running a thousand miles for freedom-第3章

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I　was　knocked　down　to　the　cashier　of　the　bank　to　which　we　were　mortgaged；　and　ordered　to　return　to　the　cabinet　shop　where　I　previously　worked。

But　the　thought　of　the　harsh　auctioneer　not　allowing　me　to　bid　my　dear　sister　farewell；　sent　red…hot　indignation　darting　like　lightning　through　every　vein。　　It　quenched　my　tears；　and　appeared　to　set　my　brain　on　fire；　and　made　me　crave　for　power　to　avenge　our　wrongs！　　But　alas！　we　were　only　slaves；　and　had　no　legal　rights；　consequently　we　were　compelled　to　smother　our　wounded　feel…　ings；　and　crouch　beneath　the　iron　heel　of　des…　potism。

I　must　now　give　the　account　of　our　escape；　but；　before　doing　so；　it　may　be　well　to　quote　a　few　passages　from　the　fundamental　laws　of　slavery；　in　order　to　give　some　idea　of　the　legal　as　well　as　the　social　tyranny　from　which　we　fled。

According　to　the　law　of　Louisiana；　〃A　slave　is　one　who　is　in　the　power　of　a　master　to　whom　he　belongs。　　The　master　may　sell　him；　dispose　of　his　person；　his　industry；　and　his　labour；　he　can　do　nothing；　possess　nothing；　nor　acquire　anything　but　what　must　belong　to　his　master。〃Civil　Code；　art。　35。

In　South　Carolina　it　is　expressed　in　the　following　language：〃Slaves　shall　be　deemed；　sold；　taken；　reputed　and　judged　in　law　to　be　chattels　personal　in　the　hands　of　their　owners　and　possessors；　and　their　executors；　administrators；　and　assigns；　to　all　intents；　constructions；　and　purposes　whatsoever。　2　Brevard's　Digest；　229。

The　Constitution　of　Georgia　has　the　following　（Art。　4；　sec。　12）：〃Any　person　who　shall　mali…　ciously　dismember　or　deprive　a　slave　of　life；　shall　suffer　such　punishment　as　would　be　inflicted　in　case　the　like　offence　had　been　committed　on　a　free　white　person；　and　on　the　like　proof；　except　in　case　of　insurrection　of　such　slave；　and　unless　SUCH　DEATH　SHOULD　HAPPEN　BY　ACCIDENT　IN　GIVING　SUCH　SLAVE　MODERATE　CORRECTION。〃Prince's　Digest；　559。

I　have　known　slaves　to　be　beaten　to　death；　but　as　they　died　under　〃moderate　correction；〃　it　was　quite　lawful；　and　of　course　the　murderers　were　not　interfered　with。

〃If　any　slave；　who　shall　be　out　of　the　house　or　plantation　where　such　slave　shall　live；　or　shall　be　usually　employed；　or　without　some　white　person　in　company　with　such　slave；　shall　REFUSE　TO　SUBMIT　to　undergo　the　examination　of　ANY　WHITE　person；　（let　him　be　ever　so　drunk　or　crazy）；　it　shall　be　lawful　for　such　white　person　to　pursue；　apprehend；　and　moderately　correct　such　slave；　and　if　such　slave　shall　assault　and　strike　such　white　person；　such　slave　may　be　LAWFULLY　KILLED。〃2　Brevard's　Digest；　231。

〃Provided　always；〃　says　the　law；　〃that　such　striking　be　not　done　by　the　command　and　in　the　defence　of　the　person　or　property　of　the　owner；　or　other　person　having　the　government　of　such　slave；　in　which　case　the　slave　shall　be　wholly　excused。〃

According　to　this　law；　if　a　slave；　by　the　direction　of　his　overseer；　strike　a　white　person　who　is　beating　said　overseer's　pig；　〃the　slave　shall　be　wholly　excused。〃　　But；　should　the　bondman；　of　his　own　accord；　fight　to　defend　his　wife；　or　should　his　terrified　daughter　instinctively　raise　her　hand　and　strike　the　wretch　who　attempts　to　violate　her　chastity；　he　or　she　shall；　saith　the　model　republican　law；　suffer　death。

From　having　been　myself　a　slave　for　nearly　twenty…three　years；　I　am　quite　prepared　to　say；　that　the　practical　working　of　slavery　is　worse　than　the　odious　laws　by　which　it　is　governed。

At　an　early　age　we　were　taken　by　the　persons　who　held　us　as　property　to　Macon；　the　largest　town　in　the　interior　of　the　State　of　Georgia；　at　which　place　we　became　acquainted　with　each　other　for　several　years　before　our　marriage；　in　fact；　our　marriage　was　postponed　for　some　time　simply　because　one　of　the　unjust　and　worse　than　Pagan　laws　under　which　we　lived　compelled　all　children　of　slave　mothers　to　follow　their　condition。　　That　is　to　say；　the　father　of　the　slave　may　be　the　President　of　the　Republic；　but　if　the　mother　should　be　a　slave　at　the　infant's　birth；　the　poor　child　is　ever　legally　doomed　to　the　same　cruel　fate。

It　is　a　common　practice　for　gentlemen　（if　I　may　call　them　such）；　moving　in　the　highest　circles　of　society；　to　be　the　fathers　of　children　by　their　slaves；　whom　they　can　and　do　sell　with　the　greatest　im…　punity；　and　the　more　pious；　beautiful；　and　virtuous　the　girls　are；　the　greater　the　price　they　bring；　and　that　too　for　the　most　infamous　purposes。

Any　man　with　money　（let　him　be　ever　such　a　rough　brute）；　can　buy　a　beautiful　and　virtuous　girl；　and　force　her　to　live　with　him　in　a　criminal　connexion；　and　as　the　law　says　a　slave　shall　have　no　higher　appeal　than　the　mere　will　of　the　master；　she　cannot　escape；　unless　it　be　by　flight　or　death。

In　endeavouring　to　reconcile　a　girl　to　her　fate；　the　master　sometimes　says　that　he　would　marry　her　if　it　was　not　unlawful。*　　However；　he　will　always　consider　her　to　be　his　wife；　and　will　treat　her　as　such；　and　she；　on　the　other　hand；　may　regard　him　as　her　lawful　husband；　and　if　they　have　any　children；　they　will　be　free　and　well　edu…　cated。

I　am　in　duty　bound　to　add；　that　while　a　great　majority　of　such　men　care　nothing　for　the　happi…　ness　of　the　women　with　whom　they　live；　nor　for　the　children　of　whom　they　are　the　fathers；　there　are　those　to　be　found；　even　in　that　heterogeneous　mass　of　licentious　monsters；　who　are　true　to　their　pledges。　　But　as　the　woman　and　her　children　are　legally　the　property　of　the　man；　who　stands　in　the　anomalous　relation　to　them　of　husband　and　father；　as　well　as　master；　they　are　liable　to　be　seized　and　sold　for　his　debts；　should　he　become　involved。

There　are　several　cases　on　record　where　such　persons　have　been　sold　and　separated　for　life。　　I　know　of　some　myself；　but　I　have　only　space　to　glance　at　one。

I　knew　a　very　humane　and　wealthy　gentleman；　that　bought　a　woman；　with　whom　he　lived　as　his


*　It　is　unlawful　in　the　slave　States　for　any　one　of　purely　European　descent　to　intermarry　with　a　person　of　African　ex…　traction；　though　a　white　man　may　live　with　as　many　coloured　women　as　he　pleases　without　materially　damaging　his　reputa…　tion　in　Southern　society。　wife。　　They　brought　up　a　family　of　children；　among　whom　were　three　nearly　white；　well　edu…　cated；　and　beautiful　girls。

On　the　father　being　suddenly　killed　it　was　found　that　he　had　not　left　a　will；　but；　as　the　family　had　always　heard　him　say　that　he　had　no　surviving　relatives；　they　felt　that　their　liberty　and　property　were　quite　secured　to　them；　and；　knowing　the　insults　to　which　they　were　exposed；　now　their　protector　was　no　more；　they　were　making　preparations　to　leave　for　a　free　State。

But；　poor　creatures；　they　were　soon　sadly　unde…　ceived。　　A　villain　residing　at　a　distance；　hearing　of　the　circumstance；　came　forward　and　swore　that　he　was　a　relative　of　the　deceased；　and　as　this　man　bore；　or　assumed；　Mr。　Slator's　name；　the　case　was　brought　before　one　of　those　horrible　tribunals；　presided　over　by　a　second　Judge　Jeffreys；　and　calling　itself　a　court　of　justice；　but　before　whom　no　coloured　person；　nor　an　abolitionist；　was　ever　known　to　get　his　full　rights。

A　verdict　was　given　in　favour　of　the　plaintiff；　whom　the　better　portion　of　the　community　thought　had　wilfully　conspired　to　cheat　the　family。

The　heartless　wretch　not　only　took　the　ordi…　nary　property；　but　actually　had　the　aged　and　friendless　widow；　and　all　her　fatherless　children；　except　Frank；　a　fine　young　man　about　twenty…two　years　of　age；　and　Mary；　a　very　nice　girl；　a　little　younger　than　her　brother；　brought　to　the　auction　stand　and　sold　to　the　highest　bidder。　　Mrs。　Slator　had　cash　enough；　that　her　husband　and　master　left；　to　purchase　the　liberty　of　herself　and　children；　but　on　her　attempting　to　do　so；　the　pusillanimous　scoundrel；　who　had　robbed　them　of　their　freedom；　claimed　the　money　as　his　property；　and；　poor　creature；　she　had　to　give　it　up。　　According　to　law；　as　will　be　seen　hereafter；　a　slave　cannot　own　any…　thing。　　The　old　lady　never　recovered　from　her　sad　affliction。

At　the　sale　she　was　brought　up　first；　and　after　being　vulgarly　criticised；　in　the　presence　of　all　her　distressed　family；　was　sold　to　a　cotton　planter；　who　said　he　wanted　the　〃proud　old　critter　to　go　to　his　plantation；　to　look　after　the　little　woolly　heads；　while　their　mammies　were　working　in　the　field。〃

When　the　sa