the anti-slavery crusade-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　until　after　the　foreign　slave…trade　had　been　prohibited　and　the　domestic　trade　had　been　developed；　and　not　until　there　was　a　pro…slavery　reaction　in　the　South　which　banished　from　the　slave　States　all　anti…slavery　propaganda；　did　the　systematic　assistance　rendered　to　fugitive　slaves　assume　any　large　proportions　or　arouse　bitter　resentment。　It　began　in　the　late　twenties　and　early　thirties　of　the　nineteenth　century；　extended　with　the　spread　of　anti…slavery　organization；　and　was　greatly　encouraged　and　stimulated　by　the　enactment　of　the　law　of　1850。　The　Underground　Railroad　was　never　coextensive　with　the　abolition　movement。　There　were　always　abolitionists　who　disapproved　the　practice　of　assisting　fugitives；　and　others　who　took　no　part　in　it。　Of　those　who　were　active　participants；　the　larger　proportion　confined　their　activities　to　assisting　those　who　had　escaped　and　would　take　no　part　in　seeking　to　induce　slaves　to　leave　their　masters。　Efforts　of　that　kind　were　limited　to　a　few　individuals　only。　Incidents　drawn　from　the　reminiscences　of　Levi　Coffin；　the　reputed　president　of　the　Underground　Railroad；　may　serve　to　illustrate　the　origin　and　growth　of　the　system。　He　was　seven　years　old　when　he　first　saw　near　his　home　in　North　Carolina　a　coffle　of　slaves　being　driven　to　the　Southern　market　by　a　man　on　horseback　with　a　long　whip。　〃The　driver　was　some　distance　behind　with　the　wagon。　My　father　addressed　the　slaves　pleasantly　and　then　asked；　'Well；　boys；　why　do　they　chain　you？'　One　of　the　men　whose　countenance　betrayed　unusual　intelligence　and　whose　expression　denoted　the　deepest　sadness　replied：　'They　have　taken　us　from　our　wives　and　children　and　they　chain　us　lest　we　should　make　our　escape　and　go　back　to　them。〃'　When　Coffin　was　fifteen；　he　rendered　assistance　to　a　man　in　bondage。　Having　an　opportunity　to　talk　with　the　members　of　a　gang　in　the　hands　of　a　trader　bound　for　the　Southern　market；　he　learned　that　one　of　the　company；　named　Stephen；　was　a　freeman　who　had　been　kidnapped　and　sold。　Letters　were　written　to　Northern　friends　of　Stephen　who　confirmed　his　assertion。　Money　was　raised　in　the　Quaker　meeting　and　men　were　sent　to　recover　the　negro。　Stephen　was　found　in　Georgia　and　after　six　months　was　liberated。　During　the　year　1821　other　incidents　occurred　in　the　Quaker　community　at　New　Garden；　near　Greensboro；　North　Carolina；　which　illustrate　different　phases　of　the　subject。　Jack　Barnes　was　the　slave　of　a　bachelor　who　became　so　greatly　attached　to　his　servant　that　he　bequeathed　to　him　not　only　his　freedom　but　also　a　large　share　of　his　property。　Relatives　instituted　measures　to　break　the　will；　and　Jack　in　alarm　took　refuge　among　the　Quakers　at　New　Garden。　The　suit　went　against　the　negro；　and　the　newspapers　contained　advertisements　offering　a　hundred　dollars　for　information　which　should　result　in　his　recovery。　To　prevent　his　return　to　bondage；　it　was　decided　that　Jack　should　join　a　family　of　Coffins　who　were　moving　to　Indiana。　At　the　same　time　a　negro　by　the　name　of　Sam　had　for　several　months　been　abiding　in　the　Quaker　neighborhood。　He　belonged　to　a　Mr。　Osborne；　a　prototype　of　Simon　Legree；　who　was　so　notoriously　cruel　that　other　slave…owners　assisted　in　protecting　his　victims。　After　the　Coffins；　with　Jack；　had　been　on　the　road　for　a　few　days；　Osborne　learned　that　a　negro　was　with　them　and；　feeling　sure　that　it　was　his　Sam；　he　started　in　hot　haste　after　them。　This　becoming　known　to　the　Friends；　young　Levi　Coffin　was　sent　after　Osborne　to　forestall　disaster。　The　descriptions　given　of　Jack　and　Sam　were　practically　identical　and　it　was　surmised　that　when　Osborne　should　overtake　the　party　and　discover　his　mistake；　he　would　seize　Jack　for　the　sake　of　the　offered　reward。　Coffin　soon　came　up　with　Osborne　and　decided　to　ride　with　him　for　a　time　to　learn　his　plans。　In　the　course　of　their　conversation；　it　was　finally　agreed　that　Coffin　should　assist　in　the　recovery　of　Sam。　Osborne　was　also　generous　and　insisted　that　if　it　proved　to　be　the　other　〃nigger〃　who　was　with　the　company；　Coffin　should　have　half　the　reward。　How　the　young　Quaker　outwitted　the　tyrant；　gained　his　point；　sent　Jack　on　his　way　to　liberty；　and　at　the　same　time　retained　the　confidence　of　Osborne　so　that　upon　their　return　home　he　was　definitely　engaged　to　assist　Osborne　in　finding　Sam；　is　a　fascinating　story。　The　abolitionist　won　from　the　slaveholder　the　doubtful　compliment　that　〃there　was　not　a　man　in　that　neighborhood　worth　a　dn　to　help　him　hunt　his　negro　except　young　Levi　Coffin。〃　Sam　was　perfectly　safe　so　long　as　Levi　Coffin　was　guide　for　the　hunting…party；　but　matters　were　becoming　desperate。　For　the　fugitive　something　had　to　be　done。　Another　family　was　planning　to　move　to　Indiana；　and　in　their　wagon　Sam　was　to　be　concealed　and　thus　conveyed　to　a　free　State。　The　business　had　now　become　serious。　The　laws　of　the　State　affixed　the　death　penalty　for　stealing　a　slave。　At　night　when　young　Coffin　and　his　father；　with　Sam；　were　on　their　way　to　complete　arrangements　for　the　departure；　horsemen　appeared　in　the　road　near　by。　They　had　only　time　to　throw　themselves　flat　on　the　ground　behind　a　log。　From　the　conversation　overheard；　they　were　assured　that　they　had　narrowly　escaped　the　night…riders　on　the　lookout　for　stray　negroes。　The　next　year；　1822；　Coffin　himself　joined　a　party　going　to　Indiana　by　the　southern　route　through　Tennessee　and　Kentucky。　In　the　latter　State　they　were　at　one　time　overtaken　by　men　who　professed　to　be　looking　for　a　pet　dog；　but　whose　real　purpose　was　to　recover　runaway　slaves。　They　insisted　upon　examining　the　contents　of　the　wagons；　for　in　this　way　only　a　short　time　previous　a　fugitive　had　been　captured。　These　incidents　show　the　origin　of　the　system。　The　first　case　of　assistance　rendered　a　negro　was　not　in　itself　illegal；　but　was　intended　merely　to　prevent　the　crime　of　kidnapping。　The　second　was　illegal　in　form；　but　the　aid　was　given　to　one　who；　having　been　set　free　by　will；　was　being　reenslaved；　it　was　believed；　by　an　unjust　decision　of　a　court。　The　third　was　a　case　of　outrageous　abuse　on　the　part　of　the　owner。　The　negro　Sam　had　himself　gone　to　a　trader　begging　that　he　would　buy　him　and　preferring　to　take　his　chances　on　a　Mississippi　plantation　rather　than　return　to　his　master。　The　trader　offered　the　customary　price　and　was　met　with　the　reply　that　he　could　have　the　rascal　if　he　would　wait　until　after　the　enraged　owner　had　taken　his　revenge；　otherwise　the　price　would　be　twice　the　amount　offered。　A　large　proportion　of　the　fugitives　belonged　to　this　maltreated　class。　Others　were　goaded　to　escape　by　the　prospect　of　deportation　to　the　Gulf　States。　The　fugitives　generally　followed　the　beaten　line　of　travel　to　the　North　and　West。　In　1826　Levi　Coffin　became　a　merchant　in　Newport；　Indiana；　a　town　near　the　Ohio　line　not　far　from　Richmond。　In　the　town　and　in　its　neighborhood　lived　a　large　number　of　free　negroes　who　were　the　descendants　of　former　slaves　whom　North　Carolina　Quakers　had　set　free　and　had　colonized　in　the　new　country。　Coffin　found　that　these　blacks　were　accustomed　to　assist　fugitives　on　their　way　to　Canada。　When　he　also　learnt　that　some　had　been　captured　and　returned　to　bondage　merely　through　lack　of　skill　on　the　part　of　the　negroes；　he　assumed　active　operations　as　a　conductor　on　the　Underground　Railroad。　Coffin　used　the　Underground　Railroad　as　a　means　of　making　converts　to　the　cause。　One　who　berated　him　for　negro…stealing　was　adroitly　induced　to　meet　a　newly　arrived　passenger　and　listen　to　his　pathetic　story。　At　the　psychological　moment　the　objector　was　skillfully　led　to　hand　the　fugitive　a　dollar　to　assist　him　in　reaching　a　place　of　safety。　Coffin　then　explained　to　this　benevolent　non…abolitionist　the　nature　of　his　act；　assuring　him　that　he　was　liable　to　heavy　damages　therefor。　The　reply　was　in　this　case　more　forcible　than　elegant：　〃Damn　it！　You've　got　me！〃　This　conversion　he　publicly　proclaimed　for　the　sake　of　its　influence　upon　others。　Many　were　the　instances　in　which　those　of　supposed　pro…slavery　convictions　were　brought　face　to　face　with　an　actual　case　of　the　threatened　reenslavement　of　a　human　being　escaping　from　bondage　and　were；　to　their　own　surprise；　overcome　by　the　natural；　humane　sentiment　which　asserted　itself。　For　example；　a　Cincinnati　merchant；　who　at　the　time　wa