The Republican journal., 1881-11-10
lScribner's Magazine for November
MY Escape From Slavery.
BY FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

in slavery, written nearly forty years ago,
and III various writings since, | have
given the public what considered very
good reasons for Withholding the manner
Of my escape. In substance these reasons
were, first, that such publication at any
time during the existence of slavery might
be used for the master against the slave,
and prevent the future escape of any who
might adopt the same means that did.
The second reason was, if possible, still
more binding to silence; the publication
OF details would certainly have put in
peril the persons and property of those
who assisted. Murder itself was not more
sternly and certainly punished in the
State Of Maryland than that OF aiding and
abettlng the escape OF a slave. Many
c0lOred men, for no other crime than that
of giving aid to a fugitive slave, have,
Ike Charles /. Torrey, perished in prison.
The abolition OF slavery in my native
State and throughout the country, and
the lapse OF time, render the caution
hitherto observed no longer necessary.
But even since the abolition of slavery,
have sometimes thought it we'll enough
to battle curiosity 10y saying that While
slavery existed there were good reasons
for not telling the manner OF my escape.
and since slavery had ceased TO exist.
there was no reason for telling ii. | shall
now, however, cease TO avail myself of
this formula, and, as far as | can en-
deayor tG satisfy this very natural curios-
ity, | should, perhaps, have yielded to
that feeling sooner, had there been any
thing very heroic or thrilling in the in
cidents connected with M escape, for
am sorry to say | have nothing Of that
sort to tell and vet the courage that
could risk betrayal and the bravery which
was ready to encounter death if need be.
in pursuit of freedom, were essential feat
ures in the undertaking. My success was
due to address rather than courage to
good luck rather than bravery. MY
means of escape were provided for me Icy
the very men who were making laws to
hold land bind me more securely in slavery.
1t was the custom in the State Of Mary
land to require the free coored people to
have what were called free papers. These
instruments they were required to renew
very often, and by charging a fee for this
writing, considerable sums from time to
time We're collected by the State. In
these papers the name, age, color. height
and form OF the freeman were described
together with any scars or other marks
upon his person which could assist in his
Identification. The device in some meas
ure defeated itself-since more than one
man could be found to answer the same
general description. Hence many slaves
could escape by personating the owner Of
one set OF papers; and this was often
done as follows: A slave, nearly or sut-
ticlently answering the description set
forth in the papers, would borrow or hire
them till by means of them he could
escape to free State, and then, by mail
or otherwise, would return them to the
owner. The operation was a hazardous
one for the lender as we'll as for the bor-
rover. y failure on the part of the fugi-
tive to send back the papers would i'm
peril his benetactOr, and the discovery Of
the papers in possession Of the wrong
man would imperil both the fugitive and
his friend. 1t was, therefore, an act of
supreme trust on the part of a freeman of
color thus to put in jeopardy his own
liberty that another might be free. 1t
was, however, not unfrequently brayely
done, and was seldom discovered. | was
not 50 fortunate as to resemble any of my
free acquaiDtances sufficiently t0 answer
the description of their papers. But
had one friend-a sailOr-wh0 owned a
sailors protection, which answered some
what the purpose of free papers-de
scribing his person, and certifying to the
fact that he was free American sailor
This instrument had at its head the
American eagle, which gave it the APP
pcarance at once of an authorized docu
ment. This protection, when in my
hands, did not describe its bearer very
accurately. Indeed, it called for man
much darker than myself, and close eN-
animation of it would have caused my
arrest at the start.
In order to avoid this fatal scrutiny on
the part Of the railroad officials, arrang-
ed with Isaac Rolls, a Baltimore hackman,
TO bring my baggage to the Philadelphia
train just on the moment Of starting, and
jumped upon the car myself when the
train was in motion. Had gone into the
station and offered to purchase a ticket,
| should have been instantly and careful
ly examined, and undoubtedly arrested
In choosing this plan considered the JOS
tie OF the train, and the natural haste Of
the conductor, in train crowded with
passengers, and relied upon my skill and
address in playing the sailor, as described
IN my protection, to do the rest. One
element in my favor was the kind feeling
which prevailed in Baltimore and other
sea-ports at the time, toward 'those who
go down to the sea in ships" "Free
trade and sailors rights just then eX
pressed the sentiment of the country. In
my clothing | was rugged out in a sailor
style. | had on a red shirt and a tarpau
lin hat, and black cravat tied in sailor
fashion carelessly and loosely about my
neck. My knowledge of ships and sailors
talk came much to my assistance, for
knew ship from stem to stern, and from
keelSOn to cross tree, and could talk
sailor like an cold SALT ! was we'll on
the way to Harve de Grace before the
conductor came into the negro car to col
lect tickets and examine the papers Of
bis black passengers. This was critical
moment in the drama, My whole future
depended upon the decision of this con-
this ceremony was proceeding, still, eX-
ternally, at least, was apparently calm
and self-possessed. He went on with his
examining several colored passen-
gers before reaching me. He was some
what harsh in tone and peremptory in
manner until he reached me, when,
strange enough, and to my surprise and
relief, his whole manner changed See
ing that | did not readily produce my
free papers, as the other colored persons
in the car had done, he said to me, in
friendly contrast with his bearing toward
the others:
'T suppose you have your free papers ?"
To which answered: