the narrative of the life-第3章

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were　not　the　natural　results　of　slavery！　　As　if　it　were

less　cruel　to　reduce　a　human　being　to　the　condition

of　a　thing；　than　to　give　him　a　severe　flagellation；

or　to　deprive　him　of　necessary　food　and　clothing！

As　if　whips；　chains；　thumb…screws；　paddles；　blood…

hounds；　overseers；　drivers；　patrols；　were　not　all　in…

dispensable　to　keep　the　slaves　down；　and　to　give

protection　to　their　ruthless　oppressors！　　As　if；　when

the　marriage　institution　is　abolished；　concubinage；

adultery；　and　incest；　must　not　necessarily　abound；

when　all　the　rights　of　humanity　are　annihilated；　any

barrier　remains　to　protect　the　victim　from　the　fury

of　the　spoiler；　when　absolute　power　is　assumed　over

life　and　liberty；　it　will　not　be　wielded　with　destruc…

tive　sway！　　Skeptics　of　this　character　abound　in　so…

ciety。　　In　some　few　instances；　their　incredulity　arises

from　a　want　of　reflection；　but；　generally；　it　indicates

a　hatred　of　the　light；　a　desire　to　shield　slavery　from

the　assaults　of　its　foes；　a　contempt　of　the　colored

race；　whether　bond　or　free。　　Such　will　try　to　discredit

the　shocking　tales　of　slaveholding　cruelty　which　are

recorded　in　this　truthful　Narrative；　but　they　will

labor　in　vain。　　Mr。　DOUGLASS　has　frankly　disclosed

the　place　of　his　birth；　the　names　of　those　who

claimed　ownership　in　his　body　and　soul；　and　the

names　also　of　those　who　committed　the　crimes　which

he　has　alleged　against　them。　　His　statements；　there…

fore；　may　easily　be　disproved；　if　they　are　untrue。

　

　　In　the　course　of　his　Narrative；　he　relates　two　in…

stances　of　murderous　cruelty；in　one　of　which　a

planter　deliberately　shot　a　slave　belonging　to　a　neigh…

boring　plantation；　who　had　unintentionally　gotten

within　his　lordly　domain　in　quest　of　fish；　and　in　the

other；　an　overseer　blew　out　the　brains　of　a　slave　who

had　fled　to　a　stream　of　water　to　escape　a　bloody

scourging。　　Mr。　DOUGLASS　states　that　in　neither　of

these　instances　was　any　thing　done　by　way　of　legal

arrest　or　judicial　investigation。　　The　Baltimore　Amer…

ican；　of　March　17；　1845；　relates　a　similar　case　of

atrocity；　perpetrated　with　similar　impunityas　fol…

lows：〃~Shooting　a　slave。~We　learn；　upon　the　au…

thority　of　a　letter　from　Charles　county；　Maryland；

received　by　a　gentleman　of　this　city；　that　a　young

man；　named　Matthews；　a　nephew　of　General　Mat…

thews；　and　whose　father；　it　is　believed；　holds　an　of…

fice　at　Washington；　killed　one　of　the　slaves　upon　his

father's　farm　by　shooting　him。　　The　letter　states　that

young　Matthews　had　been　left　in　charge　of　the　farm；

that　he　gave　an　order　to　the　servant；　which　was　dis…

obeyed；　when　he　proceeded　to　the　house；　~obtained

a　gun；　and；　returning；　shot　the　servant。~　　He　immedi…

ately；　the　letter　continues；　fled　to　his　father's　resi…

dence；　where　he　still　remains　unmolested。〃Let　it

never　be　forgotten；　that　no　slaveholder　or　overseer

can　be　convicted　of　any　outrage　perpetrated　on　the

person　of　a　slave；　however　diabolical　it　may　be；　on

the　testimony　of　colored　witnesses；　whether　bond

or　free。　　By　the　slave　code；　they　are　adjudged　to　be

as　incompetent　to　testify　against　a　white　man；　as

though　they　were　indeed　a　part　of　the　brute　creation。

Hence；　there　is　no　legal　protection　in　fact；　whatever

there　may　be　in　form；　for　the　slave　population；　and

any　amount　of　cruelty　may　be　inflicted　on　them

with　impunity。　　Is　it　possible　for　the　human　mind

to　conceive　of　a　more　horrible　state　of　society？

　

　　The　effect　of　a　religious　profession　on　the　conduct

of　southern　masters　is　vividly　described　in　the　fol…

lowing　Narrative；　and　shown　to　be　any　thing　but

salutary。　　In　the　nature　of　the　case；　it　must　be　in

the　highest　degree　pernicious。　　The　testimony　of　Mr。

DOUGLASS；　on　this　point；　is　sustained　by　a　cloud　of

witnesses；　whose　veracity　is　unimpeachable。　　〃A　slave…

holder's　profession　of　Christianity　is　a　palpable　im…

posture。　　He　is　a　felon　of　the　highest　grade。　　He　is　a

man…stealer。　　It　is　of　no　importance　what　you　put　in

the　other　scale。〃

　

　　Reader！　are　you　with　the　man…stealers　in　sympathy

and　purpose；　or　on　the　side　of　their　down…trodden

victims？　　If　with　the　former；　then　are　you　the　foe　of

God　and　man。　　If　with　the　latter；　what　are　you　pre…

pared　to　do　and　dare　in　their　behalf？　　Be　faithful；

be　vigilant；　be　untiring　in　your　efforts　to　break　every

yoke；　and　let　the　oppressed　go　free。　　Come　what　may

cost　what　it　mayinscribe　on　the　banner　which

you　unfurl　to　the　breeze；　as　your　religious　and　po…

litical　motto〃NO　COMPROMISE　WITH　SLAVERY！　　NO

UNION　WITH　SLAVEHOLDERS！〃

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WM。　LLOYD　GARRISON

BOSTON；　~May~　1；　1845。

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LETTER

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FROM　WENDELL　PHILLIPS；　ESQ。

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOSTON；　APRIL　22；　1845。

　

　　My　Dear　Friend：

　

　　You　remember　the　old　fable　of　〃The　Man　and

the　Lion；〃　where　the　lion　complained　that　he　should

not　be　so　misrepresented　〃when　the　lions　wrote　his…

tory。〃

　

　　I　am　glad　the　time　has　come　when　the　〃lions

write　history。〃　　We　have　been　left　long　enough　to

gather　the　character　of　slavery　from　the　involuntary

evidence　of　the　masters。　　One　might；　indeed；　rest

sufficiently　satisfied　with　what；　it　is　evident；　must

be；　in　general；　the　results　of　such　a　relation；　with…

out　seeking　farther　to　find　whether　they　have　fol…

lowed　in　every　instance。　　Indeed；　those　who　stare　at

the　half…peck　of　corn　a　week；　and　love　to　count　the

lashes　on　the　slave's　back；　are　seldom　the　〃stuff〃　out

of　which　reformers　and　abolitionists　are　to　be　made。

I　remember　that；　in　1838；　many　were　waiting　for

the　results　of　the　West　India　experiment；　before

they　could　come　into　our　ranks。　　Those　〃results〃　have

come　long　ago；　but；　alas！　few　of　that　number　have

come　with　them；　as　converts。　　A　man　must　be　dis…

posed　to　judge　of　emancipation　by　other　tests　than

whether　it　has　increased　the　produce　of　sugar；and

to　hate　slavery　for　other　reasons　than　because　it

starves　men　and　whips　women；before　he　is　ready

to　lay　the　first　stone　of　his　anti…slavery　life。

　

　　I　was　glad　to　learn；　in　your　story；　how　early　the

most　neglected　of　God's　children　waken　to　a　sense

of　their　rights；　and　of　the　injustice　done　them。　　Ex…

perience　is　a　keen　teacher；　and　long　before　you　had

mastered　your　A　B　C；　or　knew　where　the　〃white

sails〃　of　the　Chesapeake　were　bound；　you　began；　I

see；　to　gauge　the　wretchedness　of　the　slave；　not　by

his　hunger　and　want；　not　by　his　lashes　and　toil；　but

by　the　cruel　and　blighting　death　which　gathers　over

his　soul。

　

　　In　connection　with　this；　there　is　one　circumstance

which　makes　your　recollections　peculiarly　valuable；

and　renders　your　early　insight　the　more　remarkable。

You　come　from　that　part　of　the　country　where　we

are　told　slavery　appears　with　its　fairest　features。　　Let

us　hear；　then；　what　it　is　at　its　best　estategaze　on

its　bright　side；　if　it　has　one；　and　then　imagination

may　task　her　powers　to　add　dark　lines　to　the　picture；

as　she　travels　southward　to　that　（for　the　colored

man）　Valley　of　the　Shadow　of　Death；　where　the

Mississippi　sweeps　along。

　

　　Again；　we　have　known　you　long；　and　can　put　the

most　entire　confidence　in　your　truth；　candor；　and

sincerity。　　Every　one　who　has　heard　you　speak　has

felt；　and；　I　am　confident；　every　one　who　reads　your

book　will　feel；　persuaded　that　you　give　them　a　fair

specimen　of　the　whole　truth。　　No　one…sided　portrait；

no　wholesale　complaints；but　strict　justice　done；

whenever　individual　kindliness　has　neutralized；　for

a　moment；　the　deadly　system　with　which　it　was

strangely　allied。　　You　have　been　with　us；　too；　some

years；　and　can　fairly　compare　the　twilight　of　rights；

which　your　race　enjoy　at　the　North；　with　that　〃noon

of　night〃　under　which　they　labor　south　of　Mason

and　Dixon's　line。　　Tell　us　whether；　after　all；　the　half…

free　colored　man　of　Massachusetts　is　worse　off　than

the　pampered　slave　of　the　rice　swamps！

　

　　In　reading　your　life；　no　one　can　say　that　we