The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-23

food TO runaway slave. There was need for an
underground railroad and it was established.
The terminus OF this road was In Canada, and it
began anywhere in the South. There were con-
ductors, eating houses, ali along the route;
the trains were night trains and
all were deadheads Mr.. Cofin,
underground railroad. because he had assisted
more OF these poor fugtives on their way to
Canada than any other man. Up to 1910 it was
said that 1000 slaves had followed the north
star to Canada over this railroad. On this road
everybody worked without pay.
John Freeman was free negro who lived in
this city. He had acquired some property, and
was reputable man. A white man came here
from down South, saw Freeman on the street.
ana said that he was his runaway slave He had
Freeman arrested and put in jail. Freeman was
ln charge OF the United States marshal OF this
district. This man who claimed him was not
quite sure, so he was allowed to 60 to the Jail
and Freeman was stripped that he might look
over his body and thus be helped in making up
description, and be enabled by this
perJured testimony to claim him as his slave
After all this the people here would not let Free
man be taken without trial by jury. There was
great excitement. Other men came from the
South who said Freeman was not the mans
slave. Yet under this infamous system free
man came near being taken into slavery. A
STAKEHOLDER named Vanlandigham tried to take
negro through this city to the South. The
greatest indignation was aroused, and after
spending thousand dolars-as much as negro
was worth-he had to go without him.
The people in the North were becoming more
and more exasperated. Harriet Beecher Stoves
book came out You remember the story of
Eliza Harris crossing the Ohio upon the cakes of
ice. Mr.. Coffin says that is literally true: that
he knew the heroine She escaped by Ripley,
o., and came to his house, and he cared for her
for day or two There was another Eliza fee
Ing from slavery, who was captured near Gin
cinnati-Eliza Garner-and she took knife
and cut the throats of her two children, rather
than that they should go back to slavery. But
they took her back South.
One of the amazing things about this slavery
question was that not alone in the South, but
In the North. there was strong pro-slavery
feeling Even our preachers favored it.
They said slavery was authorized by the
Bible, and it was the duty of Christian
people, when they saw runaway slave.
to give him up to his master, 1t was insisted
upon by statesmen that all good citizens should
see to 1t that the fugitive slave law was rightly
enforced-this law that made it crime to give
drink of water or crust of bread to runaway
slave New, do not denounce those people. l
pity them.
A few months ago there was called together
by Mr.. William a. English, at English's Opera
house. the survivors of the constitutional con-
vention. the men who made the present Consti-
tuition of Indiana The thirteenth article of
that Constitution provides that no negro OF mu-
latto shall come into this State and that any
encourages him TO remain in this State, may be
fined $500. l was glad that at the meeting Of
these old men who had made that law there
was one old man over seventy years old (Gen.
William Mckee DUNN came all the way from
Washington City to read paper, in which he
thanked God that he had not voted for that ar
tiele. lGreat applause. This shows what an
effect slavery had upon the people and upon poll
ticians Of the North as we'll as at the South.
Everytime colored man crossed the Ohio river
there was thousand dollars out of somebody's
pocket There is q man in the United States
Senate to-day who used to be the negro-whipper
on his fathers plantation. It was his pride to
take cow-hide and whip negro who had dis
obeyed his father or his mother l have seen
the public whipping post in ST. Louis where the
whipper was paid for whipping negro men and
negro women.
Charles Dickens in his American notes, gives
some of the advertisements that used to appear
in the newspapers. have seen such advertise
ments, usually with the wood-cut of negro
running, with a stick and bundle over his shout
der
Ran away-Negress Caroline. Had on a collar with
one prong turned down.
Ran away-A black woman, Betsey. Had an iron
Ran away--A negro boy about twelve years old.
Had round his neck chain g,collar with De Lam
pert engraved on it.
Ran away-The negro Hown. Has ring of iron
his left foot Also, Grise his wife, having ring
and chain on the left leg.
Ran away-A negro woman and two children. Be-
fore she went off burned her with hot iron the
left side of her face tried to make the letter M
Pompey, forty years old. He is branded on the left
jaw.
Ran away-A negro girl called Mary. Has small
her eye and good many teeth missing.
The letter is branded ON her cheek and forehead.
They used to 60 cunning for negroes. A favor
tie pastime in the South was to go cunning for
them on Sunday. They used to mark them by
cutting off the rim of the right ear They
<bav Ia ivN ovu
CO and Montana. l do not say Shareholders were
all this kind, but do say that the slave laws of
the South permitted shareholders to treat people
this way. No wonder that they journeyed to
the north star, or that people in the North were
outraged and said this thing should not continue.
They said that this fugitive slave law if it re-
manned upon the statute book, must be a dead
letter. The North and South got at loggerheads.
The South said it was divine institution, and
they would spread it over the Territories The
people Of the North were exasperated at the at
tempt to enforce this slave law and the attempt
ed extension of slavery, and the people of the
South were angry because they saw their prop
erty was getting away from them. Then came
trouble in Kansas. which you will hear about in
the next lecture and then the election of Mr..
Lincoln brought on the war Volunteers went
out to fight for flag and country. Men
went from New England and from the
West Then it was found that when
the Puritans bought rum, and stole and sold me-
groes, it was to be paid for in the blood Of
her sons. and the people of the South found that
the unrequited toll of the negro was to be paid
for in blood And the armless sleeves the
manned and crippled, the orphan and the widow
and all the suffering of long and terrible war
came because of the trade in human beings-be-
cause there was money in it. because it paid.
An ancient Greek has said: 'To be born
with hatred of injustice is a gift
of the gods" Let US oppose injustice,
no matter whether it be upheld by the
pulpit, no matter what may be said by books.
The next lecture of the course, subject: John
Brown" will be given by DR.. A. W. Brayton
next Friday afternoon.