running a thousand miles for freedom-第5部分

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〃INDICTMENT。

COMMONWEALTH　OF　VIRGINIA；　　　｝　In　the　Circuit

　　　　NORFOLK　COUNTY；　ss。｝　Court。　　The　Grand　Jurors　empannelled　in　the　body　of　the　said　County　on　their　oath　present；　that　Margaret　Doug…　lass；　being　an　evil　disposed　person；　not　having　the　fear　of　God　before　her　eyes；　but　moved　and　insti…　gated　by　the　devil；　wickedly；　maliciously；　and　feloniously；　on　the　fourth　day　of　July；　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　fifty…　four；　at　Norfolk；　in　said　County；　did　teach　a　certain　black　girl　named　Kate　to　read　in　the　Bible；　to　the　great　displeasure　of　Almighty　God；　to　the　per…　nicious　example　of　others　in　like　case　offending；　contrary　to　the　form　of　the　statute　in　such　case　made　and　provided；　and　against　the　peace　and　dignity　of　the　Commonwealth　of　Virginia。

〃VICTOR　VAGABOND；　Prosecuting　Attorney。〃


〃On　this　indictment　Mrs。　Douglass　was　arraigned　as　a　necessary　matter　of　form；　tried；　found　guilty　of　course；　and　Judge　Scalaway；　before　whom　she　was　tried；　having　consulted　with　Dr。　Adams；　or…　dered　the　sheriff　to　place　Mrs。　Douglass　in　the　prisoner's　box；　when　he　addressed　her　as　follows：　'Margaret　Douglass；　stand　up。　　You　are　guilty　of　one　of　the　vilest　crimes　that　ever　disgraced　society；　and　the　jury　have　found　you　so。　　You　have　taught　a　slave　girl　to　read　in　the　Bible。　　No　enlightened　society　can　exist　where　such　offences　go　unpun…　ished。　　The　Court；　in　your　case；　do　not　feel　for　you　one　solitary　ray　of　sympathy；　and　they　will　inflict　on　you　the　utmost　penalty　of　the　law。　　In　any　other　civilized　country　you　would　have　paid　the　forfeit　of　your　crime　with　your　life；　and　the　Court　have　only　to　regret　that　such　is　not　the　law　in　this　country。　　The　sentence　for　your　offence　is；　that　you　be　imprisoned　one　month　in　the　county　jail；　and　that　you　pay　the　costs　of　this　prosecution。　Sheriff；　remove　the　prisoner　to　jail。'　　On　the　pub…　lication　of　these　proceedings；　the　Doctors　of　Divinity　preached　each　a　sermon　on　the　necessity　of　obeying　the　laws；　the　New　York　Observer　noticed　with　much　pious　gladness　a　revival　of　religion　on　Dr。　Smith's　plantation　in　Georgia；　among　his　slaves；　while　the　Journal　of　Commerce　commended　this　political　preaching　of　the　Doctors　of　Divinity　because　it　favoured　slavery。　　Let　us　do　nothing　to　offend　our　Southern　brethren。〃

However；　at　first；　we　were　highly　delighted　at　the　idea　of　having　gained　permission　to　be　absent　for　a　few　days；　but　when　the　thought　flashed　across　my　wife's　mind；　that　it　was　customary　for　travellers　to　register　their　names　in　the　visitors'　book　at　hotels；　as　well　as　in　the　clearance　or　Custom…house　book　at　Charleston；　South　Carolina　it　made　our　spirits　droop　within　us。

So；　while　sitting　in　our　little　room　upon　the　verge　of　despair；　all　at　once　my　wife　raised　her　head；　and　with　a　smile　upon　her　face；　which　was　a　moment　before　bathed　in　tears；　said；　〃I　think　I　have　it！〃　　I　asked　what　it　was。　　She　said；　〃I　think　I　can　make　a　poultice　and　bind　up　my　right　hand　in　a　sling；　and　with　propriety　ask　the　officers　to　register　my　name　for　me。〃　　I　thought　that　would　do。

It　then　occurred　to　her　that　the　smoothness　of　her　face　might　betray　her；　so　she　decided　to　make　another　poultice；　and　put　it　in　a　white　handkerchief　to　be　worn　under　the　chin；　up　the　cheeks；　and　to　tie　over　the　head。　　This　nearly　hid　the　expression　of　the　countenance；　as　well　as　the　beardless　chin。

The　poultice　is　left　off　in　the　engraving；　because　the　likeness　could　not　have　been　taken　well　with　it　on。

My　wife；　knowing　that　she　would　be　thrown　a　good　deal　into　the　company　of　gentlemen；　fancied　that　she　could　get　on　better　if　she　had　something　to　go　over　the　eyes；　so　I　went　to　a　shop　and　bought　a　pair　of　green　spectacles。　　This　was　in　the　evening。

We　sat　up　all　night　discussing　the　plan；　and　making　preparations。　　Just　before　the　time　arrived；　in　the　morning；　for　us　to　leave；　I　cut　off　my　wife's　hair　square　at　the　back　of　the　head；　and　got　her　to　dress　in　the　disguise　and　stand　out　on　the　floor。　I　found　that　she　made　a　most　respectable　looking　gentleman。

My　wife　had　no　ambition　whatever　to　assume　this　disguise；　and　would　not　have　done　so　had　it　been　possible　to　have　obtained　our　liberty　by　more　simple　means；　but　we　knew　it　was　not　customary　in　the　South　for　ladies　to　travel　with　male　servants；　and　therefore；　notwithstanding　my　wife's　fair　com…　plexion；　it　would　have　been　a　very　difficult　task　for　her　to　have　come　off　as　a　free　white　lady；　with　me　as　her　slave；　in　fact；　her　not　being　able　to　write　would　have　made　this　quite　impossible。　　We　knew　that　no　public　conveyance　would　take　us；　or　any　other　slave；　as　a　passenger；　without　our　master's　consent。　　This　consent　could　never　be　obtained　to　pass　into　a　free　State。　　My　wife's　being　muffled　in　the　poultices；　&c。；　furnished　a　plausible　excuse　for　avoiding　general　conversation；　of　which　most　Yankee　travellers　are　passionately　fond。

There　are　a　large　number　of　free　negroes　residing　in　the　southern　States；　but　in　Georgia　（and　I　believe　in　all　the　slave　States；）　every　coloured　per…　son's　complexion　is　prima　facie　evidence　of　his　being　a　slave；　and　the　lowest　villain　in　the　country；　should　he　be　a　white　man；　has　the　legal　power　to　arrest；　and　question；　in　the　most　inquisitorial　and　insulting　manner；　any　coloured　person；　male　or　female；　that　he　may　find　at　large；　particularly　at　night　and　on　Sundays；　without　a　written　pass；　signed　by　the　master　or　some　one　in　authority；　or　stamped　free　papers；　certifying　that　the　person　is　the　rightful　owner　of　himself。

If　the　coloured　person　refuses　to　answer　ques…　tions　put　to　him；　he　may　be　beaten；　and　his　defend…　ing　himself　against　this　attack　makes　him　an　outlaw；　and　if　he　be　killed　on　the　spot；　the　mur…　derer　will　be　exempted　from　all　blame；　but　after　the　coloured　person　has　answered　the　questions　put　to　him；　in　a　most　humble　and　pointed　manner；　he　may　then　be　taken　to　prison；　and　should　it　turn　out；　after　further　examination；　that　he　was　caught　where　he　had　no　permission　or　legal　right　to　be；　and　that　he　has　not　given　what　they　term　a　satis…　factory　account　of　himself；　the　master　will　have　to　pay　a　fine。　　On　his　refusing　to　do　this；　the　poor　slave　may　be　legally　and　severely　flogged　by　public　officers。　　Should　the　prisoner　prove　to　be　a　free　man；　he　is　most　likely　to　be　both　whipped　and　fined。

The　great　majority　of　slaveholders　hate　this　class　of　persons　with　a　hatred　that　can　only　be　equalled　by　the　condemned　spirits　of　the　infernal　regions。　They　have　no　mercy　upon；　nor　sympathy　for；　any　negro　whom　they　cannot　enslave。　　They　say　that　God　made　the　black　man　to　be　a　slave　for　the　white；　and　act　as　though　they　really　believed　that　all　free　persons　of　colour　are　in　open　rebellion　to　a　direct　command　from　heaven；　and　that　they　（the　whites）　are　God's　chosen　agents　to　pour　out　upon　them　unlimited　vengeance。　　For　instance；　a　Bill　has　been　introduced　in　the　Tennessee　Legislature　to　prevent　free　negroes　from　travelling　on　the　rail…　roads　in　that　State。　　It　has　passed　the　first　reading。　The　bill　provides　that　the　President　who　shall　permit　a　free　negro　to　travel　on　any　road　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　State　under　his　supervision　shall　pay　a　fine　of　500　dollars；　any　conductor　permitting　a　violation　of　the　Act　shall　pay　250　dollars；　provided　such　free　negro　is　not　under　the　control　of　a　free　white　citizen　of　Tennessee；　who　will　vouch　for　the　character　of　said　free　negro　in　a　penal　bond　of　one　thousand　dollars。　　The　State　of　Arkansas　has　passed　a　law　to　banish　all　free　negroes　from　its　bounds；　and　it　came　into　effect　on　the　1st　day　of　January；　1860。　　Every　free　negro　found　there　after　that　date　will　be　liable　to　be　sold　into　slavery；　the　crime　of　freedom　being　unpardon…　able。　　The　Missouri　Senate　has　before　it　a　bill　providing　that　all　free　negroes　above　the　age　of　eighteen　years　who　shall　be　found　in　the　State　after　September；　1860；　shall　be　sold　into　slavery；　and　that　all　such　negroes　as　shall　enter　the　State　after　September；　1861；　and　remain　there　twenty…four　hours；　shall　also　be　sold　into　slavery　for　ever。　　Mis…　sissippi；　Kentucky；　and　Georgia；　and　in　fact；　I　be…　lieve；　all　the　slave　States；　are　legislating　in　the　same　manner。　　Thus　the　slaveholders　make　it　almost　im…　possible　for　free　persons　of　colour　to　get　out　of　the　slave　States；　in　order　that　they　may　sell　them　into　slavery　if　they　don't　go。　　If　no　white　persons　travelled　upon　railroads　except　those　who　could　get　some　one　to　vouch　for　their　character　in　a　penal　bond　of　one　thousand　dollars；　the　railroad　companies　would　soon　go　to　the　〃wall。〃　　Such　mean　legislation　is　too　low　for　comment；　therefore　I　leave　the　villainous　acts　to　speak　for　themselves。

But　the　Dred　Scott　decision　is　the　crowning　act　of　infamous　Yankee　legislation。　　The　Supreme　Court；　the　highest　tribunal　of　the　Republic；　composed　of　nine　Judge　Jeffries's；　chosen　both　from　the　free　and　slave　States；　has　decided　that　no　coloured　person；　or　persons　of　African　extraction；　can　ever　become　a　citizen　of　the　United　States；　or　have　any　rights　which　white　men　are　bound　to　respect。　　That　is　to　say；　in　the　opinion　of　this　Court；　robbery；　rape；　and　murder　are　not　crimes　when　committed　by　a　white　upon　a　coloured　person。

Judges　who　will　sneak　from　their　high　and　honourable　position　down　into　the　lowest　depths　of　human　depravity；　and　scrape　up　a　decision　like　this；　are　wholly　unworthy　the　confidence　of　any　people。　I　believe　such　men　would；　if　they　had　the　power；　and　were　it　to　their　temporal　interest；　sell　their　country's　independence；　and　barter　away　every　man's　birthright　for　a　mess　of　pottage。　　Well　may　Thomas　Campbell　say



United　States；　your　banner　wears；　　　　Two　emblems；one　of　fame；　Alas；　the　other　that　it　bears　　　　Reminds　us　of　your　shame！　The　white　man's　liberty　in　types　　　　Stands　blazoned　by　your　stars；　But　what's　the　meaning　of　your　stripes？　　　　They　mean　your　Negro…scars。


When　the　time　had　arrived　for　us　to　start；　we　blew　out　the　lights；　knelt　down；　and　prayed　to　our　Heavenly　Father　mercifully　to　assist　us；　as　he　did　his　people　of　old；　to　escape　from　cruel　bondage；　and　we　shall　ever　feel　that　God　heard　and　answered　our　prayer。　　Had　we　not　been　sustained　by　a　kind；　and　I　sometimes　think　special；　providence；　we　could　never　have　overcome　the　mountainous　difficulties　which　I　am　now　about　to　descr