as a COM
mon labOrer. The consciousness that |
was free-no longer slave-kept me
cheerful under this, and many similar
prescriptions, which | was destined to
meet in New Bedford and elsewhere on
the free soil of Massachusetts. For in
stance, though colo ed children attended
the schools, and were treated kindly by
their teachers the New Bedford Lyceum
refused till several years after my resi-
dence in that city, to allow any colored
person to attend the lectures delivered in
It's hall Not until such men as Charles
Sumner, Theodore Parker, Ralph Waldo
Emerson, and Horace Mann refused to
lecture in their course while there was
such restriction, was it abandoned.
Becoming satisfied that could not rely
on my trade in New Bedford to give me
a living prepared myself to do any kind
of work that came to hand. | sawed
wood shoveled coal, dug cellars, moved
rubbish from back yards, worked on the
wharves, loaded and unloaded vessels,
and secured their cabins.
I atterward got steady work at the
brass foundry owned by Mr.. Richmond.
My duty here was to blow the bellows,
swing the crane and empty the TASKS in
which castings were made and at times
it was hot and heavy work. The articles