the narrative of the life-第25章

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was　denounced　as　abolitionism；　and　that　name　sub…

jected　its　bearer　to　frightful　liabilities。　　The　watch…

words　of　the　bloody…minded　in　that　region；　and　in

those　days；　were；　〃Damn　the　abolitionists！〃　and

〃Damn　the　niggers！〃　　There　was　nothing　done；　and

probably　nothing　would　have　been　done　if　I　had

been　killed。　　Such　was；　and　such　remains；　the　state

of　things　in　the　Christian　city　of　Baltimore。

　

　　Master　Hugh；　finding　he　could　get　no　redress；　re…

fused　to　let　me　go　back　again　to　Mr。　Gardner。　　He

kept　me　himself；　and　his　wife　dressed　my　wound

till　I　was　again　restored　to　health。　　He　then　took　me

into　the　ship…yard　of　which　he　was　foreman；　in　the

employment　of　Mr。　Walter　Price。　　There　I　was　im…

mediately　set　to　calking；　and　very　soon　learned　the

art　of　using　my　mallet　and　irons。　　In　the　course　of

one　year　from　the　time　I　left　Mr。　Gardner's；　I　was

able　to　command　the　highest　wages　given　to　the

most　experienced　calkers。　　I　was　now　of　some　impor…

tance　to　my　master。　　I　was　bringing　him　from　six

to　seven　dollars　per　week。　　I　sometimes　brought　him

nine　dollars　per　week：　my　wages　were　a　dollar　and

a　half　a　day。　　After　learning　how　to　calk；　I　sought

my　own　employment；　made　my　own　contracts；　and

collected　the　money　which　I　earned。　　My　pathway

became　much　more　smooth　than　before；　my　condi…

tion　was　now　much　more　comfortable。　　When　I　could

get　no　calking　to　do；　I　did　nothing。　　During　these

leisure　times；　those　old　notions　about　freedom　would

steal　over　me　again。　　When　in　Mr。　Gardner's　employ…

ment；　I　was　kept　in　such　a　perpetual　whirl　of　ex…

citement；　I　could　think　of　nothing；　scarcely；　but

my　life；　and　in　thinking　of　my　life；　I　almost　forgot

my　liberty。　　I　have　observed　this　in　my　experience

of　slavery；that　whenever　my　condition　was　im…

proved；　instead　of　its　increasing　my　contentment；

it　only　increased　my　desire　to　be　free；　and　set　me　to

thinking　of　plans　to　gain　my　freedom。　　I　have　found

that；　to　make　a　contented　slave；　it　is　necessary　to

make　a　thoughtless　one。　　It　is　necessary　to　darken　his

moral　and　mental　vision；　and；　as　far　as　possible；　to

annihilate　the　power　of　reason。　　He　must　be　able　to

detect　no　inconsistencies　in　slavery；　he　must　be　made

to　feel　that　slavery　is　right；　and　he　can　be　brought

to　that　only　when　he　ceases　to　be　a　man。

　

　　I　was　now　getting；　as　I　have　said；　one　dollar　and

fifty　cents　per　day。　　I　contracted　for　it；　I　earned　it；

it　was　paid　to　me；　it　was　rightfully　my　own；　yet；

upon　each　returning　Saturday　night；　I　was　compelled

to　deliver　every　cent　of　that　money　to　Master　Hugh。

And　why？　　Not　because　he　earned　it；not　because

he　had　any　hand　in　earning　it；not　because　I　owed

it　to　him；nor　because　he　possessed　the　slightest

shadow　of　a　right　to　it；　but　solely　because　he　had

the　power　to　compel　me　to　give　it　up。　　The　right　of

the　grim…visaged　pirate　upon　the　high　seas　is　exactly

the　same。

　

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XI

　

　

　　I　now　come　to　that　part　of　my　life　during　which　I

planned；　and　finally　succeeded　in　making；　my　escape

from　slavery。　　But　before　narrating　any　of　the　pe…

culiar　circumstances；　I　deem　it　proper　to　make

known　my　intention　not　to　state　all　the　facts　con…

nected　with　the　transaction。　　My　reasons　for　pursuing

this　course　may　be　understood　from　the　following：

First；　were　I　to　give　a　minute　statement　of　all　the

facts；　it　is　not　only　possible；　but　quite　probable；　that

others　would　thereby　be　involved　in　the　most　embar…

rassing　difficulties。　　Secondly；　such　a　statement　would

most　undoubtedly　induce　greater　vigilance　on　the

part　of　slaveholders　than　has　existed　heretofore

among　them；　which　would；　of　course；　be　the　means

of　guarding　a　door　whereby　some　dear　brother　bond…

man　might　escape　his　galling　chains。　　I　deeply　regret

the　necessity　that　impels　me　to　suppress　any　thing

of　importance　connected　with　my　experience　in

slavery。　　It　would　afford　me　great　pleasure　indeed；

as　well　as　materially　add　to　the　interest　of　my　nar…

rative；　were　I　at　liberty　to　gratify　a　curiosity；　which

I　know　exists　in　the　minds　of　many；　by　an　accurate

statement　of　all　the　facts　pertaining　to　my　most

fortunate　escape。　　But　I　must　deprive　myself　of　this

pleasure；　and　the　curious　of　the　gratification　which

such　a　statement　would　afford。　　I　would　allow　my…

self　to　suffer　under　the　greatest　imputations　which

evil…minded　men　might　suggest；　rather　than　excul…

pate　myself；　and　thereby　run　the　hazard　of　closing

the　slightest　avenue　by　which　a　brother　slave　might

clear　himself　of　the　chains　and　fetters　of　slavery。

　

　　I　have　never　approved　of　the　very　public　manner

in　which　some　of　our　western　friends　have　conducted

what　they　call　the　~underground　railroad；~　but　which

I　think；　by　their　open　declarations；　has　been　made

most　emphatically　the　~upperground　railroad。~　　I　honor

those　good　men　and　women　for　their　noble　daring；

and　applaud　them　for　willingly　subjecting　them…

selves　to　bloody　persecution；　by　openly　avowing　their

participation　in　the　escape　of　slaves。　　I；　however；　can

see　very　little　good　resulting　from　such　a　course；

either　to　themselves　or　the　slaves　escaping；　while；

upon　the　other　hand；　I　see　and　feel　assured　that

those　open　declarations　are　a　positive　evil　to　the

slaves　remaining；　who　are　seeking　to　escape。　　They

do　nothing　towards　enlightening　the　slave；　whilst

they　do　much　towards　enlightening　the　master。

They　stimulate　him　to　greater　watchfulness；　and

enhance　his　power　to　capture　his　slave。　　We　owe

something　to　the　slave　south　of　the　line　as　well　as

to　those　north　of　it；　and　in　aiding　the　latter　on　their

way　to　freedom；　we　should　be　careful　to　do　nothing

which　would　be　likely　to　hinder　the　former　from

escaping　from　slavery。　　I　would　keep　the　merciless

slaveholder　profoundly　ignorant　of　the　means　of

flight　adopted　by　the　slave。　　I　would　leave　him　to

imagine　himself　surrounded　by　myriads　of　invisible

tormentors；　ever　ready　to　snatch　from　his　infernal

grasp　his　trembling　prey。　　Let　him　be　left　to　feel

his　way　in　the　dark；　let　darkness　commensurate　with

his　crime　hover　over　him；　and　let　him　feel　that　at

every　step　he　takes；　in　pursuit　of　the　flying　bondman；

he　is　running　the　frightful　risk　of　having　his　hot

brains　dashed　out　by　an　invisible　agency。　　Let　us

render　the　tyrant　no　aid；　let　us　not　hold　the　light

by　which　he　can　trace　the　footprints　of　our　flying

brother。　　But　enough　of　this。　　I　will　now　proceed　to

the　statement　of　those　facts；　connected　with　my

escape；　for　which　I　am　alone　responsible；　and　for

which　no　one　can　be　made　to　suffer　but　myself。

　

　　In　the　early　part　of　the　year　1838；　I　became　quite

restless。　　I　could　see　no　reason　why　I　should；　at　the

end　of　each　week；　pour　the　reward　of　my　toil　into

the　purse　of　my　master。　　When　I　carried　to　him　my

weekly　wages；　he　would；　after　counting　the　money；

look　me　in　the　face　with　a　robber…like　fierceness；

and　ask；　〃Is　this　all？〃　　He　was　satisfied　with　nothing

less　than　the　last　cent。　　He　would；　however；　when　I

made　him　six　dollars；　sometimes　give　me　six　cents；

to　encourage　me。　　It　had　the　opposite　effect。　　I　re…

garded　it　as　a　sort　of　admission　of　my　right　to　the

whole。　　The　fact　that　he　gave　me　any　part　of　my

wages　was　proof；　to　my　mind；　that　he　believed　me

entitled　to　the　whole　of　them。　　I　always　felt　worse

for　having　received　any　thing；　for　I　feared　that　the

giving　me　a　few　cents　would　ease　his　conscience；

and　make　him　feel　himself　to　be　a　pretty　honorable

sort　of　robber。　　My　discontent　grew　upon　me。　　I　was

ever　on　the　look…out　for　means　of　escape；　and；　find…

ing　no　direct　means；　I　determined　to　try　to　hire　my

time；　with　a　view　of　getting　money　with　which　to

make　my　escape。　　In　the　spring　of　1838；　when　Master

Thomas　came　to　Baltimore　to　purchase　his　spring

goods；　I　got　an　opportunity；　and　applied　to　him　to

allow　me　to　hire　my　time。　　He　unhesitatingly　refused

my　request；　and　told　me　this　was　another　strat