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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4ab9720 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #64971 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64971) diff --git a/old/64971-0.txt b/old/64971-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9ef04c2..0000000 --- a/old/64971-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15831 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Rising Son, or, the Antecedents and -Advancement of the Colored Race, by Wm. Wells Brown - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Rising Son, or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the - Colored Race - -Author: Wm. Wells Brown - -Release Date: March 31, 2021 [eBook #64971] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: hekula03, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RISING SON, OR, THE -ANTECEDENTS AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE COLORED RACE *** - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber’s note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -[Illustration: _Very truly your friend, W^m. Wells Brown._] - - -THE - -RISING SON; - -OR, - -THE ANTECEDENTS AND ADVANCEMENT -OF THE COLORED RACE. - - -BY - -WM. WELLS BROWN, M. D. - -AUTHOR OF “SKETCHES OF PLACES AND PEOPLE ABROAD,” “THE -BLACK MAN,” “THE NEGRO IN THE REBELLION,” -“CLOTELLE,” ETC. - - -_Thirteenth Thousand._ - - -BOSTON: -A. G. BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS. -1882. - - - - -Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, -BY A. G. BROWN -In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -After availing himself of all the reliable information obtainable, the -author is compelled to acknowledge the scantiness of materials for a -history of the African race. He has throughout endeavored to give a -faithful account of the people and their customs, without concealing -their faults. - -Several of the biographical sketches are necessarily brief, owing to -the difficulty in getting correct information in regard to the subjects -treated upon. Some have been omitted on account of the same cause. - -WM. WELLS BROWN. - -Cambridgeport, Mass. - - - - -PUBLISHERS’ NOTE TO THE 13TH EDITION. - - -Few works written upon the colored race have equaled in circulation -“The Rising Son.” - -In the past two years the sales have more than doubled in the Southern -States, and the demand for the book is greatly on the increase. Twelve -thousand copies have already been sold; and if this can be taken as an -index to the future, we may look forward with hope that the colored -citizens are beginning to appreciate their own authors. - - - - - WELCOME TO “THE RISING SON.” - - BY ELIJAH W. SMITH. - - Come forth, historian of our race, - And with the pen of Truth - Bring to our claim to Manhood’s rights, - The strength of written proof; - Draw back the curtain of the past, - And lift the ages’ pall, - That we may view the portraits grand - That hang on History’s wall! - - Tell of a race whose onward tide - Was often swelled with tears; - In whose hearts bondage has not quenched - The fire of former years - When Hannibal’s resistless hosts - Wrought his imperial will, - And brave Toussaint to freedom called, - From Hayti’s vine-clad hill. - - Write when, in these, our later days, - Earth’s noble ones are named, - We have a roll of honor, too, - Of which we’re not ashamed; - If, for the errors of the past, - In chains did we atone, - God, from our race’s sepulchre, - Hath rolled away the stone. - - And our dear land, that long hath slept - Beneath oppression’s spell, - Welcomes the manly fortitude - That stood the test so well; - Bearing the record, blazoned o’er - With deeds of valor done, - Up to the Future’s golden door - He comes, the “Rising Son.” - - The battle’s din hath passed away, - And o’er the furrowed plain - Spring, fresh and green, the tender blades - Of Freedom’s golden grain; - But eagle eyes must watch the field, - Lest the fell foe should dare - To scatter, while the sowers sleep, - Proscription’s noxious snare. - - Lo! shadowy ’mid the forest-trees - Their demon forms are seen, - And lurid light of baleful eyes - Flash through the foliage green; - And till completed is the work - So gloriously begun, - A sentry true on Freedom’s walls - Stand thou, O “Rising Son!” - - Go forth! the harbinger of days - More glorious than the past; - Hushed is the clash of hostile steel, - The bugle’s battle-blast; - Go, herald of the promised time, - When men of every land - Shall hasten joyfully to grasp - The Ethiope’s outstretched hand! - - - - -CONTENTS. - - PAGE -MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR 9 - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE ETHIOPIANS AND EGYPTIANS 36 - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE CARTHAGINIANS 49 - - -CHAPTER III. - -EASTERN AFRICA 65 - - -CHAPTER IV. - -CAUSES OF COLOR 78 - - -CHAPTER V. - -CAUSES OF THE DIFFERENCE IN FEATURES 84 - - -CHAPTER VI. - -CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 90 - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE ABYSSINIANS 97 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA 101 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE SLAVE-TRADE 118 - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA 129 - - -CHAPTER XI. - -PROGRESS IN CIVILIZATION 135 - - -CHAPTER XII. - -HAYTI 140 - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -SUCCESS OF TOUSSAINT 150 - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -CAPTURE OF TOUSSAINT 159 - - -CHAPTER XV. - -TOUSSAINT A PRISONER IN FRANCE 168 - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -DESSALINES AS EMPEROR OF HAYTI 173 - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -WAR BETWEEN THE BLACKS AND MULATTOES OF HAYTI 185 - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -CHRISTOPHE AS KING, AND PÉTION AS PRESIDENT OF -HAYTI 201 - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -PEACE IN HAYTI, AND DEATH OF PÉTION 209 - - -CHAPTER XX. - -BOYER THE SUCCESSOR OF PÉTION IN HAYTI 218 - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -INSURRECTION, AND DEATH OF CHRISTOPHE 222 - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -UNION OF HAYTI AND SANTO DOMINGO 229 - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -SOULOUQUE AS EMPEROR OF HAYTI 234 - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -GEFFRARD AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI 236 - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -SALNAVE AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI 241 - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -JAMAICA 243 - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -SOUTH AMERICA 255 - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -CUBA AND PORTO RICO 258 - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -SANTO DOMINGO 262 - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -INTRODUCTION OF BLACKS INTO AMERICAN COLONIES 265 - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -SLAVES IN THE NORTHERN COLONIES 270 - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -COLORED INSURRECTIONS IN THE COLONIES 276 - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -BLACK MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR 282 - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -BLACKS IN THE WAR OF 1812 286 - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE CURSE OF SLAVERY 291 - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -DISCONTENT AND INSURRECTION 296 - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -GROWING OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY 319 - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -MOB LAW TRIUMPHANT 322 - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -HEROISM AT SEA 325 - - -CHAPTER XL. - -THE IRON AGE 329 - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -RELIGIOUS STRUGGLES 336 - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -JOHN BROWN’S RAID ON HARPER’S FERRY 340 - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -LOYALTY AND BRAVERY OF THE BLACKS 342 - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -THE PROCLAMATION OF FREEDOM 347 - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -BLACKS ENLISTED, AND IN BATTLE 352 - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -NEGRO HATRED AT THE NORTH 382 - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -CASTE AND PROGRESS 387 - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -THE ABOLITIONISTS 393 - - -CHAPTER XLIX. - -THE NEW ERA 413 - - -CHAPTER L. - -RACE REPRESENTATIVES. - -Attucks, C. 418 - -Aldridge, Ira 489 - -Banneker, B. 425 - -Brown, I. M. 449 - -Bell, P. A. 470 - -Butler, W. F. 525 - -Banister, E. M. 483 - -Bassett, E. D. 497 - -Bell, J. M. 504 - -Campbell, J. P. 446 - -Clark, P. H. 520 - -Chester, T. M. 526 - -Clinton, J. J. 528 - -Carey, M. S. 539 - -Cardozo, T. W. 495 - -Cain, R. H. 544 - -Douglass, F. 435 - -Delany, M. R. 460 - -Downing, G. T. 474 - -Dunn, O. J. 491 - -Douglass, L. H. 543 - -Day, W. H. 499 - -Elliott, R. B. 403 - -Forten, C. L. 475 - -Freeman, J. J. 551 - -Gaines, J. I. 450 - -Grimes, L. A. 534 - -Garnett, H. H. 457 - -Greener, R. T. 542 - -Harper, F. E. 524 - -Hayden, L. 547 - -Jackson, F. M. 508 - -Jones, S. T. 531 - -Jordan, E., Sir 481 - -Lewis, E. 465 - -Langston, J. M. 447 - -De Mortie, L. 496 - -Martin, J. S. 535 - -Nell, W. C. 485 - -Purvis, C. B. 549 - -Purvis, R. 468 - -Pinchback, P. B. S. 517 - -Pennington, J. W. C. 461 - -Payne, D. A. 454 - -Perry, R. L. 533 - -Quinn, W. P. 432 - -Reason, C. L. 442 - -Ray, C. B. 472 - -Remond, C. L. 459 - -Ruggles, D. 434 - -Reveles, H. R. 500 - -Rainey, J. H. 507 - -Ransier, A. H. 510 - -Ruffin, G. L. 540 - -Still, W. 520 - -Simpson, W. H. 478 - -Smith, M’Cune 453 - -Smith, S. 445 - -Smith, E. W. 552 - -Tanner, B. T. 530 - -Vashon, G. B. 476 - -Wheatley, P. 423 - -Wayman, ---- 440 - -Wilson, W. J. 444 - -Whipper, W. 493 - -Wears, I. C. 512 - -Zuille, J. J. 473 - - - - -_MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR._ - -BY ALONZO D. MOORE. - - -Thirty years ago, a young colored man came to my father’s house at -Aurora, Erie County, New York, to deliver a lecture on the subject -of American Slavery, and the following morning I sat upon his knee -while he told me the story of his life and escape from the South. -Although a boy of eight years, I still remember the main features of -the narrative, and the impression it made upon my mind, and the talk -the lecture of the previous night created in our little quiet town. -That man was William Wells Brown, now so widely-known, both at home and -abroad. It is therefore with no little hesitancy that I consent to pen -this sketch of one whose name has for many years been a household word -in our land. - -William Wells Brown was born in Lexington, Ky., in the year 1816. His -mother was a slave, his father a slaveholder. The boy was taken to -the State of Missouri in infancy, and spent his boyhood in St. Louis. -At the age of ten years he was hired out to a captain of a steamboat -running between St. Louis and New Orleans, where he remained a year or -two, and was then employed as office boy by Elijah P. Lovejoy, who was -at that time editor of the St. Louis Times. Here William first began -the groundwork of his education. After one year spent in the printing -office, the object of our sketch was again let out to a captain of one -of the steamboats plying on the river. In the year 1834 William made -his escape from the boat, and came North. - -He at once obtained a situation on a steamer on Lake Erie, where, in -the position of steward, he was of great service to fugitive slaves -making their way to Canada. In a single year he gave a free passage -across the lake to sixty-five fugitives. Making his home in Buffalo, -Mr. Brown organized a vigilance committee whose duties were to protect -and aid slaves, while passing through that city on their way to the -“Land of the free,” or to the eastern States. As chairman of that -committee, Mr. Brown was of great assistance to the fleeing bondmen. -The Association kept a fund on hand to employ counsel in case of -capture of a fugitive, besides furnishing all with clothing, shoes, -and whatever was needed by those who were in want. Escaping from the -South without education, the subject of our sketch spent the winter -nights in an evening school and availed himself of private instructions -to gain what had been denied him in his younger days. - -In the autumn of 1843, he accepted an agency to lecture for the -Anti-slavery Society, and continued his labors in connection with that -movement until 1849; when he accepted an invitation to visit England. -As soon as it was understood that the fugitive slave was going abroad, -the American Peace Society elected him as a delegate to represent them -at the Peace Congress at Paris. - -Without any solicitation, the Executive Committee of the American -Anti-slavery Society strongly recommended Mr. Brown to the friends -of freedom in Great Britain. The President of the above Society gave -him private letters to some of the leading men and women in Europe. -In addition to these, the colored citizens of Boston held a meeting -the evening previous to his departure, and gave Mr. Brown a public -farewell, and passed resolutions commending him to the confidence and -hospitality of all lovers of liberty in the mother-land. - -Such was the auspices under which this self-educated man sailed for -England on the 18th of July, 1849. - -Mr. Brown arrived in Liverpool, and proceeded at once to Dublin, where -warm friends of the cause of freedom greeted him. The land of Burke, -Sheridan, and O’Connell would not permit the American to leave without -giving him a public welcome. A large and enthusiastic meeting held in -the Rotunda, and presided over by JAMES HAUGHTON, Esq., gave Mr. Brown -the first reception which he had in the Old World. - -After a sojourn of twenty days in the Emerald Isle, the fugitive -started for the Peace Congress which was to assemble at Paris. The -Peace Congress, and especially the French who were in attendance at -the great meeting, most of whom had never seen a colored person, -were somewhat taken by surprise on the last day, when Mr. Brown made -a speech. “His reception,” said La Presse, “was most flattering. He -admirably sustained his reputation as a public speaker. His address -produced a profound sensation. At its conclusion, the speaker was -warmly greeted by Victor Hugo, President of the Congress, Richard -Cobden, Esq., and other distinguished men on the platform. At the -_soirée_ given by M. de Tocqueville, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, -the American slave was received with marked attention.” - -Having spent a fortnight in Paris and vicinity, viewing the sights, -he returned to London. GEORGE THOMPSON, Esq., was among the first to -meet the fugitive on his arrival at the English metropolis. A few days -after, a very large meeting, held in the spacious Music Hall, Bedford -Square, and presided over by Sir Francis Knowles, Bart., welcomed Mr. -Brown to England. Many of Britain’s distinguished public speakers -spoke on the occasion. George Thompson made one of his most brilliant -efforts. This flattering reception gained for the fugitive pressing -invitations from nearly all parts of the United Kingdom. - -He narrates in his “Three Years in Europe,” many humorous incidents -that occurred in his travels, and of which is the following: - -“On a cold winter’s evening, I found myself seated before the fire, -and alone, in the principal hotel in the ancient and beautiful town -of Ludlow, and within a few minutes’ walk of the famous old castle -from which the place derives its name. A long ride by coach had so -completely chilled me, that I remained by the fire to a later hour than -I otherwise would have. - -“‘Did you ring, sir?’ asked the waiter, as the clock struck twelve. - -“‘No,’ I replied; ‘but you may give me a light, and I will retire.’ - -“I was shown to my chamber, and was soon in bed. From the weight of -the covering, I felt sure that the extra blanket which I had requested -to be put on was there; yet I was shivering with cold. As the sheets -began to get warm, I discovered, to my astonishment, that they were -damp--indeed, wet. My first thought was to ring the bell for the -servant, and have them changed; but, after a moment’s consideration, -I resolved to adopt a different course. I got out of bed, pulled the -sheets off, rolled them up, raised the window, and threw them into -the street. After disposing of the wet sheets, I returned to bed, and -got in between the blankets, and lay there trembling with cold till -Morpheus came to my relief. - -“The next morning I said nothing about the sheets, feeling sure that -the discovery of their loss would be made by the chambermaid in due -time. Breakfast over, I visited the ruins of the old castle, and then -returned to the hotel, to await the coach for Hereford. As the hour -drew near for me to leave, I called the waiter, and ordered my bill. -‘Yes, sir, in a moment,’ he replied, and left in haste. Ten or fifteen -minutes passed away, and the servant once more came in, walked to the -window, pulled up the blinds, and then went out. - -“I saw that something was afloat; and it occurred to me that they had -discovered the loss of the sheets, at which I was pleased; for the -London newspapers were, at that time, discussing the merits and the -demerits of the hotel accommodations of the kingdom, and no letters -found a more ready reception in their columns than one on that subject. -I had, therefore, made up my mind to have the wet sheets put in the -bill, pay for them, and send the bill to the Times. - -“The waiter soon returned again, and, in rather an agitated manner, -said, ‘I beg your pardon, sir, but the landlady is in the hall, and -would like to speak to you.’ Out I went, and found the finest specimen -of an English landlady that I had seen for many a day. There she stood, -nearly as thick as she was tall, with a red face garnished around with -curls, that seemed to say, ‘I have just been oiled and brushed.’ A neat -apron covered a black alpaca dress that swept the floor with modesty, -and a bunch of keys hung at her side. O, that smile! such a smile as -none but an adept could put on. However, I had studied human nature -too successfully not to know that thunder and lightning were concealed -under that smile, and I nerved myself for the occasion. - -“‘I am sorry to have to name it, sir,’ said she; ‘but the sheets are -missing off your bed.’ - -“‘O, yes,’ I replied; ‘I took them off last night.’ - -“‘Indeed!’ exclaimed she; ‘and what did you do with them?’ - -“‘I threw them out of the window,’ said I. - -“‘What! into the street?’ - -“‘Yes; into the street,’ I said. - -“‘What did you do that for?’ - -“‘They were wet; and I was afraid that if I left them in the room they -would be put on at night, and give somebody else a cold.’ - -“‘Then, sir,’ said she, ‘you’ll have to pay for them.’ - -“‘Make out your bill, madam,’ I replied, ‘and put the price of the wet -sheets in it, and I will send it to the Times, and let the public know -how much you charge for wet sheets.’ - -“I turned upon my heel, and went back to the sitting-room. A moment -more, and my bill was brought in; but nothing said about the sheets, -and no charge made for them. The coach came to the door; and as I -passed through the hall leaving the house, the landlady met me, but -with a different smile. - -“‘I hope, sir,’ said she, ‘that you will never mention the little -incident about the sheets. I am very sorry for it. It would ruin my -house if it were known.’ Thinking that she was punished enough in the -loss of her property, I promised not to mention the name of the house, -if I ever did the incident. - -“The following week I returned to the hotel, when I learned the fact -from the waiter that they had suspected that I had stolen the sheets, -and that a police officer was concealed behind the hall door, on -the day that I was talking with the landlady. When I retired to bed -that night, I found two jugs of hot water in the bed, and the sheets -thoroughly dried and aired. - -“I visited the same hotel several times afterwards, and was invariably -treated with the greatest deference, which no doubt was the result of -my night with the wet sheets.” - -In 1852, Mr. Brown gave to the public his “Three Years in Europe,” a -work which at once placed him high as an author, as will be seen by -the following extracts from some of the English journals. The Eclectic -Review, edited by the venerable Dr. Price, one of the best critics in -the realm, said,--“Mr. Brown has produced a literary work not unworthy -of a highly-cultivated gentleman.” - -Rev. Dr. Campbell, in the British Banner, remarked: “We have read Mr. -Brown’s book with an unusual measure of interest. Seldom, indeed, have -we met with anything more captivating. A work more worthy of perusal -has not, for a considerable time, come into our hands.” - -“Mr. Brown writes with ease and ability,” said the Times, “and his -intelligent observations upon the great question to which he has -devoted and is devoting his life will command influence and respect.” - -The Literary Gazette, an excellent authority, says of it, “The -appearance of this book is too remarkable a literary event, to pass -without a notice. At the moment when attention in this country is -directed to the state of the colored people in America, the book -appears with additional advantage; if nothing else were attained by -its publication, it is well to have another proof of the capability of -the negro intellect. Altogether, Mr. Brown has written a pleasing and -amusing volume, and we are glad to bear this testimony to the literary -merit of a work by a negro author.” - -The Glasgow Citizen, in its review, remarked,--“W. Wells Brown is no -ordinary man, or he could not have so remarkably surmounted the many -difficulties and impediments of his training as a slave. By dint of -resolution, self-culture, and force of character, he has rendered -himself a popular lecturer to a British audience, and a vigorous -expositor of the evils and atrocities of that system whose chains he -has shaken off so triumphantly and forever. We may safely pronounce -William Wells Brown a remarkable man, and a full refutation of the -doctrine of the inferiority of the negro.” - -The Glasgow Examiner said,--“This is a thrilling book, independent of -adventitious circumstances, which will enhance its popularity. The -author of it is not a man, in America, but a chattel,--a thing to be -bought, and sold, and whipped; but in Europe, he is an author, and a -successful one, too. He gives in this book an interesting and graphic -description of a three years’ residence in Europe. The book will no -doubt obtain, as it well deserves, a rapid and wide popularity.” - -In the spring of 1853, the fugitive brought out his work, “Clotelle; -or, the President’s Daughter,” a book of nearly three hundred pages, -being a narrative of slave life in the Southern States. This work -called forth new criticisms on the “Negro Author” and his literary -efforts. The London Daily News pronounced it a book that would make a -deep impression; while The Leader, edited by the son of Leigh Hunt, -thought many parts of it “equal to anything which had appeared on the -slavery question.” - -The above are only a few of the many encomiums bestowed upon our -author. Besides writing his books, Mr. Brown was also a regular -contributor to the columns of The London Daily News, The Liberator, -Frederick Douglass’ Paper, and The National Anti-slavery Standard. When -we add, that in addition to his literary labors, Mr. Brown was busily -engaged in the study of the medical profession, it will be admitted -that he is one of the most industrious of men. After remaining abroad -nearly six years, and travelling extensively through Great Britain and -on the continent, he returned to the United States in 1854, landing at -Philadelphia, where he was welcomed in a large public meeting presided -over by Robert Purvis, Esq. - -On reaching Boston, a welcome meeting was held in Tremont Temple, with -Francis Jackson, Esq., in the chair, and at which Wendell Phillips -said,--“I rejoice that our friend Brown went abroad; I rejoice still -more that he has returned. The years any thoughtful man spends abroad -must enlarge his mind and store it richly. But such a visit is to a -colored man more than merely intellectual education. He lives for the -first time free from the blighting chill of prejudice. He sees no -society, no institution, no place of resort or means of comfort from -which his color debars him. - -“We have to thank our friend for the fidelity with which he has, amid -many temptations, stood by those whose good name religious prejudice -is trying to undermine in Great Britain. That land is not all Paradise -to the colored man. Too many of them allow themselves to be made -tools of the most subtle of their race. We recognize, to-night, the -clear-sightedness and fidelity of Mr. Brown’s course abroad, not only -to thank him, but to assure our friends there that this is what the -Abolitionists of Boston endorse.” - -Mr. Phillips proceeded:--“I still more rejoice that Mr. Brown has -returned. Returned to what? Not to what he can call his ‘country.’ The -white man comes ‘home.’ When Milton heard, in Italy, the sound of arms -from England, he hastened back--young, enthusiastic, and bathed in -beautiful art as he was in Florence. ‘I would not be away,’ he said, -‘when a blow was struck for liberty.’ He came to a country where his -manhood was recognized, to fight on equal footing. - -“The black man comes home to no liberty but the liberty of -suffering--to struggle in fetters for the welfare of his race. It is -a magnanimous sympathy with his blood that brings such a man back. I -honor it. We meet to do it honor. Franklin’s motto was, _Ubi Libertas, -ibi patria_--Where liberty is, there is my country. Had our friend -adopted that for his rule, he would have stayed in Europe. Liberty for -him is there. The colored man who returns, like our friend, to labor, -crushed and despised, for his race, sails under a higher flag. His -motto is,--‘Where my country is, there will I bring liberty!’” - -Although Dr. Brown could have entered upon the practice of his -profession, for which he was so well qualified, he nevertheless, with -his accustomed zeal, continued with renewed vigor in the cause of the -freedom of his race. - -In travelling through the country and facing the prejudice that met -the colored man at every step, he saw more plainly the vast difference -between this country and Europe. - -In giving an account of his passage on the little steamer that plies -between Ithica and Cayuga Bridge, he says,-- - -“When the bell rang for breakfast, I went to the table, where I found -some twenty or thirty persons. I had scarcely taken my seat, when a -rather snobby-appearing man, of dark complexion, looking as if a South -Carolina or Georgia sun had tanned him, began rubbing his hands, and, -turning up his nose, called the steward, and said to him, ‘Is it the -custom on this boat to put niggers at the table with white people?’ - -“The servant stood for a moment, as if uncertain what reply to make, -when the passenger continued, ‘Go tell the captain that I want him.’ -Away went the steward. I had been too often insulted on account of my -connection with the slave, not to know for what the captain was wanted. -However, as I was hungry, I commenced helping myself to what I saw -before me, yet keeping an eye to the door, through which the captain -was soon to make his appearance. As the steward returned, and I heard -the heavy boots of the commander on the stairs, a happy thought struck -me; and I eagerly watched for the coming-in of the officer. - -“A moment more, and a strong voice called out, ‘Who wants me?’ - -“I answered at once, ‘I, sir.’ - -“‘What do you wish?’ asked the captain. - -“‘I want you to take this man from the table,’ said I. - -“At this unexpected turn of the affair, the whole cabin broke out -into roars of laughter; while my rival on the opposite side of the -table seemed bursting with rage. The captain, who had joined in the -merriment, said,-- - -“‘Why do you want him taken from the table?’ - -“‘Is it your custom, captain,’ said I, ‘to let niggers sit at table -with white folks on your boat?’ - -“This question, together with the fact that the other passenger had -sent for the officer, and that I had ‘stolen his thunder,’ appeared -to please the company very much, who gave themselves up to laughter; -while the Southern-looking man left the cabin with the exclamation, -‘Damn fools!’” - -In the autumn of 1854, Dr. Brown published his “Sketches of Places and -People Abroad,” that met with a rapid sale, and which the New York -Tribune said, was “well-written and intensely interesting.” - -His drama, entitled “The Dough Face,” written shortly after, and read -by him before lyceums, gave general satisfaction wherever it was heard. - -Indeed, in this particular line the doctor seems to excel, and the -press was unanimous in its praise of his efforts. The Boston Journal -characterized the drama and its reading as “interesting in its -composition, and admirably rendered.” - -“The Escape; or, Leap for Freedom,” followed the “Dough Face,” and -this drama gave an amusing picture of slave life, and was equally as -favorably received by the public. - -In 1863, Dr. Brown brought out “The Black Man,” a work which ran -through ten editions in three years, and which was spoken of by the -press in terms of the highest commendation, and of which Frederick -Douglass wrote in his own paper,-- - -“Though Mr. Brown’s book may stand alone upon its own merits, and -stand strong, yet while reading its interesting pages,--abounding -in fact and argument, replete with eloquence, logic, and learning, -clothed with simple yet eloquent language,--it is hard to repress the -inquiry, Whence has this man this knowledge? He seems to have read and -remembered nearly everything which has been written and said respecting -the ability of the negro, and has condensed and arranged the whole into -an admirable argument, calculated both to interest and convince.” - -William Lloyd Garrison said, in The Liberator, “This work has done -good service, and proves its author to be a man of superior mind and -cultivated ability.” - -Hon. Gerritt Smith, in a letter to Dr. Brown, remarked,--“I thank you -for writing such a book. It will greatly benefit the colored race. Send -me five copies of it.” - -Lewis Tappen, in his Cooper Institute speech, on the 5th of January, -1863, said,--“This is just the book for the hour; it will do more for -the colored man’s elevation than any work yet published.” - -The space allowed me for this sketch will not admit the many -interesting extracts that might be given from the American press in -Dr. Brown’s favor as a writer and a polished reader. However, I cannot -here omit the valuable testimony of Professor Hollis Read, in his -ably-written work, “The Negro Problem Solved.” On page 183, in writing -of the intelligent colored men of the country, he says: “As a writer, -I should in justice give the first place to Dr. William Wells Brown, -author of ‘The Black Man.’” - -“Clotelle,” written by Dr. Brown, a romance founded on fact, is one of -the most thrilling stories that we remember to have read, and shows the -great versatility of the cast of mind of our author. - -The temperance cause in Massachusetts, and indeed, throughout New -England, finds in Dr. Brown an able advocate. - -The Grand Division of the Sons of Temperance of Massachusetts did -itself the honor of electing him Grand Worthy Associate of that body, -and thereby giving him a seat in the National Division of the Sons of -Temperance of North America, where, at its meeting in Boston, 1871, -his speech in behalf of the admission of the colored delegates from -Maryland, will not soon be forgotten by those who were present. - -The doctor is also a prominent member of the Good Templars of -Massachusetts. His efforts, in connection with his estimable wife, for -the spread of temperance among the colored people of Boston, deserve -the highest commendation. - -Some five years ago, our author, in company with others, organized “The -National Association for the Spread of Temperance and Night-schools -among the Freed People at the South,” of which he is now president. -This society is accomplishing great good among the freedmen. - -It was while in the discharge of his duties of visiting the South, in -1871, and during his travels through the State of Kentucky, he became -a victim of the Ku-Klux, and of which the following is the narrative:-- - -“I visited my native State in behalf of The National Association for -the Spread of Temperance and Night-schools among the Freedmen, and -had spoken to large numbers of them at Louisville, and other places, -and was on my way to speak at Pleasureville, a place half-way between -Louisville and Lexington. I arrived at Pleasureville dépôt a little -after six in the evening, and was met by a colored man, who informed me -that the meeting was to take place five miles in the country. - -“After waiting some time for a team which was expected, we started -on foot, thinking we would meet the vehicle. We walked on until dark -overtook us, and seeing no team, I began to feel apprehensive that all -was not right. The man with me, however, assured me that there was no -danger, and went on. But we shortly after heard the trotting of horses, -both in front and in the rear, and before I could determine what to do, -we were surrounded by some eight or ten men, three of whom dismounted, -bound my arms behind me with a cord, remounted their horses, and -started on in the direction I had been travelling. The man who was with -me disappeared while I was being tied. The men were not disguised, and -talked freely among themselves. - -“After going a mile or more they stopped, and consulted a moment -or two, the purport of which I could not hear, except one of them -saying,--‘Lawrence don’t want a nigger hung so near his place.’ They -started again; I was on foot, a rope had been attached to my arms, and -the other end to one of the horses. I had to hasten my steps to keep -from being dragged along by the animal. Soon they turned to the right, -and followed up what appeared to be a cow-path. - -“While on this road my hat fell off, and I called out to the man behind -and said, ‘I’ve lost my hat.’ - -“‘You’ll need no hat in half an hour’s time,’ he replied. As we were -passing a log house on this road, a man came out and said, in a -trembling voice, ‘Jim’s dying!’ All the men now dismounted, and, with -the exception of two, they went into the building. I distinctly heard -the cries, groans, and ravings of the sick man, which satisfied me at -once that it was an extreme case of delirium tremens; and as I treated -the malady successfully by the hypodermic remedy, and having with me -the little instrument, the thought flashed upon my mind that I might -save my life by the trial. Consequently, I said to one of the men,--‘I -know what’s the matter with that man, and I can relieve him in ten -minutes.’ - -“One of the men went into the house, related what I had said, and the -company came out. The leader, whom they all addressed as ‘Cap,’ began -to question me with regard to my skill in such complaints. He soon -became satisfied, untied me, and we entered the sick man’s chamber. My -hands were so numb from the tightness of the cord which bound my arms, -that I walked up and down the room for some minutes, rubbing my hands, -and contemplating the situation. The man lay upon a bed of straw, his -arms and legs bound to the bedstead to keep him from injuring himself -and others. He had, in his agony, bitten his tongue and lips, and his -mouth was covered with bloody froth, while the glare of his eyes was -fearful. His wife, the only woman in the house, sat near the bed with -an infant upon her lap, her countenance pale and anxious, while the -company of men seemed to be the most desperate set I had ever seen. - -“I determined from the first to try to impress them with the idea -that I had derived my power to relieve pain from some supernatural -source. While I was thus thinking the matter over, ‘Cap’ was limping -up and down the room, breathing an oath at nearly every step, and -finally said to me,--‘Come, come, old boy, take hold lively; I want -to get home, for this d--d old hip of mine is raising h--l with me.’ -I said to them,--‘Now, gentlemen, I’ll give this man complete relief -in less than ten minutes from the time I lay my hands on him; but I -must be permitted to retire to a room alone, for I confess that I have -dealings with the devil, and I must consult with him.’ Nothing so -charms an ignorant people as something that has about it the appearance -of superstition, and I did not want these men to see the syringe, or -to know of its existence. The woman at once lighted a tallow candle, -handed it to ‘Cap,’ and pointed to a small room. The man led the way, -set the light down, and left me alone. I now took out my case, adjusted -the needle to the syringe, filled it with a solution of the acetate of -morphia, put the little instrument into my vest pocket, and returned to -the room. - -“After waving my hands in the air, I said,--‘Gentlemen, I want your -aid; give it to me, and I’ll perform a cure that you’ll never forget. -All of you look upon that man till I say, “Hold!” Look him right in -the eye.’ All eyes were immediately turned upon the invalid. Having -already taken my stand at the foot of the bed, I took hold of the right -leg near the calf, pinched up the skin, inserted the needle, withdrew -it after discharging the contents, slipped the syringe into my pocket, -and cried at the top of my voice, ‘Hold!’ The men now turned to me, -alternately viewing me and the sick man. From the moment that the -injection took place, the ravings began to cease, and in less than ten -minutes he was in perfect ease. I continued to wave my hands, and to -tell the devils ‘to depart and leave this man in peace.’ ‘Cap’ was the -first to break the silence, and he did it in an emphatic manner, for he -gazed steadily at me, then at the sick man, and exclaimed,--‘Big thing! -big thing, boys, d--d if it ain’t!’ - -“Another said,--‘A conjurer, by h--ll! you heard him say he deals with -the devil.’ I now thought it time to try ‘Cap,’ for, from his limping, -groaning, and swearing about his hip, it seemed to me a clear case of -sciatica, and I thus informed him, giving him a description of its -manner of attack and progress, detailing to him the different stages of -suffering. - -“I had early learned from the deference paid to the man by his -associates, that he was their leader, and I was anxious to get my -hands on him, for I had resolved that if ever I got him under the -influence of the drug, he should never have an opportunity of putting -a rope around my neck. ‘Cap’ was so pleased with my diagnosis of -his complaint, that he said,--‘Well, I’ll give you a trial, d--d if -I don’t!’ I informed him that I must be with him alone. The woman -remarked that we could go in the adjoining room. As we left the -company, one of them said: ‘You aint agoin’ to kill “Cap,” is you?’ -‘Oh, no!’ I replied. I said, ‘Now, “Cap,” I’ll cure you, but I need -your aid.’ ‘Sir,’ returned he, ‘I’ll do anything you tell me.’ I told -him to lay on the bed, shut his eyes, and count one hundred. He obeyed -at once, and while he was counting, I was filling the syringe with the -morphia. - -“When he had finished counting, I informed him that I would have to -pinch him on the lame leg, so as to get the devil out of it. ‘Oh!’ -replied he, ‘you may pinch as much as you d--d please, for I’ve seen -and felt h--ll with this old hip!’ I injected the morphia as I had done -in the previous case, and began to sing a noted Methodist hymn as soon -as I had finished. As the medicine took effect, the man went rapidly -off into a slumber, from which he did not awake while I was there, for -I had given him a double dose. - -“I will here remark, that while the morphia will give most instant -relief in sciatica, it seldom performs a perfect cure. But in both -cases I knew it would serve my purpose. As soon as ‘Cap’ was safe, I -called in his companions, who appeared still more amazed than at first. -They held their faces to his to see that he breathed, and would shake -their heads and go out. I told them that I should have to remain with -the man five or six hours. At this announcement one of the company got -furious, and said, ‘It’s all a trick to save his neck from the halter,’ -and concluded by saying at the top of his voice, ‘Come to the tree, to -the tree!’ The men all left the room, assembled in the yard, and had a -consultation. It was now after eleven o’clock, and as they had a large -flask of brandy with them they appeared to keep themselves well-filled, -from the manner in which the room kept scented up. At this juncture -one of the company, a tall, red-haired man, whose face was completely -covered with beard, entered the room, took his seat at the table, drew -out of his pocket a revolver, laid it on the table, and began to -fill his mouth with tobacco. The men outside mounted their horses and -rode away, one of whom distinctly shouted, ‘Remember, four o’clock.’ -I continued to visit one and then the other of the invalids, feeling -their pulse, and otherwise showing my interest in their recovery. - -“The brandy appeared to have as salutary effect on the man at the -table as the morphia had on the sick, for he was fast asleep in a few -minutes. The only impediment in the way of my escape now was a large -dog, which it was difficult to keep from me when I first came to the -house, and was now barking, snapping, and growling, as if he had been -trained to it. - -“Many modes of escape suggested themselves to me while the time was -thus passing, the most favored of which was to seize the revolver, rush -out of the house, and run my chance with the dog. However, before I -could put any of these suggestions into practice, the woman went out, -called ‘Lion, Lion,’ and returned, followed by the dog, which she made -lie down by her as she reseated herself. In a low whisper, this woman, -whose fate deserves to be a better one, said,--‘They are going to -hang you at four o’clock; now is your time to go.’ The clock was just -striking two when I arose, and with a grateful look, left the house. -Taking the road that I had come, and following it down, I found my hat, -and after walking some distance out of the way by mistake, I reached -the station, and took the morning train for Cincinnati.” - -I cannot conclude this sketch of our author’s life without alluding to -an incident which occurred at Aurora, my native town, on a visit to -that place in the winter of 1844. - -Dr. Brown was advertised to speak in the old church, which he found -filled to overflowing, with an audience made up mostly of men who had -previously determined that the meeting should not be held. - -The time for opening the meeting had already arrived, and the speaker -was introduced by my father, who acted as chairman. - -The coughing, whistling, stamping of feet, and other noises made by -the assemblage, showed the prejudice existing against the anti-slavery -cause, the doctrines of which the speaker was there to advocate. This -tumult lasted for half an hour or more, during which time unsalable -eggs, peas, and other missiles were liberally thrown at the speaker. - -One of the eggs took effect on the doctor’s face, spattering over -his nicely-ironed shirt bosom, and giving him a somewhat ungainly -appearance, which kept the audience in roars of laughter at the expense -of our fugitive friend. - -Becoming tired of this sort of fun, and getting his Southern blood -fairly aroused, Dr. Brown, who, driven from the pulpit, was standing in -front of the altar, nerved himself up, assumed a highly dramatic air, -and said: “I shall not attempt to address you; no, I would not speak to -you if you wanted me to. However, let me tell you one thing, and that -is, if you had been in the South a slave as I was, none of you would -ever have had the courage to escape; none but cowards would do as you -have done here to-night.” - -Dr. Brown gradually proceeded into a narrative of his own life and -escape from the South. The intense interest connected with the various -incidents as he related them, chained the audience to their seats, -and for an hour and a half he spoke, making one of the most eloquent -appeals ever heard in that section in behalf of his race. - -I have often heard my father speak of it as an effort worthy of our -greatest statesmen. Before the commencement of the meeting, the mob had -obtained a bag of flour, taking it up into the belfry of the church, -directly over the entrance door, with the intention of throwing it over -the speaker as he should pass out. - -One of the mob had been sent in with orders to keep as close to the -doctor as he could, and who was to give the signal for the throwing of -the flour. So great was the influence of the speaker on this man, that -his opinions were changed, and instead of giving the word, he warned -the doctor of the impending danger, saying,--“When you hear the cry of -‘let it slide,’ look out for the flour.” The fugitive had no sooner -learned these facts than he determined to have a little fun at the -expense of others. - -Pressing his way forward, and getting near a group of the most -respectable of the company, including two clergymen, a physician, and -a justice of the peace, he moved along with them, and as they passed -under the belfry, the doctor cried out at the top of his voice, “Let -it slide!” when down came the flour upon the heads of some of our best -citizens, which created the wildest excitement, and caused the arrest -of those engaged in the disturbance. - -Everybody regarded Dr. Brown’s aptness in this matter as a splendid -joke; and for many days after, the watchword of the boys was, “Let it -Slide!” - -Dr. Brown wrote “The Negro in the Rebellion,” in 1866, which had a -rapid sale. - - - - -THE RISING SON. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE ETHIOPIANS AND EGYPTIANS. - - -The origin of the African race has provoked more criticism than any -other of the various races of man on the globe. Speculation has -exhausted itself in trying to account for the Negro’s color, features, -and hair, that distinguish him in such a marked manner from the rest of -the human family. - -All reliable history, and all the facts which I have been able to -gather upon this subject, show that the African race descended from the -country of the Nile, and principally from Ethiopia. - -The early history of Ethiopia is involved in great obscurity. When -invaded by the Egyptians, it was found to contain a large population, -consisting of savages, hunting and fishing tribes, wandering herdsmen, -shepherds, and lastly, a civilized class, dwelling in houses and in -large cities, possessing a government and laws, acquainted with the -use of hieroglyphics, the fame of whose progress in knowledge and the -social arts had, in the remotest ages, spread over a considerable -portion of the earth. Even at that early period, when all the nations -were in their rude and savage state, Ethiopia was full of historical -monuments, erected chiefly on the banks of the Nile. - -The earliest reliable information we have of Ethiopia, is (B. C. 971) -when the rulers of that country assisted Shishank in his war against -Judea, “with very many chariots and horsemen.” Sixteen years later, we -have an account of Judea being again invaded by an army of a million -Ethiopians, unaccompanied by any Egyptian force.[1] The Ethiopian power -gradually increased until its monarchs were enabled to conquer Egypt, -where three of them reigned in succession, Sabbackon, Sevechus, and -Tarakus, the Tirhakah of Scripture.[2] - -Sevechus, called so in Scripture, was so powerful a monarch that -Hoshed, king of Israel, revolted against the Assyrians, relying on his -assistance,[3] but was not supported by his ally. This indeed, was the -immediate cause of the captivity of the Ten Tribes; for “in the ninth -year of Hoshed the king, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried -Israel away into Assyria,” as a punishment for unsuccessful rebellion. - -Tirhakah was a more war-like prince; he led an army against -Sennacherib,[4] king of Assyria, then besieging Jerusalem; and the -Egyptian traditions, preserved in the age of Herodotus, give an -accurate account of the providential interposition by which the pride -of the Assyrians was humbled. - -It is said that the kings of Ethiopia were always elected from the -priestly caste; and there was a strange custom for the electors, when -weary of their sovereign, to send him a courier with orders to die. -Ergamenes was the first monarch who ventured to resist this absurd -custom; he lived in the reign of the second Ptolemy, and was instructed -in Grecian philosophy. So far from yielding, he marched against the -fortress of the priests, massacred most of them, and instituted a new -religion. - -Queens frequently ruled in Ethiopia; one named Candace made war on -Augustus Cæsar, about twenty years before the birth of Christ, and -though not successful, obtained peace on very favorable conditions. - -The pyramids of Ethiopia, though inferior in size to those in Egypt, -are said to surpass them in architectural beauty, and the sepulchres -evince the greatest purity of taste. - -But the most important and striking proof of the progress of the -Ethiopians in the art of building, is their knowledge and employment -of the arch. Hoskins has stated that their pyramids are of superior -antiquity to those of Egypt. The Ethiopian vases depicted on the -monuments, though not richly ornamented, display a taste and elegance -of form that has never been surpassed. In sculpture and coloring, -the edifices of Ethiopia, though not so profusely adorned, rival the -choicest specimens of Egyptian art. - -Meroe was the _entrepot_ of trade between the North and the South, -between the East and the West, while its fertile soil enabled the -Ethiopians to purchase foreign luxuries with native productions. It -does not appear that fabrics were woven in Ethiopia so extensively -as in Egypt; but the manufacture of metal must have been at least as -flourishing. - -But Ethiopia owed its greatness less to the produce of its soil or -its factories than to its position on the intersection of the leading -caravan routes of ancient commerce. - -The Ethiopians were among the first nations that organized a regular -army, and thus laid the foundation of the whole system of ancient -warfare. A brief account of their military affairs will therefore -illustrate not only their history, but that of the great Asiatic -monarchies, and of the Greeks during the heroic ages. The most -important division of an Ethiopian army was the body of war-chariots, -used instead of cavalry. These chariots were mounted on two wheels and -made low; open behind, so that the warrior could easily step in and -out; and without a seat. - -They were drawn by two horses and generally contained two warriors, -one of whom managed the steeds while the other fought. Nations were -distinguished from each other by the shape and color of their chariots. - -Great care was taken in the manufacturing of the chariots and also of -the breeding of horses to draw them. Nothing in our time can equal -the attention paid by the ancients in the training of horses for the -battle-field. - -The harness which these animals wore was richly decorated; and a quiver -and bow-case, decorated with extraordinary taste and skill, were -securely fixed to the side of each chariot. The bow was the national -weapon, employed by both cavalry and infantry. No nation of antiquity -paid more attention to archery than the Ethiopians; their arrows better -aimed than those of any other nation, the Egyptians perhaps excepted. -The children of the warrior caste were trained from early infancy to -the practice of archery. - -The arms of the Ethiopians were a spear, a dagger, a short sword, a -helmet, and a shield. Pole-axes and battle-axes were occasionally -used. Coats of mail were used only by the principal officers, and some -remarkable warriors, like Goliath, the champion of the Philistines. The -light troops were armed with swords, battle-axes, maces, and clubs. -Some idea of the manly forms, great strength, and military training of -the Ethiopians, may be gathered from Herodotus, the father of ancient -history. - -After describing Arabia as “a land exhaling the most delicious -fragrance,” he says,--“Ethiopia, which is the extremity of the -habitable world, is contiguous to this country on the south-west. Its -inhabitants are very remarkable for their size, their beauty, and their -length of life.”[5] - -In his third book he has a detailed description of a single tribe -of this interesting people, called the Macrobian, or long-lived -Ethiopians. Cambyses, the Persian king, had made war upon Egypt, -and subdued it. He is then seized with an ambition of extending his -conquests still farther, and resolves to make war upon the Ethiopians. -But before undertaking his expedition, he sends spies into the country -disguised as friendly ambassadors, who carry costly presents from -Cambyses. They arrive at the court of the Ethiopian prince, “a man -superior to all others in the perfection of size and beauty,” who sees -through their disguise, and takes down a bow of such enormous size that -no Persian could bend it. “Give your king this bow, and in my name -speak to him thus:-- - -“‘The king of Ethiopia sends this counsel to the king of Persia. -When his subjects shall be able to bend this bow with the same ease -that I do, then let him venture to attack the long-lived Ethiopians. -Meanwhile, let him be thankful to the gods, that the Ethiopians have -not been inspired with the same love of conquest as himself.’”[6] - -Homer wrote at least eight hundred years before Christ, and his poems -are well ascertained to be a most faithful mirror of the manners and -customs of his times, and the knowledge of his age. - -In the first book of the Iliad, Achilles is represented as imploring -his goddess-mother to intercede with Jove in behalf of her aggrieved -son. She grants his request, but tells him the intercession must be -delayed for twelve days. The gods are absent. They have gone to the -distant climes of Ethiopia to join in its festal rites. “Yesterday -Jupiter went to the feast with the _blameless_ Ethiopians, away upon -the limits of the ocean, and all the gods followed together.”[7] Homer -never wastes an epithet. He often alludes to the Ethiopians elsewhere, -and always in terms of admiration and praise, as being the most just of -men; the favorites of the gods.[8] - -The same allusion glimmers through the Greek mythology, and appears in -the verses of almost all the Greek poets ere the countries of Italy and -Sicily were even discovered. The Jewish Scripture and Jewish literature -abound in allusion to this distinct and mysterious people; the annals -of the Egyptian priests are full of them, uniformly the Ethiopians are -there lauded as among the best, most religious, and most civilized of -men.[9] - -Let us pause here one moment, and follow the march of civilization -into Europe. Wherever its light has once burned clearly, it has been -diffused, but not extinguished. Every one knows that Rome got her -civilization from Greece; that Greece again borrowed hers from Egypt, -that thence she derived her earliest science and the forms of her -beautiful mythology. - -The mythology of Homer is evidently hieroglyphical in its origin, and -has strong marks of family resemblance to the symbolical worship of -Egypt. - -It descended the Nile; it spread over the delta of that river, as it -came down from Thebes, the wonderful city of a hundred gates. Thebes, -as every scholar knows, is more ancient than the cities of the -delta. The ruins of the colossal architecture are covered over with -hieroglyphics, and strewn with the monuments of Egyptian mythology. But -whence came Thebes? It was built and settled by colonies from Ethiopia, -or from cities which were themselves the settlements of that nation. -The higher we ascend the Nile, the more ancient are the ruins on which -we tread, till we come to the “hoary Meroe,” which Egypt acknowledged -to be the cradle of her institutions. - -But Meroe was the queenly city of Ethiopia, into which all Africa -poured its caravans laden with ivory, frankincense, and gold. So it is -that we trace the light of Ethiopian civilization first into Egypt, -thence into Greece, and Rome, whence, gathering new splendor on its -way, it hath been diffusing itself all the world over.[10] - -We now come to a consideration of the color of the Ethiopians, that -distinguish their descendants of the present time in such a marked -manner from the rest of the human race. - -Adam, the father of the human family, took his name from the color of -the earth from which he was made.[11] - -The Bible says but little with regard to the color of the various races -of man, and absolutely nothing as to the time when or the reasons why -these varieties were introduced. There are a few passages in which -color is descriptive of the person or the dress. Job said, “My skin is -black upon me.” Job had been sick for a long time, and no doubt this -brought about a change in his complexion. In Lamentations, it is said, -“Their visage is blacker than a coal;” also, “our skin was blacker than -an oven.” Both of these writers, in all probability, had reference to -the change of color produced by the famine. Another writer says, “I am -black, but comely.” This may have been a shepherd, and lying much in -the sun might have caused the change. - -However, we now have the testimony of one whom we clearly understand, -and which is of the utmost importance in settling this question. -Jeremiah asks, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his -spots?” This refers to a people whose color is peculiar, fixed, and -unalterable. Indeed, Jeremiah seems to have been as well satisfied -that the Ethiopian was colored, as he was that the leopard had spots; -and that the one was as indelible as the other. The German translation -of Luther has “Negro-land,” for Ethiopia, _i. e._, the country of the -blacks. - -All reliable history favors the belief that the Ethiopians descended -from Cush, the eldest son of Ham, who settled first in Shina in Asia. -Eusebius informs us that a colony of Asiatic Cushites settled in that -part of Africa which has since been known as Ethiopia proper. Josephus -asserts that these Ethiopians were descended from Cush, and that in -his time they were still called Cushites by themselves and by the -inhabitants of Asia. Homer divides the Ethiopians into two parts, and -Strabo, the geographer, asserts that the dividing line to which he -alluded was the Red Sea. The Cushites emigrated in part to the west -of the Red Sea; these, remaining unmixed with other races, engrossed -the general name of Cushite, or Ethiopian, while the Asiatic Cushites -became largely mingled with other nations, and are nearly or quite -absorbed, or, as a distinct people well-nigh extinct. Hence, from -the allusion of Jeremiah to the skin of the Ethiopian, confirmed and -explained by such authorities as Homer, Strabo, Herodotus, Josephus, -and Eusebius, we conclude that the Ethiopians were an African branch -of the Cushites who settled first in Asia. Ethiop, in the Greek, -means “sunburn,” and there is not the slightest doubt but that these -people, in and around Meroe, took their color from the climate. This -theory does not at all conflict with that of the common origin of man. -Although the descendants of Cush were black, it does not follow that -all the offspring of Ham were dark-skinned; but only those who settled -in a climate that altered their color. - -The word of God by his servant Paul has settled forever the question of -the equal origin of the human races, and it will stand good against all -scientific research. “God hath made of one blood all the nations of men -for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” - -The Ethiopians are not constitutionally different from the rest of the -human family, and therefore, we must insist upon _unity_, although we -see and admit the variety. - -Some writers have endeavored to account for this difference of color, -by connecting it with the curse pronounced upon Cain. This theory, -however, has no foundation; for if Cain was the progenitor of Noah, -and if Cain’s new peculiarities were perpetuated, then, as Noah was -the father of the world’s new population, the question would be, not -how to account for any of the human family being black, but how can -we account for any being white? All this speculation as to the change -of Cain’s color, as a theory for accounting for the variety peculiar -to Cush and the Ethiopians, falls to the ground when we trace back the -genealogy of Noah, and find that he descended not from Cain, but from -Seth. - -Of course Cain’s descendants, no matter what their color, became -extinct at the flood. No miracle was needed in Ethiopia to bring about -a change in the color of its inhabitants. The very fact that the nation -derived its name from the climate should be enough to satisfy the -most skeptical. What was true of the Ethiopians was also true of the -Egyptians, with regard to color; for Herodotus tells us that the latter -were colored and had curled hair. - -The vast increase of the population of Ethiopia, and a wish of its -rulers to possess more territory, induced them to send expeditions down -the Nile, and towards the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Some of -these adventurers, as early as B. C. 885, took up their abode on the -Mediterranean coast, and founded the place which in later years became -the great city of Carthage. Necho, king of Egypt, a man distinguished -for his spirit of enterprise, sent an expedition (B. C. 616) around -the African coast. He employed Phœnecian navigators. This fleet sailed -down the Red Sea, passed the straits of Balel-Mandeb, and, coasting -the African continent, discovered the passage around the Cape of Good -Hope, two thousand years before its re-discovery by Dias and Vasco de -Gama. This expedition was three years in its researches, and while -gone, got out of food, landed, planted corn, and waited for the crop. -After harvesting the grain, they proceeded on their voyage. The fleet -returned to Egypt through the Atlantic Ocean, the straits of Gibralter, -and the Mediterranean. - -The glowing accounts brought back by the returned navigators of the -abundance of fruits, vegetables, and the splendor of the climate -of the new country, kindled the fire of adventurous enthusiasm in -the Ethiopians, and they soon followed the example set them by the -Egyptians. Henceforward, streams of emigrants were passing over the -Isthmus of Suez, that high road to Africa, who became permanent -residents of the promised land. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] 2 Chron. xiv: 8-13. - -[2] Hawkins, in his work on Meroe, identifies Tirhakah with the priest -Sethos, upon ground, we think, not tenable. - -[3] 2 Kings, xvii: 4. - -[4] 2 Kings, xix: 9. - -[5] Herod. iii: 114. - -[6] Herod iii: 21. - -[7] Iliad II: 423. - -[8] Iliad XXIII. - -[9] Chron. xiv: 9; xvi: 8; Isaiah xlv: 14; Jeremiah xlvi: 9; Josephus -Aut. II; Heeren, vol I: p. 290. - -[10] E. H. Sears, in the “Christian Examiner,” July, 1846. - -[11] Josephus Ant., Vol. I: p. 8. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE CARTHAGINIANS. - - -Although it is claimed in history that Carthage was settled by the -Phœnecians, or emigrants from Tyre, it is by no means an established -fact; for when Dido fled from her haughty and tyrannical brother, -Pygmalion, ruler of Tyre, and sailing down the Nile, seeking a place of -protection, she halted at Carthage, then an insignificant settlement -on a peninsula in the interior of a large bay, now called the gulf -of Tunis, on the northern shore of Africa (this was B. C. 880), the -population was made up mainly of poor people, the larger portion of -whom were from Ethiopia, and the surrounding country. Many outlaws, -murderers, highwaymen, and pirates, had taken refuge in the new -settlement. Made up of every conceivable shade of society, with but -little character to lose, the Carthaginians gladly welcomed Dido, -coming as she did from the royal house of Tyre, and they adopted her -as the head of their government. The people became law-abiding, and -the constitution which they adopted was considered by the ancients as -a pattern of political wisdom. Aristotle highly praises it as a model -to other States. He informs us that during the space of five centuries, -that is, from the foundation of the republic down to his own time, no -tyrant had overturned the liberties of the State, and no demagogue had -stirred up the people to rebellion. By the wisdom of its laws, Carthage -had been able to avoid the opposite evils of aristocracy on the one -hand, and democracy on the other. The nobles did not engross the whole -of the power, as was the case in Sparta, Corinth, and Rome, and in more -modern times, in Venice; nor did the people exhibit the factious spirit -of an Athenian mob, or the ferocious cruelty of a Roman rabble. - -After the tragical death of the Princess Dido, the head of the -government consisted of the _suffetes_, two chief magistrates, somewhat -resembling the consuls of Rome, who presided in the senate, and whose -authority extended to military as well as civil affairs. These officers -appeared to be entirely devoted to the good of the State and the -welfare of the people. - -The second was the senate itself, composed of illustrious men of the -State. This body made the laws, declared war, negotiated peace, and -appointed to all offices, civil and military. The third estate was -still more popular. In the infancy and maturity of the republic, the -people had taken no active part in the government; but, at a later -period, influenced by wealth and prosperity, they advanced their claims -to authority, and, before long, obtained nearly the whole power. They -instituted a council, designed as a check upon the nobles and the -senate. This council was at first very beneficial to the State, but -afterwards became itself tyrannical. - -The Carthaginians were an enterprising people, and in the course of -time built ships, and with them explored all ports of the Mediterranean -Sea, visiting the nations on the coast, purchasing their commodities, -and selling them to others. Their navigators went to the coast of -Guinea, and even advanced beyond the mouths of the Senegal and the -Gambia. The Carthaginians carried their commerce into Spain, seized -a portion of that country containing mines rich with gold, and built -thereon a city which they called New Carthage, and which to the present -day is known as Carthaginia. - -The Mediterranean was soon covered with their fleets, and at a time -when Rome could not boast of a single vessel, and her citizens were -entirely ignorant of the form of a ship. The Carthaginians conquered -Sardinia, and a great part of Sicily. Their powerful fleets and -extensive conquests gave them the sovereign command of the seas. - -While Carthage possessed the dominion of the seas, a rival State was -growing up on the opposite side of the Mediterranean, distant about -seven hundred miles, under whose arms she was destined to fall. This -was Rome, the foundation of which was commenced one hundred years after -that of Carthage. These two powerful nations engaged in wars against -each other that lasted nearly two hundred years. In these conflicts the -Carthaginians showed great bravery. - -In the first Punic war, the defeat and capture of Regulus, the -Roman general, by the Carthaginians, and their allies, the Greeks, -humiliated the Romans, and for a time gave the former great advantage -over the latter. The war, however, which lasted twenty-four years, -was concluded by some agreement, which after all, was favorable to -the Romans. The conclusion of the first Punic war (B. C. 249) was not -satisfactory to the more republican portion of the ruling spirits among -the Carthaginians, and especially Hamilcar, the father of Hannibal, -who, at that time occupied a very prominent position, both on account -of his rank, wealth, and high family connections at Carthage; also -on account of the great military energy which he displayed in the -command of the armies abroad. Hamilcar had carried on the wars which -the Carthaginians waged in Africa and Spain after the conclusion of -the war with the Romans, and he was anxious to begin hostilities with -the Romans again. On Hamilcar’s leaving Carthage the last time to join -his army in Spain, he took his son Hannibal, then a boy of nine years, -and made him swear on the altar of his country eternal hatred to the -Romans, an oath that he kept to the day of his death. - -When not yet twenty years of age, Hannibal was placed second in -command of the army, then in Spain, where he at once attracted the -attention and the admiration of all, by the plainness of his living, -his abstinence from strong drink, and the gentlemanly treatment that he -meted out to the soldiers, as well as his fellow-officers. - -He slept in his military cloak on the ground, in the midst of his -soldiers on guard; and in a battle he was always the last to leave -the field after a fight, as he was foremost to press forward in every -contest with the enemy. The death of Hasdrubal placed Hannibal in -supreme command of the army, and inheriting his father’s hatred to -Rome, he resolved to take revenge upon his ancient enemy, and at once -invaded the Roman possessions in Spain, and laid siege to the city of -Saguntum, which, after heroic resistance, yielded to his victorious -arms. Thus commenced the second Punic war, in which Hannibal was to -show to the world his genius as a general. - -Leaving a large force in Africa, and also in Spain, to defend these -points, Hannibal set out in the spring of the year B. C. 218, with a -large army to fulfill his project against Rome. - -His course lay along the Mediterranean; the whole distance to Rome -being about one thousand miles by the land route which he contemplated. -When he had traversed Spain, he came to the Pyrenees, a range of -mountains separating that country from Gaul, now France. He was here -attacked by wild tribes of brave barbarians, but he easily drove them -back. He crossed the Pyrenees, traversed Gaul, and came at last to -the Alps, which threw up their frowning battlements, interposing a -formidable obstacle between him and the object of his expedition. - -No warrior had then crossed these snowy peaks with such an army; and -none but a man of that degree of resolution and self-reliance which -could not be baffled, would have hazarded the fearful enterprise. -Indeed, we turn with amazement to Hannibal’s passage of the Alps; -that great and daring feat surpasses in magnitude anything of the -kind ever attempted by man. The pride of the French historians have -often led them to compare Napoleon’s passage of the Great St. Bernard -to Hannibal’s passage of the Alps; but without detracting from the -well-earned fame of the French Emperor, it may safely be affirmed -that his achievements will bear no comparison whatever with the -Carthaginian hero. When Napoleon began the ascent of the Alps from -Martigny, on the shores of the Rhone, and above the Lake of Geneva, he -found the passage of the mountains cleared by the incessant transit of -two thousand years. The road, impracticable for carriages, was very -good for horsemen and foot passengers, and was traversed by great -numbers of both at every season of the year. - -Comfortable villages on the ascent and descent afforded easy -accommodation to the wearied soldiers by day and by night; the ample -stores of the monks at the summit, and the provident foresight of -the French generals had provided a meal for every man and horse that -passed. No hostile troops opposed their passage; the guns were drawn -up in sleds made of hollowed firs; and in four days from the time -they began the ascent from the banks of the Rhone, the French troops, -without losing a man, stood on the Doria Baltea, the increasing waters -of which flowed towards the Po, amidst the gardens and vineyards, and -under the sun of Italy. But the case was very different when Hannibal -crossed from the shores of the Durance to the banks of the Po. - -The mountain sides, which had not yet been cleared by centuries of -laborious industry, presented a continual forest, furrowed at every -hollow by headlong Alpine torrents. There were no bridges to cross -the perpetually recurring obstacles; provisions, scanty at all times -in those elevated solitudes, were then nowhere to be found, having -been hidden away by the natives, and a powerful army of mountaineers -occupied the entrance of the defiles, defended with desperate valor -the gates of their country, and when dispersed by the superior -discipline and arms of Hannibal’s soldiers, still beset the ridges -about their line of march, and harassed his troops with continual -hostility. When the woody region was passed, and the vanguard emerged -in the open mountain pastures, which led to the verge of perpetual -snow, fresh difficulties awaited them. - -The turf, from the gliding down of the newly-fallen snow on those steep -declivities, was so slippery that it was often scarcely possible for -the men to keep their feet; the beasts of burden lost their footing at -every step, and rolled down in great numbers into the abyss beneath; -the elephants became restive amidst privation and a climate to which -they were totally unaccustomed; and the strength of the soldiers, -worn out by incessant marching and fighting, began to sink before -the continued toil of the ascent. Horrors formidable to all, but in -an especial manner terrible to African soldiers, awaited them at the -summit. - -It was the end of October; winter in all its severity had already set -in on those lofty solitudes; the mountain sides, silent and melancholy -even at the height of summer, when enameled with flowers and dotted -with flocks, presented then an unbroken sheet of snow; the lakes which -were interspersed over the level valley at their feet, were frozen -over and undistinguishable from the rest of the dreary expanse, and -a boundless mass of snowy peaks arose at all sides, presenting an -apparently impassable barrier to their further progress. But it was -then that the genius of Hannibal shone forth in all its lustre. - -“The great general,” says Arnold, “who felt that he now stood -victorious on the ramparts of Italy, and that the torrent which rolled -before him was carrying its waters to the rich plains of cisalpine -Gaul, endeavored to kindle his soldiers with his own spirit of hope. -He called them together; he pointed out to them the valley beneath, to -which the descent seemed but the work of a moment. - -“That valley,” said he, “is Italy; it leads to the country of our -friends, the Gauls, and yonder is our way to Rome.” His eyes were -eagerly fixed on that part of the horizon, and as he gazed, the -distance seemed to vanish, till he could almost fancy he was crossing -the Tiber, and assailing the capital. Such were the difficulties of -the passage and the descent on the other side, that Hannibal lost -thirty-three thousand men from the time he entered the Pyrenees till -he reached the plains of Northern Italy, and he arrived on the Po with -only twelve thousand Africans, eight thousand Spanish infantry, and six -thousand horse. - -Then followed those splendid battles with the Romans, which carried -consternation to their capital, and raised the great general to the -highest pinnacle in the niche of military fame. - -The defeat of Scipio, at the battle of Ticinus, the utter rout and -defeat of Sempronius, the defeat of Flaminius, the defeat of Fabius, -and the battle of Cannæ, in the last of which, the Romans had -seventy-six thousand foot, eight thousand horse, and many chariots, -and where Hannibal had only thirty thousand troops, all told, and -where the defeat was so complete that bushels of gold rings were taken -from the fingers of the dead Romans, and sent as trophies to Carthage, -are matters of history, and will ever give to Hannibal the highest -position in the scale of ancient military men. Hannibal crossed the -Alps two hundred and seventeen years before the Christian Era, and -remained in Italy sixteen years. At last, Scipio, a Roman general of -the same name of the one defeated by Hannibal at Ticinus, finished -the war in Spain, transported his troops across the Mediterranean; -thus “carrying the war into Africa,” and giving rise to an expression -still in vogue, and significant of effective retaliation. By the aid -of Masinissa, a powerful prince of Numidia, now Morocco, he gained two -victories over the Carthaginians, who were obliged to recall Hannibal -from Italy, to defend their own soil from the combined attacks of the -Romans and Numidians. - -He landed at Leptis, and advanced near Zama, five days’ journey to the -west of Carthage. Here he met the Roman forces, and here, for the first -time, he suffered a total defeat. The loss of the Carthaginians was -immense, and they were compelled to sue for peace. This was granted by -Scipio, but upon humiliating terms. - -Hannibal would still have resisted, but he was compelled by his -countrymen to submit. Thus ended the second Punic war (B. C. 200), -having continued about eighteen years. - -By this war with the Romans, the Carthaginians lost most of their -colonies, and became in a measure, a Roman province. Notwithstanding -his late reverses, Hannibal entered the Carthaginian senate, and -continued at the head of the state, reforming abuses that had crept -into the management of the finances, and the administration of justice. -But these judicious reforms provoked the enmity of the factious nobles -who had hitherto been permitted to fatten on public plunder; they -joined with the old rivals of the Barcan family, of which Hannibal was -now the acknowledged head, and even degraded themselves so far as to -act as spies for the Romans, who still dreaded the abilities of the -great general. - -In consequence of their machinations, the old hero was forced to fly -from the country he had so long labored to serve; and after several -vicissitudes, died of poison, to escape the mean and malignant -persecution of the Romans whose hatred followed him in his exile, and -compelled the king of Bithynia to refuse him protection. The mound -which marks his last resting-place is still a remarkable object. - -Hannibal, like the rest of the Carthaginians, though not as black -as the present African population, was nevertheless, colored; not -differing in complexion from the ancient Ethiopians, and with curly -hair. We have but little account of this wonderful man except from -his enemies, the Romans, and nothing from them but his public career. -Prejudiced as are these sources of evidence, they still exhibit him as -one of the most extraordinary men that have ever lived. - -Many of the events of his life remind us of the career of Napoleon. -Like him, he crossed the Alps with a great army; like him, he was -repeatedly victorious over disciplined and powerful forces in Italy; -like him, he was finally overwhelmed in a great battle; like him, he -was a statesman, as well as a general; like him, he was the idol of the -army; like him, he was finally driven from his country, and died in -exile.[12] Yet, no one of Napoleon’s achievements was equal to that -of Hannibal in crossing the Alps, if we consider the difficulties he -had to encounter; nor has anything in generalship surpassed the ability -he displayed in sustaining himself and his army for sixteen years in -Italy, in the face of Rome, and without asking for assistance from his -own country. - -We now pass to the destruction of Carthage, and the dispersion of -its inhabitants. Fifty years had intervened since Hannibal with his -victorious legions stood at the gates of Rome; the Carthaginian -territory had been greatly reduced, the army had witnessed many -changes, Hannibal and his generals were dead, and a Roman army under -Scipio, flushed with victory and anxious for booty, were at the gates -of Carthage. - -For half a century the Carthaginians had faithfully kept all their -humiliating treaties with the Romans; borne patiently the insults and -arrogance of Masinissa, king of Numidia, whose impositions on Carthage -were always upheld by the strong arm of Rome; at last, however, -a serious difficulty arose between Carthage and Numidia, for the -settlement of which the Roman senate dispatched commissioners to visit -the contending parties and report. - -Unfortunately for the Carthaginians, one of these commissioners -was Cato the elder, who had long entertained a determined hatred -to Carthage. Indeed, he had, for the preceding twenty years, -scarcely ever made a speech without closing with,--“_Delenda est -Carthago_.”--Carthage must be destroyed. Animated by this spirit, it -can easily be imagined that Cato would give the weight of his influence -against the Carthaginians in everything touching their interest. - -While inspecting the great city, Cato was struck with its magnificence -and remaining wealth, which strengthened him in the opinion that the -ultimate success of Rome depended upon the destruction of Carthage; and -he labored to bring about that result. - -Scipio demanded that Carthage should deliver up all its materials of -war as a token of submission, which demand was complied with; and -the contents of their magazines, consisting of two hundred thousand -complete suits of armor, two thousand catapults, and an immense number -of spears, swords, bows and arrows. Having disarmed themselves, they -waited to hear the final sentence. The next demand was for the delivery -of the navy; this too was complied with. It was then announced that the -city was to be razed to the ground, the inhabitants sent elsewhere for -a residence, and that the Carthaginian name was to be blotted out. Just -then the navy, the largest in the world, containing vessels of great -strength and beauty, was set on fire, the flames of which lighted up -with appalling effect the coast forty miles around. - -The destruction of this fleet, the naval accumulation of five -centuries, was a severe blow to the pride of the conquered -Carthaginians, and taking courage from despair, they closed the gates -of the city, and resolved that they would fight to the last. - -As in all commonwealths, there were two political parties in Carthage, -struggling for the ascendency; one, republican, devoted to the liberty -of the people and the welfare of the State; the other, conservative in -its character, and in favor of Roman rule. It was this last party that -had disarmed the State at the bidding of the Roman invaders; and now -that the people had risen, the conservatives who could, fled from the -city, to escape the indignation of the masses. - -Unarmed and surrounded by an army of one hundred thousand men, -resistance seemed to be madness; yet they resisted with a heroism that -surprised and won the esteem of their hard-hearted conquerors. - -Everything was done to repair the damage already sustained by the -surrender of their navy and munitions of war. The pavements of the -streets were torn up, houses demolished, and statues broken to pieces -to obtain stones for weapons, which were carried upon the ramparts -for defence. Everybody that could work at a forge was employed in -manufacturing swords, spear-heads, pikes, and such other weapons as -could be made with the greatest facility and dispatch. They used all -the iron and brass that could be obtained, then melted down vases, -statues, and the precious metals, and tipped their spears with an -inferior pointing of silver and gold. - -When the supply of hemp and twine for cordage for their bows had -failed, the young maidens cut off their hair, and twisted and braided -it into cords to be used as bow-strings for propelling the arrows which -their husbands and brothers made. Nothing in the history of war, either -ancient or modern, will bear a comparison with this, the last struggle -of the Carthaginians. The siege thus begun was carried on more than -two years; the people, driven to the last limit of human endurance, -had aroused themselves to a hopeless resistance in a sort of frenzy of -despair, and fought with a courage and a desperation that compelled the -Romans to send home for more troops. - -Think of a walled city, thirty miles in circumference, with a -population of seven hundred and fifty thousand souls, men, women, and -children, living on limited fare, threatened with starvation, and -surrounded by the sick, the dying, and the dead! - -Even in this condition, so heroic were the Carthaginians, that they -repulsed the Romans, sent fireships against the invaders’ fleet, burned -their vessels, and would have destroyed the Roman army, had it not been -for the skill of Scipio, who succeeded in covering the retreat of the -Roman legions with a body of cavalry. - -On the arrival of fresh troops from Rome, the siege was renewed; and -after a war of three years, famine reduced the population to a little -more than fifty thousand. - -The overpowering army of Scipio finally succeeded in breaking through -the gates, and gaining admission into the city; the opposing forces -fought from street to street, the Carthaginians retreating as the -Romans advanced. One band of the enemy’s soldiers mounted to the tops -of the houses, the roofs of which were flat, and fought their way -there, while another column moved around to cut off retreat to the -citadel. No imagination can conceive the uproar and din of such an -assault upon a populous city--a horrid mingling of the vociferated -commands of the officers, and the shouts of the advancing and -victorious enemy, with the screams of terror from affrighted women -and children, and the dreadful groans and imprecations from men dying -maddened with unsatisfied revenge, and biting the dust in agony of -despair.[13] - -The more determined of the soldiers with Hasdrubal, the Carthaginian -general at their head, together with many brave citizens of both sexes, -and some Roman deserters, took possession of the citadel, which was in -a strongly-fortified section of the city. - -The Romans advanced to the walls of this fortification, and set that -part of the city on fire that lay nearest to it; the fire burned for -six days. When the fire had ceased burning near the citadel, the Roman -troops were brought to the area thus left vacant by the flames, and the -fight was renewed. - -Seeing there was no hope of successfully resisting the enemy, Hasdrubal -opened the gates, and surrendered to the Romans. There was, however, -a temple in the citadel, capable of holding ten or fifteen thousand -persons; in this, many of the brave men and women took refuge; among -these were Hasdrubal’s wife and two children. The gates of the temple -had scarcely been closed and securely barred, ere some one set the -building on fire from within. Half-suffocated with the smoke, and -scorched with the flames, these people were soon running to and fro -with the wildest screams; many of whom reached the roof, and among -them, Hasdrubal’s wife. - -Looking down and seeing her husband standing amongst the Roman -officers, she loaded him with reproaches for what she conceived to -be his cowardice, stabbed her children, threw them into the flames, -and leaped in herself. The city was given up to pillage, and set on -fire. After burning for seventeen days, this great city, the model of -beauty and magnificence, the repository of immense wealth, and one of -the chief States of the ancient world, was no more. The destruction of -Carthage, previously resolved upon in cold blood, after fifty years of -peace, and without any fresh provocation from the defenceless people, -who had thrown themselves on the generosity of their rivals, was one of -the most hard-hearted and brutal acts of Roman policy. The sequel of -the history of Carthage presents a melancholy and affecting picture of -the humiliation and decline of a proud and powerful State. - -Meroe, the chief city, and fountain-head of the Ethiopians, was already -fast declining, when Carthage fell, and from that time forward, -the destiny of this people appeared to be downward. With the fall -of Carthage, and the absorption of its territory by Rome, and its -organization into a Roman province, the Carthaginian State ceased. Of -the seven hundred and fifty thousand souls that Carthage contained at -the time that the Romans laid siege to the city, only fifty thousand -remained alive at its fall. The majority of these, hating Roman rule, -bent their way towards the interior of Africa, following the thousands -of their countrymen who had gone before. - -After Carthage had been destroyed, the Romans did everything in their -power to obliterate every vestige of the history of that celebrated -people. No relics are to be seen of the grandeur and magnificence of -ancient Carthage, except some ruins of aqueducts and cisterns. - -In the language of Tasso:-- - - - “Low lie her towers, sole relics of her sway; - Her desert shores a few sad fragments keep; - Shrines, temples, cities, kingdoms, states decay; - O’er urns and arch triumphal, deserts sweep - Their sands, and lions roar, or ivies creep.” - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[12] “Famous Men of Ancient Times,” p. 154. - -[13] “Abbott’s History of Hannibal.” - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -EASTERN AFRICA. - - -In the desert between the Nile and the Red Sea, and among that range of -mountains running parallel with the coast, are Hadharebe, the Ababdeh, -and the Bishari, three very ancient tribes, the modern representatives -of the Ethiopians of Meroe. The language of these people, their -features, so different from the Arabs, and the Guinea Negro, together -with their architecture, prove conclusively that they descended from -Ethiopia; the most numerous and powerful of these tribes being the -Bishari. - -Leaving the shores of the Mediterranean, and passing south of -Abyssinia, along the coast of Africa, and extending far into the -interior over rich mountain-plains, is found the seat of what are -called the “Galla nations.” They are nomadic tribes, vast in numbers, -indefinable in their extent of territory, full of fire and energy, -wealthy in flocks and herds, dark-skinned, woolly-haired, and -thick-lipped. - -Passing farther west into that vast region which lies between the -Mountains of the Moon and the Great Desert, extending through Central -Africa even to the western coast, we come into what may be more -appropriately called “Negro-land.” - -It is a widely-extended region, which abounds in the arts of -civilization. Here are large cities containing from ten thousand to -thirty thousand souls. Here is a great family of nations, some but just -emerging out of barbarism, some formed into prosperous communities, -preserving the forms of social justice and of a more enlightened -worship, practicing agriculture, and exhibiting the pleasing results of -peaceful and productive industry. - -Mungo Park gives a glowing account of Sego, the capital of Bambuwa, -a city containing thirty thousand inhabitants, with its two-story -houses, its mosques seen in every quarter, its ferries conveying men -and horses over the Niger. “The view of this extensive city,” he says, -“the numerous canoes upon the river, the crowded population, and the -cultivated state of the surrounding country, formed altogether a -prospect of civilization and magnificence which I little expected to -find in the bosom of Africa.” - -Farther east he found a large and flourishing town called Kaffa, -situated in the midst of a country so beautiful and highly cultivated -that it reminds him of England. The people in this place were an -admixture of light brown, dark brown, and dingy black, apparently -showing the influence of the climate upon their ancestors. - -The Mountains of the Moon, as they terminate along the western coast of -Africa, spread out into a succession of mountain plains. These present -three lofty fronts toward the sea, each surrounded with terraces, -declining gradually into the lowlands, each threaded with fertilizing -streams, and fanned with ocean breezes. - -The most northern of these plateaus, with their declivities and plains, -forms the delightful land of one of the most powerful and intelligent -of the African tribes, namely, the Mandingoes. They are made up of -shrewd merchants and industrious agriculturists; kind, hospitable, -enterprising, with generous dispositions, and open and gentle manners. -Not far from the Mandingoes, are the people called Solofs, whom Park -describes as “the most beautiful, and at the same time the blackest -people in Africa.” - -But perhaps the most remarkable people among these nations are the -“Fulahs,” whose native seat is the southern part of the plateaus above -described. Here, in their lofty independence, they cultivate the soil, -live in “clean and commodious dwellings,” feed numerous flocks of sheep -and goats, and herds of oxen and horses, build mosques for the worship -of one God, and open schools for the education of their children. - -Timbri, their capital, is a military station, containing nine thousand -inhabitants, from which their victorious armies have gone forth and -subdued the surrounding country. They practice the mechanic arts with -success, forge iron and silver, fabricate cloth, and work skilfully -with leather and wood. Like the Anglo-Saxon, their capital has been -the hive whence colonies have swarmed forth to form new settlements, -and extend the arts of industry; and the “Fellatahs,” an enterprising -people who dwell a thousand miles in the interior, are well known to -belong to the same stock. - -There are many other nations, or rather, tribes, in this vast central -region, described by Pritchard more or less minutely, variously -advanced in the arts of life, and exhibiting various degrees of -enterprise and energy. - -Passing along the western shore southward, we next come to the coast -of Guinea, where we find the Negro in his worst state of degradation. -Hither comes the slave-trader for his wretched cargo, and hence have -been exported the victims of that horrible commerce, which supplied -the slave-marts of the western world. The demonizing influence of this -traffic on the character of the natives defies all description. - -In the mountains and ravines of this portion of Africa lurk gangs -of robbers, ever on the watch to seize the wives and children of -the neighboring clans and sell them to the traders. Every corner of -the land has been the scene of rapine and blood. Parents sell their -children, and children sell their parents. Such are the passions -stimulated by Christian gold, and such the state of society produced by -contact with Christian nations. These people, degraded and unhumanized -by the slaver, are the progenitors of the black population of the -Southern States of the American Union. - -Still we are to observe, that though the lowest type of Negro character -is to be found on the Guinea coast and the adjacent region, it is not -uniformly degraded. Tribes are to be found, considerably advanced in -civilization, whose features and characters resemble those of the -central region which we have just described. - -Passing southward still farther, and crossing the line, we come into -southern Africa. This whole region from the equator to the Cape, with -the exception of the Hottentots, is, so far as discovered, occupied -by what is called the “Great South African Race.” They are a vast -family of nations, speaking dialects of the same language, furnishing -incontrovertible evidence, so says Pritchard, of “a common origin.” - -There is one fact, in reference to them, of absorbing interest; it -is that among these nations, and sometimes among the same tribe, are -found specimens of the lowest Negro type, and specimens of the same -type elevated and transfigured so as to approximate far towards the -European form and features. Between these two there is every possible -variety, and the variations depend much on moral condition and physical -surroundings. Along the coast humanity generally sinks down into its -lowest shapes, and puts on its most disgusting visage. - -Rising into the interior, and climbing the tablelands, the evidence -of decided improvement generally appears. Perhaps the most savage of -these tribes is to be found on the coast of Congo. They are cannibals -of great ferocity and brutality. But on the eastern coast are found -a people called Kafirs, some tribes occupying the coast, and a few -the mountain plains. Some of these tribes, “whose fine forms and easy -attitudes remind the traveller of ancient statues,” inhabit large towns -and cities, have made great progress in the arts of industry, cultivate -vast fields of sugar and tobacco, manufacture various kinds of cutlery, -and “build their houses with masonry, and ornament them with pillars -and mouldings.” - -They exhibit fine traits of intellectual and moral character. Mixed -up with their superstitions, they have some lofty, religious ideas; -believe in the immortality of the soul, in a Supreme Being, whom they -call “The Beautiful,” who exercises a providence over mankind. Such -are the nations of Central and Southern Africa; and if we can rely -on the reports of the best travellers, they furnish some of the best -material, out of which to build up prosperous states and empires, that -is to be found on the face of the earth. - -We come next to the Hottentots, including the Bushmen, who belong to -the same race. In the scale of humanity, he probably sinks below the -inhabitants of Guinea or Congo. - -The Hottentot has long furnished a standard of comparison to moral -writers by which to represent the lowest condition of man. He inhabits -the desert, lives in caves, subsists on roots or raw flesh, has no -religious ideas, and is considered by the European as too wretched a -being to be converted into a slave. How came he thus degraded? - -That is a question which we do not often see answered, and which -must be answered, to the shame of Christian Europe. Before that evil -hour when the Christian navigator neared the Cape of Good Hope, the -Hottentots were “a numerous people, divided into many tribes under a -patriarchal government of chiefs and elders.” - -They had numerous flocks and herds, lived in movable villages, were -bold in the chase, courageous in warfare, yet mild in their tempers and -dispositions; had rude conceptions of religion, and exhibited a scene -of pastoral life like that of the ancient Nomads of the Syrian plains. -In a word, they were a part of that stream of emigration to which we -have referred in a previous chapter, and who evidently were living -somewhat as they had in the country of their ancestors. - -Kolben, who saw the Hottentots in the day of their prosperity, -enumerates eighteen tribes of the race. The European colonists hunted -these tribes as they would hunt beasts of prey. Most of them they -exterminated, and seized upon their possessions; the rest they robbed -and drove into forests and deserts, where their miserable descendants -exist as wandering Bushmen, exhibiting to good Christian people -material for most edifying studies in “anatomy and ethnology.” - -There is an immense region, comprising the greater part of interior -Africa, two thousand miles in length, and one thousand in breadth, -nearly equal to the whole of the United States, which has seldom been -trodden by the foot of the Caucasian. It spreads out beneath the -tropics, and is supposed by Humboldt to be one of the most interesting -and fertile regions on the face of the earth. - -“It must be,” he says, “a high table-land, rising into the cooler -strata of the atmosphere, combining therefore the qualities of -the _tierra caliente_ of Mexico, with its ‘cloudless ethers,’ the -luxuriant slopes of the Andes, and the pastoral plains of Southern -Asia. It cannot be a sandy desert, though sometimes put down as such -upon the maps, because vast rivers come rolling down from it into the -surrounding seas.” - -It has long been the land of romance, mystery, and wonder, and of -strange and tantalizing rumors. The “blameless Ethiopians” of Homer, -the favorites of the gods, and the wonderful Macrobians of Herodotus, -are placed by Heeren on the outskirts of this region, where they would -be most likely to be offshoots from its parent stock. This country is -guarded from the European by forces more potent than standing armies. - -Around it stretches a border on which brood malaria, pestilence, -and death, and which the English government for half a century have -expended lives and treasure to break through. In one expedition after -another sent out from the island of Ascension, nine white men out of -ten fell victims to the “beautiful, but awful climate.” - -Nevertheless, news from the interior more or less distinct has found -its way over this belt of danger and death. Being a land of mystery, it -should be borne in mind that there is a strong tendency to exaggeration -in all that comes from it. The Niger, one of the noblest of rivers, -skirts this unknown country for some hundreds of miles, after sweeping -away through the middle portion of Central Africa already described. - -The “Colonial Magazine,” speaking of the exploration of this river by -the English expeditions, says: “They have found that this whole tract -of country is one of amazing fertility and beauty, abounding in gold, -ivory, and all sorts of tropical vegetation. There are hundreds of -woods, invaluable for dyeing and agricultural purposes, not found in -other portions of the world. - -“Through it for hundreds of miles sweeps a river from three to six -miles broad, with clean water and unsurpassable depth, flowing on at -the rate of two or three miles an hour, without rock, shoal, or snag -to intercept its navigation. Other rivers pour into this tributary -waters of such volume as must have required hundreds of miles to be -collected, yet they seem scarcely to enlarge it. Upon this river are -scattered cities, some of which are estimated to contain a million of -inhabitants; and the whole country teems with a dense population. Far -in the interior, in the very heart of this continent, is a portion of -the African race in an advanced state of civilization.” - -In the year 1816, Captain Tuckey, of the English Navy, made a -disastrous expedition up the Congo. In 1828, Mr. Owen, from the -opposite coast, attempted to penetrate this land of mystery and marvel, -with a like result. But they found a manifest improvement in the -condition of the people the farther they advanced, and they met with -rumors of a powerful and civilized nation still farther inward, whose -country they attempted in vain to explore. - -In 1818, John Campbell, agent of the London Missionary Society, tried -to reach this country by journeying from the Cape northward; and later -still, Captain Alexander led an expedition, having the same object in -view. They found large and populous cities situated in a fertile and -highly-cultivated country, but they did not reach the land of marvel -and mystery, though they heard the same rumors respecting its people. -A writer in the “Westminster Review,” who lived several years on the -western coast, gives an interesting description of the interior of the -country. He says:-- - -“A state of civilization exists among some of the tribes, such as had -not been suspected hitherto by those who have judged only from such -accounts as have been given of the tribes with which travellers have -come in contact. They cannot be regarded as savages, having organized -townships, fixed habitations, with regular defences about their cities, -engaging in agriculture and the manufacture of cotton cloths for -clothing, which they ornament with handsome dyes of native production, -exhibit handicraft in their conversion of iron and precious metals into -articles of use and ornament.” - -But to no traveller is the cause of African civilization more indebted -than to Dr. Livingstone. Twenty-six years of his life have been spent -in exploring that country and working for the good of its people. In -August, 1849, he discovered Lake Ngami, one of the most beautiful -sheets of water in that sunny land. His discovery of the source of the -Zambesi River and its tributaries, the Victoria Falls, the beds of -gold, silver, iron and coal, and his communication with a people who -had never beheld a white man before, are matters of congratulation to -the friends of humanity, and the elevation of man the world over. - -Along the shores of the Zambesi were found pink marble beds, and white -marble, its clearness scarcely equaled by anything of the kind ever -seen in Europe. In his description of the country through which this -splendid river passes, Dr. Livingstone says: “When we came to the top -of the outer range of the hills, we had a glorious view. At a short -distance below us we saw the Kafue, wending away over a forest-clad -plain to the confluence, and on the other side of the Zambesi, beyond -that, lay a long range of dark hills. - -“A line of fleecy clouds appeared, lying along the course of that river -at their base. The plain below us, at the left of the Kafue, had more -large game on it than anywhere else I had seen in Africa. Hundreds -of buffaloes and zebras grazed on the open spaces, and there stood -lordly elephants feeding majestically, nothing moving apparently, but -the proboscis. I wish that I had been able to take a photograph of -the scene so seldom beheld, and which is destined, as guns increase, -to pass away from earth. When we descended, we found all the animals -remarkably tame. The elephants stood beneath the trees, fanning -themselves with their large ears, as if they did not see us.” - -The feathered tribe is abundant and beautiful in this section of -Africa. Dr. Livingstone says: “The birds of the tropics have been -described as generally wanting in power of song. I was decidedly of the -opinion that this was not applicable to many parts of Londa. Here the -chorus, or body of song, was not much smaller in volume than it is in -England. These African birds are not wanting in song; they have only -lacked poets to sing their praises, which ours have had from the time -of Aristophanes downward.” - -Speaking of the fruits, he says: “There are great numbers of wild -grape-vines growing in this quarter; indeed, they abound everywhere -along the banks of the Zambesi. They are very fine; and it occurred to -me that a country which yields the wild vines so very abundantly might -be a fit one for the cultivated species. We found that many elephants -had been feeding on the fruit called mokoronga. This is a black-colored -plum, having purple juice. We all ate it in large quantities, as we -found it delicious.” - -While exploring the Zambesi, Dr. Livingstone visited the hot spring of -Nyamboronda, situated in the bed of a small rivulet called Nyaondo, -which shows that igneous action is not yet extinct. The spring emitted -water hot enough to cook a fish that might accidentally get into it. - -Dr. Livingstone represents the inhabitants, throughout his long -journey of more than one thousand miles, as well disposed toward -strangers, and a majority of them favorable to civilization and the -banishment of the slave-trade, that curse of Africa. - -The population of this immense country has been estimated at from fifty -to one hundred and fifty millions; but as we have no certain data from -which to compute anything like a correct estimate of its inhabitants, -it is difficult to arrive at a proper conclusion. Yet from all we can -learn, I should judge one hundred and fifty millions is nearest to it. - -Recent travellers in Africa have discovered ruins which go far to show -that the early settlers built towns, and then abandoned them for more -healthy locations. In September, 1871, the South African explorer, -Carl Mauch, visited the ruins of an ancient and mysterious city in the -highland between the Zambesi and Limpopo Rivers, long known by native -report to the Portuguese, and situated in a land, which from its gold -and ivory, has long been identified by some authorities, as the Ophir -of Scripture. Zimbaoe lies in about lat. 20 degrees 14 seconds S.; -long. 31 degrees 48 seconds E. - -One portion of the ruins rises upon a granite hill about four hundred -feet in relative height; the other, separated by a slight valley, lies -upon a somewhat raised terrace. From the curved and zigzag form still -apparent in the ruined walls which cover the whole of the western -declivity of the hill, these have doubtless formed a once impregnable -fortress. The whole space is densely overgrown with nettles and bushes, -and some great trees have intertwined their roots with the buildings. - -Without exception, the walls, some of which have still a height of -thirty feet, are built of cut granite stones, generally of the size of -an ordinary brick, but no mortar has been used. The thickness of the -walls where they appear above ground is ten feet, tapering to seven or -eight feet. In many places monolith pilasters of eight to ten feet in -length, ornamented in diamond-shaped lines, stand out of the building. -These are generally eight inches wide and three in thickness, cut -out of a hard and close stone of greenish-black color, and having a -metallic ring. - -During the first hurried visit, Mauch was unable to find any traces of -inscription, though carvings of unknown characters are mentioned by the -early Portuguese writers. Such however, may yet be found, and a clue -be thus obtained as to the age of the strange edifice. Zimbaoe is, in -all probability, an ancient factory, raised in very remote antiquity -by strangers to the land, to overawe the savage inhabitants of the -neighboring country, and to serve as a depot for the gold and ivory -which it affords. No native tribes dwelling in mud huts could ever have -conceived its erection. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -CAUSES OF COLOR. - - -The various colors seen in the natives in Africa, where amalgamation -with other races is impossible, has drawn forth much criticism, and -puzzled the ethnologist not a little. Yet nothing is more easily -accounted for than this difference of color amongst the same people, -and even under the same circumstances. Climate, and climate alone, is -the sole cause. - -And now to the proof. Instances are adduced, in which individuals, -transplanted into another climate than that of their birth, are said to -have retained their peculiarities of form and color unaltered, and to -have transmitted the same to their posterity for generations. But cases -of this kind, though often substantiated to a certain extent, appear to -have been much exaggerated, both as to the duration of time ascribed, -and the absence of any change. It is highly probable, that the original -characteristics will be found undergoing gradual modifications, which -tend to assimilate them to those of the new country and situation. - -The Jews, however slightly their features may have assimilated to those -of other nations amongst whom they are scattered, from the causes -already stated, certainly form a very striking example as regards the -uncertainty of perpetuity in color. - -Descended from one stock, and prohibited by the most sacred -institutions from intermarrying with the people of other nations, and -yet dispersed, according to the divine prediction, into every country -on the globe, this one people is marked with the colors of all; fair in -Briton and Germany; brown in France and in Turkey; swarthy in Portugal -and in Spain; olive in Syria and in Chaldea; tawny or copper-colored -in Arabia and in Egypt;[14] whilst they are “black at Congo, in -Africa.”[15] - -Let us survey the gradations of color on the continent of Africa -itself. The inhabitants of the north are whitest; and as we advance -southward towards the line, and those countries in which the sun’s rays -fall more perpendicularly, the complexion gradually assumes a darker -shade. And the same men, whose color has been rendered black by the -powerful influence of the sun, if they remove to the north, gradually -become whiter (I mean their posterity), and eventually lose their dark -color.[16] - -The Portuguese who planted themselves on the coast of Africa a few -centuries ago, have been succeeded by descendants blacker than many -Africans.[17] On the coast of Malabar there are two colonies of Jews, -the old colony and the new, separated by color, and known as the “black -Jews,” and the “white Jews.” The old colony are the black Jews, and -have been longer subjected to the influence of the climate. The hair of -the black Jews are curly, showing a resemblance to the Negro. The white -Jews are as dark as the Gipsies, and each generation growing darker. - -Dr. Livingstone says,--“I was struck with the appearance of the people -in Londa, and the neighborhood; they seemed more slender in form, and -their color a lighter olive, than any we had hitherto met.”[18] - -Lower down the Zambesi, the same writer says: “Most of the men are -muscular, and have large, ploughman hands. Their color is the same -admixture, from very dark to light olive, that we saw at Londa.”[19] - -In the year 1840, the writer was at Havana, and saw on board a -vessel just arrived from Africa some five hundred slaves, captured -in different parts of the country. Among these captives were colors -varying from light brown to black, and their features represented the -finest Anglo-Saxon and the most degraded African. - -There is a nation called Tuaricks, who inhabit the oases and southern -borders of the great desert, whose occupation is commerce, and whose -caravans ply between the Negro countries and Fezzan. They are described -by the travellers Hornemann and Lyon. - -The western tribes of this nation are white, so far as the climate and -their habits will allow. Others are of a yellow cast; others again, -are swarthy; and in the neighborhood of Soudan, there is said to be a -tribe completely black. All speak the same dialect, and it is a dialect -of the original African tongue. There is no reasonable doubt of their -being aboriginal. - -Lyon says they are the finest race of men he ever saw, “tall, -straight, and handsome, with a certain air of independence and pride, -which is very imposing.”[20] If we observe the gradations of color -in different localities in the meridian under which we live, we -shall perceive a very close relation to the heat of the sun in each -respectively. Under the equator we have the deep black of the Negro, -then the copper or olive of the Moors of Northern Africa; then the -Spaniard and Italian, swarthy, compared with other Europeans; the -French, still darker than the English, while the fair and florid -complexion of England and Germany passes more northerly into the -bleached Scandinavian white.[21] - -It is well-known, that in whatever region travellers ascend mountains, -they find the vegetation at every successive level altering its -character, and gradually assuming the appearances presented in more -northern countries; thus indicating that the atmosphere, temperature, -and physical agencies in general, assimilate, as we approach Alpine -regions, to the peculiarities locally connected with high latitudes. - -If, therefore, complexion and other bodily qualities belonging to races -of men, depend upon climate and external conditions, we should expect -to find them varying in reference to elevation of surface; and if they -should be found actually to undergo such variations, this will be a -strong argument that these external characteristics do, in fact, depend -upon local conditions. - -Now, if we inquire respecting the physical characters of the tribes -inhabiting high tracts in warm countries, we shall find that they -coincide with those which prevail in the level or low parts of more -northern tracts. - -The Swiss, in the high mountains above the plains of Lombardy, have -sandy or brown hair. What a contrast presents itself to the traveller -who descends into the Milanese territory, where the peasants have -black hair and eyes, with strongly-marked Italian, and almost Oriental -features. - -In the higher part of the Biscayan country, instead of the swarthy -complexion and black hair of the Castilians, the natives have a fair -complexion, with light blue eyes, and flaxen, or auburn hair.[22] - -In the intertropical region, high elevations of surface, as they -produce a cooler climate, occasion the appearance of light complexions. -In the higher parts of Senegambia, which front the Atlantic, and -are cooled by winds from the Western Ocean, where, in fact, the -temperature is known to be moderate, and even cool at times, the light -copper-colored Fulahs are found surrounded on every side by black Negro -nations inhabiting lower districts; and nearly in the same parallel, -but on the opposite coast of Africa, are the high plains of Enared and -Kaffa, where the inhabitants are said to be fairer than the inhabitants -of Southern Europe.[23] - -Do we need any better evidence of the influence of climate on man, than -to witness its effect on beasts and birds? Æolian informs us that the -Eubaea was famous for producing white oxen.[24] Blumenbach remarks, -that “all the swine of Piedmont are black, those of Normandy white, and -those of Bavaria are of a reddish brown. The turkeys of Normandy,” -he states, “are all black; those of Hanover almost all white. In -Guinea, the dogs and the gallinaceous fowls are as black as the human -inhabitants of the same country.”[25] - -The lack of color, in the northern regions, of many animals which -possess color in more temperate latitudes,--as the bear, the -fox, the hare, beasts of burden, the falcon, crow, jackdaw, and -chaffinch,--seems to arise entirely from climate. The common bear -is differently colored in different regions. The dog loses its coat -entirely in Africa, and has a smooth skin. - -We all see and admit the change which a few years produces in the -complexion of a Caucasian going from our northern latitude into the -tropics. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[14] Smith on “The Complexion of the Human Species.” - -[15] Pritchard. - -[16] “Tribute for the Negro,” p. 59. - -[17] Pennington’s Text Book, p. 96. - -[18] “Livingstone’s Travels,” p. 296. - -[19] Ibid, p. 364. - -[20] Heeren, Vol. I., p. 297. - -[21] Murray’s “North America.” - -[22] Pritchard. - -[23] Ibid. - -[24] Æolian, lib. xii, cap. 36. - -[25] Pritchard. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -CAUSES OF THE DIFFERENCE IN FEATURES. - - -We now come to a consideration of the difference in the features of -the human family, and especially the great variety to be seen in -the African race. From the grim worshippers of Odin in the woods of -Germany, down to the present day, all uncivilized nations or tribes -have more or less been addicted to the barbarous custom of disfiguring -their persons. - -Thus, among the North American Indians, the tribe known as the “flat -heads,” usually put their children’s heads to press when but a few -days old; and consequently, their name fitly represents their personal -appearance. While exploring the valley of the Zambesi, Dr. Livingstone -met with several tribes whose mode of life will well illustrate this -point. He says:-- - -“The women here are in the habit of piercing the upper lip and -gradually enlarging the orifice until they can insert a shell. The lip -then appears drawn out beyond the perpendicular of the nose, and gives -them a most ungainly aspect. Sekwebu remarked,--‘These women want to -make their mouths like those of ducks.’ And indeed, it does appear as -if they had the idea that female beauty of lip had been attained by -the _Ornithorhynchus paradoxus_ alone. This custom prevails throughout -the country of the Maravi, and no one could see it without confessing -that fashion had never led women to a freak more mad.”[26] - -There is a tribe near the coast of Guinea, who consider a flat nose the -paragon of beauty; and at early infancy, the child’s nose is put in -press, that it may not appear ugly when it arrives to years of maturity. - -Many of the tribes in the interior of Africa mark the face, arms, -and breasts; these, in some instances, are considered national -identifications. Knocking out the teeth is a common practice, as will -be seen by reference to Dr. Livingstone’s travels. Living upon roots, -as many of the more degraded tribes do, has its influence in moulding -the features. - -There is a decided coincidence between the physical characteristics -of the varieties of man, and their moral and social condition; and it -also appears that their condition in civilized society produces marked -modification in the intellectual qualities of the race. Religious -superstition and the worship of idols have done much towards changing -the features of the Negro from the original Ethiopian of Meroe, to the -present inhabitants of the shores of the Zambesi. - -The farther the human mind strays from the ever-living God as a -spirit, the nearer it approximates to the beasts; and as the mental -controls the physical, so ignorance and brutality are depicted upon the -countenance. - -As the African by his fall has lost those qualities that adorn -the visage of man, so the Anglo-Saxon, by his rise in the scale of -humanity, has improved his features, enlarged his brain, and brightened -in intellect. - -Let us see how far history will bear us out in this assertion. We all -acknowledge the Anglo-Saxon to be the highest type of civilization. But -from whence sprang this refined, proud, haughty, and intellectual race? -Go back a few centuries, and we find their ancestors described in the -graphic touches of Cæsar and Tacitus. See them in the gloomy forests -of Germany, sacrificing to their grim and gory idols; drinking the -warm blood of their prisoners, quaffing libations from human skulls; -infesting the shores of the Baltic for plunder and robbery; bringing -home the reeking scalps of enemies as an offering to their king. - -Macaulay says:--“When the Britons first became known to the Tyrian -mariners, they were little superior to the Sandwich Islanders.” - -Hume says:--“The Britons were a rude and barbarous people, divided into -numerous clans, dressed in the skins of wild beasts: druidism was their -religion, and they were very superstitious.” Cæsar writing home, said -of the Britons,--“They are the most degraded people I ever conquered.” -Cicero advised his friend Atticus not to purchase slaves from Briton, -“because,” said he, “they cannot be taught music, and are the ugliest -people I ever saw.” - -An illustration of the influence of circumstances upon the physical -appearance of man may be found still nearer our own time. In the Irish -rebellion in 1641, and 1689, great multitudes of the native Irish were -driven from Armagh and the South down into the mountainous tract -extending from the Barony of Flews eastward to the sea; on the other -side of the kingdom the same race were expelled into Litrin, Sligo, -and Mayo. Here they have been almost ever since, exposed to the worst -effects of hunger and ignorance, the two great brutalizers of the human -race. - -The descendants of these exiles are now distinguished physically, from -their kindred in Meath, and other districts, where they are not in a -state of personal debasement. These people are remarkable for open, -projecting mouths, prominent teeth, and exposed gums; their advancing -cheek-bones and depressed noses carry barbarism on their very front. - -In Sligo and northern Mayo, the consequences of two centuries of -degradation and hardship exhibit themselves in the whole physical -condition of the people, affecting not only the features, but the -frame, and giving such an example of human degradation as to make it -revolting. - -They are only five feet two inches, upon an average, bow-legged, -bandy-shanked, abortively-featured; the apparitions of Irish ugliness -and Irish want.[27] - -Slavery is, after all, the great demoralizer of the human race. In -addition to the marks of barbarism left upon the features of the -African, he has the indelible imprint of the task-master. Want of food, -clothing, medical attention when sick, over-work, under the control of -drunken and heartless drivers, the hand-cuffs and Negro whip, together -with the other paraphernalia of the slave-code, has done much to -distinguish the blacks from the rest of the human family. It must also -be remembered that in Africa, the people, whether living in houses or -in the open air, are oppressed with a hot climate, which causes them -to sleep, more or less, with their mouths open. This fact alone is -enough to account for the large, wide mouth and flat nose; common sense -teaching us that with the open mouth, the features must fall. - -As to the hair, which has also puzzled some scientific men, it is -easily accounted for. It is well-known that heat is the great crisper -of the hair, whether it be on men’s heads or on the backs of animals. I -remember well, when a boy, to have witnessed with considerable interest -the preparations made on great occasions by the women, with regard to -their hair. - -The curls which had been carefully laid away for months, were taken -out of the drawer, combed, oiled, rolled over the prepared paper, and -put in the gently-heated stove, there to remain until the wonted curl -should be gained. When removed from the stove, taken off the paper -rolls, and shaken out, the hair was fit to adorn the head of any lady -in the land. - -Now, the African’s hair has been under the influence for many -centuries, of the intense heat of his native clime, and in each -generation is still more curly, till we find as many grades of hair as -we do of color, from the straight silken strands of the Malay, to the -wool of the Guinea Negro. Custom, air, food, and the general habits -of the people, spread over the great area of the African continent, -aid much in producing the varieties of hair so often met with in the -descendants of the country of the Nile. - -In the recent reports of Dr. Livingstone, he describes the physical -appearance of a tribe which he met, and which goes to substantiate -what has already been said with regard to the descent of the Africans -from the region of the Nile. He says:-- - -“I happened to be present when all the head men of the great chief -Msama who lives west of the south end of Tanganayika, had come together -to make peace with certain Arabs who had burned their chief town, and I -am certain one could not see more finely-formed, intellectual heads in -any assembly in London or Paris, and the faces and forms corresponded -with the finely-shaped heads. Msama himself had been a sort of Napoleon -for fighting and conquering in his younger days. - -“Many of the women are very pretty, and, like all ladies, would be -much prettier if they would only let themselves alone. Fortunately, -the dears cannot change their darling black eyes, beautiful foreheads, -nicely-rounded limbs, well-shaped forms, and small hands and feet; -but they must adorn themselves, and this they will do by filing their -splendid teeth to points like cats’ teeth. These specimens of the fair -sex make shift by adorning their fine, warm brown skins, and tattooing -various pretty devices without colors. They are not black, but of a -light warm brown color. - -“The Cazembe’s queen would be esteemed a real beauty, either in London, -Paris, or New York; and yet she had a small hole through the cartilage, -near the tip of her fine aquiline nose. But she had only filed one side -of two of the front swan-white teeth, and then what a laugh she had! -Large sections of the country northwest of Cazembe, but still in the -same inland region, are peopled with men very much like those of Msama -and Cazembe.” - -FOOTNOTES: - -[26] “Livingstone’s Travels,” p. 366. - -[27] “Dublin University Magazine,” Vol. IV., p. 653. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. - - -While paganism is embraced by the larger portion of the African races, -it is by no means the religion of the land. Missionaries representing -nearly every phase of religious belief have made their appearance in -the country, and gained more or less converts. Mohammedanism, however, -has taken by far the greatest hold upon the people. - -Whatever may be said of the followers of Mohammed in other countries, -it may truly be averred that the African has been greatly benefited by -this religion. - -Recent discussions and investigations have brought the subject of -Mohammedanism prominently before the reading public, and the writings -of Weil, and Noldeke, and Muir, and Sprenger, and Emanuel Deutsch, -have taught the world that “Mohammedanism is a thing of vitality, -fraught with a thousand fruitful germs;” and have amply illustrated the -principle enunciated by St. Augustine, showing that there are elements -both of truth and goodness in a system which has had so wide-spread an -influence upon mankind, embracing within the scope of its operations -more than one hundred millions of the human race; that the exhibition -of the germs of truth, even though “suspended in a gallery of -counterfeits,” has vast power over the human heart. - -Whatever may be the intellectual inferiority of the Negro tribes (if, -indeed, such inferiority exists), it is certain that many of these -tribes have received the religion of Islam without its being forced -upon them by the overpowering arms of victorious invaders. The quiet -development and organization of a religious community in the heart -of Africa has shown that Negroes, equally with other races, are -susceptible of moral and spiritual impressions, and of all the sublime -possibilities of religion. - -The history of the progress of Islam in the country would present -the same instances of real and eager mental conflict of minds in -honest transition, of careful comparison and reflection, that have -been found in other communities where new aspects of truth and fresh -considerations have been brought before them. And we hold that it shows -a stronger and more healthy intellectual tendency to be induced by the -persuasion and reason of a man of moral nobleness and deep personal -convictions to join with him in the introduction of beneficial changes, -than to be compelled to follow the lead of an irresponsible character, -who forces us into measures by his superior physical might. - -Mungo Park, in his travels seventy years ago, everywhere remarked the -contrast between the pagan and Mohammedan tribes of interior Africa. -One very important improvement noticed by him was abstinence from -intoxicating drinks. - -“The beverage of the pagan Negroes,” he says, “is beer and mead, of -which they often drink to excess; the Mohammedan converts drink nothing -but water.” - -Thus, throughout Central Africa there has been established a vast total -abstinence society; and such is the influence of this society that -where there are Moslem inhabitants, even in pagan towns, it is a very -rare thing to see a person intoxicated. They thus present an almost -impenetrable barrier to the desolating flood of ardent spirits with -which the traders from Europe and America inundate the coast at Caboon. - -Wherever the Moslem is found on the coast, whether Jalof, Fulah, or -Mandingo, he looks upon himself as a separate and distinct being from -his pagan neighbor, and immeasurably his superior in intellectual -and moral respects. He regards himself as one to whom a revelation -has been “sent down” from Heaven. He holds constant intercourse with -the “Lord of worlds,” whose servant he is. In his behalf Omnipotence -will ever interpose in times of danger. Hence he feels that he cannot -indulge in the frivolities and vices which he considers as by no means -incompatible with the character and professions of the Kafir, or -unbeliever. - -There are no caste distinctions among them. They do not look upon the -privileges of Islam as confined by tribal barriers or limitations. -On the contrary, the life of their religion is aggressiveness. They -are constantly making proselytes. As early as the commencement of the -present century, the elastic and expansive character of their system -was sufficiently marked to attract the notice of Mr. Park. - -“In the Negro country,” observes that celebrated traveller, “the -Mohammedan religion has made, and continues to make, considerable -progress.” “The yearning of the native African,” says Professor -Crummell, “for a higher religion, is illustrated by the singular fact -that Mohammedanism is rapidly and peaceably spreading all through the -tribes of Western Africa, even to the Christian settlements of Liberia.” - -From Senegal to Lagos, over two thousand miles, there is scarcely -an important town on the seaboard where there is not at least one -mosque, and active representatives of Islam often side by side with -the Christian teachers. And as soon as a pagan, however obscure or -degraded, embraces the Moslem faith, he is at once admitted as an equal -to their society. Slavery and slave-trade are laudable institutions, -provided the slaves are Kafirs. The slave who embraces Islamism is -free, and no office is closed against him on account of servile -blood.[28] - -Passing over into the southern part, we find the people in a state -of civilization, and yet superstitious, as indeed are the natives -everywhere. - -The town of Noble is a settlement of modern times, sheltering forty -thousand souls, close to an ancient city of the same name, the Rome of -aboriginal South Africa. The religious ceremonies performed there are -of the most puerile character, and would be thought by most equally -idolatrous with those formerly held in the same spot by the descendants -of Mumbo Jumbo. - -On Easter Monday is celebrated the _Festa del Señor de los Temblores_, -or Festival of the Lord of Earthquakes. On this day the public plaza -in front of the cathedral is hung with garlands and festoons, and the -belfry utters its loudest notes. The images of the saints are borne -out from their shrines, covered with fresh and gaudy decorations. The -Madonna of Bethlehem, San Cristoval, San Blas, and San José, are borne -on in elevated state, receiving as they go the prayers of all the -Maries, and Christophers, and Josephs, who respectively regard them -as patrons. But the crowning honors are reserved for the miraculous -Crucifix, called the Lord of Earthquakes, which is supposed to protect -the city from the dreaded terrestrial shocks, the _Temblores_. - -The procession winds around a prescribed route, giving opportunity -for public prayers and the devotions of the multitude; the miraculous -image, in a new spangled skirt, that gives it the most incongruous -resemblance to an opera-dancer, is finally shut up in the church; and -then the glad throng, feeling secure from earthquakes another year, -dance and sing in the plaza all night long. - -The Borers, a hardy, fighting, and superstitious race, have a showy -time at weddings and funerals. When the appointed day for marriage has -arrived, the friends of the contracting parties assemble and form a -circle; into this ring the bridegroom leads his lady-love. - -The woman is divested of her clothing, and stands somewhat as mother -Eve did in the garden before she thought of the fig-leaf. The man -then takes oil from a shell, and anoints the bride from the crown of -her head to the soles of her feet; at the close of this ceremony, the -bridegroom breaks forth into joyful peals of laughter, in which all -the company join, the musicians strike up a lively air, and the dance -commences. At the close of this, the oldest woman in the party comes -forward, and taking the bride by the right hand, gives her to her -future husband. - -Two maids standing ready with clothes, jump to the bride, and begin -rubbing her off. After this, she is again dressed, and the feast -commences, consisting mainly of fruits and wines. - -The funeral services of the same people are not less interesting. At -the death of one of their number, the body is stripped, laid out upon -the ground, and the friends of the deceased assemble, forming a circle -around it, and commence howling like so many demons. They then march -and counter-march around, with a subdued chant. After this, they hop -around first on one foot, then on the other; stopping still, they cry -at the top of their voices--“She’s in Heaven, she’s in Heaven!” Here -they all fall flat upon the ground, and roll about for a few minutes, -after which they simultaneously rise, throw up their hands, and run -away yelling and laughing. - -Among the Bechuanas, when a chief dies, his burial takes place in his -cattle-yard, and all the cattle are driven for an hour over the grave, -so that it may be entirely obliterated.[29] In all the Backwain’s -pretended dreams and visions of their God, he has always a crooked leg -like the Egyptian.[30] - -Musical and dancing festivities form a great part of the people’s time. -With some of the tribes, instrumental music has been carried to a high -point of culture. Bruce gives an account of a concert, the music of -which he heard at the distance of a mile or more, on a still night in -October. He says: “It was the most enchanting strain I ever listened -to.” - -It is not my purpose to attempt a detailed account of the ceremonies of -the various tribes that inhabit the continent of Africa; indeed, such a -thing would be impossible, even if I were inclined to do so. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[28] Prof. Blyden, in “Methodist Quarterly Review,” June, 1871. - -[29] Dr. Livingstone. - -[30] Thau. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE ABYSSINIANS. - - -According to Bruce, who travelled extensively in Africa, the -Abyssinians have among them a tradition, handed down from time -immemorial, that Cush was their father. Theodore, late king of -Abyssinia, maintained that he descended in a direct line from Moses. -As this monarch has given wider fame to his country than any of his -predecessors, it will not be amiss to give a short sketch of him and -his government. - -Theodore was born at Quarel, on the borders of the western Amhara, and -was educated in a convent in which he was placed by his mother, his -father being dead. He early delighted in military training, and while -yet a boy, became proficient as a swordsman and horseman. - -Like Robert Clive, Warren Hastings, and many other great warriors, -Theodore became uneasy under the restraint of the school-room, and -escaped from the convent to his uncle, Dejatch Comfu, a noted rebel, -from whom he imbibed a taste for warlike pursuits, and eventually -became ruler of a large portion of Abyssinia. Naturally ambitious -and politic, he succeeded in enlarging his authority steadily at -the expense of the other “Ras,” or chiefs, of Abyssinia. His power -especially increased when, in 1853, he defeated his father-in-law, -Ras Ali, and took him prisoner. At length in 1855, he felt himself -strong enough to formally claim the throne of all Abyssinia, and he was -crowned as such by the Abuna Salama, the head of the Abyssinian church. - -His reign soon proved to be the most effective Abyssinia had ever -had. As soon as he came into power, his attention was directed to the -importance of being on terms of friendship with the government which -rules India, and which has established itself in the neighboring -stronghold of Aden. He therefore resolved to assert the rights assured -to him by virtue of the treaty made between Great Britain and Abyssinia -in the year 1849, and ratified in 1852, in which it was stipulated that -each State should receive embassadors from the other. Mr. Plowden, who -had been for many years English consul at Massawah, although not an -accredited agent to Abyssinia, went to that country with presents for -the people in authority, and remained during the war which broke out at -the succession of Theodore. - -Unfortunately, Mr. Plowden, who had succeeded in winning the favor of -the emperor, to a large extent, was killed; and his successor, Mr. -Cameron, was informed, soon after his arrival in 1862, by the King, -that he desired to carry out the above-mentioned treaty; he even wrote -an autograph letter to Queen Victoria, asking permission to send an -embassy to London. Although the letter reached England in February, -1863, it remained unanswered; and the supposition is, that this -circumstance, together with a quarrel with Mr. Stern, a missionary, who -in a book on Abyssinia, had spoken disrespectfully of the King, and who -had remonstrated against the flogging to death of two interpreters, -roused the King’s temper, and a year after having dispatched the -unanswered letter, he sent an armed force to the missionary station, -seized the missionaries, and put them in chains. He also cast Mr. -Cameron into prison, and had him chained continually to an Abyssinian -soldier. - -Great excitement prevailed in England on the arrival of the news of -this outrage against British subjects: but in consideration of an armed -expedition having to undergo many hardships in such a warm climate, -it was deemed best by the English government to use diplomacy in its -efforts to have the prisoners released. It was not until the second -half of August, 1865, that Mr. Rassam, an Asiatic, by birth, was sent -on a special mission to the Abyssinian potentate, and was received -on his arrival in February, 1866, in a truly magnificent style, the -release of the prisoners being at once ordered by the King. But the -hope thus raised was soon to be disappointed, for when Mr. Rassam and -the other prisoners were just on the point of taking leave of the -Emperor, they were put under arrest, and notified that they would have -to remain in the country as State guests until an answer could be -obtained to another letter which the King was going to write to the -Queen. - -After exhausting all diplomatic resources to obtain from Theodore the -release of the captives, the English government declared war against -Theodore. The war was chiefly to be carried on with the troops, -European and native, which in India had become accustomed to the hot -climate. The first English troops made their appearance in October, -1867, but it was not until the close of the year that the whole of -the army arrived. The expedition was commanded by General Sir Robert -Napier, heretofore commanding-general at Bombay. Under him acted as -commanders of divisions, Sir Charles Steevely, and Colonel Malcolm, -while Colonel Merewether commanded the cavalry. The distance from -Massowah, the landing-place of the troops, to Magdala, the capital of -Theodore, is about three hundred miles. The English had to overcome -great difficulties, but they overcame them with remarkable energy. King -Theodore gradually retired before the English without risking a battle -until he reached his capital. Then he made a stand, and fought bravely -for his crown, but in vain; he was defeated, the capital captured, and -the King himself slain. - -King Theodore was, on the whole, the greatest ruler Abyssinia has -ever had: even, according to English accounts, he excelled in all -manly pursuits, and his general manner was polite and engaging. Had he -avoided this foolish quarrel with England, and proceeded on the way of -reform which he entered upon in the beginning of his reign, he would -probably have played an important part in the political regeneration of -Eastern Africa. - -As a people, the Abyssinians are intelligent, are of a ginger-bread, -or coffee color, although a large portion of them are black. Theodore -was himself of this latter class. They have fine schools and colleges, -and a large and flourishing military academy. Agriculture, that great -civilizer of man, is carried on here to an extent unknown in other -parts of the country. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA. - - -The Colony of Sierra Leone, of which Free Town is the capital, is -situated in 8 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, and is about 13½ -degrees west longitude; was settled by the English, and was for a long -time the most important place on the western coast of Africa. The three -leading tribes on the coast of Sierra Leone are the Timanis, the Susus, -and the Veys. The first of these surround the British Colony of Sierra -Leone on all sides. The Susus have their principal settlements near -the head-waters of the Rio Pongas, and are at some distance from the -sea coast. The Veys occupy all the country about the Gallinas and Cape -Mount, and extend back into the country to the distance of fifty or a -hundred miles. - -The Timanis cultivate the soil to some extent, have small herds of -domestic animals, and are engaged to a greater or less extent in barter -with the English colonists of Sierra Leone. They may be seen in large -numbers about the streets of Free Town, wearing a large square cotton -cloth thrown around their persons. They are strong and healthy in -appearance, but have a much less intellectual cast of countenance than -the Mandingoes or Fulahs, who may also be seen in the same place. Like -all the other tribes in Africa, especially the pagans, they are much -addicted to fetichism,--worship of evil spirits,--administering the -red-wood ordeal, and other ceremonies. They are depraved, licentious, -indolent, and avaricious. But this is no more than what may be said of -every heathen tribe on the globe. - -The Veys, though not a numerous or powerful tribe, are very -intellectual, and have recently invented an alphabet for writing -their own language, which has been printed, and now they enjoy the -blessings of a written system, for which they are entirely indebted -to their own ingenuity and enterprise. This is undoubtedly one of the -most remarkable achievements of this or any other age, and is itself -enough to silence forever the cavils and sneers of those who think so -contemptuously of the intellectual endowments of the African race. The -characters used in this system are all new, and were invented by the -people themselves without the aid of outsiders. The Veys occupy all the -country along the sea-board from Gallinas to Cape Mount. - -In stature, they are about the ordinary height, of slender, but -graceful figures, with very dark complexions, but large and well-formed -heads. - -As the Veys are within the jurisdiction of Liberia, that government -will be of great service to them. The Biassagoes, the Bulloms, the -Dego, and the Gola, are also inhabitants of the Sierra Leone coast. -Other tribes of lesser note are scattered all along the coast, many of -which have come under the good influence of the Liberian government. -Cape Coast Castle, the stronghold of the English on the African coast, -has, in past years, been a place of great importance. It was from -this place that its governor, Sir Charles McCarthy, went forth to the -contest with the Ashantees, a warlike tribe, and was defeated, losing -his life, together with that of seven others. - -Here, at this castle, “L. E. L.,” the gifted poetess and novelist of -England, died, and was buried within the walls. This lamented lady -married Captain McLean, the governor-general of the castle, and her -death caused no little comment at the time, many blaming the husband -for the wife’s death. - -The Kru people are also on the coast, and have less general -intelligence than the Fulahs, Mandingoes, and Degos. They are -physically a fine-appearing race, with more real energy of character -than either of the others. It would be difficult to find better -specimens of muscular development, men of more manly and independent -carriage, or more real grace of manner, anywhere in the world. No -one ever comes in contact with them, for the first time, without -being struck with their open, frank countenances, their robust and -well-proportioned forms, and their independent bearing, even when they -have but the scantiest covering for their bodies. - -Their complexion varies from the darkest shade of the Negro to that of -the true mulatto. Their features are comparatively regular; and, though -partaking of all the characteristics of the Negro, they are by no means -strongly marked in their general outline or development. The most -marked deficiency is in the formation of their heads, which are narrow -and peaked, and do not indicate a very high order of intellectual -endowment. Experience, however, has shown that they are as capable of -intellectual improvement as any other race of men.[31] - -In the interior of Youeba, some distance back from Cape Coast, lies the -large city of Ibaddan, a place with a population of about two hundred -thousand souls. Abeokuta has a population of more than one hundred -thousand, and is about seventy-five miles from the sea coast, with -a history that is not without interest. Some fifty years ago, a few -persons of different tribes, who had been constantly threatened and -annoyed by the slave-traders of the coast, fled to the back country, -hid away in a large cave, coming out occasionally to seek food, and -taking in others who sought protection from these inhuman men-hunters. - -This cavern is situated on the banks of the Ogun, and in the course -of time became the hiding-place of great numbers from the surrounding -country. At first, they subsisted on berries, roots, and such other -articles of food as they could collect near their place of retreat; but -growing in strength by the increase of population, they began to bid -defiance to their enemies. - -A slave-hunting party from Dahomey, having with them a considerable -number of captives, passing the cavern, thought it a good opportunity -to add to their wealth, and consequently, made an attack upon the -settlers. The latter came forth in large force from their hiding-place, -gave battle to the traders, defeated them, capturing their prisoners -and putting their enemies to flight. The captives were at once -liberated, and joined their deliverers. In the course of time this -settlement took the name of Abeokuta. These people early turned their -attention to agriculture and manufacturing, and by steady increase -in population, it soon became a city of great wealth and importance. -About thirty years ago, a number of recaptives from Sierra Leone, who -had formerly been taken from this region of country, and who had been -recaptured by the English, liberated and educated, visited Lagos for -trade. Here they met many of their old friends and relations from -Abeokuta, learned of the flourishing town that had grown up, and with -larger numbers returned to swell the population of the new city. - -The King of Dahomey watched the growing power of Abeokuta with an evil -eye, and in 1853, he set in motion a large army, with the view of -destroying this growing city, and reducing its inhabitants to slavery. -The King made a desperate attack and assault upon the place, but he -met with a resistance that he little thought of. The engagement was -carried on outside of the walls for several hours, when the Dahomian -army was compelled to give way, and the King himself was saved only by -the heroism and frantic manner in which he was defended by his Amazons. -This success of the people of Abeokuta gave the place a reputation -above what it had hitherto enjoyed, and no invading army has since -appeared before its walls. - -Much of the enterprise and improvement of these people is owing to the -good management of Shodeke, their leader. Coming from all sections near -the coast, and the line of the slave-traders, representing the remnants -of one hundred and thirty towns, these people, in the beginning, were -anything but united. Shodeke brought them together and made them -feel as one family. This remarkable man had once been captured by -the slave-traders, but had escaped, and was the first to suggest the -cave as a place of safety. Throughout Sierra Leone, Abeokuta, and -the Yoruba country generally the best-known man in connection with -the African civilization, is Mr. Samuel Crowther, a native, and who, -in the Yoruba language, was called Adgai. He was embarked as a slave -on board a slaver at Badagry, in 1822. The vessel was captured by a -British man-of-war and taken to Sierra Leone. Here he received a good -education, was converted, and became a minister of the Gospel, after -which he returned to his native place. - -Mr. Crowther is a man of superior ability, and his attainments in -learning furnish a happy illustration of the capacity of the Negro -for improvements. Dahomey is one of the largest and most powerful of -all the governments on the west coast. The King is the most absolute -tyrant in the world, owning all the land, the people, and everything -that pertains to his domain. The inhabitants are his slaves, and they -must come and go at his command. The atrocious cruelties that are -constantly perpetrated at the command and bidding of this monarch, -has gained for him the hatred of the civilized world; and strange to -say, these deeds of horror appear to be sanctioned by the people, who -have a superstitious veneration for their sovereign, that is without -a parallel. Abomi, the capital of Dahomey, has a large population, a -fort, and considerable trade. The King exacts from all the sea-port -towns on this part of the coast, and especially from Popo, Porto Novo, -and Badagry, where the foreign slave-trade, until within a very short -period, was carried on as in no other part of Africa. - -The Dahomian soldiery, for the past two hundred years, have done little -less than hunt slaves for the supply of the traders. - -The English blockading squadron has done great service in breaking -up the slave-trade on this part of the coast, and this has turned -the attention of the people to agriculture. The country has splendid -natural resources, which if properly developed, will make it one of -the finest portions of Western Africa. The soil is rich, the seasons -are regular, and the climate favorable for agricultural improvements. -Indian corn, yams, potatoes, manico, beans, ground-nuts, plantains, and -bananas are the chief products of the country. Cotton is raised to a -limited extent. - -The practice of sacrificing the lives of human beings upon the graves -of dead kings every year in Dahomey, and then paving the palace -grounds with the skulls of the victims, has done much to decrease the -population of this kingdom. As many as two thousand persons have been -slaughtered on a single occasion. To obtain the required number, wars -have been waged upon the surrounding nations for months previous to the -sacrifice. There is no place where there is more intense heathenism; -and to mention no other feature in their superstitious practice, the -worship of snakes by the Dahomians fully illustrates this remark. - -A building in the centre of the town is devoted to the exclusive use of -reptiles, and they may be seen here at any time in great numbers. They -are fed, and more care taken of them than of the human inhabitants of -the place. If they are found straying away they must be brought back; -and at the sight of them the people prostrate themselves on the ground, -and do them all possible reverence. To kill or injure one of them is to -endure the penalty of death. On certain days they are taken out by the -priests or doctors, and paraded about the streets, the bearers allowing -them to coil themselves around their arms, necks, and bodies, and even -to put their heads into the carriers’ bosoms. - -They are also employed to detect persons who are suspected of theft, -witchcraft, and murder. If in the hands of the priest they bite the -suspected person, it is sure evidence of his guilt; and no doubt the -serpent is trained to do the will of his keeper in all cases. Images -called _greegrees_, of the most uncouth shape and form, may be seen in -all parts of the town, and are worshipped by everybody. - -In every part of Africa, polygamy is a favorite institution. In their -estimation it lies at the very foundation of all social order, and -society would scarcely be worth preserving without it. The highest -aspiration that the most eminent African ever rises to, is to have a -large number of wives. His happiness, his reputation, his influence, -his position in society, and his future welfare, all depend upon it. -In this feeling the women heartily concur; for a woman would much -rather be the wife of a man who had fifty others, than to be the sole -representative of a man who had not force of character to raise himself -above the one-woman level. - -The consequence is, that the so-called wives are little better than -slaves. They have no purpose in life other than to administer to the -wants and gratify the passions of their lords, who are masters and -owners, rather than husbands. - -In nearly every nation or tribe, the wife is purchased; and as this -is done in the great majority of cases when she is but a child, her -wishes, as a matter of course, are never consulted in this most -important affair of her whole life. - -As both father and mother hold a claim on the daughter, and as each -makes a separate bargain with the future son-in-law, the parent -generally makes a good thing out of the sale. The price of a wife -ranges all the way from the price of a cow to three cows, a goat or -a sheep, and some articles of crockery-ware, beads, and a few other -trinkets. Where the girl is bought in infancy, it remains with the -parents till of a proper age. There are no widows, the woman being sold -for life, and becomes the wife of the husband’s brother, should the -former die. A man of respectability is always expected to provide a -separate house for each of his wives. Each woman is mistress of her own -household, provides for herself and her children, and entertains her -husband as often as he favors her with his company. - -The wife is never placed on a footing of social equality with her -husband. Her position is a menial one, and she seldom aspires to -anything higher than merely to gratify the passions of her husband. She -never takes a seat at the social board with him. - -Men of common standing are never allowed to have as many wives as a -sovereign. Both the Kings of Dahomey and Ashantee are permitted by -law to have three thousand three hundred and thirty-three. No one is -allowed to see the King’s wives except the King’s female relatives, or -such messengers as he may send, and even these must communicate with -them through their bamboo walls. Sometimes they go forth in a body -through the streets, but are always preceded by a company of boys, -who warn the people to run out of the way, and avoid the unpardonable -offence of seeing the King’s wives. The men especially, no matter -what their rank, must get out of the way; and if they have not had -sufficient time to do this, they must fall flat on the ground and -hide their faces until the procession has passed. To see one of the -King’s wives, even accidentally, is a capital offence; and the scene of -the confusion which occasionally takes place in the public market in -consequence of the unexpected approach of the royal cortege, is said to -be ludicrous beyond all description. - -At the death of the King, it is not uncommon for his wives to fall upon -each other with knives, and lacerate themselves in the most cruel and -barbarous manner; and this work of butchery is continued until they are -forcibly restrained. Women are amongst the most reliable and brave in -the King’s army, and constitute about one-third of the standing army in -Ashantee and Dahomey. - -One of the most influential and important classes in every African -community is the deybo, a set of professional men who combine the -medical and priestly office in the same person. They attend the sick -and administer medicines, which usually consist of decoctions of herbs -or roots, and external applications. A doctor is expected to give his -undivided attention to one patient at a time, and is paid only in case -of successful treatment. If the case is a serious one, he is expected -to deposit with the family, as a security for his good behavior and -faithful discharge of duty, a bundle of hair that was shorn from his -head at the time he was inaugurated into office, and without which he -could have no skill in his profession whatever. - -The doctor professes to hold intercourse with, and have great influence -over demons. He also claims to have communications from God. No man -can be received into the conclave without spending two years or more -as a student with some eminent member of the fraternity. During this -period he must accompany his preceptor in all his journeyings, perform -a variety of menial services, is prohibited from shaving his head, -washing his body, or allowing water to be applied to him in any way -whatever, unless perchance he falls into a stream, or is overtaken -by a shower of rain, when he is permitted to get off as much dirt as -possible from his body. The doctor’s badge of office is a monkey’s -skin, which he carries in the form of a roll wherever he goes, and of -which he is as proud as his white brother of his sheep-skin diploma. - -In their capacity as priests, these men profess to be able to raise -the dead, cast out devils, and do all manner of things that other -people are incapable of doing. The doctor is much feared by the -common classes. No innovation in practice is allowed by these men. A -rather amusing incident occurred recently, which well illustrates the -jealousy, bigotry, and ignorance of these professionals. - -Mr. Samuel Crowther, Jr., having returned from England, where he -had studied for a physician, began the practice of his profession -amongst his native people. The old doctors hearing that Crowther was -prescribing, called on him in a large delegation. Mr. Crowther received -the committee cordially; heard what they had to say, and expressed his -willingness to obey, provided they would give him a trial, and should -find him deficient. To this they agreed; and a time was appointed -for the test to take place. On the day fixed, the regulars appeared, -clothed in their most costly robes, well provided with charms, each -holding in his hand his monkey’s skin, with the head most prominent. - -Mr. Crowther was prepared to receive them. A table was placed in the -middle of the room, and on it a dish, in which were a few drops of -sulphuric acid, so placed that a slight motion of the table would cause -it to flow into a mixture of chlorate of potassa and white sugar. An -English clock was also in the room, from which a cock issued every hour -and crowed. It was arranged that the explosion from the dish, and the -crowing of the rooster, should take place at the same moment. - -The whole thing was to be decided in favor of the party who should -perform the greatest wonder. After all were seated, Mr. Crowther made a -harangue, and requested them to say who should lead off in the contest. - -This privilege they accorded to him. The doors were closed, the -curtains drawn, and all waited in breathless silence. Both the hands on -the clock were fast approaching the figure twelve. Presently the cock -came out and began crowing, to the utter astonishment of the learned -visitors. Crowther gave the table a jostle; and suddenly, from the -midst of the dish burst forth flame and a terrible explosion. This -double wonder was too much for these sages. The scene that followed -is indescribable. One fellow rushed through the window and scampered; -one fainted and fell upon the floor; another, in his consternation, -overturned chairs, tables, and everything in his way, took refuge -in the bedroom, under the bed, from which he was with difficulty -afterwards removed. - -It need not be added that they gave no more trouble, and the practice -they sought to break up was the more increased for their pains.[32] - -In Southern Guinea, and especially in the Gabun country, the natives -are unsurpassed for their cunning and shrewdness in trade; and even in -everything in the way of dealing with strangers. The following anecdote -will illustrate how easily they can turn matters to their own account. - -There is a notable character in the Gabun, of the name of Cringy. No -foreigner ever visits the river without making his acquaintance; and -all who do so, remember him forever after. He speaks English, French, -Portuguese, and at least half a dozen native languages, with wonderful -ease. He is, in person, a little, old, grey-headed, hump-backed man, -with a remarkably bright, and by no means unpleasant eye. His village -is perched on a high bluff on the north side of the Gabun River, near -its outlet. He generally catches the first sight of vessels coming in, -and puts off in his boat to meet the ship. If the captain has never -been on the coast before, Cringy will make a good thing out of him, -unless he has been warned by other sailors. The cunning African is a -pilot; and after he brings a vessel in and moors her opposite his town -by a well-known usage, it is now Cringy’s. He acts as interpreter; -advises the captain; helps to make bargains, and puts on airs as if the -ship belonged to him. If anybody else infringes on his rights in the -slightest degree, he is at once stigmatized as a rude and ill-mannered -person. Cringy is sure to cheat everyone he deals with, and has been -seized half a dozen times or more by men-of-war, or other vessels, and -put in irons. But he is so adroit with his tongue, and so good-natured -and humorous, that he always gets clear. - -The following trick performed by him, will illustrate the character of -the man. - -Some years ago, the French had a fight with the natives. After reducing -the people near the mouth of the river to obedience by the force of -arms, Commodore B-- proposed to visit King George’s towns, about thirty -miles higher up the river, with the hope of getting them to acknowledge -the French authority without further resort to violence. In order to -make a favorable impression, he determined to take his squadron with -him. His fleet consisted of two large sloops-of-war and a small vessel. -As none of the French could speak the native language, and none of King -George’s people could speak French, it was a matter of great importance -that a good interpreter should be employed. It was determined that -Cringy was the most suitable man. He was sent for, accepted the offer -at once--for Cringy himself had something of importance at stake--and -resolved to profit by this visit. - -One of Cringy’s wives was the daughter of King George; and this woman, -on account of ill-treatment, had fled and gone back into her father’s -country. All his previous efforts to get his wife had failed. And now -when the proposition came from the commodore, the thought occurred to -Cringy that he could make himself appear to be a man of great influence -and power. The party set out with a favoring wind and tide, and were -soon anchored at their place of destination. With a corps of armed -marines, the commodore landed and proceeded to the King’s palace. - -The people had had no intimation of such a visit, and the sudden -arrival of this armed body produced a very strong sensation, and all -eyes were on Cringy, next to the commodore, for he was the only one -that could explain the object of the expedition. King George and his -council met the commodore, and Cringy was instructed to say that the -latter had come to have a friendly talk with the King, with the view of -establishing amicable relations between him and the King of France, and -would be glad to have his signature to a paper to that effect. Now was -Cringy’s moment; and he acted his part well. - -The wily African, with the air of one charged with a very weighty -responsibility, said: “King George, the commodore is very sorry that -you have not returned my wife. He wishes you to do it now in a prompt -and quiet manner, and save him the trouble and pain of bringing his big -guns to bear upon your town.” - -King George felt the deepest indignation; not so much against the -commodore, as Cringy, for resorting to so extraordinary a measure to -compel him to give up his daughter. But he concealed the emotions of -his heart, and, without the slightest change of countenance, but with -a firm and determined tone of voice, he said to his own people, “Go -out quietly and get your guns loaded; and if one drop of blood is shed -here to-day, be sure that not one of these Frenchmen get back to their -vessels. But be sure and”--he said it with great emphasis, “let Cringy -be the first man killed.” - -This was more than Cringy had bargained for. And how is he to get out -of this awkward scrape? The lion has been aroused, and how shall he be -pacified? But this is just the position to call out Cringy’s peculiar -gift, and he set to work in the most penitent terms. He acknowledged, -and begged pardon for his rash, unadvised counsel; reminded his -father-in-law that they were all liable to do wrong sometimes, and -that this was the most grievous error of his whole life. And as to the -threat of the commodore, a single word from him would be sufficient to -put a stop to all hostile intentions. - -The wrath of the King was assuaged. The commodore, however, by this -time had grown impatient to know what was going on, and especially, -why the people had left the house so abruptly. With the utmost -self-possession, Cringy replied that the people had gone to catch a -sheep, which the King had ordered for the commodore’s dinner; and as -to signing the paper, that would be done when the commodore was ready -to take his departure. And to effect these two objects, Cringy relied -wholly upon his own power of persuasion. - -True enough the sheep was produced and the paper was signed. King -George and the French commodore parted good friends, and neither of -them knew for more than a month after, the double game which Cringy -had played; and what was more remarkable than all, Cringy was rewarded -by the restoration of his wife.[33] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[31] Wilson’s “Western Africa.” - -[32] “A Pilgrimage to my Motherland.” Campbell. - -[33] “Western Africa.” Wilson. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE SLAVE-TRADE. - - -The slave-trade has been the great obstacle to the civilization of -Africa, the development of her resources, and the welfare of the Negro -race. The prospect of gain, which this traffic held out to the natives, -induced one tribe to make war upon another, burn the villages, murder -the old, and kidnap the young. In return, the successful marauders -received in payment gunpowder and rum, two of the worst enemies of an -ignorant and degraded people. - -Fired with ardent spirits, and armed with old muskets, these people -would travel from district to district, leaving behind them smouldering -ruins, heart-stricken friends, and bearing with them victims whose -market value was to inflame the avaricious passions of the inhabitants -of the new world. - -While the enslavement of one portion of the people of Africa by another -has been a custom of many centuries, to the everlasting shame and -disgrace of the Portuguese, it must be said they were the first to -engage in the foreign slave-trade. As early as the year 1503, a few -slaves were sent from a Portuguese settlement in Africa into the -Spanish colonies in America. In 1511 Ferdinand, the fifth king of -Spain, permitted them to be carried in great numbers. - -Ferdinand, however, soon saw the error of this, and ordered the trade -to be stopped. At the death of the King, a proposal was made by -Bartholomew de las Cassas, the bishop of Chiapa, to Cardinal Ximenes, -who held the reins of the government of Spain till Charles V. came -to the throne, for the establishment of a regular system of commerce -in the persons of the native Africans. The cardinal, however, with a -foresight, a benevolence, and a justice which will always do honor to -his memory, refused the proposal; not only judging it to be unlawful to -consign innocent people to slavery at all, but to be very inconsistent -to deliver the inhabitants of one country over for the benefit of -another. - -Charles soon came to the throne, the cardinal died, and in 1517 the -King granted a patent to one of his Flemish favorites, containing an -exclusive right of importing four thousand Africans into the islands -St. Domingo, Porto Rico, Cuba, and Jamaica. In 1562 the English, during -the reign of Queen Elizabeth, commenced the importation of African -slaves, which were taken to Hispaniola by Sir John Hawkins. The trade -then became general. The French persuaded Louis XIII., then King of -France, that it would be aiding the cause of Christianity to import -the Africans into the colonies, where they could be converted to the -Christian religion; and the French embarked in the trade. - -The Dutch were too sharp-eyed to permit such an opportunity to fill -their coffers to pass by, so they followed the example set by the -Portuguese, the English, and the French. The trade being considered -lawful by all countries, and especially in Africa, the means of -obtaining slaves varied according to the wishes of the traders. - -Some whites travelled through the country as far as it was practical, -and bartered goods for slaves, chaining them together, who followed -their masters from town to town until they reached the coast, where -they were sold to the owners of ships. Others located themselves on the -coast and in the interior, and bought the slaves as they were brought -in for sale. - -A chief of one of the tribes of the Guinea coast, who had been out -on a successful marauding expedition, in which he had captured some -two hundred slaves, took them to the coast, sold his chattels to the -captain of a vessel, and was invited on board the ship. The chief with -his three sons and attendants had scarcely reached the deck of the ship -when they were seized, hand-cuffed, and placed with the other Negroes, -which enabled the captain to save the purchase money, as well as adding -a dozen more slaves to his list. - -Had this happened in the nineteenth century, it would have been -pronounced a “Yankee trick.” - -Some large ships appeared at the slave-trading towns on the coast, -ready to convey to the colonies any slaves whose owners might see fit -to engage them. Their cargoes would often be made up of the slaves of -half a dozen parties, on which occasions the chattels would sometimes -become mixed, and cause a dispute as to the ownership. To avoid this, -the practice of branding the slaves on the coast before shipping them, -was introduced. Branding a human being on the naked body, the hot iron -hissing in the quivering flesh, the cries and groans of the helpless -creatures, were scenes enacted a few years ago, and which the African -slave-trader did not deny. - - - There on a rude mat, spread upon the ground, - A stalwart Negro lieth firmly bound; - His brawny chest one brutal captor smites, - And notice to the ringing sound invites; - Another opes his mouth the teeth to show, - As cattle-dealers aye are wont to do. - Hark, to that shrill and agonizing cry! - Gaze on that upturned, supplicating eye! - - How the flesh quivers, and how shrinks the frame, - As the initials of her owner’s name - Burn on the back of that Mandingo girl; - Yet calmly do the smoke-wreaths upward curl - From his cigar, whose right unfaltering hand - Lights with a match the cauterizing brand, - The while his left doth the round shoulder clasp, - And hold his victim in a vise-like grasp. - - -As cruel as was the preparation before leaving their native land, -it was equalled, if not surpassed, by the passage on shipboard. Two -thousand human beings put on a vessel not capable of accommodating half -that number; disease breaking out amongst the slaves, when but a few -days on the voyage; the dead and the dying thrown overboard, and the -cries and groans coming forth from below decks is but a faint picture -of the horrid trade. - - - “All ready?” cried the captain; - “Ay, ay!” the seamen said; - “Heave up the worthless lubbers-- - The dying and the dead.” - Up from the slave-ship’s prison - Fierce, bearded heads were thrust; - “Now let the sharks look to it-- - Toss up the dead ones first!” - - -Slave-factories, or trading-pens, were established up and down the -coast. And although England for many years kept a fleet in African -waters, to watch and break up this abominable traffic, the swiftness of -the slavers, and the adroitness of their pilots, enabled them to escape -detection by gaining hiding-places in some of the small streams on the -coast, or by turning to the ocean until a better opportunity offered -itself for landing. - -Calabar and Bonny were the two largest slave-markets on the African -coast. From these places alone twenty thousand slaves were shipped, in -the year 1806. It may therefore be safe to say, that fifty thousand -slaves were yearly sent into the colonies at this period; or rather, -sent from the coast, for many thousands who were shipped, never reached -their place of destination. During the period when this traffic -was carried on without any interference on the part of the British -government, caravans of slaves were marched down to Loango from the -distance of several hundred miles, and each able-bodied man was -required to bring down a tooth of ivory. In this way a double traffic -was carried on; that in ivory by the English and American vessels, and -the slaves by the Portuguese. - -All who have investigated the subject, know that the rivers Benin, -Bonny, Brass, Kalabar, and Kameruns, were once the chief seats of this -trade. It is through these rivers that the Niger discharges itself into -the ocean; and as the factories near the mouths of these different -branches had great facility of access to the heart of Africa, it is -probable that the traffic was carried on more vigorously here than -anywhere else on the coast. - -But the abolition of the slave-trade by England, and the presence of -the British squadron on the coast, has nearly broken up the trade. - -The number of vessels now engaged in carrying on a lawful trade in -these rivers is between fifty and sixty; and so decided are the -advantages reaped by the natives from this change in their commercial -affairs, that it is not believed they would ever revert to it again, -even if all outward restraints were taken away. So long as the African -seas were given up to piracy and the slave-trade, and the aborigines -in consequence were kept in constant excitement and warfare, it was -almost impossible either to have commenced or continued a missionary -station on the coast for the improvement of the natives. And the fact -that there was none anywhere between Sierra Leone and the Cape of -Good Hope, previous to the year 1832, shows that it was regarded as -impracticable.[34] - -Christianity does not invoke the aid of the sword; but when she can -shield from the violence of lawless men by the intervention of “the -powers that be,” or when the providence of God goes before and smoothes -down the waves of discord and strife, she accepts it as a grateful -boon, and discharges her duty with greater alacrity and cheerfulness. - -Throughout all the region where the slave-trade was once carried on, -there is great decline in business, except where that traffic has been -replaced by legitimate commerce or agriculture. Nor could it well be -otherwise. The very measures which were employed in carrying on this -detestable traffic at least over three-fourths of the country, were -in themselves quite sufficient to undermine any government in the -world. For a long term of years the slaves were procured on the part of -these larger and more powerful governments by waging war against their -feebler neighbors for this express purpose; and in this way they not -only cut off all the sources of their own prosperity and wealth, but -the people themselves, while waging this ruthless and inhuman warfare, -were imbibing notions and principles which would make it impossible for -them to cohere long as organized nations. - -The bill for the abolition of the British slave-trade received the -royal assent on March 25, 1807; and this law came into operation on and -after January 1, 1808. That was a deed well done; and glorious was the -result for humanity. To William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson, Granville -Sharp, and a few others, is the credit due for this great act. - -Although the slave-trade was abolished by the British government, and -afterwards by the American and some other nations, the slave-trade -still continued, and exists even at the present day, in a more limited -form, except, perhaps, in Northern and Central Africa, and on the Nile. -In that section the trade is carried on in the most gigantic manner. It -begins every year in the month of August, when the traders prepare for -a large haul. - -All the preparations having been completed, they ascend the Nile in a -regular squadron. Every expedition means war; and, according to its -magnitude, is provided with one hundred to one thousand armed men. -The soldiers employed consist of the miserable Dongolowie, who carry -double-barrelled shot-guns and knives, and are chiefly noted for their -huge appetites and love of marissa (beer). Each large dealer has his -own territory, and he resents promptly any attempt of another trader to -trespass thereon. - -For instance, Agate, the most famous of all African slave-traders, -knew, and his men frequently visited, the Victoria Nyanza, long before -Speke ever dreamed of it. Agate’s station is now near the Nyanza, and -he keeps up a heavy force there, as indeed he does at all his stations. -When the expedition is ready, it moves slowly up to the Neam-Neam -country, for instance, and if one tribe is hostile to another, he joins -with the strongest and takes his pay in slaves. Active spies are kept -in liberal pay to inform him of the number and quality of the young -children; and when the chief believes he can steal one hundred he -settles down to work, for that figure means four thousand dollars. He -makes a landing with his human hounds, after having reconnoitred the -position,--generally in the night time. At dawn he moves forward on the -village, and the alarm is spread among the Negroes, who herd together -behind their aboriginal breastplates, and fire clouds of poisoned -arrows. The trader opens with musketry, and then begins a general -massacre of men, women, and children. The settlement, surrounded by -inflammable grass, is given to the flames, and the entire habitation -is laid in ashes. Probably out of the wreck of one thousand charred -and slaughtered people, his reserve has caught the one hundred coveted -women and children, who are flying from death in wild despair. They -are yoked together by a long pole, and marched off from their homes -forever. One-third of them may have the small-pox; and then with this -infected cargo the trader proceeds to his nearest station. - -Thence the Negroes are clandestinely sent across the desert to -Kordofan, whence, they are dispersed over Lower Egypt and other -markets. It not unfrequently happens that the Negroes succeed in -killing their adversaries in these combats. But the blacks here are not -brave. They generally fly after a loss of several killed, except with -the Neam-Neams, who always fight with a bravery commensurate with their -renown as cannibals. - -The statistics of the slave-trade are difficult to obtain with absolute -accuracy, but an adequate approximation may be reached. It is safe to -say that the annual export of slaves from the country lying between -the Red Sea and the Great Desert is twenty-five thousand a year, -distributed as follows: From Abyssinia, carried to Jaffa or Gallabat, -ten thousand; issuing by other routes of Abyssinia, five thousand; by -the Blue Nile, three thousand; by the White Nile, seven thousand. To -obtain these twenty-five thousand slaves and sell them in market, more -than fifteen thousand are annually killed, and often the mortality -reaches the terrible figure of fifty thousand. It is a fair estimate -that fifty thousand children are stolen from their parents every year. -Of the number forced into slavery, fifteen thousand being boys and ten -thousand girls, it is found that about six thousand go to Lower Egypt, -two thousand are made soldiers, nine thousand concubines, five hundred -eunuchs, five thousand cooks or servants, while ten thousand eventually -die from the climate, and three thousand obtain their papers of -freedom. They are dispersed over three million square miles of -territory, and their blood finally mingles with that of the Turk, the -Arab, and the European. The best black soldiers are recruited from the -Dinkas, who are strong, handsome Negroes, the finest of the White Nile. -The other races are thickly built and clumsy, and are never ornamental; -the Abyssinians, for whatever service and of whatever class, excel -all their rival victims in slavery. They are quiet and subdued, and -seldom treacherous or insubordinate. They prefer slavery, many of them, -to freedom, because they have no aspirations that are inordinate. -The girls are delicate, and not built for severe labor. Though born -and bred in a country where concubines are as legitimate and as much -honored as wives, they revolt against the terrors of polygamy. - -In Abyssinia there is a feature of the slave-commerce which does not -seem to exist elsewhere. The natives themselves enslave their own -countrymen and countrywomen. Since the death of Theodore, the country -has been the scene of complex civil war. Each tribe is in war against -its neighbor; and when the issue comes to a decisive battle, the victor -despoils his antagonist of all his property, makes merchandise of the -children, and forwards them to the Egyptian post of Gallabat, where -they find a ready and active market. All along the frontier there is -no attempt to prevent slavery. It exists with the sanction of the -officials, and by their direct co-operation. Another profession is -that of secret kidnappers. The world knows little how much finesse and -depravity and duplicity are required in this business. The impression -is abroad, that the slave-trade provokes nothing more than murder, -theft, arson, and rape. But it is a disgraceful fact that some traders -habitually practice the most inhuman deception to accomplish their end. -They frequently settle down in communities and households in the guise -of benefactors, and while so situated they register each desirable boy -and girl, and afterward conspire to kidnap or kill them, as chance may -have it. Such is the story of the African slave-trade of to-day. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[34] Wilson’s “Western Africa.” - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA. - - -The Republic of Liberia lies on the west coast of Africa, and was -settled by emigrants from the United States in 1822. - -The founders of this government met with many obstacles: First, -disease; then opposition from the natives; all of which, however, they -heroically overcame. - -The territory owned by the Liberian government extends some six hundred -miles along the West African coast, and reaches back indefinitely -towards the interior, the native title to which has been fairly -purchased. - -It has brought within its elevating influence at least two hundred -thousand of the native inhabitants, who are gradually acquiring -the arts, comforts, and conveniences of civilized life. It has a -regularly-organized government, modelled after our own, with all the -departments in successful operation. Schools, seminaries, a college, -and some fifty churches, belonging to seven different denominations, -are in a hopeful condition. Towns and cities are being built where -once the slave-trade flourished with all its untold cruelty, -bloodshed, and carnage. Agriculture is extending, and commerce is -increasing. The Republic of Liberia numbers to-day among its civilized -inhabitants, about thirty thousand persons, about fifteen thousand of -which are American Liberians; that is, those who have emigrated from -the United States with their descendants. More than three hundred -thousand aborigines reside within the territory of Liberia, and -are brought more or less directly under the influence and control -of her civilized institutions. There are churches in the Republic, -representing different denominations, with their Sunday Schools and -Bible classes, and contributing something every week for missionary -purposes. The exports in the year 1866, amounted to about three hundred -thousand dollars. - -The undeveloped capacities for trade, no one can estimate. With a most -prolific soil, and a climate capable of producing almost every variety -of tropical fruit, the resources of the land are beyond computation. A -sea-coast line, six hundred miles in length, and an interior stretching -indefinitely into the heart of the country, offer the most splendid -facilities for foreign commerce. - -For a thousand miles along the coast, and two hundred miles inland, -the influence of the government has been brought to bear upon domestic -slavery among the natives, and upon the extirpation of the slave-trade, -until both have ceased to exist. - -The interior presents a country inviting in all its aspects; a fine, -rolling country, abounding in streams and rivulets; forests of timber -in great variety, abundance, and usefulness; and I have no doubt quite -salubrious, being free from the miasmatic influences of the mangrove -swamps near the coast. - -The commercial resources of Liberia, even at the present time, though -scarcely commenced to be developed, are of sufficient importance to -induce foreigners, American and European, to locate in the Republic -for the purposes of trade; and the agricultural and commercial sources -of wealth in Western and Central Africa are far beyond the most -carefully-studied speculation of those even who are best acquainted -with the nature and capacity of the country. The development of these -will continue to progress, and must, in the very nature of things, -secure to Liberia great commercial importance; and this will bring her -citizens into such business relations with the people of other portions -of the world as will insure to them that consideration which wealth, -learning, and moral worth never fail to inspire. - -From the beginning, the people of Liberia, with a commendable zeal -and firmness, pursued a steady purpose towards the fulfilment of the -great object of their mission to Africa. They have established on her -shores an asylum free from political oppression, and from all the -disabilities of an unholy prejudice; they have aided essentially in -extirpating the slave-trade from the whole line of her western coast; -they have introduced the blessings of civilization and Christianity -among her heathen population, and by their entire freedom from all -insubordination, or disregard of lawful authority, and by their -successful diplomacy with England, France, and Spain, on matters -involving very perplexing international questions, they have indicated -some ability, at least for self-government and the management of their -own public affairs. - -The banks of the St. Paul’s, St. John’s, Sinoe, and Farmington Rivers, -and of the River Cavalla, now teeming with civilized life and industry, -presenting to view comfortable Christian homes, inviting school-houses -and imposing church edifices, but for the founding of Liberia would -have remained until this day studded with slave-barracoons, the -theatres of indescribable suffering, wickedness, and shocking deaths. - -Liberia is gradually growing in the elements of national stability. The -natural riches of that region are enormous, and are such as, sooner -or later, will support a commerce, to which that at present existing -on the coast is merely fractional. The Liberians own and run a fleet -of “coasters,” collecting palm-oil, cam-wood, ivory, gold-dust, and -other commodities. A schooner of eighty tons was built, costing eleven -thousand dollars, and loaded in the autumn of 1866, at New York, from -money and the proceeds of African produce sent for that purpose by an -enterprising merchant of Grand Bassa County. - -A firm at Monrovia are having a vessel built in one of the ship-yards -of New York to cost fifteen thousand dollars. - -An intelligent friend has given us the following as an approximate -estimate of the sugar-crop on the St. Paul’s in 1866: “Sharp, one -hundred and twenty thousand pounds; Cooper, thirty thousand pounds; -Anderson, thirty-five thousand pounds; Howland, forty thousand pounds; -Roe, thirty thousand pounds; sundry smaller farmers, one hundred and -fifty thousand; total, five hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds. -The coffee-crop also is considerable, though we are not able to state -how much.” - -During the year 1866, not less than six hundred tons of cam-wood, -twelve hundred tons of palm-oil, and two hundred tons of palm-kernels, -were included in the exports of the Republic. And these articles of -commercial enterprise and wealth are capable of being increased to -almost any extent. - -The Colonization Society, under whose auspices the colony of Liberia -was instituted, was, as the writer verily believes, inimical to the -freedom of the American slaves, and therefore brought down upon it -the just condemnation of the American abolitionists, and consequently -placed the people in a critical position; I mean the colonists. But -from the moment that the Liberians in 1847 established a Republic, -unfurled their national banner to the breeze, and began to manage their -own affairs, we then said, “Cursed be the hand of ours that shall throw -a stone at our brother.” - -Fortunately, for the colony, many of the emigrants were men of more -than ordinary ability; men who went out with a double purpose; first, -to seek homes for themselves and families out of the reach of the -American prejudice; second, to carry the gospel of civilization to -their brethren. These men had the needed grit and enthusiasm. - -Moles, Teage, and Johnson, are names that we in our boyhood learned to -respect and love. Roberts, Benson, Warner, Crummell, and James, men of -more recent times, have done much to give Liberia her deservedly high -reputation. - -With a government modelled after our own constitution and laws, that -are an honor to any people, and administered by men of the genius -and ability which characterizes the present ruling power, Liberia is -destined to hold an influential place in the history of nations. Her -splendid resources will yet be developed; her broad rivers will be -traversed by the steamship, and her fertile plains will yet resound -to the thunder of the locomotive. The telegraph wire will yet catch -up African news and deposit it in the Corn Exchange, London, and Wall -Street, New York. - -That moral wilderness is yet to blossom with the noblest fruits of -civilization and the sweetest flowers of religion. She will yet have -her literature, her historians and her poets. Splendid cities will rise -where now there are nothing but dark jungles. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -PROGRESS IN CIVILIZATION. - - -It is a pleasing fact to relate that the last fifty years have -witnessed much advance towards civilization in Africa; and especially -on the west coast. This has resulted mainly from the successful efforts -made to abolish the slave-trade. To the English first, and to the -Liberians next, the praise must be given for the suppression of this -inhuman and unchristian traffic. Too much, however, cannot be said in -favor of the missionaries, men and women, who, forgetting native land, -and home-comforts, have given themselves to the work of teaching these -people, and thereby carrying civilization to a country where each went -with his life in his hands. - -Amongst the natives themselves, in several of the nations, much -interest is manifested in their own elevation. The invention of an -alphabet for writing their language, by the Veys, and this done too by -their own ingenuity, shows remarkable advancement with a race hitherto -regarded as unequal to such a task. - -This progress in civilization is confined more strictly to the Jalofs, -the Mandingoes, and the Fulahs, inhabiting the Senegambia, and the -Veys, of whom I have already made mention. Prejudice of race exists -among the Africans, as well as with other nations. This is not, -however, a prejudice of color, but of clan or tribe. The Jalofs, for -instance, are said by travellers to be the handsomest Negroes in -Africa. They are proud, haughty, and boast of their superiority over -other tribes, and will not intermarry with them; yet they have woolly -hair, thick lips, and flat noses, but with tall and graceful forms. In -religion they are Mohammedans. - -Rev. Samuel Crowther has been one of the most successful missionaries -that the country has yet had. He is a native, which no doubt gives -him great advantage over others. His two sons, Josiah and Samuel, are -following in the footsteps of their illustrious father. - -The influences of these gentlemen have been felt more directly in the -vicinity of Lagos and Abeokuta. The Senior Crowther is the principal -Bishop in Africa, and is doing a good work for his denomination, and -humanity. - -Native eloquence, and fine specimens of oratory may be heard in many -of the African assemblies. Their popular speakers show almost as -much skill in the use of happy illustrations, striking analogies, -pointed argument, historical details, biting irony, as any set of -public speakers in the world; and for ease, grace, and naturalness of -manner, they are perhaps unsurpassed. The audiences usually express -their assent by a sort of grunt, which rises in tone, and frequently -in proportion, as the speaker becomes animated, and not unfrequently -swells out into a tremendous shout, and thus terminates the discussion -in accordance with the views of the speaker. He has said exactly what -was in the heart of the assembly, and they have no more to say or hear -on the subject.[35] Civilization is receiving an impetus from the -manufacturing of various kinds of goods as carried on by the people -through Africa, and especially in the Egba, Yoruba, and Senegambia -countries. Iron-smelting villages, towns devoted entirely to the -manufacturing of a particular kind of ware, and workers in leather, -tailors, weavers, hat, basket, and mat-makers, also workers in silk and -worsted may be seen in many of the large places. - -Some of these products would compare very favorably with the best -workmanship of English and American manufacturers. - -Much is done in gold, silver, and brass, and jewelry of a high order is -made in the more civilized parts of the country. - -The explorations of various travellers through Africa, during the -past twenty-five years, have aided civilization materially. A debt of -gratitude is due to Dr. Livingstone for his labors in this particular -field. - -I have already made mention of the musical talent often displayed in -African villages, to the great surprise of the traveller. - -The following account from the distinguished explorer, will be read -with interest. Dr. Livingstone says: “We then inquired of the King -relative to his band of music, as we heard he had one. He responded -favorably, saying he had a band, and it should meet and play for us -at once. Not many minutes elapsed until right in front of our house -a large fire was kindled, and the band was on the ground. They began -to play; and be assured I was not a little surprised at the harmony of -their music. The band was composed of eight members, six of whom had -horns, made of elephant tusks, beautifully carved and painted. These -all gave forth different sounds, or tones. The bass horn was made of a -large tusk; and as they ascended the scale the horns were less. They -had a hole cut into the tusk near its thin end, into which they blew -the same as into a flute or fife. They had no holes for the fingers, -hence the different tones were produced by the lengths of the horns, -and by putting the hand into the large, open part of the horn and -again removing it. I noticed that one small horn had the large end -closed and the small one open. The different tones were produced by -the performer opening and closing this end with the palm of his hand. -They had also two drums; one had three heads placed on hollow sticks -or logs, from one to two feet long; the other had but one head; they -beat them with their hands, not sticks. I however saw a large war-drum, -about five feet high, made on the principle of the above, which was -beaten with sticks. The band serenaded us three times during our stay. -They played different tunes, and there was great variety throughout -their performance; sometimes only one horn was played, sometimes two -or three, and then all would join in; sometimes the drums beat softly, -then again loud and full. The horns used in this band are also used for -war-horns. - -“At about eleven o’clock we were awakened by music,--a human voice -and an instrument--right before our door. “What is it?” “A guitar?” -“No; but it is fine music.” “Ah! it is a harp. Let us invite him in.” -Such conjectures as the above were made as the old man stood before -our door and sang and played most beautifully. We invited him in; and -true enough, we found it to be a species of harp with twelve strings. -He sang and played a long while, and then retired,--having proven to -us that even far out in the wild jungles of Africa, that most noble of -all human sciences is to a certain degree cultivated. We were serenaded -thrice by him. He came from far in the interior.” - -One of the greatest obstacles to civilization in Africa, is the -traders. These pests are generally of a low order in education, and -many of them have fled from their own country, to evade the punishment -of some crime committed. Most of them are foul-mouthed, licentious men, -who spread immorality wherever they appear. It would be a blessing -to the natives if nine-tenths of these leeches were driven from the -country. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[35] Wilson’s “Western Africa.” - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -HAYTI. - - -In sketching an account of the people of Hayti, and the struggles -through which they were called to pass, we confess it to be a difficult -task. Although the writer visited the Island thirty years ago, and has -read everything of importance given by the historians, it is still no -easy matter to give a true statement of the revolution which placed -the colored people in possession of the Island, so conflicting are the -accounts. - -The beautiful island of St. Domingo, of which Hayti is a part, was -pronounced by the great discoverer to be the “Paradise of God.” - -The splendor of its valleys, the picturesqueness of its mountains, the -tropical luxuriance of its plains, and the unsurpassed salubrity of -its climate, confirms the high opinion of the great Spaniard. Columbus -found on the Island more than a million of people of the Caribbean -race. The warlike appearance of the Spaniards caused the natives to -withdraw into the interior. However, the seductive genius of Columbus -soon induced the Caribbeans to return to their towns, and they extended -their hospitality to the illustrious stranger. - -After the great discoverer had been recalled home and left the Island, -Dovadillo, his successor, began a system of unmitigated oppression -towards the Caribbeans, and eventually reduced the whole of the -inhabitants to slavery; and thus commenced that hateful sin in the New -World. As fresh adventurers arrived in the Island, the Spanish power -became more consolidated and more oppressive. The natives were made -to toil in the gold-mines without compensation, and in many instances -without any regard whatever to the preservation of human life; so much -so, that in 1507, the number of natives had, by hunger, toil, and the -sword, been reduced from a million to sixty thousand. Thus, in the -short space of fifteen years, more than nine hundred thousand perished -under the iron hand of slavery in the island of St. Domingo. - -The Island suffered much from the loss of its original inhabitants; -and the want of laborers to till the soil and to work in the mines, -first suggested the idea of importing slaves from the coast of Africa. -The slave-trade was soon commenced and carried on with great rapidity. -Before the Africans were shipped, the name of the owner and the -plantation on which they were to toil was stamped on their shoulders -with a burning iron. For a number of years St. Domingo opened its -markets annually to more than twenty thousand newly-imported slaves. -With the advance of commerce and agriculture, opulence spread in every -direction. The great tide of immigration from France and Spain, and -the vast number of Africans imported every year, so increased the -population that at the commencement of the French Revolution, in 1789, -there were nine hundred thousand souls on the Island. Of these, seven -hundred thousand were Africans, sixty thousand mixed blood, and the -remainder were whites and Caribbeans. Like the involuntary servitude -in our own Southern States, slavery in St. Domingo kept morality at a -low stand. Owing to the amalgamation between masters and slaves, there -arose the mulatto population, which eventually proved to be the worst -enemies of their fathers. - -Many of the planters sent their mulatto sons to France to be educated. -When these young men returned to the Island, they were greatly -dissatisfied at the proscription which met them wherever they appeared. -White enough to make them hopeful and aspiring, many of the mulattoes -possessed wealth enough to make them influential. Aware, by their -education, of the principles of freedom that were being advocated in -Europe and the United States, they were ever on the watch to seize -opportunities to better their social and political condition. In the -French part of the Island alone, twenty thousand whites lived in the -midst of thirty thousand free mulattoes and five hundred thousand -slaves. In the Spanish portion, the odds were still greater in favor of -the slaves. Thus the advantage of numbers and physical strength was on -the side of the oppressed. Right is the most dangerous of weapons--woe -to him who leaves it to his enemies! - -The efforts of Wilberforce, Sharp, Buxton, and Clarkson, to abolish -the African slave-trade, and their advocacy of the equality of the -races, were well understood by the men of color. They had also learned -their own strength in the Island, and that they had the sympathy of -all Europe with them. The news of the oath of the Tennis Court, and -the taking of the Bastile at Paris, was received with the wildest -enthusiasm by the people of St. Domingo. - -The announcement of these events was hailed with delight by both -the white planters and the mulattoes; the former, because they -hoped the revolution in the Mother Country would secure to them the -independence of the colony; the latter, because they viewed it as a -movement that would give them equal rights with the whites; and even -the slaves regarded it as a precursor to their own emancipation. But -the excitement which the outbreak at Paris had created amongst the -free men of color and the slaves, at once convinced the planters that -a separation from France would be the death-knell of slavery in St. -Domingo. - -Although emancipated by law from the dominion of individuals, the -mulattoes had no rights; shut out from society by their color, deprived -of religious and political privileges, they felt their degradation even -more keenly than the bond slaves. The mulatto son was not allowed to -dine at his father’s table, kneel with him in his devotions, bear his -name, inherit his property, nor even to lie in his father’s graveyard. -Laboring as they were under the sense of their personal social wrongs, -the mulattoes tolerated, if they did not encourage, low and vindictive -passions. They were haughty and disdainful to the blacks, whom they -scorned, and jealous and turbulent to the whites, whom they hated and -feared. - -The mulattoes at once despatched one of their number to Paris, to lay -before the Constitutional Assembly their claim to equal rights with -the whites. Vincent Oge, their deputy, was well received at Paris -by Lafayette, Brisot, Barnave, and Gregoire, and was admitted to a -seat in the Assembly, where he eloquently portrayed the wrongs of his -race. In urging his claims, he said if equality was withheld from the -mulattoes, they would appeal to force. This was seconded by Lafayette -and Barnave, who said: “Perish the Colonies, rather than a principle.” - -The Assembly passed a decree, granting the demands of the men of color, -and Oge was made bearer of the news to his brethren. The planters armed -themselves, met the young deputy on his return to the Island, and a -battle ensued. The free colored men rallied around Oge, but they were -defeated and taken, with their brave leader; were first tortured, and -then broken alive on the wheel. - -The prospect of freedom was put down for the time, but the blood of Oge -and his companions bubbled silently in the hearts of the African race; -they swore to avenge them. - -The announcement of the death of Oge in the halls of the Assembly -at Paris, created considerable excitement, and became the topic of -conversation in the clubs and on the boulevards. Gregoire defended the -course of the colored men and said: “If liberty was right in France, it -was right in St. Domingo.” He well knew that the crime for which Oge -had suffered in the West Indies, had constituted the glory of Mirabeau -and Lafayette at Paris, and Washington and Hancock in the United -States. The planters in the Island trembled at their own oppressive -acts, and terror urged them on to greater violence. The blood of Oge -and his accomplices had sown everywhere despair and conspiracy. The -French sent an army to St. Domingo to enforce the law. - -The planters repelled with force the troops sent out by France, denying -its prerogatives, and refusing the civic oath. In the midst of these -thickening troubles, the planters who resided in France were invited -to return, and to assist in vindicating the civil independence of -the Island. Then was it that the mulattoes earnestly appealed to the -slaves, and the result was appalling. The slaves awoke as from an -ominous dream, and demanded their rights with sword in hand. Gaining -immediate success, and finding that their liberty would not be granted -by the planters, they rapidly increased in numbers; and in less than a -week from its commencement, the storm had swept over the whole plain -of the north, from east to west, and from the mountains to the sea. -The splendid villas and rich factories yielded to the furies of the -devouring flames; so that the mountains, covered with smoke and burning -cinders, borne upward by the wind looked like volcanoes; and the -atmosphere as if on fire, resembled a furnace. - -Such were the outraged feelings of a people whose ancestors had been -ruthlessly torn from their native land and sold in the shambles of St. -Domingo. To terrify the blacks and convince them that they could never -be free, the planters were murdering them on every hand by thousands. - -The struggle in St. Domingo was watched with intense interest by the -friends of the blacks, both in Paris and in London, and all appeared -to look with hope to the rising up of a black chief, who should prove -himself adequate to the emergency. Nor did they look in vain. In the -midst of the disorder that threatened on all sides, the negro chief -made his appearance in the person of a slave named Toussaint. This man -was the grandson of the King of Ardra, one of the most powerful and -wealthy monarchs on the west coast of Africa. By his own energy and -perseverance, Toussaint had learned to read and write, and was held in -high consideration by the surrounding planters, as well as their slaves. - -In personal appearance he was of middle stature, strongly-marked -African features, well-developed forehead, rather straight and neat -figure, sharp and bright eye, with an earnestness in conversation that -seemed to charm the listener. His dignified, calm, and unaffected -demeanor would cause him to be selected in any company of men as one -who was born for a leader. - -His private virtues were many, and he had a deep and pervading -sense of religion; and in the camp carried it even as far as Oliver -Cromwell. Toussaint was born on the Island, and was fifty years of age -when called into the field. One of his chief characteristics was his -humanity. - -Before taking any part in the revolution, he aided his master’s family -to escape from the impending danger. After seeing them beyond the reach -of the revolutionary movement, he entered the army as an inferior -officer, but was soon made aid-de-camp to General Bissou. Disorder -and bloodshed reigned through the Island, and every day brought fresh -intelligence of depredations committed by whites, mulattoes, and blacks. - -Hitherto, the blacks had been guided by Jean-François, Bissou, and -Jeannot. The first of these was a slave, a young Creole of good -exterior; he had long before the revolution obtained his liberty. At -the commencement of the difficulties, he fled to the mountains and -joined the Maroons, a large clan of fugitive slaves then wandering -about in the woods and mountains, that furnished this class a secure -retreat. This man was mild, vain, good-tempered, and fond of luxury. - -Bissou belonged to the religious body designated “The Fathers of -Charity.” He was fiery, wrathful, rash, and vindictive; always in -action, always on horseback, with a white sash, and feathers in his -hat, or basking in the sunshine of the women, of whom he was very fond. -Jeannot, a slave of the plantation of M. Bullet, was small and slender -in person, and of boundless activity. Perfidious of soul, his aspect -was frightful and revolting. Capable of the greatest crimes, he was -inaccessible to regret or remorse. - -Having sworn implacable hatred against the whites, he thrilled with -rage when he saw them; and his greatest pleasure was to bathe his hands -in their blood. These three were the leaders of the blacks till the -appearance of Toussaint; and under their rule, the cry was “Blood, -blood, blood!” Such was the condition of affairs when a decree was -passed by the Colonial Assembly, giving equal rights to the mulattoes, -and asking their aid in restoring order and reducing the slaves again -to their chains. Overcome by this decree, and having gained all they -wished, the free colored men joined the planters in a murderous crusade -against the slaves. This union of the whites and mulattoes to prevent -the bondman getting his freedom, created an ill-feeling between the two -proscribed classes, which seventy years have not been able to efface. -The French government sent a second army to St. Domingo to enforce -the laws, giving freedom to the slaves, and Toussaint joined it on its -arrival in the Island, and fought bravely against the planters. - -While the people of St. Domingo were thus fighting amongst themselves, -the revolutionary movement in France had fallen into the hands of -Robespierre and Danton, and the guillotine was beheading its thousands -daily. When the news of the death of Louis XVI. reached St. Domingo, -Toussaint and his companions left the French and joined the Spanish -army, in the eastern part of the Island, and fought for the King of -Spain. Here Toussaint was made brigadier-general, and appeared in the -field as the most determined foe of the French planters. - -The two armies met; a battle was fought in the streets, and many -thousands were slain on both sides; the planters, however, were -defeated. During the conflict the city was set on fire, and on every -side presented shocking evidence of slaughter, conflagration, and -pillage. The strifes of political and religious partisanship, which -had raged in the clubs and streets of Paris, were transplanted to St. -Domingo, where they raged with all the heat of a tropical clime, and -the animosities of a civil war. Truly did the flames of the French -revolution at Paris, and the ignorance and self-will of the planters, -set the island of St. Domingo on fire. The commissioners with their -retinue retired from the burning city into the neighboring highlands, -where a camp was formed to protect the ruined town from the opposing -party. Having no confidence in the planters, and fearing a reaction, -the commissioners proclaimed a general emancipation to the slave -population, and invited the blacks who had joined the Spaniards -to return. Toussaint and his followers accepted the invitation, -returned, and were enrolled in the army under the commissioners. Fresh -troops arrived from France, who were no sooner in the Island than -they separated--some siding with the planters, and others with the -commissioners. The white republicans of the Mother Country were arrayed -against the white republicans of St. Domingo, whom they were sent out -to assist. The blacks and the mulattoes were at war with each other; -old and young of both sexes, and of all colors, were put to the sword, -while the fury of the flames swept from plantation to plantation, and -from town to town. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -SUCCESS OF TOUSSAINT. - - -During these sad commotions, Toussaint, by his superior knowledge of -the character of his race, his humanity, generosity, and courage, -had gained the confidence of all whom he had under his command. The -rapidity with which he travelled from post to post astonished every -one. By his genius and surpassing activity, Toussaint levied fresh -forces, raised the reputation of the army, and drove the English and -Spanish from the Island. - -The boiling caldron of the revolution during its progress, had thrown -upon its surface several new military men, whose names became household -words in St. Domingo. First of these, after Toussaint, was Christophe, -a man of pure African origin, though a native of New Grenada. On being -set free at the age of fifteen, he came to St. Domingo, where he -resided until the commencement of the revolution. He had an eye full of -fire, and a braver man never lived. Toussaint early discovered his good -qualities, and made him his lieutenant, from which he soon rose to be a -general of division. - -As a military man, Christophe was considered far superior to Toussaint; -and his tall, slim figure, dressed in the uniform of a general, was -hailed with enthusiasm wherever he appeared. - -Next to Christophe was Dessalines. No one who took part in the St. -Domingo revolution has been so severely censured as this chief. At the -commencement of the difficulties, Dessalines was the slave of a house -carpenter, with whom he had learned the trade. He was a small man, of -muscular frame, and of a dingy black. He had a haughty and ferocious -look. Hunger, thirst, fatigue, and loss of sleep he seemed made to -endure, as if by peculiarity of constitution. Dessalines was not a -native of either of the West India Islands, for the marks upon his arms -and breast, and the deep furrows and incisions on his face, pointed out -the coast of Africa as his birth-place. Inured by exposure and toil to -a hard life, his frame possessed a wonderful power of endurance. By -his activity and singular fierceness on the field of battle, he first -attracted the attention of Toussaint, who placed him amongst his guides -and attendants, and subsequently advanced him rapidly through several -grades, to the dignity of third in command. A more courageous man never -appeared upon the battle-field. What is most strange in the history of -Dessalines is, that he was a savage, a slave, a soldier, a general, and -died when an emperor. - -Among the mulattoes were several valiant chiefs. The ablest of these -was Rigaud, the son of a wealthy planter. Having been educated at -Paris, his manner was polished, and his language elegant. Had he been -born in Asia, Rigaud would have governed an empire, for he had all the -elements of a great man. - -In religion he was the very opposite of Toussaint. An admirer of -Voltaire and Rousseau, he had made their works his study. A long -residence in Paris had enabled him to become acquainted with many of -the followers of these two distinguished philosophers. - -He had seen two hundred thousand persons following the bones of -Voltaire, when removed to the Pantheon; and, in his admiration for the -great writer, had confounded liberty with infidelity. - -Rigaud was the first amongst the mulattoes, and had sided with the -planters in their warfare against the blacks. But the growing influence -of this chief early spread fear in the ranks of the whites, which was -seen and felt by the mulattoes everywhere. - -In military science, horsemanship, and activity, Rigaud was the -first man on the Island, of any color, Toussaint bears the following -testimony to the great skill of the mulatto general: “I know Rigaud -well. He leaps from his horse when at full gallop, and he puts all his -force in his arm when he strikes a blow.” He was boundless in resources -as he was brave and daring. High-tempered and irritable, he at times -appeared haughty. The charmed power that he held over the men of his -color can scarcely be described. At the breaking out of the revolution, -he headed the mulattoes in his native town, and soon drew around him a -formidable body of men. Rigaud’s legion was considered to be by far the -best drilled and most reliable in battle of all the troops raised on -the Island. - -The mulattoes were now urging their claims to citizenship and -political enfranchisement, by arming themselves in defence of their -rights; the activity and talent of their great leader, Rigaud, had -been the guidance and support of their enterprise. He was hated by the -whites in the same degree as they feared his influence with his race. - -The unyielding nature of his character, which gave firmness and -consistency to his policy while controling the interest of his -brethren, made him dear to them. - -Intrigue and craftiness could avail nothing against the designs of one -who was ever upon the watch, and who had the means of counteracting all -secret attempts against him; and open force in the field could not be -successful in destroying a chieftain whose power was often felt, but -whose person was seldom seen. - -Thus to accomplish a design which had long been in contemplation, -the whites of Aux Cayes were now secretly preparing a mine for -Rigaud,--which, though it was covered with flowers, and to be sprung -by the hand of professed friendship,--it was thought would prove a -sure and efficacious method of ridding them of such an opponent, and -destroying the pretensions of the mulattoes forever. - -It was proposed that the anniversary of the destruction of the Bastile -should be celebrated in the town by both whites and mulattoes, in -union and gratitude. A civic procession marched to the church, where -the Te Deum was chanted and an oration pronounced by citizen Delpech. -The Place d’Armes was crowded with tables of refreshments, at which -both whites and mulattoes seated themselves. But beneath this seeming -patriotism and friendship a dark and fatal conspiracy lurked, plotting -treachery and death. - -It had been resolved that at a preconcerted signal every white at the -table should plunge his knife into the bosom of the mulatto who was -seated nearest to him. Cannon had been planted around the place of -festivity, that no fugitive from the massacre should have the means -of escaping; and that Rigaud should not fail to be secured as the -first victim to a conspiracy prepared especially against his life, the -commander-in-chief of the national guard had been placed at his side, -and his murder of the mulatto chieftain was to be the signal for a -general onset upon all his followers. - -But between the conception and the accomplishment of a guilty deed, -man’s native abhorrence of crime often interposes many obstacles to -success. The officer to whom had been entrusted the assassination -of Rigaud, found it no small matter to screw his courage up to the -sticking-place, and the expected signal which he was to display in -blood to his associates, was so long delayed that secret messengers -began to come to him from all parts of the table, demanding why -execution was not done on Rigaud. Urged on by these successive appeals, -the white general at last applied himself to the fatal task which had -been allotted him. But instead of silently plunging his dagger into the -bosom of the mulatto chief, he sprang upon him with a pistol in his -hand, and with a loud execration, fired it at his intended victim. But -Rigaud remained unharmed, and in the scuffle which ensued the white -assassin was disarmed and put to flight. - -The astonishment of the mulattoes soon gave way to tumult and -indignation, and this produced a drawn battle, in which both whites and -mulattoes, exasperated as they were to the utmost, fought man to man. - -The struggle continued fiercely, until the whites were driven from the -town, having lost one hundred and fifty of their number, and slain -many of their opponents. Tidings of this conspiracy flew rapidly in -all directions; and such was the indignation of the mulattoes at this -attack on their chief, whose death had even been announced in several -places as certain, that they seized upon all the whites within their -reach, and their immediate massacre was only prevented by the arrival -of intelligence that Rigaud was still alive.[36] - -The hostile claims of Toussaint and Rigaud, who shared between them the -whole power of the Island, soon brought on a bloody struggle between -the blacks and mulattoes. - -The contest was an unequal one, for the blacks numbered five hundred -thousand, while the mulattoes were only thirty thousand. The mulattoes, -alarmed by the prospect that the future government of the Island was -likely to be engrossed altogether by the blacks, thronged from all -parts of the Island to join the ranks of Rigaud. As a people, the -mulattoes were endowed with greater intelligence; they were more -enterprising, and in all respects their physical superiority was more -decided than their rivals, the blacks. - -They were equally ferocious, and confident as they were in their -superior powers, they saw without a thought of discouragement or fear -the enormous disparity of ten to one in the respective numbers of -their adversaries and themselves. Rigaud began the war by surprising -Leogane, where a multitude of persons of every rank and color were put -to death without mercy. - -Toussaint, on learning this, hastened together all the troops which he -then had in the neighborhood of Port au Prince, and ordered all the -mulattoes to assemble at the church of that town, where he mounted the -pulpit, and announced to them his intended departure to war against -their brethren. He said, “I see into the recesses of your bosoms; you -are ready to rise against me; but though my troops are about to leave -this province, you cannot succeed, for I shall leave behind me both -my eyes and my arms; the one to watch, and the other to reach you.” -At the close of this admonition, threatening as it was, the mulattoes -were permitted to leave the church, and they retired, awestruck and -trembling with solicitude, to their homes. - -The forces of Rigaud, fighting under the eyes of the chief whom they -adored, defended with vigor the passes leading to their territory; -and though they were but a handful, in comparison with the hordes who -marched under the banners of Toussaint, their brave exertions were -generally crowned with success. - -The mulattoes under Rigaud, more skilled in the combinations of -military movements, made up for their deficiency in numbers by greater -rapidity and effectiveness in their operations. A series of masterly -manœuvres and diversions were followed up in quick succession, which -kept the black army in full employment. But Toussaint was too strong, -and he completely broke up the hopes of the mulattoes in a succession -of victories, which gave him entire control of the Island, except, -perhaps, a small portion of the South, which still held out. Rigaud, -reduced in his means of defence, had the misfortune to see his towns -fall one after another into the power of Toussaint, until he was driven -to the last citadel of his strength--the town of Aux Cayes. As he thus -yielded foot by foot, everything was given to desolation before it was -abandoned, and the genius of Toussaint was completely at fault in his -efforts to force the mulatto general from his last entrenchments. - -He was foiled at every attempt, and his enemy stood immovably at bay, -notwithstanding the active assaults and overwhelming numbers of his -forces. - -The government of France was too much engaged at home with her own -revolution, to pay any attention to St. Domingo. The republicans in -Paris, after getting rid of their enemies, turned upon each other. The -revolution, like Saturn, devoured its own children; priest and people -were murdered upon the thresholds of justice. Marat died at the hands -of Charlotte Corday; Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette were guillotined, -Robespierre had gone to the scaffold, and Bonaparte was master of -France. - -The conqueror of Egypt now turned his attention to St. Domingo. It was -too important an island to be lost to France, or be destroyed by civil -war; and through the mediation of Bonaparte, the war between Toussaint -and Rigaud was brought to a close. - -With the termination of this struggle, every vestige of slavery, and -all obstacles to freedom, disappeared. Toussaint exerted every nerve to -make Hayti what it had formerly been. He did everything in his power to -promote agriculture; and in this he succeeded beyond the most sanguine -expectations of the friends of freedom, both in England and France. -Even the planters who had remained on the Island acknowledged the -prosperity of Hayti under the governorship of the man whose best days -had been spent in slavery. - -The peace of Amiens left Bonaparte without a rival on the continent, -and with a large and experienced army which he feared to keep idle; and -he determined to send a part of it to St. Domingo. - -The army for the expedition to St. Domingo was fitted out, and no pains -or expense spared to make it an imposing one. Fifty-six ships of war, -with twenty-five thousand men, left France for Hayti. It was, indeed, -the most valiant fleet that had ever sailed from the French dominions. -The Alps, the Nile, the Rhine, and all Italy had resounded with the -exploits of the men who were now leaving their country for the purpose -of placing the chains again on the limbs of the heroic people of St. -Domingo. There were men in that army that had followed Bonaparte from -the siege of Toulon to the battle under the shades of the pyramids of -Egypt,--men who had grown gray in the camp. Among them were several -colored men, who had distinguished themselves on the field of battle. - -There was Rigaud, the bravest of the mulatto chiefs, whose valor had -disputed the laurels with Toussaint. There, too, was Pétion, the most -accomplished scholar of whom St. Domingo could boast; and lastly, -there was Boyer, who was destined at a future day to be President of -the Republic of Hayti. These last three brave men had become dupes and -tools of Bonaparte, and were now on their way to assist in reducing the -land of their birth to slavery. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[36] Brown’s History of Sant. Domingo, Vol. I., p. 257. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -CAPTURE OF TOUSSAINT. - - -Le Clerc, the brother-in-law of Bonaparte, the man who had married the -voluptuous Pauline, was commander-in-chief of the army. Le Clerc was -not himself a man of much distinction in military affairs; his close -relationship with the ruler of France was all that he had to recommend -him to the army of invasion. But he had with him Rochambeau, and other -generals, who had few superiors in arms. Before arriving at Hayti the -fleet separated, so as to attack the island on different sides. - -News of the intended invasion reached St. Domingo some days before the -squadron had sailed from Brest; and therefore the blacks had time to -prepare to meet their enemies. Toussaint had concentrated his forces -at such points as he expected would be first attacked. Christophe was -sent to defend Cape City, and Port au Prince was left in the hands of -Dessalines. - -Le Clerc, with the largest part of the squadron, came to anchor off -Cape City, and summoned the place to surrender. The reply which he -received from Christophe was such as to teach the captain-general -what he had to expect in the subjugation of St. Domingo. “Go tell your -general that the French shall march here only over ashes; and that the -ground shall burn beneath their feet,” was the answer that Le Clerc -obtained in return to his command. The French general sent another -messenger to Christophe, urging him to surrender, and promising the -black chief a commission of high rank in the French army. But he found -he had a man, and not a slave, to deal with. The exasperated Christophe -sent back the heroic reply, “The decision of arms can admit you only -into a city in ashes; and even on these ashes will I fight still.” The -black chief then distributed torches to his principal officers, and -awaited the approach of the French. - -With no navy, and but little means of defence, the Haytians determined -to destroy their towns rather than they should fall into the hands of -the enemy. Late in the evening the French ships were seen to change -their position, and Christophe, satisfied that they were about to -effect a landing, set fire to his own house, which was the signal for -the burning of the town. The French general wept as he beheld the ocean -of flames rising from the tops of the houses in the finest city in St. -Domingo. - -Another part of the fleet landed in Samana, where Toussaint, with an -experienced wing of the army, was ready to meet them. On seeing the -ships enter the harbor, the heroic chief said: “Here come the enslavers -of our race. All France is coming to St. Domingo, to try again to put -the fetters upon our limbs; but not France with all her troops of the -Rhine, the Alps, the Nile, the Tiber, nor all Europe to help her, can -extinguish the soul of Africa. That soul, when once the soul of a -man, and no longer that of a slave, can overthrow the pyramids, and -the Alps themselves, sooner than again be crushed down into slavery.” -The French, however, effected a landing, but they found nothing but -smouldering ruins where once stood splendid cities. Toussaint and his -generals at once abandoned the towns, and betook themselves to the -mountains, those citadels of freedom in St. Domingo, where the blacks -have always proved too much for the whites. - -Toussaint put forth a proclamation to the colored people, in which he -said: “You are now to meet and fight enemies who have neither faith, -law, nor religion. Let us resolve that these French troops shall -never leave our shores alive.” The war commenced, and the blacks -were victorious in nearly all the battles. Where the French gained a -victory, they put their prisoners to the most excruciating tortures; -in many instances burning them in pits, and throwing them into boiling -chaldrons. This example of cruelty set by the whites, was followed by -the blacks. Then it was that Dessalines, the ferocious chief, satisfied -his long pent-up revenge against the white planters and French soldiers -that he made prisoners. The French general saw that he could gain -nothing from the blacks on the field of battle, and he determined upon -a stratagem, in which he succeeded too well. - -A correspondence was opened with Toussaint in which the captain-general -promised to acknowledge the liberty of the blacks, and the equality of -all, if he would yield. Overcome by the persuasions of his generals, -and the blacks who surrounded him, and who were sick and tired of -the shedding of blood, Toussaint gave in his adhesion to the French -authorities. This was the great error of his life. - -The loss that the French army had sustained during the war, was great. -Fifteen thousand of their best troops, and some of their bravest -generals, had fallen before the arms of these Negroes, whom they -despised. - -Soon after Toussaint gave in his adhesion, the yellow fever broke out -in the French army, and carried off nearly all of the remaining great -men,--more than seven hundred medical men, besides twenty-two thousand -sailors and soldiers. Among these were fifteen hundred officers. It -was at this time that Toussaint might have renewed the war with great -success. But he was a man of his word, and would not take the advantage -of the sad condition of the French army. - -Although peace reigned, Le Clerc was still afraid of Toussaint; and by -the advice of Napoleon, the black general was arrested, together with -his family, and sent to France. - -The great chief of St. Domingo had scarcely been conveyed on board the -ship Creole, and she out of the harbor, ere Rigaud, the mulatto general -who had accompanied Le Clerc to St. Domingo, was arrested, put in -chains, and sent to France. - -The seizure of Toussaint and Rigaud caused suspicion and alarm among -both blacks and mulattoes, and that induced them to raise again the -flag of insurrection, in which the two proscribed classes were united. - -Twenty thousand fresh troops arrived from France, but they were not -destined to see Le Clerc, for the yellow fever had taken him off. In -the mountains were many barbarous and wild blacks, who had escaped -from slavery soon after being brought from the coast of Africa. One of -these bands of savages were commanded by Lamour de Rance, an adroit, -stern, savage man, half naked, with epaulettes tied to his bare -shoulders for his only token of authority. This man had been brought -from the coast of Africa, and sold as a slave in Port au Prince. On -being ordered one day to saddle his master’s horse, he did so; then -mounted the animal, fled to the mountains, and ever after made these -fearful regions his home. Lamour passed from mountain to mountain with -something of the ease of the birds of his own native land. Toussaint, -Christophe, and Dessalines, had each in their turn pursued him, but in -vain. His mode of fighting was in keeping with his dress. This savage, -united with others like himself, became complete master of the wilds -of St. Domingo. They came forth from their mountain homes, and made -war on the whites wherever they found them. Le Clerc was now dead, and -Rochambeau, who succeeded him in the government of St. Domingo, sent -to Cuba to get bloodhounds, with which to hunt down the blacks in the -mountains. - -In personal appearance, Rochambeau was short and stout, with a deformed -body, but of robust constitution; his manner was hard and severe, -though he had a propensity to voluptuousness. He lacked neither ability -nor experience in war. In his youth, he had, under the eyes of his -illustrious father, served the cause of freedom in the United States; -and while on duty in the slave portion of our government, formed a low -idea of the blacks, which followed him even to St. Domingo. - -The planters therefore hailed with joy Rochambeau as a successor to Le -Clerc; and when the bloodhounds which he had sent to Cuba for arrived, -cannon were fired, and demonstrations of joy were shown in various ways. - -Even the women, wives of the planters, went to the sea-side, met the -animals, and put garlands about their necks, and some kissed and -caressed the dogs.[37] - -Such was the degradation of human nature. While the white women -were cheering on the French, who had imported bloodhounds as their -auxiliaries, the black women were using all their powers of persuasion -to rouse the blacks to the combat. Many of these women walked from -camp to camp, and from battalion to battalion, exhibiting their naked -bodies, showing their lacerated and scourged persons;--these were the -marks of slavery, made many years before, but now used for the cause of -human freedom. - -Christophe, who had taken command of the insurgents, now gave -unmistakable proofs that he was a great general, and scarcely second -to Toussaint. Twenty thousand fresh troops arrived from France to the -aid of Rochambeau; yet the blacks were victorious wherever they fought. -The French blindly thought that cruelty to the blacks would induce -their submission, and to this end they bent all their energies. An -amphitheatre was erected, and two hundred dogs, sharpened by extreme -hunger, put there, and black prisoners thrown in. The raging animals -disputed with each other for the limbs of their victims, until the -ground was dyed with human blood. - -Three hundred brave blacks were put to death in this horrible manner. -The blacks, having spread their forces in every quarter of the island, -were fast retaking the forts and towns. Christophe commanded in the -north, Dessalines in the west, and Clervaux in the south. - -Despotism and sensuality have often been companions. In Rochambeau, -the one sharpened the appetite for the other, as though greediness of -bodily pleasure welcomed the zest arising from the sight of bodily pain. - -No small part of his time Rochambeau passed at table, or on sofas, -with the Creole females, worshippers of pleasure, as well as most -cruel towards their slaves. To satisfy these fascinating courtesans, -scaffolds were raised in the cities, which were bathed in the blood of -the blacks. They even executed women and children, whose only crime -was, that they had brothers, fathers, or husbands among the revolters. -These brutal murders by the French filled the blacks with terror. -Dessalines started for the Cape, for the purpose of meeting Rochambeau, -and avenging the death of the blacks. In his impetuous and terrible -march, he surrounded and made prisoners a body of Frenchmen; and with -branches of trees, that ferocious chief raised, under the eyes of -Rochambeau, five hundred gibbets, on which he hanged as many prisoners. - -The numerous executions which began at the Cape soon extended to other -places. Port au Prince had its salt waters made bloody, and scaffolds -were erected and loaded, within and without the walls. The hand of -tyranny spread terror and death over the shores of the north and the -west. As the insurrection became more daring, it was thought that the -punishments had not been either numerous enough, violent enough, or -various enough. The colonists counselled and encouraged more vengeance. -Children, women, and old men were confined in sacks, and thrown into -the sea; this was the punishment of parricides among the Romans, ten -centuries before; and now resorted to by these haters of liberty. - -Rochambeau put five hundred blacks, prisoners whom he had taken in -battle, to death in one day. Twenty of Toussaint’s old officers were -chained to the rocks and starved to death. - -But the blacks were gradually getting possession of the strongholds in -the islands. - -“To arms! to arms!” was the cry all over the island, until every one -who could use even the lightest instrument of death, was under arms. - -Dessalines, Belair, and Lamartiniere, defeated the French general at -Verettes; in no place was the slaughter so terrible as there. At a mere -nod of Dessalines, men who had been slaves, and who dreaded the new -servitude with which they were threatened, massacred seven hundred of -the whites that Dessalines had amongst his prisoners. - -The child died in the arms of its sick and terrified mother; the father -was unable to save the daughter, the daughter unable to save the -father. Mulattoes took the lives of their white fathers, to whom they -had been slaves, or whom, allowing them to go free, had disowned them; -thus revenging themselves for the mixture of their blood. So frightful -was this slaughter, that the banks of the Artibonite were strewn with -dead bodies, and the waters dyed with the blood of the slain. Not a -grave was dug, for Dessalines had prohibited interment, in order that -the eyes of the French might see his vengeance even in the repulsive -remains of carnage. - -The united enthusiasm and bravery of the blacks and mulattoes was too -much for the French. Surrounded on all sides, Rochambeau saw his troops -dying for the want of food. For many weeks they lived on horse flesh, -and were even driven to subsist on the dogs that they had imported from -Cuba. - -Reduced to the last extremity by starvation, the French general sued -for peace, and promised that he would immediately leave the Island; -it was accepted by the blacks, and Rochambeau prepared to return to -France. The French embarked in their vessels of war, and the standard -of the blacks once more waved over Cape City, the capital of St. -Domingo. As the French sailed from the Island, they saw the tops of -the mountains lighted up;--it was not a blaze kindled for war, but for -freedom. Every heart beat for liberty, and every voice shouted for joy. -From the ocean to the mountains, and from town to town, the cry was -“Freedom! Freedom!” Thus ended Napoleon’s expedition to St. Domingo. In -less than two years the French lost more than fifty thousand persons. -After the retirement of the whites, the men of color put forth a -Declaration of Independence, in which they said: “We have sworn to show -no mercy to those who may dare to speak to us of slavery.” - -FOOTNOTE: - -[37] Beard’s Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -TOUSSAINT A PRISONER IN FRANCE. - - -While the cause of independence, forced at length on the aspirations -of the natives of Hayti, was advancing with rapid strides, amid all -the tumult of armies, and all the confusion of despotic cruelties, -Toussaint L’Ouverture pined away in the dark, damp, cold prison of Joux. - -This castle stands on the brink of the river Daubs; on the land side, -the road of Besancon, leading into Switzerland, gives the stronghold -the command of the communications between that country and France. This -dungeon built by the Romans, has in it a room fifteen feet square, with -a stone floor, the same of which the entire castle is constructed. -One small window, high up on the side, looking out on the snows of -Switzerland, is the only aperture that gives light to the dismal spot. -In winter, ice covers the floor; in summer, it is deep with water. In -this living tomb, Toussaint was placed, and left to die. - -All communication was forbidden him with the outer world. He received -no news of his wife and family. He wrote to Bonaparte, demanding a -trial, but received no reply. His fare was limited to a sum not -sufficient to give him the comforts of life. His servant was taken -away, and food reduced to a still smaller quantity; and thus the -once ruler of St. Domingo, the man to whom in the darkest day of the -insurrection the white planters looked for safety, knowing well his -humanity, was little by little brought to the verge of starvation. - -Toussaint’s wife and children had been arrested, sent to France, -separated from him, and he knew nothing of their whereabouts. He wrote -to Napoleon in behalf of them. The document contained these words: - -“General Le Clerc employed towards me means which have never been -employed towards the greatest enemies. Doubtless I owe that contempt -to my color; but has that color prevented me from serving my country -with zeal and fidelity? Does the color of my body injure my honor or my -courage? Suppose I was a criminal, and that the general-in-chief had -orders to arrest me; was it needful to employ carabineers to arrest my -wife and children; to tear them from their residence without respect, -and without charity? Was it necessary to fire on my plantations, and -on my family, or to ransack and pillage my property? No! My wife, my -children, my household, were under no responsibility; have no account -to render to government. General Le Clerc had not even the right to -arrest them. Was that officer afraid of a rival? - -“I compare him to the Roman Senate, that pursued Hannibal even into his -retirement. I request that he and I may appear before a tribunal, and -that the government bring forward the whole of my correspondence with -him. By that means, my innocence, and all I have done for the republic, -will be seen.” - -Toussaint was not even aware of Le Clerc’s death. Finding that the -humanity of Colomier, the governor of the castle, would not allow -the prisoner to starve fast enough, Napoleon ordered the keeper to a -distance; and on his return, Toussaint was dead. - -Thus in the beginning of April, in the year 1803, died Toussaint -L’Ouverture, a grandson of an African king. He passed the greater -number of his days in slavery, and rose to be a soldier, a general, a -governor, and to-day lives in the hearts of the people of his native -isle. Endowed by nature with high qualities of mind, he owed his -elevation to his own energies and his devotion to the welfare and -freedom of his race. His habits were thoughtful, and, like most men of -energetic temperaments, he crowded much into what he said. - -So profound and original were his opinions, that they have been -successively drawn upon by all the chiefs of St. Domingo since his -era, and still without loss of adaptation to the circumstances of the -country. His thoughts were copious and full of vigor; and what he could -express well in his native patois, he found tame and unsatisfactory in -the French language, which he was obliged to employ in the details of -his official business. - -He would never sign what he did not fully understand, obliging two or -three secretaries to re-word the document, until they had succeeded in -furnishing the particular phrase expressive of his meaning. While at -the height of his power, and when all around him were furnished with -every comfort, and his officers living in splendor, Toussaint himself -lived with an austere sobriety, which bordered on abstemiousness. - -Clad in a common dress, with a red Madras handkerchief tied around his -head, he would move amongst the people as though he were a laborer. -On such occasions he would often take a musket, throw it up into the -air, and catching it, kiss it; again hold it up, and exclaim to the -gazing multitude, “Behold your deliverer; in this lies your liberty!” -Toussaint was entirely master of his own appetites and passions. - -It was his custom to set off in his carriage with the professed object -of going to some particular point of the Island, and when he had -passed over several miles of the journey, to quit the carriage, which -continued its route under the same escort of guards, while Toussaint -mounted on horseback, and followed by his officers, made rapid -excursions across the country to places where he was least expected. It -was upon one of these occasions that he owed his life to his singular -mode of travelling. He had just left his carriage when an ambuscade -of mulattoes, concealed in the thickets of Boucassin, fired upon the -guard; several balls pierced the carriage, and one of them killed an -old servant, who occupied the seat of his master. - -No person knew better than he the art of governing the people under his -jurisdiction. The greater part of the blacks loved him to idolatry. -Veneration for Toussaint was not confined to the boundaries of St. -Domingo; it ran through Europe; and in France his name was frequently -pronounced in the senate with the eulogy of polished eloquence. No one -can look back upon his career without feeling that Toussaint was a -remarkable man. Without being bred to the science of arms, he became a -valiant soldier, and baffled the skill of the most experienced generals -that had followed Napoleon. Without military knowledge, he fought like -one born in the camp. - -Without means, he carried on a war successfully. He beat his enemies in -battle, and turned their weapons against them. He possessed splendid -traits of genius, which were developed in the private circle, in the -council chamber, and upon the field of battle. His very name became a -tower of strength to his friends and a terror to his foes. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -DESSALINES AS EMPEROR OF HAYTI. - - -Rochambeau, with the remnant of his defeated army, had scarcely -retired from St. Domingo before the news of the death of Toussaint -reached the Island. The announcement of this, together with the fact -that their great general had died by starvation, assured the natives -of the essential goodness of their cause, and the genuine vigor of -their strength. They had measured swords with the whites, and were -conscious of their own superiority. Slavery in St. Domingo was dead, -and dead forever. The common enemy was gone, and the victory had -been gained by the union of the blacks and mulattoes, and these put -forth a Declaration of Rights, in which they said: “The independence -of St. Domingo is proclaimed. Restored to our primitive dignity, we -have secured our rights; we swear never to cede them to any power in -the world. The frightful veil of prejudice is torn in pieces; let it -remain so forever. Woe to him who may wish to collect the blood-stained -tatters. We have sworn to show no mercy to those who may dare to speak -to us of slavery.” This document was signed by Dessalines, Christophe, -and Clervaux, the three chiefs who had conducted the war after the -capture of Toussaint. - -The first of these were black, and represented that class of his race -who held sentiments of the most extreme hatred to the whites. The -second was also black, but of a feeling more inclined to moderation. -The third represented the mulattoes, although he had none of the -prejudice against the blacks, so prevalent in those days. Clervaux was -a brave man, and had fought under Toussaint before the landing of Le -Clerc and Rochambeau. - -By the daring manifested on the field of battle, his fierce and -sanguinary look, his thirst for blood, Dessalines had become the leader -of the blacks in the war for liberty; and now that victory was perched -upon their banners, and the civil government of the Island was to fall -into their hands, he set his associates aside, and took the State into -his own charge. Jean Jacques Dessalines was appointed governor-general -for life. He was not only a life officer, but he had the power to -establish laws, to declare war, to make peace, and even to appoint his -successor. - -Having by a show of mildness gained the advantage which he sought,--the -acquisition of power,--Dessalines, a few weeks after his appointment as -governor for life, threw aside the mask, and raised the cry of “Hayti -for the Haytians,” thinking by proscribing foreigners, he should most -effectually consolidate his own authority. - -From that moment the career of this ferocious man was stained with -innocent blood, and with crimes that find no parallel, unless in -the dark deeds of Rochambeau, whom he seemed anxious to imitate. -The blacks, maddened by the recollection of slavery, and crimes -perpetrated under its influence; maddened by the oft-repeated stories -of murders committed by the French, and the presence of many of their -old masters still on the Island, and whose bloody deeds Dessalines -continually kept before them in his proclamations, were easily led into -the worst of crimes by this man. - -On the 8th of October, 1804, Dessalines was proclaimed Emperor of -Hayti, with the title of Jean Jacques the First. A census taken in 1805 -showed the population of that part of the Island ruled by Dessalines, -to be only four hundred thousand. - -The title of majesty was conferred on the new Emperor, as well as -on his august consort, the empress; their persons were declared -inviolable, and the crown elective; but the Emperor had the right to -nominate his successor among a chosen number of candidates. The sons of -the sovereign were to pass through all the ranks of the army. - -Every emperor who should attach to himself a privileged body, under the -name of guard of honor, or any other designation, was, by the fact, -to be regarded as at war with the nation, and should be driven from -the throne, which then was to be occupied by one of the councillors of -state, chosen by the majority of the members of that body. - -The emperor had the right to make, and approve and publish the laws; -to make peace and war; to conclude treaties; to distribute the armed -force at his pleasure; he also possessed the exclusive prerogative -of pardon. The generals of brigade and of division were to form part -of the council of state. Besides a secretary of state, there was to -be a minister of finances, and a minister of war. All persons were -encouraged to settle their differences by arbitration. - -No dominant religion was admitted; the liberty of worship was -proclaimed; the State was not to take on itself the support of any -religious institution. Marriage was declared a purely civil act, and in -some cases divorce was permitted. State offences were to be tried by -a council to be named by the Emperor. All property belonging to white -Frenchmen was confiscated to the State. The houses of the citizens were -pronounced inviolable. - -The Constitution was placed under the safeguard of the magistrates, of -fathers, of mothers, of citizens, of soldiers, and recommended to their -descendants, to all the friends of liberty, to the philanthropists of -all countries, as a striking token of the goodness of God, who, in the -order of his immortal decrees, had given the Haytians power to break -their bonds, and make themselves a free, civilized, and independent -people. This Constitution, which, considering its origin, contains so -much that is excellent, and which even the long civilized States of -Europe might advantageously study, was accepted by the emperor, and -ordered to be forthwith carried into execution. - -The condition of the farm-laborer was the same as under the system -of Toussaint L’Ouverture; he labored for wages which were fixed at -one-fourth of the produce, and that produce was abundant. The whip and -all corporal punishments were abolished. - -Idleness was regarded as a crime, but was punished only by -imprisonment. Two-thirds of the labor extracted under slavery was -the amount required under the new system. Thus the laborers gained -a diminution of one-third of their toil, while their wants were -amply supplied. The mulattoes, or quaterons, children of whites and -mulattoes, who were very numerous, if they could show any relationship, -whether legitimate or not, with the old white proprietors, were allowed -to inherit their property. - -Education was not neglected in the midst of these outward and material -arrangements. In nearly all the districts, schools were established; -and the people, seeing what advantage was to be derived from learning, -entered them, and plied themselves vigorously to gain in freedom what -they had lost in slavery. - -A praiseworthy effort was made by the framers of the constitution, -under which Dessalines was inaugurated emperor, to extinguish all -distinctions of color among the colored people themselves. - -They decreed that the people should be denominated _blacks_; but such -distinctions are far stronger than words on paper. Unfortunately, -the distinctions in question, which was deeply rooted, and rested -on prejudices and antipathies which will never be erased from human -nature, had been aggravated by long and sanguinary contests between the -blacks and mulattoes. - -Aware of that individual superiority which springs from a share in -the influences of civilization, the mulattoes of Hayti despised the -uneducated black laborers by whom they were surrounded, and felt that -by submitting to their sway, they put themselves under the domination -of a majority whose sole authority lay exclusively in their numbers. -The mulattoes really believed that their natural position was to fill -the places in the government once held by the whites. - -They would no doubt have forgotten their party interests, and labored -for the diffusion through the great body of the people of the higher -influence of civilization, if they could have secured those positions. - -The mutual hatred between the mulattoes and the blacks was so deeply -rooted, that neither party could see anything good in the other; -and therefore, whatever was put forth by one party, no matter how -meritorious in itself, was regarded with suspicion by the other. - -The regular army of Dessalines was composed of fifteen thousand men, -in which there was included a corps of fifteen hundred cavalry. They -were a motley assemblage of ragged blacks, kept in the ranks, and -performing their limited routine of duty through the awe inspired among -them by the rigid severity of the imperial discipline. The uniform -of the troops had not been changed when the Island was erected into -an independent power, and the red and blue of the French army still -continued to distinguish the soldiers of the Haytian army, even when -the French were execrated as a race of monsters, with whom the blacks -of St. Domingo should have nothing in common. Together with the regular -army of the empire, there existed a numerous corps of national guard, -composed of all who were capable of bearing arms; though the services -of these were not required but in some dangerous emergency of the -State. The national guard and regular army were called into the field -four times every year; and during these seasons of military movement, -the government of Dessalines was over a nation of soldiers in arms, as -they remained in their encampment for some days, to be instructed in -military knowledge, and to be reviewed by the great officers of the -empire. - -Dessalines now put forth a proclamation filled with accusations against -the white French still on the Island. - -This ferocious manifesto was intended as a preliminary measure in the -train of horrible events to follow. In the month of February, 1805, -orders were issued for the pursuit and arrest of all those Frenchmen -who had been accused of being accomplices in the executions ordered by -Rochambeau. - -Dessalines pretended that more than sixty thousand of his compatriots -had been drowned, suffocated, hung, or shot in these massacres. “We -adopt this measure,” said he, “to teach the nations of the world that, -notwithstanding the protection which we grant to those who are loyal -towards us, nothing shall prevent us from punishing the murderers who -have taken pleasure in bathing their hands in the blood of the sons of -Hayti.” - -These instigations were not long in producing their appropriate -consequences among a population for so many years trained to cruelty, -and that hated the French in their absence in the same degree that -they feared them when present. On the 28th of April it was ordered by -proclamation that all the French residents in the Island should be put -to death; and this inhuman command of Dessalines was eagerly obeyed by -his followers, particularly by the mulattoes, who had to manifest a -flaming zeal for their new sovereign, in order to save themselves from -falling victims to his sanguinary vengeance. Acting under the dread -surveillance of Dessalines, all the black chiefs were forced to show -themselves equally cruel; and if any French were saved from death, it -was due to the mercy of the inferior blacks, who dared not to avoid -their generosity. Dessalines made a progress through all the towns -where there were any French citizens remaining, and while his soldiers -were murdering the unfortunate victims of his ferocity, the monster -gloated with secret complacency over the scene of carnage, like some -malignant fiend glorying in the pangs of misery suffered by those who -had fallen a sacrifice to his wickedness. - -The massacre was executed with an attention to order, which proves how -minutely it had been prepared. All proper precautions were taken, that -no other whites than the French should be included in the proscription. -In the town of Cape François, where the massacre took place, on the -night of the 20th of April, the precaution was first taken of sending -detachments of soldiers to the houses of the American and English -merchants, with strict orders to permit no person, not even the black -generals, to enter them, without the permission of the master of -the house, who had been previously informed of all that was about -to happen. This command was obeyed so punctually, that one of these -privileged individuals had the good fortune to preserve the lives of -a number of Frenchmen whom he had concealed in his house, and who -remained in their asylum until the guilty tragedy was over. - -The priests, surgeons, and some necessary artisans were preserved from -destruction, consisting in all, of one-tenth of the French residents. -All the rest were massacred without regard to age or sex. The personal -security enjoyed by the foreign whites was no safeguard to the horror -inspired in them by the scenes of misery which were being enacted -without. At every moment of the night, the noise was heard of axes, -which were employed to burst open the doors of the neighboring houses; -of piercing cries, followed by a deathlike silence, soon, however, to -be changed to a renewal of the same sounds of grief and terror, as the -soldiers proceeded from house to house. - -When this night of horror and massacre was over, the treacherous -cruelty of Dessalines was not yet appeased. An imperial proclamation -was issued in the morning, alleging that the blacks were sufficiently -avenged upon the French, and inviting all who had escaped the -assassination of the previous night to make their appearance upon -the Place d’Armes of the town, in order to receive certificates of -protection; and it was declared to them that in doing this they might -count upon perfect safety to themselves. - -Many hundreds of the French had been forewarned of the massacre, and by -timely concealment had succeeded in preserving their lives. Completely -circumvented by the fiendish cunning of Dessalines, this little remnant -of survivors came out of their places of concealment, and formed -themselves in a body upon the Place d’Armes. But at the moment when -they were anxiously expecting their promised certificates of safety, -the order was given for their execution. The stream of water which -flowed through the town of Cape François was fairly tinged with their -blood.[38] - -Many of the great chiefs in the black army were struck with horror -and disgust at this fiendish cruelty of their emperor. Christophe -was shocked at the atrocity of the measure, though he dared not -display any open opposition to the will of the monarch. Dessalines -had no troublesome sensibilities of soul to harass his repose for a -transaction almost without a parallel in history. He sought not to -share the infamy of the action with the subordinate chiefs of his army, -but without a pang of remorse he claimed to himself the whole honor of -the measure. - -In another proclamation, given to the world within a few days after -the massacre, he boasts of having shown more than ordinary firmness, -and affects to put his system of policy in opposition to the lenity -of Toussaint, whom he accuses, if not of want of patriotism, at least -of want of firmness in his public conduct. Dessalines was prompted to -the share he took in this transaction by an inborn ferociousness of -character; but a spirit of personal vengeance doubtless had its effect -upon the subordinate agents in the massacre. They hated the French for -the cruelties of Rochambeau. - -Although the complete evacuation of the Island by the forces of the -French, and the ceaseless employment of the armies of Napoleon in -the wars of Europe, had left the blacks of St. Domingo in the full -possession of that Island, Dessalines lived in continual dread that the -first moment of leisure would be seized by the conqueror of Europe to -attempt the subjugation of his new empire. The black chief even alleged -in excuse for the massacre which he had just accomplished, that the -French residents in the Island had been engaged in machinations against -the dominion of the blacks, and that several French frigates then lying -at St. Jago de Cuba had committed hostilities upon the coast, and -seemed threatening a descent upon this land. - -Influenced by this perpetual solicitude, Dessalines now turned his -attention to measures of defence, in case the French should again -undertake the reduction of the country. It was ordered that at the -first appearance of a foreign army ready to land upon the shores of the -Island, all the towns upon the coast should be burnt to the ground, and -the whole population be driven to the fastnesses of the interior. - -He also built fortifications in the mountains as places of refuge in -the event of foreign invasion. Always violent and sanguinary, when -there remained no whites upon whom to employ his ferocity, his cruelty -was lavished upon his own subjects. For the slightest causes, both -blacks and mulattoes were put to death without mercy and without the -forms of trial. The sight of blood awakened within him his desire of -slaughter, and his government became at length a fearful despotism, -against the devouring vengeance of which none, not even those of his -own household, was safe. The generals Clervaux, Geffrard, and Gabart -died suddenly and mysteriously; and the aggressions of Dessalines, -directed particularly against the mulattoes, soon awakened the -vengeance of that jealous class, who were already displeased at their -insignificance in the State, and at the exaltation of the black dynasty -which seemed about to become permanent in the country. A secret -conspiracy was accordingly planned against the black monarch, and when, -on the 17th of October, 1806, he commenced a journey from St. Marks -to Port au Prince, the occasion was improved to destroy him. A party -of mulattoes lying in ambuscade at a place called Pont Rouge, made an -attack upon him, and he was killed at the first fire. - -Thus closed the career of Dessalines, a man who had commenced life as a -slave, and ended as an emperor; a man whose untiring energy, headlong -bravery, unsurpassed audacity, and native genius made him to be feared -by both blacks and whites, and whose misdeeds have furnished to the -moralists more room for criticism than any other man whose life was -passed in the West Indies. - -Yet this “monster,” with all his faults, did much for the redemption -of his race from slavery. Had Dessalines been in the position of -Toussaint, he would never have been captured and transported to -Europe. He who reads the history of the St. Domingo struggle without -prejudice, and will carefully examine the condition of parties, see -the efforts made by the expatriated planters to regain possession of -the Island, and view impartially the cruel and exterminating war upon -the blacks, as carried on by Le Clerc and Rochambeau, cannot feel like -throwing the mantle of charity over some of the acts of Jean Jacques -Dessalines. After the death of the emperor, the victorious mulattoes -followed up their success by attacking the partisans of Dessalines, -and four days were expended in destroying them. Upon the 21st there -appeared a proclamation, portraying the crimes of the fallen emperor, -and announcing that the country had been delivered of a tyrant. A -provisional government was then constituted, to continue until time -could be afforded for the formation of a new constitution, and General -Christophe was proclaimed the provisional head of the State. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[38] Malo. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -WAR BETWEEN THE BLACKS AND MULATTOES OF HAYTI. - - -The ambitious and haughty mulattoes had long been dissatisfied with -the obscure condition into which they had been thrown by the reign of -Dessalines; and at the death of that ruler, they determined to put -forward their claim. Therefore, while Christophe was absent from the -capital, the mulattoes called a convention, framed a constitution, -organized a republic, and elected for their president, Alexandre Pétion. - -This man was a quadroon, the successor of Rigaud and Clervaux -to the confidence of the mulattoes. He had been educated at the -military school at Paris; was of refined manners, and had ever been -characterized for his mildness of temper and the insinuating grace -of his address. He was a skilful engineer, and at the time of his -elevation to power he passed for the most scientific officer and the -most erudite individual among the people of Hayti. Attached to the -fortunes of Rigaud, Pétion had acted as his lieutenant in the war -against Toussaint, and had accompanied that chief to France. Here he -remained until the departure of the expedition under Le Clerc, when -he embarked in that disastrous enterprise, to employ his talents -in restoring his country to the dominion of France. Pétion joined -Dessalines, Christophe, and Clervaux when they revolted and turned -against the French, and aided in gaining the final independence of -the Island. He was commanding a battalion of mulattoes, under the -government of Dessalines, at the close of the empire. - -Christophe, therefore, as soon as he heard that he had a rival in -Pétion, rallied his forces, and started for Port au Prince, to meet -his enemy, and obtain by conquest what had been refused him by right -of succession; and, as he thought, of merit. Pétion was already in the -field; the two armies met, and a battle was fought. - -In this contest, the impetuosity of Christophe’s attack was more than -a match for the skill and science of Pétion; and the new president was -defeated in his first enterprise against the enemy of his government. -The ranks of Pétion were soon thrown into irretrievable confusion, and -in a few minutes they were driven from the field--Pétion himself being -hotly pursued in his flight, finding it necessary, in order for the -preservation of his life, to exchange his decorations for the garb of a -farmer, whom he encountered on his way, and to bury himself up to the -neck in a marsh until his fierce pursuers had disappeared. - -After this signal success, Christophe pressed forward to Port au -Prince, and laid siege to that town, in the hope of an easy triumph -over his rival. But Pétion was now in his appropriate sphere of action, -and Christophe discovered that in contending against an experienced -engineer in a fortified town, success was of more difficult attainment -than while encountering the same enemy in the open field, where his -science could not be brought into action. Christophe could make no -impression on the town; and feeling ill assured of the steadfastness of -his own proper government at Cape François, he withdrew his forces from -the investment of Port au Prince, resolved to establish in the North -a separate government of his own, and to defer to some more favorable -opportunity the attempt to subdue his rival at Port au Prince. - -Thus placing themselves in hostile array against each other, the two -chiefs of Hayti employed themselves in strengthening and establishing -their respective governments, and in attempts to gain over the -different parts of the Island to an acknowledgment of their authority. -Christophe assumed the title of President of the State, and Pétion, -of the Republic; and the inhabitants of the country conferred their -allegiance according to the opinions of their chiefs, or the places of -their residence. - -The successes of Christophe in his late campaign against his rival -at Port au Prince, had encouraged him with the hope of obtaining a -complete conquest over him when he had strengthened and confirmed -his power over the blacks of the North. The greater part of this -province had already declared for him, and refused to acknowledge the -new president at Port au Prince, who had been taken from among the -mulattoes of the South. In this state of public feeling, Christophe -proceeded to issue a series of proclamations and addresses to the -people and the army, encouraging them to hope for a better era about to -arise under his auspices, in which the evils of foreign invasion and -the disaster of intestine disturbance were to cease, and the wounds of -the country to be healed by the restoration of peace and tranquillity. -He manifested a desire to encourage the prosperity of commerce and -agriculture; and by thus fostering individual enterprise, to ensure -the happiness of the people under his rule. To support the credit of -his government among the commercial nations abroad, he dispatched -a manifesto to each of them, with a design to remove the distrust -which had begun to be entertained in the mercantile world of the new -governments of Hayti. - -It was announced in these dispatches that the storehouses and magazines -of the Island were crowded and overflowing with the rich productions -of the Antilles, awaiting the arrival of foreign vessels to exchange -for them the produce and fabrics of other lands; that the vexatious -regulations and ignorant prohibitions of his predecessor no longer -existed to interfere with the commercial prosperity of the Island; -and that protection and encouragement would be granted to commercial -factors from abroad, who should come to reside in the ports of the -country. - -Christophe felt that his assumption of power was but a usurpation, and -that so long as his government remained in operation without the formal -sanction of the people, his rival at Port au Prince possessed immense -advantages over him, inasmuch as he had been made the constituted head -of the country by an observance of the forms of the constitution. To -remedy this palpable defect, which weakened his authority, he resolved -to frame another constitution, which would confirm him in the power he -had usurped, and furnish him with a legal excuse for maintaining his -present attitude. In accordance with this policy he convoked another -assembly at Cape François, composed of the generals of his army and -the principal citizens of that province, and after a short session -these subservient legislators terminated their labors by giving to -the world another constitution of the country, dated upon the 17th of -February, 1807. This new enactment declared all persons residing upon -the territory of Hayti, free citizens, and that the government was to -be administered by a supreme magistrate, who was to take the title of -President of the State, and General-in-Chief of the land and the naval -forces. - -The office was not hereditary, but the president had the right -to choose his successor from among the generals of the army; and -associated with him in the government there was to exist a Council -of State, consisting of nine members, selected by the President from -among the principal military chiefs. This, like the constitution, which -conferred power upon Dessalines, made Christophe an autocrat, though he -was nominally but the mere chief magistrate of a republic. - -The rival government of Port au Prince differed from that of -Christophe, by its possessing more of the forms of a republic. With -a president who held his power for life, and who could not directly -appoint his successor, there was associated a legislative body, -consisting of a chamber of representatives chosen directly by the -people, and a senate appointed by the popular branch of the government, -to sustain or control the president in the exercise of his authority. - -Hostilities between Christophe and Pétion were carried on for a long -time, which led to little less than the enfeeblement of both parties. -The black chief, however, established his power on solid foundations -in the North, while Pétion succeeded in retaining a firm position in -the South. Thus was the Island once more unhappily divided between two -authorities, each of which watched its opportunity for the overthrow of -the other. - -The struggle between the two presidents of Hayti had now continued -three years, when a new competitor started up, by the arrival of Rigaud -from France. He had passed by way of the United States, and arrived -at Aux Cayes on the 7th of April, 1810. This was an unexpected event, -which awakened deep solicitude in the bosom of Pétion, who could not -avoid regarding that distinguished mulatto as a more formidable rival -than Christophe. He feared his superior talents, and dreaded the -ascendency he held over the mulatto population. Rigaud was welcomed -by his old adherents with enthusiastic demonstrations of attachment -and respect; and after enjoying for a few days the hospitalities that -were so emulously offered to him, he proceeded on his way to Port au -Prince. Though Pétion could not feel at his ease while such a rival -was journeying in a species of triumph through the country, he dared -not, at least in his present condition, to make an open manifestation -of his displeasure, or employ force against one who had such devoted -partisans at his command. He determined, therefore, to mask his jealous -feelings, and wear an exterior of complaisance, until he could discover -the designs of Rigaud. The latter was received graciously by the -President, whose suspicions were all effectually lulled by the harmless -deportment of the great mulatto chieftain; and he was even invested by -Pétion with the government of the South. This was to place an idol in -the very temple of its worshippers, for Rigaud returned to Aux Cayes to -draw all hearts to himself. No one in that province now cast a thought -upon Pétion; and within a short period Rigaud was in full possession -of his ancient power. Pétion, affrighted at his situation, surrounded -as he was by two such rivals as Rigaud and Christophe, began an open -rupture with the former before he had fully ascertained whether he -could sustain himself against the hostilities of the latter. Some of -the mulattoes, who, with a spirit of patriotism or clanship foresaw -the triumphs which would be offered to the blacks by civil dissensions -among themselves, proposed a compromise between Rigaud and Pétion; but -this was rejected by the latter, who began to make preparations to -invade Rigaud’s province. - -Resolved to profit by this division, Christophe marched against Pétion, -but the common danger brought about a union, and Christophe judged it -prudent to retire. - -When Pétion had been left at peace, by the temporary retirement of -Christophe from the war against him, all his former jealousy was -awakened within him against Rigaud. The treaty of Miragoane had been -wrung from him by the hard necessities of his situation, which were -such as to force him to choose between yielding himself a prey to the -warlike ambition of Christophe, or complying with the urgent demands -pressed upon him by the political importance of Rigaud. A compact thus -brought about by the stern compulsion of an impending danger, and -not yielded as a voluntary sacrifice for the preservation of peace, -was not likely to remain unviolated when the necessity of the moment -had passed away and was forgotten. Thus, as has been observed, when -Christophe, engaged as he was in renovating the structure of his -government, had ceased from his hostilities against Pétion, the latter -became immediately infested with all his former dislike of Rigaud. -Intrigues were commenced against him, to shake the fidelity of his -followers, and to turn the hearts of the Southern blacks against the -mulatto who had been placed over them as their chief. - -Emissaries were employed in all parts of that province, reminding -the people of the obligations which they owed to the constituted -authorities of the Republic at Port au Prince, and conjuring them to -remember that the preservation of the country against the designs of -France could only be assured by the unanimous support given to the -chief of the Republic, who alone could perpetuate the institutions of -the country, and maintain its independence against its foreign enemies. - -An armistice concluded between Pétion and the Maroon chief, Gomar, -furnished an opportunity to the former to arm this formidable brigand -against the government of the South. Gomar’s followers, eager for new -scenes of plunder, commenced their depredations in the plain of Aux -Cayes, and the plantations in that quarter were soon subjected to the -same ravages as had fallen to the lot of those of Grand Anse. While -Rigaud was involved in a perplexing war with these banditti, and had -already discovered that the allegiance of his own followers at Aux -Cayes was wavering and insecure, he was dismayed at the intelligence -that Pétion had already invaded his territory at the head of an -army. Thus were the mulattoes committing suicide upon their political -hopes, if not upon their very existence, by a mad strife in the cause -of their respective chiefs, when their formidable enemy in the North -was concentrating his power, and watching a favorable moment to pour -destruction upon both. - -Rigaud hastened to collect his forces, in order to defend his territory -against this invasion of Pétion; and the latter, having already passed -the mountains of La Hotte, was met by his antagonist in the plain of -Aux Cayes. A furious battle immediately took place; and after a gallant -resistance, Rigaud’s troops had already begun to give ground before the -overpowering numbers and successive charges of the enemy, when a strong -reinforcement of troops under the command of General Borgella, coming -in from Aquin, turned the tide of battle in favor of Rigaud, and Pétion -was defeated in his turn, and his army almost annihilated in the rout -which followed.[39] - -The joy of this signal victory over his opponent, which had driven him -from the southern territory, did not efface the bitter recollections -which had fastened themselves upon the sensitive mind of Rigaud. In -that province, where he had once been all-powerful, and Pétion a -subservient instrument of his will, he saw that his former glory had so -far departed that he could not trust the fidelity of his own personal -attendants, while his former lieutenant was now his triumphant rival. -The applauses and sworn devotedness with which the multitude had once -followed in the march of his power had now with proverbial fickleness, -been exchanged for the coldness of indifference, or an open alliance -with his foes. - -In this desolate state of his fortunes, Rigaud had lost his wonted -energies; and instead of following up his late success, and arming -himself for the last desperate effort to crush his insinuating but -unwarlike opponent, he returned to Aux Cayes, to new solicitudes and -new experience of the faithlessness of that mob whose whirlwind-march -he had once guided by a single word. Pétion’s partisans had now gained -over to their opinions a formidable proportion of the people of Aux -Cayes, and Rigaud had scarcely entered his capital when a multitude -of blacks and mulattoes were gathered in the streets opposite the -government house. - -Their cries of vengeance upon Rigaud, and their menacing preparations, -struck a panic into the little body of followers, who, faithful among -the faithless, still adhered with unshaken constancy to the declining -fortunes of their once glorious chief. His friends besought Rigaud not -to attempt the hazardous experiment of showing himself in the gallery -to persuade the mob to disperse. But not suspecting that the last -remnant of his once mighty influence had departed from him, Rigaud -persevered in his design, and advancing to the gallery of the house, -he demanded in a mild voice of the leaders of the multitude what they -intended by a movement so threatening, when he received in answer a -volley of musketry aimed at his life. - -But he remained unharmed, though he returned into the house heart-sick -and desperate. A furious onset was immediately commenced from without, -and this was answered by a vigilant and deadly defence from Rigaud’s -followers within. The contest continued through the night, but the mob -were defeated in every attempt which they made to obtain a lodgment -within the walls of the edifice, and no decisive success could be -obtained to disperse them. Rigaud, now convinced that the witchery of -his power existed no longer, made a formal abdication of his authority, -and nominated General Borgella as his successor in the command of -the South. Rigaud, worn with chagrin and humiliation, retired to his -plantation, Laborde, where he died within a few days after, a victim to -the faithlessness of the multitude. - -Thus ended the life of André Rigaud, the ablest scholar and most -accomplished military man of any color which the St. Domingo revolution -had produced. The death of Rigaud had the effect of uniting the mulatto -generals, Borgella and Boyer under Pétion, and against Christophe; the -latter, however, succeeded in maintaining his authority in the North, -and still looked forward to a time when he should be able to govern the -whole Island. - -Christophe, like Dessalines, had been made a monarch by the -constitution which formed a basis to his power; but he had at -first only assumed to himself the modest title of President. This -moderation in his ambition arose from the desire to supplant Pétion -in his government, and become the supreme head of the whole country -without any rival or associate. For this purpose it was necessary to -surround his power with republican forms; to make it attractive in -the estimation of the better class of blacks and mulattoes, with whom -republican notions happened to be in vogue. - -But the prospect of superseding Pétion in his authority had become less -clear with every succeeding attempt, of Christophe against him; and -after years of untiring hostility, it was evident that Pétion was more -firmly enthroned in the hearts of his people than at the commencement -of his administration, and that no solid and durable advantages had -been gained over him in the field. Christophe was thus led to change -his policy; and, instead of seeking to assimilate the nature of the two -governments, in order to supplant his rival in the affections of his -countrymen, he now resolved to make his government the very contrast of -the other, and leave it to the people of his country to decide which of -the two forms of power was the best adapted to the nature and genius of -the population over which they maintained their sway. - -The one was a republic in direct contact with the people, and governed -by a plain engineer officer, who, though clothed with the sovereignty -of the state, “bore his faculties so meekly” that he mixed freely with -his fellow-citizens, but as a man in high repute for his intelligence -and his virtues. - -Christophe determined that the other should be a monarchy, surrounded -by all the insignia of supreme power, and sustained by an hereditary -nobility, who, holding their civil and military privileges from the -crown, would be props to the throne, and maintain industry and order -among the subjects of the government. The Republic was a government -of the mulattoes, and had been placed under the rule of a mulatto -president. The monarchy was to be essentially and throughout, a -dominion of the pure blacks, between whom and the mulattoes it was -alleged there was such diversity of interest and personal feeling that -no common sympathy could exist between them. - -In pursuance of this new policy, Christophe’s Council of State was -convoked, and commenced its labors to modify the constitution of -February, 1807, in order to make it conformable to the new ambition -of Christophe. With this council there had been associated the -principal generals of the army and several private citizens, who were -sufficiently in the favor of Christophe to be ranked among those -willing to do him honor. The labors of this council were brief, and -upon the 20th of March, 1811, the session was closed by the adoption -of a new form of government. The imperial constitution of 1805 was -modified to form an hereditary monarchy in the North, and to place the -crown of Hayti upon Christophe, under the title of Henry the First. - -In their announcement to the world of this new organization of the -government, the Council declared that the constitution which had been -framed in the year 1807, imperfect as it was, had been adapted to the -circumstances of the country at that epoch, but that the favorable -moment had arrived to perfect their work, and establish a permanent -form of government, suited to the nature and condition of the people -over which it was to bear rule. - -They added that the majority of the nation felt with them the necessity -of establishing an hereditary monarchy in the country, inasmuch as -a government administered by a single individual was, less than any -other, subject to the chances of revolution, as it possessed within -itself a higher power to maintain the laws, to protect the rights of -citizens, to preserve internal order, and maintain respect abroad; that -the title of governor-general, which had been conferred upon Toussaint -L’Ouverture, was insufficient to the dignity of a supreme magistrate; -that that of emperor, which had been bestowed upon Dessalines, could -not in strictness be conferred but upon the sovereign of several states -united under one government, while that of president did not, in fact, -carry with it the idea of sovereign power at all. In consideration of -these grave objections to all other terms to designate the supreme head -of the state, the council expressed itself driven at last to adopt the -title of king. The council next proceeded by a formal decree to confer -the title of King of Hayti upon Henri Christophe and his successors -in the male line, and to make such changes and modifications in the -constitution of 1807 as were required by the recent alteration in the -structure of the government. - -On the 4th of April, the Council of State, which, with the additions -made to their number from among the chiefs of the army and the leaders -among the population, was pompously styled the Council General, in -their robes of state, and headed by their president, proceeded to the -palace of Christophe, to announce in formal terms the termination -of their labors, which had resulted in the formation of a new -constitution, making the crown of Hayti hereditary in the family of -the reigning prince. After a speech filled with the very essence of -adulation, the President of the Council, General Romaine, exclaimed -in the presence of the sovereign, “People of Hayti, regard with pride -your present situation. Cherish no longer any fears for the future -prosperity of your country, and address your gratitude to Heaven; for -while there exists a Henry upon the throne, a Sully will ever be found -to direct the march of your happiness.” - -On the day following, the new constitution was proclaimed by official -announcement throughout the kingdom, and Christophe entered upon the -exercise of the kingly powers which had been conferred upon him. The -first act of his reign was the promulgation of a royal edict, creating -an hereditary nobility, as a natural support to his government, and -an institution to give éclat and permanence to his sovereignty. These -dignitaries of the kingdom were taken mostly from among the chiefs -of the army, and consisted of two princes, not of the royal blood, -of seven dukes, twenty-two counts, thirty-five barons, and fourteen -chevaliers. - -Of priority in rank among the princes of the kingdom, were those of the -royal blood, consisting of the two sons of Christophe, the eldest of -whom, as heir apparent, received the title of Prince Royal. - -Having finished these creations of his new monarchy, and received -the two royal crowns of Hayti, Christophe appointed the 2d of June, -1811, as the day for his coronation. All the chiefs of the army and -other grandees of the realm had orders to repair to the capital, and -among them there appeared a deputation from the blacks of the Spanish -territory, who had assumed to themselves the pompous appellations of -Don Raphael de Villars, chief commandant of Santiago; Don Raymond de -Villa, commandant of Vega; Don Vincent de Luna, and Don José Thabanes, -who at least represented the Spanish creoles by the grandiloquence -of their names. An immense pavilion had been erected upon the Place -d’Armes of Cape Henry, furnished with a throne, galleries for the -great ladies of the court, chapels, oratories, an orchestra, and all -the arrangements necessary for the august ceremony. This was performed -in due stateliness by the new archbishop of Hayti, the capuchin Brelle, -who consecrated Christophe King of Hayti, under the title of Henry the -First. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[39] Lacroix. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -CHRISTOPHE AS KING, AND PÉTION AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI. - - -Christophe, now enthroned as the sovereign of the North, seized upon -the leisure which was afforded him after perfecting the internal -details of his new government, to attempt a peaceable union of the -blacks of the South with those who were already the loyal subjects -of what he considered the legitimate authority of the Island. For -this purpose a large deputation was dispatched from his capital, to -proceed into the territory of the republic as the envoys of the black -king, who proposed the union of the whole population in one undivided -government, secured under the form of an hereditary monarchy, both -from the revolutions and weakness of one, the structure of which was -more popular. These emissaries, sent to declare the clemency and -peaceful intentions of the monarch of the North, were taken from among -the prisoners who had fallen into the power of Christophe by the -capitulation of the Mole St. Nicholas, and who had been adopted into -the royal army, and made the sharers of the royal bounty of the black -king. To assist in this new measure, a proclamation was issued from -the palace at Cape Henry on the 4th of September, 1811, addressed to -the inhabitants of the South, who were no longer called the enemies of -the royal government, but erring children, misled by the designing; -and they were implored to return to their allegiance to the paternal -government of that chief who had just been constituted the hereditary -prince of the blacks. “A new era,” said this royal document, “has now -dawned upon the destinies of Hayti. - -“New grades, new employments, new dignities; in fine, an order of -hereditary nobility are hereafter to be the rewards of those who devote -themselves to the State. You can participate in all these advantages. -Come, then, to join the ranks of those who have placed themselves under -the banners of the royal authority, which has no other design than the -happiness and glory of the country.” - -This policy of Christophe was to employ the weapons of Pétion against -himself. But the republican chieftain was in better play with the foils -than his more unsophisticated rival of the monarchy, and Christophe -soon discovered that while he was attacking the government of Pétion by -appeals to the blacks, who were to be dazzled with his royal goodness, -the arts of his rival were employed in the very heart of his dominions, -and had already insinuated the poison of rebellion among his most -trusted subjects. His infant navy had hardly been launched and manned -with the objects of his clemency and royal favor, when a detachment of -the squadron, consisting of the Princess Royal and several brigs of -war, abjured his authority, and raised the standard of the republic. -This defection was punished by an English frigate under Sir James -Lucas Yeo,[40] who captured the rebellious squadron, and restored the -agents to Christophe’s vengeance. - -Indignant at these attempts of the mulatto government to divert the -affections of his subjects from their sworn allegiance to his throne, -Christophe resolved on immediate war and the employment of the sword -against that race whose pride and hatred made them the enemies of the -pure blacks. Conscious of his military superiority, he resolved to make -his preparations for the intended enterprise such as to ensure success -over his opponent, and all the disposable forces of his army were -gathered together for an invasion of the territories of the Republic. - -The Artibonite was soon crossed, and Pétion’s forces, under the command -of General Boyer, were met and defeated in the gorges of the mountains -of St. Marks; and the way thus laid open for an immediate advance on -Port au Prince. - -The siege of this place was the object of the expedition, and -Christophe pressed forward once more to try the fortune of war against -his hated enemy. So sudden was the invasion, that Pétion was taken -totally unprepared--a considerable portion of his army being absent -from the capital, employed in watching the movements of General -Borgella in the south. - -In this state of weakness the town might have been surprised, and -fallen an easy prey to the invading army, but Christophe had not -calculated upon such a speedy result, and though his vanguard had -seized upon a post a little to the north of the town, while the -inhabitants in their exposed condition were panic-struck at the -certain prospect of being captured immediately, the arrival of the main -body of Christophe’s army being delayed twenty-four hours, time was -thus afforded to Pétion to rally and concentrate his means of defence, -so as to be prepared for an effectual resistance. Christophe’s whole -force came up the next day, and Pétion’s capital was nearly surrounded -by a formidable train of artillery, and an army of twenty thousand men. - -In this gigantic attempt of their old adversary, the mulattoes felt -with terror that defeat and conquest would not be to them a simple -change of government, but would involve in its tremendous consequences -the total extermination of their race. In so hazardous a situation, -they were taught to reflect upon the madness of their ambition, which, -by sowing dissensions among themselves, had exposed them, weak and -unarmed, to the whole power of their natural enemy. In so fearful a -crisis, the resolution was at last taken to repair their former error, -and thus avert the disasters which now overhung them by an attenuated -thread. Negotiations were hastily commenced with General Borgella, who, -sympathizing with his brethren of Port au Prince in their perilous -situation, consented to conditions of peace, and even yielded himself -to the orders of Pétion. The assistance of the army of the South was -thus secured, and General Borgella at the head of his forces marched -to the assistance of Pétion, and succeeded, in spite of the efforts of -Christophe, in gaining an entrance into the town. - -The operations of the siege had already commenced; but the mulattoes, -now united, were enabled to make a vigorous defence. Christophe’s -formidable train of artillery had been mounted in batteries upon the -heights above the town, and kept up a slow but ceaseless fire upon the -works of the garrison within. - -Pétion conducted the defence with considerable ability, and a -succession of vigorous sallies made upon the lines of the besieging -army without the town, taught the latter that they had a formidable -adversary to overcome before the town would yield itself to their mercy. - -Amidst these continued struggles, which daily gave employment to the -two forces, and had already begun to inflame Christophe with the rage -of vexation that his anticipated success was so likely to be exchanged -for defeat, Pétion had, one day, at the head of a reconnoitering party, -advanced too far beyond his lines, when he was pursued by a squadron of -the enemy’s cavalry. - -The President of the Republic had been discovered by the decorations -upon his hat; and the enemy kept up a hot pursuit, which hung upon -the very footsteps of the mulatto commander-in-chief, whose escape in -such circumstances seemed impossible, when one of his officers devoted -himself to death to save the life of his chief. - -Exchanging hats with the president, he rode swiftly in another -direction. The whole party of the enemy were thus drawn after him, and -he was soon overtaken and cut down, while Pétion made his escape into -the town. - -The siege of Port au Prince had now continued two months, and the -obstinacy of its defence had already begun to make Christophe despair -of final success, when an occurrence took place which determined him -to raise it immediately. Indignant at the tyranny of the black king, -several chiefs of his army had formed a conspiracy to assassinate him -during his attendance at church. Christophe was always punctual at -mass, and upon these occasions the church was filled with officers in -waiting, and surrounded with soldiers. It had been arranged to stab him -while he was kneeling at the altar, and then to proclaim the death of -the tyrant to the soldiery, whose attachment to their monarch, it was -thought, was not so warm as to render such an enterprise hazardous. - -This dangerous undertaking had been prepared in such secrecy, that -a great number of the officers and soldiers of the army had been -drawn into the ranks of the conspirators, and all things were now in -readiness for the final blow. In this stage of the transaction, a -mulatto proved faithless to his associates, and informed Christophe -minutely of all the plans of the conspiracy, and of all the agents who -had devoted themselves to his destruction. - -The monarch, thus possessed of a full knowledge of all that had been -prepared against him, concealed the vengeful feelings that burned -within him under an appearance of the utmost composure. He feared -lest a whisper intimating that he had been informed of the intentions -of the conspirators might snatch them from his vengeance by urging -them to desert to the enemy. At the usual hour the troops paraded -at the church, and Christophe, instead of entering to assist at the -mass, placed himself at the head of his army, and designated by their -names the leaders of the conspiracy, who were ordered to march to -the centre. An order was then given to the troops to fire, and the -execution was complete. - -A black named Etienne Magny, was one of the ablest of Christophe’s -generals; and though he had been secretary to the council of state that -had raised the latter to the throne of Hayti, he had now become so -dissatisfied with his work that nothing retained him to the standard -of his king but the reflection that his family, whom he had left at -Cape Henry, would be required to pay the forfeit of his defection -with their heads. A body of black soldiers, who were upon the point -of deserting to the army of Pétion, willing to give éclat to their -defection by taking their commander with them, surrounded the tent of -Magny by night, and communicated to him their intention. The black -general hesitated not to express his willingness to accompany them; but -he urged that tenderness for his family forbade an attempt which would -doom them all to certain destruction. - -The black soldiers refused to yield to these considerations, and -seizing upon Magny, they bore him off undressed, and without his arms, -into the town. To preserve the lives of Magny’s family, Pétion treated -him as a prisoner of war; and he remained at Port au Prince until the -death of Christophe, when he was made the commander of the North under -Boyer. - -Christophe, discouraged at his defeats, and enraged at the sweeping -defections which were every day diminishing the numbers of his army, -and strengthening the resources of his rival, now commenced his retreat -towards the north, whence intelligence had lately reached him of -designs in preparation against him among his own subjects. The army -of the republic, under General Boyer, commenced a pursuit. The cause -of Pétion seemed triumphant. Boyer pressed closely upon the rear of -the royal army, and Christophe seemed on the point of losing all, when -the cautious policy of Pétion restrained Boyer’s activity, and the -republicans turned back from the pursuit. Christophe had been foiled -in his great effort by Pétion and Borgella, and he now regarded the -mulattoes with a hatred so deep and fiendlike, that nothing would -satisfy the direness of his vengeance but the utter extermination of -that race. A body of mulatto women of the town of Gonaives, who had -sympathized with their brethren of Port au Prince in the struggle -which the latter were maintaining against the power of Christophe, and -with this communion of feeling had made prayers to the Virgin against -the success of their king, became the first victims of the rage of -Christophe against their race. - -They were marched out of the town, and all subjected to military -execution, without a distinction in their punishment or consideration -of mercy for their sex. Christophe had long ago resolved to rest the -foundation of his power upon the support of the pure blacks, and he -now determined to make his administration one of ceaseless hatred and -persecution to the mulattoes. - -Through the influence of this policy, he hoped to make the number of -the blacks prevail over the superior intelligence and bravery of the -mulattoes. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[40] Lacroix. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -PEACE IN HAYTI, AND DEATH OF PÉTION. - - -Christophe had now discovered the too palpable truth, that so far from -his possessing the means to drive his rival from the government of the -South, all his cares and precautions were requisite to maintain the -sovereignty over his own subjects of the North. A train of perpetual -suspicions kept his jealousy ever alive, and vexed by the tortures of -eternal solicitude, his despotic temper grew by the cruelty which had -become its aliment. Together with this perpetual inquietude for the -safety of his power, which made the new throne of Hayti a pillow of -thorns and torture, other considerations had their influence to arrest -the hostilities between the two chiefs of the country. The giant power -of Napoleon had now extended itself over almost all the thrones of -Europe, and with such an infinity of means at his disposal, it was -yearly expected that another armament, proportioned to the overgrown -power of the French Emperor, would be sent to crush the insurgents of -St. Domingo, and restore that island once more to the possession of its -ancient colonists. - -Influenced by the fears inspired by these forebodings, the two -governments of Hayti were actuated by a common instinct of -self-preservation to cease from their warfare, and instead of -spending their resources in a civil strife which threatened to become -interminable, to employ themselves in giving permanence to their -existing condition, and prosperity to the country under their control. -The population, which had been employed in the armies of the two -powers, had been taken from their labors upon the soil, and the ravages -of war had consumed and destroyed the scanty growth of the plantations. - -Amidst this unproductiveness of agriculture, which spread the miseries -of want and destitution among the inhabitants of both governments, the -occurrence of a maritime war between the United States and England -entirely cut off the supplies which had been drawn from those two -countries, and the evil condition of the Island was complete. In this -sad state of their affairs, both Christophe and Pétion ceased from all -military operations against each other, without previous arrangement or -military truce; and they directed all their efforts to heal the wounds -which had been inflicted by hostile depredation or the neglect of -peaceful employments within their respective territories. - -The tax laid by Christophe upon his subjects exceeded in despotism -anything of the kind ever before known in the Island; and even -surpassed the outrageous demands of Dessalines. - -Pétion dared not to tax his subjects to supply the wants of his -administration; and for this purpose he was driven to embarrass -commerce by the imposition of enormous duties upon the trade carried -on in his ports. But Christophe had assumed a station which forebade -him to fear his subjects, and he furnished yearly millions to his -treasury by a territorial tax, which poured one-fourth of all the -productions of the kingdom into the royal coffers. Possessed of this -revenue, which placed his finances beyond the contingencies of chance, -the commercial regulations of Christophe were the very opposites of -those enforced within the republic; and the traffic in the ports of the -kingdom was annually augmented by a competition sustained at advantages -so immense. - -The army of the monarchy was in all things better furnished and more -respectable than that of the republic. The troops were well clothed -and well armed. They were kept under a discipline so strict that it -knew no mercy and permitted no relaxation. The smallest delinquency was -visited upon the offender with unsparing flagellation or with military -execution. The troops received a merely nominal stipend for their -services, and each soldier was required to gain his subsistence by the -cultivation of a few acres of ground, which were allotted him out of -the national domain; and of this scanty resource a fourth was required -to be delivered into the hands of the king’s officers, as a part of the -royal revenues. - -Although Christophe had determined to maintain his power by the -bayonets of the soldiery, he condescended to no measures of unusual -moderation in his conduct toward these supporters of his authority. The -soldiers of the army, as well as the laborers of the plantations, lived -in perpetual dread of the rod of authority which was ever brandished -over their heads; and of the merciless inflictions of authority the -former obtained a more than ordinary share. - -Upon common occasions, Christophe assumed little state, showing himself -among his subjects but as a private individual of superior rank. Like -his model, George III., it was his habit to walk the streets of the -capital dressed in plain citizen’s costume, and with no decorations -to designate his rank but a golden star upon his breast. In this -unostentatious manner he was often seen upon the quay, watching the -operations at the custom-house; or in the town, superintending the -laborers engaged in the erection of public edifices. His never-failing -companion upon these occasions was a huge cane, which he exercised -without mercy upon those who were idle in his presence, or whose petty -offences of any kind called for extemporary flagellation. - -Christophe was without education, but like his predecessor, Dessalines, -he found a royal road to learning. His knowledge of books was -extensive, as several educated mulattoes retained about his person -under the name of secretaries were employed several hours of each day -in reading to the monarch. He was particularly delighted with history, -of which his knowledge was extensive and accurate; and Frederick the -Great of Prussia was a personage with whom above all others he was -captivated, the name of Sans Souci, his palace, having been borrowed -from Potsdam. - -Such sharpness had been communicated to his genius, naturally astute, -by having knowledge thus dispensed to him in daily portions, that -Christophe became at last a shrewd critic upon the works read before -him, and even grew fastidious in the selection of his authors. The -events of that stormy period of European history, as detailed in the -public journals of the time, were listened to with a greedy ear, and -the course of Napoleon’s policy was watched with a keenness which -manifested Christophe’s own interest in the affair. - -Christophe, though a pure African, was not a jet black, his complexion -being rather a dusky brown. His person was commanding, slightly -corpulent, and handsome. His address was cold, polished, and graceful. -He possessed a certain air of native dignity which corresponded well -with his high official station, and he exacted great personal deference -from all who approached him. The personal qualities and majestic -bearing of the black king impressed his own characteristics upon his -court. The most formal ceremony was observed upon public occasions, -and no grandee of the realm could safely appear at the court of -his sovereign without the costume and decorations of his rank. The -ceremonial and observances were modelled after the drawing-rooms at St. -James palace, and Christophe was always pleased with the attendance of -whites, particularly if they were titled Englishmen. Many distinguished -foreigners visited the court of the black monarch, attracted thither -by a curiosity to witness the spectacle of an African levée, a scene -which, by established regulation, was held at the palace on the -Thursday of every week. - -The company was collected in an ante-chamber which adjoined the -principal hall of the palace, where the novices in courtly life were -suitably drilled and instructed in the minute details of the parts -they were expected to play in the coming pageantry, by two or three -assistants of the grand master of ceremonies, the Baron de Sicard. When -all things were in readiness, both within and without, the doors were -thrown open, and the monarch of Hayti appeared seated upon the throne -in royal costume, with the crown upon his head, and surrounded by a -glittering cortege composed of his ministers, grand almoner, grand -marshal of the palace, chamberlains, and heralds at arms. - -Political offences were never left unpunished by Christophe, and -towards delinquents of this kind he never manifested his vengeance -by open violence or a display of personal indignation. Those who had -excited his mistrust were upon some occasions even favored with a -personal visit from the monarch, who studiously concealed his vengeful -purposes under a show of kindness, and the utmost graciousness of -manner. But the arrival of his vengeance was not retarded by this -display of civility. The agents of Christophe generally made their -appearance by night, and the suspected offender was secretly hurried -off to the fate which awaited him. But though Christophe’s anger for -offences not of a political character was violent, it was seldom bloody. - -Amidst a torrent of philippics against such persons, his customary -expression, “O! diable,” was a signal to those in attendance to fall -upon the offender and scourge him with canes; and when the punishment -had been made sufficient, the justice of the monarch was satisfied, and -the culprit was restored again to his favor. Sometimes, however, his -indignation in these cases was aroused to the ferocity of a savage not -to be appeased but by the blood of his victim. - -We must now turn to the affairs of the republic. Pétion had long been -despondent for the permanence of the republic, and this feeling had by -degrees grown into a settled despair, when he discovered that his long -administration had not succeeded in giving order and civilization to -the idle and barbarous hordes composing the dangerous population of his -government. While the more despotic sway of Christophe maintained the -prosperity of his kingdom, Pétion found that the people of the republic -was becoming every day a more ungovernable rabble, indolent, dissolute, -and wretched. While the coffers of Christophe were overflowing with -millions of treasures wrung by the hard exactions of his tyranny from -the blacks who toiled upon the soil, the finances of the republic -were already in irretrievable confusion, as the productions of that -territory were hardly sufficient for the sustenance of its population. - -Amidst these perplexities and embarrassments, Pétion fell sick in the -month of March, 1818, and after a malady which continued but eight -days, he perished of a mind diseased, declaring to his attendants that -he was weary of life. - -The announcement that Pétion was no more threw all the foreign -merchants of the republic into consternation. They expected that -an event like this would be the harbinger of another revolution to -overturn all that had been achieved, or of a long and destructive -anarchy, which would completely annihilate the little authority there -yet remained in the republic. Merchandise to the amount of millions -had been sold to the credit of the country, in the doubtful hope that -its government would be durable. Both treasures and blood were at -stake, but the terror of the moment was soon appeased. At the tidings -of Pétion’s illness, the Senate had assembled itself in session, and -this body conferred power upon the expiring president to nominate his -successor; and Pétion, when he foresaw that his death was inevitable, -designated for this purpose General Boyer, then commanding the -arrondissement of Port au Prince. - -The funeral ceremonies of the deceased president took place upon the -first of April, and were performed with the most august solemnity. -All the great officers of the army were ordered to their posts, and -required to maintain a ceaseless vigilance for the preservation of -tranquillity. An embargo was laid until the Sunday following upon all -vessels in the harbor of Port au Prince, and several detachments of -troops were ordered to march towards different points of the frontier. -The observance of every precaution which the most anxious solicitude -could suggest for the maintenance of internal peace, and the prevention -of invasion from abroad, was evidence that Pétion had bequeathed his -power to a successor worthy of his choice. - -There was a wide difference between Pétion and Christophe; the former -was a republican at heart, the latter, a tyrant by nature. Assuming -no pretensions to personal or official dignity, and totally rejecting -all the ceremonial of a court, it was Pétion’s ambition to maintain -the exterior of a plain republican magistrate. Clad in the white linen -undress of the country, and with a Madras handkerchief tied about his -head, he mixed freely and promiscuously with his fellow-citizens, or -seated himself in the piazza of the government house, accessible to all. - -Pétion was subtle, cautious, and designing. He aspired to be the -Washington, as Christophe was deemed the Bonaparte, of Hayti. By -insinuating the doctrines of equality and republicanism, Pétion -succeeded in governing, with but ten thousand mulattoes, a population -of more than two hundred thousand blacks. - -The administration of Pétion was mild, and he did all that he could -for the elevation of the people whom he ruled. He was the patron -of education and the arts; and scientific men, for years after his -death, spoke his name with reverence. He was highly respected by the -representatives of foreign powers, and strangers visiting his republic -always mentioned his name in connection with the best cultivated -and the most gentlemanly of the people of Hayti. The people of the -republic, without distinction of color or sect, regarded Pétion’s -death as a great national calamity; and this feeling extended even -into Christophe’s dominion, where the republican president had many -warm friends amongst the blacks as well as the mulattoes. Pétion was -only forty-eight years of age at his death. He was a man of medium -size, handsome, as were nearly all of the men of mixed blood, who took -part in the Haytian war. His manners were of the Parisian school, and -his early military training gave him a carriage of person that added -dignity to his general appearance. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -BOYER THE SUCCESSOR OF PÉTION IN HAYTI. - - -Boyer, the new president, was peaceably acknowledged by the people of -the republic as their lawful chief, and no other general of the army -manifested any disposition to establish an adverse claim to the vacant -dignity. - -Boyer, finding himself tranquilly seated in power, and placed beyond -any danger from the hostile enterprises of the rival dynasty, devoted -himself to the encouragement of agriculture and commerce within his -territory. He made a tour of inspection through all the different -districts, and in each of them the due observance of the laws was -enjoined, and the citizens were urged to abandon their idle habits, and -for the good of the State, if not for the promotion of their individual -interests, to employ themselves in the development of the great -resources of the country. - -Within a few months after his elevation to power, the new president -formed the resolution to disperse the hordes of banditti that infested -Grande Anse, and kept the whole South in perpetual alarm. Conscious of -the importance there existed of depriving his great competitor of a -lodgment within the very heart of the republic, such as to expose its -very capital to the danger of an attack both in front and rear, Boyer -determined to fit out a sufficient force to sweep the mountains of La -Hotte, and if possible, to capture Gomar within the very fastnesses -which had been for so many years his natural citadel. - -Christophe, on the other hand, determined, if possible, to preserve -this important point from which he could so easily gain an entrance to -the territory of the republic, made a diversion in favor of the Maroons -in this movement against them, by assuming a hostile attitude upon -the northern frontier of the republic. A formidable detachment of the -royal army was already entering the neutral territory of Boucausin, -and threatening another attack upon Port au Prince, when Boyer found -it necessary to defer his intended expedition against Gomar, and -recall all his forces to repel the danger which was threatening in an -opposite quarter. This was the single result which Christophe designed -to accomplish by his movement on Port au Prince; and when this had been -effected, his army returned to its quarters in the North. - -But Boyer was not to be turned aside from his resolution of rescuing -the best districts of his territory from continual spoliation, and -when the panic had subsided which had been inspired by the threatened -invasion of Christophe, he put his troops in motion in the autumn of -1819, for a campaign against the Maroons of Grande Anse. The troops of -the republic met, and defeated the brigands. - -Having accomplished the objects of his visit, and left peace and -tranquillity where those conditions had so long been unknown, Boyer -commenced his return to his capital, gratified that his attainment -of power had been effected so peaceably, and that the hopes of his -administration were already based more solidly than ever upon the -wishes of the people. - -Boyer had now attained complete success in his design to shut the -boundaries of his states against the machinations of Christophe; and -until a more favorable moment he contented himself to maintain a policy -strictly defensive against an opponent so warlike. The latter, on his -side, enraged at the defeat and overthrow of his allies of Grande Anse, -began to threaten another invasion of Boyer’s territory, and many -months glided away in the daily expectation of the commencement of -hostilities between the two governments. In this interval the growing -tyranny of Christophe forced a flood of emigration from his realms -into the territories of the republic, and the very household troops -of the monarch began to desert in large numbers from the service of a -sovereign whose cruelty decimated their ranks at the instigation of -his caprice. Bold, crafty, and suspicious, Christophe with one breath -congratulated his subjects upon the glorious possession which they held -of personal liberty and national independence, and with another he -doomed them to scourgings, imprisonment, and death. - -So unlimited and habitual was his severity, that it was said of -him that he would put a man to death with as little hesitation as -a sportsman would bring down an article of game. His dungeons were -filled with thousands of victims of all colors, and new detachments of -prisoners were daily arriving to swell the number. The innocent were -confounded with the guilty; for under the promptings of his hatred or -jealousy, the despot would not stop to make nice discriminations. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -INSURRECTION, AND DEATH OF CHRISTOPHE. - - -Christophe, who now might be denominated the Caligula of the blacks, -was every day adding to the discontent and terror of his subjects. His -soldiers were treated with extreme severity for every real or fancied -fault, and they sought for nothing so earnestly as for an occasion -to abandon his service, and gain an asylum within the territories -of his rival; or to attempt, what they scarcely dared to meditate, -the dethronement of a tyrant who caused them to pass their lives in -wretchedness. Christophe possessed a knowledge of this disaffection -entertained towards him, and instead of seeking to assure and -perpetuate the allegiance of his army, to the bayonets of which he was -indebted for his power, his vengeance became every day more watchful -and more terrible, until his conduct exceeded in cruelty even that -which had already spread hatred and misery throughout the nation. -Christophe determined to rule through the inspirement of fear alone, -and he practised no arts of conciliation to preserve to his interests -those even who were necessary to the maintenance of his power. - -His despotism was thus carried beyond the limits of endurance. So -far from seeking to attach his great officers to his own person, by -lavishing upon them the favors of his government, his suspicions had -become alarmed at the growing wealth of his nobles, in consequence -of the immense incomes drawn by them from the estates placed under -their control, within the districts of which they were the titulary -lords. To prevent this inordinate increase of wealth among a class of -persons who, it was thought, might one day employ it against the throne -and dignity of the sovereign, an institution was formed, called the -Royal Chamber of Accounts, which, by a sort of star-chamber process, -appraised the estates of the nobility, and disburdened them of so -much of their wealth as the king deemed a matter of superfluity to -them. Several of the black nobles had already been subjected to the -jurisdiction of this royal court; and, actuated by secret indignation -for this arbitrary spoliation of their property, they sought only for -an opportunity to drive Christophe from his power, in the hope to share -the same authority among themselves. - -In the month of August, 1820, Christophe, while attending mass, was -attacked with paralysis, and was immediately carried to his palace at -Sans Souci, where he remained an invalid for many months, to the great -satisfaction of his subjects. - -This event, so favorable to the treacherous designs of the discontented -chiefs of his government, furnished an occasion for the formation of a -dangerous conspiracy, at the head of which were Paul Romaine, Prince -of Limbe, and General Richard, the governor of the royal capital. -The conspirators designed to put Christophe to death, and after the -performance of a deed so acceptable to the nation, to form a northern -republic, similar in its structure to that which existed in the South, -at the head of which was to be placed General Romaine, with the title -of president. - -But before this scheme could be carried out, a division of the royal -army, stationed at St. Marks, and consisting of a force of six thousand -men, exasperated at the cruelties practiced upon them, seized upon -this occasion to revolt. The commanding general was beheaded, and a -deputation of the mutineers was dispatched to carry the head of the -murdered officer to the president of the republic at Port au Prince. - -The intelligence of this revolt was carried quickly to Christophe’s -capital, and it produced an explosion of popular feeling that betokened -the speedy downfall of the black monarchy. The troops of the capital -immediately put themselves under arms, and assumed a threatening -attitude. On the evening of the 6th of October, the inhabitants of the -capital were startled at the noise of drums beating to arms. - -The streets were soon filled with soldiers, obeying or resisting the -authority of their officers, as the latter happened to favor or hate -the power of the king. The governor of the capital, who did not wish -for such a dénouement to his plans, undertook measures to subdue the -mutinous spirit of the troops; but though he sought for support on -every side, he found no readiness, either on the part of the army or -of the people, to assist him in his attempt. The tumult increased -every moment, and spread by degrees to every part of the town, until -the whole population became united in the rebellion. The army took the -lead, and the whole body of the inhabitants followed the example of -the soldiers. It was decided by acclamation to march upon Sans Souci, -and seize upon Christophe within his own palace, but this movement was -deferred until the following day. - -Meantime, Christophe had been informed of these proceedings, so ominous -to the preservation of his power, if not of his life. He had not yet -recovered from his malady, but his unconquerable energy of soul had -not been paralyzed by disease, for he leaped immediately from his bed, -demanding that his arms should be brought to him, and that his horse -should be ordered to the door. But if his bold spirit did not quail -before the calamities which were impending over him, his bodily frame -proved unequal to the activity of his mind, and he was compelled to -rest satisfied with sending forward his guards to subdue the rebellious -troops of the capital, while he remained within his palace to await his -destiny. - -Meantime, General Richard, the governor of the capital, had put himself -at the head of the insurgents, the number of whom amounted to ten or -twelve thousand, and the column took up its march directly for Sans -Souci. On Sunday, the 8th of October, the insurgents encountered -on their way the detachment of body guards which the monarch had -dispatched against them. - -The two forces quickly arranged themselves in order of battle, and a -brisk fire commenced between them. It continued, however, but a few -minutes. The cry of the insurgents was, “Liberté, liberté,” and the -utterance of this magical word soon became contagious in the ranks of -the royal guards. The latter had even less predilection for their -monarch than the other corps of the army, for their situation and -rank bringing them in nearer contact with the royal person, they were -frequently exposed to the terrific explosions of the royal vengeance. - -Thus the watchword of the mutineers was answered with redoubled -enthusiasm by the household troops, and they passed over in a body to -join the forces of the insurgents. The whole military power of the -kingdom was now united in a vast column of mutineers, burning for -vengeance upon Christophe, and pressing onward to the palace of Sans -Souci. - -The king was soon informed that his guards had declared against him, -and that the forces of the insurgents were already in the immediate -vicinity of his palace. At this astounding intelligence he exclaimed in -despair, “Then all is over with me!” and seizing a pistol, shot himself -through the heart. - -Thus perished a man who had succeeded in maintaining his authority over -the blacks for a longer time than any of the chiefs of the revolution. -This he accomplished through the single agency of the extraordinary -energy of his character. The unshrinking boldness and decision of his -measures made terror the safeguard of his throne, until his excessive -cruelty drove his subjects to a point at which fear is changed into -desperation. His policy at first was that of Toussaint, but he carried -it to an access of rigor which made his government a despotism. -Like his great predecessor, he possessed such intimate knowledge -of the African character, as enabled him to succeed completely in -controlling those placed under his sway, and, in spite of the national -propensities, to make his plans effectual for developing the resources -of the country. While the territory was still a neglected waste, and -its population poor, the lands of Christophe were in a condition of -high productiveness, and the monarch died, leaving millions in the -royal treasury. - -But the salutary restraints imposed upon his disorderly subjects at the -commencement of his reign, had been augmented by degrees to correspond -to the demands of an evergrowing jealousy, until they had become -changed to a rigorous severity of discipline, or vengeance, such as -has been practised in few countries upon the globe. The dungeons of -the Citadel Henry were almost as fatal to human life as the Black Hole -at Calcutta, and it has been asserted, that amidst the pestiferous -exhalations and suffocative atmosphere of these abodes of misery, the -prisoners were almost sure to perish after a short confinement. With -less truth it has been alleged, that fifty thousand persons lost their -lives in these living tombs, while thirty thousand others perished -of fatigue, hunger, and hardship of those who had been condemned for -offences of a lighter nature, to labors upon the public works of the -kingdom, all of which were performed under the lash and bayonet of the -soldiery.[41] - -These estimates are probably beyond the truth, though the number -is incredible of those who perished under the severe exactions of -Christophe’s tyranny, by hardship, imprisonment, military execution, or -the infliction of sudden death, executed amidst a burst of ferocious -vengeance in the despot. Christophe failed of giving perpetuity to his -government through the mere abuse of his power. - -The king was fifty-three years of age at his death, having reigned nine -years. With a mind little capable of continuous thought, Christophe -possessed a strong and obstinate will. When once he had gained an -elevated position, he manifested great energy of character. Anxious -to augment by commerce the material strength of his dominions, and to -develop its moral power by education, he imposed on the emancipated -people a labor not unlike that of the days of their servitude. Many -hundreds of lives were sacrificed in erecting the palace of Sans Souci, -and grading its grounds. The schools put in operation in his time, -surpassed anything of the kind ever introduced in that part of the -Island before or since. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[41] Malo. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -UNION OF HAYTI AND SANTO DOMINGO. - - -The death of Christophe was hailed with enthusiasm and applause, in his -own part of the Island, as well as in the republic; and on the 15th of -October, 1821, General Paul Romaine put himself at the head of affairs, -and proclaimed a republic. A deputation was at once dispatched to -President Boyer, with an offer to unite the two governments under him, -as their head. This was accepted, and in a short time the union took -place. - -From the time of the evacuation of the Island by the French under -Rochambeau, Santo Domingo, the Spanish part of the Island, had become a -place of refuge for the white colonist, and the persecuted mulattoes; -and during the administration of Dessalines and Christophe, Santo -Domingo was comparatively quiet, except an occasional visit from the -partisans of some of the Haytian chiefs. Santo Domingo was a mulatto -government, and it hailed with joy the union under Boyer, and a scheme -was set on foot to carry the Spanish part of the Island over to Boyer. -Many of their best men thought it would be better for the whole Island -to be governed by one legislature, and that its capital should be at -Port au Prince. - -The authorities of Santo Domingo were clearly of this opinion, for when -the new project was laid before them, they yielded a ready assent, and -a deputation immediately set forward in the month of December, 1821, -to convey the wishes of the Spanish blacks to the mulatto chief of -the French part of the Island. Boyer was formally solicited to grant -his consent that the Spanish part of the Island should be annexed to -the republic. This was a demand so gratifying to Boyer’s personal -ambition that any reluctance on his part to comply with it was clearly -impossible. Thus the Spanish deputies were received with the utmost -graciousness, and dismissed with every favor that gratified hope could -bestow. - -But a year had elapsed since the rebellion in the North had transferred -the realms of Christophe as a precious godsend to the peaceable -possession of Boyer, and the army of the republic was now ordered to -put itself in readiness for a victorious and bloodless march to Santo -Domingo. Boyer placed himself at its head, and a rapid advance was made -into the heart of the Spanish territory. Not the least resistance was -encountered, and the inhabitants of each of the towns in succession -hastened emulously to testify their adherence to the cause of the -republic, until the invading column marched at last in a sort of -triumph into the city of Santo Domingo. - -The principal authorities, and the people generally, made a formal -transfer of their allegiance to their new rulers, and were permitted -to remain in the enjoyment of their former privileges. The chief -command of the lately acquired territory was placed by Boyer in the -hands of General Borgella, and the president returned to Port au -Prince, gratified by the extraordinary success with which fortune had -crowned his administration; which he commenced by governing a distant -province in the southwestern part of the Island, and by a succession -of unlooked-for incidents, he had been placed at the head of the whole -country, without a competitor to annoy him, or any malcontents to -disturb the internal repose of his government. - -The death of Christophe, and the elevation of Boyer to the government -of all St. Domingo, were events which had in the meantime created a -strong sensation in the ranks of the old colonists residing in France, -as well as at the office of the minister for the colonies. Boyer’s -attachment to France was presumed to be stronger than that of his -predecessor, Pétion, and under such circumstances, new hope was derived -from the event of his exaltation to power. It was now thought that -an occurrence so propitious to the claims of France upon her ancient -colony would lead to a satisfactory adjustment of the difficulty which -had been interposed against the success of former negotiation. The -French cabinet immediately formed the resolution to sound the new chief -of Hayti as to his sentiments in regard to an arrangement between -the two governments. The difficulties in the way of an easy conquest -of the country, and the tone of firmness which had been held both by -Christophe and Pétion to all former demands made upon them by the -agents of France, had by degrees depressed the hopes of the colonists, -and diminished the expectations of the French government in relation -to the claims upon St. Domingo. The restoration of the Island to its -former condition of colonial dependence, and the establishment of the -ancient planters in the possession of their estates and negroes, were -no longer regarded as events within the bounds of possibility, and the -demands of France upon the government of Hayti were now lowered to the -mere claim of an indemnity to the colonists for the losses which had -reduced them to beggary. - -At length, a secret agent of the minister of marine held an audience -with Boyer, and informed him that the French government having in -former years made repeated attempts to accomplish an arrangement -between the two countries, all of which had been fruitless, it was -desired that Boyer himself would renew the negotiations in his turn. In -consequence of this information, Boyer appointed General Boyé as his -plenipotentiary, who was furnished with instructions authorizing him -to commence negotiations with the appointed agent of France, either -in that or some neutral country, for the purpose of terminating the -differences existing between their respective governments. M. Esmangart -and the Haytian envoy agreed to hold their conferences at Brussels, but -the hopes of the two contracting nations were in this instance also -destined to be frustrated. The parties could not agree as to the nature -of the indemnity to be made. - -At length, in 1825, after the recognition of the independence of Hayti -by others, the French, under Charles X., sold to its inhabitants the -rights which they had won by their swords for the sum of one hundred -and fifty millions of francs, to be paid as an indemnity to the -colonists. This was the basis of a treaty of peace and fraternal -feeling between France and Hayti, that resulted in great good to -the latter. In 1843, a party opposed to president Boyer made its -appearance, which formed itself into a conspiracy to overthrow the -government. Seeing that he could not make head against it, Boyer, in -disgust, took leave of the people in a dignified manner, and retired to -the island of Jamaica, where, a few years since, he died. - -Jean Pierre Boyer was born at Port au Prince, on the second of -February, 1776, received a European education at Paris, fought under -Rigaud and Toussaint L’Ouverture; and in consequence of the success -which the black leader obtained, quitted the Island. Boyer returned to -Hayti in Le Clerc’s expedition; he, however, separated from the French -general-in-chief, and joined in the foremost in the great battle for -the freedom of his race. He was a brave man, a good soldier, and proved -himself a statesman of no ordinary ability. When he came into power, -the mountains were filled with Maroons, headed by their celebrated -chief, Gomar; Rigaud and Pétion had tried in vain to rid the country of -these brigands. - -Boyer, however, soon broke up their strongholds, dispersed them, -and finally destroyed or brought them all under subjection. By his -good judgment, management, and humanity, he succeeded in uniting the -whole island under one government, and gained the possession of what -Christophe had exhausted himself with efforts to obtain, and what -Pétion had sighed for, without daring to cherish a single hope that -its attainment could be accomplished. Few men who took part in the St. -Domingo drama, did more good, or lived a more blameless life, than -Boyer. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -SOULOUQUE AS EMPEROR OF HAYTI. - - -General Riche, a _griffe_, or dark mulatto, was selected to fill the -place left vacant by the flight of Boyer; and his ability, together -with the universal confidence reposed in him by all classes, seemed to -shadow forth a prosperous era for the republic. He had, however, done -little more than enter upon his arduous duties, when he was carried off -by a sudden malady, universally regretted by the entire population. - -The Senate, whose duty it was to elect the president, gave a majority -of their votes for Faustin Soulouque, on the first of March, 1847, and -he was inaugurated into the position the same day. - -Soulouque was a tall, good-natured, full-blooded negro, who, from the -year 1804, when he was house-servant for General Lamarre, had passed -through all the events of his country without leaving any trace of -himself, whether good or bad. With no education, no ability, save that -he was a great eater, he was the last man in the republic that would -have been thought of for any office, except the one he filled. - -True, in 1810, while his master, General Lamarre, was defending the -Mole against Christophe, the former was killed, and Soulouque was -charged to carry the general’s heart to Pétion, who made the servant a -lieutenant in his mounted guard; and on Pétion’s death, he bequeathed -him to Boyer, as a piece of furniture belonging to the presidential -palace. Boyer made Soulouque first servant, under the title of -“captain,” to his housekeeper. Here he grew fat, and was forgotten -till 1843, when the revolution brought him into note. After serving a -short time as president, his vanity induced Soulouque to aspire to be -emperor, and that title was conferred upon him in the year 1849. In -this silly step he took for his model Napoleon Bonaparte, according to -whose court and camp Soulouque formed his own. - -But the people of Hayti soon saw the sad mistake in the election of -such a man to power, and his change of base aroused a secret feeling -against the empire, which resulted in its overthrow, in 1859. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -GEFFRARD AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI. - - -Fabre Geffrard was born at Cayes September 19, 1806. His father was -General Nicholas Geffrard, one of the founders of Haytian independence. -He became a soldier at the early age of fifteen, and after serving in -the ranks, passed rapidly through several grades of promotion, until -he obtained a captaincy. In 1843, when General Herard took up arms -against President Boyer, he choose Geffrard for his lieutenant, who, -by his skill and bravery, contributed largely to the success of the -revolutionary army. As a reward for his valuable services, he received -from the new government the brevet rank of general of brigade, and was -commandant of Jacmel, and in 1845 he was named general of division. -In 1849 he was appointed by Soulouque to take command of his Haytian -army sent against the Dominicans, and in 1856 it fell to his lot, by -the display of rare military talents, to repair in some measure the -disasters attending the invasion of St. Domingo by the Haytian army, -led by the emperor himself. Shortly after, Soulouque, moved thereto, -doubtless, by jealousy of Geffrard’s well-earned fame, disgraced him; -but the emperor paid dearly for this, for in December, 1858, Geffrard -declared against him, and in January, 1859, Soulouque was overthrown, -with his mock empire, and Geffrard proclaimed President of the -Republic, which was restored. - -He at once set himself vigorously to work to remedy the numerous -evils which had grown up under the administration of his ignorant, -narrow-minded, and cruel predecessor, and became exceedingly popular. -He established numerous schools in all parts of the Republic, and -gave every encouragement to agricultural and industrial enterprise -generally. In 1861, he concluded a concordat with the Pope, creating -Hayti an Archbishopric. Humane in his disposition, enlightened and -liberal in his views, and a steady friend of progress, his rule, at one -time, promised to be a long and prosperous one. - -Geffrard was in color a _griffe_, and was fifty-two years of age when -called to the presidency of Hayti. He was of middle height, slim in -figure, of a pleasing countenance, sparkling eye, gray hair, limbs -supple by bodily exercise, a splendid horseman, and liberal to the -arts, even to extravagance. Possessing a polished education, he was -gentlemanly in his conversation and manners. Soon after assuming the -presidency, he resolved to encourage immigration, and issued an address -to the colored Americans, which in point of sympathy and patriotic -feeling for his race, has never been surpassed by any man living or -dead. - -It may be set down as a truism, that slavery, proscription, -and oppression are poor schools in which to train independent, -self-respecting freemen. Individuals so trained are apt to have all -their aspirations, aims, ends, and objects in life on a level with the -low, grovelling, and servile plane of a slavish and dependent mind; or -if by chance that mind has grown restless under its fetters, and sighs -for enfranchisement and liberty, it is apt to rush to the other extreme -in its desires, and is led to covet those positions for which it has -no proper qualifications whatever. The bent of the slavery-disciplined -mind is either too low or too high. It cannot remain in equilibrium. It -either cringes with all the dastard servility of the slave, or assumes -the lordly airs of a cruel and imperious despot. - -These things, therefore, being true of the victims of abject servitude, -we have herein the key to the failure of the colored emigration to -Hayti. - -At the invitation of President Geffrard, in 1861, some of the colored -citizens of the United States did accept the invitation and went out; -but it would have been better for them and for Hayti had they remained -at home. The majority of the emigrants ventured on the voyage to Hayti, -because a free passage was given them by Geffrard; and the offer of the -Haytian government to supply the emigrants with provisions until they -could raise a crop, was a bait which these idlers could not withstand. - -Men who had been failures in their own country, could scarcely be -expected to meet with success by merely a trip across the sea. - -What Hayti needed were men with stout hearts and hard hands, fitted for -an agricultural life, determined upon developing the resources of the -country. Men of the above type are to be found in our land, but they -can easily make a living here, and have no cause to emigrate. - -The liberal offer of the Haytian president to Americans and other -blacks to come to the Island, and his general progressive efforts to -elevate his people, were not appreciated by the Haytians, and the -spirit of revolution which had so long governed the Island, soon began -to manifest itself. - -The several rebellions against the authority of President Geffrard, of -Hayti, at length culminated in his overthrow and expulsion from the -Island, and the elevation of his old enemy, Salnave, to the presidency. -The rebellion, which was headed by Salnave, was begun in 1865. The -rebels seized and held the town of Cape Haytian for several months, -and were only finally driven out on its bombardment by the English -man-of-war, Bull Dog, commanded by Captain Wake. Salnave was forced to -leave Hayti and take refuge in St. Domingo. Captain Wake was called by -the British government, and cashiered for his attack on Cape Haytian. - -In his exile Salnave continued his efforts to revolutionize the -country, and found many adherents, but few opportunities for an -uprising. An attempt was made by his friends at Port au Prince on -February 1, 1867; but Geffrard had been forewarned, and this attempt -failed, and the ringleaders were captured and shot. The revolutionists -did not despair, however, and on the night of February 22d a more -successful effort was made; Geffrard was driven to seek safety in -flight, and abdicating the presidency, went into exile in Jamaica. A -Provisional Government was appointed, and Salnave, whom the people -hailed as the “Garibaldi of Hayti,” and the “Deliverer of the People,” -was appointed President on April 26, 1867. He however insisted that he -would not accept the presidency except at the hands of the people. An -election was therefore ordered and held. There were no rival candidates -in the field, the other most distinguished participants in the -revolution, Generals Nissage and Chevallier, conceding the presidential -chair to Salnave with great good-will. He was unanimously elected, and -on Sunday, May 12, was sworn into office. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -SALNAVE AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI. - - -President Salnave was a native of Cape Haytian, and was forty-one -years of age when elevated to power. He was the son of French and -Negro parents. He entered the army of Hayti in early youth, and was a -major under Geffrard when the empire was overthrown. While holding the -same commission under the Republic, Salnave projected the rebellion -of 1865, and seized Cape Haytian, from which he was driven, as we -have described. He was said to be a man of unusual intelligence, of -progressive and liberal ideas, great energy of character, and brilliant -results were expected from his administration. - -However, obtaining supreme power by force, so common in Hayti, any -one could see that Salnave’s government would be of short duration. -The same influences as some of the men who aided him in driving out -Geffrard, soon began secretly to work against the new president, and -on the 18th of December, 1869, Salnave found himself shut up in his -capital, and surrounded on all sides by his most bitter enemies. At -last, on the 8th of January, 1870, the Haytian president sought safety -in flight, but was captured by President Cabral, of Dominica, into -whose government Salnave had taken refuge. - -Delivered up to his own government by the Dominican president, Salnave -was tried for high treason, condemned and shot. In personal appearance -the defeated chief was a fine representative of the race. He was brown -in complexion, hair black, soft, and wavy, education good, for the -West Indies. Salnave was high-tempered, heedless, and even cruel. He -was succeeded in the government of Hayti by General Nissage Saget, who -seems to have the confidence of the people, and whom, it is hoped, he -will have the power to unite. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -JAMAICA. - - -Jamaica, the chief of the British West India Islands, was discovered by -Columbus on his second voyage, in May, 1494, and was taken from Spain -by the English in May, 1655, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. It -thus became an appendage to the British crown, after it had been in the -possession of Spain for one hundred and forty-six years. The number of -slaves on the Island at this time was about fifteen hundred. - -Morgan, a notorious pirate and buccaneer, was knighted and made -governor of the Island in 1670. Lord Vaughan succeeded Morgan, and -under his administration the African Company was formed, and the -slave-trade legalized; Africans were imported in large numbers, and the -development of the natural resources of Jamaica greatly increased the -wealth of the planters. - -The number of slaves annually imported into the Island amounted to -sixteen thousand,[42] so that within thirty years the slave population -had increased from ninety-nine thousand to upwards of two hundred -thousand, whilst the total numerical strength of the whites did not -exceed sixteen thousand. - -From this time down to the year 1832, it presented a succession of -wars, usurpations, crimes, misery, and vice; nor in this desert of -human wretchedness is there one green spot on which the mind of a -philanthropist would love to dwell; all is one revolting scene of -infamy, bloodshed, and unmitigated woe; of insecure peace and open -disturbance; of the abuse of power, and of the reaction of misery -against oppression. In 1832 an insurrection of the slaves occurred, -by which the lives of seven hundred slaves were sacrificed, and an -expense, including property destroyed, of one hundred and sixty-two -thousand pounds sterling. - -The total importation of slaves from the conquest of the Island by the -English to 1805, amounted to eight hundred and fifty thousand, and this -added to forty thousand brought by the Spaniards, made an aggregate of -eight hundred and ninety thousand, exclusive of all births, in three -hundred years. The influence which the system of slavery spread over -the community in Jamaica and the rest of the British West Indies, was -not less demoralizing than in Hayti and the other islands. - -Crimes which in European countries would have been considered and -treated as a wanton insult to society at large, did not exclude the -parties from the pale of respectable society, or generally operate to -their disadvantage among the female portion of the community. - -The reckless destroyers of female innocence and happiness united in -the dance, mingled in public entertainments, and were admitted at the -social board, and were on terms of intimacy with the younger branches -of families.[43] - -The intermediate colors between the whites[44] and pure blacks, were -denominated as follows: A Sambo is the offspring of a mulatto woman by -a black man; a mulatto is the child of a black woman and white man; a -quadroon is the offspring of a mulatto by a white man, and a mestee -is that of a quadroon woman by a white man. The offspring of a female -mestee by a white man being above the third in lineal descent from the -Negro ancestor, was white, in the estimation of the law, and enjoyed -all the privileges and immunities of Her Majesty’s white subjects; but -all the rest, whether mulattoes, quadroons, or mestees, were considered -by the law as mulattoes or persons of color. - -Although the people of Jamaica represented to the home government that -the slaves were satisfied and happy, and would not accept their freedom -were it offered them, a revolt of the blacks took place in 1832. -More than fifty thousand were engaged in this effort to obtain the -long-wished-for boon. - -The man with whom the insurrection originated,--Samuel Sharp,--was -a slave, and a member of the Baptist Church in Montego Bay. He was -born in slavery, but he had never felt anything of the bitterness of -slavery. He was born in a family that treated him indulgently; he was -a pet, and was brought up as the playmate of the juvenile members of -the family, and had opportunities of learning to read and for mental -cultivation, to which very few of his fellow-slaves had access; and -Sharp, above all this, was possessed of a mind worthy of any man, and -of oratorical powers of no common order. - -Sharp determined to free himself and his fellow-slaves. I do not know -whether he was himself deceived, or whether he knowingly deceived -his fellow-conspirators; but he persuaded a large number of them to -believe that the British government had made them free, and that their -owners were keeping them in slavery, in opposition to the wishes of -the authorities in England. It so happened, that, just at that time, -the planters themselves were pursuing a course which favored Sharp’s -proceedings directly. They were holding meetings through the length and -breadth of the Island, protesting against the interference of the home -government with their property, passing very inflammatory resolutions, -and threatening that they would transfer their allegiance to the United -States, in order that they might perpetuate their interest in their -slaves. - -The insurrection was suppressed, and about two thousand of the slaves -were put to death. This effort of the bondmen to free themselves, -gave a new impetus to the agitation of the abolition movement, which -had already begun under the auspices of Buxton, Allen, Brougham, and -George Thompson, the successors of Clarkson, Wilberforce, Sharp, and -Macaulay; and the work went bravely on. Elizabeth Heyrick, feeling that -the emancipation of the slave could never be effected by gradual means, -raised the cry of “Immediate emancipation.” She wrote: “Immediate -emancipation is the object to be aimed at; it is more wise and -rational, more politic and safe, as well as more just and humane, than -gradual emancipation. The interests, moral and political, temporal and -eternal, of all parties concerned, will be best promoted by immediate -emancipation.” - -The doctrine of immediate emancipation was taken up by the friends of -the Negro everywhere, and Brougham, in Parliament, said:-- - -“Tell me not of rights; talk not of the property of the planter in -his slaves. I deny the right; I acknowledge not the property. The -principles, the feelings, of our common nature, rise in rebellion -against it. Be the appeal made to the understanding or to the heart, -the sentence is the same that rejects it. In vain you tell me of laws -that sanction such a claim.” - -John Philpot Curran followed, in one of the finest speeches ever made -in behalf of the rights of man. Said he,-- - -“I speak in the spirit of the British Law, which makes liberty -commensurate with, and inseparable from, the British soil; which -proclaims, even to the stranger and the sojourner, the moment he sets -his foot upon British earth, that the ground on which he treads is -holy, and consecrated by the genius of Universal Emancipation. No -matter in what language his doom may have been pronounced; no matter -what complexion, incompatible with freedom, an Indian or an African -sun may have burnt upon him; no matter in what disastrous battle his -liberty may have been cloven down; no matter with what solemnities he -may have been devoted upon the altar of slavery; the first moment he -touches the sacred soil of Britain, the altar and the god sink together -in the dust; his soul walks abroad in her own majesty; his body swells -beyond the measure of his chains, that burst from around him, and he -stands redeemed, regenerated, and disenthralled, by the irresistible -genius of universal emancipation.” - -The name and labors of Granville Sharp have been overshadowed by those -of other men, who reaped in the full, bright sunshine of success the -harvest of popular admiration for the results of a philanthropic -policy, of which Granville Sharp was the seed-sower. Zachary, Macaulay, -Clarkson, Wilberforce, and Buxton are regarded as the leaders of the -great movement that emancipated the slaves of Great Britain. Burke and -Wilkes are remembered as the enlightened advocates of the Independence -of America; and these great names throw a shadow over the Clerk in the -Ordnance, who, with high-souled integrity, resigned his place, and -gave up a calling that was his only profession and livelihood, rather -than serve a government that waged a fratricidal war, and who, in -defiance of the opinions of the Solicitor and Attorney-General, and of -the Lord Chief-Justice, opposed by all the lawyers, and forsaken even -by his own professional advisers, undertook to search the indices of -a law library, to wade through an immense mass of dry and repulsive -literature, and to make extracts from all the most important Acts of -Parliament as he went along; until, at the very time that slaves were -being sold by auction in Liverpool and London, and when he could not -find a single lawyer who agreed with his opinion, he boldly exclaimed, -“God be thanked! there is nothing in any English law or statute that -can justify the enslaving of others.” - -Granville Sharp, in his boyhood a linen-draper’s apprentice, and -afterwards a clerk in the Ordnance Department of England, one day, -in the surgery of his brother, saw a negro named Jonathan Strong, -lame, unable to work, almost blind, very ill, and turned adrift in the -streets of London, by his master, a lawyer in Barbadoes. The assistance -of Granville Sharp, and of his brother William, the surgeon, restored -Jonathan Strong to health, and obtained for him a situation. Two years -afterwards, the Barbadoes lawyer recognized his slave, strong, healthy, -and valuable, serving as a footman behind a lady’s carriage, and he -arrested the negro, and put him in prison, until there should be an -opportunity to ship him for the West Indies. - -Mr. Sharp appealed to the Lord Mayor, who, although he decided that he -was incompetent to deal with the legal question of the black’s freedom, -released Strong, because there was no offence charged against him. - -And then--it was in 1767--now more than a hundred years ago--then began -the protracted movement in England in favor of the slave. The master -of Jonathan Strong immediately commenced an action against Granville -Sharp, to recover possession of his negro, of whom he said he had been -robbed: and Sharp drew up the result of his study of the question, in a -plain, clear, and manly statement, which, after having been circulated -some time in manuscript, was printed in 1769, and was headed, “On the -injustice of tolerating slavery in England.” - -It produced such an effect on the opinion of the public, that the -lawyer abandoned his proceedings. Other cases soon tested the earnest -philanthropy of the slaves’ friend. The wife of one Styles was seized -and sent to Barbadoes. Sharp compelled the aggressor to bring the -woman back. In 1776, Thomas Lewis was kidnapped and shipped for -Jamaica. Sharp found him chained to the mainmast of a ship at Spithead, -and by a writ of _habeas corpus_ brought him before Lord Mansfield, the -very judge whose opinion had been most strongly expressed in opposition -to that entertained by Granville Sharp on the subject of slavery. - -Lord Mansfield discharged the negro, because no evidence was adduced -to show that he was ever nominally the property of the man who claimed -him; but the great question of liberty or slavery remained as undecided -as before. At this time the slave-trade was carried on openly in the -streets of London, Bristol, and Liverpool. - -Negro slavery was enforced by merchants, supported by lawyers, and -upheld by judges; and that a clerk in a public office, without personal -influence, and armed, only with integrity and moral courage, should, -under such circumstances, assert, and, in the end, should prove, that -the slave who sets his foot on British ground becomes at that instant -free, is one of the most striking incidents in modern history. - -An opportunity for bringing the conflicting opinions to an issue soon -occurred. A negro named James Somerset had been taken to England and -left there by his master, who afterwards wished to send him back to -Jamaica. Sharp found counsel to defend the negro, and Lord Mansfield -intimated that the case was one of such general concern, that he should -take the opinions of all the judges upon it. The case was adjourned -and readjourned, and was carried over from term to term; but at length -Lord Mansfield declared the court to be clearly of opinion that “the -claim of slavery never can be supported in England; that the power -claimed never was in use in England nor acknowledged by law; and -that, therefore, the man James Somerset, must be discharged.” By this -judgment, the slave-trade in England was effectually abolished. - -History affords no nobler picture than that of Granville Sharp. -Standing alone, opposed to the opinions of the ablest lawyers, and the -most rooted prejudices and customs of the times; fighting unassisted -the most memorable battle for the constitution of his country, and for -the liberties of British subjects, and by his single exertions gaining -a most memorable victory. - -On the 1st of August, 1838, eight hundred thousand African bondmen were -made fully and unconditionally free; an act of legislation the most -magnanimous and sublime in the annals of British history. Although the -enemies of emancipation had predicted that murder and pillage would -follow such an act, the conduct of the freed people was everything that -the most ardent friends of the Negro could wish. - -On the evening of the day preceding that which witnessed the actual -bestowment of the inestimable boon on the apprentices of Jamaica, -the towns and missionary stations throughout the Island were crowded -with people especially interested in the event, and who, filling the -different places of worship, remained in some instances performing -different acts of devotion until the day of liberty dawned, when they -saluted it with the most joyous acclamations. Others, before and -after similar services, dispersed themselves in different directions -throughout the town and villages, singing the national anthem and -devotional hymns, occasionally rending the air with their acclamations -of “Freedom’s come! We’re free, we’re free; our wives and our children -are free!” - -The conduct of the newly-emancipated peasantry everywhere, would have -done credit to Christians of the most civilized country in the world. -Their behavior was modest, unassuming, civil, and obliging to each -other as members of one harmonious family. - -Many of the original stock of slaves had been imported from amongst the -Mandingoes, and Foulahs, from the banks of the Senegal, the Gambia, -and the Rio Grande, the most refined and intellectual of the African -tribes; and from the Congoes of Upper and Lower Guinea, the most -inferior of the African race. The latter class brought with them all -the vices and superstitions of their native land, and these had been -cultivated in Jamaica. - -The worst of these superstitious ideas was obeism, a species of -witchcraft employed to revenge injuries, or as a protection against -theft and murder, and in favor for gaining the love of the opposite -sex. It consisted in placing a spell or charm near the cottage of -the individual intended to be brought under its influence, or when -designed to prevent the depredations of thieves, in some conspicuous -part of the house, or on a tree; it was signified by a calabash or -gourd, containing among other ingredients, a combination of different -colored rags, cats’ teeth, parrots’ feathers, toads’ feet, egg-shells, -fish-bones, snakes’ teeth, and lizards’ tails.[45] - -Terror immediately seized upon the individual who beheld it, and -either by resigning himself to despair, or by the secret communication -of poison, in most cases death was the inevitable consequence. Similar -to the influence of this superstition was that of their solemn curses -pronounced upon thieves, but which would be too tedious to detail here. -All of the Negro physicians of the olden times professed to have the -gift of obeism, and were feared far more than they were loved. - -Dreams and visions constituted fundamental articles of their religious -creed. Some supernatural revelations were regarded as indispensable -to qualify for admission to the full privileges of their community. -Candidates were required, indeed, to dream a certain number of dreams -before they were received to membership, the subjects of which were -given them by their teachers. - -The meetings of this fraternity were frequently prolonged through -nearly half the night. The ministers enjoined on their followers the -duty of fasting one or two days in the week, and encouraged a weekly -meeting at each other’s houses, alternately, to drink “hot water” -out of white tea-cups (the whole of the tea-table paraphernalia -corresponding), which they designated by the absurd and inappropriate -epithet of “breaking the peace.” To such a deplorable extent did -they carry these superstitious practices, and such was the degree of -ignorance on the part of both minister and people, that, in the absence -of better information as to what was to be sung in their religious -assemblies, they were in the habit of singing the childish story of -“The house that Jack built.” - -The missionaries, and especially the Baptists, who had been laboring -against great disadvantages before the abolition of slavery, now that -the curse was out of the way, did a noble work for the freed people. -The erection of chapels all through the Island soon changed the moral -and social condition of the blacks, as well as gave them a right idea -of Christian duty. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[42] “Jamaica, Past and Present.” Phillippo. - -[43] Phillippo. - -[44] Phillippo. - -[45] “Jamaica, Past and Present.” Phillippo. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -SOUTH AMERICA. - - -The Portuguese introduced slavery into Brazil about the year 1558, and -the increase of that class of the population was as rapid as in any -part of the newly discovered country. The treatment of the slaves did -not differ from Jamaica, St. Domingo, and Cuba. - -Brazil has given the death-blow to the wicked system which has been so -long both her grievous burden and her foul disgrace. Henceforth, every -child born in the empire is free, and in twenty years the chains will -fall from the limbs of her last surviving slave. By this decree, nearly -three million blacks are raised up from the dust; and though but few -of this generation can hope to see the day of general emancipation, it -is much for them to know that the curse which rested on the parents -will no longer be transmitted to the children; it is something that -the younger of them have a bright although distant future to look -toward and to wait for. Very likely, too, the dying institution will -not be suffered to linger out the whole of the existence which the new -law accords to it; as the benefits of free labor to the whole country -become appreciated fresh legislation may hasten the advent of national -liberty and justice. - -The first colonists enslaved the Indians; and, despite the futile -measures of emancipation adopted by the Portuguese crown in 1570, in -1647, and in 1684, these unfortunate natives remained in servitude -until 1755, and would perhaps have been held to this day, had they -not proved very unprofitable. Negroes were accordingly imported from -other Portuguese dominions, and a slave-trade with the African coast -naturally sprang up, and is only just ended. Portugal bound herself -by treaty with England, in 1815, to abolish the trade. Brazil renewed -the obligation in her own name in 1826. Yet in 1839 it was estimated -that eighty thousand blacks were imported every year; and, ten years -later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported that the brutal traffic -had only been reduced one-fourth. The energetic action of England, -declaring in 1845 that Brazilian slave-ships should be amenable to -English authorities, led to a long diplomatic contest, and threats of -war; but it bore fruit in 1850 in a statute wherein Brazil assimilated -the trade to piracy, and in 1852 the emperor declared it virtually -extinct. - -In the mean time, an opposition, not to the slave-trade alone, but -to slavery, too, gradually strengthened itself within the empire. -Manumission became frequent, and the laws made it very easy. A society -was organized under the protection of the emperor, which, every year, -in open church, solemnly liberated a number of slaves; and in 1856 the -English Embassador wrote home that the government had communicated -to him their resolution gradually to abolish slavery in every part -of the empire. The grand step which they have now taken has no doubt -been impelled by the example of our own country. It is one of the many -precious fruits which have sprung, and are destined yet to spring, from -the soil which we watered so freely with patriot blood. - -Information generally, with regard to Brazil, is scanty, especially in -connection with the blacks; but in all the walks of life, men of color -are found in that country. - -In the Brazilian army, many of the officers are mulattoes, and some of -a very dark hue. The prejudice of color is not so prominent here, as in -some other slaveholding countries. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -CUBA AND PORTO RICO. - - -Cuba, the stronghold of Spain, in the western world, has labored -under the disadvantages of slavery for more than three hundred years. -The Lisbon merchants cared more for the great profits made from the -slave-trade, than for the development of the rich resources of this, -one of the most beautiful of the West India Islands, and therefore, -they invested largely in that nefarious traffic. The increase of -slaves, the demand for sugar and the products of the tropics, and the -inducement which a race for wealth creates in the mind of man, rapidly -built up the city of Havana, the capital of the Island. The colored -population of Cuba, like the whites, have made but little impression on -the world outside of their own southern home. There is, however, one -exception in favor of the blacks. In the year 1830, there appeared in -Havana a young colored man, whose mother had recently been brought from -Africa. His name was Placido, and his blood was unmixed. Being with a -comparatively kind master, he found time to learn to read, and began -developing the genius which at a later period showed itself. - -The young slave took an interest in poetry, and often wrote poems which -were set to music and sung in the drawing-rooms of the most refined -assemblies in the city. His young master, paying his addresses to a -rich heiress, the slave was ordered to write a poem embodying the -master’s passion for the young lady. Placido acquitted himself to the -entire satisfaction of the lover, who copied the epistle in his own -hand, and sent it on its mission. The slave’s compositions were so much -admired that they found their way into the newspapers; but no one knew -the negro as their author. - -In 1838, these poems, together with a number which had never appeared -in print, were entrusted to a white man, who sent them to England, -where they were published and much praised for the talent and scholarly -attainment which they evinced. A number of young whites, who were -well acquainted with Placido, and appreciated his genius, resolved to -purchase him, and present him his freedom, which was done in 1842. - -But a new field had opened itself to the freed black, and he began to -tread in its paths. Freedom for himself was only the beginning; he -sighed to make others free. - -The imaginative brain of the poet produced verses which the slaves sung -in their own rude way, and which kindled in their hearts a more intense -desire for liberty. Placido planned an insurrection of the slaves, in -which he was to be their leader and deliverer; but the scheme failed. - -After a hasty trial, he was convicted and sentenced to death. The -fatal day came, he walked to the place of execution with as much -calmness as if it had been to an ordinary resort of pleasure. His manly -and heroic bearing excited the sympathy and admiration of all who saw -him. As he arrived at the fatal spot, he began reciting the hymn, which -he had written in his cell the previous night. - - - “Almighty God; whose goodness knows no bound, - To Thee I flee in my severe distress; - O, let Thy potent arm my wrongs redress, - And rend the odious veil by slander wound - About my brow. The base world’s arm confound, - Who on my front would now the seal of shame impress.” - - -The free blacks in Cuba form an important element in her population, -and these people are found in all the professions and trades. The first -dentists are Blake and Coopat, mulattoes; the first musician, Joseito -White, a mulatto; one of the best young ladies’ academies at present -existing at Havana is personally conducted by an accomplished negro -woman, Maria de Serra, to whom many a lady of high rank owes her social -and intellectual accomplishments. The only Cuban who has distinguished -herself as an actress on foreign stages is Dacoste, a mulatto; -Covarrubias, the great comedian and lively writer, for many years the -star of the Cuban stage, was also a mulatto; Francisco Manzano, the -poet, was a negro slave. - -The prompter of the theatre of St. John, of Porto Rico, is Bartolo -Antique, a negro, so intelligent that the dramatic companies that come -from Spain prefer him to their own prompters. The engineer of the -only steamboat in Porto Rico is a colored man. The only artist worthy -to be mentioned, in the same Island, is the religious painter, José -Campeche, a mulatto. These are only a few known and acknowledged as -colored, but should we search the sources of every family in Cuba and -Porto Rico, we are sure that more or less, we could trace the African -blood in the greatest number of our most illustrious citizens. - -In Porto Rico, Dubois, a mulatto, paid the penalty of his head for his -boldness and patriotism. There were in Cuba, in 1862, two hundred and -twenty-one thousand four hundred and seventeen free colored people, and -three hundred and sixty-eight thousand five hundred and fifty slaves. -In Porto Rico, in the same year, there were two hundred and forty-one -thousand and fifteen free colored people, and forty-one thousand seven -hundred and thirty-six slaves. - -When the English troops invaded the Island of Cuba, in 1762, the -negroes behaved so well during the siege at Havana, that a large -number of them received from Governor Prado’s hands, and in the name -of the King, their letters of emancipation, in acknowledgment of their -gallantry and good services. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -SANTO DOMINGO. - - -Although not strictly a Spanish possession, Santo Domingo may be -counted in, with the people already enumerated in the West Indies. -Its history is identical with that of Hayti. Forming a part of the -same Island, and inhabited by blacks, mulattoes, and whites; and being -part of the battle-ground upon which the negroes fought the French, in -the revolution which freed the Island from its former masters. Santo -Domingo has passed through all the scenes of blood and desolation, only -in a milder form, that their neighbors of the other end of the Island -have experienced. Santo Domingo has been under Spanish, French, and -Haytian rule, and often a republic of her own, the latter of which she -now enjoys. - -It was during the government of Boyer that the Spanish or Dominican -part of the Island was united with the French part. In relation to -this matter, gross misrepresentations have been made;--it has been -urged in defence of the Dominican claim to an independent government, -an independence based upon nullification, that they were beaten down, -trampled upon, and almost crushed before they would unite with a -nation of blacks. - -The facts are these: at the time of Boyer’s election, the Spanish part -of the Island was independent, but its situation was most precarious; -the war between Spain and her revolted provinces in South America -was at its height, and the Columbian privateers which thronged the -Caribbean sea were continually plundering the people along the shores -of the Spanish coast; moreover, there were many persons in that -division of the Island who were inclined to favor a union with the -patriots of South America, but by far the largest number opposed this -suggestion. - -Such was the state of things at the commencement of Boyer’s -administration. After maturely reflecting upon the difficulties by -which they were surrounded, the feeble government of the Spanish part -sought protection in a union with the Haytians, and Boyer was formally -solicited by them to grant his consent to the annexation of the Eastern -part. This request was complied with, and the Eastern region became a -part and parcel of that republic. - -Thus it is seen that the Dominicans adopted the Haytian government, not -only voluntarily, but joyfully. - -At the close of Boyer’s administration the Dominicans separated from -the Haytians, and formed a republic, since which time the latter has -made war upon the former, whenever an opportunity presented itself, and -which has been the great cause of the poverty and want of development -of both sections of the Island. - -Herard, who succeeded Boyer in the government of Hayti, and who was -president when the Dominicans seceded, was himself a mulatto, and there -appeared to be no cause of difficulty, but the people of Santo Domingo -wanted the change. - -The Dominicans enjoyed a better state of civilization than their -neighbors, and if let alone, would soon outstrip Hayti in everything -pertaining to free and independent government. - -But the Dominicans have to keep a large standing army, which takes most -of their young men, and are always in an unsettled state, which greatly -hinders the commercial and agricultural growth of the country. - -Both Hayti and Santo Domingo will doubtless, at no distant day, fall -into the hands of some more civilized nation or nations, for both are -on the decline, especially as regards self-defence. Both are to-day at -the mercy of nearly all other nations, and some day the “Doctor” will -go in to look after the “Sick man.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -INTRODUCTION OF BLACKS INTO THE AMERICAN COLONIES. - - -Simultaneously with the landing of the Pilgrims from the Mayflower, -on Plymouth Rock, December 22d, 1620, a clumsy-looking brig, old and -dirty, with paint nearly obliterated from every part, slowly sailed -up the James River, and landed at Jamestown. The short, stout, fleshy -appearance of the men in charge of the vessel, and the five empty -sour-crout barrels which lay on deck, told plainly in what country the -navigators belonged. - -Even at that early day they had with them their “native beverage,” -which, though not like the lager of the present time, was a drink -over which they smoked and talked of “Farderland,” and traded for -the negroes they brought. The settlers of Jamestown, and indeed, all -Virginia at that time, were mainly cavaliers, gentlemen-adventurers, -aspiring to live by their wits and other men’s labor. Few of the -pioneers cherished any earnest liking for downright persistent muscular -exertion, yet some exertion was urgently required to clear away the -heavy forest which all but covered the soil of the infant colony, and -to grow the tobacco which easily became the staple export by means of -which nearly everything required by its people but food was to be paid -for in England. - -The landing of the twenty slaves from the Dutch brig was the signal -for all sorts of adventurers to embark in the same nefarious traffic. -Worn-out and unseaworthy European ships, brigs, barks, schooners, -and indeed, everything else that could float, no matter how unsafe, -were brought into requisition to supply the demand for means of -transportation in the new commerce. - -Thousands of persons incarcerated in the prisons of the old world -were liberated upon condition that they would man these slave-trading -vessels. The discharged convicts were used in the slave factories on -the African coast, and even the marauding expeditions sent out from -the slave ships in search of victims were mainly made up of this vile -off-cast and scum of the prison population of England, France, Germany, -Spain, and Portugal. So great was the increase of this traffic, that -in a short time the importation in a single year amounted to forty -thousand slaves. - -The immense growth of the slave population in the Southern States, soon -caused politicians to take sides for or against the institution. This, -however, did not manifest itself to any very great extent, until the -struggle for National Independence was over, and the people, North and -South, began to look at their interests connected with each section of -the country. - -At the time that the Declaration of Independence was put forth, no -authentic enumeration had been made; but when the first census was -taken in 1791, the total number of slaves in what are now known as the -Northern States, was forty thousand three hundred and seventy; in the -Southern, six hundred and fifty-three thousand nine hundred and ten. - -It is very common at this day to speak of our revolutionary struggle as -commenced and hurried forward by a union of free and slave colonies; -but such is not the fact. However slender and dubious its legal basis, -slavery existed in each and all of the colonies that united to declare -and maintain their Independence. Slaves were proportionately more -numerous in certain portions of the South; but they were held with -impunity throughout the North, advertised like dogs or horses, and sold -at auction, or otherwise, as chattels. Vermont, then a territory in -dispute between New Hampshire and New York, and with very few civilized -inhabitants, mainly on its southern and eastern borders, is probably -the only portion of the revolutionary confederation never polluted by -the tread of a slave. - -The spirit of liberty, aroused or intensified by the protracted -struggle of the colonists against usurped and abused power in the -mother-country, soon found itself engaged in natural antagonism against -the current form of domestic despotism. - -“How shall we complain of arbitrary or unlimited power exerted over -us, while we exert a still more despotic and inexcusable power over a -dependent and benighted race?” was very fairly asked. Several suits -were brought in Massachusetts--where the fires of liberty burned -earliest and brightest--to test the legal right of slaveholding; -and the leading Whigs gave their money and their legal services to -support these actions, which were generally on one ground or another, -successful. Efforts for an express law of emancipation, however, -failed, even in Massachusetts; the Legislature doubtless apprehended -that such a measure, by alienating the slaveholders, would increase the -number and power of the Tories; but in 1777, a privateer having brought -a lot of captured slaves into Jamaica, and advertised them for sale, -the General Court, as the legislative assembly was called, interfered, -and had them set at liberty. The first Continental Congress which -resolved to resist the usurpations and oppressions of Great Britain by -force, had already declared that our struggle would be “for the cause -of human nature,” which the Congress of 1776, under the lead of Thomas -Jefferson, expanded into the noble affirmation of the right of “all -men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” contained in the -immortal preamble to the Declaration of Independence. A like averment -that “all men are born free and equal,” was in 1780 inserted in the -Massachusetts Bill of Rights; and the Supreme Court of that State, in -1783, on an indictment of a master for assault and battery, held this -declaration a bar to slave-holding henceforth in the State. - -A similar clause in the second Constitution of New Hampshire, was -held by the courts of that State to secure freedom to every child -born therein after its adoption. Pennsylvania, in 1780, passed an act -prohibiting the further introduction of slaves, and securing freedom -to all persons born in that State thereafter. Connecticut and Rhode -Island passed similar acts in 1784. Virginia, in 1778, on motion of Mr. -Jefferson, prohibited the further importation of slaves; and in 1782, -removed all legal restrictions on emancipation. Maryland adopted both -of these in 1783. North Carolina, in 1786, declared the introduction -of slaves into the State “of evil consequences and highly impolitic,” -and imposed a duty of £5 per head thereon. New York and New Jersey -followed the example of Virginia and Maryland, including the domestic -in the same interdict with the foreign slave-trade. Neither of these -states, however, declared a general emancipation until many years -thereafter, and slavery did not wholly cease in New York until about -1830, nor in New Jersey till a much later date. The distinction of free -and slave states, with the kindred assumption of a natural antagonism -between the North and South, was utterly unknown to the men of the -Revolution. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -SLAVES IN THE NORTHERN COLONIES. - - -The earliest account we have of slavery in Massachusetts is recorded in -Josselyn’s description of his first visit to New England, in 1638. Even -at that time, slave-raising on a small scale had an existence at the -North. Josselyn says: “Mr. Maverick had a negro woman from whom he was -desirous of having a breed of slaves; he therefore ordered his young -negro man to sleep with her. The man obeyed his master so far as to go -to bed, when the young woman kicked him out.”[46] This seems to have -been the first case of an insurrection in the colonies, and commenced, -too, by a woman. Probably this fact has escaped the notice of the -modern advocates of “Woman’s Rights.” The public sentiment of the early -Christians upon the question of slavery can be seen by the following -form of ceremony, which was used at the marriage of slaves. - -This was prepared and used by the Rev. Samuel Phillips, of Andover, -whose ministry there, beginning in 1710, and ending with his death, in -1771, was a prolonged and eminently distinguished service of more than -half the eighteenth century:-- - - - “You, Bob, do now, in ye Presence of God and these Witnesses, Take - Sally to be your wife; - - “Promising, that so far as shall be consistent with ye Relation - which you now Sustain as a servant, you will Perform ye Part of - an Husband towards her: And in particular, as you shall have - ye Opportunity & Ability, you will take proper Care of her in - Sickness and Health, in Prosperity & Adversity; - - “And that you will be True & Faithfull to her, and will Cleave - to her only, so long as God, in his Providence, shall continue - your and her abode in Such Place (or Places) as that you can - conveniently come together. ---- ---- Do You thus Promise? - - “You, Sally, do now, in ye Presence of God, and these Witnesses, - Take Bob to be your Husband; - - “Promising, that so far as your present Relation as a Servant - shall admit, you will Perform the Part of a Wife towards him: and - in particular, - - “You Promise that you will Love him; And that as you shall have - the Opportunity & Ability, you will take a proper Care of him in - Sickness and Health; in Prosperity and Adversity: - - “And you will cleave to him only, so long as God, in his - Providence, shall continue his & your Abode in such Place (or - Places) as that you can come together. ---- ---- Do you thus - Promise? I then, agreeable to your Request, and with ye Consent of - your Masters & Mistresses, do Declare that you have License given - you to be conversant and familiar together as Husband and Wife, so - long as God shall continue your Places of Abode as aforesaid; And - so long as you Shall behave yourselves as it becometh servants to - doe: - - “For you must both of you bear in mind that you remain still, as - really and truly as ever, your Master’s Property, and therefore it - will be justly expected, both by God and Man, that you behave and - conduct yourselves as Obedient and faithfull Servants towards your - respective Masters & Mistresses for the Time being: - - “And finally, I exhort and Charge you to beware lest you give - place to the Devel, so as to take occasion from the license now - given you, to be lifted up with Pride, and thereby fall under the - Displeasure, not of Man only, but of God also; for it is written, - that God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the humble. - - “I shall now conclude with Prayer for you, that you may become - good Christians, and that you may be enabled to conduct as such; - and in particular, that you may have Grace to behave suitably - towards each Other, as also dutifully towards your Masters & - Mistresses, Not with Eye Service as Men pleasers, ye Servants of - Christ doing ye Will of God from ye heart, &c. - - “[ENDORSED] - - “NEGRO MARRIAGE.” - - -We have given the above form of marriage, _verbatim et literatim_. - -In 1641, the Massachusetts Colony passed the following law:-- - -“There shall never be any bond slaverie, villinage, or captivitie -amongst us unless it be lawfull captives taken in just warres, and such -strangers as willingly sell themselves. And these shall have all the -liberties and Christian usages, which the law of God established in -Israel concerning such persons doth morally require. This exempts none -from servitude, who shall be judged thereto by authority.” - -In 1646, one James Smith, a member of a Boston church, brought home two -negroes from the coast of Guinea, and had been the means of killing -near a hundred more. In consequence of this conduct, the General Court -passed the following order:-- - -“The General Court conceiving themselves bound by the first opportunity -to bear witness against the heinous and crying sin of man-stealing, -as also to prescribe such timely redress for what is passed, and such -a law for the future as may sufficiently deter all others belonging -to us to have to do in such vile and odious courses, justly abhorred -of all good and just men, do order that the negro interpreter with -others unlawfully taken, be by the first opportunity at the charge of -the country for the present, sent to his native country (Guinea) and -a letter with him of the indignation of the Court thereabouts, and -justice thereof desiring our honored Governor would please put this -order in execution.” - -From this time till about 1700, the number of slaves imported into -Massachusetts was not large. In 1680, Governor Simon Bradstreet, in -answer to inquiries from “the lords of his Majesty’s privy council,” -thus writes:-- - -“There hath been no company of blacks or slaves brought into the -country since the beginning of this plantation, for the space of fifty -yeares, only one small vessell about two yeares since after twenty -months’ voyage to Madagascar brought hither betwixt forty and fifty -negroes, most women and children, sold for £10, £15, and £20 apiece, -which stood the merchants in near £40 apiece one with another: now and -then two or three negroes are brought hither from Barbadoes and other -of His Majesty’s plantations, and sold here for about £20 apiece, so -that there may bee within our government about one hundred, or one -hundred and twenty, and it may bee as many Scots brought hither and -sold for servants in the time of the war with Scotland, and most now -married and living here, and about halfe so many Irish brought hither -at several times as servants.” - -The number of slaves at this period in the middle and southern colonies -is not easily ascertained, as few books, and no newspapers were -published in North America prior to 1704. In that year, the “Weekly -News Letter” was commenced, and in the same year the “Society for the -propagation of the Gospels in foreign parts opened a catechising school -for the slaves at New York, in which city there were then computed -to be about fifteen hundred Negro and Indian slaves,” a sufficient -number to furnish materials for the “irrepressible conflict,” which had -long before begun. The catechist, whom the Society employed, was “Mr. -Elias Neau, by nation a Frenchman, who having made a confession of the -Protestant religion in France, for which he had been confined several -years in prison, and seven years in the galleys.” Mr. Neau entered upon -his office “with great diligence, and his labors were very successful; -but the negroes were much discouraged from embracing the Christian -religion upon the account of the very little regard showed them in any -religious respect. Their marriages were performed by mutual consent -only, without the blessing of the church; they were buried by those -of their own country and complexion, in the common field, without any -Christian office; perhaps some ridiculous heathen rites were performed -at the grave by some of their own people. No notice was given of their -being sick, that they might be visited; on the contrary, frequent -discourses were made in conversation that they had no souls, and -perished as the beasts, and that they grew worse by being taught and -made Christians.”[47] - -From this time forward, the increase of slaves was very rapid in -Virginia and South Carolina, and with this increase, discontent began -to show itself amongst the blacks. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[46] John Josselyn. - -[47] Joshua Coffin - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -COLORED INSURRECTIONS IN THE COLONIES. - - -The first serious effort at rebellion by the slaves in the colonies, -occurred in New York, in 1712; where, if it had not been for the timely -aid from the garrison, the city would have been reduced to ashes. The -next insurrection took place in South Carolina, in 1720, where the -blacks in considerable numbers attacked the whites in their houses and -in the streets. - -Forces were immediately raised and sent after them, twenty-three of -whom were taken, six convicted, three executed, and three escaped. - -In October, 1722, about two hundred negroes near the mouth of the -Rappahannock River, Virginia, got together in a body, armed with the -intent to kill the people in church, but were discovered, and fled. - -On the 13th of April, 1723, Governor Dummer issued a proclamation with -the following preamble, viz:-- - -“Whereas, within some short time past, many fires have broke out -within the town of Boston, and divers buildings have thereby been -consumed: which fires have been designedly and industriously kindled -by some villainous and desperate negroes, or other dissolute people, -as appears by the confession of some of them (who have been examined -by the authority), and many concurring circumstances; and it being -vehemently suspected that they have entered into a combination to burn -and destroy the town, I have therefore thought fit, with the advice of -his Majesty’s council, to issue forth this proclamation,” etc. - -On the 18th of April, 1723, Rev. Joseph Sewall preached a discourse, -particularly occasioned “by the late fires yt have broke out in Boston, -supposed to be purposely set by ye negroes.” - -On the next day, April 19th, the Selectmen of Boston made a report to -the town on the subject, consisting of nineteen articles, of which the -following is No. 9:-- - -“That if more than two Indians, Negro or Mulatto Servants or Slaves -be found in the Streets or Highways in or about the Town, idling or -lurking together unless in the service of their Master or Employer, -every one so found shall be punished at the House of Correction.” - -So great at that time were the alarm and danger in Boston, occasioned -by the slaves, that in addition to the common watch, a military force -was not only kept up, but at the breaking out of every fire, a part of -the militia were ordered out under arms to keep the slaves in order!! - -In 1728, an insurrection of slaves occurred in Savannah, Georgia, who -were fired on twice before they fled. They had formed a plot to destroy -all the whites, and nothing prevented them but a disagreement about the -mode. At that time, the population consisted of three thousand whites -and two thousand seven hundred blacks. - -In August, 1730, an insurrection of blacks occurred in Williamsburgh, -Virginia, occasioned by a report, on Colonel Spotswood’s arrival, that -he had directions from His Majesty to free all baptized persons. The -negroes improved this to a great height. Five counties were in arms -pursuing them, with orders to kill them if they did not submit. - -In August, 1730, the slaves in South Carolina conspired to destroy all -the whites. This was the first open rebellion in that State where the -negroes were actually armed and embodied, and took place on the Sabbath. - -In the same month, a negro man plundered and burned a house in Malden -(Mass.,) and gave this reason for his conduct, that his master had sold -him to a man in Salem, whom he did not like. - -In 1731, Captain George Scott, of Rhode Island, was returning from -Guinea with a cargo of slaves, who rose upon the ship, murdered three -of the crew, all of whom soon after died, except the captain and boy. - -In 1732, Captain John Major, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was -murdered, with all his crew, and the schooner and cargo seized by the -slaves. - -In 1741, there was a formidable insurrection among the slaves in New -York. At that time the population consisted of twelve thousand whites, -and two thousand blacks. Of the conspirators, thirteen were burned -alive, eighteen hung, and eighty transported. - -Those who were transported were sent to the West India islands. As a -specimen of the persons who were suitable for transportation, I give -the following from the “Boston Gazette,” Aug. 17, 1761:-- - -“To be sold, a parcel of likely young Negroes, imported from Africa, -cheap for cash. Inquire of John Avery. Also, if any person have any -negro men, strong and hearty, though not of the best moral character, -which are proper subjects of transportation, they may have an exchange -for small negroes.” - -In 1747, the slaves on board of a Rhode Island ship commanded by -Captain Beers, rose, when off Cape Coast Castle, and murdered the -captain and all the crew, except the two mates, who swam ashore. - -In 1754, C. Croft, Esq., of Charleston, South Carolina, had his -buildings burned by his female negroes, two of whom were burned alive!! - -In September, 1755, Mark and Phillis, slaves, were put to death -at Cambridge (Mass.,) for poisoning their master, Mr. John Codman -of Charlestown. Mark was hanged, and Phillis burned alive. Having -ascertained that their master had, by his will, made them free at his -death, they poisoned him in order to obtain their liberty so much the -sooner. - -In the year 1800, the city of Richmond, Virginia, and indeed the whole -slave-holding country were thrown into a state of intense excitement, -consternation and alarm, by the discovery of an intended insurrection -among the slaves. The plot was laid by a slave named Gabriel, who was -claimed as the property of Mr. Thomas Prosser. A full and true account -of this General Gabriel, and of the proceedings consequent on the -discovery of the plot, has never yet been published. In 1831, a short -account which is false in almost every particular, appeared in the -Albany “Evening Journal,” under the head of “Gabriel’s Defeat.” - -The following is the copy of a letter dated September 21, 1800, -written by a gentleman of Richmond, Virginia, published in the “Boston -Gazette,” October 6th:-- - -“By this time, you have no doubt heard of the conspiracy formed in this -country by the negroes, which, but for the interposition of Providence, -would have put the metropolis of the State, and even the State itself, -into their possession. A dreadful storm, with a deluge of rain, which -carried away the bridges, and rendered the water-courses everywhere -impassable, prevented the execution of their plot. It was extensive -and vast in its design. Nothing could have been better contrived. The -conspirators were to have seized on the magazine, the treasury, the -mills, and the bridges across James River. They were to have entered -the city of Richmond in three places with fire and sword, to commence -an indiscriminate slaughter, the French only excepted. They were then -to have called on their fellow-negroes and the friends of humanity -throughout the continent, by proclamation, to rally round their -standard. The magazine, which was defenceless, would have supplied them -with arms for many thousand men. - -“The treasury would have given them money, the mills bread, and the -bridges would have enabled them to let in their friends, and keep -out their enemies. Never was there a more propitious season for the -accomplishment of their purpose. - -“The country is covered with rich harvests of Indian corn; flocks and -herds are everywhere fat in the fields, and the liberty and equality -doctrine, nonsensical and wicked as it is (in this land of tyrants and -slaves), is for electioneering purposes sounding and resounding through -our valleys and mountains in every direction. The city of Richmond -and the circumjacent country are in arms, and have been so for ten or -twelve days past. The patrollers are doubled through the State, and the -Governor, impressed with the magnitude of the danger, has appointed for -himself three aids-de-camp. A number of conspirators have been hung, -and a great many more are yet to be hung. The trials and executions are -going on day by day. Poor, deluded wretches! Their democratic deluders, -conscious of their own guilt, and fearful of the public vengeance, are -most active in bringing them to punishment.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -BLACK MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. - - -The Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, may be regarded as the first act in -the great drama of the American Revolution. “From that moment,” said -Daniel Webster, “we may date the severance of the British Empire.” The -presence of the British soldiers in King Street excited the patriotic -indignation of the people. The whole community was stirred, and sage -counsellors were deliberating and writing and talking about the public -grievances. But it was not for “the wise and prudent” to be the first -to act against the encroachments of arbitrary power. - -A motley rabble of men and boys, led by Crispus Attucks, a negro, and -shouting, “The way to get rid of these soldiers is to attack the main -guard; strike at the root; this is the nest!” with more valor than -discretion, they rushed to King Street, and were fired upon by Captain -Preston’s company. Crispus Attucks was the first to fall; he and Samuel -Gray and Jonas Caldwell were killed on the spot. Samuel Maverick and -Patrick Carr were mortally wounded. - -The excitement which followed was intense. The bells of the town -were rung; an impromptu meeting was held, and an immense assembly was -gathered. Three days after, on the 8th, a public funeral of the martyrs -took place. The shops in Boston were closed; all the bells of Boston -and neighboring towns were rung. It was said that a greater number of -persons assembled on this occasion than were ever before gathered on -the continent for a similar purpose. - -The body of Attucks, the negro slave, had been placed in Faneuil Hall, -with that of Caldwell, both being strangers in the city. Maverick was -buried from his mother’s house in Union Street, and Gray from his -brother’s, in Royal Exchange Lane. The four hearses formed a junction -in King Street, and there the procession marched on in columns six -deep, with a long file of coaches belonging to the most distinguished -citizens, to the middle burying-ground, where the four victims were -deposited in one grave, over which a stone was placed with the -following inscription: - - - “Long as in Freedom’s cause the wise contend, - Dear to your country shall your fame extend; - While to the world the lettered stone shall tell, - Where Caldwell, Attucks, Gray and Maverick fell.” - - -The anniversary of this event was publicly commemorated in Boston, by -an oration and other exercises, every year until after our national -independence was achieved, when the Fourth of July was substituted for -the fifth of March, as the more proper day for general celebration. Not -only was the occasion commemorated, but the martyrs who then gave up -their lives were remembered and honored. For half a century after the -close of the war, the name of Crispus Attucks was honorably mentioned -by the most noted men of the country, who were not blinded by foolish -prejudice, which, to say the most, was only skin-deep. - -A single passage from Bancroft’s history will give a succinct and clear -account of the condition of the army in respect to colored soldiers, at -the time of the battle of Bunker Hill:-- - -“Nor should history forget to record, that, as in the army at -Cambridge, so also in this gallant band, the free negroes of the colony -had their representatives. For the right of free negroes to bear arms -in the public defence was, at that day, as little disputed in New -England as their other rights. They took their place not in a separate -corps, but in the ranks with the white man; and their names may be read -on the pension-rolls of the country, side by side with those of other -soldiers of the Revolution.”[48] - -The capture of Major-General Prescott, of the British army, on the -9th of July, 1777, was an occasion of great rejoicing throughout the -country. Prince, the valiant negro who seized that officer, ought -always to be remembered with honor for his important service. - -The battle of Red Bank, and the battle of Rhode Island, on the 29th of -August, 1778, entitle the blacks to perpetual honor.[49] - -When Colonel Green was surprised and murdered, near Points Bridge, New -York, on 14th of May, 1781, his colored soldiers heroically defended -him till they were cut to pieces; and the enemy reached him over the -dead bodies of his faithful negroes. Of this last engagement, Arnold, -in his “History of Rhode Island,” says:-- - -“A third time the enemy, with desperate courage and increased strength, -attempted to assail the redoubt and would have carried it, but for the -timely aid of two continental battalions despatched by Sullivan to -support his almost exhausted troops. It was in repelling these furious -onsets, that the newly raised black regiment, under Colonel Greene, -distinguished itself by deeds of desperate valor. Posted behind a -thicket in the valley, they three times drove back the Hessians, who -charged repeatedly down the hill to dislodge them; and so determined -were the enemy in these successive charges, that, the day after the -battle, the Hessian colonel, upon whom this duty had devolved, applied -to exchange his command, and go to New York, because he dared not lead -his regiment again to battle, lest his men should shoot him for having -caused them so much loss.” - -FOOTNOTES: - -[48] Bancroft’s “History of the United States.” Vol. VII. p. 421. - -[49] Moore’s “Diary of the American Revolution.” Vol. I. p. 468. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -BLACKS IN THE WAR OF 1812. - - -In the war of 1812, colored men again did themselves honor by -volunteering their services in aid of American freedom, both at -the North and at the South. In the latter section, even the slaves -were invited, and entered the army, where their bravery was highly -appreciated. The following document speaks for itself. - - - “HEAD QUARTERS, SEVENTH MILITARY DISTRICT, } - MOBILE, September 21, 1814. } - - “_To the Free Colored Inhabitants of Louisiana_: - - “Through a mistaken policy, you have heretofore been deprived of - a participation in the glorious struggle for national rights, in - which our country is engaged. This no longer shall exist. - - “As sons of freedom, you are now called upon to defend our most - inestimable blessings. As Americans, your country looks with - confidence to her adopted children for a valorous support, as a - faithful return for the advantages enjoyed under her mild and - equitable government. As fathers, husbands, and brothers, you are - summoned to rally around the standard of the Eagle, to defend all - which is dear in existence. - - “Your country, although calling for your exertions, does not - wish you to engage in her cause without remunerating you for the - services rendered. Your intelligent minds are not to be led away - by false representations--your love of honor would cause you - to despise the man who should attempt to deceive you. With the - sincerity of a soldier, and in the language of truth, I address - you. - - “To every noble-hearted free man of color, volunteering to serve - during the present contest with Great Britain, and no longer, - there will be paid the same bounty, in money and lands, now - received by the white soldiers of the United States, namely--one - hundred and twenty-four dollars in money, and one hundred and - sixty acres of land. The non-commissioned officers and privates - will also be entitled to the same monthly pay, daily rations, and - clothes, furnished to any American soldier. - - “On enrolling yourselves in companies, the Major-General - commanding will select officers for your government, from your - white fellow-citizens. Your non-commissioned officers will be - appointed from among yourselves. - - “Due regard will be paid to the feelings of freemen and soldiers. - You will not, by being associated with white men, in the same - corps, be exposed to improper comparisons, or unjust sarcasm. As a - distinct independent battalion or regiment, pursuing the path of - glory, you will, undivided, receive the applause and gratitude of - your countrymen. - - “To assure you of the sincerity of my intentions, and my anxiety - to engage your invaluable services to our country, I have - communicated my wishes to the Governor of Louisiana, who is fully - informed as to the manner of enrollments, and will give you every - necessary information on the subject of this address. - - “ANDREW JACKSON, - - “Major-General Commanding.”[50] - - -December 18th, 1814, General Jackson issued the following address to -the colored members of his army:-- - - - “SOLDIERS!--When, on the banks of the Mobile, I called you to - take up arms, inviting you to partake of the perils and glory of - your white fellow-citizens, I expected much from you; for I was - not ignorant that you possessed qualities most formidable to an - invading enemy. I knew with what fortitude you could endure hunger - and thirst, and all the fatigues of a campaign. I knew well how - you loved your native country, and that you, as well as ourselves, - had to defend what man holds most dear--his parents, wife, - children, and property. You have done more than I expected. In - addition to the previous qualities I before knew you to possess, I - found among you a noble enthusiasm, which leads to the performance - of great things. - - “Soldiers! the President of the United States shall hear how - praiseworthy was your conduct in the hour of danger, and the - representatives of the American people will give you the praise - your exploits entitle you to. Your general anticipates them in - applauding your noble ardor. - - “The enemy approaches; his vessels cover our lakes; our brave - citizens are united, and all contention has ceased among them. - Their only dispute is, who shall win the prize of valor, or who - the most glory, its noblest reward. - - “By order, - - “THOMAS BUTLER, Aid-de-camp.” - - -The “New Orleans Picayune,” in an account of the celebration of the -Battle of New Orleans, in that city, in 1851, says:-- - -“Not the least interesting, although the most novel feature of the -procession yesterday, was the presence of ninety of the colored -veterans who bore a conspicuous part in the dangers of the day they -were now for the first time called to assist in celebrating, and who, -by their good conduct in presence of the enemy, deserved and received -the approbation of their illustrious commander-in-chief. During the -thirty-six years that have passed away since they assisted to repel -the invaders from our shores, these faithful men have never before -participated in the annual rejoicings for the victory which their valor -contributed to gain. - -“Their good deeds have been consecrated only in their memories, or -lived but to claim a passing notice on the page of the historian. Yet, -who more than they deserve the thanks of the country, and the gratitude -of succeeding generations? Who rallied with more alacrity in response -to the summons of danger? Who endured more cheerfully the hardships of -the camp, or faced with greater courage the perils of the fight? If, -in that hazardous hour, when our homes were menaced with the horrors -of war, we did not disdain to call upon the colored population to -assist in repelling the invading horde, we should not, when the danger -is past, refuse to permit them to unite with us in celebrating the -glorious event which they helped to make so memorable an epoch in our -history. We were not too exalted to mingle with them in the affray; -they were not too humble to join in our rejoicings. - -“Such, we think, is the universal opinion of our citizens. We conversed -with many yesterday, and without exception, they expressed approval of -the invitation which had been extended to the colored veterans to take -part in the ceremonies of the day, and gratification at seeing them in -a conspicuous place in the procession. - -“The respectability of their appearance, and the modesty of their -demeanor, made an impression on every observer and elicited unqualified -approbation. Indeed, though in saying so we do not mean disrespect -to any one else, we think that they constituted decidedly the most -interesting portion of the pageant, as they certainly attracted the -most attention.” - -On Lakes Erie and Champlain, colored men were also engaged in these -battles which have become historical, exhibiting the same heroism that -characterized them in all their previous efforts in defence of their -country’s rights. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[50] Niles’ Register, Vol. VII., p. 205. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE CURSE OF SLAVERY. - - -The demoralization which the institution entailed upon all classes in -the community in which it existed, was indeed fearful to contemplate; -and we may well say that slavery is the curse of curses. While it made -the victim a mere chattel, taking from him every characteristic of -manhood, it degraded the mind of the master, brutalized his feelings, -seared his conscience, and destroyed his moral sense. - -Immorality to a great extent, pervaded every slaveholding city, town, -village, and dwelling in the South. Morality and virtue were always the -exceptions. The Southern clergy, backed by the churches, defended their -right to hold slaves to the last. Houses of religious worship and the -negro pen were often in sight of each other. - -The Southern newspapers teemed with advertisements, which were a fair -index to this monstrous social evil. - -Now that slavery is swept away, it may be interesting to see some -of these newspaper notices, in the light of the new dispensation of -freedom. - -The New Orleans “True Delta” in 1853, graced its columns with the -following: “Mr. Joseph Jennings respectfully informs his friends and -the public, that, at the request of many of his acquaintances, he has -been induced to purchase from Mr. Osborn, of Missouri, the celebrated -dark bay horse “Star,” age five years, square trotter, and warranted -sound, with a new light-trotting buggy and harness; also the stout -mulatto girl “Sarah,” aged about twenty years, general house servant, -valued at nine hundred dollars, and guaranteed; will be raffled for -at four o’clock, P. M., February 1st, at any hotel selected by the -subscribers. - -“The above is as represented, and those persons who may wish to engage -in the usual practice of raffling will, I assure them, be perfectly -satisfied with their destiny in this affair. - -“Fifteen hundred chances, at one dollar each. - -“The whole is valued at its just worth, fifteen hundred dollars. - -“The raffle will be conducted by gentlemen selected by the interested -subscribers present. Five nights allowed to complete the raffle. Both -of above can be seen at my store, No. 78 Common Street, second door -from Camp, at from 9 o’clock, A. M., till half-past two, P. M. - -“Highest throw takes the first choice; the lowest throw the remaining -prize, and the fortunate winners to pay twenty dollars each, for the -refreshments furnished for the occasion.” - -The “Picayune,” of the same city, gives the following: - -“$100 REWARD.--Run away from the plantation of the undersigned, the -negro man Shedrick, a preacher, five feet nine inches high, about -forty years old, but looking not over twenty-three, stamped N. E. on -the breast, and having both small toes cut off. He is of a very dark -complexion, with eyes small, but bright, and a look quite insolent. -He dresses good, and was arrested as a runaway at Donaldsonville, -some three years ago. The above reward will be paid for his arrest, -by addressing Messrs. Armant Brothers, St. James Parish, or A. -Miltenberger & Co., 30 Carondelet Street.” - -A Savannah (Georgia) paper has the annexed notice. - -“Committed to prison, three weeks ago, under suspicious circumstances, -a negro woman, who calls herself Phebe, or Phillis. Says she is free, -and lately from Beaufort District, South Carolina. Said woman is about -fifty years of age, stout in stature, mild-spoken, five feet four -inches high, and weighs about one hundred and forty pounds. Having made -diligent inquiry by letter, and from what I can learn, said woman is a -runaway. Any person owning said slave can get her by making application -to me, properly authenticated.” - -The practice of capturing runaway slaves, with blood-hounds trained for -the purpose, during the days of slave rule in the South, is well known. -We give below one of the advertisements as it appeared in print at the -time. - -“The undersigned, having an excellent pack of hounds for trailing and -catching runaway slaves, informs the public that his prices in future -will be as follows for such services: - - - For each day employed in hunting or trailing $2.50 - For catching each slave 10.00 - For going over ten miles, and catching slaves 20.00 - - - “If sent for, the above prices will be exacted in cash. The - subscriber resides one mile and a half south of Dadeville, Ala. - - “B. BLACK.” - - -Slavery so completely seared the conscience of the whites of the South, -that they had no feeling of compassion for the blacks, as the following -illustration will show. At St. Louis, in the year 1835, Francis -McIntosh, a free colored man, while defending himself from an attack of -white ruffians, one of the latter was killed. At once the colored man -was taken, chained to a tree, and burnt to death. One of the newspapers -at the time gave the following account of the inhuman affair:-- - -“All was silent as death while the executioners were piling wood around -their victim. He said not a word, until feeling that the flames had -seized upon him. He then uttered an awful howl, attempting to sing -and pray, then hung his head, and suffered in silence, except in -the following instance. After the flames had surrounded their prey, -his eyes burnt out of his head, and his mouth seemingly parched to -a cinder, some one in the crowd, more compassionate than the rest, -proposed to put an end to his misery by shooting him, when it was -replied, ‘That would be of no use, since he was already out of pain.’ -‘No, no,’ said the wretch, ‘I am not, I am suffering as much as ever; -shoot me, shoot me.’ ‘No, no,’ said one of the fiends who was standing -about the sacrifice they were roasting, ‘he shall not be shot. I would -sooner slacken the fire, if it would increase his misery;’ and the man -who said this was, as we understand, an officer of justice!” - -Lest this demonstration of “public opinion” should be regarded as a -sudden impulse merely, not an index of the settled tone of feeling in -that community, it is important to add, that the Hon. Luke E. Lawless, -Judge of the Circuit Court of Missouri, at a session of that court -in the city of St. Louis, some months after the burning of this man, -decided officially that since the burning of McIntosh was the act, -either directly or by countenance of a majority of the citizens, it -is “a case which transcends the jurisdiction” of the Grand Jury! Thus -the State of Missouri proclaimed to the world that the wretches who -perpetrated that unspeakably diabolical murder, and the thousands that -stood by consenting to it, were her representatives, and the Bench -sanctified it with the solemnity of a judicial decision. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -DISCONTENT AND INSURRECTION. - - -An undeveloped discontent always pervaded the black population of the -South, bond and free. Human bondage is ever fruitful of insurrection, -wherever it exists, and under whatever circumstances it may be found. -The laws forbidding either free people of color or slaves to assemble -in any considerable numbers for religious, or any other purpose, -without two or more whites being present, and the rigorous enforcement -of such laws, show how fearful the slave-masters were of their injured -victims. - -Everything was done to make the Negro feel that he was not a man, but -a thing; his inferiority was impressed upon him in all possible ways. -In the great cities of the South, free colored ladies were not allowed -to wear a veil in the streets, or in any public places. A violation of -this law was visited with thirty-nine lashes upon the bare back. The -same was inflicted upon the free colored man who should be seen upon -the streets with a cigar in his mouth, or a walking-stick in his hand. -Both, when walking the streets, were forbidden to take the inside of -the pavement. Punishment of fine and imprisonment was laid upon any -found out of their houses after nine o’clock at night. - -An extra tax was placed upon every member of a free colored family. -While all these odious edicts were silently borne by the free colored -people of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1822, there was a suppressed -feeling of indignation, mortification, and discontent, that was only -appreciated by a few. Among the most dissatisfied of the free blacks -was Denmark Vesey, a man who had purchased his freedom in the year -1800, and since that time had earned his living by his trade, being a -carpenter and joiner. - -In person, Vesey was tall and of spare make; in color, a dark mulatto; -high forehead; eyes, dark brown; nose, long and with a Roman cast. His -education was superior to that of his associates, and he had read much, -especially of the condition of his own race, and felt deeply for them -in their degraded condition. - -Vesey was a native of the West Indies. Having been employed on -shipboard by his master, Captain Vesey, Denmark had seen a great -deal of the world, and had acquired a large fund of information, and -was regarded as a leading man among the blacks. He had studied the -Scriptures, and never lost an opportunity of showing that they were -opposed to chattel-slavery. He spoke freely with the slaves upon the -subject, and often with the whites, where he found he could do so -without risk to his own liberty. - -After resolving to incite the slaves to rebellion, he began taking -into his confidence such persons as he could trust, and instructing -them to gain adherents from among the more reliable of both bond and -free. Peter Poyas, a slave of more than ordinary foresight and ability, -was selected by Vesey as his lieutenant; and to him was committed the -arduous duty of arranging the mode of attack, and of acting as the -military leader. - -His plans showed some natural generalship; he arranged the night -attack; he planned the enrollment of a mounted troop to scour the -streets; and he had a list of all the shops where arms and ammunition -were kept for sale. He voluntarily undertook the management of the -most difficult part of the enterprise,--the capture of the main -guard-house,--and had pledged himself to advance alone, and surprise -the sentinel. He was said to have a magnetism in his eye, of which his -confederates stood in great awe; if he once got his eye upon a man, -there was no resisting it. - -Gullah Jack, Tom Russell, and Ned Bennett. The last two were not less -valuable than Peter Poyas; for Tom was an ingenious mechanic, and made -battle-axes, pikes, and other instruments of death, with which to carry -on the war. All of the above were to be generals of brigades, and were -let into all the secrets of the intended rising. It has long been -the custom in Charleston for the country slaves to visit the city in -great numbers on Sunday, and return to their homes in time to commence -work on the following morning. It was therefore determined by Denmark -to have the rising take place on Sunday. The slaves of nearly every -plantation in the vicinity were enlisted, and were to take part. - -The details of the plan, however, were not rashly committed to the -mass of the confederates; they were known only to a few, and were -finally to have been announced after the evening prayer-meeting on -the appointed Sunday. But each leader had his own company enlisted, -and his own work marked out. When the clock struck twelve, all were -to move. Peter Poyas was to lead a party ordered to assemble at South -Bay, and to be joined by a force from James’ Island; he was then to -march up and seize the arsenal and guard-house opposite St. Michael’s -Church, and detach a sufficient number to cut off all white citizens -who should appear at the alarm posts. A second body of negroes, from -the country and the Neck, headed by Ned Bennett, was to assemble on -the Neck and seize the arsenal there. A third was to meet at Governor -Bennett’s Mills, under command of Rolla, another leader, and, after -putting the governor and intendant to death, to march through the -city, or be posted at Cannon’s Bridge, thus preventing the inhabitants -of Cannonsborough from entering the city. A fourth, partly from the -country and partly from the neighboring localities in the city, was to -rendezvous on Gadsden’s Wharf, and attack the upper guard-house. - -A fifth, composed of country and Neck negroes, was to assemble at -Bulkley’s farm, two miles and a half from the city, seize the upper -powder magazine, and then march down; and a sixth was to assemble at -Denmark Vesey’s, and obey his orders. A seventh detachment, under -Gullah Jack, was to assemble in Boundary Street, at the head of King -Street, to capture the arms of the Neck company of militia, and to -take an additional supply from Mr. Duquercron’s shop. The naval stores -on Mey’s Wharf were also to be attacked. Meanwhile a horse company, -consisting of many draymen, hostlers, and butcher boys, was to meet at -Lightwood’s Alley, and then scour the streets to prevent the whites -from assembling. Every white man coming out of his own door was to -be killed, and, if necessary, the city was to be fired in several -places--slow match for this purpose having been purloined from the -public arsenal and placed in an accessible position. - -The secret and plan of attack, however, were incautiously divulged -to a slave named Devany, belonging to Colonel Prioleau, and he at -once informed his master’s family. The mayor, on getting possession -of the facts, called the city council together for consultation. The -investigation elicited nothing new, for the slaves persisted in their -ignorance of the matter, and the authorities began to feel that they -had been imposed upon by Devany and his informant, when another of -the conspirators, being bribed, revealed what he knew. Arrests after -arrests were made, and the Mayor’s Court held daily examinations for -weeks. After several weeks of incarceration, the accused, one hundred -and twenty in number, were brought to trial: thirty-four were sentenced -to transportation, twenty-seven acquitted by the court, twenty-five -discharged without trial, and thirty-five condemned to death. With but -two or three exceptions, all of the conspirators went to the gallows -feeling that they had acted right, and died like men giving their lives -for the cause of freedom. A report of the trial, written soon after, -says of Denmark Vesey:-- - -“For several years before he disclosed his intentions to any one, he -appears to have been constantly and assiduously engaged in endeavoring -to embitter the minds of the colored population against the white. -He rendered himself perfectly familiar with all those parts of the -Scriptures which he thought he could pervert to his purpose, and would -readily quote them to prove that slavery was contrary to the laws of -God,--that slaves were bound to attempt their emancipation, however -shocking and bloody might be the consequences,--and that such efforts -would not only be pleasing to the Almighty, but were absolutely -enjoined, and their success predicted, in the Scriptures. His favorite -texts, when he addressed those of his own color, were Zachariah xiv: -1-3, and Joshua vi: 21; and in all his conversations he identified -their situation with that of the Israelites. - -The number of inflammatory pamphlets on slavery brought into Charleston -from some of our sister states within the last four years (and once -from Sierra Leone), and distributed amongst the colored population of -the city, for which there was a great facility, in consequence of the -unrestricted intercourse allowed to the persons of color between the -different states in the Union, and the speeches in Congress of those -opposed to the admission of Missouri into the Union, perhaps garbled -and misrepresented, furnished him with ample means for inflaming the -minds of the colored population of this State; and by distorting -certain parts of those speeches, or selecting from them particular -passages, he persuaded but too many that Congress had actually declared -them free, and that they were held in bondage contrary to the laws of -the land. - -Even whilst walking through the streets in company with another, he -was not idle; for if his companion bowed to a white person, he would -rebuke him, and observe that all men were born equal, and that he was -surprised that any one would degrade himself by such conduct,--that -he would never cringe to the whites, nor ought any one who had -the feelings of a man. When answered, ‘We are slaves,’ he would -sarcastically and indignantly reply, ‘You deserve to remain slaves;’ -and if he were further asked, ‘What can we do?’ he would remark, -‘Go and buy a spelling-book and read the fable of Hercules and the -Wagoner,’ which he would then repeat, and apply it to their situation. -He also sought every opportunity of entering into conversation with -white persons, when they could be overheard by negroes near by, -especially in grog shops; during which conversation, he would artfully -introduce some bold remark on slavery; and sometimes, when, from the -character he was conversing with, he found he might be still bolder, he -would go so far, that, had not his declarations in such situations been -clearly proved, they would scarcely have been credited. He continued -this course until some time after the commencement of the last winter; -by which time he had not only obtained incredible influence amongst -persons of color, but many feared him more than their owners, and, one -of them declared, even more than his God.” - -The excitement which the revelations of the trial occasioned, and -the continual fanning of the flame by the newspapers, were beyond -description. Double guard in the city, the country patrol on -horseback and on foot, the watchfulness that was observed on all -plantations, showed the deep feeling of fear pervading the hearts of -the slaveholders, not only in South Carolina, but the fever extended -to the other Southern states, and all seemed to feel that a great -crisis had been passed. And indeed, their fears seem not to have been -without ground, for a more complicated plan for an insurrection could -scarcely have been conceived. And many were of opinion that the rising -once begun, they would have taken the city and held it, and might have -sealed the fate of slavery in the South.[51] But a more successful -effort in rebellion was made in Southampton, Virginia, in the year -1831, at the head of which was Nat Turner. - -On one of the oldest and largest plantations in Southampton County, -Virginia, owned by Benjamin Turner, Esq., Nat was born a slave, on -the 2d of October, 1800. His parents were of unmixed African descent. -Surrounded as he was by the superstition of the slave quarters, and -being taught by his mother that he was born for a prophet, a preacher, -and a deliverer of his race, it is not strange that the child should -have imbibed the principles which were afterwards developed in his -career. Early impressed with the belief that he had seen visions, and -received communications direct from God, he, like Napoleon, regarded -himself as a being of destiny. In his childhood Nat was of an amiable -disposition; but circumstances in which he was placed as a slave, -brought out incidents that created a change in his disposition, and -turned his kind and docile feeling into the most intense hatred to the -white race. - -Being absent one night from his master’s plantation without a pass, -he was caught by Whitlock and Mull, the two district patrolers, and -severely flogged. This act of cruelty inflamed the young slave, and he -resolved upon having revenge. Getting two of the boys of a neighboring -plantation to join him, Nat obtained a long rope, went out at night -on the road through which the officers had their beat, and stationing -his companions, one on each side of the road, he stretched the rope -across, fastening each end to a tree, and drawing it tight. His rope -thus fixed, and his accomplices instructed how to act their part, Nat -started off up the road. The night being dark, and the rope only six or -eight inches from the ground, the slave felt sure that he would give -his enemies a “high fall.” - -Nat hearing them, he called out in a disguised voice, “Is dat you, -Jim?” To this Whitlock replied, “Yes, dis is me.” Waiting until the -white men were near him, Nat started off upon a run, followed by the -officers. The boy had placed a sheet of white paper in the road, so -that he might know at what point to jump the rope, so as not to be -caught in his own trap. Arriving at the signal he sprung over the -rope, and went down the road like an antelope. But not so with the -white men, for both were caught by the legs and thrown so hard upon -the ground that Mull had his shoulder put out of joint, and his face -terribly lacerated by the fall; while Whitlock’s left wrist was -broken, and his head bruised in a shocking manner. Nat hastened home, -while his companions did the same, not forgetting to take with them -the clothesline which had been so serviceable in the conflict. The -patrolers were left on the field of battle, crying, swearing, and -calling for help. - -Snow seldom falls as far south as the southern part of Virginia; but -when it does, the boys usually have a good time snow-balling, and on -such occasions the slaves, old and young, women and men, are generally -pelted without mercy, and with no right to retaliate. It was only a -few months after his affair with the patrolers, that Nat was attacked -by a gang of boys, who chased him some distance, snow-balling with all -their power. The slave boy knew the lads, and determined upon revenge. -Waiting till night, he filled his pockets with rocks, and went into -the street. Very soon the same gang of boys were at his heels, and -pelting him. Concealing his face so as not to be known, Nat discharged -his rocks in every direction, until his enemies had all taken to their -heels. - -The ill treatment he experienced at the hands of the whites, and the -visions he claimed to have seen, caused Nat to avoid, as far as he -could, all intercourse with his fellow-slaves, and threw around him a -gloom and melancholy that disappeared only with his life. - -Both the young slave and his friends averred that a full knowledge of -the alphabet came to him in a single night. Impressed with the belief -that his mission was a religious one, and this impression strengthened -by the advice of his grandmother, a pious but ignorant woman, Nat -commenced preaching when about twenty-five years of age, but never -went beyond his own master’s locality. In stature he was under the -middle size, long-armed, round-shouldered, and strongly marked with -the African features. A gloomy fire burned in his looks, and he had a -melancholy expression of countenance. He never tasted a drop of ardent -spirits in his life, and was never known to smile. In the year 1828 new -visions appeared to Nat, and he claimed to have direct communication -with God. Unlike most of those born under the influence of slavery, he -had no faith in conjuring, fortune-telling, or dreams, and always spoke -with contempt of such things. - -Being hired out to cruel masters, he ran away and remained in the woods -thirty days, and could have easily escaped to the free states, as -did his father some years before; but he received, as he says in his -confession a communication from the spirit, which said, “Return to your -earthly master, for he who knoweth his Master’s will, and doeth it not, -shall be beaten with many stripes.” It was not the will of his earthly, -but his heavenly Master that he felt bound to do, and therefore Nat -returned. His fellow-slaves were greatly incensed at him for coming -back, for they knew well his ability to reach Canada, or some other -land of freedom, if he was so inclined. - -He says further: “About this time I had a vision, and saw white spirits -and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened, the -thunder rolled in the heavens, and blood flowed in streams; and I heard -a voice saying, ‘Such is your luck; such are you called on to see; and -let it come, rough or smooth, you must surely bear it.’” - -Some time after this, Nat had, as he says, another vision, in which -the spirit appeared and said, “The serpent is loosened, and Christ has -laid down the yoke he has borne for the sins of men, and you must take -it up, and fight against the serpent, for the time is fast approaching -when the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” There is no -doubt but that this last sentence filled Nat with enthusiastic feeling -in favor of the liberty of his race, that he had so long dreamed of. -“The last shall be first, and the first shall be last,” seemed to him -to mean something. He saw in it the overthrow of the whites, and the -establishing of the blacks in their stead, and to this end he bent -the energies of his mind. In February, 1831, Nat received his last -communication, and beheld his last vision. He said, “I was told I -should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own -weapons.” - -The plan of an insurrection was now formed in his own mind, and the -time had arrived for him to take others into the secret; and he at once -communicated his ideas to four of his friends, in whom he had implicit -confidence. Hark Travis, Nelson Williams, Sam Edwards, and Henry Porter -were slaves like himself, and like him had taken their names from their -masters. A meeting must be held with these, and it must take place in -some secluded place, where the whites would not disturb them; and a -meeting was appointed. The spot where they assembled was as wild and -romantic as were the visions that had been impressed upon the mind of -their leader. - -Three miles from where Nat lived was a dark swamp filled with reptiles, -in the middle of which was a dry spot, reached by a narrow, winding -path, and upon which human feet seldom trod, on account of its having -been the place where a slave had been tortured to death by a slow fire, -for the crime of having flogged his cruel and inhuman master. The -night for the meeting arrived, and they came together. Hark brought a -pig; Sam, bread; Nelson, sweet potatoes, and Henry, brandy; and the -gathering was turned into a feast. Others were taken in, and joined -the conspiracy. All partook heartily of the food and drank freely, -except Nat. He fasted and prayed. It was agreed that the revolt should -commence that night, and in their own master’s households, and that -each slave should give his oppressor the death-blow. Before they left -the swamp Nat made a speech, in which he said, “Friends and brothers: -We are to commence a great work to-night. Our race is to be delivered -from slavery, and God has appointed us as the men to do his bidding, -and let us be worthy of our calling. I am told to slay all the whites -we encounter, without regard to age or sex. We have no arms or -ammunition, but we will find these in the houses of our oppressors, -and as we go on, others can join us. Remember that we do not go forth -for the sake of blood and carnage, but it is necessary that in the -commencement of this revolution all the whites we meet should die, -until we shall have an army strong enough to carry on the war upon a -Christian basis. Remember that ours is not a war for robbery and to -satisfy our passions; it is a struggle for freedom. Ours must be deeds, -and not words. Then let’s away to the scene of action.” - -Among those who had joined the conspirators was Will, a slave, who -scorned the idea of taking his master’s name. Though his soul longed -to be free, he evidently became one of the party, as much to satisfy -revenge, as for the liberty that he saw in the dim distance. Will had -seen a dear and beloved wife sold to the negro-trader and taken away, -never to be beheld by him again in this life. His own back was covered -with scars, from his shoulders to his feet. A large scar, running from -his right eye down to his chin, showed that he had lived with a cruel -master. Nearly six feet in height, and one of the strongest and most -athletic of his race, he proved to be the most unfeeling of all the -insurrectionists. His only weapon was a broad-axe, sharp and heavy. - -Nat and his accomplices at once started for the plantation of Joseph -Travis, with whom the four lived, and there the first blow was struck. -In his confession, just before his execution, Nat said:-- - -“On returning to the house, Hark went to the door with an axe, for the -purpose of breaking it open, as we knew we were strong enough to murder -the family should they be awakened by the noise; but reflecting that -it might create an alarm in the neighborhood, we determined to enter -the house secretly, and murder them whilst sleeping. Hark got a ladder -and set it against the chimney, on which I ascended, and hoisting a -window, entered, and came down-stairs, unbarred the doors, and removed -the guns from their places. It was then observed that I must spill -the first blood. On which, armed with a hatchet, and accompanied by -Will, I entered my master’s chamber. It being dark, I could not give -a death-blow. The hatchet glanced from his head; he sprang from the -bed and called his wife. It was his last word; Will laid him dead with -a blow of his axe, and Mrs. Travis shared the same fate as she lay -in bed. The murder of this family, five in number, was the work of a -moment; not one of them awoke. There was a little infant sleeping in a -cradle, that was forgotten until we had left the house and gone some -distance, when Henry and Will returned and killed it. We got here four -guns that would shoot, and several old muskets, with a pound or two -of powder. We remained for some time at the barn, where we paraded; -I formed them in line as soldiers, and after carrying them through -all the manœuvres I was master of, marched them off to Mr. Salathiel -Francis’s, about six hundred yards distant. - -“Sam and Will went to the door and knocked. Mr. Francis asked who was -there; Sam replied it was he and he had a letter for him; on this he -got up and came to the door; they immediately seized him, and dragging -him out a little from the door, he was despatched by repeated blows on -the head. There was no other white person in the family. We started -from there to Mrs. Reese’s, maintaining the most perfect silence on our -march, where, finding the door unlocked, we entered and murdered Mrs. -Reese in her bed while sleeping; her son awoke, but only to sleep the -sleep of death; he had only time to say, ‘Who is that?’ and he was no -more. - -“From Mrs. Reese’s we went to Mrs. Turner’s, a mile distant, which we -reached about sunrise, on Monday morning. Henry, Austin, and Sam, went -to the still, where, finding Mr. Peebles, Austin shot him; the rest of -us went to the house. As we approached, the family discovered us and -shut the door. Vain hope! Will, with one stroke of his axe, opened it, -and we entered, and found Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Newsome in the middle -of the room, almost frightened to death. Will immediately killed Mrs. -Turner with one blow of his axe. I took Mrs. Newsome by the hand, and -with the sword I had when apprehended, I struck her several blows over -the head, but was not able to kill her, as the sword was dull. Will, -turning round and discovering it, despatched her also. A general -destruction of property, and search for money and ammunition, always -succeeded the murders. - -“By this time, my company amounted to fifteen, nine men mounted, who -started for Mrs. Whitehead’s, (the other six were to go through a -by-way to Mr. Bryant’s, and rejoin us at Mrs. Whitehead’s). - -“As we approached the house, we discovered Mr. Richard Whitehead -standing in the cotton patch, near the lane fence; we called him over -into the lane, and Will, the executioner, was near at hand, with his -fatal axe, to send him to an untimely grave. As we pushed on to the -house, I discovered some one running around the garden, and thinking it -was some of the white family, I pursued; but finding it was a servant -girl belonging to the house, I returned to commence the work of death; -but they whom I left had not been idle; all the family were already -murdered but Mrs. Whitehead and her daughter Margaret. As I came round -to the door, I saw Will pulling Mrs. Whitehead out of the house, and at -the step he nearly severed her head from her body with his broadaxe. -Miss Margaret, when I discovered her, had concealed herself in the -corner formed by the projection of the cellar cap from the house; on -my approach she fled, but was soon overtaken, and after repeated blows -with a sword, I killed her with a blow over the head with a fence rail. -By this time the six who had gone by Mr. Bryant’s rejoined us, and -informed me they had done the work of death assigned them. - -“We again divided, part going to Mr. Richard Porter’s, and from thence -to Nathaniel Francis’s, the others to Mr. Howell Harris’s and Mr. -T. Doyles’s. On my reaching Mr. Porter’s, he had escaped with his -family. I understood there that the alarm had already spread, and I -immediately returned to bring up those sent to Mr. Doyles’s and Mr. -Howell Harris’s; the party I left going on to Mr. Francis’s, having -told them I would join them in that neighborhood. I met those sent to -Mr. Doyles’s and Mr. Howell Harris’s returning, having met Mr. Doyles -on the road and killed him. - -“Learning from some who joined them that Mr. Harris was from home, I -immediately pursued the course taken by the party gone on before; but -knowing that they would complete the work of death and pillage at Mr. -Francis’s before I could get there, I went to Mr. Peter Edwards’s, -expecting to find them there; but they had been there already. I then -went to Mr. John T. Barrows’s; they had been there and murdered him. I -pursued on their track to Captain Newitt Harris’s. I found the greater -part mounted and ready to start; the men, now amounting to about forty, -shouted and hurrahed as I rode up; some were in the yard loading their -guns, others drinking. They said Captain Harris and his family had -escaped; the property in the house they destroyed, robbing him of money -and other valuables. - -“I ordered them to mount and march instantly; this was about nine or -ten o’clock, Monday morning. I proceeded to Mr. Levi Waller’s, two -or three miles distant. I took my station in the rear, and as it was -my object to carry terror and devastation wherever we went, I placed -fifteen or twenty of the best mounted and most to be relied on in -front, who generally approached the houses as fast as their horses -could run. This was for two purposes; to prevent their escape, and -strike terror to the inhabitants. On this account I never got to -the houses, after leaving Mrs. Whitehead’s, until the murders were -committed, except in one case. I sometimes got in sight in time to see -the work of death completed, view the mangled bodies as they lay, in -silent satisfaction, and immediately start in quest of other victims. -Having murdered Mrs. Waller and ten children, we started for Mr. -William Williams’s. We killed him and two little boys that were there: -while engaged in this, Mrs. Williams fled, and got some distance from -the house; but she was pursued, overtaken, and compelled to get up -behind one of the company, who brought her back, and after showing her -the mangled body of her lifeless husband, she was told to get down and -lie by his side, where she was shot dead. - -“I then started for Mr. Jacob Williams’s, where the family were -murdered. Here we found a young man named Drury, who had come on -business with Mr. Williams; he was pursued, overtaken, and shot. Mrs. -Vaughan’s was the next place we visited; and after murdering the family -here, I determined on starting for Jerusalem. Our number amounted now -to fifty or sixty, all mounted and armed with guns, axes, swords, and -clubs. On reaching Mr. James W. Parker’s gate, immediately on the road -leading to Jerusalem, and about three miles distant, it was proposed to -me to call there; but I objected, as I knew he was gone to Jerusalem, -and my object was to reach there as soon as possible; but some of the -men having relations at Mr. Parker’s, it was agreed that they might -call and get his people. - -“I remained at the gate on the road, with seven or eight, the others -going across the field to the house, about half a mile off. After -waiting some time for them, I became impatient, and started to the -house for them, and on our return we were met by a party of white men, -who had pursued our blood-stained track, and who had fired on those -at the gate, and dispersed them, which I knew nothing of, not having -been at that time rejoined by any of them. Immediately on discovering -the whites, I ordered my men to halt and form, as they appeared to be -alarmed. The white men, eighteen in number, approached us within about -one hundred yards, when one of them fired, and I discovered about half -of them retreating. I then ordered my men to fire and rush on them; -the few remaining stood their ground until we approached within fifty -yards, when they fired and retreated. - -“We pursued and overtook some of them, whom we thought we left dead; -after pursuing them about two hundred yards, and rising a little hill, -I discovered they were met by another party, and had halted, and were -reloading their guns, thinking that those who retreated first, and the -party who fired on us at fifty or sixty yards distant, had only fallen -back to meet others with ammunition. As I saw them reloading their -guns, and more coming up than I saw at first, and several of my bravest -men being wounded, the others became panic-stricken, and scattered -over the field; the white men pursued and fired on us several times. -Hark had his horse shot under him, and I caught another for him that -was running by me; five or six of my men were wounded, but none left -on the field. Finding myself defeated here, I instantly determined to -go through a private way, and cross the Nottoway River at the Cypress -Bridge, three miles below Jerusalem, and attack that place in the rear, -as I expected they would look for me on the other road, and I had a -great desire to get there to procure arms and ammunition.” - -Reënforcements came to the whites, and the blacks were overpowered and -defeated by the superior numbers of their enemy. In this battle many -were slain on both sides. Will, the bloodthirsty and revengeful slave, -fell with his broad-axe uplifted, after having laid three of the whites -dead at his feet with his own strong arm and his terrible weapon. His -last words were, “Bury my axe with me;” for he religiously believed -that in the next world the blacks would have a contest with the whites, -and that he would need his axe. Nat Turner, after fighting to the last -with his short-sword, escaped with some others to the woods near by, -and was not captured for nearly two months. He had aroused the entire -country by his deeds, and for sixty days had eluded a thousand armed -men on his track. When taken, although half starved, and exhausted by -fatigue, like a fox after a weary chase, he stood erect and dignified, -proud and haughty, amid his captors, his sturdy, compact form, marked -features, and flashing eye, declaring him to be every inch a man. - -When brought to trial, he pleaded “not guilty;” feeling, as he said, -that it was always right for one to strike for his own liberty. After -going through a mere form of trial, he was convicted and executed at -Jerusalem, the county seat for Southampton County, Virginia. Not a -limb trembled nor a muscle was observed to move. Thus died Nat Turner, -at the early age of thirty-one years--a martyr to the freedom of -his race, and a victim to his own fanaticism. He meditated upon the -wrongs of his oppressed and injured people, till the idea of their -deliverance excluded all other ideas from his mind, and he devoted his -life to its realization. Everything appeared to him a vision, and all -favorable omens were signs from God. That he was sincere in all that he -professed, there is not the slightest doubt. After being defeated, he -might have escaped to the free states, but the hope of raising a new -band kept him from doing so. - -He impressed his image upon the minds of those who once beheld him. -His looks, his sermons, his acts, and his heroism live in the hearts -of his race, on every cotton, sugar, and rice plantation at the South. -The present generation of slaves have a superstitious veneration for -his name. He foretold that at his death the sun would refuse to shine, -and that there would be signs of disapprobation given from Heaven. -And it is true that the sun was darkened, a storm gathered, and more -boisterous weather had never appeared in Southampton County than on the -day of Nat’s execution. The sheriff, warned by the prisoner, refused to -cut the cord that held the trap. No black man would touch the rope. A -poor old white man, long besotted by drink, was brought forty miles to -be the executioner. And even the planters, with all their prejudice and -hatred, believed him honest and sincere; for Mr. Gray, who had known -Nat from boyhood, and to whom he made his confession, says of him:-- - -“It has been said that he was ignorant and cowardly, and that his -object was to murder and rob, for the purpose of obtaining money to -make his escape. It is notorious that he was never known to have a -dollar in his life, to swear an oath, or drink a drop of spirits. As to -his ignorance, he certainly never had the advantages of education; but -he can read and write, and for natural intelligence and quickness of -apprehension, is surpassed by few men I have ever seen. As to his being -a coward, his reason, as given, for not resisting Mr. Phipps, shows -the decision of his character. When he saw Mr. Phipps present his gun, -he said he knew it was impossible for him to escape, as the woods were -full of men; he therefore thought it was better for him to surrender, -and trust to fortune for his escape. - -“He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably. On other -subjects he possesses an uncommon share of intelligence, with a -mind capable of attaining anything, but warped and perverted by the -influence of early impressions. He is below the ordinary stature, -though strong and active, having the true negro face, every feature of -which is strongly marked. I shall not attempt to describe the effect of -his narrative, as told and commented on by himself, in the condemned -hole of the prison; the calm, deliberate composure with which he spoke -of his late deeds and intentions; the expression of his fiend-like -face, when excited by enthusiasm--still bearing the stains of the blood -of helpless innocence about him, clothed with rags and covered with -chains, yet daring to raise his manacled hands to Heaven, with a spirit -soaring above the attributes of man; I looked on him, and the blood -curdled in my veins.” - -Fifty-five whites and seventy-three blacks lost their lives in the -Southampton rebellion. On the fatal night when Nat and his companions -were dealing death to all they found, Captain Harris, a wealthy -planter had his life saved by the devotion and timely warning of his -slave Jim, said to have been half-brother to his master. After the -revolt had been put down, and parties of whites were out hunting the -suspected blacks, Captain Harris, with his faithful slave, went into -the woods in search of the negroes. In saving his master’s life, Jim -felt that he had done his duty, and could not consent to become a -betrayer of his race; and on reaching the woods, he handed his pistol -to his master, and said, “I cannot help you hunt down these men; they, -like myself, want to be free. Sir, I am tired of the life of a slave; -please give me my freedom, or shoot me on the spot.” Captain Harris -took the weapon and pointed it at the slave. Jim, putting his right -hand upon his heart, said, “This is the spot; aim here.” The captain -fired, and the slave fell dead at his feet. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[51] T. W. Higginson, in Atlantic Monthly, June, 1861. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -GROWING OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY. - - -The vast increase of the slave population in the Southern States, and -their frequent insurrectionary efforts, together with the fact that the -whole system was in direct contradiction to the sentiments expressed in -the declaration of American independence, was fast creating a hatred to -slavery. - -The society of Friends, the first to raise a warning voice against the -sin of human bondage, had nobly done its duty; and as early as 1789 had -petitioned Congress in favor of the abolition of slavery. - -Previous to this, however, William Beorling, a Quaker, of Long Island, -Ralph Sandiford of Philadelphia, Benjamin Lay, and several others of -the society of Friends, had written brave words in behalf of negro -freedom. - -Benjamin Lundy, also a member of the Society of Friends, commenced, in -1821, at Baltimore, the publication of a monthly paper, called “The -Genius of Universal Emancipation.” This journal advocated gradual, not -immediate emancipation. It had, however, one good effect, and that was, -to attract the attention of William Lloyd Garrison to the condition of -the enslaved negro. - -Out of this interest grew “The Liberator,” which was commenced January -1, 1831, at Boston. Two years later, the American Anti-slavery Society -was organized at Philadelphia. - -After setting forth the causes which the patriots of the American -Revolution had to induce them to throw off the British yoke, they nobly -put forth the claim of the slave to his liberty. - -The document was signed by sixty-four persons, among whom was William -Lloyd Garrison, and John G. Whittier. - -The formation of the American Anti-slavery Society created considerable -excitement at the time, and exposed its authors to the condemnation -of the servile pulpit and press of that period. Few, however, saw the -great importance of such a work, and none of the movers in it imagined -that they would live to witness the accomplishing of an object for -which the society was brought into being. - -One of the most malignant opposers that the abolitionists had to meet, -in their commencement, was the American Colonization Society, an -organization which began in 1817, in the interest of the slaveholders, -and whose purpose was to carry off to Africa the free colored people. -Garrison’s “Thoughts on African Colonization,” published in 1832, had -already drawn the teeth of this enemy of the Negro, and for which the -society turned all its batteries against him. - -The people of the Southern States were not alone in the agitation, for -the question had found its way into all of the ramifications of society -in the North. - -Miss Prudence Crandall, about this time, started a school for colored -females, in Canterbury, Connecticut, which was soon broken up, and Miss -Crandall thrown into prison. - -David Walker, a colored man, residing at Boston, had published an -appeal in behalf of his race, filled with enthusiasm, and well -calculated to arouse the ire of the pro-slavery feeling of the country. - -The liberation of his slaves, by James G. Binney of Kentucky, and his -letters to the churches, furnished fuel to the agitating flames. - -The free colored people of the North, especially in Boston, New York, -and Philadelphia, were alive to their own interest, and were yearly -holding conventions, at which they would recount their grievances, and -press their claims to equal rights with their white fellow-citizens. - -At these meetings, the talent exhibited, the able speeches made, and -the strong appeals for justice which were sent forth, did very much to -raise the blacks in the estimation of the whites generally, and gained -for the Negroes’ cause additional friends. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -MOB LAW TRIUMPHANT. - - -In the year 1834, mob law was inaugurated in the free states, which -extended into the years 1835-6 and 7. - -The mobbing of the friends of freedom commenced in Boston, in October, -1835, with an attack upon William Lloyd Garrison, and the ladies’ -Anti-slavery Society. This mob, made up as it was by “Gentlemen of -property and standing,” and from whom Mr. Garrison had to be taken to -prison to save his life, has become disgracefully historical. - -The Boston mob was followed by one at Utica, New York, headed by Judge -Beardsley, who broke up a meeting of the New York State Anti-slavery -Society. Arthur Tappan’s store was attacked by a mob in New York City, -and his property destroyed, to the value of thirty thousand dollars. -The Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, a brave man of the State of Maine, had -located at St. Louis, where he took the editorial charge of “The St. -Louis Times,” and in its columns nobly pleaded for justice to the -enslaved negro. The writer of this was for a period of six months -employed in the office of “The Times,” and knew Mr. Lovejoy well. -Driven from St. Louis by mob law, he removed to Alton, Illinois. Here -the spirit of slavery followed him, broke up his printing-press, threw -it into the river, and murdered the heroic advocate of free speech. - -Thus this good man died; but his death raised up new and strong friends -for the oppressed. Wendell Phillips visited the grave of the martyr -recently, and gave the following description of his burial-place:-- - -“Lovejoy lies buried now in the city cemetery, on a beautiful knoll. -Near by rolls the great river. His resting-place is marked by an oblong -stone, perhaps thirty inches by twenty, and rising a foot above the -ground; on this rests a marble scroll bearing this inscription: - - - Hic - Jacet - LOVEJOY. - Jam parce sepulto. - - [_Here lies Lovejoy, Spare him, now, in his grave._]” - - -A more marked testimonial would not, probably, have been safe from -insult and disfigurement, previous to 1864. He fought his fight so far -in the van, so much in the hottest of the battle, that not till after -nigh thirty years and the final victory could even his dust be sure of -quiet. - -In the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Albany, Utica, and many other -places in the free states, the colored people were hunted down like -wild beasts, and their property taken from them or destroyed. - -In the two first-named places, the churches and dwellings of these -unoffending citizens were set on fire in open day, and burnt to ashes -without any effort on the part of the authorities to prevent it. - -Even the wives and children of the colored men were stoned in the -streets, and the school-houses sought out, their inmates driven away, -and many of the children with their parents had to flee to the country -for safety. - -Such was the feeling of hate brought out in the North by the influence -of slavery at the South. - -During this reign of terror among the colored people in the free -states, their brethren in slavery were also suffering martyrdom. Free -blacks were arrested, thrown into jail, scourged in their own houses, -and if they made the slightest resistance, were shot down, hung at a -lamp-post, or even burnt at the stake. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -HEROISM AT SEA. - - -In the month of August, 1839, there appeared in the newspapers a -shocking story:--that a schooner, going coastwise from Havana to -Neuvitas, in the Island of Cuba, early in July, with about twenty white -passengers, and a large number of slaves, had been seized by the slaves -in the night time, and the passengers and crew all murdered except two, -who made their escape to land in an open boat. About the 20th of the -same month, a strange craft was seen repeatedly on our coast, which was -believed to be the captured Spanish coaster, in the possession of the -negroes. She was spoken by several pilot-boats and other vessels, and -partially supplied with water, of which she was very much in want. It -was also said that the blacks appeared to have a great deal of money. -The custom-house department and the officers of the navy were instantly -aroused to go in pursuit of the “pirates,” as the unknown possessors -of the schooner were spontaneously called. The United States steamer -Fulton, and several revenue cutters were dispatched, and notice given -to the collectors at the various seaports. - -On the 10th of August, the “mysterious schooner” was near the shore at -Culloden Point, on the east end of Long Island, where a part of the -crew came on shore for water and fresh provisions, for which they paid -with undiscriminating profuseness. Here they were met by Captain Green -and another gentleman, who stated that they had in their possession a -large box filled with gold. Shortly after, on the 26th, the vessel was -espied by Captain Gedney, U. S. N., in command of the brig Washington, -employed on the coast survey, who despatched an officer to board her. -The officer found a large number of negroes, and two Spaniards, Pedro -Montez and José Ruiz, one of whom immediately announced himself as the -owner of the negroes, and claimed his protection. The schooner was -thereupon taken possession of by Captain Gedney. - -The leader of the blacks was pointed out by the Spaniards, and his -name given as Joseph Cinque. He was a native of Africa, and one of the -finest specimens of his race ever seen in this country. As soon as he -saw that the vessel was in the hands of others, and all hope of his -taking himself and countrymen back to their home land at an end, he -leaped overboard with the agility of an antelope. The small boat was -immediately sent after him, and for two hours did the sailors strive -to capture him before they succeeded. Cinque swam and dived like an -otter, first upon his back, then upon his breast, sometimes his head -out of water, and sometimes his heels out. His countrymen on board -the captured schooner seemed much amused at the chase, for they knew -Cinque well, and felt proud of the untameableness of his nature. After -baffling them for a time, he swam towards the vessel, was taken on -board, and secured with the rest of the blacks, and they were taken -into New London, Connecticut. - -The schooner proved to be the Amistad, Captain Ramon Ferrer, from -Havana, bound to Principe, about one hundred leagues distant, with -fifty-four negroes held as slaves, and two passengers. The Spaniards -said, that after being out four days, the negroes rose in the night and -killed the captain and a mulatto cook; that the helmsman and another -sailor took to the boat and went on shore; that the only two whites -remaining were the said passengers, Montez and Ruiz, who were confined -below until morning; that Montez the elder, who had been a sea-captain, -was required to steer the ship for Africa; that he steered easterly in -the day-time, because the negroes could tell his course by the sun, -but put the vessel about in the night. They boxed about some days in -the Bahama Channel, and were several times near the Islands, but the -negroes would not allow her to enter any port. Once they were near Long -Island, but then put out to sea again, the Spaniards all the while -hoping they might fall in with some ship of war that would rescue them -from their awkward situation. One of the Spaniards testified that when -the rising took place, he was awaked by the noise, and that he heard -the captain order the cabin boy to get some bread and throw it to the -negroes, in hope to pacify them. Cinque, however, the leader of the -revolt, leaped on deck, seized a capstan bar, and attacked the captain, -whom he killed at a single blow, and took charge of the vessel; his -authority being acknowledged by his companions, who knew him as a -prince in his native land. - -After a long litigation in the courts, the slaves were liberated and -sent back to their native land. - -In the following year, 1840, the brig Creole, laden with slaves, sailed -from Richmond, bound for New Orleans; the slaves mutinied, took the -vessel, and carried her into the British West Indies, and thereby -became free. The hero on this occasion was Madison Washington. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -THE IRON AGE. - - -The resolute and determined purpose of the Southerners to make the -institution of slavery national, and the equally powerful growing -public sentiment at the North to make freedom universal, showed plainly -that the nation was fast approaching a crisis on this absorbing -question. In Congress, men were compelled to take either the one or -the other side, and the debates became more fiery, as the subject -progressed. - -John P. Hale led in the Senate, while Joshua R. Giddings was the -acknowledged leader in the House of Representatives in behalf of -freedom. On the part of slavery, the leadership in the Senate lay -between Foot of Mississippi, and McDuffie of South Carolina; while -Henry A. Wise, followed by a ravenous pack watched over the interest of -the “peculiar institution” in the House. - -The early adoption of the famous “Gag Law,” whereby all petitions on -the subject of slavery were to be “tabled” without discussion, instead -of helping the Southern cause, brought its abettors into contempt. In -the House, Mr. Giddings was censured for offering resolutions in regard -to the capture of the brig Creole. - -Mr. Giddings resigned, went home, was at once re-elected, and returned -to Congress to renew the contest. An attempt to expel John Quincy -Adams, for presenting a petition from a number of persons held in -slavery, was a failure, and from which the friends of the negro took -fresh courage. - -In the South, the Legislatures were enacting laws abridging the -freedom of speech and of the press, and making it more difficult for -Northerners to travel in the slave states. Rev. Charles T. Torry was -in the Maryland Penitentiary for aiding slaves to escape, and Jonathan -Walker had been branded with a red-hot iron, and sent home for the same -offence. The free colored people of the South were being persecuted in -a manner hitherto unknown in that section. Amid all these scenes, there -was a moral contest going on at the North. The Garrison abolitionists, -whose head-quarters were in Boston, were at work with a zeal which has -scarcely ever been equalled by any association of men and women. - -“The Liberator,” Mr. Garrison’s own paper, led the vanguard; while the -“National Anti-slavery Standard,” edited at times by Oliver Johnson, -Lydia Maria Child, David Lee Child, and Sydney Howard Gay, gave no -uncertain sound on the slavery question. - -The ladies connected with this society, headed by Maria Weston Chapman, -held an annual fair, and raised funds for the prosecution of the work -of changing public sentiment, and otherwise aiding the anti-slavery -movement. Lecturing agents were kept in the field the year round, or -as far as their means would permit. A few clergymen had already taken -ground against the blood-stained sin, and were singled out by both -pulpit and press, as marks for their poisoned arrows. The ablest and -most ultra of these, was Theodore Parker, the singularly gifted and -truly eloquent preacher of the 28th Congregational Society of Boston. -Thomas Wentworth Higginson, though younger and later in the cause, -was equally true, and was amongst the first to invite anti-slavery -lecturers to his pulpit. The writer of this, a negro, at his invitation -occupied his desk at Newburyport, when it cost something to be an -abolitionist. - -Brave men of other denominations, in different sections of the country, -were fast taking their stand with the friends of the slave. - -The battle in Congress was raging hotter and hotter. The Florida war, -the admission of Texas, and the war against Mexico, had given the -slaveholders a bold front, and they wielded the political lash without -the least mercy or discretion upon all who offended them. Greater -protection for slave property in the free states was demanded by those -who saw their human chattels escaping. - -The law of 1793, for the recapture of fugitive slaves, was now -insufficient for the great change in public opinion, and another -code was asked for by the South. On the 18th of September, 1850, the -Fugitive Slave Bill was passed, and became the law of the land. - -This was justly condemned by good men of all countries, as the most -atrocious enactment ever passed by any legislative body. The four -hundred thousand free colored residents in the non slave-holding -states, were liable at any time to be seized under this law and -carried into servitude. - -Intense excitement was created in every section of the free states -where any considerable number of colored persons resided. In -Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio, where there were many fugitives -and descendants of former slaves, the feeling rose to fever-heat. -Every railroad leading toward Canada was thronged with blacks fleeing -for safety. In one town in the State of New York, every member of a -Methodist Church, eighty-two in number, including the pastor, fled to -Canada. - -The passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill was a sad event to the colored -citizens of this State. At that time there were eight thousand nine -hundred and seventy-five persons of color in Massachusetts. In -thirty-six hours after the passage of the bill was known here, five and -thirty colored persons applied to a well-known philanthropist in this -city for counsel. Before sixty hours passed by, more than forty had -fled. The laws of Massachusetts could not be trusted to shelter her own -children; they must flee to Canada.[52] - -Numbers of these fugitives had escaped many years before, had married -free partners, had acquired property, and had comfortable homes; these -were broken up and their members scattered. Soon after the law went -into force, the kidnappers made their appearance in Boston. - -The fact that men-stealers were prowling about the streets, through -which, eighty years before, the enemies of liberty had been chased, -caused no little sensation amongst all classes, and when it was -understood that William Craft and his beautiful quadroon wife were -the intended victims, the excitement increased fearfully. These two -persons had escaped from Macon, in the State of Georgia, a year and a -half before. The man was of unmixed negro, the woman, nearly white. -Their mode of escape was novel. The wife, attired as a gentleman, -attended by her husband as a slave, took the train for the North, and -arrived in Philadelphia, after a journey of two days; part of which -was made on steamboats. The writer was in the Quaker City at the time -of their arrival, and was among the first to greet them. Many exciting -incidents occurred during the passage to the land of freedom, which -gave considerable notoriety to the particular case of the Crafts, and -the slave-catchers were soon marked men. - -After many fruitless attempts to have the fugitives arrested, Hughs and -his companions returned to the South; while Craft and his wife fled to -England. - -Boston was not alone in her commotion; Daniel had been arrested at -Buffalo, and taken before Henry K. Smith, a drunken commissioner, and -remanded to his claimant; Hamlet was captured by the kidnappers in -New York City, and Jerry was making his name famous by his arrest at -Syracuse, in the same state. - -The telegrams announcing these events filled the hearts of the blacks -with sad emotions, and told the slave-holders that the law could be -executed. News soon came from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and other -states, of the arrest and rendition of persons claimed as slaves, many -of whom were proven to be free-born. Boston was not permitted to remain -long ere she again witnessed the reappearance of the negro-catcher. - -A colored man named Shadrach was claimed as a slave; he was arrested, -put in prison, and the kidnappers felt that for once they had a sure -thing. Boston, however, was a strange place for a human being to be -in a dungeon for wanting to be free; and Shadrach was spirited away -to Canada, no one knew how. The men of Boston who traded largely with -the South, felt that their city was in disgrace in not being able to -execute the Fugitive Slave Bill, and many of them wished heartily for -another opportunity. - -So, on the night of the third of April, 1851, Thomas Simms was -arrested, and after a trial which became historical, was sent back into -slavery, to the utter disgrace of all concerned in his return. - -Next came the rendition of Anthony Burns, a Baptist clergyman, who -was arrested at the instance of Charles F. Suttle, of Virginia. The -commissioner before whom the case was tried was Ellis Greely Loring. -This trial excited even more commotion than did the return of Simms. A -preacher in fetters because he wanted to be free was a new thing to the -people of Boston. - -During the progress of the hearing, the feeling extended to the country -towns, and nearly every train coming in brought large numbers of -persons anxious to behold the new order of things. To guard against the -possibility of a rescue, the building in which the commissioner did his -work was in chains. Burns was delivered to Suttle, and the Union was -once more safe. - -The Boston Court House in chains, two hundred rowdies and thieves sworn -in as special policemen, respectable citizens shoved off the sidewalks -by these slave-catchers, all for the purpose of satisfying “our -brethren of the South.” - -But this act did not appease the feelings or satisfy the demands of the -slave-holders, while it still further inflamed the fire of abolitionism. - -The “Dred Scott Decision” added fresh combustibles to the smouldering -heap. Dred Scott, a slave, taken by his master into free Illinois, and -then beyond the line of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, and then -back into Missouri, sued for and obtained his freedom, on the ground -that having been taken where, by the Constitution, slavery was illegal, -his master lost all claim. - -But the Supreme Court, on appeal, reversed the judgment, and Dred -Scott, with his wife and children, was taken back into slavery. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[52] “Rendition of Thomas Simms.” Theodore Parker, p. 20, 1852. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -RELIGIOUS STRUGGLES. - - -Caste, the natural product of slavery, did not stop at the door of the -sanctuary, as might be presumed that it would, but entered all, or -nearly all, of the Christian denominations of our country, and in some -instances even pursued the negro to the sacramental altar. All churches -had their “Negro-pew,” where there were any blacks to put into them. -This was the custom at the South, and it was the same at the North. - -As the religion of the country was fashioned to suit the public -sentiment, which was negro-hating in its character, the blacks of the -United States would have formed a poor idea of the Christian religion -in its broadest sense, had not an inward monitor told them that there -was still something better. - -The first step towards the enjoyment of religious freedom was taken -by the colored people of Philadelphia. This was caused by the unkind -treatment of their white brethren, who considered them a nuisance in -their houses of worship, where they were pulled off their knees while -in the act of prayer, and ordered to the back seats. From these and -other acts of unchristian conduct, the blacks considered it their duty -to devise means of having a house for religious worship, of their own. -Therefore, in November, 1787, they seceded from the Methodist Church, -in Philadelphia, formed a society, built a house to meet in, and set up -for themselves. - -Although the whites considered the blacks as intruders in their -churches, they were, nevertheless, unwilling to allow them to worship -by themselves, unless they should have the privilege of furnishing -their sable brethren with preachers. The whites denied the blacks -the right of taking the name of Methodist without their consent, and -even went so far as to force their white preachers into the pulpits -of the colored people on Sundays. The law, however, had more justice -in it than the Gospel; and it stepped in between the blacks and their -religious persecutors, and set the former free. - -In 1793, Rev. Richard Allen built a church for his people in -Philadelphia, and henceforth their religious progress was marvellous. -In 1816, Richard Allen was ordained Bishop of the African Methodist -Episcopal Church; Morris Brown was ordained a bishop in 1828; Edward -Waters in 1836; and William P. Quinn in 1844. These were known as the -Bethel Methodists. About the same time, the colored Christians of New -York, feeling the pressure of caste, which weighed heavily upon them, -began to sigh for the freedom enjoyed by their brethren in the City of -Brotherly Love; and in 1796, under the lead of Francis Jacobs, William -Brown, and William Miller, separated from their white brethren, and -formed a church, now known as the African Methodist Episcopal Zion -Church. This branch of seceders equalled in prosperity their brethren -in Philadelphia. - -The first annual conference of these churches was held in the city of -Baltimore, in April, 1818. The example set by the colored ministers of -Philadelphia and New York was soon followed by their race in Baltimore, -Richmond, Boston, Providence, and other places. These independent -religious movements were not confined to the sect known as Methodists, -but the Baptists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians were permitted to -set up housekeeping for themselves. - -The Episcopalians, however, in New York and Philadelphia, had to suffer -much, for they were compelled to listen to the preacher on Sunday who -would not recognize them on Monday. The settlement of the Revs. Peter -Williams at New York, and William Douglass at Philadelphia, seemed -to open a new era to the blacks in those cities, and the eloquence -of these two divines gave the members of that sect more liberty -throughout the country. In the Southern States, the religious liberty -of the blacks was curtailed far more than at the North. The stringent -slave-law, which punished the negro for being found outside of his -master’s premises after a certain time at night, was construed so as to -apply to him in his going to and from the house of God; and the poor -victim was often flogged for having been found out late, while he was -on his way home from church. - -These laws applied as well to the free blacks as to the slaves, and -frequently the educated colored preacher had his back lacerated with -the “cat-o’-nine-tails” within an hour of his leaving the pulpit. - -In all of the slave states laws were early enacted regulating the -religious movements of the blacks, and providing that no slave or free -colored person should be allowed to preach. The assembling of blacks -for religious worship was prohibited, unless three or more white -persons were present. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -JOHN BROWN’S RAID ON HARPER’S FERRY. - - -The year 1859 will long be memorable for the bold attempt of John Brown -and his companions to burst the bolted door of the Southern house of -bondage, and lead out the captives by a more effectual way than they -had yet known; an attempt in which, it is true, the little band of -heroes dashed themselves to bloody death, but, at the same time, shook -the prison walls from summit to foundation, and shot wild alarm into -every tyrant heart in all the slave-land. What were the plans and -purposes of the noble old man is not precisely known, and perhaps will -never be; but whatever they were, there is reason to believe they had -been long maturing,--brooded over silently and secretly, with much -earnest thought, and under a solemn sense of religious duty. - -Of the five colored men who were with the hero at the attack on -Harper’s Ferry, only two, Shields Green and John A. Copeland, were -captured alive. The first of these was a native of South Carolina, -having been born in the city of Charleston, in the year 1832. Escaping -to the North in 1857, he resided in Rochester, New York, until -attracted by the unadorned eloquence and native magnetism of John Brown. - -Shields Green was of unmixed blood, good countenance, bright eye, and -small in figure. One of his companions in the Harper’s Ferry fight, -says of Green, “He was the most inexorable of all our party; a very -Turco in his hatred against the stealers of men. Wiser and better -men no doubt there were, but a braver man never lived than Shields -Green.”[53] - -He behaved with becoming coolness and heroism at his execution, -ascending the scaffold with a firm, unwavering step, and died as he had -lived, a brave man, expressing to the last his eternal hatred to human -bondage, prophesying that slavery would soon come to a bloody end. - -John A. Copeland was from North Carolina, and was a mulatto of superior -abilities, and a genuine lover of liberty and justice. He died as -became one who had linked his fate with that of the hero of Harper’s -Ferry. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[53] “A Voice from Harper’s Ferry.” O. P. Anderson. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -LOYALTY AND BRAVERY OF THE BLACKS. - - -The assault on Fort Sumter on the 12th of April, 1861, was the dawn of -a new era for the Negro. The proclamation of President Lincoln, calling -for the first seventy-five thousand men to put down the Rebellion, was -responded to by the colored people throughout the country. In Boston, -at a public meeting of the blacks a large number came forward, put -their names to an agreement to form a brigade, and march at once to -the seat of war. A committee waited on the Governor three days later, -and offered the services of these men. His Excellency replied that he -had no power to receive them. This was the first wet blanket thrown -over the negro’s enthusiasm. “This is a white man’s war,” said most of -the public journals. “I will never fight by the side of a nigger,” was -heard in every quarter where men were seen in Uncle Sam’s uniform. - -Wherever recruiting offices were opened, black men offered themselves, -and were rejected. Yet these people, feeling conscious that right would -eventually prevail, waited patiently for the coming time, pledging -themselves to go at their country’s call. - -While the country seemed drifting to destruction, and the -administration without a policy, the heart of every loyal man was -made glad by the appearance of the proclamation of Major-General John -C. Fremont, then in command at the West. The following extract from -that document, which at the time caused so much discussion, will bear -insertion here:-- - -“All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands within these -lines, shall be tried by court-martial; and if found guilty, will be -shot. The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of -Missouri, who shall take up arms against the United States, or who -shall be directly proven to have taken active part with their enemies -in the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use, and -their slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared free men.” - -The above was the first official paper issued after the commencement of -the war, that appeared to have the ring of the right kind of mettle. - -Without waiting for instructions from the capital, General Fremont -caused manumission papers to be issued to a number of slaves, -commencing with those owned by Thomas L. Snead, of St. Louis. This -step taken by the brave Fremont was followed by a similar movement of -General Hunter, then stationed in South Carolina. President Lincoln, -however, was persuaded to annul both of the above orders. - -In the month of June, 1861, the schooner S. J. Waring, from New York, -bound to South America, was captured on the passage by the rebel -privateer Jeff Davis, a prize-crew put on board, consisting of a -captain, mate, and four seamen, and the vessel set sail for the port of -Charleston, South Carolina. Three of the original crew were retained -on board, a German as steersman, a Yankee, who was put in irons, and a -black man named William Tillman, the steward and cook of the schooner. -The latter was put to work at his usual business, and told that he was -henceforth the property of the Confederate States, and would be sold on -his arrival at Charleston as a slave. - -Night comes on; darkness covers the sea; the vessel is gliding swiftly -towards the South; the rebels, one after another, retire to their -berths; the hour of midnight approaches; all is silent in the cabin; -the captain is asleep; the mate, who has charge of the watch, takes -his brandy toddy, and reclines upon the quarter-deck. The negro thinks -of home and all its endearments; he sees in the dim future chains and -slavery. - -He resolves, and determines to put the resolution into practice upon -the instant. Armed with a heavy club, he proceeds to the captain’s -room. He strikes the fatal blow. He next goes to the adjoining room; -another blow is struck, and the black man is master of the cabin. -Cautiously he ascends to the deck, strikes the mate. The officer is -wounded, but not killed. He draws his revolver, and calls for help. -The crew are aroused; they are hastening to aid their commander. The -negro repeats his blows with the heavy club; the rebel falls dead at -Tillman’s feet. The African seizes the revolver, drives the crew below -deck, orders the release of the Yankee, puts the enemy in irons, and -proclaims himself master of the vessel. - -Five days more, and the “S. J. Waring” arrives in the port of New York, -under the command of William Tillman, the negro patriot. - -The brave exploit of Tillman had scarcely ceased being the topic of -conversation, ere the public were again startled by the announcement -that Robert Small, a slave, had escaped with the steamer Planter -from Charleston, South Carolina. This event was communicated to the -Secretary of War, by Commodore Dupont. - -Up to this time, the services of colored men in the war had not been -recognized; however, soon after Major-General B. F. Butler accepted and -acknowledged their services in Louisiana. - -It is probably well known that the free colored population of New -Orleans, in intelligence, public spirit, and material wealth, surpass -those of the same class in any other city of the Union. Many of these -gentlemen have been highly educated, have travelled extensively in this -and foreign countries, speak and read the French, Spanish, and English -languages fluently, and in the Exchange Rooms, or at the Stock Boards, -wield an influence at any time fully equal to the same number of white -capitalists. Before the war, they represented in that city alone -fifteen millions of property, and were heavily taxed to support the -schools of the State, but were not allowed to claim the least benefit -therefrom. - -These gentlemen, representing so much intelligence, culture, and -wealth, and who would, notwithstanding the fact that they all have -negro blood in their veins, adorn any circle of society in the -North, who would be taken upon Broadway for educated and wealthy -Cuban planters, rather than free negroes, although many of them have -themselves held slaves, have always been loyal to the Union; and, when -New Orleans seemed in danger of being recaptured by the rebels under -General Magruder, these colored men rose _en masse_, closed their -offices and stores, armed and organized themselves into six regiments, -and for six weeks abandoned their business, and stood ready to fight -for the defence of New Orleans, while at the same time not a single -white regiment from the original white inhabitants was raised. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -THE CAPITAL FREE.--PROCLAMATION OF FREEDOM. - - -In 1862 slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia, the honor of -which in the main belongs to Henry Wilson, Senator from Massachusetts. - -With the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, commenced -a new era at our country’s capital. The representatives of the -governments of Hayti and Liberia had both long knocked in vain to be -admitted with the representatives of other nations. The slave power had -always succeeded in keeping them out. But a change had now come over -the dreams of the people, and Congress was but acting up to this new -light in passing the bill admitting the representatives of the black -republics. - -As we have before stated, the slave-trade was still being carried on -between the Southern States and Africa. Ships were fitted out in the -Northern ports for the purpose of carrying on this infernal traffic. -And although it was prohibited by an act of Congress, none had ever -been convicted for dealing in slaves. The new order of things was to -give these trafficers a trial, and test the power by which they had so -long dealt in the bodies and souls of men whom they had stolen from -their native land. - -One Nathaniel Gordon was already in prison in New York, and his trial -was fast approaching. It came, and he was convicted of piracy in the -United States District Court in the city of New York; the piracy -consisting in having fitted out a slaver, and shipped nine hundred -Africans at Congo River, with a view to selling them as slaves. The -same man had been tried for the same offence before; but the jury -failed to agree, and he accordingly escaped punishment for the time. -Every effort was made which the ingenuity of able lawyers could invent, -or the power of money could enforce, to save this miscreant from the -gallows; but all in vain; for President Lincoln utterly refused to -interfere in any way whatever, and Gordon was executed on the 7th of -February. - -This blow appeared to give more offence to the commercial Copperheads -than even the emancipation of the slaves in the District of Columbia; -for it struck an effectual blow at a very lucrative branch of commerce, -in which the New Yorkers were largely interested. Thus it will be seen -that the nation was steadily moving on to the goal of freedom. - -In September, 1862, the colored people of Cincinnati, Ohio, organized -the “Black Brigade,” and rendered eminent service in protecting that -city from the raids of John Morgan and other brigands. - -On the first of January, 1863, President Lincoln put forth his -Emancipation Proclamation, as follows:-- - - - “Whereas, On the 22d day of September, in the year of our Lord one - thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, a proclamation was issued - by the President of the United States, containing, among other - things, the following; to wit: - - “That, On the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one - thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves - within any State or any designated part of a State, the people - whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, - shall be then, henceforward, and forever, free; and the Executive - Government of the United States, including the military and naval - force thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such - persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or - any of them, in any effort they may make for their actual freedom; - that the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, - by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if - any, in which the people therein respectively shall then be in - rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State - or people thereof shall on that day be in good faith represented - in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto, - at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such - States shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong - countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such - State and the people thereof are not then in rebellion against the - United States. - - “Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United - States, by virtue of the power in me vested, as Commander-in-Chief - of the Army and Navy of the United States in times of actual - rebellion against the authorities and government of the United - States, and as a fit and necessary war-measure for suppressing - this rebellion, do on this, the first day of January, in the - year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and - in accordance with my purpose so to do, publicly proclaimed for - the full period of one hundred days from the date of the first - above-mentioned order, designate as the States and parts of - States wherein the people thereof, respectively, are this day in - rebellion against the United States. The following, to wit:-- - - “Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. - - “Louisiana (except the parishes of Placquemines, St. Mary, - Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, - Assumption, Terre Bonne, Lafourche, St. Bernard, St. Martin, and - Orleans, including the city of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, - Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, - except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and - also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth - City, York, Princess Anne, and Norfolk, including the cities of - Norfolk and Portsmouth, which excepted parts are for the present - left precisely as if this proclamation were not made. - - “And by virtue of the power, for the purpose aforesaid, I do order - and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated - States and parts of States are, and henceforward shall be, FREE; - and the Executive Government of the United States, including - the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and - maintain the freedom of such persons. - - “And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to - abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I - recommend to them, that, in all cases where allowed, they labor - faithfully for reasonable wages. - - “And I further declare and make known, that such persons, if in - suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of - the United States, to garrison forts, positions, stations, and - other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service. And - upon this, sincerely believed to be an act of justice warranted - by the constitution, and upon military necessity, I invoke the - considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty - God. - - “In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the - seal of the United States to be affixed. - - “Done at the city of Washington, this first day of January, in - the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, - and of the independence of the United States of America the - eighty-seventh. - - (Signed) “ABRAHAM LINCOLN.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -BLACKS ENLISTED, AND IN BATTLE. - - -Attorney-General Bates had already given his opinion with regard to -the citizenship of the negro, and that opinion was in the black man’s -favor. The Emancipation Proclamation was only a prelude to calling -on the colored men to take up arms, and the one soon followed the -other; for the word “Emancipation” had scarcely gone over the wires, -ere Adjutant-General Thomas made his appearance in the valley of the -Mississippi. At Lake Providence, Louisiana, he met a large wing of -the army, composed of volunteers from all parts of the country, and -proclaimed to them the new policy of the administration. - -The Northern regiments stationed at the South, or doing duty in that -section, had met with so many reverses on the field of battle, and had -been so inhumanly treated by the rebels, both men and women, that the -new policy announced by Adjutant-General Thomas at Lake Providence and -other places, was received with great favor, especially when the white -soldiers heard from their immediate commanders that the freedmen when -enlisted would be employed in doing fatigue-duty, when not otherwise -needed. The slave, regarding the use of the musket as the only means -of securing his freedom permanently, sought the nearest place of -enlistment with the greatest speed. - -The appointment of men from the ranks of the white regiments over the -blacks caused the former to feel still more interest in the new levies. -The position taken by Major-General Hunter, in South Carolina, and -his favorable reports of the capability of the freedmen for military -service, and the promptness with which that distinguished scholar and -Christian gentleman, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, accepted the colonelcy -of the First South Carolina, made the commanding of negro regiments -respectable, and caused a wish on the part of white volunteers to seek -commissions over the blacks. - -The new regiments filled up rapidly; the recruits adapted themselves -to their new condition with a zeal that astonished even their friends; -and their proficiency in the handling of arms, with only a few days’ -training, set the minds of their officers at rest with regard to their -future action. - -On the 7th of June, 1863, the first regular battle was fought between -the blacks and whites in the valley of the Mississippi. The planters -had boasted, that, should they meet their former slaves, a single look -from them would cause the negroes to throw down their weapons, and run. -Many Northern men, especially Copperheads, professed to believe that -such would be the case. Therefore, all eyes were turned to the far-off -South, the cotton, sugar, and rice-growing States, to see how the -blacks would behave on the field of battle; for it is well known that -the most ignorant of the slave population belonged in that section. - -The first intimation that the commanding officer at Milliken’s Bend -received was from one of the black men, who went into the colonel’s -tent, and said, ‘Massa, the secesh are in camp.’ The colonel ordered -him to have the men load their guns at once. He instantly replied,-- - -“We have done did dat now, massa.” Before the colonel was ready, the -men were in line, ready for action. - -“The enemy charged us so close that we fought with our bayonets, hand -to hand. I have six broken bayonets to show how bravely my men fought,” -said the colonel. “I can truly say,” continued he, “that I never saw a -braver company of men in my life. - -“Not one of them offered to leave his place until ordered to fall back. -I went down to the hospital, three miles, to-day, to see the wounded. -Nine of them were there, two having died of their wounds. A boy who had -cooked for me came and begged a gun when the rebels were advancing, and -took his place with the company; and when we retook the breastworks, I -found him badly wounded, with one gun-shot and two bayonet wounds. A -new recruit I had issued a gun to the day before the fight was found -dead, with a firm grasp on his gun, the bayonet of which was broken -in three pieces. So they fought and died, defending the cause that we -revere. They met death coolly, bravely; not rashly did they expose -themselves, but all were steady and obedient to orders.” - -This battle satisfied the slave-masters of the South that their -charm was gone; and that the negro, as a slave, was lost forever. -Yet there was one fact connected with the battle of Milliken’s Bend -which will descend to posterity, as testimony against the humanity of -slave-holders; and that is, that no negro was ever found alive that was -taken a prisoner by the rebels in this fight. - -The next engagement which the blacks had, was up the St. Mary’s River, -South Carolina, under the command of Colonel T. W. Higginson. Here, -too, the colored men did themselves and their race great credit. - -We now come to the battle of Port Hudson, in which the black forces -consisted of the First Louisiana, under Lieutenant-Colonel Bassett, and -the Third Louisiana, under Colonel Nelson. The line-officers of the -Third were white; and the regiment was composed mostly of freedmen, -many of whose backs still bore the marks of the lash, and whose brave, -stout hearts beat high at the thought that the hour had come when they -were to meet their proud and unfeeling oppressors. - -The First was the noted regiment called “The Native Guard,” which -General Butler found when he entered New Orleans, and which so -promptly offered its services to aid in crushing the Rebellion. The -line-officers of this regiment were all colored, taken from amongst the -most wealthy and influential of the free colored people of New Orleans. -It was said that not one of them was worth less than twenty-five -thousand dollars. The brave, the enthusiastic, and the patriotic, found -full scope for the development of their powers in this regiment, of -which all were well educated; some were fine scholars. One of the most -efficient officers was Captain André Callioux, a man whose identity -with his race could not be mistaken. This regiment petitioned their -commander to allow them to occupy the post of danger in the battle, and -it was granted. - -As the moment of attack drew near, the greatest suppressed excitement -existed; but all were eager for the fight. Captain Callioux walked -proudly up and down the line, and smilingly greeted the familiar faces -of his company. Officers and privates of the white regiments looked -on as they saw these men at the front, and asked each other what they -thought would be the result. Would these blacks stand fire? Was not -the test by which they were to be tried too severe? Colonel Nelson -being called to act as brigadier-general, Lieutenant-Colonel Finnegas -took his place. The enemy in his stronghold felt his power, and bade -defiance to the expected attack. At last the welcome word was given, -and our men started. The enemy opened a blistering fire of shell, -canister, grape, and musketry. The first shell thrown by the enemy -killed and wounded a number of the blacks; but on they went. “Charge” -was the word. - -At every pace, the column was thinned by the falling dead and wounded. -The blacks closed up steadily as their comrades fell, and advanced -within fifty paces of where the rebels were working a masked battery, -situated on a bluff where the guns could sweep the whole field over -which the troops must charge. This battery was on the left of the -charging line. Another battery of three or four guns commanded the -front, and six heavy pieces raked the right of the line as it formed, -and enfiladed its flank and rear as it charged on the bluff. It was -ascertained that a bayou ran under the bluff where the guns lay,--a -bayou deeper than a man could ford. This charge was repulsed with -severe loss. Lieutenant-Colonel Finnegas was then ordered to charge, -and in a well-dressed, steady line his men went on the double-quick -down over the field of death. - -No matter how gallantly the men behaved, no matter how bravely they -were led, it was not in the course of things that this gallant brigade -should take these works by charge. Yet charge after charge was ordered -and carried out under all these disasters with Spartan firmness. Six -charges in all were made. Colonel Nelson reported to General Dwight the -fearful odds he had to contend with. Says General Dwight, in reply, -“Tell Colonel Nelson I shall consider that he has accomplished nothing -unless he take those guns.” Humanity will never forgive General Dwight -for this last order; for he certainly saw that he was only throwing -away the lives of his men. But what were his men? “Only niggers.” Thus -the last charge was made under the spur of desperation. - -The ground was already strewn with the dead and wounded, and many of -the brave officers had fallen early in the engagement. Among them was -the gallant and highly-cultivated Anselmo. He was a standard-bearer, -and hugged the stars and stripes to his heart as he fell forward upon -them pierced by five balls. Two corporals near by struggled between -themselves as to who should have the honor of again raising those -blood-stained emblems to the breeze. Each was eager for the honor; and -during the struggle a missile from the enemy wounded one of them, and -the other corporal shouldered the dear old flag in triumph, and bore it -through the charge in the front of the advancing lines. - -Shells from the rebel guns cut down trees three feet in diameter, and -they fell, at one time burying a whole company beneath their branches. -Thus they charged bravely on certain destruction, till the ground was -slippery with the gore of the slaughtered, and cumbered with the bodies -of the maimed. The last charge was made about one o’clock. At this -juncture, Captain Callioux was seen with his left arm dangling by his -side,--for a ball had broken it above the elbow,--while his right hand -held his unsheathed sword gleaming in the rays of the sun; and his -hoarse, faint voice was heard cheering on his men. A moment more, and -the brave and generous Callioux was struck by a shell, and fell far in -advance of his company. - -The fall of this officer so exasperated his men, that they appeared -to be filled with new enthusiasm; and they rushed forward with a -recklessness that probably has never been surpassed. Seeing it to be -a hopeless effort, the taking of these batteries, the order was given -to change the programme; and the troops were called off. But had they -accomplished anything more than the loss of many of their brave men? -Yes; they had. The self-forgetfulness, the undaunted heroism, and the -great endurance of the Negro, as exhibited that day, created a new -chapter in American history for the colored man. - -Many Persians were slain at the battle of Thermopylæ; but history -records only the fall of Leonidas and his four hundred companions. So -in the future, when we shall have passed away from the stage, and -rising generations shall speak of the conflict at Port Hudson, and the -celebrated charge of the negro brigade, they will forget all others in -the admiration for André Callioux and his colored associates. General -Banks, in his report of the battle of Port Hudson, says: “Whatever -doubt may have existed heretofore as to the efficiency of organizations -of this character, the history of this day proves conclusively to those -who were in a condition to observe the conduct of these regiments, that -the government will find in this class of troops effective supporters -and defenders. The severe test to which they were subjected, and the -determined manner in which they encountered the enemy, leaves upon my -mind no doubt of their ultimate success.” - -The splendid behavior of the blacks in the valley of the Mississippi, -was soon equalled by the celebrated Fifty-fourth Massachusetts -Regiment, commanded by the lamented Robert G. Shaw. - -On the sixteenth of July, the Fifty-fourth Regiment (colored), -Colonel R. G. Shaw, was attacked by the enemy, on James Island, in -which a fight of two hours’ duration took place, the Rebels largely -out-numbering the Union forces. The Fifty-fourth, however, drove the -enemy before them in confusion. The loss to our men was fourteen killed -and eighteen wounded. During the same day, Colonel Shaw received -orders from General Gillmore to evacuate the Island. Preparations -began at dusk. The night was dark and stormy, and made the movement -both difficult and dangerous. The march was from James Island to Cole -Island, across marshes, streams, and dikes, and part of the way upon -narrow foot-bridges, along which it was necessary to proceed in -single file. The whole force reached Cole Island the next morning, -July 17, and rested during the day on the beach opposite the south end -of Folly Island. About ten o’clock in the evening, the colonel of the -Fifty-fourth received orders directing him to report, with his command, -to General George C. Strong, at Morris Island, to whose brigade the -regiment was transferred. - -From eleven o’clock of Friday evening until four o’clock of Saturday, -they were being put on the transport, the “General Hunter,” in a boat -which took about fifty at a time. There they breakfasted on the same -fare, and had no other food before entering into the assault on Fort -Wagner in the evening. - -The General Hunter left Cole Island for Folly Island at six A. M.; and -the troops landed at Pawnee Landing about nine and a half A. M., and -thence marched to the point opposite Morris Island, reaching there -about two o’clock in the afternoon. They were transported in a steamer -across the inlet, and at four P. M., began their march for Fort Wagner. -They reached Brigadier-General Strong’s quarters, about midway on the -Island, about six or six and a half o’clock, where they halted for five -minutes. - -General Strong expressed a great desire to give them food and -stimulants; but it was too late, as they had to lead the charge. They -had been without tents during the pelting rains of Thursday and Friday -nights. General Strong had been impressed with the high character of -the regiment and its officers; and he wished to assign them the post -where the most severe work was to be done, and the highest honor was to -be won. - -The march across Folly and Morris Islands was over a sandy road, and -was very wearisome. The regiment went through the centre of the Island, -and not along the beach, where the marching was easier. - -When they had come within six hundred yards of Fort Wagner, they formed -in line of battle, the colonel heading the first, and the major the -second battalion. This was within musket-shot of the enemy. There -was little firing from the enemy; a solid shot falling between the -battalions, and another falling to the right, but no musketry. At this -point, the regiment, together with the next supporting regiment, the -Sixth Connecticut, Ninth Maine, and others, remained half an hour. The -regiment was addressed by General Strong and by Colonel Shaw. Then, at -seven and a half or seven and three-quarters o’clock, the order for -the charge was given. The regiment advanced at quick time, changed to -double-quick when at some distance on. - -The intervening distance between the place where the line was formed -and the fort was run over in a few minutes. When about one hundred -yards from the fort, the rebel musketry opened with such terrible -effect that for an instant the first battalion hesitated,--but only -for an instant; for Colonel Shaw, springing to the front and waving -his sword, shouted, “Forward, my brave boys!” and with another cheer -and a shout they rushed through the ditch, gained the parapet on the -right, and were soon engaged in a hand-to-hand conflict with the enemy. -Colonel Shaw was one of the first to scale the walls. He stood erect, -to urge forward his men, and while shouting for them to press on was -shot dead, and fell into the fort. His body was found, with twenty of -his men lying dead around him; two lying on his own body. - -The Fifty-fourth did well and nobly; only the fall of Colonel Shaw -prevented them from entering the fort. They moved up as gallantly as -any troops could, and with their enthusiasm, they deserved a better -fate. - -Sergeant-Major Lewis H. Douglass, son of Frederick Douglass, the -celebrated orator, sprang upon the parapet close behind Colonel Shaw, -and cried out, “Come, boys, come; let’s fight for God and Governor -Andrew.” This brave young man was the last to leave the parapet. Before -the regiment reached the parapet, the color-sergeant was wounded; and -while in the act of falling, the colors were seized by Sergeant William -H. Carney, who bore them up, and mounted the parapet, where he, too, -received three severe wounds. But on orders being given to retire, the -color-bearer, though almost disabled, still held the emblem of liberty -in the air, and followed his regiment by the aid of his comrades, -and succeeded in reaching the hospital, where he fell exhausted and -almost lifeless on the floor, saying, “The old flag never touched the -ground, boys.” Captain Lewis F. Emilio, the junior captain,--all of his -superiors having been killed or wounded,--took command, and brought the -regiment into camp. In this battle, the total loss in officers and men, -killed and wounded, was two hundred and sixty-one. - -When inquiry was made at Fort Wagner, under flag of truce, for the body -of Colonel Shaw of the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth, the answer was, -“We have buried him with his niggers!” It is the custom of savages to -outrage the dead, and it was only natural that the natives of South -Carolina should attempt to heap insult upon the remains of the brave -young soldier; but that wide grave on Morris Island will be to a whole -race a holy sepulchre. No more fitting place for burial, no grander -obsequies could have been given to him who cried, as he led that -splendid charge, “On, my brave boys,” than to give to him and to them -one common grave. - -Shaw’s Regiment afterwards distinguished itself in the hard-fought -battle of Olustee, an engagement that will live in the history of the -Rebellion. - -The battle of Olustee was fought in a swamp situated thirty-five -miles west of Jacksonville, and four miles from Sanderson, in the -State of Florida. The expedition was under the immediate command -of General C. Seymour, and consisted of the Seventh New Hampshire, -Seventh Connecticut, Eighth United States (colored) Battery, Third -United States Artillery, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored), and -First North Carolina (colored). The command having rested on the night -of the 19th of February, 1864, at Barbour’s Ford, on the St. Mary’s -River, took up its line of march on the morning of the 20th, and -proceeded to Sanderson, nine miles to the west, which was reached at -one o’clock, P. M., without interruption; but about three miles beyond, -the advance drove in the enemy’s pickets. The Seventh Connecticut, -being deployed as skirmishers, fell in with the enemy’s force in the -swamp, strengthened still more by rifle-pits. Here they were met by -cannon and musketry; but our troops, with their Spencer rifles, played -great havoc with the enemy, making an attempt to take one of his pieces -of artillery, but failed. However, they held their ground nobly for -three-quarters of an hour, and were just about retiring as the main -body of our troops came up. - -The Eighth (colored), which had never been in battle, and which had -been recruited but a few weeks, came up and filed to the right, when -they met with a most terrific shower of musketry and shell. General -Seymour now came up, and pointing in front, towards the railroad, said -to Colonel Fribley, commander of the Eighth, “Take your regiment in -there,”--a place which was sufficiently hot to make the oldest and most -field-worn veterans tremble; and yet these men, who had never heard the -sound of a cannon before, rushed in where they commenced dropping like -grass before the sickle. Still on they went without faltering, until -they came within two hundred yards of the enemy’s strongest works. Here -these brave men stood for nearly three hours before a terrible fire, -closing up as their ranks were thinned out, fire in front, on their -flank, and in the rear, without flinching or breaking. - -Colonel Fribley, seeing that it was impossible to hold the position, -passed along the lines to tell the officers to fire, and fall back -gradually, and was shot before he reached the end. He was shot in the -chest, told the men to carry him to the rear, and expired in a very -few minutes. Major Burritt took command, but was also wounded in a -short time. At this time Captain Hamilton’s battery became endangered, -and he cried out to our men for God’s sake to save his battery. Our -United States flag, after three sergeants had forfeited their lives by -bearing it during the fight, was planted on the battery by Lieutenant -Elijah Lewis, and the men rallied around it; but the guns had been -jammed up so indiscriminately, and so close to the enemy’s lines, that -the gunners were shot down as fast as they made their appearance; and -the horses, whilst they were wheeling the pieces into position, shared -the same fate. They were compelled to leave the battery, and failed to -bring the flag away. The battery fell into the enemy’s hands. During -the excitement, Captain Bailey took command, and brought out the -regiment in good order. Sergeant Taylor, Company D., who carried the -battle-flag, had his right hand nearly shot off, but grasped the colors -with the left hand, and brought them out. - -The Seventh New Hampshire was posted on both sides of the wagon-road, -and broke, but soon rallied, and did good execution. The line was -probably one mile long, and all along the fighting was terrific. - -Our artillery, where it could be worked, made dreadful havoc on the -enemy; whilst the enemy did us but very little injury with his; -with the exception of one gun, a sixty-four pound swivel, fixed on -a truck-car on the railroad, which fired grape and canister. On the -whole, their artillery was very harmless; but their musketry fearful. - -Up to this time, neither the First North Carolina nor the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts had taken any part in the fight, as they were in the -rear some distance. However, they heard the roar of battle, and were -hastening to the field, when they were met by an aide, who came riding -up to the colonel of the Fifty-fourth, saying, “For God’s sake, -Colonel, double-quick, or the day is lost!” Of all the regiments, every -one seemed to look to the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts with the most -dependence on the field of battle. This regiment was under the command -of Colonel E. N. Hallowell, who fell wounded by the side of Colonel -Shaw, at Fort Wagner, and who, since his recovery, had been in several -engagements, in all of which he had shown himself an excellent officer, -and had gained the entire confidence of his men, who were willing to -follow him wherever he chose to lead. When the aide met these two -regiments, he found them hastening on. - -The First North Carolina was in light marching order; the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts was in heavy marching order, with knapsacks, haversacks, -canteens, and every other appurtenance of the soldier. But off went -everything, and they double-quicked on to the field. At the most -critical juncture, just as the rebels were preparing for a simultaneous -charge along the whole line, and they had captured our artillery and -turned it upon us, Colonel James Montgomery, Colonel Hallowell, and -Lieutenant-Colonel Hooper formed our line of battle on right by file -into line. - -The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts went in first, with a cheer. They were -followed by the First North Carolina (colored); Lieutenant-Colonel -Reed, in command, headed the regiment, sword in hand, and charged -upon the rebels. They broke when within twenty yards of contact with -our negro troops. Overpowered by numbers, the First North Carolina -fell back in good order, and poured in a destructive fire. Their -colonel fell, mortally wounded. Major Bogle fell wounded, and two -men were killed in trying to reach his body. The Adjutant, William -C. Manning, before wounded at Malvern Hills, got a bullet in his -body, but persisted in remaining until another shot struck him. His -lieutenant-colonel, learning the fact, embraced him, and implored him -to leave the field. The next moment the two friends were stretched -side by side; the colonel had received his own death-wound. But the -two colored regiments had stood in the gap, and saved the army. The -Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, which, with the First North Carolina, may -be truly said to have saved the forces from utter rout, lost eighty men. - -There were three color-sergeants shot down; the last one was shot -three times before he relinquished the flag of his country. His name -was Samuel C. Waters, Company C., and his body sleeps where he fell. -The battle-flag carried by Sergeant Taylor was borne through the fight -with the left hand, after the right one was nearly shot off. The rebels -fired into the place where the wounded were being attended to; and -their cavalry was about making a charge on it just as the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts appeared on the field, when they retired. - -Had Colonel Hallowell not seen at a glance the situation of affairs, -the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers would have been killed or -captured. When they entered the field with the First North Carolina, -which is a brave regiment, they (the First North Carolina) fired well -while they remained; but they gave way, thus exposing the right. On -the left, the rebel cavalry were posted; and as the enemy’s left -advanced on our right, their cavalry pressed the left. Both flanks -were thus being folded up, and slaughter or capture would have been -the inevitable result. We fell back in good order, and established new -lines of battle, until we reached Sanderson. - -Here a scene that beggars description was presented. Wounded men -lined the railroad station; and the roads were filled with artillery, -caissons, ammunition, baggage-wagons, infantry, cavalry, and -ambulances. The only organized bodies ready to repel attack were a -portion of the Fortieth Massachusetts Mounted Infantry, armed with the -Spencer repeating-rifle, the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, and -the Seventh Connecticut, commanded by Colonel Hawley, now governor of -Connecticut. - -An occurrence of thrilling interest took place during the battle, which -I must not omit to mention. It was this:-- - -Colonel Hallowell ordered the color-line to be advanced one hundred -and fifty paces. Three of the colored corporals, Pease, Palmer, and -Glasgow, being wounded, and the accomplished Goodin killed, there were -four only left,--Wilkins, the acting sergeant, Helman, and Lenox. The -colors were perforated with bullets, and the staff was struck near the -grasp of the sergeant; but the color-guard marched steadily out, one -hundred and fifty paces to the front, with heads erect and square to -the front; and the battalion rallied around it, and fought such a fight -as made Colonel Hallowell shout with very joy, and the men themselves -to ring out defiant cheers which made the pines and marshes of Ocean -Pond echo again. - -Although these colored men had never been paid off, and their families -at home were in want, they were as obedient, and fought as bravely, as -the white troops, whose pockets contained “greenbacks,” and whose wives -and children were provided for. - -The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts went into the battle with “Three cheers -for Massachusetts, and seven dollars a month.” - -It is well known that the general in command came to the colonel and -said, “The day is lost; you must do what you can to save the army -from destruction.” And nobly did they obey him. They fired their -guns till their ammunition was exhausted, and then stood with fixed -bayonets till the broken columns had time to retreat, and though once -entirely outflanked, the enemy getting sixty yards in their rear, -their undaunted front and loud cheering caused the enemy to pause, and -allowed them time to change front. They occupied the position as rear -guard all the way back to Jacksonville; and wherever was the post of -danger, there was the Fifty-fourth to be found. - -When the forces arrived at Jacksonville, they there learned that the -train containing the wounded was at Ten-Mile Station, where it had -been left, owing to the breaking down of the engine. The Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts, fatigued and worn out as it was, was despatched at once, -late at night, to the assistance of the disabled train. Arriving at -Ten-Mile Station, they found that the only way to bring the wounded -with them was to attach ropes to the cars, and let the men act as -motive power. Thus the whole train of cars containing the wounded from -the battle of Olustee was dragged a distance of ten miles by that brave -colored regiment. - -The battle of Poison Springs, Arkansas, between one thousand Union and -eight thousand rebel troops, was one of the most severe conflicts of -the war. Six hundred of the Union forces were colored, and from Kansas, -some of them having served under old John Brown during the great -struggle in that territory. These black men, as it will be seen, bore -the brunt of the fight, and never did men show more determined bravery -than was exhibited on this occasion. - -Nothing in the history of the Rebellion equalled in inhumanity and -atrocity the horrid butchery at Fort Pillow, Kentucky, on the 13th of -April, 1864. In no other school than slavery could human beings have -been trained to such readiness for cruelties like these. Accustomed -to brutality and bestiality all their lives, it was easy for them to -perpetrate the atrocities which startled the civilized foreign world, -as they awakened the indignation of our own people. - -After the rebels were in undisputed possession of the fort, and the -survivors had surrendered, they commenced the indiscriminate butchery -of all the Federal soldiery. The colored soldiers threw down their -guns, and raised their arms, in token of surrender; but not the least -attention was paid to it. They continued to shoot down all they found. -A number of them, finding no quarter was given, ran over the bluff -to the river, and tried to conceal themselves under the bank and in -the bushes, where they were pursued by the rebel savages, whom they -implored to spare their lives. Their appeals were made in vain; and -they were all shot down in cold blood, and, in full sight of the -gunboat, chased and shot down like dogs. In passing up the bank of the -river, fifty dead might be counted strewed along. One had crawled into -a hollow log, and was killed in it; another had got over the bank into -the river, and had got on a board that ran out into the water. He lay -on it on his face, with his feet in the water. He lay there, when -exposed, stark and stiff. Several had tried to hide in crevices made by -the falling bank, and could not be seen without difficulty; but they -were singled out, and killed. From the best information to be had, the -white soldiers were, to a very considerable extent, treated in the same -way. - -We now record an account of the battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina, -and one of the most famous engagements in which the blacks fought -during the war. - -Honey Hill is about two and a half miles east of the village of -Grahamville, Beaufort District. On the crest of this, where the road -or the highway strikes it, is a semicircular line of earthworks, -defective, though, in construction, as they are too high for infantry, -and have little or no exterior slope. These works formed the centre -of the rebel lines; while their left reached up into the pinelands, -and their right along a line of fence that skirted the swamp below the -batteries. They commanded fully the road in front as it passes through -the swamp at the base of the hill, and only some fifty or sixty yards -distant. Through the swamp runs a small creek, which spreads up and -down the roads for some thirty or forty yards, but is quite shallow the -entire distance. Some sixty yards beyond the creek, the main road turns -off to the left, making an obtuse angle; while another and smaller road -makes off to the right from the same point. - -The Union forces consisted of six thousand troops, artillery, cavalry, -and infantry, all told, under the command of Major-General J. G. -Foster, General John P. Hatch having the immediate command. The First -Brigade, under General E. E. Potter, was composed of the Fifty-sixth -and One Hundred and Forty-fourth United States, Twenty-fifth Ohio, -and Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth United States (colored). The Second -Brigade, under Colonel A. S. Hartwell, was composed of the Fifty-fourth -and Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, and Twenty-sixth and Thirty-second -United States (colored). Colonel E. P. Hallowell, of the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts, had, in spite of his express desire, been left behind in -command of Morris and Folly Islands. As at the battle of Olustee, the -enemy was met in small numbers some three or four miles from his base. -The Union forces approached the fort by the left road, which brought -them in front of the enemy’s guns, pointing down the hill, which was -also down the road. - -The Thirty-second United States colored troops were ordered to charge -the rebel fort; had got in position at the head of the road. They -attempted, but got stuck in the marsh, which they found impassable at -the point of their assault; and a galling fire of grape, canister, and -musketry being opened on them, they were forced to retire. - -The Thirty-fourth United States colored troops also essayed an assault, -but could not get near enough to produce any effect upon it. These -regiments, however, only fell back to the line of battle, where they -remained throughout the entire fight. - -The Fifty-fifth Massachusetts (colored) went into the fight on the -right of the brigade, commanded by Colonel Hartwell. The fire became -very hot; but still the regiment did not waver, the line merely -quivered. Captain Goraud, of General Foster’s staff, whoso gallantry -was conspicuous all day, rode up just as Colonel Hartwell was wounded -in the hand, and advised him to retire; but the colonel declined. - -Colonel Hartwell gave the order; the colors came to the extreme front, -when the colonel shouted, “Follow your colors!” The bugle sounded the -charge, and then the colonel led the way himself. - -After an unsuccessful charge in line of battle by the Fifty-fourth and -Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, the Fifty-fifth was formed in column by -company, and again thrice marched up that narrow causeway in the face -of the enemy’s batteries and musketry. - -Captain Crane, of the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, whose company had been -left in charge of Fort Delafield, at Folly Island, but who, at his own -request, had gone as aide to Colonel Hartwell, was, as well as the -colonel, mounted. - -Just as they reached the marsh in front of the turn in the road, and -within a short distance of the rebel works, the horse of brave Colonel -Hartwell, while struggling through the mud, was literally blown in -pieces by a discharge of canister. - -The colonel was wounded at the same time, and attempted to jump from -his horse; but the animal fell on him, pressing him into the mud. -At this time, he was riding at the side of the column, and the men -pressed on past; but as they neared the fort they met a murderous fire -of grape, canister, and bullets at short range. As the numbers of the -advance were thinned, the few who survived began to waver, and finally -the regiment retreated. - -In retiring, Lieutenant Ellsworth, and one man of the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts, came to the rescue of Colonel Hartwell, and in spite -of his remonstrance that they should leave him to his fate, and take -care of themselves, released him from his horse, and bore him from the -field. But before he was entirely out of range of the enemy’s fire, -the colonel was again wounded, and the brave private soldier who was -assisting was killed, and another heroic man lost. - -The Twenty-fifth Ohio, soon after the commencement of the engagement, -were sent to the right, where they swung around, and fought on a line -nearly perpendicular to our main front. A portion of the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts were with them. One or two charges were essayed, but -were unsuccessful; but the front was maintained there throughout the -afternoon. The Twenty-fifth had the largest loss of all the regiments. - -The colored troops fought well throughout the day. Counter-charges were -made at various times during the fight by the enemy; but our infantry -and artillery mowed them down, and they did not at any time get very -near our lines. Whenever a charge of our men was repulsed, the rebels -would flock out of their works, whooping like Indians; but Ames’s guns -and the terrible volleys of our infantry would send them back. The -Naval Brigade behaved splendidly. - -The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, heroes of all the hard fights that -occurred in the department, were too much scattered in this battle to -do full justice to themselves. Only two companies went into the fight -at first, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hooper. They were posted on the -left. Subsequently they were joined by four more companies, who were -left on duty in the rear. - -Many scenes transpired in this battle which would furnish rich material -for the artist. In the midst of the engagement, a shell exploded -amongst the color-guard, severely wounding the color-sergeant, Ring, -who was afterwards killed by a bullet. Private Fitzgerald, of Company -D., Massachusetts Fifty-fifth, was badly wounded in the side and leg, -but remained at his post. Major Nutt, seeing his condition, ordered -him to the rear. The man obeyed; but soon the major saw that he had -returned, when he spoke sharply, “Go to the rear, and have your wounds -dressed.” The man again obeyed the order; but in a few minutes more -was seen by the major, with a handkerchief bound around the leg, and -loading and firing. The major said to our informant, “I thought I would -let him stay.” - -Like the Fifty-fourth at Olustee, the Fifty-fifth was the last regiment -to leave the field, and cover the retreat at Honey Hill. - -It is only simple justice to the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, -to say that at Honey Hill it occupied the most perilous position -throughout nearly the entire battle. - -Three times did these heroic men march up the hill nearly to the -batteries, and as many times were swept back by the fearful storm of -grape-shot and shell; more than one hundred being cut down in less than -half an hour. Great was its loss; and yet it remained in the gap, while -our outnumbered army was struggling with the foe on his own soil, and -in the stronghold chosen by himself. - -What the valiant Fifty-fourth Massachusetts had been at the battle of -Olustee, the Fifty-fifth was at Honey Hill. - -Never was self-sacrifice, by both officers and men, more apparent than -on this occasion; never did men look death more calmly in the face. -See the undaunted and heroic Hartwell at the head of his regiment, and -hear him shouting, “Follow your colors, my brave men!” and with drawn -sword leading his gallant band. His horse is up to its knees in the -heavy mud. The rider, already wounded, is again struck by the fragment -of a shell, but keeps his seat; while the spirited animal struggling -in the mire, and plunging about, attracts the attention of the braves, -who are eagerly pressing forward to meet the enemy, to retake the lost -ground, and gain a victory, or at least, save the little army from -defeat. A moment more, he is killed; and the brave Hartwell attempts to -jump from his charger, but is too weak. The horse falls with fearful -struggles upon its rider, and both are buried in the mud. The brave -Captain Crane, the Adjutant, is killed, and falls from his horse near -his colonel. Lieutenant Boynton, while urging his men, is killed. -Lieutenant Hill is wounded, but still keeps his place. Captains Soule -and Woodward are both wounded, and yet keep their command. The blood -is running freely from the mouth of Lieutenant Jewett; but he does not -leave his company. Sergeant-Major Trotter is wounded, but still fights. -Sergeant Shorter is wounded in the knee, yet will not go to the rear. A -shell tears off the foot of Sergeant-Major Charles L. Mitchel; and as -he is carried to the rear, he shouts, with uplifted hand, “Cheer up, -boys; we’ll never surrender!” But look away in front: there are the -colors, and foremost amongst the bearers is Robert M. King, the young, -the handsome, and the gentlemanly sergeant, whose youth and bravery -attract the attention of all. Scarcely more than twenty years of age, -well educated, he left a good home in Ohio to follow the fortunes of -war, and to give his life to help redeem his race. The enemy train -their guns upon the colors, the roar of cannon and crack of rifle is -heard, the advanced flag falls, the heroic King is killed; no, he is -not dead, but only wounded. A fellow-sergeant seizes the colors; but -the bearer will not give them up. He rises, holds the old flag aloft -with one hand, and presses the other upon the wound in his side to -stop the blood. “Advance the colors!” shouts the commander. The brave -King, though saturated with his own blood, is the first to obey the -order. As he goes forward, a bullet passes through his heart, and he -falls. Another snatches the colors; but they are fast, the grasp of -death holds them tight. The hand is at last forced open, the flag is -raised to the breeze, and the lifeless body of Robert M. King is borne -from the field. This is but a truthful sketch of the part played by one -heroic son of Africa, whose death was lamented by all who knew him. -This is only one of the two hundred and forty-nine that fell on the -field of Honey Hill. With a sad heart we turn away from the picture. - -The Sixth Regiment United States colored troops was the second -which was organized at Camp William Penn, near Philadelphia, by -Lieutenant-Colonel Wagner, of the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania -Volunteers. The regiment left Philadelphia on the 14th of October, -1863, with nearly eight hundred men, and a full complement of officers, -a large majority of whom had been in active service in the field. - -The regiment reported to Major-General B. F. Butler, at Fortress -Monroe, and were assigned to duty at Yorktown, Virginia, and became -part of the brigade (afterwards so favorably known), under the -command of Colonel S. A. Duncan, Fourth United States colored troops. -Here they labored upon the fortifications, and became thoroughly -disciplined under the tuition of their colonel, John W. Ames, formerly -captain of the Eleventh Infantry, United States army, ably seconded -by Lieutenant-Colonel Royce and Major Kiddoo. During the winter, -the regiment took a prominent part in the several raids made in the -direction of Richmond, and exhibited qualities that elicited the praise -of their officers, and showed that they could be fully relied upon in -more dangerous work. - -The regiment was ordered to Camp Hamilton, Virginia, in May, 1864, -where a division of colored troops was formed, and placed under the -command of Brigadier-General Hinks. In the expedition made up the James -River the same month, under General Butler, this division took part. -The white troops were landed at Bermuda Hundreds. Three regiments of -colored men were posted at various points along the river. Duncan’s -brigade landed at City Point, where they immediately commenced -fortifications. The Sixth and Fourth Regiments were soon after removed -to Spring Hill, within five miles of Petersburg. Here they labored -night and day upon those earthworks which were soon to be the scene of -action which was to become historical. The Sixth was in a short time -left alone, by the removal of the Fourth Regiment to another point. - -On the 29th of May, the rebel forces made an assault on the -picket-line, the enemy soon after attacking in strong force, but were -unable to drive back the picket-line any considerable distance. The -Fourth Regiment was ordered to the assistance of the Sixth; but our -forces were entirely too weak to make it feasible or prudent to attack -the enemy, who withdrew during the night, having accomplished nothing. - -This was the first experience of the men under actual fire, and they -behaved finely. When the outer works around Petersburg were attacked, -June 15, Duncan’s brigade met the rebels, and did good service, driving -the enemy before him. We had a number killed and wounded in this -engagement. The rebels sought shelter in their main works, which were -of the most formidable character. These defences had been erected by -the labor of slaves, detailed for the purpose. Our forces followed -them to their stronghold. The white troops occupied the right; and in -order to attract the attention of the enemy, while these troops were -manœuvring for a favorable attacking position, the colored soldiers -were subject to a most galling fire for several hours, losing a number -of officers and men. Towards night, the fight commenced in earnest by -the troops on the right, who quickly cleared their portion of the line; -this was followed by the immediate advance of the colored troops, the -Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Twenty-second Regiments. In a very short -time the rebels were driven from the whole line; these regiments -capturing seven pieces of artillery, and a number of prisoners. For -their gallantry in this action the colored troops received a highly -complimentary notice from General W. H. Smith in General Orders. - -A few hours after entering the rebel works, our soldiers were gladdened -by a sight of the veterans of the Army of the Potomac, who that -night relieved our men at the front. A glance at the strong works -gave the new-comers a better opinion of the fighting qualities of -the negroes than they had calculated upon; and a good feeling was at -once established, that rapidly dispelled most of the prejudices then -existing against the blacks; and from that time to the close of the -war, the negro soldier stood high with the white troops. - -After spending some time at the Bermuda Hundreds, the Sixth Regiment -was ordered to Dutch Gap, Virginia, where, on the 16th of August, they -assisted in driving the rebels from Signal Hill; General Butler, in -person, leading our troops. The Sixth Regiment contributed its share -towards completing Butler’s famous canal, during which time they were -often very much annoyed by the rebel shells thrown amongst them. The -conduct of the men throughout these trying scenes reflected great -credit upon them. On the 29th of September, the regiment occupied the -advance in the demonstration made by Butler that day upon Richmond. The -first line of battle was formed by the Fourth and Sixth Regiments; the -latter entered the fight with three hundred and fifteen men, including -nineteen officers. - -The enemy were driven back from within two miles of Deep Bottom, to -their works at New Market Heights; the Sixth was compelled to cross a -small creek, and then an open field. They were met by a fearful fire -from the rebel works; men fell by scores; still the regiment went -forward. The color-bearers, one after another, were killed or wounded, -until the entire color-guard were swept from the field. Two hundred and -nine men, and fourteen officers, were killed and wounded. Few fields of -battle showed greater slaughter than this; and in no conflict did both -officers and men prove themselves more brave. Captains York and Sheldon -and Lieutenant Meyer were killed close to the rebel works. Lieutenants -Pratt, Landon, and McEvoy subsequently died of the wounds received. -Lieutenant Charles Fields, Company A., was killed on the skirmish-line: -this left the company in charge of the first sergeant, Richard Carter, -of Philadelphia, who kept it in its advanced position through the -entire day, commanding with courage and great ability, attracting -marked attention for his officer-like bearing. During the battle many -instances of unsurpassed bravery were shown by the common soldier, -which proved that these heroic men were fighting for the freedom of -their race, and the restoration of a Union that should protect man -in his liberty without regard to color. No regiment did more towards -extinguishing prejudice against the Negro than the patriotic Sixth. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -NEGRO HATRED AT THE NORTH. - - -The prompt manner in which colored men in the North had enlisted in -the army to aid in putting down the Rebellion, and the heroism and -loyalty of the slaves of the South in helping to save the Union, so -exasperated the disloyal people in the Northern States, that they -early began a system of cowardly warfare against the blacks wherever -they found them. The mob spirit first manifested itself at a meeting -held in Boston, December 3, 1860, to observe the anniversary of the -death of John Brown. A combination of North End roughs and Beacon -Street aristocrats took possession of the Tremont Temple, the place of -holding the meeting, appointed Richard S. Fay as Chairman, and passed a -series of resolutions in favor of the slave-holders of the South, and -condemnatory of the abolitionists. - -This success induced these enemies of free discussion to attempt to -break up the meeting of the Twenty-eighth Congregational Society at -Music Hall the following Sunday, at which Frederick Douglass was the -speaker. Wendell Phillips addressed the same society at the same place, -on the 19th following, when the mob spirit seemed even more violent -than on any previous occasion. These events were still fresh in the -minds of the haters of negro freedom, when, on the 10th of July, 1863, -the great mob commenced in the city of New York. - -The mob was composed of the lowest and most degraded of the foreign -population (mainly Irish), raked from the filthy cellars and dens of -the city, steeped in crimes of the deepest dye, and ready for any -act, no matter how dark; together with the worst type of our native -criminals, whose long service in the prisons of the country, and whose -training in the Democratic party, had so demoralized their natures that -they were ever on the hunt for some deed of robbery or murder. - -This conglomerated mass of human beings were under the leadership of -men standing higher than themselves in the estimation of the public, -but, if possible, really lower in moral degradation. Cheered on by men -holding high political positions, and finding little or no opposition, -they went on at a fearful rate. - -Never, in the history of mob-violence, was crime carried to such -an extent. Murder, arson, robbery, and cruelty reigned triumphant -throughout the city, day and night, for more than a week. - -Hundreds of the blacks, driven from their homes, and hunted and chased -through the streets, presented themselves at the doors of jails, -prisons, police-stations, and begged admission. Thus did these fiends -prowl about the city, committing crime after crime; indeed, in point of -cruelty, the Rebellion was transferred from the South to the North. - -The destruction of the colored Orphan Asylum, after first robbing -the little black children of their clothing, seemed a most heartless -transaction. - -Nearly forty colored persons were murdered during this reign of terror. -Some were hung at lamp-posts, some thrown off the docks, while others, -shot, clubbed, and cut to pieces with knives, were seen lying dead in -the streets. - -Numbers of men and boys amused themselves by cutting pieces of flesh -from the dead body of a black man who was suspended from a lamp-post at -the corner of Prince Street. - -Hundreds of colored men and women had taken shelter in the buildings -reached by passing through the “Arch,” on Thompson Street. The mob made -several unsuccessful attempts to gain admission to this alley, where, -in one of the buildings, was a room about thirty by forty feet square, -in the centre of which stood an old-fashioned cook-stove, the top of -which seemed filled with boilers, and all steaming away, completely -filling the place with a dense fog. Two lamps, with dingy chimneys, -and the light from the fire, which shone brightly through the broken -doors of the stove, lighted up the room. Eight athletic black women, -looking for all the world as if they had just returned from a Virginia -corn-field, weary and hungry, stood around the room. - -Each of these Amazons was armed with a tin dipper, apparently new, -which had no doubt been purchased for the occasion. A woman of -exceedingly large proportions--tall, long-armed, with a deep scar -down the side of her face, and with a half grin, half smile--was the -commander-in-chief of the “hot room.” This woman stood by the stove, -dipper in hand, and occasionally taking the top from the large -wash-boiler, which we learned was filled with boiling water, soap, and -ashes. - -In case of an attack, this boiler was to be the “King of Pain.” - -Guided by a friend who had furnished us a disguise, the writer entered -the “hot room,” and took a view of its surroundings. As we saw the -perspiration streaming down the faces of these women, we ventured a few -questions. - -“Do you expect an attack?” we asked. - -“Dunno, honey; but we’s ready ef dey comes,” was the reply from the -aunty near the stove. - -“Were you ever in slavery?” we continued. - -“Yes; ain’t bin from dar but little while.” - -“What State?” - -“Bred and born in ole Virginny, down on de Pertomuc.” - -“Have you any of your relations in Virginia now?” - -“Yes; got six chilens down dar somewhar, an’ two husbuns--all sole to -de speclaturs afore I run away.” - -“Did you come off alone?” - -“No; my las ole man bring me ’way.” - -“You don’t mean to be taken back by the slave-catchers, in peace?” - -“No; I’ll die fuss.” - -“How will you manage if they attempt to come into this room?” - -“We’ll all fling hot water on ’em, an’ scall dar very harts out.” - -“Can you all throw water without injuring each other?” - -“O yes, honey; we’s bin practicin’ all day.” And here the whole -company joined in a hearty laugh, which made the old building ring. - -The intense heat drove us from the room. As we descended the steps and -passed the guards, we remarked to one of them,-- - -“The women seem to be prepared for battle.” - -“Yes,” he replied; “dem wimmens got de debil in ’em to-night, an’ no -mistake. Dey’ll make dat a hot hell in dar fur somebody.” - -And here the guards broke forth into a hearty laugh, which was caught -up and joined in by the women in the house, which showed very clearly -that these blacks felt themselves masters of the situation. - -As the mob made their last attempt to gain an entrance to the alley, -one of their number, a man bloated with strong drink, and heaping oaths -upon the “niggers,” succeeded in getting through, and made his way to -the “hot room,” where, it is said, he suddenly disappeared. It was -whispered that the washerwomen made soap-grease of his carcass. - -The inhabitants of the “Arch” were not again disturbed. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -CASTE AND PROGRESS. - - -Caste is usually found to exist in communities or countries among -majorities, and against minorities. The basis of it is owing to some -supposed inferiority or degradation attached to the hated ones. -However, nothing is more foolish than this prejudice. But the silliest -of all caste is that which is founded on color; for those who entertain -it have not a single logical reason to offer in its defence. - -The fact is, slavery has been the cause of all the prejudice against -the negro. Wherever the blacks are ill-treated on account of their -color, it is because of their identity with a race that has long worn -the chain of slavery. Is there anything in black that should be hated? -If so, why do we see so much black in common use as clothing among all -classes? Indeed, black is preferred to either white or colors. How -often the young man speaks in ecstasies of the black eyes and black -hair of his lady-love! Look at the hundreds of advertised hair-dyes, -used for the purpose of changing Nature! See men with their gray -beards dyed black; women with those beautiful black locks, which but -yesterday were as white as the driven snow! Not only this, but even -those with light or red whiskers run to the dye-kettle, steal a color -which Nature has refused them, and an hour after curse the negro for -a complexion that is not stolen. If black is so hateful, why do not -gentlemen have their boots whitewashed? If the slaves of the South had -been white, the same prejudice would have existed against them. Look at -the “poor white trash,” as the lower class of whites in the Southern -States are termed. - -The general good conduct of the blacks during the Rebellion, and -especially the aid rendered to our Northern men escaping from Southern -prisons, has done much to dispel the prejudice so rampant in the -free states. The following, from the pen of Junius Henri Browne, the -accomplished war correspondent of “The Tribune,” is but a fair sample -of what was said for the negro during the great conflict. In his very -interesting work, “Four Years in Secessia,” he says:-- - -“The negro who had guided us to the railway had told us of another of -his color to whom we could apply for shelter and food at the terminus -of our second stage. We could not find him until nearly dawn; and when -we did, he directed us to a large barn filled with corn-husks. Into -that we crept with our dripping garments, and lay there for fifteen -hours, until we could again venture forth. Floundering about in the -husks, we lost our haversacks, pipes, and a hat. - -“About nine o’clock we procured a hearty supper from the generous -negro, who even gave me his hat,--an appropriate presentation, as one -of my companions remarked, by an ‘intelligent contraband’ to the -reliable gentleman of ‘The New York Tribune.’ The negro did picket-duty -while we hastily ate our meal, and stood by his blazing fire. The old -African and voice and moistened eyes, as we parted from them with -grateful hearts. ‘God bless negroes!’ say I, with earnest lips. During -our entire captivity, and after our escape, they were ever our firm, -brave, unflinching friends. We never made an appeal to them they did -not answer. They never hesitated to do us a service at the risk even of -life; and under the most trying circumstances, revealed a devotion and -a spirit of self-sacrifice that were heroic. - -“The magic word ‘Yankee’ opened all their hearts, and elicited the -loftiest virtues. They were ignorant, oppressed, enslaved; but they -always cherished a simple and beautiful faith in the cause of the -Union, and its ultimate triumph, and never abandoned or turned aside -from a man who sought food or shelter on his way to freedom.” - -The month of May, 1864, saw great progress in the treatment of -the colored troops by the government of the United States. The -circumstances were more favorable for this change than they had -hitherto been. Slavery had been abolished in the District of Columbia, -Maryland, and Missouri. The heroic assault on Fort Wagner, the -unsurpassed bravery exhibited at Port Hudson, the splendid fighting at -Olustee and Honey Hill, had raised the colored men in the estimation of -the nation. President Lincoln and his advisers had seen their error, -and begun to repair the wrong. The year opened with the appointment -of Dr. A. T. Augusta, a colored gentleman, as surgeon of colored -volunteers, and he was at once assigned to duty, with the rank of -major. Following this, was the appointment, by Governor Andrew, -of Massachusetts, of Sergeant Stephen A. Swailes, of Company F., -Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment, as second lieutenant. - -M. R. Delany, M. D., was soon after appointed a major of negro -volunteers, and assigned to duty at Charleston, South Carolina. W. P. -Powell, Jr., received an appointment as surgeon, about the same time. - -The steamer Planter, since being brought out of Charleston by Robert -Small, was under the command of a Yankee, who, being ordered to do -service where the vessel would be liable to come under the fire of -rebel guns, refused to obey; whereupon Lieutenant-Colonel Elwell, -without consultation with any higher authority, issued an order, -placing Robert Small in command of the “Planter.” - -The acknowledgment of the civil rights of the negro had already been -granted, in the admission of John S. Rock, a colored man, to practice -law in all the counties within the jurisdiction of the United States. -John F. Shorter, who was promoted to a lieutenancy in Company D, -Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, was by trade a carpenter, and was -residing in Delaware County, Ohio, when the call was made for colored -troops. Severely wounded at the battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina, -on the 30th of November, 1864, he still remained with his regiment, -hoping to be of service. - -At the conclusion of the war, he returned home, but never recovered -from his wound, and died a few days after his arrival. James Monroe -Trotter, promoted for gallantry, was wounded at the battle of Honey -Hill. He is a native of Grand Gulf, Mississippi; removed to Cincinnati, -Ohio; was educated at the Albany (Ohio) Manual Labor University, where -he distinguished himself for his scholarly attainments. He afterwards -became a school-teacher, which position he filled with satisfaction -to the people of Muskingum and Pike Counties, Ohio, and with honor -to himself. Enlisting as a private in the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts -Regiment, on its organization, he returned with it to Boston as a -lieutenant, an office honorably earned. - -William H. Dupree, a native of Petersburg, Virginia, was brought up -and educated at Chillicothe, Ohio. He enlisted in the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts Regiment, on its formation, as a private, was soon made -orderly-sergeant, and afterwards promoted to a lieutenancy for bravery -on the field of battle. - -Charles L. Mitchel, promoted to a lieutenancy in the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts Regiment for gallantry at the battle of Honey Hill, where -he was severely wounded (losing a limb), is a native of Hartford, -Connecticut, and son of William A. Mitchel of that city. Lieutenant -Mitchel served an apprenticeship to William H. Burleigh, in the office -of the old “Charter Oak,” in Hartford, where he became an excellent -printer. For five or six years previous to entering the army, he was -employed in different printing-offices in Boston, the last of which was -“The Liberator,” edited by William Lloyd Garrison, who never speaks of -Lieutenant Mitchel but in words of the highest commendation. General -A. S. Hartwell, late colonel of the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, -makes honorable mention of Lieutenant Mitchel. - -In the year 1867, Mr. Mitchel was elected to the Massachusetts -Legislature, from Ward Six, in Boston. The appointment of John M. -Langston to a position in the Freedman Bureau, showed progress. - -However, the selection of E. D. Bassett, as Minister and Consul-General -to Hayti, astonished even those who had the most favorable opinion of -President Grant, and satisfied the people generally, both colored and -white. Since the close of the war, colored men have been appointed to -honorable situations in the Custom Houses in the various States, also -in the Post Office and Revenue Department. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -THE ABOLITIONISTS. - - -A little more than forty years ago, William Lloyd Garrison hoisted the -banner of immediate and unconditional emancipation, as the right of -the slave, and the duty of the master. The men and women who gradually -rallied around him, fully comprehended the solemn responsibility they -were then taking, and seemed prepared to consecrate the best years -of their lives to the cause of human freedom. Amid the moral and -political darkness which then overshadowed the land, the voice of -humanity was at length faintly heard, and soon aroused opposition; for -slavery was rooted and engrafted in every fibre of American society. -The imprisonment of Mr. Garrison at Baltimore, at once directed public -attention to the heinous sin which he was attacking, and called around -him some of the purest and best men of the country. - -The Boston mob of 1835 gave now impulse to the agitation, and brought -fresh aid to the pioneer of the movement. Then came the great battle -for freedom of speech and the press; a battle in which the heroism of -this small body of proscribed men and women had ample room to show -their genius and abilities. The bold and seeming audacity with which -they attacked slavery in every corner where the monster had taken -refuge, even in the face of lynchings, riots, and murders, carried with -it a charm which wrung applause from the sympathizing heart throughout -the world, and showed that the American Abolitionists possessed a -persistency and a courage which had never found a parallel in the -annals of progress and reform. - -In the spring of 1859, we attended a meeting of the Executive Committee -of the American Anti-slavery Society, as it was then organized, and -we shall write of the members as they appeared at that time. The -committee was composed of twelve persons besides the chairman, and were -seated around a long table. At the head of the table sat William Lloyd -Garrison, the Chairman of the Board, and the acknowledged leader of the -movement. His high and prominent forehead, piercing eye, pleasant, yet -anxious countenance, long nose, and smile upon his lips, point him out -at once as a man born to guide and direct. - -The deference with which he is treated by his associates shows their -appreciation of his abilities and his moral worth. Tender and blameless -in his family affections, devoted to his friends, simple and studious, -upright, guileless, distinguished, and worthy, like the great men -of antiquity, to be immortalized by another Plutarch. As a speaker, -he is forcible, clear, and logical; as a writer, he has always been -regarded as one of the ablest in our country. How many services, never -to be forgotten, has he not rendered to the cause of the slave and the -welfare of mankind. - -Many of those who started out with him in young manhood, when he left -his Newburyport home, were swept away like so much floating wood before -the tide. - -When the sturdiest characters gave way, when the finest geniuses passed -one after another under the yoke of slavery, Garrison stood firm to -his convictions, like a rock that stands stirless amid the conflicting -agitation of the waves. He is not only the friend and advocate of -freedom with his pen and tongue, but to the oppressed of every clime he -opens his purse, his house, and his heart. In days past, the fugitive -slave, fresh from the prison-house of the South, who was turned off by -the politician, and had experienced the cold shoulder of the divine, -found a warm bed and breakfast under the hospitable roof of William -Lloyd Garrison. - -The society whose executive committee is now in session, is one of no -inconsiderable influence in the United States. No man has had more -bitter enemies or stauncher friends than Mr. Garrison. - -There are those among his friends who would stake their all upon -his veracity and integrity; and we are sure that the colored people -throughout America, in whose cause he has so long labored, will with -one accord assign the highest niche in their affections to the champion -of universal emancipation. This is not intended as an eulogium, for -no words of ours could add the weight of a feather to the world-wide -fame of William Lloyd Garrison; but we simply wish to record the -acknowledgment of a grateful negro to the most distinguished friend of -his race. - -On the right of the chairman sat Wendell Phillips, America’s ablest -orator. He is a little above the middle height, well made, and -remarkably graceful in person. His golden hair is now growing thin and -changing its color, and his youthful look has gone; but he shows no -yielding to age, and is in the full maturity of his powers. Descended -from one of the oldest and most cultivated stock of New England’s sons; -educated at the first university; graduating with all the honors which -the college could bestow on him; studying law with Judge Story, and -becoming a member of the bar; he has all the accomplishments that these -advantages can give to a man of a great mind. - -Nature has treated Mr. Phillips as a favorite. His expressive -countenance paints and reflects every emotion of his soul. His -gestures, like his delivery, are wonderfully graceful. There is a -fascination in the soft gaze of his eyes, which none can but admire. -Being a close student, and endowed by Nature with a retentive memory, -he supplies himself with the most complicated dates and historical -events. Nothing can surpass the variety of his matter. He extracts -from a subject all that it contains, and does it as none but Wendell -Phillips can. His voice is beautifully musical, and it is calculated -to attract wherever it is heard. He is a man of calm intrepidity, of -a patriotic and warm heart, with temper the most gentle, a rectitude -of principle entirely natural, a freedom from ambition, and a modesty -quite singular. - -His speeches upon every subject upon which he has spoken, will -compare favorably with anything ever uttered by Pitt or Sheridan in -their palmiest days. No American is so eagerly reported in Europe, -in what he says on the platform, as Mr. Phillips. His appeal for -Cretan independence was circulated in the language of Demosthenes and -Isocrates through Greece and its islands, and reached the ears of the -mountaineers of Crete, for whom he spoke. - -But it is in the Anti-slavery cause that we love to write of him. As a -speaker on that platform, he has never had an equal; and the good he -has rendered the slave by his eloquent speeches can never be estimated. - -Considering his position in society, his talents and prospects when in -youth he entered the ranks of the proscribed and hated Abolitionists, -we feel that Mr. Phillips has sacrificed more upon the altar of freedom -than any other living man. - -On the opposite side of the table from Mr. Phillips, sits Edmund -Quincy, the ripe scholar and highly-cultivated gentleman and -interesting writer. If he is not so eloquent a speaker as his friend -Phillips, he is none the less staunch in his adherence to principle. He -is one of the best presiding officers that New England can produce. - -A little farther down on the same side is Francis Jackson. His calm -Roman face, large features, well-developed head, and robust-looking -frame tells you at once that he is a man of courage. He was one of -the first to take his stand by the side of Mr. Garrison; and when the -mob in 1835 broke up the anti-slavery meeting held by the ladies, Mr. -Jackson, with a moral courage scarcely ever equalled, came forward and -offered his private dwelling to them to hold their meeting in. - -Still farther down on the same side sits Maria Weston Chapman, the -well-read and accomplished lady, the head and heart of the Anti-slavery -Bazaar. Many an influential woman has been induced to take part in -the Bazaar and Subscription Festival, solely on account of the earnest -eloquence and polished magnetism of Mrs. Chapman. By her side sits her -gifted little sister, Anne Warren Weston. On the opposite side of the -table is Samuel May, Jr., the able and efficient general agent of the -Society. To his perseverance, industry, gentlemanly manners, and good -sense, the Society owes much of its success. In the earlier days of the -movement, Mr. May left the pulpit and a lucrative salary, that he might -devote his time to the cause in which his heart had long been engaged. -Mr. May is an earnest speaker, and never takes the platform unless -he has something to say. He is simple, plain, and one of the best of -friends. It was the good fortune of the writer to be associated with -him for a number of years; and he never looks back to those days but -with the best feeling and most profound respect for the moral character -and Christian worth of Samuel May, Jr. - -Not far from Mr. May sat Charles F. Hovey, the princely Summer Street -merchant, the plain, honest, outspoken man whose heart felt the wrongs -of the oppressed as keenly as if he himself had been one of the race. -Gathered since to his heavenly rest, he bequeathed a large sum of -money to carry on the battle for the negro’s freedom. Farther down the -table was Eliza Lee Follen, whose poems in favor of liberty have so -often been sung in our anti-slavery conventions. Sydney Howard Gay, -the polished writer, the editor of the Society’s organ, occupied a -seat next to Mrs. Follen. With small frame, finely-cut features, and -pleasant voice, he is ever listened to with marked attention. Mr. Gay -is a gentleman in every sense of the term. - -Near the end of the table is William I. Bowditch, the able scholar, the -ripe lawyer, the devoted friend of freedom. Lastly, there is Charles -K. Whipple, the “C. K. W.,” of “The Liberator,” and the “North,” of -the “Anti-slavery Standard.” A stronger executive board for a great -moral object probably never existed. They were men and women in whom -the public had the utmost confidence, individually, for rectitude of -character. - -There were also present on this occasion five persons who were not -members of the board, but whose long and arduous labors entitled them -to a seat around the table. These were Samuel J. May, Lydia Maria -Child, James and Lucretia Mott, and Thomas Garrett; and of these we -shall now make mention. - -Born in Boston, educated in her unsurpassed schools, a graduate of -Harvard University, and deeply imbued with the spirit and teachings -of the great leader of our salvation, and a philanthropist by nature, -Samuel J. May was drawn to the side of Mr. Garrison by the force of -sympathy. He was a member of the Philadelphia Convention in 1833, -at the formation of the American Anti-slavery Society, and his name -is appended to the immortal “Declaration of Sentiments,” penned by -Garrison, his life-long friend. When Prudence Crandall was imprisoned -at Canterbury, Connecticut, for the crime of teaching colored girls -to read, her most attached friend was Samuel J. May. He defended the -persecuted woman, and stood by her till she was liberated. Although -closely confined to his duties as preacher of the Gospel, Mr. May -gave much of his time to the slaves’ cause. As a speaker, he was -always interesting; for his sweet spirit and loving nature won to him -the affectionate regard of all with whom he came in contact. As an -Abolitionist, none were more true, more fearless. His house was long -the home of the fugitive slaves passing through Syracuse, New York, and -his church was always open to the anti-slavery lecturer when others -were shut against him. - -Lydia Maria Child early embraced the cause of the enslaved negro. Her -sketches of some of the intellectual characters of the race appeared -more than thirty years ago, and created considerable sensation from the -boldness with which she advocated the black man’s equality. - -James and Lucretia Mott were amongst the first in Pennsylvania to take -the stand by the side of Mr. Garrison in defence of negro freedom. -They were Abolitionists in every sense of the term, even to their -clothing and food, for they were amongst the earliest to encourage the -introduction of free-labor goods as a means of breaking up slavery, -by reducing the value of the products of the slave’s toil. As a -speaker, Mrs. Mott was doubtless the most eloquent woman that America -ever produced. A highly-cultivated and reflective mind, thoroughly -conversant with the negro’s suffering, hating everything that savored -of oppression, whether religiously or politically, and possessing the -brain and the courage, Mrs. Mott’s speeches were always listened to -with the closest attention and the greatest interest. - -Mr. Mott took little or no part in public gatherings; but his -suggestions on committees, and his advice generally, were reliable. He -gave of his means liberally, and seconded every movement of his noble -wife. - -Thomas Garrett was an Abolitionist from his youth up; and though the -grand old cause numbered among its supporters, poets, sages, and -statesmen, it had no more faithful worker in its ranks than Thomas -Garrett. The work of this good man lay in Delaware, one of the -meanest states in the Union, and the services which he rendered the -free colored people of that State in their efforts to rise above the -prejudice exhibited against their race can never be estimated. - -But it was as a friend of the bondman escaping from his oppressor that -Mr. Garrett was most widely known. For more than forty years he devoted -himself to aiding the runaway slave in getting his freedom. - -We have written of the executive officers of the most radical wing -of the Anti-slavery movement, yet there was still another band whose -labors were, if possible, more arduous, and deserve as much praise as -any of whom we have made mention. - -These were the lecturing agents, the men and women who performed the -field service, the most difficult part of all the work. They went from -city to city, and from town to town, urging the claims of the slave to -his freedom; uttering truths that the people were not prepared for, and -receiving in return, rotten eggs, sticks, stones, and the condemnation -of the public generally. Many of these laborers neither asked nor -received any compensation; some gave their time and paid their own -expenses, satisfied with having an opportunity to work for humanity. - -In the front rank of this heroic and fearless band, stood Abby Kelly -Foster, the Joan of Arc, of the anti-slavery movement. Born, we -believe, in the Society of Friends, and retaining to a great extent the -seriousness of early training, convinced of the heinousness of slavery, -she threw comfort, ease, and everything aside, and gave herself, in the -bloom of young womanhood, to the advocacy of the right of the negro to -his freedom. We first met Mrs. Foster (then Miss Kelly), about thirty -years ago, at Buffalo, in the State of New York, and for the first time -listened to a lecture against the hated system from which we had so -recently escaped. - -Somewhat above the common height, slim, but well-proportioned, -finely-developed forehead and a pleasing countenance, eyes bright, -voice clear, gestures a little nervous, and dressed in a plain manner, -Mrs. Foster’s appearance on that occasion made a deep and lasting -impression upon her audience. The life-like pictures which she drew of -the helpless condition of her sisters in chains brought tears to many -eyes, and when she demanded that those chains should be broken they -responded with wild applause. - -As a speaker, Mrs. Foster is logical, forcible; leaping from irony to -grave argument. Her illustrations, anecdotes, and figures are always to -the point. She is sharp and quick at repartee. In the earlier days of -the movement, she was considered very able in discussion. At Buffalo, -where we first heard her, she basted one of our ablest lawyers until -he acknowledged the fact, amid loud applause. Mrs. Foster was at times -harsh, but not harsher than truth. She is uncompromising, and always -reliable in a public meeting where discussion on reformatory questions -is under consideration. This lady gave the best years of her useful -life to the redemption of the negro from slavery. - -We may well give Stephen S. Foster a place by the side of his noble -wife. He, too, embraced the cause of the slave at the dawn of the -agitation of the subject, and at once became one of its ablest -advocates. In downright field-work, as a lecturer, he did more than any -other man. Mr. Foster was the most unpopular of all the anti-slavery -agents; and simply because he “hewed to the line and the plummet,” -not caring in whose face the chips flew. He was always at home in a -discussion, and woe betide the person who fell into his hands. His -announcement of his subject often startled his hearers, and even his -best friends and associates would sometimes feel that he had overstated -the question. But he always more than proved what he had said in the -outset. In private life he is almost faultless; proverbially honest, -trustworthy, and faithful in all his dealings, possessing in the -estimation of his neighbors a high moral character. - -Parker Pillsbury entered the field as an advocate of freedom about the -same time as did Mr. Foster, and battled nobly for the oppressed. - -Charles L. Remond was, we believe, the first man of color to take the -platform as a regular lecturer in the anti-slavery cause, and was, no -doubt, the ablest representative that the race had till the appearance -of Frederick Douglass, in 1842. Mr. Remond prided himself more as the -representative of the educated free man of color, and often alluded to -the fact that “not a drop of slave blood” coursed through his veins. -Mr. Remond has little or no originality, but his studied elocutionary -powers, and fine flow of language, together with his being a colored -man, always gained for him an attentive hearing. But the genius and -originality of Frederick Douglass, and his unadorned eloquence, -overshadowed and threw Remond in the shade. This so soured the latter -that he never recovered from it, and even at the present time speaks -disparagingly of his early friend and associate. However, both of these -gentlemen did much to bring about the abolition of American Slavery. - -Conspicuous among the advocates of freedom, almost from its earliest -dawn to its close, was Charles C. Burleigh, the devoted friend of -humanity. Nature has been profuse in showering her gifts upon Mr. -Burleigh, but all have been bestowed upon his head and heart. There -is a kind of eloquence which weaves its thread around the hearer, -and gradually draws him into its web, fascinating him with its -gaze, entangling him as the spider does the fly, until he is fast. -Such is the eloquence of Charles C. Burleigh. As a debater, he is -unquestionably the ablest who took sides with the slave. If he did not -speak so fast, he would equal Wendell Phillips; if he did not reason -his subject out of existence, he would surpass him. Cyrus M. Burleigh -also did good service in the anti-slavery cause, both as a lecturer and -editor of “The Pennsylvania Freeman.” - -If Lucy Stone did not come into the field as early as some of whom we -have made mention, she brought with her when she did an earnestness -and enthusiasm that gave her an attentive audience wherever she spoke. -Under the middle size, hair generally cut short, round face, eyes -sparkling, not handsome, yet good to look upon, always plainly dressed, -not a single dollar for diamonds, but a heart gushing for humanity, -Lucy Stone at once became one of the most popular of the anti-slavery -speakers. Her arguments are forcible, her appeals pathetic, her -language plain, and at times classical. She is ready in debate, fertile -in illustration, eloquent in enunciation, and moves a congregation as -few can. - -For real, earnest labor, as a leader of a corps of agents in a -reformatory movement, Susan B. Anthony has few equals. As a speaker, -she is full of facts and illustrations, and at times truly eloquent. -Susan is always reliable; and if any of her travelling companions are -colored, her hawk-eye is ever on the watch to see that their rights -are not invaded on the score of their complexion. The writer’s dark -skin thoroughly tested Miss Anthony’s grit some years ago at Cleveland, -Ohio; but when weighed, she was not found wanting. On that occasion -she found an efficient backer in our able and eloquent friend, Aaron -M. Powell. These two, backed by the strong voice and earnest words of -Andrew T. Foss, brought the hotelkeeper to his senses; and the writer -was allowed to go to the dinner-table, and eat with white folks. Mr. -Powell has for some years been the sole editor of the “Anti-Slavery -Standard,” and as editor and speaker has rendered a lasting service -to the cause of negro freedom. Andrew T. Foss left his pulpit some -twenty years ago, to devote his entire time to the discussion of the -principles of liberty, where his labors were highly appreciated. - -Sallie Hollie filled an important niche on the anti-slavery platform. -Her Orthodox antecedents, her scriptural knowledge, her prayerful and -eloquent appeals obtained for her admission into churches when many -others were refused; yet she was as uncompromising as truth. - -Oliver Johnson gave his young manhood to the negro’s cause when to -be an Abolitionist cost more than words. He was, in the earlier days -of the movement, one of the hardest workers; both as a lecturer and -writer, that the cause had. Mr. Johnson is a cogent reasoner, a deep -thinker, a ready debater, an accomplished writer, and an eloquent -speaker. He has at times edited the “Herald of Freedom,” “Anti-Slavery -Standard,” and “Anti-Slavery Bugle;” and has at all times been one of -the most uncompromising and reliable of the “Old Guard.” - -Henry C. Wright was also among the early adherents to the doctrine of -universal and immediate emancipation, and gave the cause the best years -of his life. - -Giles B. Stebbins, a ripe scholar, an acute thinker, earnest and able -as a speaker, devoted to what he conceives to be right, was for years -one of the most untiring of freedom’s advocates. - -Of those who occasionally volunteered their services without money and -without price, few struck harder blows at the old Bastile of slavery -than James N. Buffum, a man of the people, whose abilities have been -appreciated and acknowledged by his election as mayor of his own city -of Lynn. - -James Miller McKim was one of the signers of the Declaration of -Sentiments, at Philadelphia, in 1833, and ever after gave his heart -and his labors to the slave’s cause. For many years the leading man -in the Anti-slavery Society in Pennsylvania, Mr. McKim’s labors were -arduous, yet he never swerved from duty. He is a scholar, well -read, and is a good speaker, only a little nervous. His round face -indicates perseverance that will not falter, and integrity that will -not disappoint. He always enjoyed the confidence of the Abolitionists -throughout the country, and is regarded as a man of high moral -character. Of the underground railroad through Pennsylvania, Mr. McKim -knows more than any man except William Still. - -Mary Grew, for her earnest labors, untiring activity, and truly -eloquent speeches, was listened to with great interest and attention -wherever she spoke. A more zealous and able friend the slave never had -in Pennsylvania. - -Lucretia Mott, the most eloquent woman that America ever produced, -was a life-long Abolitionist, of the straightest kind. For years her -clothing, food, and even the paper that she wrote her letters on, were -the products of free labor. Thirty years ago we saw Mrs. Mott take from -her pocket a little paper bag filled with sugar, and sweeten her tea. -We then learned that it was her practice so to do when travelling, to -be sure of having free sugar. - -A phrenologist would pronounce her head faultless. She has a thoughtful -countenance, eyes beaming with intelligence, and a voice of much -compass. Mrs. Mott speaks hesitatingly at times, when she begins her -remarks, and then words flow easily, and every word has a thought. She -was always a favorite with the Abolitionists, and a welcome speaker at -their anniversary meetings. - -This was the radical wing of the Abolitionists,--men and women who -believed mainly in moral suasion. Outside of these were many others -who were equally sincere, and were laboring with all their powers -to bring about emancipation, and to some of them I shall now call -attention. - -Some thirty years ago we met for the first time a gentleman of noble -personal appearance, being about six feet in height, well-proportioned; -forehead high and broad; large dark eyes, full of expression; hair -brown, and a little tinged with gray. The fascination of his smiling -gaze, and the hearty shake of his large, soft hand, made us feel at -home when we were introduced to Gerrit Smith. His comprehensive and -well-cultivated mind, his dignified and deliberate manner and musical -voice fit him for what he is,--one of Nature’s noblest orators. -Speaking is not the finest trait in the character of Mr. Smith, but his -great, large heart, every pulsation of which beats for humanity. He -brought to the negro’s cause wealth and position, and laid it all upon -the altar of his redemption. In the year 1846 he gave three thousand -farms to the same number of colored men; and three years later he gave -a farm each to one thousand white men, with ten thousand dollars to be -divided amongst them. - -Mr. Smith has spent in various ways many hundred thousand dollars -for the liberation and elevation of the blacks of this country. Next -to Mr. Smith, in the State of New York, is Beriah Greene, whose long -devotion to the cause of freedom is known throughout our land. Many of -the colored men whose career have done honor to the race, owe their -education to Mr. Greene. He is the most radical churchman we know of, -always right on the question of slavery. He did much in the early days -of the agitation, and his speeches were considered amongst the finest -productions on the anti-slavery platform. - -The old Abolitionists of thirty years ago still remember with pleasure -the smiling face and intellectual countenance of Nathaniel P. Rogers, -editor of the “Herald of Freedom,” a weekly newspaper that found a -welcome wherever it went. Mr. Rogers was a man of rare gifts, of a -philosophical and penetrating mind, high literary cultivation, quick -perception, and of a most genial nature. He dealt hard blows at the -peculiar institution with both his tongue and his pen. As a speaker, -he was more argumentative than eloquent, but was always good in a -discussion. As an ardent friend of Mr. Garrison, and a co-worker with -him, Mr. Rogers should have been named with the moral suasionists. - -William Goodell, a prolific writer, a deep thinker, a man of great -industry, and whose large eyes indicate immense language, has labored -long and faithfully for justice and humanity. - -John P. Hale was the first man to make a successful stand in Congress, -and he did his work nobly. His free-and-easy manner, his Falstaffian -fun, and Cromwellian courage, were always too much for Foote and his -Southern associates in the Senate, and in every contest for freedom the -New Hampshire Senator came off victorious. Mr. Hale is a large, fat, -social man, fine head, pleasing countenance, possessing much pungent -wit, irony, and sarcasm; able and eloquent in debate, and has always -been a true friend of negro freedom and elevation. - -Charles Sumner had made his mark in favor of humanity, and especially -in behalf of the colored race, long before the doors of the United -States Senate opened to admit him as a member. In the year 1846, -he refused to lecture before a New Bedford lyceum, because colored -citizens were not allowed to occupy seats in common with the whites. -His lectures and speeches all had the ring of the right metal. His -career in Congress has been one of unsurpassed brilliancy. His -oratorical efforts in the capital of the nation equal anything ever -reported from the forums of Rome or Athens. Whatever is designed to -promote the welfare and happiness of the human race, Mr. Sumner has the -courage to advocate and defend to the last. - -In firmness, he may be said to be without a rival on the floor of -the Senate, and has at times appeared a little dogged. However, -his foresight and sagacity show that he is generally in the right. -Mr. Sumner’s efforts in favor of reform have been ably seconded in -Congress by his colleague and friend, Henry Wilson, a man of the -people, and from the people. Without great educational attainments, -modest in his manners, never assuming aristocratic airs, plain, blunt, -yet gentlemanly, Mr. Wilson has always carried with him a tremendous -influence; and his speeches exhibit great research and much practical -common sense. He is a hard worker, and in that kind of industry which -is needed on committees, he is doubtless unequalled. As an old-time -Whig, a Free-soiler, and a Republican, Mr. Wilson has always been an -Abolitionist of the most radical stripe; and in Congress, has done as -much for negro emancipation, and the elevation of the blacks, as any -living man. - -Foremost in his own State, as well as in Congress, for many years, was -that good old man, Thaddeus Stevens, an earnest friend of the poor man, -whether white or black. Strong in the consciousness of being right, -he never shrank from any encounter, and nobody said more in fewer -words, or gave to language a sharper bite, than he. On the question -of slavery, Mr. Stevens was uncompromisingly the negro’s friend and -faithful advocate. - -Joshua R. Giddings, next to John Quincy Adams, was the first man, we -believe, that really stirred up the House of Representatives in behalf -of the slave. Mr. Giddings was a man without fear, entirely devoted to -the welfare of mankind; not an orator, in the accepted sense of the -term, but an able debater; ready in facts and illustrations, and always -to be relied upon when the Southerners attempted to encroach upon -freedom. Mr. Giddings never denied, even in the earlier days of the -agitation, that he was an Abolitionist. - -George W. Julian, of Indiana, entered the halls of Congress as an enemy -of negro slavery, and, up to the present time, stands firm to his early -convictions. - -Thomas Russell began life as a friend of negro emancipation, and -wherever his eloquent voice was heard, it gave no uncertain sound on -the subject of freedom. The Judge is a special favorite of the colored -men of Boston, and richly deserves it; for, as a Collector of Customs, -he has given employment to a large number of the proscribed class. - -Charles W. Slack, the talented editor of “The Commonwealth,”--the -outspoken friend of liberty, whose gentlemanly deportment, polished -manners, and sympathetic heart extend to the negro the same cordial -welcome in his office that he gives to the white man,--is an old-time -Abolitionist. The colored clerk in his Revenue department is _prima -facie_ evidence that he has no prejudice against the negro. Both as -a speaker and a writer, Mr. Slack did the cause of the slave great -service, when it cost something to be a friend to the race. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX. - -THE NEW ERA. - - -The close of the Rebellion opened to the negro a new era in his -history. The chains of slavery had been severed; and although he had -not been clothed with all the powers of the citizen, the black man was, -nevertheless, sure of all his rights being granted, for revolutions -seldom go backward. With the beginning of the work of reconstruction, -the right of the negro to the ballot came legitimately before the -country, and brought with it all the virus of negro hate that could be -thought of. President Andrew Johnson threw the weight of his official -influence into the scales against the newly-liberated people, which -for a time cast a dark shadow over the cause of justice and freedom. -Congress, however, by its Constitutional amendments, settled the -question, and clothed the blacks with the powers of citizenship; and -with their white fellow-citizens they entered the reconstruction -conventions, and commenced the work of bringing their states back into -the Union. This was a trying position for the recently enfranchised -blacks; for slavery had bequeathed to them nothing but poverty, -ignorance, and dependence upon their former owners for employment and -the means of sustaining themselves and their families. The transition -through which they passed during the war, had imparted to some a -smattering of education; and this, with the natural aptitude of the -negro for acquiring, made the colored men appear to advantage in -whatever position they were called to take part. - -The speeches delivered by some of these men in the conventions and -state legislatures exhibit a depth of thought, flights of eloquence, -and civilized statesmanship, that throw their former masters far in the -background. - -In the work of reconstruction, the colored men had the advantage -of being honest and sincere in what they undertook, and labored -industriously for the good of the country. - -The riots in various Southern states, following the enfranchising of -the men of color, attest the deep-rooted prejudice existing with the -men who once so misruled the rebellious states. In Georgia, Tennessee, -and Louisiana, these outbursts of ill feeling caused the loss of many -lives, and the destruction of much property. No true Union man, white -or black, was safe. The Constitutional amendment, which gave the ballot -to the black men of the North in common with their brethren of the -South, aroused the old pro-slavery feeling in the free states, which -made it scarcely safe for the newly enfranchised to venture to the -polls on the day of election in some of the Northern cities. The cry -that this was a “white man’s government,” was raised from one end of -the country to the other by the Democratic press, and the Taney theory -that “black men had no rights that white men were bound to respect,” -was revived, with all its negro hate. - -Military occupation of the South was all that saved the freedmen -from destruction. Under it, they were able to take part in the -various Constitutional and Legislative elections, and to hold seats -in those bodies. As South Carolina had been the most conspicuous in -the Rebellion, so she was the first to return to the Union, and to -recognize the political equality of the race whom in former days she -had bought and sold. Her Senate hall, designed to echo the eloquence -of the Calhouns, the McDuffies, the Hammonds, the Hamptons, and the -Rhetts, has since resounded with the speeches of men who were once her -bond slaves. Ransier, the negro, now fills the chair of President of -the Senate, where once sat the proud and haughty Calhoun; while Nash, -the tall, gaunt, full-blooded negro, speaks in the plantation dialect -from the desk in which Wade Hampton in former days stood. The State -is represented in Congress by Elliott, Rainey, and De Large. South -Carolina submitted quietly to her destiny. - -Not so, however, with Georgia. At the election in November, 1867, -for members to the State Convention, thirty thousand white and -eighty thousand colored votes were polled, and a number of colored -delegates elected. A Constitution was framed and ratified, and a -Legislature elected under it was convened. After all this, supposing -they had passed beyond Congressional control, the Rebel element in -the Legislature asserted itself; and many of those whose disabilities -had been removed by the State Convention, which comprised a number of -colored members, joined in the declaration which was made by that -Legislature, that a man having more than one-eighth of African blood in -his veins was ineligible to office. - -These very men to whom the Republican party extended all the rights -and privileges of citizenship, of which they had deprived themselves, -denied political equality to a large majority of their fellow-citizens. -Twenty-eight members were expelled on December 22, 1869; an Act of -Congress was passed requiring the re-assembling of the persons declared -elected by the military commander, the restoration of the expelled -members, and the rejection of others, who were disqualified. - -The expulsion of the ex-rebels from the Georgia Legislature, and the -admission of the loyal colored men, whose seats had been forcibly -taken from them, had a good effect upon all the Southern States, for -it showed that the national administration was determined that justice -should be done. - -The prompt admission of Hiram R. Revels to a seat in the United States -Senate from Mississippi, showed that progress was the watch-word of -the Republican party. The appointments of E. D. Bassett as Minister to -Hayti, and J. Milton Turner as Consul-General to Liberia, set at rest -all doubt with regard to the views of President Grant, and the negro’s -political equality. - -In 1869, colored men, for the first time in the history of the District -of Columbia, were drawn as jurors, and served with white men. This was -the crowning event of that glorious emancipation which began at the -capital, and radiated throughout the length and breadth of the nation. -Since then, one by one, distinguishing lines have been erased, and now -the black man is deemed worthy to participate in all the privileges of -an American citizen. - -The election of Oscar J. Dunn as Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana, -was a triumph which gladdened the hearts of his race from Maine to -California. Alabama sent B. S. Turner to Congress; Florida, J. T. -Walls, while colored men entered the Legislative halls of several -states not named in this connection. - -The National Republican Convention, held at Philadelphia in June, 1872, -received as delegates a number of colored men, and for the first time -in the history of Presidential conventions, the negro’s voice was heard -and applauded. - -Education is what we now need, and education we must have, at all -hazards. Wilberforce and Avery Colleges, and Lincoln University, have -all done good service. Howard University, Lincoln Institute, Hampton -Manual Labor School, and Fisk University, are harbingers of light to -our people. But we need an educated ministry; and until we have it, the -masses will grope in darkness. The cause of Temperance, that John the -Baptist of reforms, must be introduced into every community, and every -other method resorted to by the whites for their elevation should be -used by the colored men. - -Our young men must be encouraged to enter the various professions, -and to become mechanics, and thereby lay the foundation for future -usefulness. - -An ignorant man will trust to luck for success; an educated man will -make success. God helps those who help themselves. - - - - -CHAPTER L. - -REPRESENTATIVE MEN AND WOMEN. - - -In our Sketches of Representative Men and Women, some will be found to -have scarcely more than a local reputation; but they are persons who -have contributed, of their ability, towards the Freedom of the Race, -and should not be forgotten. Others bid fair to become distinguished in -the future. We commence with our first hero:-- - - -CRISPUS ATTUCKS. - -The principle that taxation and representation were inseparable was -in accordance with the theory, the genius, and the precedents of -British legislation; and this principle was now, for the first time, -intentionally invaded. The American colonies were not represented in -Parliament; yet an act was passed by that body, the tendency of which -was to invalidate all right and title to their property. This was the -“Stamp Act,” of March 23, 1765, which ordained that no sale, bond, -note of hand, nor other instrument of writing, should be valid, unless -executed on paper bearing the stamp prescribed by the home government. -The intelligence of the passage of the stamp act at once roused -the indignation of the liberty-loving portion of the people of the -colonies, and meetings were held at various points to protest against -this high-handed measure. - -Massachusetts was the first to take a stand in opposition to the -mother country. The merchants and traders of Boston, New York, and -Philadelphia entered into non-importation agreements, with a view of -obtaining a repeal of the obnoxious law. Under the pressure of public -sentiment, the stamp act officers gave in their resignations. The -eloquence of William Pitt and the sagacity of Lord Camden brought about -a repeal of the stamp act in the British Parliament. A new ministry, in -1767, succeeded in getting through the House of Commons a bill to tax -the tea imported into the American colonies, and it received the royal -assent. Massachusetts again took the lead in opposing the execution of -this last act, and Boston began planning to take the most conspicuous -part in the great drama. The agitation in the colonies provoked the -home government, and power was given to the governor of Massachusetts -to take notice of all persons who might offer any treasonable -objections to these oppressive enactments, that the same might be -sent home to England to be tried there. Lord North was now at the -head of affairs, and no leniency was to be shown to the colonies. The -concentration of British troops in large numbers at Boston convinced -the people that their liberties were at stake, and they began to rally. - -A crowded and enthusiastic meeting, held in Boston, in the latter -part of the year 1769, was addressed by the ablest talent that the -progressive element could produce. Standing in the back part of the -hall, eagerly listening to the speakers, was a dark mulatto man, very -tall, rather good-looking, and apparently, about fifty years of age. -This was Crispus Attucks. Though taking no part in the meeting, he -was nevertheless destined to be conspicuous in the first struggle in -throwing off the British yoke. Twenty years previous to this, Attucks -was the slave of William Brouno, Esq., of Framingham, Massachusetts; -but his was a heart beating for freedom, and not to be kept in the -chains of mental or bodily servitude. - -From the “Boston Gazette” of Tuesday, November 20, 1750, I copy the -following advertisement:-- - - - “Ran away from his master William Brouno Framingham, on the - 30th of Sept., last, a Molatto Fellow, about 27 years of Age - named Crispus, well set, six feet 2 inches high, short curl’d - Hair, knees nearer together than common; had on a light coloured - Bearskin Coat, brown Fustian jacket, new Buckskin Breeches, blew - yarn Stockins and Checkered Shirt. Whoever shall take up said - Runaway, and convey him to his above said Master at Framingham, - shall have Ten Pounds, old Tenor Reward and all necessary charges - paid.” - - -The above is a _verbatim et literatim_ advertisement for a runaway -slave one hundred and twenty-two years ago. Whether Mr. Brouno -succeeded in recapturing Crispus or not, we are left in the dark. - -Ill-feeling between the mother country and her colonial subjects -had been gaining ground, while British troops were concentrating -at Boston. On the 5th of March, 1770, the people were seen early -congregating at the corners of the principal streets, at Dock Square, -and near the Custom House. Captain Preston, with a body of redcoats, -started out for the purpose of keeping order in the disaffected -town, and was hissed at by the crowds in nearly every place where he -appeared. The day passed off without any outward manifestation of -disturbance, but all seemed to feel that something would take place -after nightfall. The doubling of the guard in and about the Custom -House showed the authorities felt an insecurity that they did not care -to express. The lamps in Dock Square threw their light in the angry -faces of a large crowd who appeared to be waiting for the crisis, in -whatever form it should come. A part of Captain Preston’s company was -making its way from the Custom House, when they were met by the crowd -from Dock Square, headed by the black man Attucks, who was urging -them to meet the redcoats, and drive them from the streets. “These -rebels have no business here,” said he; “let’s drive them away.” The -people became enthusiastic, their brave leader grew more daring in -his language and attitude, while the soldiers under Captain Preston -appeared to give way. “Come on! don’t be afraid!” cried Attucks. “They -dare not shoot; and, if they dare, let them do it.” - -Stones and sticks, with which the populace were armed, were freely -used, to the great discomfiture of the English soldiers. “Don’t -hesitate! come on! We’ll drive these rebels out of Boston!” were the -last words heard from the lips of the colored man, for the sharp crack -of muskets silenced his voice, and he fell weltering in his blood. -Two balls had pierced his sable breast. Thus died Crispus Attucks, the -first martyr to American liberty, and the inaugurator of the revolution -that was destined to take from the crown of George the Third its -brightest star. An immense concourse of citizens followed the remains -of the hero to its last resting-place, and his name was honorably -mentioned in the best circles. The last words, the daring, and the -death of Attucks gave spirit and enthusiasm to the revolution, and his -heroism was imitated by both whites and blacks. His name was a rallying -cry for the brave colored men who fought at the battle of Bunker’s -Hill. In the gallant defence of Redbank, where four hundred blacks -met and defeated fifteen hundred Hessians, headed by Count Donop, the -thought of Attucks filled them with ardor. When Colonel Green fell at -Groton, surrounded by his black troops who perished with him, they went -into the battle feeling proud of the opportunity of imitating the first -martyr of the American revolution. - -No monument has yet been erected to him. An effort was made in the -legislature of Massachusetts a few years since, but without success. -Five generations of accumulated prejudice against the negro had -excluded from the American mind all inclination to do justice to one of -her bravest sons. Now that slavery is abolished, we may hope, in future -years, to see a monument raised to commemorate the heroism of Crispus -Attucks. - - -PHILLIS WHEATLEY. - -In the year 1761, when Boston had her slave market, and the descendants -of the Pilgrims appeared to be the most pious and God-fearing people -in the world, Mrs. John Wheatley went into the market one day, for -the purpose of selecting and purchasing a girl for her own use. Among -the group of children just imported from the African coast was a -delicately-built, rather good-looking child of seven or eight years, -apparently suffering from the recent sea-voyage and change of climate. -Mrs. Wheatley’s heart was touched at the interesting countenance and -humble modesty of this little stranger. The lady bought the child, and -she was named Phillis. Struck with the slave’s uncommon brightness, -the mistress determined to teach her to read, which she did with no -difficulty. The child soon mastered the English language, with which -she was totally unacquainted when she landed upon the American shores. - -Her school lessons were all perfect, and she drank in the Scriptural -teachings as if by intuition. At the age of twelve, she could write -letters and keep up a correspondence that would have done honor to one -double her years. Mrs. Wheatley, seeing her superior genius, no longer -regarded Phillis as a servant, but took her as a companion. It was -not surprising that the slave-girl should be an object of attraction, -astonishment, and attention with the refined and highly-cultivated -society that weekly assembled in the drawing-room of the Wheatleys. - -As Phillis grew up to womanhood, her progress and attainments kept -pace with the promise of her earlier years. She drew around her the -best educated of the white ladies, and attracted the attention and -notice of the literary characters of Boston, who supplied her with -books, and encouraged the ripening of her intellectual powers. She -studied the Latin tongue, and translated one of Ovid’s tales, which was -no sooner put in print in America, than it was republished in London, -with elegant commendations from the reviews. - -In 1773, a small volume of her poems, containing thirty-nine pieces, -was published in London, and dedicated to the Countess of Huntingdon. -The genuineness of this work was established in the first page of the -volume, by a document signed by the governor of Massachusetts, the -lieutenant-governor, her master, and fifteen of the most respectable -and influential citizens of Boston, who were acquainted with her -talents and the circumstances of her life. Her constitution being -naturally fragile, she was advised by her physician to take a sea -voyage, as the means of restoring her declining health. - -Phillis was emancipated by her master at the age of twenty-one years, -and sailed for England. On her arrival, she was received and admired in -the first circles of London society; and it was at that time that her -poems were collected and published in a volume, with a portrait and a -memoir of the authoress. Phillis returned to America, and married Dr. -Peters, a man of her own color, and of considerable talents. Her health -began rapidly to decline, and she died at the age of twenty-six years, -in 1780. Fortunately rescued from the fate that awaits the victims of -the slave-trade, this injured daughter of Africa had an opportunity -of developing the genius that God had given her, and of showing to the -world the great wrong done to her race. - -Although her writings are not free from imperfections of style and -sentiment, her verses are full of philosophy, beauty, and sublimity. It -cost her no effort to round a period handsomely, or polish a sentence -until it became transparent with splendor. She was easy, forcible, and -eloquent in language, and needed but health and a few more years of -experience to have made her a poet of greater note. - - -BENJAMIN BANNEKER. - -The services rendered to science, to liberty, and to the intellectual -character of the negro by Banneker, are too great for us to allow his -name to sleep, and his genius and merits to remain hidden from the -world. - -Benjamin Banneker was born in the State of Maryland, in the year 1732, -of pure African parentage; their blood never having been corrupted by -the introduction of a drop of Anglo-Saxon. His father was a slave, and -of course could do nothing towards the education of the child. The -mother, however, being free, succeeded in purchasing the freedom of -her husband, and they, with their son, settled on a few acres of land, -where Benjamin remained during the lifetime of his parents. - -His entire schooling was gained from an obscure country school, -established for the education of the children of free negroes; and -these advantages were poor, for the boy appears to have finished -studying before he arrived at his fifteenth year. Although out of -school, Banneker was still a student, and read with great care and -attention such books as he could get. Mr. George Ellicott, a gentleman -of fortune and considerable literary taste, and who resided near to -Benjamin, became interested in him, and lent him books from his large -library. Among these books were Mayer’s Tables, Fergusson’s Astronomy, -and Leadbeater’s Lunar Tables. A few old and imperfect astronomical -instruments also found their way into the boy’s hands, all of which he -used with great benefit to his own mind. - -Banneker took delight in the study of the languages, and soon mastered -the Latin, Greek, and German. He was also proficient in the French. The -classics were not neglected by him, and the general literary knowledge -which he possessed caused Mr. Ellicott to regard him as the most -learned man in the town, and he never failed to introduce Banneker to -his most distinguished guests. - -About this time, Benjamin turned his attention particularly to -Astronomy, and determined on making calculations for an almanac, and -completed a set for the whole year. Encouraged by this attempt, he -entered upon calculations for subsequent years, which, as well as the -former, he began and finished without the least assistance from any -person or books than those already mentioned; so that whatever merit is -attached to his performance is exclusively his own. - -He published an almanac in Philadelphia for the years 1792-3-4-5, and -which contained his calculations, exhibiting the different aspects of -the planets, a table of the motions of the sun and moon, their risings -and settings, and the courses of the bodies of the planetary system. - -By this time, Banneker’s acquirements had become generally known, -and the best scholars in the country opened correspondence with him. -Goddard & Angell, the well-known Baltimore publishers, engaged his pen -for their establishment, and became the publishers of his almanacs. A -copy of his first production was sent to Thomas Jefferson, together -with a letter intended to interest the great statesman in the cause of -negro emancipation and the elevation of the negro race, in which he -says:-- - -“It is a truth too well attested to need a proof here, that we are a -race of beings who have long labored under the abuse and censure of -the world; that we have long been looked upon with an eye of contempt, -and considered rather as brutish than human, and scarcely capable of -mental endowments. I hope I may safely admit, in consequence of the -report which has reached me, that you are a man far less inflexible in -sentiments of this nature than many others; that you are measurably -friendly and well disposed towards us, and that you are willing to lend -your aid and assistance for our relief from those many distresses and -numerous calamities to which we are reduced. - -“If this is founded in truth, I apprehend you will embrace every -opportunity to eradicate that train of absurd and false ideas and -opinions which so generally prevail with respect to us, and that your -sentiments are concurrent with mine,--which are, that one universal -Father hath given being to us all; that he hath not only made us all -of one flesh, but that he hath also, without partiality, afforded us -all the same sensations, and endowed us all with the same faculties; -and that, however variable we may be in society or religion, however -diversified in situation or in color, we are all of the same family, -and stand in the same relation to him. If these are sentiments of which -you are fully persuaded, you cannot but acknowledge that it is the -indispensable duty of those who maintain the rights of human nature, -and who profess the obligations of Christianity, to extend their power -and influence to the relief of every part of the human race from -whatever burden or oppression they may unjustly labor under; and this, -I apprehend a full conviction of the truth and obligation of these -principles should lead all to. - -“I have long been convinced that if your love for yourselves, and for -those inestimable laws which preserved to you the rights of human -nature, is founded on sincerity, you cannot help being solicitous that -every individual, of whatever rank or distinction, might with you -equally enjoy the blessings thereof; neither can you rest satisfied -short of the most active effusion of your exertions, in order to -effect their promotion from any state of degradation to which the -unjustifiable cruelty and barbarism of men may have reduced them. - -“I freely and cheerfully acknowledge that I am one of the African race, -and in that color which is natural to them, of the deepest dye; and it -is under a sense of the most profound gratitude to the Supreme Ruler of -the universe, that I now confess to you that I am not under that state -of tyrannical thraldom and inhuman captivity to which too many of my -brethren are doomed; but that I have abundantly tasted of the fruition -of those blessings which proceed from that free and unequalled liberty -with which you are favored, and which I hope you will willingly allow -you have mercifully received from the immediate hand of that Being from -whom proceedeth every good and perfect gift. - -“Your knowledge of the situation of my brethren is too extensive to -need a recital here; neither shall I presume to prescribe methods by -which they may be relieved, otherwise than by recommending to you -and to others to wean yourselves from those narrow prejudices which -you have imbibed with respect to them, and, as Job proposed to his -friends, ‘put your soul in their souls’ stead.’ Thus shall your hearts -be enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards them; and thus shall -you need neither the direction of myself or others in what manner to -proceed herein.... The calculation for this almanac is the production -of my arduous study in my advanced stage of life; for having long had -unbounded desires to become acquainted with the secrets of nature, -I have had to gratify my curiosity herein through my own assiduous -application to astronomical study, in which I need not recount to you -the many difficulties and disadvantages which I have had to encounter.” - -Mr. Jefferson at once replied, and said:-- - -“I thank you sincerely for your letter and the almanac it contained. -Nobody wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that -Nature has given to our black brethren talents equal to those of the -other colors of men, and that the appearance of the want of them is -owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in -Africa and America. I can add with truth, that nobody wishes more -ardently to see a good system commenced for raising their condition, -both of their body and their mind, to what it ought to be, as far as -the imbecility of their present existence, and other circumstances, -which cannot be neglected, will admit. I have taken the liberty of -sending your almanac to Monsieur de Condorcet, secretary of the Academy -of Sciences at Paris, and a member of the Philanthropic Society, -because I consider it as a document to which your whole color have -a right, for their justification against the doubts which have been -entertained of them.” - -The letter from Banneker, together with the almanac, created in the -heart of Mr. Jefferson a fresh feeling of enthusiasm in behalf of -freedom, and especially for the negro, which ceased only with his life. -The American statesman wrote to Brissot, the celebrated French writer, -in which he made enthusiastic mention of the “Negro Philosopher.” At -the formation of the “Society of the Friends of the Blacks,” at Paris, -by Lafayette, Brissot, Barnave, Condorcet, and Gregoire, the name of -Banneker was again and again referred to to prove the equality of the -races. Indeed, the genius of the “Negro Philosopher” did much towards -giving liberty to the people of St. Domingo. In the British House of -Commons, Pitt, Wilberforce, and Buxton often alluded to Banneker by -name, as a man fit to fill any position in society. At the setting off -of the District of Columbia for the capital of the federal government, -Banneker was invited by the Maryland commissioners, and took an -honorable part in the settlement of the territory. But, throughout -all his intercourse with men of influence, he never lost sight of the -condition of his race, and ever urged the emancipation and elevation -of the slave. He well knew that everything that was founded upon the -admitted inferiority of natural right in the African was calculated to -degrade him and bring him nearer to the foot of the oppressor, and he -therefore never failed to allude to the equality of the races when with -those whites whom he could influence. He always urged self-elevation -upon the colored people whom he met. He felt that to deprive the black -man of the inspiration of ambition, of hope, of wealth, of standing, -among his brethren of the earth, was to take from him all incentives to -mental improvement. - -What husbandman incurs the toil of seed-time and culture, except with -a view to the subsequent enjoyment of a golden harvest? Banneker was -endowed by Nature with all those excellent qualifications which are -necessary previous to the accomplishment of a great man. His memory was -large and tenacious, yet, by a curious felicity, chiefly susceptible of -the finest impressions it received from the best authors he read, which -he always preserved in their primitive strength and amiable order. He -had a quickness of apprehension and a vivacity of understanding which -easily took in and surmounted the most subtile and knotty parts of -mathematics and metaphysics. He possessed in a large degree that genius -which constitutes a man of letters; that equality, without which, -judgment is cold, and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, -combines, amplifies, and animates. - -He knew every branch of history, both natural and civil; he had read -all the original historians of England, France, and Germany, and -was a great antiquarian. Criticism, metaphysics, morals, politics, -voyages, and travels, were all studied and well digested by him. With -such a fund of knowledge, his conversation was equally interesting, -instructive, and entertaining. Banneker was so favorably appreciated -by the first families in Virginia, that in 1803 he was invited by -Mr. Jefferson, then President of the United States, to visit him at -Monticello, where the statesman had gone for recreation. But he was -too infirm to undertake the journey. He died the following year, aged -seventy-two. Like the golden sun that has sunk beneath the western -horizon, but still throws upon the world, which he sustained and -enlightened in his career, the reflected beams of his departed genius, -his name can only perish with his language. - -Banneker believed in the divinity of reason, and in the omnipotence of -the human understanding, with Liberty for its handmaid. The intellect, -impregnated by science, and multiplied by time, it appeared to him, -must triumph necessarily over all the resistance of matter. He had -faith in liberty, truth, and virtue. His remains still rest in the -slave state where he lived and died, with no stone to mark the spot, or -tell that it is the grave of Benjamin Banneker. He labored incessantly, -lived irreproachably, and died in the literary harness, universally -esteemed and regretted. - - -WILLIAM P. QUINN. - -The man who lays aside home comforts, and willingly becomes a -missionary to the poorest of the poor, deserves the highest praise -that his fellow-men can bestow upon him. After laboring faithfully for -the upbuilding of the church in New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, -William P. Quinn, thirty-five years ago, went to the West, a most -undesirable place for a colored man at that time. But he did not count -the cost; it was enough for him to know that his services were needed, -and he left the consequences with God. - -Never, probably, was a man more imbued with the spirit of the Great -Teacher, than was Mr. Quinn in his missionary work. Old men and women -are still living who delight to dwell on the self-denial, Christian -zeal, manly graces, and industry that characterized this good man in -the discharge of his duties in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. -His advice was always fatherly; his example inculcated devoted piety. - -As a speaker, he was earnest and eloquent, possessing an inward -enthusiasm that sent a magnetic current through his entire -congregation. Having the fullest confidence of the people with whom -he was called to labor, they regarded him as one sent of God, and -they hung upon his words as if their future welfare depended upon the -counsel they received. - -In 1844, Mr. Quinn was made a bishop, a position for which he had every -qualification. Tanner, in his “Apology,” says:-- - -“The demands of the work made it necessary to elect another bishop, -and, as if by inspiration, a large majority fixed their eyes on the -great missionary as the man most competent to fill the post.” - -Bishop Quinn died in February, 1873, at the advanced age of eighty-five -years. - - -DAVID RUGGLES. - -Of those who took part in the anti-slavery work thirty-five years ago, -none was more true to his race than David Ruggles. Residing in the city -of New York, where slaveholders often brought their body servants, and -kept them for weeks, Mr. Ruggles became a thorn in the sides of these -Southern sinners. He was ready at all times, in dangers and perils, -to wrest his brethren from these hyenas, and so successful was he in -getting slaves from their masters, and sending them to Canada, that he -became the terror of Southerners visiting northern cities. He was one -of the founders of the celebrated underground railroad. - -Harassed by the pro-slavery whites, and betrayed and deserted by some -of his own color, David Ruggles still labored for his people. - -He was deeply interested in the moral, social, and political elevation -of the free colored men of the North, and to that end published and -edited for several years the “Mirror of Liberty,” a quarterly magazine, -devoted to the advocacy of the rights of his race. - -As a writer, Mr. Ruggles was keen and witty,--always logical,--sending -his arrows directly at his opponent. The first thing we ever read, -coming from the pen of a colored man, was “David M. Reese, M. D., -used up by David Ruggles, a man of color.” Dr. Reese was a noted -colonizationist, and had written a work in which he advocated the -expatriation of the blacks from the American continent; and Mr. -Ruggles’s work was in reply to it. In this argument the negro proved -too much for the Anglo-Saxon, and exhibited in Mr. Ruggles those -qualities of keen perception, deep thought, and originality, that mark -the critic and man of letters. - -He was of unmixed blood, of medium size, genteel address, and -interesting in conversation. - -Attacked with a disease which resulted in total blindness, Mr. Ruggles -visited Northampton, Massachusetts, for the benefit of his health. Here -he founded a “Water Cure,” which became famous, and to which a large -number of the better classes resorted. In this new field, Mr. Ruggles -won honorable distinction as a most successful practitioner, secured -the warm regard of the public, and left a name embalmed in the hearts -of many who feel that they owe life to his eminent skill and careful -practice. Mr. Ruggles was conscientious, upright, and just in all his -dealings. He died in 1849, universally respected and esteemed. - - -FREDERICK DOUGLASS. - -The career of this distinguished individual whose name heads this -sketch, is more widely known than that of any other living colored -man. Born and brought up under the institution of slavery, which -denied its victims the right of developing those natural powers that -adorn the children of men, and distinguish them from the beasts of -the forest,--an institution that gave a premium to ignorance, and -made intelligence a crime, when the possessor was a negro,--Frederick -Douglass is, indeed, the most wonderful man that America has ever -produced, white or black. - -His days of servitude were like those of his race who were born at the -South, differing but little from the old routine of plantation life. -Douglass, however, possessed superior natural gifts, which began to -show themselves even when a boy, but his history has become too well -known for us to dwell on it here. The narrative of his life, published -in 1845, gave a new impetus to the black man’s literature. All other -stories of fugitive slaves faded away before the beautifully-written, -highly-descriptive, and thrilling memoir of Frederick Douglass. Other -narratives had only brought before the public a few heart-rending -scenes connected with the person described. But Mr. Douglass, in his -book, brought not only his old master’s farm and its occupants before -the reader, but the entire country around him, including Baltimore -and its shipyard. The manner in which he obtained his education, -and especially his learning to write, has been read and re-read by -thousands in both hemispheres. His escape from slavery is too well -understood to need a recapitulation here. - -He took up his residence in New Bedford, where he still continued the -assiduous student, mastering the different branches of education which -the accursed institution had deprived him of in early life. - -His advent as a lecturer was a remarkable one. White men and black men -had talked against slavery, but none had ever spoken like Frederick -Douglass. Throughout the North the newspapers were filled with the -sayings of the “eloquent fugitive.” He often travelled with others, but -they were all lost sight of in the eagerness to hear Douglass. His -travelling companions would sometimes get angry, and would speak first -at the meetings; then they would take the last turn; but it was all -the same--the fugitive’s impression was the one left upon the mind. He -made more persons angry, and pleased more, than any other man. He was -praised, and he was censured. He made them laugh, he made them weep, -and he made them swear. - -His “Slaveholders’ Sermon” was always a trump card. He awakened an -interest in the hearts of thousands who before were dead to the slave -and his condition. Many kept away from his lectures, fearing lest -they should be converted against their will. Young men and women, in -those days of pro-slavery hatred, would return to their fathers’ roofs -filled with admiration for the “runaway slave,” and would be rebuked by -hearing the old ones grumble out, “You’d better stay at home and study -your lessons, and not be running after the nigger meetings.” - -In 1841, he was induced to accept an agency as a lecturer for the -Anti-slavery Society, and at once became one of the most valuable of -its advocates. He visited England in 1845. There he was kindly received -and heartily welcomed; and after going through the length and breadth -of the land, and addressing public meetings out of number on behalf of -his countrymen in chains, with a power of eloquence which captivated -his auditors, and brought the cause which he pleaded home to their -hearts, he returned home, and commenced the publication of the “North -Star,” a weekly newspaper devoted to the advocacy of the cause of -freedom. - -Mr. Douglass is tall and well made. His vast and fully-developed -forehead shows at once that he is a superior man intellectually. He is -polished in his language, and gentlemanly in his manners. His voice is -full and sonorous. His attitude is dignified, and his gesticulation is -full of noble simplicity. He is a man of lofty reason; natural, and -without pretension; always master of himself; brilliant in the art -of exposing and abstracting. Few persons can handle a subject, with -which they are familiar, better than he. There is a kind of eloquence -issuing from the depth of the soul as from a spring, rolling along its -copious floods, sweeping all before it, overwhelming by its very force, -carrying, upsetting, ingulfing its adversaries, and more dazzling and -more thundering than the bolt which leaps from crag to crag. This is -the eloquence of Frederick Douglass. One of the best mimics of the age, -and possessing great dramatic powers; had he taken up the sock and -buskin, instead of becoming a lecturer, he would have made as fine a -Coriolanus as ever trod the stage. - -As a speaker, Frederick Douglass has had more imitators than almost -any other American, save, perhaps, Wendell Phillips. Unlike most -great speakers, he is a superior writer also. Some of his articles, -in point of ability, will rank with anything ever written for the -American press. He has taken lessons from the best of teachers, amid -the homeliest realities of life; hence the perpetual freshness of his -delineations, which are never over-colored, never strained, never -aiming at difficult or impossible effects, but which always read like -living transcripts of experience. - -Mr. Douglass has obtained a position in the front rank as a lyceum -lecturer. His later addresses from manuscripts, however, do not, in -our opinion, come up to his extemporaneous efforts. - -But Frederick Douglass’s abilities as an editor and publisher have done -more for the freedom and elevation of his race than all his platform -appeals. Previous to the year 1848, the colored people of the United -States had no literature. True, the “National Reformer,” the “Mirror -of Liberty,” the “Colored American,” “The Mystery,” the “Disfranchised -American,” the “Ram’s Horn,” and several others of smaller magnitude, -had been in existence, had their run, and ceased to live. All of the -above journals had done something towards raising the black man’s -standard, but they were merely the ploughs breaking up the ground -and getting the soil ready for the seed-time. Newspapers, magazines, -and books published in those days by colored men, were received with -great allowance by the whites, who had always regarded the negro as an -uneducated, inferior race, and who were considered out of their proper -sphere when meddling with literature. - -The commencement of the publication of the “North Star” was the -beginning of a new era in the black man’s literature. Mr. Douglass’s -well-earned fame gave his paper at once a place with the first journals -in the country; and he drew around him a corps of contributors and -correspondents from Europe, as well as all parts of America and the -West Indies, that made its columns rich with the current news of the -world. - -While the “North Star” became a welcome visitor to the homes of whites -who had never before read a newspaper edited by a colored man, its -proprietor became still more popular as a speaker in every State in -the Union where abolitionism was tolerated. - -“My Bondage and My Freedom,” a work published by Mr. Douglass a few -years ago, besides giving a fresh impulse to anti-slavery literature, -showed upon its pages the untiring industry of the ripe scholar. - -Some time during the year 1850, we believe, his journal assumed the -name of “Frederick Douglass’s Paper.” Its purpose and aim was the same, -and it remained the representative of the negro till it closed its -career, which was not until the abolition of slavery. - -Of all his labors, however, we regard Mr. Douglass’s efforts as -publisher and editor as most useful to his race. For sixteen years, -against much opposition, single-handed and alone, he demonstrated the -fact that the American colored man was equal to the white in conducting -a useful and popular journal. - - -ALEXANDER W. WAYMAN. - -Bishop Wayman was born in Maryland, in 1821, and consequently, is -fifty-two years of age. He showed an early love of books, and used -his time to the best advantage. He began as a preacher in the A. M. -E. Church in 1842, being stationed on the Princeton circuit, in New -Jersey. From that time forward his labors were herculean. In 1864, he -was, by an almost unanimous vote, elected a bishop. Tanner, in his -“Apology,” said of him:-- - -“As a preacher, the bishop appears to advantage. Of dignified mien, -easy gestures, and a rolling voice, he is sure to make a favorable -impression, while the subject-matter of his discourse is so simple that -the most illiterate may fully comprehend it; the wisest, also, are -generally edified.” - -It is said that Bishop Wayman is scarcely ever seen with any book -except the Bible or a hymn-book, and yet he is a man of letters, as -will be acknowledged by all who have had the pleasure of listening to -his eloquent sermons. He is a student, and is well read in history and -the poets, and often surprises his friends by his classical quotations. -There is a harmonious blending of the poetical and the practical, -a pleasant union of the material with the spiritual, an arm-in-arm -connection of the ornamental and useful, a body and soul joined -together in his discourses. There is something candid, tangible, solid, -nutritious, and enduring in his sermons. He is even at times, profound. -He presents his arguments and appeals with an articulation as distinct -and as understandable as his gesticulation is impressive. - -In person, the bishop is stout, fleshy, and well-proportioned. His -round face, smiling countenance, twinkling eye, and merry laugh, -indicate health and happiness. He is of unadulterated African origin. -Blameless in all the relations of life, a kind and affectionate -husband, a true friend, and a good neighbor, Bishop Wayman’s character -may safely be said to be above suspicion. - - -CHARLES L. REASON. - -Professor Reason has for a number of years been connected with the -educational institutions of New York. In 1849, he was called to the -professorship of Mathematics and Belles-Lettres in New York Central -College. This position he held during his own pleasure, with honor to -himself and benefit to the students. A man of fine education, superior -intelligence, gentlemanly in every sense of the term, of excellent -discrimination, one of the best of students, Professor Reason holds a -power over those under him seldom attained by men of his profession. - -Were I a sculptor, and looking for a model of a perfect man in personal -appearance, my selection would be Charles L. Reason. As a writer of -both prose and poetry, he need not be ashamed of his ability. Extremely -diffident, he seldom furnishes anything for the public eye. In a -well-written essay on the propriety of establishing an industrial -college, and the probable influence of the free colored people upon the -emancipated blacks, he says:-- - -“Whenever emancipation shall take place, immediate though it be, -the subjects of it, like many who now make up the so-called free -population, will be in what geologists call the ‘transition state.’ -The prejudice now felt against them for bearing on their persons the -brand of slaves, cannot die out immediately. Severe trials will still -be their portion: the curse of a ‘taunted race’ must be expiated by -almost miraculous proofs of advancement; and some of these miracles -must be antecedent to the great day of jubilee. To fight the battle -upon the bare ground of abstract principles will fail to give us -complete victory. The subterfuges of pro-slavery selfishness must now -be dragged to light, and the last weak argument, that the negro can -never contribute anything to advance the national character, ‘nailed -to the counter as base coin.’ To the conquering of the difficulties -heaped up in the path of his industry, the free colored man of the -North has pledged himself. Already he sees, springing into growth, -from out his foster work-school, intelligent young laborers, competent -to enrich the world with necessary products; industrious citizens, -contributing their proportion to aid on the advancing civilization of -the country; self-providing artisans, vindicating their people from the -never-ceasing charge of fitness for servile positions.” - -In the “Autographs for Freedom,” from which the above extract is taken, -Professor Reason has a beautiful poem, entitled “Hope and Confidence,” -which, in point of originality and nicety of composition, deserves a -place among the best productions of Wordsworth. - -A poem signifies design, method, harmony, and therefore consistency of -parts. A man may be gifted with the most vividly ideal nature; he may -shoot from his brain some blazing poetic thought or imagery, which may -arouse wonder and admiration, as a comet does; and yet he may have no -constructiveness, without which the materials of poetry are only so -many glittering fractions. A poem can never be tested by its length or -brevity, but by the adaptation of its parts. A complete poem is the -architecture of thought and language. It requires artistic skill to -chisel rough blocks of marble into as many individual forms of beauty; -but not only skill, but genius, is needed to arrange and harmonize -those forms into the completeness of a Parthenon. A grave popular -error, and one destructive of personal usefulness, and obstructive to -literary progress, is the free-and-easy belief that because a man has -the faculty of investing common things with uncommon ideas, therefore -he can write a poem. - -The idea of poetry is to give pleasurable emotions, and the world -listens to a poet’s voice as it listens to the singing of a summer -bird; that which is the most suggestive of freedom and eloquence being -the most admired. Professor Reason has both the genius and the artistic -skill. He is highly respected in New York, where he resides, and is -doing a good work for the elevation of his race. - - -WILLIAM J. WILSON. - -At the head of our representative men,--especially our men of -letters,--stands Professor Wilson. He has, at times, contributed some -very able papers to the current literature of the day. In the columns -of “Frederick Douglass’s Paper,” the “Anglo-African Magazine,” and -the “Weekly Anglo-African,” appeared at times, over the signature of -“Ethiop,” some of the raciest and most amusing essays to be found in -the public journals of this country. As a sketch writer of historical -scenes and historical characters,--choosing his own subjects, -suggested by his own taste or sympathies,--few men are capable of -greater or more successful efforts than William J. Wilson. - -In his imaginary visit to the “Afric-American Picture Gallery,” -he exhibits splendid traits of the genius of the true critic. His -criticism on the comparative merits of Samuel R. Ward and Frederick -Douglass, published in the papers some years ago, together with his -essay on Phillis Wheatley, raised Mr. Wilson high in the estimation of -men of letters. His “School Room Scene” is both amusing and instructive. - -To possess genius, the offspring of which ennobles the sentiments, -enlarges the affections, kindles the imagination, and gives to us -a view of the past, the present, and the future, is one of the -highest gifts that the Creator bestows upon man. With acute powers -of conception, a sparkling and lively fancy, and a quaintly-curious -felicity of diction, Mr. Wilson wakes us from our torpidity and -coldness to a sense of our capabilities. - -As a speaker, he is pleasing in style, with the manners of a gentleman. -His conversational powers are of the first order, in which he exhibits -deep thought. In personal appearance, he is under the middle size; -his profile is more striking than his front face; he has a smiling -countenance, under which you see the man of wit. The professor is -of unmixed race, of which he is not ashamed. He is cashier of the -Freedmen’s Savings Bank at Washington, and his good advice to his race -with whom he has dealings in money matters proves of much service to -them. - - -JABEZ P. CAMPBELL. - -One of the best of men was born in one of the meanest States in -the Union. Jabez P. Campbell is a native of the insignificant and -negro-hating State of Delaware, and is in the sixty-eighth year of his -age. His father was a Revolutionary soldier, and when he laid aside the -knapsack and the musket, he put on the armor of the Lord, and became a -preacher of the A. M. E. Church. Like all colored boys in those days, -the subject of this sketch found many difficulties in obtaining an -education in a part of the country where colored men had “no rights -that white men were bound to respect.” - -After a few quarters’ schooling, under incompetent teachers, Campbell -began a course of self-instruction, ending in the study of theology. In -1839, he commenced as a preacher, laboring in various sections of the -country, eventually settling down as General Book Steward of the A. M. -E. Church, and editor of the “Christian Recorder.” - -In the year 1864, the subject of our sketch was elected a bishop, and -since that time he has labored principally in the Indiana, Missouri, -Louisiana, and California districts. - -The bishop is eminently a man of the people, not conceited in the -least, yet dignified and gentlemanly. He is a man of ready wit, keen -in discussion, well posted up on all questions of the day, and is not -afraid to avow his views. Bishop Campbell has a wonderful gift of -language, and uses it to the best advantage. His delivery is easy, and -his gestures natural; and, as a preacher, he ranks amongst the first -in the denomination. In person, he is of medium size, dark brown skin, -finely chiselled features, broad forehead, and a countenance that -betokens intelligence. - - -JOHN M. LANGSTON. - -John M. Langston is a native of Chillicothe, Ohio, and a graduate -of Oberlin College. He studied theology and law, and preferring the -latter, was admitted to the bar, practised successfully in the courts -of his native state till the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he -removed to Washington, where he now resides. During the war, and some -time after its close, Mr. Langston was engaged in superintending the -Freedmen’s Schools at the South. He now occupies a professorship in -Howard University. - -The end of all eloquence is to sway men. It is, therefore, bound by -no arbitrary rules of diction or style, formed on no specific models, -and governed by no edicts of self-elected judges. It is true, there -are degrees of eloquence, and equal success does not imply equal -excellence. That which is adapted to sway the strongest minds of an -enlightened age ought to be esteemed the most perfect, and, doubtless, -should be the criterion by which to test the abstract excellence of -all oratory. Mr. Langston represents the highest idea of the orator, -as exemplified in the power and discourses of Sheridan in the English -House of Commons, and Vergniaud in the Assembly of the Girondists. He -is not fragmentary in his speeches; but, as a deep, majestic stream, he -moves steadily onward, pouring forth his rich and harmonious sentences -in strains of impassioned eloquence. His style is bold and energetic; -full of spirit. He is profound, without being hollow, and ingenious, -without being subtile. - -An accomplished scholar and a good student, he displays in his speeches -an amount of literary acquirements not often found in the mere business -lawyer. When pleading, he speaks like a man under oath, though without -any starched formality of expression. The test of his success is the -permanent impression which his speeches leave on the memory. They do -not pass away with the excitement of the moment, but remain in the -mind, with the lively colors and true proportions of the scenes which -they represent. Mr. Langston is of medium size, and of good figure; -high and well-formed forehead; eyes full, but not prominent; mild and -amiable countenance; modest deportment; strong, musical voice; and -wears the air of a gentleman. He is highly respected by men of all -classes, and especially, by the legal profession. He is a vigorous -writer, and, in the political campaigns, contributes both with speech -and pen to the liberal cause. Few men in the south-west have held the -black man’s standard higher than John Mercer Langston. - -As Dean of the Law Department in Howard University, he has won the -admiration of all connected with the institution, and, in a recent -address, delivered in the State of New York, on law, Mr. Langston -has shown that he is well versed in all that pertains to that high -profession. - - -JOHN M. BROWN. - -Among the fine-looking men that have been sent out by the A. M. E. -Church, to preach the gospel, none has a more manly frame, intellectual -countenance, gentlemanly demeanor, Christian spirit, and love of his -race, than John M. Brown. When the Committee on Boundary in the A. M. -E. Church recommended in the General Conference of 1864, “that there be -set apart a Conference in the State of Louisiana, to be known as the -Louisiana Conference, embracing the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, -Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, and all that part of Florida lying west of -Chattanooga River,” Mr. Brown was selected as the man eminently fitted -to go to the new field of labor. Money was evidently not a burden to -him, for, being a barber, he got on a steamer, and shaved his way to -his post of labor.[54] - -He arrived in New Orleans, unfurled his banner, and went to work in a -way that showed that he was “terribly in earnest.” He sowed the seed, -and, although he was thrown into the calaboose, his work still went -on, a church was erected, members were gathered in, and the cause -of Christian missions prospered. After laboring faithfully in this -field, Mr. Brown was appointed Corresponding Secretary of the A. M. E. -Church, with his head-quarters in Baltimore. He now holds the high and -honorable position of bishop, a place that no one is better qualified -to fill than he. - -He is a mulatto, of middle age, with talents of a high order, fluent -speaker, terse writer, and popular with all classes. Oberlin College -has not turned out a more praiseworthy scholar, nor a better specimen -of a Christian gentleman, than Bishop Brown. - - -JOHN I. GAINES. - -Mr. Gaines was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, November 6th, 1821. His early -education was limited, as was generally the case with colored youth in -that section, in those days. Forced into active life at an early age, -he yet found time to make himself a fair English scholar, and laid the -foundation of that power to be useful, which he afterwards exercised -for the benefit of his people. - -At the age of sixteen, he was found in attendance upon a convention, -held in one of the interior towns of his native state. At that early -age, he showed clearly his mental powers, and men, many years his -senior listened with respect to the sage counsel which even then he -was capable of giving. From that time to the very day of his death he -mingled in the councils, and busied himself with the affairs of his -people; and it is no derogation to the merits of others to say, that -few have counselled more wisely, or acted more successfully than he. - -The enterprise with which his name is the most permanently connected, -is the movement which has given to Cincinnati her system of public -schools for colored youth. When the law of 1849, granting school -privileges to colored youth, was passed, the City Council of -Cincinnati refused to appropriate the funds placed in the treasury for -the support of the schools, alleging that there was no authority to do -so. Here was a chance for our deceased friend to exhibit those high -qualities which made him a lamp to the feet of his people. Cautious, -but firm, determined, but patient, he led in the movement, which -resulted in a decision of the Supreme Court of the State, placing -the colored public schools upon the same footing as the other public -schools of the city, and gave their control to a board of directors -selected by the colored people. The contest was prolonged nearly two -years, but at last the little black man triumphed over the city of -Cincinnati. - -His next aim was to have the schools thoroughly organized, and placed -in comfortable houses. He cheerfully performed the onerous duties -of clerk and general agent to the Board, his only reward being a -consciousness that he was useful to his people. His purposes were -temporarily interrupted in 1853, by a law taking the control of the -schools from the colored people. Not connected officially with the -schools, he still maintained a deep interest in their condition, and, -in 1856, an opportunity offering, he used his influence and means -to have the schools again placed under the control of the colored -people. This point gained, he again set on foot measures looking to -the erection of school-houses. This he at last accomplished. His -first report to the City Council, made in 1851, urges the erection -of school-houses, and his last report, made in 1859, announces the -completion of two large houses, costing over twenty-four thousand -dollars. - -If he is a benefactor of his race, who causes two blades of grass to -grow where but one grew before, surely, he is worthy of praise, who -has let rays of intellectual light fall upon the famished minds of a -forlorn race, whom a hard fate has condemned to slavery and ignorance. - -He was, from early youth, a firm, though not fanatical adherent of -the Temperance cause. He felt that intoxicating drinks had caused -many strong men to fall, and, for his brother’s sake, he abstained. -Meeting one evening, at a social party, a gentleman from a neighboring -State, eminent in the world of politics and philanthropy, a bottle -of sparkling Catawba and two glasses were placed on the table before -them, the host remarking at the time that “there was no need for two -tumblers, for Mr. Gaines would not use his.” - -“Surely, Mr. Gaines will pledge me, a friend of his race, in a glass -of wine made from the grape that grows on his native hills,” said the -gentleman. - -Mr. Gaines shook his head. “I appreciate the honor,” said he, “but -conscience forbids.” - -The character of his mind was much to be prized by a people who need -prudent counsels. Seldom speaking until he had examined his subject -thoroughly, he was generally prepared to speak with a due regard to the -effects of his speech. - -The subject of this sketch was of pure African descent, small in -stature, of genteel figure, countenance beaming with intelligence, -eloquent in speech, and able in debate. He died November 27, 1859. - - -JAMES M’CUNE SMITH, M. D. - -Unable to get justice done him in the educational institutions of his -native country, James M’Cune Smith turned his face towards a foreign -land. He graduated with distinguished honors at the University of -Glasgow, Scotland, where he received his diploma of M. D. For the last -twenty-five years he has been a practitioner in the city of New York, -where he stands at the head of his profession. On his return from -Europe, the doctor was warmly welcomed by his fellow-citizens, who were -anxious to pay due deference to his talents; since which time he has -justly been esteemed among the leading men of his race on the American -continent. When the natural ability of the negro was assailed, some -years ago, in New York, Dr. Smith came forward as the representative of -the black man, and his essays on the comparative anatomy and physiology -of the races, read in the discussion, completely vindicated the -character of the negro, and placed the author among the most logical -and scientific writers in the country. - -The doctor has contributed many valuable papers to the different -journals published by colored men during the last quarter of a -century. The New York dailies have also received aid from him during -the same period. History, antiquity, bibliography, translation, -criticism, political economy, statistics,--almost every department -of knowledge,--receive emblazon from his able, ready, versatile, and -unwearied pen. The emancipation of the slave, and the elevation of the -free colored people, has claimed the greatest share of his time as a -writer. - -The law of labor is equally binding on genius and mediocrity. The -mind and body rarely visit this earth of ours so exactly fitted to -each other, and so perfectly harmonizing together, as to rise without -effort, and command in the affairs of men. It is not in the power of -every one to become great. No great approximation, even towards that -which is easiest attained, can be accomplished without exercise of much -thought and vigor of action; and thus is demonstrated the supremacy of -that law which gives excellence only when earned, and assigns labor its -unfailing reward. - -It is this energy of character, industry, and labor, combined with -superior intellectual powers, which gave Dr. Smith so much influence in -New York. - -As a speaker, he was eloquent, and at times brilliant, but always -clear, and to the point. In stature, the doctor was not tall, but -thick, and somewhat inclined to corpulency. He had a fine and -well-developed head; broad and lofty brow; round, full face; firm -mouth; and an eye that dazzled. In blood he stood, apparently, equal -between the Anglo-Saxon and the African. - - -DANIEL A. PAYNE, D. D. - -Teacher of a small school at Charleston, South Carolina, in the -year 1834, Daniel A. Payne felt the oppressive hand of slavery too -severely upon him, and he quitted the Southern Sodom, and came North. -After going through a regular course of theological studies, at -Gettysburg Seminary, he took up his residence at Baltimore, where -he soon distinguished himself as a preacher in the African Methodist -denomination. He was several years since elected bishop, and is now -located in the State of Ohio. - -Bishop Payne is a scholar and a poet; having published, in 1850, a -volume of his productions, which created considerable interest for the -work, and gave the author a standing among literary men. His writings -are characterized by sound reasoning and logical conclusions, and -show that he is well read. The bishop is devotedly attached to his -down-trodden race, and is constantly urging upon them self-elevation. -After President Lincoln’s interview with the committee of colored men -at Washington, and the colonization scheme recommended to them, and the -appearance of Mr. Pomeroy’s address to the free blacks, Bishop Payne -issued, through the columns of the “Weekly Anglo-African,” a word of -advice, which had in it the right ring, and showed in its composition -considerable literary ability. A deep vein of genuine piety pervades -all the productions of Bishop Payne. As a pulpit orator, he stands -deservedly high. In stature, he is rather under the middle size, -intellectual countenance, and gentlemanly in appearance. He has done -much towards building up Wilberforce College in Ohio, an institution -that is an honor to the race. - - -ALEXANDER CRUMMELL, D. D. - -Among the many bright examples of the black man which we present, -one of the foremost is Alexander Crummell. Blood unadulterated, a -tall and manly figure, commanding in appearance, a full and musical -voice, fluent in speech, a graduate of Cambridge University, England, -a mind stored with the richness of English literature, competently -acquainted with the classical authors of Greece and Rome, from the -grave Thucydides to the rhapsodical Lycophron, gentlemanly in all his -movements, language chaste and refined, Dr. Crummell may well be put -forward as one of the best and most favorable representatives of his -race. He is a clergyman of the Episcopal denomination, and deeply -versed in theology. His sermons are always written, but he reads them -as few persons can. - -In 1848, Dr. Crummell visited England, and delivered a well-conceived -address before the Anti-slavery Society in London, where his eloquence -and splendid abilities were at once acknowledged and appreciated. The -year before his departure for the Old World, he delivered an “Eulogy on -the Life and Character of Thomas Clarkson,” which was a splendid, yet -just tribute to the life-long labors of that great man. - -Dr. Crummell is one of our ablest speakers. His style is polished, -graceful, and even elegant, though never merely ornate or rhetorical. -He has the happy faculty of using the expressions best suited to the -occasion, and bringing in allusions which give a popular sympathy to -the best cultivated style. He is, we think, rather too sensitive, and -somewhat punctillious. - -Dr. Crummell is a gentleman by nature, and could not be anything else, -if he should try. Some ten years since, he wrote a very interesting -work on Africa, to which country he emigrated in 1852. - -We have had a number of our public men to represent us in Europe -within the past twenty-five years; and none have done it more honorably -or with better success to the character and cause of the black man, -than Alexander Crummell. We met him there again and again, and followed -in his track wherever he preached or spoke before public assemblies, -and we know whereof we affirm. Devotedly attached to the interest -of the colored man, and having the moral, social, and intellectual -elevation of the natives of Africa at heart, we do not regret that he -considers it his duty to labor in his fatherland. Warmly interested in -the Republic, and so capable of filling the highest position that he -can be called to, we shall not be surprised, some day, to hear that -Alexander Crummell is president of Liberia. - -Avery College has just done itself the honor of conferring the degree -of Doctor of Divinity upon this able man; and sure we are that a title -was never better bestowed than in the present instance. - -Since writing the above sketch, we learn that Dr. Crummell has -returned, and taken up his residence in the City of New York, where he -is now pastor of a church. - - -HENRY HIGHLAND GARNETT, D. D. - -Though born a slave in the State of Maryland, Henry Highland Garnett -is the son of an African chief, stolen from the coast of his native -land. His father’s family were all held as slaves till 1822, when they -escaped to the north. In 1835, he became a member of Canaan Academy, -New Hampshire. Three months after entering the school, it was broken up -by a mob, who destroyed the building. Dr. Garnett afterwards entered -Oneida Institute, New York, under the charge of that noble-hearted -friend of man, Beriah Green, where he was treated with equality by the -professors and his fellow-students. There he gained the reputation of -a courteous and accomplished man, an able and eloquent debater, and a -good writer. - -His first appearance as a public speaker, was in 1837, in the City of -New York, where his speech at once secured for him a standing among -first-class orators. Dr. Garnett is in every sense of the term a -progressive man. He is a strenuous advocate of freedom, temperance, -education, and the religious, moral, and social elevation of his -race. He is an acceptable preacher, evangelical in his profession. -His discourses, though showing much thought and careful study, are -delivered extemporaneously, and with good effect. Having complete -command of his voice, he uses it with skill, never failing to fill the -largest hall. One of the most noted addresses, ever given by a colored -man in this country was delivered by Dr. Garnett at the National -Convention of Colored Americans, at Buffalo, New York, in 1843. -None but those who heard that speech have the slightest idea of the -tremendous influence which he exercised over the assembly. - -Dr. Garnett visited England in 1850, where he spent several months, -and went thence to the island of Jamaica, spending three years there -as a missionary. He has written considerably, and has edited one or -two journals at different times, devoted to the elevation of his race. -Dr. Garnett was, for two or three years, president of Avery College, -where he was considered a man of learning. He also spent some time -in Washington, as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in that city. At -present, he is located over Shiloh Church, New York City. - -For forty years an advocate of the rights of his race, forcible and -daring as a speaker, having suffered much, with a good record behind -him, Dr. Garnett may be considered as standing in the front rank as a -leader of his people. - - -CHARLES L. REMOND. - -Born and brought up in Salem, Massachusetts, Mr. Remond had the -advantage of early training in the best of schools. In 1838, he -took the field as a lecturer, under the auspices of the American -Anti-slavery Society, and, in company with the Rev. Ichabod Codding, -canvassed the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. -In 1840, he visited England as a delegate to the first “World’s -Anti-slavery Convention,” held in London. He remained abroad two years, -lecturing in the various towns in the united kingdom. - -Mr. Remond was welcomed on his return home, and again resumed his -vocation as a lecturer. In stature, he is small, of spare make, neat, -wiry build, and genteel in his personal appearance. He has a good -voice, and is considered one of the best declaimers in New England. -He has written little or nothing for the press, and his notoriety is -confined solely to the platform. Sensitive to a fault, and feeling -sorely the prejudice against color which exists throughout the -United States, his addresses have been mainly on that subject, on -which he is always interesting. Mr. Remond’s abilities have been very -much overrated. His speeches, when in print, attracted little or no -attention, and he was never able to speak upon any subject except -slavery, upon which he was never deep. - - -MARTIN R. DELANY, M. D. - -Dr. Delany has long been before the public. His first appearance, we -believe, was in connection with “The Mystery,” a weekly newspaper -published at Pittsburg, and of which he was editor. His journal was -faithful in its advocacy of the rights of man, and had the reputation -of being a well-conducted sheet. The doctor afterwards was associated -with Frederick Douglass in the editorial management of his paper at -Rochester, New York. From the latter place, he removed to Canada, and -resided in Chatham, where he was looked upon as one of its leading -citizens. - -Dr. Martin R. Delany, though regarded as a man high in his profession, -is better and more widely known as a traveller, discoverer, and -lecturer. His association with Professor Campbell in the “Niger Valley -Exploring Expedition,” has brought the doctor very prominently before -the world, and especially that portion of it which takes an interest -in the civilization of Africa. The official report of that expedition -shows that he did not visit that country with his eyes shut. His -observations and suggestions about the climate, soil, diseases, and -natural productions of Africa, are interesting, and give evidence that -the doctor was in earnest. The published report, of which he is the -author, will repay a perusal. - -On his return home, Dr. Delany spent some time in England, and lectured -in the British metropolis and the provincial cities, with considerable -success, on Africa and its resources. As a member of the International -Statistical Congress, he acquitted himself with credit to his position -and honor to his race. The foolish manner in which the Hon. Mr. Dallas, -our minister to the court of St. James, acted on meeting Dr. Delany in -that august assembly, and the criticisms of the press of Europe and -America, will not soon be forgotten. - -He is short, compactly built, has a quick, wiry walk, and is decided -and energetic in conversation, unadulterated in race, and proud of -his complexion. Though somewhat violent in his gestures, and paying -but little regard to the strict rules of oratory, Dr. Delany is, -nevertheless, an interesting, eloquent speaker. Devotedly attached -to his fatherland, he goes for a “Negro Nationality.” Whatever he -undertakes, he executes it with all the powers that God has given him; -and what would appear as an obstacle in the way of other men, would be -brushed aside by Martin R. Delany. - - -JAMES W. C. PENNINGTON, D. D. - -Dr. Pennington was born a slave on the farm of Colonel Gordon, in the -State of Maryland. His early life was not unlike the common lot of -the bondmen of the Middle States. He was by trade a blacksmith, which -increased his value to his owner. He had no opportunities for learning, -and was ignorant of letters when he made his escape to the north. -Through intense application to books, he gained, as far as it was -possible, what slavery had deprived him of in his younger days. But he -always felt the early blight upon his soul. - -Dr. Pennington had not been free long ere he turned his attention -to theology, and became an efficient preacher in the Presbyterian -denomination. He was several years settled over a church at Hartford, -Connecticut. He has been in Europe three times, his second visit being -the most important, as he remained there three or four years, preaching -and lecturing, during which time he attended the Peace Congresses held -at Paris, Brussels, and London. While in Germany, the degree of Doctor -of Divinity was conferred upon him by the University of Heidelberg. On -his return to the United States, he received a call, and was settled as -pastor over Shiloh Church, New York City. - -The doctor was a good student, a ripe scholar, and deeply versed in -theology. While at Paris, in 1849, we, with the American and English -delegates to the Peace Congress, attended divine service at the -Protestant Church, where Dr. Pennington had been invited to preach. -His sermon, on that occasion, was an elegant production, made a marked -impression on his hearers, and created upon the minds of all a more -elevated idea of the negro. In past years, he has labored zealously -and successfully for the education, and moral, social, and religious -elevation of his race. The doctor was unadulterated in blood, with -strongly-marked African features. In stature, he was of the common -size, slightly inclined to corpulency, with an athletic frame and a -good constitution. The fact that Dr. Pennington was considered a good -Greek, Latin, and German scholar, although his early life was spent in -slavery, is not more strange than that Henry Diaz, the black commander -in Brazil, is extolled in all the histories of that country as one of -the most sagacious and talented men and experienced officers of whom -they could boast. Dr. Pennington died in 1871, his death being hastened -by the excessive use of intoxicating liquors, which had impaired his -usefulness in his latter days. - - -FRANCIS L. CARDOZO. - -The boiling cauldron of the rebellion threw upon its surface in the -Southern States a large number of colored men, who are now playing -a conspicuous part in the political affairs of their section of -the country. Some of these, like their white brethren, are mere -adventurers, without ability, native or acquired, and owe their -elevated position more to circumstances than to any gifts or virtues of -their own. There are, however, another class, some of whom, although -uneducated, are men of genius, of principle, and Christian zeal, -laboring with all their powers for the welfare of the country and -the race. A few of the latter class have had the advantages of the -educational institutions of the North and of Europe, as well as at the -South, and were fully prepared for the situation when called upon to -act. One of the most gifted of these, a man of fine education, honest, -upright, just in his dealings with his fellows; one whose good sense -and manly qualities never desert him,--is Francis L. Cardozo. - -Born in Charleston, South Carolina, his father a white man and -a slaveholder, his mother a mulatto, Mr. Cardozo is of a fair -complexion. He is above the middle size, robust and full-faced, with -a well-developed head, large brain, and a face of fine expression. -Educated in Scotland, and having travelled extensively abroad, he -presents the exterior of a man of refinement and of high culture, -possessing considerable literary taste, and his conversation at once -shows him to be a man of learning. Industrious and methodical in his -habits, still the ardent student, young in years, comparatively, Mr. -Cardozo bids fair to be one of the leading men at the national capital, -as he is now in his own State. He studied theology, was ordained as a -minister, and preached for a time in Connecticut with great acceptance. - -As a speaker, Mr. Cardozo has few equals, colored or white. Without any -strained effort, his expressions are filled with integrity, sobriety, -benevolence, satire, and true eloquence. Forcible in speech, his -audience never get tired under the sound of his musical voice. - -During the rebellion, he returned to his native State, where he -was of great service to his own people. He took a leading part in -the reconstruction convention that brought South Carolina back in -the Union, and was elected to the state legislature, where he was -considered one of their ablest men. He now fills the high and honorable -position of Secretary of State of his own commonwealth. He is held in -high estimation by all classes: even the old negro-hating whites of -the “palmetto” state acknowledge the ability and many manly virtues of -Francis L. Cardozo. - - -EDMONIA LEWIS. - -Miss Lewis, the colored American artist, is of mingled Indian and -African descent. Her mother was one of the Chippewa tribe, and her -father a full-blooded African. Both her parents died young, leaving the -orphan girl and her only brother to be brought up by the Indians. Here, -as may well be imagined, her opportunities for education were meagre -enough. - -Edmonia Lewis is below the medium height; her complexion and features -betray her African origin; her hair is more of the Indian type, black, -straight, and abundant. Her head is well balanced, exhibiting a large -and well-developed brain. Although brought up in the wilderness, she -spent some time at Oberlin College, and has a good education. - -Her manners are childlike and simple, and most winning and pleasing. -She has the proud spirit of her Indian ancestor, and if she has more -of the African in her personal appearance, she has more of the Indian -in her character. On her first visit to Boston, she saw a statue of -Benjamin Franklin. It filled her with amazement and delight. She did -not know by what name to call “the stone image,” but she felt within -her the stir of new powers. - -“I, too, can make a stone man,” she said to herself; and at once she -went to visit William Lloyd Garrison, and told him what she knew she -could do, and asked him how she should set about doing it. - -Struck by her enthusiasm, Garrison gave her a note of introduction to -Brackett, the Boston sculptor, and after a little talk with her, Mr. -Brackett gave her a piece of clay and a mould of a human foot, as a -study. - -“Go home and make that,” said he; “if there is anything in you, it will -come out.” - -Alone in her own room, the young girl toiled over her clay, and when -she had done her best, carried the result to her master. He looked -at her model, broke it up, and said, “Try again.” She did try again, -modelled feet and hands, and at last undertook a medallion of the head -of John Brown, which was pronounced excellent. - -The next essay was the bust of a young hero, Colonel Shaw, the first -man who took the command of a colored regiment, and whose untimely and -glorious death, and the epitaph spoken by the South, “Bury him with his -niggers,” have made him an immortal name in the history of our civil -war. - -The family of this young hero heard of the bust which the colored girl -was making as a labor of love, and came to see it, and were delighted -with the portrait which she had taken from a few poor photographs. Of -this bust she sold one hundred copies, and with that money she set out -for Europe, full of hope and courage. - -Arriving at Rome, Miss Lewis took a studio, and devoted herself to hard -study and hard work, and here she made her first statue--a figure of -Hagar in her despair in the wilderness. It is a work full of feeling, -for, as she says, “I have a strong sympathy for all women who have -struggled and suffered. For this reason the Virgin Mary is very dear to -me.” - -The first copy of Hagar was purchased by a gentleman from Chicago. A -fine group of the Madonna with the infant Christ in her arms, and two -adoring angels at her feet, attests the sincerity of her admiration -for the Jewish maiden. This last group has been purchased by the young -Marquis of Bute, Disraeli’s Lothair, for an altar-piece. - -Among Miss Lewis’s other works are two small groups, illustrating -Longfellow’s poem of Hiawatha. Her first, “Hiawatha’s Wooing,” -represents Minnehaha seated, making a pair of moccasins, and Hiawatha -by her side, with a world of love-longing in his eyes. In the marriage, -they stand side by side with clasped hands. In both, the Indian -type of features is carefully preserved, and every detail of dress, -etc., is true to nature. The sentiment is equal to the execution. -They are charming hits, poetic, simple, and natural; and no happier -illustrations of Longfellow’s most original poem were ever made than -these by the Indian sculptor. - -A fine bust, also, of this same poet, is about to be put in marble, -which has been ordered by Harvard College; and in this instance, at -least, Harvard has done itself honor. If it will not yet open its doors -to women who ask education at its hands, it will admit the work of a -woman who has educated herself in her chosen department. - -Miss Lewis has a fine medallion portrait of Wendell Phillips, a -charming group of sleeping babies, and some other minor works, in her -studio. At Rome, she is visited by strangers from all nations, who -happen in the great city, and every one admires the genius of the -artist. - -The highest art is that which rises above the slavish copying of -nature, without sinking back again into a more slavish conventionalism. -All the forms of such art are intensely simple and natural, but through -the natural, the spiritual speaks. The saintly glory shines through -the features of its saints, and does not gather in a ring around their -heads. It speaks a language all can understand, and has no jargon of -its own. It needs no initiation before we can understand its mysteries, -excepting that of the pure heart and the awakened mind. It represents -nature, but in representing, it interprets her. It shows us nothing but -reality, but in the real, it mirrors the invisible ideal. - -A statue is a realized emotion, or a thought in stone--not an embodied -dream. A picture is a painted poem--not a romance in oil. Working -together with nature, such art rises to something higher than nature -is, becomes the priestess of her temple, and represents to more prosaic -souls that which only the poet sees. The truly poetical mind of Edmonia -Lewis shows itself in all her works, and exhibits to the critic the -genius of the artist. - - -ROBERT PURVIS. - -Robert Purvis was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but had the -advantages of a New England collegiate education. He early embraced -the principles of freedom as advocated by William Lloyd Garrison, and -during the whole course of the agitation of the question of slavery, -remained true to his early convictions. - -Possessed of a large fortune at the very commencement of life, Mr. -Purvis took an active part in aiding slaves to obtain their freedom, by -furnishing means to secure for them something like justice before the -pro-slavery courts of Pennsylvania, when arrested as fugitives, or when -brought into the state voluntarily by their owners. - -Mr. Purvis did not stop with merely giving of his abundant means, but -made many personal sacrifices, and ran risks of loss of life in doing -what he conceived to be an act of duty. Though white enough to pass as -one of the dominant race, he never denied his connection with the negro. - -In personal appearance, and in manners, Mr. Purvis is every inch -the gentleman. Possessing a highly-cultivated mind, a reflective -imagination, easy and eloquent in speech, but temper quickly aroused, -he is always interesting as a public speaker. - -Although he spent a large amount in philanthropic causes, Mr. Purvis is -still a man of wealth, and owns a princely residence at Bybury, some -fifteen miles from Philadelphia. With character unblemished, blameless -in his domestic life, an ardent friend, and a dangerous foe, Robert -Purvis stands to-day an honor to both races. - - -JAMES M. WHITFIELD. - -James M. Whitfield was a native of Massachusetts, and removed in early -life to Buffalo, New York, where he followed the humble occupation -of a barber. However, even in this position, he became noted for his -scholarly attainments and gentlemanly deportment. Men of polish and -refinement were attracted to his saloon, and while being shaved, would -take pleasure in conversing with him; and all who knew him felt that he -was intended by Nature for a more elevated station in life. - -He wrote some fine verses, and published a volume of poems in 1846, -which well stood the test of criticism. His poem, “How long, O God, -how long!” is a splendid production, and will take a place in American -literature. - -Mr. Whitfield removed to California some years since, where he took a -forward stand with the progressive men of his race. - - -PHILLIP A. BELL. - -Although we have but a meagre historical record, as producers of -books, magazines, and newspapers, it must still be admitted that some -noble efforts have been made, and not a little time and money spent by -colored men in literary enterprises during the last forty years. The -oldest, and one of the ablest of American journalists, is Phillip A. -Bell. - -This gentleman started the “Colored American” in the year 1837, as -co-editor with the late Rev. Samuel E. Cornish, and subsequently, with -the late Dr. James M’Cune Smith. The paper was a weekly, and published -in the city of New York. The “Colored American” was well conducted, -had the confidence of the public, distinguished for the ability shown -in its editorials, as well as its correspondents. - -Mr. Bell retired from the management of the paper, in 1840. All, -however, who remember as far back as thirty-five years, will bear -testimony to the efficient work done by the “Colored American,” and the -honor that is due to its noble founder. Some ten years ago, Mr. Bell -removed to California, where he, in company with Mr. Peter Anderson, -flung to the breeze the “Pacific Appeal,” a weekly newspaper, devoted -to the interest of the colored man, and which has accomplished great -good for humanity. In 1865, Mr. Bell launched the “Elevator,” a spicy -weekly, the columns of which attest its ability. Science, philosophy, -and the classics are treated in a masterly manner. - -Mr. Bell is an original and subtile writer, has fine powers of -analysis, and often flings the sparkling rays of a vivid imagination -over the productions of his pen. - -His articles are usually of a practical nature, always trying to remove -evils, working for the moral, social, and political elevation of his -race. - -In person, Mr. Bell is of medium size, of dark complexion, pleasing -countenance, gentlemanly in his manners, a man of much energy, strong -determination, unbending endurance, and transparent honesty of purpose. - -Of good education and a highly-cultivated mind, Mr. Bell attracts to -him the most refined of his color, who regard him as the Napoleon of -the colored press. Our subject was not intended by Nature for the -platform, and has the good sense not to aspire to oratorical fame. In -conversation, however, he is always interesting, drawing from a rich -and varied experience, full of dry humor. - -Mr. Bell has a host of friends in New York, where he is always spoken -of in the highest manner, and is regarded as the prince of good fellows. - - -CHARLES B. RAY, D. D. - -Dr. Ray is a clergyman of the Presbyterian order, and has resided in -the city of New York for the last half century. In the year 1840, -he became the editor of the “Colored American,” a journal which he -conducted with signal ability, always true to the cause of the Southern -slave, and the elevation of the black man everywhere. Dr. Ray is well -educated, a man of liberal and reformatory views, a terse and vigorous -writer, an able and eloquent speaker, well informed upon all subjects -of the day. - -He has long been identified with every good work in New York, and -enjoys the confidence and respect of a large circle of friends. - -In person, Dr. Ray is of small stature, neat and wiry build, in race -standing about half-way between the African and the Anglo-Saxon. He is -polished in his manners, and gentlemanly in his personal appearance. -As a writer, a preacher, and a platform-speaker, he has done much to -elevate the standard of the colored man in the Empire State. - -In the multitude of national and state conventions held thirty years -ago and thereabouts, the assembly was scarcely considered complete -without the presence of Charles B. Ray, D. D. - -In the religious conventions of his own denomination, he was always -regarded with respect, and his sermons delivered to white congregations -never failed to leave a good impression for the race to which the -preacher belonged. Blameless in his family relations, guided by the -highest moral rectitude, a true friend to everything that tends to -better the moral, social, religious, and political condition of man, -Dr. Ray may be looked upon as one of the foremost of the leading men of -his race. - - -JOHN J. ZUILLE. - -Thirty-five years ago, it was not an easy thing to convince an American -community that a colored man was fit for any position save that of a -servant. A few men, however, one after another, came upon the surface, -and demonstrated beyond a doubt that genius was not confined to race -or color. Standing foremost amongst these, was John J. Zuille of New -York, who, by his industry, sobriety, and fair dealing, did much to -create for the black man a character for business tact in the great -metropolis. Mr. Zuille is, by trade, a practical printer, and in -company with Bell, Cornish, and others, started the “Colored American” -in 1837. As printer of that journal, he showed mechanical skill that -placed him at once amongst the ablest of the craft. - -Mr. Zuille has also taken a prominent part in all matters pertaining -to the welfare of his race in the Empire State. For the past ten years -he has been cashier of the Freedmen’s Bank in the city of New York, a -position for which his ability as a business man eminently qualifies -him. - -Mr. Zuille seems to be but little adulterated in race, short, -thick-set, pleasant countenance, energetic and gentlemanly in his -movements. - -His reputation stands without blot or blemish, and he is surrounded by -a large circle of friends, whose entire confidence he enjoys. - - -GEORGE T. DOWNING. - -The tall, fine figure, manly walk, striking profile, and piercing eye -of George T. Downing would attract attention in any community, even -where he is unknown. Possessing remarkable talents, finely educated, a -keen observer, and devoted to the freedom and elevation of his race, -he has long been looked upon as a representative man. A good debater, -quick to take advantage of the weak points of an opponent, forcible in -speech, and a natural orator, Mr. Downing is always acceptable as a -speaker. - -He is a native of New York, but resides at the national capital, where -he exerts considerable influence in political affairs, especially those -pertaining to the welfare of the negro race. - -A diplomatist by nature, Mr. Downing can “buttonhole” a congressman -with as good effect as almost any man. Daring and aspiring, anxiously -catching at the advantage of political elevation, he is always a -leading man in conventions. Upright in his dealings, uncompromising, -and strongly attached to the principles of justice. Mr. Downing enjoys -the confidence and respect of both white and colored. As he is well -qualified to fill any position, we would be glad to see him appointed -to represent our government at some foreign court. - - -CHARLOTTE L. FORTEN. - -Miss Forten is a native of Philadelphia; came to Massachusetts in 1854, -entered the Higginson Grammar School at Salem, where she soon earned -the reputation of an attentive and progressive student. She graduated -from that institution with high honor, having received a premium for “A -Parting Hymn,” sung at the last examination. In this composition Miss -Forten gave unmistakable evidence of genius of a high order. She became -a correspondent of the “National Anti-slavery Standard,” and wrote some -very spicy letters, extracts from which were given in other journals. - -In a poem entitled “The Angel’s Visit,” she makes a touching allusion -to her departed mother, which for style and true poetical diction, -is not surpassed by anything in the English language. In blood, -Miss Forten stands between the Anglo-Saxon and the African, with -finely-chiselled features, well-developed forehead, countenance beaming -with intelligence, and a mind richly stored with recollections of -the best authors. Highly cultivated, and sensitive to the prejudice -existing against her color, Miss Forten’s lot is not an easy one in -this world of ours. She still continues to write for the press, giving -most of her articles in the “Atlantic Monthly.” - -During the war, and since its close, she has spent much time in -teaching in the Southern States, where her labors are highly -appreciated. - - -GEORGE B. VASHON. - -The subject of this sketch was born in Pittsburg, through the schools -of which he passed, then studied at Oberlin College, graduating with -the degree of Master of Arts. After reading law with Hon. Walter -Forward, he was admitted to the bar in 1847. Mr. Vashon soon after -visited Hayti, where he remained three years, returning home in 1850. -Called to a professorship in New York Central College, Mr. Vashon -discharged the duties of the office with signal ability. A gentleman--a -graduate of that institution, now a captain in the federal army--told -the writer that he and several of his companions, who had to recite to -Professor Vashon, made it a practice for some length of time to search -Greek, Latin, and Hebrew for phrases and historical incidents, and -would then question the professor, with the hope of “running him on a -snag.” - -“But,” said he, “we never caught him once, and we came to the -conclusion that he was the best read man in the college.” - -Literature has a history, and few histories can compare with it in -importance, significance, and moral grandeur. There is, therefore, -a great price to pay for literary attainments, which will have an -inspiring and liberalizing influence--a price not in silver and gold, -but in thorough mental training. This training will give breadth of -view, develop strength of character, and a comprehensive spirit, by -which the ever-living expressions of truth and principle in the past, -may be connected with those of a like character in the present. - -Mr. Vashon seems to have taken this view of what constitutes the -thorough scholar, and has put his theory into practice. All of the -productions of his pen show the student and man of literature. But -he is not indebted alone to culture, for he possesses genius of no -mean order--poetic genius, far superior to many who have written and -published volumes. As Dryden said of Shakspeare, “He needed not the -spectacles of books to read Nature; he looked inward, and found her -there.” The same excellence appertains to his poetical description -of the beautiful scenery and climate of Hayti, in his “Vincent Oge.” -His allusion to Columbus’ first visit to the Island is full of solemn -grandeur. - -Mr. Vashon is of mixed blood; in stature, of medium size, rather round -face, with a somewhat solemn countenance, a man of few words,--needs -to be drawn out to be appreciated. While visiting a distinguished -colored gentleman at Rochester, New York, some years ago, the host, -who happened to be a wit as well as an orator, invited in “Professor -T----,” a man ignorant of education, but filled with big talk and -high-sounding words, without understanding their meaning,--to entertain -Mr. Vashon, intending it as a joke. “Professor T----” used all the -language that he was master of, but to no purpose. The man of letters -sat still, listened, gazed at the former, but did not dispute any point -raised. The uneducated professor, feeling that he had been imposed -upon, called Mr. D---- one side, and in a whisper, said:-- - -“Are you sure that this is an educated man? I fear that he is an -impostor; for I tried, but could not call him out.” - -Mr. Vashon has long been engaged in imparting education to his -down-trodden race, and in this path of duty has contributed much for -the elevation of his people. We are somewhat surprised that none of -the liberal colleges have done themselves the honor to confer upon Mr. -Vashon the title of LL. D. - - -WILLIAM H. SIMPSON. - -It is a compliment to a picture to say that it produces the impression -of the actual scene. Taste has, frequently, for its object, works of -art. Nature, many suppose, may be studied with propriety; but art, -they reject as entirely superficial. But what is the fact? In the -highest sense, art is the child of Nature; and is most admired when -it preserves the likeness of its parent. In Venice, the paintings of -Titian, and of the Venetian artists generally, exact from the traveller -a yet higher tribute, for the hues and forms around him constantly -remind him of their works. - -Many of the citizens of Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and -other cities of our country, are often called to mention the names of -their absent or departed friends, by looking upon their features, as -transferred to canvas by the pencil and brush of William H. Simpson, -the young colored artist. He has evidently taken Titian, Murillo, and -Raphael for his masters. The Venetian painters were diligent students -of the nature that was around them. The subject of our sketch seems to -have imbibed their energy, as well as learned to copy the noble example -they left behind. The history of painters, as well as poets, is written -in their works. The best life of Goldsmith is to be found in his poem -of “The Traveller,” and his novel of “The Vicar of Wakefield.” No one -views the beautiful portrait of J. P. Kemble, in the National Gallery -in London, in the character of Hamlet, without thinking of Sir Thomas -Lawrence, who executed it. - -The organ of color is prominent in the cranium of Mr. Simpson, and -it is well developed. His portraits are admired for their life-like -appearance, as well as for the fine delineation which characterizes -them all. It is very easy to transcribe the emotions which paintings -awaken, but it is no easy matter to say why a picture is so painted -as that it must awaken certain emotions. Many persons feel art; some -understand it; but few both feel and understand it. Mr. Simpson is -rich in depth of feeling and spiritual beauty. His portrait of John T. -Hilton, which was presented to the Masonic Lodge a few months since, is -a splendid piece of art. The longer you look on the features, the more -the picture looks like real life. - -The taste displayed in the coloring of the regalia, and the admirable -perspective of each badge of honor, show great skill. No higher praise -is needed than to say that a gentleman of Boston, distinguished for -his good judgment in the picture gallery, wishing to secure a likeness -of Hon. Charles Sumner, induced the senator to sit to Mr. Simpson -for the portrait; and in this instance the artist has been signally -successful. - -His likenesses have been so correct, that he has often been employed -to paint whole families, where only one had been bargained for in -the commencement. He is considered unapproachable in taking juvenile -faces. Mr. Simpson does not aspire to anything in his art beyond -portrait-painting. Nevertheless, a beautiful fancy sketch, hanging in -his studio, representing summer, exhibits marked ability and consummate -genius. The wreath upon the head, with different kinds of grain -interwoven, and the nicety of coloring in each particular kind, causes -those who view it to regard him as master of his profession. Portraits -of his execution are scattered over most of the Northern States and the -Canadas. Some have gone to Liberia, Hayti, and California. - -Mr. Simpson is a native of Buffalo, New York, where he received a -liberal education. But even in school, his early inclination to draw -likenesses materially interfered with his studies. The propensity to -use his slate and pencil in scratching down his schoolmates, instead of -doing his sums in arithmetic, often gained him severe punishment. After -leaving school, he was employed as errand boy by Matthew Wilson, Esq., -the distinguished artist, who soon discovered young Simpson’s genius, -and took him as an apprentice. In 1854, they removed to Boston, where -Mr. Simpson labored diligently to acquire a thorough knowledge of the -profession. Mr. Wilson stated to the writer, that he never had a man -who was more attentive or more trustworthy than William H. Simpson. - -Of unmixed negro blood, small in stature, a rather mild and womanly -countenance, firm and resolute eye, gentlemanly in appearance, and -intelligent in conversation, Mr. Simpson will be respected for his many -good qualities. He died in 1872. - - -SIR EDWARD JORDAN. - -Edward Jordan was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in the year 1798. After -quitting school, he entered a clothing store, as a clerk; but his deep -hatred to slavery, and the political and social outrages committed upon -the free colored men, preyed upon his mind to such an extent that, in -1826, he associated himself with Robert Osborn, in the publication -of “The Watchman,” a weekly newspaper devoted to the freedom and -enfranchisement of the people of color. - -His journal was conducted with marked ability, and Mr. Jordan soon -began to wield a tremendous influence against the slave power. While -absent from his editorial duties, in 1830, an article appeared in -“The Watchman,” upon which its editor was indicted for constructive -treason. He was at once arrested, placed in the dock, and arraigned for -trial. He pleaded “Not guilty,” and asked for time to prepare for his -defence. The plea was allowed, and the case was traversed to the next -court. The trial came on at the appointed time; the jury was packed, -for the pro-slavery element had determined on the conviction of the -distinguished advocate of liberty. The whole city appeared to be lost -to everything but the proceedings of the assize. It was feared that, if -convicted, a riot would be the result, and the authorities prepared for -this. - -A vessel of war was brought up abreast of the city, the guns of which -were pointed up one of the principal streets, and at almost every -avenue leading to the sea, a merchant vessel was moored, armed with -at least one great gun, pointing in a similar direction, to rake the -streets from bottom to top. A detachment of soldiers was kept under -arms, with orders to be ready for action at a moment’s warning. -The officers of the court, including the judge, entered upon their -duties, armed with pistols; and the sheriff was instructed to shoot -the prisoner in the dock if a rescue was attempted. If convicted, Mr. -Jordan’s punishment was to be death. Happily for all, the verdict was -“Not guilty.” The acquittal of the editor of “The Watchman” carried -disappointment and dismay into the ranks of the slave oligarchy, while -it gave a new impetus to the anti-slavery cause, both in Jamaica and in -Great Britain, and which culminated in the abolition of slavery on the -1st of August, 1834. The following year, Mr. Jordan was elected member -of the Assembly for the city of Kingston, which he still represents. -About this time, “The Watchman” was converted into a daily paper, under -the title of “The Morning Journal,” still in existence, and owned by -Jordan and Osborn. In 1853, Mr. Jordan was elected mayor of his native -city without opposition, which office he still holds. He was recently -chosen premier of the Island, and president of the privy council. - -No man is more respected in the Assembly than Mr. Jordan, and reform -measures offered by him are often carried through the house, owing to -the respect the members have for the introducer. In the year 1860, the -honorable gentleman was elevated to the dignity of knighthood by the -Queen. - -Sir Edward Jordan has ever been regarded as an honest, upright, and -temperate man. In a literary point of view, he is considered one of the -first men in Jamaica. - -It is indeed a cheering sign for the negro to look at one of his race -who a few years ago was tried for his life in a city in which he has -since been mayor, and has held other offices of honor. - -Mr. Jordan has died since the above sketch was written, and no man in -Jamaica ever received greater honors at his funeral than he. - - -EDWIN M. BANNISTER. - -Edwin M. Bannister was born in the town of St. Andrew, New Brunswick, -and lost his father when only six years old. He attended the Grammar -School in his native place, and received a better education than -persons generally in his position. From early childhood he seems to -have had a fancy for painting, which showed itself in the school-room -and at home. He often drew portraits of his school-fellows, and the -master not unfrequently found himself upon the slate, where Edwin’s -success was so manifest that the likeness would call forth merriment -from the boys, and create laughter at the expense of the teacher. - -At the death of his mother, when still in his minority, he was put out -to live with the Hon. Harris Hatch, a wealthy lawyer, the proprietor -of a fine farm some little distance in the country. In his new home -Edwin did not lose sight of his drawing propensities, and though the -family had nothing in the way of models except two faded portraits, -kept more as relics than for their intrinsic value, he nevertheless -practised upon them, and often made the copy look more lifelike than -the original. On the barn doors, fences, and every place where drawings -could be made, the two ancient faces were to be seen pictured. - -When the family were away on the Sabbath at church, the young artist -would take possession of the old Bible, and copy its crude engravings, -then replace it upon the dusty shelf, feeling an inward gratification, -that, instead of satisfying the inclination, only gave him fresh zeal -to hunt for new models. By the great variety of drawings which he had -made on paper, and the correct sketches taken, young Bannister gained -considerable reputation in the lawyer’s family, as well as in the -neighborhood. Often, after the household had retired at night, the -dim glimmer from the lean tallow candle was seen through the attic -chamber window. It was there that the genius of the embryo artist was -struggling for development. - -There is a great diversity of opinion with regard to genius, many -mistaking talent for genius. Talent is strength and subtilty of -mind: genius is mental inspiration and delicacy of feeling. Talent -possesses vigor and acuteness of penetration, but is surpassed by the -vivid intellectual conceptions of genius. The former is skilful and -bold, the latter aspiring and gentle. But talent excels in practical -sagacity; and hence those striking contrasts so often witnessed in the -world,--the triumphs of talent through its adroit and active energies, -and the adversities of genius in the midst of its boundless, but -unattainable aspirations. Mr. Bannister is a lover of poetry and the -classics, and is always hunting up some new model for his gifted pencil -and brush. - -He has a beautiful scene representing “Cleopatra waiting to receive -Marc Antony,” which I regret that I did not see. I am informed, -however, that it is a beautifully-executed picture. - -Mr. Bannister is of mixed blood, of spare make, slim, with an -interesting cast of countenance, quick in his motions, easy in his -manners, and respected by all. - - -WILLIAM C. NELL. - -Mr. Nell is a native of Boston, and from the beginning of the -anti-slavery agitation was identified with the movement. He labored -long and arduously for equal school-rights for the colored children of -his native city, where he performed a good work. - -Mr. Nell is the author of the “Colored Patriots of the American -Revolution,” a book filled with interesting incidents connected with -the history of the blacks of this country, past and present. He has -also written several smaller works, all of which are humanitarian in -their character. - -Deeply interested in the intellectual development and cultivation of -his race, he has given much toil without compensation. - -Mr. Nell is of medium height, slim, genteel figure, quick step, elastic -movement, a thoughtful yet pleasant brow, thin face, and chaste in his -conversation. - -A student, and a lover of literature, he has a cultivated -understanding, and has collected together more facts on the race with -which he is identified than any other man of our acquaintance. - -Mr. Nell is of unimpeachable character, and highly respected by his -fellow-citizens. - - -IRA ALDRIDGE. - -On looking over the columns of “The Times,” one morning, I saw it -announced under the head of “Amusements,” that “Ira Aldridge, the -African Roscius,” was to appear in the character of Othello, in -Shakspeare’s celebrated tragedy of that name, and having long wished to -see my sable countryman, I resolved at once to attend. Though the doors -had been open but a short time when I reached the Royal Haymarket, -the theatre where the performance was to take place, the house was -well filled, and among the audience I recognized the faces of several -distinguished persons of the nobility, the most noted of whom was Sir -Edward Bulwer Lytton, the renowned novelist--his figure neat, trim, -hair done up in the latest fashion--looking as if he had just come out -of a band-box. He is a great lover of the drama, and has a private -theatre at one of his country seats, to which he often invites his -friends, and presses them into the different characters. - -As the time approached for the curtain to rise, it was evident that -the house was to be “jammed.” Stuart, the best Iago since the days of -Young, in company with Roderigo, came upon the stage as soon as the -green curtain went up. Iago looked the villain, and acted it to the -highest conception of the character. The scene is changed, all eyes are -turned to the right door, and thunders of applause greet the appearance -of Othello. - -Mr. Aldridge is of the middle size, and appeared to be about -three-quarters African; has a voice deep and powerful; and it was very -evident that Edmund Kean, once his master, was also the model which -he carefully followed in the part. There were the same deliberate, -over-distinct enunciations, the same prolonged pauses and gradually -performed gestures, in imitation of Kean’s manner. As Iago began to -work upon his feelings, the Moor’s eyes flashed fire, and, further on -in the play, he looked the very demon of despair. When he seized the -deceiver by the throat, and exclaimed,-- - - - “Villain, be sure thou prove my love false! - Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof; - Or, by the worth of mine eternal soul, - Thou hadst been better have been born a dog, - Than answer my waked wrath,” - - -the audience, with one impulse, rose to their feet amid the wildest -enthusiasm. At the end of the third act, Othello was called before -the curtain, and received the applause of the delighted multitude. I -watched the countenance and every motion of Bulwer Lytton with almost -as much interest as I did that of the Moor of Venice, and saw that none -appeared to be better pleased than he. The following evening I went to -witness his Hamlet, and was surprised to find him as perfect in that as -he had been in Othello; for I had been led to believe that the latter -was his greatest character. - -The whole court of Denmark was before us; but till the words, - - - “’Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,”-- - - -fell from the lips of Mr. Aldridge, was the general ear charmed, or the -general tongue arrested. The voice was so low, and sad, and sweet, the -modulation so tender, the dignity so natural, the grace so consummate, -that all yielded themselves silently to the delicious enchantment. When -Horatio told him that he had come to see his father’s funeral, the deep -melancholy that took possession of his face showed the great dramatic -power of Mr. Aldridge. - - - “I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student!” - - -seemed to come from his inmost soul. - -Ira Aldridge was a native of Africa, born soon after his father’s -arrival in Senegal, came to the United States on the father’s return, -remained here for a time, and was then sent to Scotland, where he -received a liberal education. During his latter years, Mr. Aldridge -travelled extensively on the Continent of Europe, visiting among other -places St. Petersburg, where the Russians became wild and enthusiastic -over his dramatic representations. He died in London, in 1868, leaving -a widow, a Swedish lady, with whom he had lived happily, and in -magnificent style, near London, for several years. - - -OSCAR JAMES DUNN. - -Oscar J. Dunn was a native of Louisiana, and by trade a plasterer, at -which he worked during his early life. His education was limited, but -what he lacked in book learning was made up in good common sense. In -color, he was a brown skin, of commanding appearance, dignified in -manners, and calculated to make a favorable impression upon all who had -the good fortune to make his acquaintance. Although born a slave, he -was, nevertheless, one of Nature’s noblest men. - -Called into public life at a time when the condition of his race was in -a critical transition state, he exhibited powers of intellect, honesty -of purpose, and private virtues seldom equalled. General Sheridan, -while in command at New Orleans, early discovered the rare gifts of Mr. -Dunn, and appointed him a member of the city council. He served the -city and state in various ways until he was elected to the position of -lieutenant-governor of the state. Intelligent upon all subjects, and -remarkable for sound judgment, his opinion and counsel upon questions -of state were sought by men of all parties. As a presiding officer in -the Louisiana Senate, Mr. Dunn exhibited parliamentary talent that at -once commanded the respect and challenged the admiration of the most -fastidious; and for dispatch of business in his official chair, few -men in the country have been his equal. - -But the greatest characteristic of this man was his downright honesty. -In this he stood almost alone, for while the legislature of Louisiana -was charged with being a stock-jobbing concern, and its members, one -after another, rolling in their new-gained wealth, Oscar J. Dunn was -not only above suspicion, but actually died a poor man. - -He was a calm, vigilant sentry for Louisiana when she dreamed it least. -Firmly resisting temptations to sin, which too often beset official -station, he could never be made an accomplice with others against her. -His inflexible integrity was in itself a mighty protest against the -shams of the state administration, and commanded such candid respect -even from the Democrats, that of late the authors of those shams, in -their recourse to Democrats for the fresh lease of power denied them -by Republicans, were constrained to revive a prejudice for a pretext, -and to charge him with instigating a black man’s party. There existed -not a fact to justify the charge; but a lie was a fit auxiliary to -new projects of fraud, and unhappily, there were “itching palms” to -subscribe it per order. - -His views were most catholic on the question of class. He wanted -amity, not jealousy, between the colors, for he recognized all in the -political society as brethren, not as rivals. He felt that injustice -to any one citizen, white or black, was, if unredressed, a menace to -all; that our interests were in common; our ballots, honestly counted, -our common consent; and our influence for good, our common basis of -endeavor for Louisiana. His aims for his race were too sincere to -embarrass its progress by provoking anew the old sectional spleen -against it--and he tacitly compelled in his own case a recognition, -which any citizen might envy. Standing in a high official trust, and -yet in a dark skin, he rebuked with quiet, inoffensive emphasis, the -miserable heresy that a man is more or less a worthy citizen because of -his color. - -As a speaker, Mr. Dunn was not what the world would call “eloquent,” -but what he said was always listened to with the greatest interest -and respect. All classes held him in high esteem, and with his own -color his power was unlimited. Attacked by a sudden and sure malady, -death swept him away while in the zenith of his influence, on the -twenty-first of November, 1871. - - -JOHN R. LYNCH. - -The late rebellion has not produced a more remarkable instance of a -self-made man than is seen in the career of John R. Lynch, Speaker of -the House of Representatives of Mississippi. He was born in Louisiana, -just opposite Natchez, in the year 1847, of a slave mother, then -the property of a Mr. Lapiche, and is now in his twenty-fifth year. -His father, being a man of wealth and character, made the necessary -arrangements when Mr. Lynch was yet a child, to have him and his mother -set free, but by his sudden and unexpected death, and treachery on the -part of those who had entered into the agreement with him, the plan -was not carried out, and both remained slaves until emancipated by the -result of the war. - -During his time of servitude, and while he was yet a boy, Mr. Lynch had -a deep, irrepressible desire to rise above the hopeless lot to which -destiny seemed to have assigned him, and went forward with the energy -which has characterized him since that time, to the acquirement of as -much education as was within his reach. He learned to read and write -while a slave, but no more. After his mother became the property of -Mr. Alfred Davis, she was taken to Natchez with her children, and has -lived there ever since. In 1864, and while the Federal troops were in -possession of that city, Mr. Lynch enjoyed the opportunity of attending -night school, for four months only, and that closed all the educational -advantages of which he has been possessed. Since that time he has been -entirely dependent on his own efforts and resources, and his innate -desire to obtain knowledge, for the advancement he has made. - -That his career has been most remarkable thus far, cannot be denied by -any one. This will appear most evident by a comparison of his humble -origin and the many disadvantages under which he has labored, with the -honorable position he now holds, and the high qualifications he brings -with him to sustain him in that place. In point of education, he is -amply fitted; in natural ability that is well-defined, cultivated, and -ready, he certainly has no superior in the House. His knowledge of -parliamentary law and usages has been tested in many heated contests -with the best tacticians of the legislature, and proved to be inferior -to none, however able. Nor do all these high qualifications, so -amply possessed by Mr. Lynch, contain all the good things we have to -say of him. He has the still higher virtue of unimpeached honesty -and veracity. During all the two years of tempting trials that he -has witnessed, it never once was intimated that he was even open to -suspicion. The record he made during all that time is as pure and -untarnished as the driven snow. No one ever questioned his integrity, -or clouded his fair name with the intimation that he deviated from the -path of rectitude and right. If he sometimes departed from the course -marked out by a majority of his party, he did so, as he believed, in -the discharge of a solemn duty, and with no other desire than to do -what he conceived to be right. - -He was appointed justice of the peace by General Ames in 1868, for -the city of Natchez, took a prominent part in the constitutional -convention of the State, was a member of the last legislature, and now -fills the Speaker’s chair. Mr. Lynch is fluent in speech, eloquent -in his addresses, chaste in his language, and gentlemanly in all his -intercourse with others. Medium in size, genteel in figure, brown in -complexion, with piercing eyes, amiable countenance, manly and upright -walk, Mr. Lynch makes a dignified appearance in the speaker’s chair, -and handles the gavel according to Cushing. He has been elected to a -seat in Congress from his state. - - -WILLIAM WHIPPER. - -The subject of this sketch is one of the deepest thinkers of which the -black man can boast in our broad land. In early life, he was engaged -in the lumber trade in Columbia, Pennsylvania, in which he secured -a competency. Even while battling with the world for filthy lucre, -Mr. Whipper gave much of his time to the advocacy of the freedom of -the slave, and the elevation of the colored men of the North. In his -business relations with the whites he always left a good impression of -the negro’s capability, honesty, and gentlemanly deportment. - -In 1833, he took charge of the editorial department of the “National -Reformer,” a monthly magazine, published by the American Moral Reform -Society. Mr. Whipper’s editorials were couched in chaste and plain -language, but bold and outspoken in the advocacy of truth. He said:-- - -“We believe that Education, Temperance, Economy, and Universal Liberty, -if properly carried out, will prove a powerful auxiliary in producing -this necessary reformation, on which rests the Christian’s hope. -They are now producing wonders in our country, under distinct and -specific organizations. They are adhesive virtues, and as capable of -uniting with each other as a like number of seas are of commingling -their waters, and forming one great ocean. If this mighty current of -philanthropy could become united in one living stream, it would soon -sweep from our country every vestige of misery and oppression. And is -it not as necessary that it should be so, as that a single mind should -embrace these principles alone? Our country is rich with the means of -resuscitating her from moral degeneracy. She possesses all the elements -for her redemption; she has but to will it, and she is free.” - -Mr. Whipper is a mulatto of fine personal appearance, above the middle -size, stoops a little,--that bend of the shoulders that marks the -student. He is remarkably well read, able to cite authority from -the ancients, and posted in all the current literature of the day. -He is social and genial, and very interesting and entertaining in -conversation. Mr. Whipper resides in Philadelphia, where he is highly -respected by all classes, and loved and looked up to by his own race. - - -T. W. CARDOZO. - -Mr. Cardozo is a native of Charleston, South Carolina; is a mulatto, -with a slight preponderance of Anglo-Saxon blood. He is thirty-five -years old, and therefore, is in the prime of life. He was born free, -and had advantages of northern schools, and finished his education -at the Newburg Collegiate Institute. From 1861 to 1866, he was a -school-teacher. In 1868, he went to North Carolina as a pioneer in the -cause of education among the freedmen, and to establish a normal school -in the eighteenth congressional district, and to use his influence -in procuring state aid in organizing a system of common schools. His -success in this enterprise was all that the most sanguine devotee could -have expected. He remained there until the schools were firmly fixed -upon a substantial basis. - -In 1870, Mr. Cardozo removed to Vicksburg, Mississippi. He did not -apply for any office, although it is well known that all the offices in -the State were in that year filled by appointment of the governor,--but -he went to work, and organized a large school in the city, which soon -took rank among the first in the State. In 1871, at the earnest -solicitation of the members of the Republican party, he became a -candidate for, and was elected to, the office of Circuit Clerk of -Warren County. For the manner in which he has discharged the intricate -duties of that very responsible office, he elicited the highest -compliments from the judge as well as the members of the bar. - -Mr. Cardozo has recently been nominated for State Superintendent of -Education, a position which he is in every way well qualified to fill. -He will bring to the office a practical knowledge which will be of -great service to the State, and a lasting benefit to the race with whom -he is identified. - -Modest and reserved, dignified and gentlemanly, Mr. Cardozo is -calculated to gain the esteem and confidence of all with whom he may -come in contact. - - -LOUISE DE MORTIE. - -Although born free, in Norfolk, Virginia, Mrs. De Mortie’s education -was limited. This, however, she strove to improve by studying when the -time for her school days had passed. She came to Boston in 1853, we -believe, and made it her home. In the autumn of 1862, Mrs. De Mortie -began as a public reader in Boston, and her rare ability, eloquent -rendering of the poets, pleasing manner, and good sense, gained for -her a host of admiring friends, among whom were some of the leading -men and women of the country, and a successful public career seemed -to be before her. But hearing of the distress and want amongst the -colored children of New Orleans, left orphans by the war, she resolved -to go there, and devote herself to their welfare. Although urged by -her relatives and friends at the North to leave New Orleans until the -yellow fever had ceased, she refused to desert her post, saying that -her duty was with her helpless race. - -In 1867, Mrs. De Mortie undertook to raise the means to build an Orphan -Home, and succeeded in obtaining the amount required for the erection -of the building. But her useful career was cut short by the yellow -fever. She died on the tenth of October, 1867, in the thirty-fourth -year of her age. She bore her illness with Christian fortitude, and in -her last moments said, with a childlike simplicity, “I belong to God, -our Father.” - -The announcement of her death was received with regret by her large -circle of friends at the North, while the newspapers of New Orleans, -her adopted home, spoke of her in the most eulogistic terms. - -Mrs. De Mortie was a remarkably gifted and brilliant woman. In personal -appearance, she was somewhat taller than the middle height, with a -Grecian cast of countenance, eyes dark and sparkling, lips swelling, -forehead high, refined manners, and possessing energy which always -brings success. In fact, it may be truthfully said, that Louise De -Mortie was one of the most beautiful of her sex. - - -EBENEZER D. BASSETT. - -Mr. Bassett is a self-made man, and may safely be put forward as -one of the best representatives of his race. Born at Litchfield, -Connecticut, in 1833, Mr. Bassett graduated, the foremost scholar of -his class, at the Birmingham Academy, when quite young, and afterwards -graduated at the Connecticut State Normal School, with high honor, in -1853. He immediately thereafter removed to New Haven, took charge of -a public grammar school in that city, and eagerly availed himself of -the facilities afforded by Yale College, to prosecute the study of -the classics, mathematical science, and general literature. In 1855, -he was called by the Orthodox Society of Friends to the charge of the -Philadelphia Colored High School, which, under his management, became -very widely known as the foremost institution of the kind in the -country. The honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him -by the Lincoln University at Oxford, Pennsylvania. - -On the elevation of General Grant to the presidency, Mr. Bassett became -a candidate for the Haytian Mission, and so well satisfied were the -people generally, that he received the unsolicited endorsement of the -ablest men, colored and white, of all parties. - -He is a mulatto of medium size, prominent features, nearly straight -black hair, neat figure, gentlemanly in personal appearance, -intelligent and chaste in conversation, and possesses a high moral -character. He is a ripe scholar, well versed in the classics, and has -much literary taste. - -As a representative of the United States to another government, Mr. -Bassett has more than fulfilled the most sanguine expectations of his -friends, while the country generally regard him as one of the ablest -of our diplomatic agents. His correspondence with the Home Government -has shown him to be a man of decided ability. Indeed, Mr. Bassett’s -manly deportment, and dignified and high-toned character, have raised -the Haytian mission to a more elevated position than it has ever before -enjoyed. - - -WILLIAM HOWARD DAY. - -As a student at Oberlin College, William Howard Day stood well, and -graduated with honors. He resided some years at Cleveland, Ohio, where, -for a time, he published a weekly newspaper, which rendered timely and -efficient service to the cause of freedom, and the elevation of the -colored people of that State. In 1856 or 1857, he visited England, -where he was much admired for his scholarly attainments, and truly -genuine eloquence. On his return home, Mr. Day became associate -editor of the “Zion’s Standard and Weekly Review.” He now resides at -Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he publishes “Our National Progress,” a -paper devoted to the cause of reform, and the elevation of man. - -As a speaker, Mr. Day may be regarded as one of the most effective of -the present time; has great self-possession, and gaiety of imagination; -is rich in the selection of his illustrations, well versed in history, -literature, science, and philosophy, and can draw on his finely-stored -memory at will. As a writer, Mr. Day is far above newspaper editors -generally, exhibiting much care and thought in many of his articles. As -a speaker and writer, he has done a good work for his race. - -He is a mulatto of ordinary size, has a large and well-balanced head, -high forehead, bright eyes, intellectual and pleasing countenance, -genteel figure, and is what the ladies would call “a handsome man.” Mr. -Day, besides his editorial duties, holds a responsible and lucrative -office in the State Department of Pennsylvania, which he fills with -honor to himself, and profit to the State. - - -HIRAM R. REVELS, D. D. - -Dr. Revels is a native of North Carolina, where, at Fayetteville, -Cumberland County, he was born, a freeman, on the first of September, -A. D., 1822. Passing his boyhood and youth, until about twenty-one -years of age, in North Carolina, he went to northern Indiana, the laws -of his native state forbidding colored schools. The parents of the lad -had been permitted to prepare him somewhat for an education, and he -had been studying, off and on, some years previous to leaving for the -North. He passed two years in Indiana, attending a Quaker school, and -then removed to Dark County, Ohio, where he remained for some time, and -subsequently graduated at Knox College, at Galesburg, Illinois; and -after that, entered the ministry as a preacher of the gospel under the -auspices of the Methodist Church. At this time he was twenty-five years -of age. His first charge was in Indiana. From entering the service -of the church to the present time he has steadily persevered as a -preacher, and is well known as a practical Christian and a zealous and -eloquent expounder of the word. - -After some years in Indiana, he filled important posts in Missouri, -Maryland, Kentucky, and Kansas, in the cause of the African M. E. -Church. He was in Maryland in 1861, at the breaking out of the war, and -materially aided in forming in that State the first Maryland colored -regiment. He was also able to assist in Missouri in raising the first -colored regiment in that State, and returned to Mississippi in 1864, -settling in Vicksburg, where he had charge of a church congregation, -and assisted in organizing other churches, and in forming and putting -into operation the school system, visiting various portions of the -State on his own responsibility, and among other places, preaching in -Jackson. His health failing, Dr. Revels went to the North once more, -after the close of hostilities, where he remained eighteen months. -Returning, he located at Natchez, where he preached regularly to a -large congregation, and where General Ames, then military governor, -appointed him to the position of alderman. In 1869, he was duly elected -to the State Senate. - -In January, 1870, Dr. Revels was selected to represent Mississippi in -the United States Senate, the announcement of which took the country by -surprise, and as the time drew near for the colored senator to appear -in his place in Congress, the interest became intense. Many who had -heard reconstruction discussed in its length and breadth,--by men of -prophetic power and eloquent utterance, by men of merely logical and -judicial minds, by men narrow and selfish, as well as those sophistical -and prejudiced,--and who had no particular interest in the debates, -still came day after day, hoping to see qualified for his seat in the -senate the first colored man presenting himself for so high an office, -the first to be in eminent civil service in the general government. - -At last, on Friday, February 25, 1870, a day never to be forgotten, -at about five o’clock, in the presence of the chamber and galleries -crowded with expectant and eager spectators, the oath was administered -to Hiram R. Revels, by the vice-president. Senator Wilson accompanied -him to the chair, and he was at once waited upon to his seat by the -sergeant-at-arms. - -Saulsbury had done his best to turn backward the wheels of progress; -Davis fought in vain, declaring he would “resist at every step” -this unconstitutional measure, giving illustrations, dissertations, -execrations, and recommendations of and for the “Negro” and his -Republican friends; Stockton, in the interest of law and precedent, -begged that the subject should go to the judiciary committee, but the -party of freedom moved on in solid phalanx of unanimity to the historic -result. Mr. Sumner, who had not taken part in the debate, raised his -voice with impressiveness and power, comprehending the whole question -in a short speech just before the vote. - -Thus was accomplished the last important step in the National -Legislature for those once enslaved, and the crowning rebuke to the -Rebellion, especially as the Mississippi senator took the seat made -vacant by Jefferson Davis when his treason became known to the North -and to the government. After the close of his senatorial course, he -was appointed President of Alcorn University, with a salary of two -thousand five hundred dollars per annum, which place and its emoluments -he left,--at the desire of Governor Powers, and as he thought it his -duty,--to serve as Secretary of State, at the longest possible time, -for less than one year. He had four years still remaining of his office -as President of the University; hence, financially considered, he -sacrificed something in reaching the higher official honors. It is due -to him to say that the appointment was bestowed unsolicited by himself, -through the governor’s belief in his fitness for the position. - -Dr. Revels is a mulatto, of good address, of medium size, hair curly, -features somewhat prominent, with something of the ministerial air. - - -ROBERT B. ELLIOTT. - -Mr. Elliott has the honor of representing in Congress the South -Carolina District, once filled by John C. Calhoun, the most -distinguished man of the olden time from the Palmetto State. We have -not been able to inform ourselves as to Mr. Elliott’s birth-place and -educational advantages; but we understand, however, that he studied and -adopted the law as a profession, in which he stands high. He commenced -his political career at the South, and was a member of the State -Constitutional Convention of South Carolina in 1868; was a member of -the House of Representatives of South Carolina from July 6, 1868, to -October 23, 1870; was appointed, on the 25th of March, 1869, Assistant -Adjutant-General, which position he held until he was elected to the -Forty-second Congress as a Republican. - -Mr. Elliott is black, of unmixed blood, strongly-marked negro -features, close curly hair, bright and penetrating eyes, genteel -in his personal appearance, somewhat English in his accent, a good -speaker, and dignified in his manners. His speeches in Congress, and -his public addresses before his constituents, show him to be a man of -high cultivation. With his own race, Mr. Elliott stands deservedly -well, and commands the respect of the whites everywhere. In Congress, -he is looked upon as an able debater, and is listened to with marked -attention. - - -J. MADISON BELL. - -The negro’s ability to master language, his vivid imagination, his -great delight in rhetorical exercise, his inward enthusiasm, his -seeming power to transport himself into the scene which he describes, -or the emotion he has summoned, has long puzzled the brain of our -deepest and most acute thinkers. The best test of true eloquence is the -effect it produces upon the listener. The finest illustration of the -self-made orator may be found in J. Madison Bell, whose poetic genius, -classic mind, and highly-cultivated understanding has never been -appreciated by our people. - -In the winter of 1867, it was our good fortune to make the acquaintance -of this gentleman, then giving a series of poetical readings at -Washington. His evening’s entertainment was made up entirely of his -own writings, and they were all of a superior character. Mr. Bell is -a rare instance of the combination of the highest excellence of the -poet with the best style of the orator. The oratory of some men is not -easily described; so it is with Mr. Bell. His masterly argument, acute -reasoning, and the soul-stirring appeals to the highest feelings of our -nature soon carry away the listener in an enthusiasm of admiration. -His descriptive powers, both in his writings and his extemporaneous -addresses, are of the highest order. - -Mr. Bell has spent some years in California, where he did much for -the elevation of his race. He now resides in Ohio, and exerts a good -influence in behalf of the cause of universal freedom. He is a mulatto, -of fine physical appearance, high, broad forehead, countenance beaming -with intelligence, handsome, like most of his race who have a mixture -of Anglo-Saxon. Mr. Bell was born in Gallipolis, in 1827, and was in -early life a plasterer by trade, but ere long he laid aside the trowel -for the pen. - - -J. MILTON TURNER. - -The subject of this sketch was born a slave, and resided in Missouri. -He received his education at Oberlin College, where he gained the -reputation of possessing remarkable oratorical ability. Whether he -graduated at that institution or not, we have been unable to learn. It -is said, however, that he has a classical education, and is refined -in his manners. In the last presidential election, Mr. Turner was the -leader of the colored citizens in St. Louis, where it is asserted that -he was the most eloquent man on the stump. - -After the inauguration of President Grant, Mr. Turner received the -appointment of Consul General to Liberia, the government of which -received him with distinguished honors. At his reception, Mr. Turner -said: “In the true spirit of progress, you have planted upon these -shores the germ of a republic that is destined not only to develop -a civilization worthy of the respect and admiration of unborn -generations, but by means of the Christian religion to debarbarize and -benefit for almost immediate usefulness thousands of human beings whose -intellects are to-day debased by the destructive potency of heathenish -superstition.” - - -HENRY M. TURNER, D. D., LL. D. - -Of our many gifted, enthusiastic, and eloquent men, few have been more -favored by nature than Henry M. Turner. A native of South Carolina, -he seems to have the genius and fire of the Calhouns and McDuffies, -without possessing a drop of their blood. Mr. Turner is a good-sized, -fine-looking, brown-skinned man, of forty years of age, with a splendid -voice, fluent in speech, pleasing in gestures, and powerful in his -delivery. It is said that at the tender age of twelve, he had a dream -in which he saw multitudes of men coming to him to be taught.[55] That -dream made an impression that followed him to the present time, and no -doubt had much influence in shaping his course of life. He was licensed -to preach before he had reached his twenty-first year. He joined -the A. M. E. Church in 1857. During the rebellion, President Lincoln -appointed him chaplain of the 1st Regiment, U. S. C. T., and the first, -too, of all the colored chaplains. He resigned his pastoral relations -with his church, and followed his brother-men to the battle-field, and -remained in service till the close of the war. - -In his “Apology,” Tanner says of Dr. Turner: “He is a remarkable man; -and though at times the paraphernalia of the kitchen seems to be in -the parlor, and, _vice versa_, there is always enough of him to demand -the respect of the most learned and the admiration of the masses. More -earnest than polite, a man who thinks for himself, speaks as he feels, -and who fears only God, his memory will not cease with his life--a man -who may truly say with Themistocles, ‘’Tis true I never learned how to -tune a harp, or play upon a lute; but I know how to raise a small and -inconsiderable city to glory and greatness.’” - -In a sermon preached on the death of the Rev. Milton Tillinghast, -pastor of the First Baptist Church, Macon, Georgia, Dr. Turner -shows himself to be an able theologian, and a man of the finest -sensibilities. His “Negro in all Ages” is a production of rare merit, -and exhibits great research. - - -JOSEPH H. RAINEY. - -Mr. Rainey is a native of South Carolina, and was born at Georgetown. -His parents purchased their freedom, and gave the son a good education, -although it was against the law to do such an act. His father was a -barber, and he followed that occupation at Charleston till 1862, when, -having been forced to work on the fortifications of the Confederates, -he escaped to the West Indies, where he remained until the close of the -war, when he returned to his native town. He was elected a delegate -to the State Constitutional Convention of 1868, and was a member of -the State Senate of South Carolina in 1870, resigning when elected to -the Forty-first Congress as a Republican to fill the vacancy caused -by the non-reception of B. F. Whittemore, and was re-elected to the -Forty-second Congress as a Republican. - -Mr. Rainey is below the medium size, of a dark olive complexion, -straight, black hair, finely chiseled features, modest in manners, and -dignified in his deportment. Although not what the world would call -an orator, he is, nevertheless, an able debater, and in his reply to -“Sunset” Cox, in the House of Representatives, showed talents superior -to the New Yorker. - - -FANNY M. JACKSON. - -Miss Jackson was born, we believe, in the District of Columbia, -about the year 1837, and was left an orphan while yet a child. She -was brought up by her aunt, Mrs. Sarah Clark. She had but limited -opportunities for education in Washington, in those days. In charge -of Mrs. Orr, she removed to New Bedford when in her sixteenth year. -After remaining here a while, she took up her residence in the family -of Mayor Caldwell, at Newport, Rhode Island. It was at this time that -Miss Jackson evinced those high attributes of mind which have since -culminated in the ripe scholar. - -Her rare genius attracted the attention of Mr. Caldwell, and by his -aid, in connection with Mrs. Clark, she was able to enter school at -Bristol, Rhode Island, and begin the studies of the higher branches. -After due preparation here, Miss Jackson went to Oberlin College, where -she soon took rank with the most industrious and progressive students. -To enable her to assist in paying her increased expenses, she taught -music in families in the village, and thereby aided others while she -was helping herself. Her intellectual aspirations and moral endowments -gained the undivided respect and sympathy of her Oberlin teachers. - -Graduating with honors, Miss Jackson at once took a position as teacher -in the high school for colored youths in Philadelphia, where she is -at present the principal. Her ability in governing an institution -of learning has given her more than a local fame. She believes in -progress, and is still the student. She has written some good articles -for the press, which evince culture of no mean order. As a writer, she -is a cogent reasoner, a deep thinker, taking hold of live issues, and -dealing with them in a masterly manner. - -Miss Jackson has appeared on the platform, and with telling effect. -In her addresses, which are always written, she is more fluent than -eloquent, more solid than brilliant, more inclined to labored arguments -than to rounded periods and polished sentences, and yet no period or -sentence lacks finish. Wit, humor, pathos, irony,--flow from her lips -as freely as water from an unfailing fountain. - -Looking back at her struggles for education and the high position -she has attained as a teacher and a lady of letters, Miss Jackson is -altogether one of the most remarkable women of our time. - -In person, she is of medium size; in complexion, a mulatto; features, -well-defined, with an intelligent cast of countenance. The organ of -benevolence is prominently developed, as are the organs of causality, -comparison, ideality, and sublimity. This accounts for the elegance of -her diction, the dazzle of her rhetoric, and the native grace of her -fascinating powers. Irreproachable in her reputation, with her rare -gifts and moral aspirations, Miss Jackson cannot fail to be of untold -benefit to her race. - - -ALONZO J. RANSIER. - -Mr. Ransier is, in every respect, a self-made man. Born in Charleston, -South Carolina, and, although his parents were free, they had to -contend with poverty on the one hand and slavery on the other, and -the son’s opportunities for education were poor. It is said that he -never had any regular schooling. Yet he so far advanced in a common -business education that at the age of sixteen years he was engaged -in shipping cotton, rice, and other produce for some of the leading -commercial houses in Charleston. Throughout all his business relations, -Mr. Ransier gained the respect and confidence of those with whom he had -dealings. - -Immediately after the war, he contributed much towards the first -Republican Convention held in his State, 1866, and was chosen by it -to convey a memorial from that body to the Congress of the United -States, setting forth the grievances of the loyal people, and asking -the protection and aid of the government in their behalf. He remained -in Washington nearly one month, as a member of what was known as the -“Outside Congress,” which was composed of the leading colored men from -all parts of the country. He was chairman of the executive committee of -that body. - -He was a member of the constitutional convention, and presidential -elector on the Grant and Colfax ticket in 1868. He conducted that -campaign, as chairman of the Republican State Executive Committee, -with great judgment and ability. He was auditor of Charleston County, -and resigned it on accepting the nomination as a candidate for -lieutenant-governor. Being elected by a large majority to the latter -position, he became, _ex-officio_, presiding officer of the senate, -and, as such, was very popular among the members, because of his just -rulings and courteous manners. - -He is known to be favorable to general amnesty, and somewhat -conservative upon many questions of public policy, but no one has ever -assailed his private reputation. He may be regarded as one of the most -reliable and influential men in the South. - -Mr. Ransier is a mulatto, under forty years of age, of good address, -energetic, and at times enthusiastic, full of activity, genial, -good-natured, genteel in his personal appearance, and has all the -bearing of a well-bred gentleman. He has been elected to a seat in -Congress, where he will no doubt ably represent his race, and prove -a valuable addition to the cause of Republicanism. As a speaker, -Mr. Ransier stands well, being a good debater, always using refined -language and--what is better than all,--good sense in his arguments. - - -ISAIAH C. WEARS. - -To be a good debater is one of the noblest gifts of God to a public -speaker. There are thousands of men in and out of the pulpit, who can -deliver sermons and addresses, original or selected, and do it in the -most approved style of oratory, and yet cannot debate a simple question -with a child. This may seem extravagant to those who have not been -behind the curtain with public men. A proficient and reliable debater -must have brains, a well-stored mind, with ability to draw upon the -resources at will; then the gift of gab, a temper entirely under his -control, and must possess a common degree of politeness. Give such a -man a fair cause, and you have a first-class debater. We listened to -the ablest men in and out of the British Parliament twenty years ago, -when Brougham, Derby, Thompson, Disraeli, Cobden, and a host of English -orators, were in their prime, and we sat with delight in the gallery of -the French Assembly when the opposition was led by Lamartine. We spent -twenty-five years with the abolitionists of our own country, and in -whose meetings more eloquence was heard than with any other body of men -and women that ever appeared upon the world’s platform. And after all, -we have come to the conclusion that the most logical, ready, reliable, -and eloquent debater we have ever heard is a black man, and that black -man, the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. - -Isaiah C. Wears is a resident of Philadelphia, but a native of -Baltimore, Maryland, and is about fifty years of age. For more than -a quarter of a century he has been a leading man in his city, and -especially in the organization and support of literary societies. The -“Platonian Institute,” “Garrisonian Institute,” “The Philadelphia -Library Company,” and some smaller associations, owe their existence to -the energy, untiring zeal, and good judgment of Mr. Wears. Fidelity to -the freedom and elevation of his own race kept him always on the alert, -watching for the enemy. The Colonization Society found in him a bitter -and relentless foe; and the negro, an able and eloquent advocate. - -He has long stood at the head of “The Banneker Institute,” one of -the finest and most useful associations in our country, and where we -have listened to as good speeches as ever were made in the halls of -Congress. Mr. Wears is not confined in his labors to the literary and -the political, but is one of the foremost men in the church, and, had -he felt himself called upon to preach, he would now be an ornament to -the pulpit. - -In person, he is small, of neat figure, pure in his African origin, -intelligent countenance, and an eye that looks right through you. Mr. -Wears has a good education, is gentlemanly in appearance, well read, -with a character unimpeachable, and is a citizen honored and respected -by all. - - -JOSIAH T. WALLS. - -Josiah T. Walls was born at Winchester, Virginia, December 30, 1842; -received a common-school education; is a planter; was elected a member -of the State Constitutional Convention in 1868; was elected a member of -the House of Representatives of the State Legislature in 1868; after -serving one year, was elected to the State Senate for four years in -1869, and was elected to the Forty-second Congress as a Republican, -from the State of Florida. - -In stature, Mr. Walls is slim and thin; in complexion, a mulatto; -close, curly hair; genteel in dress; polite in manners; and well -esteemed by those who know him best. - -He sometimes reads his speeches, which makes him appear dull; but, in -reality, he is a man of force and character, and has done a good work -in his adopted State. - -Mr. Walls is deeply interested in agriculture, and takes pride in -inculcating his well-informed views in the freedmen, whose welfare -he has at heart. As a farmer, he ranks amongst the foremost in his -locality, and his stock is improved far above that of his neighbors. - - -JOHN PATTERSON SAMPSON. - -James D. Sampson, of North Carolina, the father of the subject of this -notice, by his wealth and enterprise as a house carpenter, gave the -Sampson family distinction in that State many years ago. They were -free people, of Scottish and African lineage, who valued education -highly, and boasted somewhat of their revolutionary ancestry. He -educated his children at Northern schools, and (by special legislation) -before the war, was allowed certain privileges for his family. It -was a question, however, with the authorities, after he had erected -several fine buildings, whether he should be allowed to live in the one -intended for his family, although the street in the neighborhood of his -property took his name. - -John, Benjamin, and Joseph were inclined to literary professions. -Benjamin, probably the best scholar, graduated at Oberlin College; was -professor of the classics at the Avery Institute, in Pennsylvania, -and is now filling a similar position with credit, at Wilberforce, -Ohio. John P. Sampson, the most active in public life, was born in -Wilmington, North Carolina, 1838. At an early age, he was sent to -Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he acquired a common-school education; -then among the first colored youth entering the white schools of -Boston, he graduated from Comer’s College through a course in -book-keeping, navigation, and civil engineering, but began life as a -teacher in the public schools of New York, until inspired by a speech -from William Watkins, when he gave up the school, and engaged to -canvass New York under Horace Greeley and James M’Cune Smith, in behalf -of Negro Suffrage, continuing for several years in the lecturing field -through the West. - -He published the “Colored Citizen” several years at Cincinnati, the -only colored war-policy paper published during the war, and was aided -by the Christian Commission, which circulated thousands among the -colored soldiers. The paper was generally quoted as the soldiers’ -organ. At the same time, he edited through the mail a paper published -by a company of colored men in Louisville, Kentucky. He studied -theology at the Western Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, and -was ordained elder over a prosperous congregation in Alleghany, -Pennsylvania; was principal of the Phonetic Academy, at Bowling Green, -Kentucky, assisted by Professor Murray and other able teachers. He -accepted an engagement in the work of reconstruction; was commissioned -by General Howard to look after schools in the Third District of North -Carolina; elected treasurer and assessor of Wilmington; nominated for -the Legislature, and soon became a prominent candidate for Congress; -and might have succeeded, were it not for some perversion of his -father’s connection with the purchase of slaves before the war, in -order to assist them in obtaining their freedom. - -Becoming interested in the profession of the law, he gave up his -prospects in the South, stood a clerical examination at Washington, was -appointed to a clerkship in the Treasury, read law at the National Law -University, graduated, and was admitted to practice in the District -Supreme Court. He soon became prominent in district politics, published -a spirited campaign paper, was engaged by the general committee -to speak in the Republican canvass of 1872, and has since been -commissioned by Governor Cook as one of the justices for the district, -in connection with his present position at the Treasury. - -Mr. Sampson is an able writer, an eloquent and interesting speaker, -polished and gentlemanly in his manners, and highly respected. In -person, he is tall and slim, with a genteel figure, well-balanced head, -bright eye, and a countenance beaming with intelligence. - - -BENJAMIN S. TURNER. - -Mr. Turner is a man of large size, full chest, and broad shoulders, -flat nose, curly hair, and has the appearance of having experienced -plantation life. - -He was born in Halifax County, North Carolina, March 17, 1825; was -raised as a slave, and received no early education, because the laws -of that State made it criminal to educate slaves; removed to Alabama -in 1830, and, by clandestine study, obtained a fair education; is now -a dealer in general merchandise; was elected tax collector of Dallas -County, in 1867, and councilman of the city of Selma, in 1869; and was -elected to the Forty-second Congress as a Republican from the State -of Alabama. Mr. Turner, though always in his seat during the sitting -of the House, is very quiet; is seldom seen conversing; votes, but -never speaks; has a reputation for good sense and political business -sagacity. He has the unbounded confidence of his constituents, and is -looked up to as a leader amongst his people. - - -P. B. S. PINCHBACK. - -Struggling upward from the colored man’s starting-point in the -South, and at last reaching a seat in the United States Senate, Mr. -Pinchback has placed himself in the front rank of the race which his -color represents. His position as Lieutenant-Governor of the State of -Louisiana, at a time when true courage, manly vigor, great prudence, -and good judgment were needed, showed him to be in possession of some -of the best qualities of a statesman. - -The wily Warmoth found more than his match in his attempts to make a -tool of the colored man. Becoming acting Governor of the State, he -surprised even his most intimate friends in the ability he exhibited. - -For the victory over Warmoth, and the great benefit that will -accrue from it to the State, the people of Louisiana owe much to -Acting-Governor Pinchback. Had he accepted the tendered bribe of -Warmoth, and acted as his accomplice, the outrages upon the treasury -of the State, the installation of persons as State officials against -the expressed wish of the people, would have been carried out without -any means of redress being left in the hands of the people. By the -patriotic action of Governor Pinchback, the calamities that would have -followed the continuance of the power of Warmoth were averted, and a -greater feeling of security at once sprang up amongst the masses. - -The colored population of Louisiana have reason to be proud that one of -their race was so conspicuously instrumental in seizing the opportunity -for opening the way to rid the State of that power which had retarded -its progress. - -The statesmanlike conduct of Oscar J. Dunn and Mr. Pinchback reflects -great credit upon the intelligence of the colored citizens of that -commonwealth. - -Mr. Pinchback is a man of energy, eloquent in speech, gentlemanly in -manners, kind and hospitable, and is said to be a man of wealth. - - -JAMES LYNCH. - -Mr. Lynch was born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, about the year -1840. His father, who followed a mercantile pursuit, was a freedman, -and his mother had been a slave, but had her liberty purchased by -her husband. While quite young, James was employed in caring for his -father’s interests, and there are those living who remember him as a -remarkably smart and fine appearing lad, driving the delivery team -which hauled goods to his father’s patrons in the city. As soon as -old enough, he was sent to Hanover, New Hampshire, to enter Kimball -University, from which institution, in due time, he graduated with -usual honors. - -After completing his education, Mr. Lynch went to Indiana, where he -was a preacher of the Gospel for some years. He then went to Galena, -Illinois, where he married. We next hear of him in Philadelphia, -pursuing the honorable calling of editor of the “Recorder,” a popular -Methodist publication. He was known everywhere as an eloquent speaker -and able and fluent writer, and he moved in as good society as perhaps -any of his compeers enjoyed. - -In the year 1867, Mr. Lynch removed to the State of Mississippi, and -filled the pulpit in one of the Methodist churches in Jackson. He there -became editor of a religious journal. - -Lynch’s articles were always carefully prepared, thoughtful, -argumentative, and convincing, and undoubtedly performed a good work -wherever read. - -He first became politically prominent in Mississippi in what is -denominated as the “Dent-Alcorn” campaign of 1869, when he was -nominated for the office of Secretary of State by the Republicans, -made the canvass with the best speakers in the State, and was duly -elected and qualified, and up to the time of his decease had ably -and efficiently filled all the requirements of that important and -responsible position. - -Mr. Lynch was of a brown, or coffee color, a little below the medium -size, good features, gentlemanly and kind-hearted, a genial companion, -and well beloved by all who knew him. He died on the 18th of December, -1872. - - -WILLIAM STILL. - -The subject of this sketch is a native of the State of New Jersey, and -was born in Burlington County, on the 7th of October, 1821. He was -brought up on a farm owned by his father and mother, Levin and Charity -Still. The immediate neighborhood of his birth-place afforded but -little advantage for the education of the poorer class of whites, much -less for colored children, who had to meet the negro-hating prejudice -of those times; yet William’s thirst for knowledge and love of books -created in his favor a good impression with the teacher of the common -school, which obtained for the lad a quarter’s schooling, and some -additional aid on rainy days. - -The colored boy’s companions were all white, nevertheless his good -behavior, earnest zeal, and rapid advancement gained him the friendship -of both teacher and scholars, and did much to break down the prejudice -against the colored race in that vicinity. - -By assiduous study and outside aid he became proficient in reading, -writing, and arithmetic, and, as age advanced, paid considerable -attention to the classics. - -The harsh prejudice of race which William Still was called upon to -meet in his business intercourse with the whites, early made him -deeply interested in the cause of freedom, then being advocated by -the Abolitionists, and he became a subscriber to one of their weekly -journals. At this time he was the only colored man in the town that -took such a paper, and it was hard work, with his small wages, to meet -its subscription and postage demands. - -Seeing the bad effects of the use of intoxicating liquors in the -community, Mr. Still early adopted the principles of temperance, to -which he tenaciously clings to the present day. - -Well-grounded in moral, religious, and temperance views, William Still, -at the age of twenty-three years, went to the city of Philadelphia to -reside. - -Although the temptations of the great Babel were laid before him, his -early convictions kept him from yielding. - -The long connection of William Still with the anti-slavery office -in Philadelphia, his intimate relationship with the Pennsylvania -Abolitionists, a body of men and women of whom too much cannot be said -in their praise, and the deep interest he felt in the fleeing bondmen -passing through that city to Canada, has brought him very prominently -before the American people. - -Mr. Still is well educated, has good talents, and has cultivated -them. He is an interesting and forcible writer, and some of the -stories of escaped slaves, which he has recently put forth in his -valuable work, “The Underground Railroad,” point him out as one of the -best benefactors of his race. After the beginning of the war of the -slaveholders had made it certain that slavery would be abolished, and -the close of the anti-slavery office in Philadelphia, Mr. Still went -into the coal trade, by which he has become independent. - -Upright and honest in all his dealings, a faithful friend, blameless -in his family relations, an affectionate husband and father, we have -always taken pride in putting forth William Still as a model man. - -The subject of this sketch is of medium size, unadulterated in race, -prominent and regular features, always a smile upon his countenance, -affable, humorous, neat in his person, gentlemanly in his deportment, -and interesting in his conversation. With all classes of good men and -women who know him, both colored and white, no man stands higher, or is -regarded with more confidence, than William Still. - - -PETER H. CLARK. - -As an acute thinker, an eloquent and splendid speaker, possessing -rare intellectual gifts, fine education with large culture, a moral -nature full of sympathy and benevolence for all mankind, Peter H. -Clark justly stands in the foremost rank of the noted men of his race. -Although not an old man, Mr. Clark has, for the past quarter of a -century, taken a prominent part in all of the great conventions called -to consider the condition, and the best means for the moral, social, -and political elevation of the colored population of the United States. -Mr. Clark was associated with Frederick Douglass in the editorial -management of the “North Star” twenty years ago, and his articles were -always fresh, vigorous, and telling. - -In the various political contests in the State of Ohio for the last ten -years, he has taken a foremost position, and his appearance at public -meetings in Hamilton County has done much towards annihilating the -prejudice so rampant in that section. - -His argumentative speeches, scholastic attainments, and gentlemanly -bearing, have been of untold benefit to his race throughout Ohio. - -During the Rebellion, when the colored citizens of Cincinnati were -sorely and cruelly abused, Peter H. Clark stepped forward as their -representative man, and nobly did he do his duty. - -The history of “The Black Brigade,” written at that time, did him great -credit, and was of immense value to the black man. - -Mr. Clark is a resident of Cincinnati, and is the principal of the -Gaines High School in that city. To him, probably more than to any -other man, are the colored people there indebted for the inculcation of -the creditable desire for education and advancement true of them. - -He is somewhat below the middle size, thin, sharp features, bright -eye, rather of a dyspeptic appearance, hospitable and kind, upright -and gentlemanly in all the relations of life, with a host of admirers -wherever he is known. No man has been truer to his oppressed people -than Peter H. Clark, and none are more deserving of their unlimited -confidence than he. - -To the pen of Mr. Clark we are indebted for the sketch of John I. -Gaines, in this work. - - -FRANCES ELLEN HARPER. - -Mrs. Harper is a native of Maryland, and was born in Baltimore, in -1825, of free parents. What she was deprived of in her younger days in -an educational point of view, she made up in after years, and is now -considered one of the most scholarly and well-read women of the day. -Her poetic genius was early developed, and some of her poems, together -with a few prose articles, with the title of “Forest Leaves,” were -published, and attracted considerable attention, even before she became -known to the public through her able platform orations. - -An article on “Christianity,” by Mrs. Harper, will stand a comparison -with any paper of the kind in the English language. - -Feeling deeply the injury inflicted upon her race, she labored most -effectually by both pen and speech for the overthrow of slavery, and -for ten years before the commencement of the Rebellion, the press -throughout the free states recorded her efforts as amongst the ablest -made in the country. - -Few of our American poets have written verses more pointed against -existing evils, than Frances Ellen Harper. Her eloquent poem, “To the -Union Savers of Cleveland,” on the return of a fugitive slave to her -master at the South, will always be read with a feeling of indignation -against the people of the North who could suffer such things to be done. - -“The Slave Mother” will stand alongside of Whittier’s best poems on -the “Peculiar Institution.” The poems on “The Proclamation,” and the -“Fifteenth Amendment,” will be read by her race with delight in after -ages. - -All of Mrs. Harper’s writings are characterized by chaste language, -much thought, and a soul-stirring ring that are refreshing to the -reader. - -As a speaker, she ranks deservedly high; her arguments are forcible, -her appeals pathetic, her logic fervent, her imagination fervid, and -her delivery original and easy. Mrs. Harper is dignified both in public -and in private, yet witty and sociable. She is the ablest colored lady -who has ever appeared in public in our country, and is an honor to the -race she represents. - -In person, Mrs. Harper is tall, and of neat figure; mulatto in color, -bright eyes, smiling countenance, and intelligent in conversation. - - -WILLIAM F. BUTLER. - -Mr. Butler is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and came to the States -in 1853. Three years later, he was ordained by Rev. William H. Bishop, -and began as a preacher of the Zion M. E. Church. He is now pastor of -St. Mark’s Church, New York. For the past three or four years, Mr. -Butler has taken an active part in the politics of the Empire State, -and was sent as a delegate to the National Republican Convention that -nominated General Grant for his second term, and in which assembly he -exercised considerable influence with the colored delegates from the -South. - -Mr. Butler is a man of good education, well read, of retentive memory, -able in debate, quick to take advantage of an opponent, an eloquent, -extemporaneous speaker, and popular with the masses. - -He is considered “headstrong” by the older preachers of “Zion,” and -came out from that connection a few years since, and has built up the -church over which he now presides. He has great energy and force of -character, and will generally be found in the front rank, rather than -as a follower. In stature, Mr. Butler is below the medium, of neat -figure, genteel in appearance, of mixed blood, sharp, bright eyes, -pleasing countenance, easy in manners, and interesting in conversation. -He is about thirty years of age. In all emergencies, he has been -considered true to his race, and may be regarded as a representative -man. - - -T. MORRIS CHESTER. - -Mr. Chester is a native of Pennsylvania, and is by profession, a -lawyer. He spent some years in Liberia, returned home, and took -an honorable part in the war of the Rebellion. He has travelled -extensively in Europe, making a good impression wherever he appeared. -In 1867, Hon. C. M. Clay, Minister to Russia, in a correspondence with -the State Department at Washington, said of Mr. Chester’s visit to St. -Petersburg:-- - -“SIR:--Captain T. Morris Chester, late of the United States Volunteer -Army, being in St. Petersburg, coming well recommended by distinguished -citizens of the United States, and being also well educated, and of -good address, I called upon the minister of foreign affairs, and told -him that I would not apply in the usual way, by note, to have Captain -Chester, a colored American citizen, presented to his Imperial Majesty, -as there was no precedent, and I did not know how his Imperial Majesty -would be disposed to act; but I desired that he would approach his -Imperial Majesty in an informal way, and ascertain his wishes in this -regard. The assistant minister of foreign affairs, Mr. De Westmann, -acquiesced in the proposal, and, in a few days, wrote me that the -Emperor had given orders to have Captain Chester’s name put upon the -list of persons for the first presentation. - -“To-day being the occasion of a grand review of the imperial guard, the -Emperor sent an invitation to Captain Chester to assist in the review, -which he did, riding around with his Imperial Majesty’s staff, and -taking lunch at the winter palace with the staff officers and a portion -of the Imperial family, who accompanied the Emperor at the lunch. - -“I have made these facts known to you, as I regard the affair of some -importance. We have four millions of colored citizens; they are with -us, and of us, for good as well as evil. - -“I think that it is the duty of all good citizens to try and elevate -the African race in America, and inspire them with all possible -self-respect, and prepare them for that ultimate influence which they -must sooner or later have, upon the political and economical interests -of the United States. These are the views which have influenced my -action in this case, which, not partisan in their character, I should -hope would be satisfactory to all patriotic Americans.” - -Mr. Chester is of pure African origin, a splendid looking man, with -manners highly cultivated. - - -JOSEPH J. CLINTON, D. D. - -Joseph J. Clinton is a native of Philadelphia, born October 3, 1823, -possesses a good, common-school education, studied at the Alleghany -Institute, but did not graduate. He was apprenticed to Francis Chew, -a hair-worker, and learned that trade. At the age of fifteen, he -experienced religion, joined the Zion Methodist denomination, and -became an ardent advocate of the cause of Christ. He began as a lay -preacher, at the early age of seventeen. At eighteen, he went into -business for himself in the hair work, yet continued dispensing the -Gospel to those who would hear. - -In 1843, Bishop Clinton was ordained an elder, and in 1856, was made -bishop. During the civil war, he spent almost his entire time at the -South. As chaplain of the First United States Colored Regiment, Colonel -Holman, Mr. Clinton did a good work amongst his race. He did not -confine himself to mere camp duties, but performed a mission work which -had its influence amongst the slaves, far and wide. Seeing that the -spread of the Gospel was of greater importance than remaining with a -regiment, Bishop Clinton gave himself entirely up to gospel missionary -work. He organized ten conferences, ordained and licensed seven hundred -ministers, admitted two hundred thousand members in the denomination, -brought one hundred thousand children into the Sabbath School, -and travelled in all of the Southern States. In 1869, he visited -California, and organized a conference in San Francisco. - -In person, Bishop Clinton is stout, fleshy, and well-proportioned. -He has a full face, which indicates the best of health and happy -contentment; countenance mild, benignant and thoughtful, with an -expression of integrity, denoting his inability to do a mean thing. -The bishop is a good declaimer, and the outbursting and overwhelming -effusions of his natural eloquence, the striking originality of his -conceptions, the irresistible power of his captivating voice, the vivid -and copious display of illustration, thrill and charm the hearer. He is -justly popular with the public, as well as with his own denomination. -He presides in the conferences with great dignity and impartiality, -deciding questions according to Cushing and justice, and without -fear or favor. Bishop Clinton resides in the city of Philadelphia, -surrounded by a loving family and a host of admiring friends. - - -BENJAMIN T. TANNER, D. D. - -Dr. Tanner is the editor of the “Christian Recorder,” the organ of the -African Methodist Episcopal Church (Bethel). He is a mulatto of medium -size, modest and genteel, social and pleasant in conversation, and -has a classical education. Tanner’s “Apology for African Methodism,” -is the ablest written work yet produced upon that subject. In it, he -employs facts and statistics, but they have the varied beauty of the -rainbow, and the golden glow of the sunlight, when viewed through the -prism of his rich imagination. There are but few men who can excel him -in description; indeed, he wields a masterly pen in that department -of literature, every idea being full of thought. As editor of “The -Recorder,” he has written many witty, pithy, and brilliant sentiments. -There is a tinge of opulent fancy running through his editorials which -always refreshes one. As a speaker, Dr. Tanner ranks well, being -fluent, ready, easy in his manner, and reliable in his statements. - -The wide reputation of his journal, outside of his own denomination, -is probably the best test of his ability as a newspaper conductor. He -has done much to build up Methodism among our people, and to inculcate -the feeling for a better educated ministry, which is everywhere needed. -Dr. Tanner’s efforts towards the elevation of his race have been of -lasting good, and, as he is still a young man, we look forward to his -accomplishing more in the large field before him. As a citizen of -Philadelphia, he is enterprising, energetic, and works for the public -good. He is highly respected by all classes, and justly holds the -position of a representative man, whose title was gained by merit, and -not by favor. - - -SINGLETON T. JONES, D. D. - -Singleton T. Jones is a native of Pennsylvania, and is about fifty -years of age. He is tall, and of a fine figure, pleasing countenance, -bright eye, and unadulterated in race and color. He commenced -travelling as a preacher of the Zion Methodist denomination in the year -1847, and was ordained a bishop in 1868. He is a man of surpassing -power and eloquence. His sermons are brilliant with unmeasured poetry, -and abound in wit, invective, glowing rhetoric, and logic. - -The bishop often surprises his attentive listeners with his historical -knowledge. When in the pulpit, he throws light on the subject by the -coruscations of his wit, drives home a truth by solid argument, and -clinches it by a quotation from Scripture, and a thrilling and pointed -appeal which moves his audience like a shock from an electric battery. -No one sleeps under the preaching of Bishop Jones, for he has long been -considered the most eloquent man in his denomination. His character is -without a blemish, and he is blest with a large circle of friends, and -the happiest family relations. - - -JERMIN W. LOGUEN. - -Born a slave at the South, and escaping to the free states some thirty -years ago, Jermin W. Loguen passed through the fiery ordeal that -awaited every fugitive lecturer or preacher in those days. He was -among the earliest of those to take stock in the underground railroad, -and most nobly did he do his work. For more than twenty years Bishop -Loguen labored in season and out of season, in western New York, as an -efficient conductor on the road, helping the fugitive on his way to -Canada. As a lecturer, his varied experience, eloquent and effective -speeches, did much to change public opinion in behalf of liberty. - -As a preacher, he was very popular with the Zion Methodist -denomination, with whom he acted. His education was limited, yet he -used good language, both in his sermons and addresses. He was made a -bishop some time about 1868, and discharged his duties with credit to -himself, and satisfaction to his people. - -But Bishop Loguen will be remembered longer for his humanitarian work. -If to have been true and faithful to the cause of his people in the day -of their sorrow and destitution, when friends were few, and enemies -were many; if to have been eyes to the blind, legs to the lame, bread -to the hungry, and shelter to the outcast of our afflicted and hunted -people when it was the fashion in America to hunt men; if to have -devoted a whole life to works of humanity and justice, entitles a man -to the respect and esteem of his fellow-men, and especially, of the -class benefited, Jermin W. Loguen has well earned such respect and -esteem. - -In person, he was of large frame, of mixed blood, strong, manly -voice, fine countenance, genteel in his manners, and interesting in -conversation. He died in 1871. - - -RUFUS L. PERRY. - -“The National Monitor” is a wide-awake journal, edited by Rufus L. -Perry, a live man, in every sense of the term. As corresponding -secretary of “The Consolidated American Educational Association,” Mr. -Perry has been of great benefit to the cause of education at the South -amongst the freedmen who so much need such efforts. His society is -mainly engaged in sending into the field approved missionary preachers -and teachers; organizing schools and missions on a self-sustaining -basis, in the more interior portions of the South; looking up, and -having on hand, qualified colored teachers, to send out as they may be -called for. - -The association is under the auspices of the Baptist denomination, and -the “National Monitor,” of which Mr. Perry is editor, may be termed an -organ of that sect. The columns of the paper show well the versatile -character of the gentleman whose brain furnishes the mental food for -its readers, and the cause of its wide-spread popularity. - -Mr. Perry is a self-made man, well educated, possessing splendid -natural abilities, an able and eloquent speaker, popular with other -religious bodies as well as his own, and makes himself generally useful -wherever he may happen to be. He is devotedly attached to his race, and -never leaves a stone unturned to better their moral, social, religious, -and political condition. - -As a resident of Brooklyn, New York, his influence is felt in building -up and maintaining the character of the colored people. Mr. Perry is -considered one of the most efficient of the Baptist clergymen of the -“City of Churches.” - - -LEONARD A. GRIMES. - -A native of Loudon County, Virginia, born in Leesburg, in 1815, of free -parents, Leonard A. Grimes was subjected to all the disabilities that -his race had to endure in the South, except being a bound slave. While -yet a boy, young Grimes went to Washington, where he was employed in -a butcher’s shop, and afterwards in an apothecary’s establishment. He -subsequently hired himself out to a slaveholder, whose confidence he -soon gained. Accompanying his employer in some of his travels in the -remote South, he had an opportunity of seeing the different phases of -slave life; and its cruelty created in his mind an early hatred to the -institution, which lasted him during his long and eventful career. - -On his return to Washington, the subject of this sketch began to take -an interest in the underground railroad, and to him many escaped slaves -were indebted for their freedom. A free colored man with a slave wife -and seven children appealed to Mr. Grimes to aid them to escape, for -the wife and children were to be carried to the far South. Through the -kindness of this good man the family succeeded in reaching Canada, -where they were free. Search was made for the family, suspicion fell -upon Grimes as the author of their escape, he was tried, found guilty, -and sent to the state prison at Richmond for two years. - -At the expiration of his imprisonment, Mr. Grimes returned to -Washington, and soon removed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where -he resided two years, and then came to Boston. A small Baptist -congregation was worshipping in a hall at this time, and they called -Mr. Grimes to be their pastor. In this new field of labor he soon -began to show the great executive ability which was to be a blessing -to his race in Boston. The Twelfth Baptist Church, of which he was the -head for a quarter of a century, and the congregation, consisting of -some of the better class of the colored citizens of the metropolis, is -a monument that no one need be ashamed of. Mr. Grimes was an ardent -anti-slavery man, when many of his clerical brethren were on the other -side of the question. - -Mr. Grimes was a man of great amiability of character, with always a -cheering word and a smile for those with whom he came in contact. As -a preacher, he was a man of power, though he was not an easy speaker. -He was a mulatto of fine appearance, good manners, dignified, and -courteous. No man was more beloved by his friends or respected by the -community. At his funeral, which occurred in March, 1873, more than -fifty carriages were among the long cortege that followed his remains. -It is not often that a man leaves the world with fewer enemies or more -substantial friends than Leonard A. Grimes. - - -JOHN SELLA MARTIN. - -John Sella Martin is a native of the State of North Carolina, and was -born at Charlotte, in 1832. He was the slave of his master, who sold -him while he was yet a child. Part of his life was passed in Georgia -and Louisiana, from the latter of which States he escaped in 1856. -Mr. Martin resided some time at Chicago, studied for the ministry at -Detroit, and was first settled over a church at Buffalo. He came to -Boston in 1859, and was introduced to the public at Tremont Temple, -by Rev. Mr. Kalloch, for whom he preached several weeks, during that -gentleman’s vacation. The impression which Mr. Martin made while at -the Temple was very favorable; and after supplying a pulpit for some -time at Lawrence, he was settled over the Joy Street Baptist Church in -Boston. He has since preached in New York and Washington, but is now -engaged in politics, having renounced the ministry three or four years -since. - -Mr. Martin has visited England three times, and is well informed upon -matters pertaining to that country, as well as this. He is an easy -speaker, fluent and ready, and gives the impression of a man well -informed on the subject upon which he talks. He was, for a time, editor -of the “National Era,” and then corresponding editor of the same paper. -However, he lacks stability of purpose. In his newspaper articles, Mr. -Martin evinces considerable literary ability. In person, he is of mixed -blood, gentlemanly in his appearance, and refined in his manners. - - -“MOSES.” - -For eight or ten years previous to the breaking out of the Rebellion, -all who frequented anti-slavery conventions, lectures, picnics, and -fairs, could not fail to have seen a black woman of medium size, upper -front teeth gone, smiling countenance, attired in coarse, but neat -apparel, with an old-fashioned reticule, or bag, suspended by her -side, and who, on taking her seat, would at once drop off into a sound -sleep. This woman was Harriet Tubman, better known as “Moses.” - -She first came to Boston in 1854, and was soon a welcome visitor to -the homes of the leading Abolitionists, who were always attentive -listeners to her strange and eventful stories. Her plantation life, -where she was born a slave at the South, was cruelly interesting. Her -back and shoulders, marked with the biting lash, told how inhuman was -the institution from which she had fled. A blow upon the head had -caused partial deafness, and inflicted an injury which made her fall -asleep the moment she was seated. Moses had no education, yet the most -refined person would listen for hours while she related the intensely -interesting incidents of her life, told in the simplest manner, but -always seasoned with good sense. - -During her sojourn in Boston, Moses made several visits to the South, -and it was these that gave her the cognomen of “Moses.” Men from -Canada, who had made their escape years before, and whose families were -still in the prison-house of slavery, would seek out Moses, and get her -to go and bring their dear ones away. How strange! This woman,--one -of the most ordinary looking of her race; unlettered; no idea of -geography; asleep half of the time,--would penetrate the interior slave -states, hide in the woods during the day, feed on the bondsman’s homely -fare at night, bring off whole families of slaves, and pilot them to -Canada, after running the gauntlet of the most difficult parts of the -Southern country. No fugitive was ever captured who had Moses for a -leader. - -While in Canada, in 1860, we met several whom this woman had brought -from the land of bondage, and they all believed that she had -supernatural power. Of one man we inquired, “Were you not afraid of -being caught?” - -“O, no,” said he, “Moses is got de charm.” - -“What do you mean?” we asked. - -He replied, “De whites can’t catch Moses, kase you see she’s born wid -de charm. De Lord has given Moses de power.” - -Yes, and the woman herself felt that she had the charm, and this -feeling, no doubt, nerved her up, gave her courage, and made all who -followed her feel safe in her hands. - -When the war broke out, instinct called Moses into active service, and -she at once left for the South. Long before Butler’s “Contraband of -War” doctrine was recognized by the government, Moses was hanging upon -the outskirts of the Union army, and doing good service for those of -her race who sought protection in our lines. When the Negro put on the -“blue,” Moses was in her glory, and travelled from camp to camp, being -always treated in the most respectful manner. These black men would -have died for this woman, for they believed that she had a charmed life. - -It is said that General Burnside, on one occasion, sent Moses into the -enemy’s camp, and that she returned in due time, with most valuable -information. During the last year of the Rebellion, she had in her -possession a paper, the presentation of which always gained for her a -prompt passage through any part of the Union lines. - -Moses followed Sherman in his march “From Atlanta to the Sea,” and -witnessed the attack on Petersburg. The great deference shown her by -the Union officers, who never failed to tip their caps when meeting -her, and the strange stories told of her pioneer adventures, and the -substantial aid given by her to her own race, has left with them a -lasting impression that Moses still holds “the charm.” - - -MARY SHADD CAREY. - -Mary Ann Shadd Carey is a native of Delaware, and has resided for -several years in Canada. She is tall and slim, with a fine head, which -she carries in a peculiar manner. She has good features, intellectual -countenance, bright, sharp eyes, that look right through you. She holds -a legitimate place with the strong-minded women of the country. - -Mrs. Carey received a far better education than usually fell to the lot -of the free colored people of her native State, and which she greatly -improved. She early took a lively interest in all measures tending -to the elevation of her race, and has, at various times, filled the -honorable positions of school teacher, school superintendent, newspaper -publisher and editor, lecturer, and travelling agent. As a speaker, she -ranks deservedly high; as a debater, she is quick to take advantage of -the weak points of her opponent, forcible in her illustrations, biting -in her sarcasm, and withering in her rebukes. - -Mrs. Carey is resolute and determined, and you might as well attempt -to remove a stone wall with your little finger, as to check her in -what she conceives to be right and her duty. Although she has mingled -much in the society of men, attended many conventions composed almost -exclusively of males, and trodden paths where women usually shrink to -go, no one ever hinted aught against her reputation, and she stands -with a record without blot or blemish. Had she been a man, she would -probably have been with John Brown at Harper’s Ferry. - -When the government determined to put colored men in the field to aid -in suppressing the Rebellion, Mrs. Carey raised recruits at the West, -and brought them on to Boston, with as much skill, tact, and order -as any of the recruiting officers under the government. Her men were -always considered the best lot brought to head-quarters. Indeed, the -examining surgeon never failed to speak of Mrs. Carey’s recruits as -faultless. This proves the truth of the old adage, that “It takes a -woman to pick out a good man.” Few persons have done more real service -for the moral, social, and political elevation of the colored race than -Mrs. Carey. She is a widow, and still in the full-orbed womanhood of -life, working on, feeling, as she says, “It is better to wear out, than -to rust out.” - - -GEORGE L. RUFFIN. - -One of the most damaging influences that the institution of slavery had -on the colored population of the country, was to instill in the mind of -its victim the belief that he could never rise above the position of -a servant. The highest aspiration of most colored men, thirty years -ago, was to be a gentleman’s body servant, a steward of a steam-boat, -head-waiter at a first-class hotel, a boss barber, or a boot-black with -good patronage, and four or five boys under him to do the work. Even -at this day, although slavery has been abolished ten years, its spirit -still clings to the colored man, and, more especially, at the North. To -wait at parties, attend weddings and dinners, and above all, to be a -caterer, seems to be the highest aim of our Northern young men, when, -to be a good mechanic, would be far more honorable, and have greater -tendency towards the elevation of the race. A few exceptions to what I -have penned above are to be found occasionally, and one of these is the -gentleman whose name heads this sketch. - -George L. Ruffin was born in Richmond, Virginia, of free parents, and -of course had limited educational opportunities. He came to Boston some -twenty years ago, and followed the calling of a hairdresser up to about -five years since, when he began the study of the law with Honorable -Harvey Jewell. In due time, he was admitted to the bar, and is now in -the enjoyment of a good practice in his profession. One of the most -praiseworthy acts connected with Mr. Ruffin’s elevation, is that he -studied law while he was at his barber’s chair, and dependent upon it -for a living. - -As a member of the Massachusetts Legislature, Mr. Ruffin exhibited -scholarly attainments in his speeches that placed him at once amongst -the foremost men of that body. As a speaker, he is interesting, for his -addresses show that he gives his subjects a thorough canvassing before -he delivers them. Mr. Ruffin is a good student, and is destined, we -think, to rise still higher in his profession. - -He takes a deep interest in the elevation and welfare of his race, is -prominent in all public meetings, has a happy faculty in discharging -the duties of presiding officer, or chairman of a committee, and writes -resolutions that are readable, as well as to the purpose for which they -are intended. Mr. Ruffin is highly respected in the community, and has -done much in his dealings with prominent citizens to lift upward the -standard of the colored man. He is of mixed blood, short, stout, with -a rather pleasing cast of countenance, and features good to look upon. -In speaking to our young men, we have often mentioned the career of Mr. -Ruffin as worthy of imitation. - - -RICHARD T. GREENER. - -Richard T. Greener is a graduate of Harvard University, which, under -ordinary circumstances, is considered a passport to future usefulness -and preferment. Soon after leaving college, he was invited to become -a teacher in the institute for colored youth, at Philadelphia. Here -his labors were highly appreciated, and many regrets were manifested -on his leaving to take charge of another institution of learning at -Washington, where he now resides. - -Mr. Greener takes a deep interest in everything tending towards -the development of the genius of the race, and has written some -very readable articles on education for the “New National Era.” His -writings exhibit considerable research, a mind well stored from -English literature, and show that he is a man of industry and progress. -Long before leaving college, Mr. Greener gave evidence of possessing -talents for the platform, and recent speeches and addresses place him -in the advanced ground in the art of oratory. - -Mr. Greener is a mulatto, and, in personal appearance, is of medium -size, good figure, well-balanced head, intellectual face, interesting -conversationalist, and eager for distinction. Mr. Greener is not -more than twenty-eight or thirty years of age, and has before him a -brilliant future. He is a good representative of our rising young men, -and is well calculated to inspire the youth of the country with noble -feelings for self-elevation. His motto is “the young men to the front.” -But he should remember that while the young men may take a legitimate -place at the front, the old men must not be asked to take a back seat. -The race cannot afford, yet a while, to dispense with the services of -the “Old Guard.” - - -LEWIS H. DOUGLASS. - -The senior editor of the “New National Era” is the eldest son of -Frederick Douglass, and inherits a large share of the father’s -abilities. He was born in Massachusetts, has a liberal education, is a -practical printer, received excellent training in the office of “The -North Star,” at Rochester, New York, and is well calculated to conduct -a newspaper. Mr. Douglass distinguished himself at the attack on Fort -Wagner, where the lamented Colonel Robert G. Shaw fell. His being the -first to ascend the defences surrounding the fort, and his exclamation -of “Come, boys, we’ll fight for God and Governor Andrew,” was at the -time commented upon by the press of Europe as well as of our own -country. - -Mr. Douglass is an active, energetic man, deeply alive to every -interest of his race, uncompromising in his adherence to principle, and -is a valuable citizen in any community. He has held several important -positions in Washington, where his influence is great. He is a good -writer, well informed, and interesting in conversation. In asserting -his rights against the proscriptive combinations of the printers -of Washington, Mr. Douglass was more than a match for his would-be -superiors. As a citizen, he is highly respected, and is regarded as -one of the leading men of the district. He is of medium size, a little -darker in complexion than the father, has a manly walk, gentlemanly in -his manners, intellectual countenance, and reliable in his business -dealings. His paper, the “New National Era,” is well conducted, and -should receive the patronage of our people throughout the country. - - -RICHARD H. CAIN. - -Mr. Cain is well known as a Methodist preacher of some note, having -been a leading man in that denomination for many years. During the -Rebellion he took up his residence in South Carolina, where his good -judgment, industry, and executive ability gave him considerable -influence with his race. In the Constitutional and Reconstruction -Conventions Mr. Cain took an active part, and in the State Legislature, -gave unmistakable evidence of a knowledge of state affairs. He has been -called to fill several positions of honor and trust, and discharged his -duties with signal ability. - -The moral, social, religious, and political elevation of his people has -long claimed a large share of Mr. Cain’s time and attention. - -As an editor, he exhibited much literary tact and talent in conducting -his paper, urging in its columns education, character, and wealth, -as a basis for man’s elevation. In 1872, he was elected to Congress, -representing the city of Charleston. As a politician, Mr. Cain stands -high in his State, being considered one of their ablest stump-speakers, -and stump-speaking is regarded at the South as the best quality of an -orator. Mr. Cain is nearly pure in blood, rather under the medium size, -bright eye, intelligent countenance, strong, loud voice, energetic -in his actions, throwing some dramatic fervor into his elocutionary -powers, and may be termed an enthusiastic speaker. Gentlemanly in his -manners, blameless in his family relations, staunch in his friendship, -honest in his dealings with his fellow-men, Mr. Cain may be regarded as -a representative man, and an able one, too. - - -STEPHEN SMITH. - -In no state in the Union have the colored people had greater obstacles -thrown in the way of their moral, social, and political elevation, -than in Pennsylvania. Surrounded by a population made up of the odd -ends of all countries, the German element predominating, with a large -sprinkling of poor whites from the Southern States, holding prejudice -against the race, the blacks of Pennsylvania have had a hard struggle. -Fortunately, however, for them, there were scattered over the State -a few representative men, who, by their industry, honesty, and moral -courage did much to raise the character and standard of the colored man. - -Foremost among these was Stephen Smith, who, while a young man began -life as a lumberman in Columbia, where, for twenty-five years, he -was one of the principal dealers in that business. By upright and -patient labor, Mr. Smith amassed a fortune, removed to the city of -Philadelphia, where he has since resided, and where he has long been -one of the pillars of society. - -For many years, the subject of this sketch has been an acceptable -preacher in the Methodist denomination, to which sect he has given -liberally of his vast means. Several years ago, Mr. Smith built a -church at his own expense, and gave it to his people. More recently, he -has erected and endowed an asylum for the poor of his race. - -Mr. Smith is a mulatto, of medium size, strongly built, fascinating -countenance, yet plain looking, with indelibly marked features. He is -now in the sunset of life, and his head is thickly sprinkled with gray -hairs. Although he is in the autumn of his years, he is still vigorous, -attending to his own business, preaching occasionally, and looking -after the interest of “our people.” - -Always interested in the elevation of man, few have done more for his -race than Stephen Smith. He is highly respected, and has the entire -confidence of the people of his own city, as well as all who enjoy his -acquaintance. - - -LEWIS HAYDEN. - -Thirty years ago, the underground railroad was in full operation, and -many daring attempts were made by Northern men to aid slaves in their -escape to a land of freedom. In some instances, both the fugitives and -their friends were captured, taken back, tortured, and imprisoned. The -death of the Rev. Charles T. Torrey, in the Maryland Penitentiary, for -helping away a family of slaves; the branding of Jonathan Walker for -the same offence; the capture of Captain Daniel Drayton for bringing -off a number of bondmen in his vessel, the “Pearl;” and the long and -cruel imprisonment of the Rev. Calvin Fairbanks, are historical facts -well known to the old Abolitionists. - -The subject of this sketch was born in Lexington, Kentucky, where he -spent his early days in slavery. Lewis Hayden and his family made their -escape from the State of Kentucky in the year 1846; by the assistance -of the Rev. Calvin Fairbanks and Miss Delia A. Webster. Both of the -above persons suffered cruelly, for their kindness to the fugitives. -Miss Webster, after several months’ imprisonment, was liberated, but -Mr. Fairbanks remained in the State Prison at Frankfort, Kentucky, more -than ten years, during which time everything was done by officials of -the prison to make his confinement as painful as possible. - -To the great credit of Mr. Hayden, he labored faithfully to secure the -release of his friend, and was, we believe, the means of shortening his -sufferings. - -With his family, Mr. Hayden took up his residence in Boston, where he -has since remained, and where he now enjoys the respect and confidence -of a large circle of friends. - -Daring the reign of terror, caused by the attempt to enforce the -Fugitive Slave Law, in the return of escaped bondmen, Mr. Hayden became -conspicuous as one of the most faithful friends of his race, daring -everything for freedom, never shrinking from any duty, and never -counting the cost. - -For the past dozen years, he has held a situation at the State House, -and, last winter, served in the Legislature, where his speeches and his -votes were given for reform. - -While he does not attempt to be an orator, Mr. Hayden is, nevertheless, -a very effective speaker. He is a man of common size, with little or no -Anglo-Saxon blood, genteel in his manners, intelligent in conversation, -and correct in all the relations of life. - - -HENRY GARLAND MURRAY. - -To be able to tell a story, and tell it well, is a gift, and not an -acquirement; a gift that one may well be proud of. The gentleman whose -name heads this sketch, left his sunny home in the Island of Jamaica, -last autumn, and paid a flying visit to our country. We had heard of -Mr. Murray as the able editor of the leading newspaper in Kingston, -and, therefore, he was not an entire stranger to us. - -But his great powers as a lecturer, we were ignorant of. With a number -of friends, we went one evening to listen to a lecture on “Life among -the Lowly in Jamaica.” The speaker for the occasion was Henry G. -Murray, who soon began his subject. He was a man of fine personal -appearance, a little inclined to corpulency, large, electric eyes, -smiling countenance beaming with intelligence, and wearing the air of a -well-bred gentleman. - -He commenced in a calm, cool, moderate manner, and did not depart from -it during the evening. Mr. Murray’s style is true to nature, and the -stories which he gave with matchless skill, convulsed every one with -laughter. He evinced talent for both tragic and comic representation, -rarely combined. His ludicrous stories, graphically told, kept every -face on a grin from the commencement to the end. For pathos, genius, -inimitable humor, and pungent wit, we have never seen his equal. He -possesses the true _vivida vis_ of eloquence. Mr. Murray is a man -of learning, accomplishment, and taste, and will be warmly welcomed -whenever he visits us again. - - -SAMPSON DUNBAR TALBOT. - -Bishop Talbot is a native of Massachusetts, and was born in the town -of Stoughton. He received a good, common-school education at West -Bridgewater, went to the West, and studied theology, and began to -preach, at the age of twenty-five years. Returning East, he preached -in Boston for two years, where he made many friends. He was ordained -a bishop of the A. M. E. Zion Church, about nine years ago, and now -resides in Washington, D. C. - -Bishop Talbot is about fifty-five years of age, of common size and -stature, a dark mulatto, fine head, and thoughtful face, with but -little of the negro cast of countenance. He is a good student, well -read, and better informed than the clergy generally. - -As a speaker, he is sound, clear, thorough, and though not brilliant, -is a very interesting preacher. His dignified, calm utterance has great -power. He is much admired in the pulpit, and never lacks hearers. - -The absence of fire and brimstone in his sermons gives the bishop a -gentlemanly air in the pulpit that strongly contrasts with his brethren -of the cloth. He is a good presiding officer, and rules according to -Cushing. Living a blameless life, having an unblemished reputation, and -taking a deep interest in everything pertaining to the moral, social, -and political condition of the race, Bishop Talbot is highly respected -by all. - - -CHARLES BURLEIGH PURVIS, M. D. - -Dr. Purvis is a son of Robert Purvis, the well-known philanthropist, -and co-worker with William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, and -Lucretia Mott. When a boy, “Burleigh” often met us at the steamer or -the cars, a number of miles away, took us to the homestead at Bybery, -listened to our lecture in the “old hall,” and then returned us to the -train or boat the next morning, and always did it cheerfully, and with -a smile. - -The subject of our sketch was born in Philadelphia, in 1841, received -a collegiate education, graduating A. M.; studied at the Cleveland -Medical College, where, in 1864, he received the degree of M. D. He -entered the army as acting-assistant surgeon during the summer of the -same year. - -Dr. Purvis now resides at Washington, and holds the honorable -position of Professor of _Materia Medica_ and Jurisprudence in Howard -University. The doctor takes a lively interest in the education and -elevation of his race, and exercises considerable influence in the -affairs of the District. - -He inherits much of his father’s enthusiasm and oratorical powers, -and has spoken eloquently and successfully in public meetings and -conventions. - -By close attention to his profession, Dr. Purvis has taken a high -rank as a physician. In complexion, he stands about half-way between -the Anglo-Saxon and the negro, probably throwing in a little mite of -Indian. Like his father, the doctor is of fine personal appearance, -dignified and gentlemanly in his manners, and respected by every one. - - -JOHN J. FREEMAN. - -That spicy and spirited weekly, “The Progressive American,” is edited -by the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. By his native genius, -untiring industry, and scholarly attainments, he has created and kept -alive a newspaper that is a welcome guest in New York, and the country -around. As an editor, Mr. Freeman has been eminently successful, -and his journal now ranks amongst the very best of our papers. His -editorials exhibit more than ordinary tact and talent, and are always -on the side of right, morality, and the elevation of man. He has long -taken a leading part in state affairs, and has held prominent places in -conventions and public meetings. - -As a speaker, he is interesting, and knows what he talks about. - -His speeches consist of strong arguments and spirited appeals. -Personally, Mr. Freeman is sociable and affable in his manners, and -hearty and pleasant in his address. In complexion, he is of a brown -skin, with well-defined features, intellectual forehead, slim and -straight, with a walk something akin to the Indian. He is gentlemanly, -upright, and correct in his intercourse with mankind, and highly -respected as a man of advanced ideas. - - -ELIJAH W. SMITH. - -The subject of this sketch is a grandson of the late Rev. Thomas Paul, -whose eloquence as a preacher is vividly remembered by Bostonians of -forty years ago, as one of the most entertaining of divines. Born in -Boston, Elijah W. Smith is well known as one of her most respected -citizens. He is by trade a printer, which he learned in the office -of “The Liberator,” with Wm. Lloyd Garrison, who always speaks of -“Elijah” with the utmost respect. No one can read Mr. Smith’s poems -without a regret that he has written so little, and yet he has given -us more poetry than any other colored American. Few living poets -understand, better than he, the elements of true poetry. - -The evenness of his numbers, the polish of his diction, the rich melody -of his musically-embodied thoughts, and the variety of his information, -show that Nature has not been sparing in showering her gifts upon him. - -In his poetry Mr. Smith seeks to make mankind, and things around him, -in harmony with a better state of moral existence. - -His contributions to literature will ever tend to delight and instruct -the lovers of liberty and pure and refined society. Most of his -articles have appeared in “The Boston Daily Traveller,” and “The -Saturday Evening Express.” The longest poem contains thirty verses. - -“Keep off the Grass,” and “Welcome to Spring,” shows the author’s -leaning towards Nature. “Crushed At Sedan,” “Vive La France,” and “A -Plea for the Recognition of Cuba,” are the promptings of a sympathetic -heart. “Peter and Joseph’s Trip to Vermont” is full of humor, and shows -that our author is at home in comic poetry. Mr. Smith’s finer feelings -find vent in those beautiful poems the “Winter Song of the Poor,” -and “Merry Christmas,” either of which is enough to give a writer -everlasting fame. - -The Republican Party owes our author a debt of gratitude for the lyrics -he has contributed to its aid in this section. The following lines are -from the beautiful and soul-stirring poem entitled “Freedom’s Jubilee,” -read at a Ratification Meeting of the Fifteenth Amendment: - - - “Glory to God! for the struggle is ended, - Glory to God! for the victory won, - Honor to those who the Right have defended, - Through the long years since the conflict begun. - - “O, may the prayers of those ready to perish - Guard them from harm like a girdle of fire! - Deep in our hearts their good deeds we will cherish, - And to deserve them we’ll ever aspire. - - “God! at Thine altar, in thanksgiving bending, - Grant that our eyes Thy great goodness may see; - O, may Thy light, while the temple’s veil rending, - Show, through its portals, the path of the Free.” - - -“Our Lost Leader,” written on the death of Charles Sumner, is one of -Mr. Smith’s best productions. “The Boston Daily Traveller” says: “This -is a beautiful poem written by Elijah W. Smith, who is a true poet, and -who has produced some of the best poetry called forth by the death of -Mr. Sumner.” - -We can only give the last verse: - - - “Give us the faith to kneel around - Our Country’s shrine, and swear - To keep alive the sacred flame - That SUMNER kindled there!” - - -The “Song of The Liberators” has in it the snap and fire that shows the -author’s sound appreciation of the workers for liberty. We give a few -of those spirited verses, and regret that want of space prevents our -placing the entire poem before the reader: - - - “The battle-cry is sounding - From every hill and vale, - From rock to rock resounding, - Now shall the tyrants quail. - No more with chain and fetter, - No more with prison cell, - Shall despots punish heroes - In the land they love so well. - - “And thou, O Isle of Beauty, - Thy plaintive cry is heard; - Throughout our wide dominions, - The souls of men are stirred; - And rising in their manhood, - They shout from sea to sea, - ‘Destruction to the tyrants! - Fair Cuba shall be free!’” - - -In person Mr. Smith is short, and inclined to be stout, with complexion -of a light brown. - -His head is large and well developed; the expression of his features -are mild and good, his eyes are lively, and the turn of his face is -graceful and full of sensibility, and delicately susceptible of every -impression. - -Still on the sunny side of fifty, and being of studious habits and an -impassioned lover of Nature, we may yet look for valuable contributions -from his versatile pen. - -We hope, ere long, to see his poems given to the reading public in a -collected form, for we are sure that they would be a prized accession -to the current literature of the day, besides the valuable work they -would do for the elevation of his own race. - -Mr. Smith has written more than sixty poems, one of which will be found -in the fore-part of this volume. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[54] “An Apology for Methodism.” B. T. Tanner, p. 388. - -[55] Tanner’s “Apology,” p. 415. - - - - -“MY SOUTHERN HOME,” - -Or, the South and Its People. - -BY DR. WM. WELLS BROWN. - - -PRICE, $1.00 PER COPY. - - -The following are some of the comments of the Press:-- - - - “This book may well be termed the great inside view of the South. - It runs back for fifty years, and gives the state of society in - the olden time. For wit and humor it has had no equal. Dr. Brown - faces the whole problem of the negroes’ past and future in a - manly, sensible, incisive way.”--_Daily Advertiser, Boston._ - - “The work is full of spicy incidents and anecdotes.”--_The - Commonwealth, Boston._ - - “The book is very entertaining and suggestive, and will be read - with pleasure and profit.”--_Zion’s Herald, Boston._ - - “Dr. Brown has given us an interesting book.”--_The Journal, - Boston._ - - “A racy book, brim full of instruction, wit, and humor, and will - be read with delight.”--_Daily Transcript, Boston._ - - “Dr. Brown has written a very interesting and instructive volume - upon the South and its people at the present time. The book is - illustrated with an engraving of the author, which does no justice - at all to the handsome features of one of the most able of the - anti-slavery orators of the past generation.”--_Sunday Herald, - Boston._ - - “The most graphic and racy work yet written on the South and its - people.”--_New York Times._ - - “Dr. Brown gives an interesting picture of the South, discusses - the Negro question with sound sense and logical force, and clearly - points out to the proscribed colored man the way to rise and rank - as a man among men. We commend the book to our readers.”--_The - National Monitor, Brooklyn, N. Y._ - - “The style is easy and pleasing. The portrayal is wonderful. - Throughout the work there is a vein of humor running which is - a characteristic of the author, and creative of side-splitting - laughter in its effect. Be sure and get the book.”--_Virginia - Star, Richmond, Va._ - - “‘My Southern Home,’ is a true and faithful picture of Southern - Whites and Blacks. Read the book by all means.”--_Herald and - Pilot, Nashville, Tenn._ - - “Dr. Brown has written an interesting book.”--_Fred Douglass._ - - -A. G. BROWN & CO., Publishers, Boston, Mass. - - -“THE NEGRO IN THE REBELLION:” - -HIS HEROISM AND HIS FIDELITY. - -Containing 380 Pages, Bound in Cloth, Price, $1.50. - - -This splendid work was published in 1867, and nearly the whole edition -was burnt in the great Boston fire, so that but few copies were sold. - -The universal demand now, for the only History which has done justice -to the heroism of the colored Americans in the late war, induces us to -get out this new edition. - - -_The following are some of the comments of the Press_:-- - - - “William Wells Brown, M.D., the colored historian, is an author of - whom the American Negro ought to feel proud. He has written much, - and become popular as an author. - - “Commencing with the first cargo of slaves landed in the Colonies - in 1620, Dr. Brown carries the Negro through the war of 1812, - the John Brown Raid, and the Rebellion, portraying in a graphic - manner the horrors of the slave-trade, the different struggles of - individual Negroes for the freedom of themselves and brothers; and - finally gives a complete and detailed history of the part taken - by the colored man in the late war, which showed to the world the - true heroism and fidelity of the race. - - “The book is full of interesting and instructive facts, told in a - fascinating way.”--_The National Monitor, Brooklyn, N. Y._ - - “Dr. Brown has laid his race under great obligations to him for - writing this History of the services of the Negro in the Wars for - American Liberty.”--_Wm. Lloyd Garrison._ - - “The Negro in the Rebellion is a needed accession to our - literature, and does the author great credit.”--_New York Tribune._ - - “Every soldier of the war, and especially every colored soldier, - will want this book.”--_New York Evening Post._ - - -A. G. BROWN & CO., Publishers, Boston, Mass. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RISING SON, OR, THE ANTECEDENTS -AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE COLORED RACE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Wells Brown, M. D.. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - - p { margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; - } - - p.bold {text-align: center; font-weight: bold;} - p.bold2 {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;} - - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; - } - h1 span, h2 span { display: block; text-align: center; } - #id1 { font-size: smaller } - - - hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; - } - - hr.smler { - width: 5%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 47.5%; - margin-right: 47.5%; - clear: both; - } - - body{margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; - } - - table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; text-align: right;} - - .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - text-indent: 0px; - } /* page numbers */ - - .center {text-align: center;} - .smaller {font-size: smaller;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - .mynote { background-color: #DDE; color: black; padding: .5em; margin-left: 20%; - margin-right: 20%; } /* colored box for notes at beginning of file */ - .space-above {margin-top: 3em;} - .right {text-align: right;} - .left {text-align: left;} - .s3 {display: inline; margin-left: 3em;} - .s8 {display: inline; margin-left: 8em;} - - .poem {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} - .poem br {display: none;} - .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - .poem div {margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - .poem div.i1 {margin-left: 1em;} - .poem div.i2 {margin-left: 2em;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - -<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Rising Son, or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored Race, by Wm. Wells Brown</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Rising Son, or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored Race</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Wm. Wells Brown</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: March 31, 2021 [eBook #64971]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: hekula03, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RISING SON, OR, THE ANTECEDENTS AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE COLORED RACE ***</div> - -<div class="mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber's Note:<br /><br /> -Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.<br /></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/front.jpg" alt="front" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/frontis.jpg" alt="Wm. Wells Brown" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="title page" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<h1>THE <br /><br />RISING SON;</h1> - -<p class="bold space-above">OR,</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">THE ANTECEDENTS AND ADVANCEMENT<br />OF THE COLORED RACE.</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">BY</p> - -<p class="bold2 space-above">WM. WELLS BROWN, M. D.</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">AUTHOR OF “SKETCHES OF PLACES AND PEOPLE ABROAD,” “THE<br /> -BLACK MAN,” “THE NEGRO IN THE REBELLION,”<br />“CLOTELLE,” ETC.</p> - -<p class="bold space-above"><i>Thirteenth Thousand.</i></p> - -<p class="bold space-above">BOSTON:<br />A. G. BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS.<br />1882.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="center">Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873,<br /> -<span class="smcap">By</span> A. G. BROWN<br />In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - -<h2>PREFACE.</h2> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p>After availing himself of all the reliable information obtainable, the -author is compelled to acknowledge the scantiness of materials for a -history of the African race. He has throughout endeavored to give a -faithful account of the people and their customs, without concealing -their faults.</p> - -<p>Several of the biographical sketches are necessarily brief, owing to -the difficulty in getting correct information in regard to the subjects -treated upon. Some have been omitted on account of the same cause.</p> - -<p class="right">WM. WELLS BROWN.</p> - -<p>Cambridgeport, Mass.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span class="smcap">Publishers’ Note to the 13th Edition.</span></h2> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p>Few works written upon the colored race have equaled in circulation -“The Rising Son.”</p> - -<p>In the past two years the sales have more than doubled in the Southern -States, and the demand for the book is greatly on the increase. Twelve -thousand copies have already been sold; and if this can be taken as an -index to the future, we may look forward with hope that the colored -citizens are beginning to appreciate their own authors.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>WELCOME TO “THE RISING SON.”</h2> - -<p class="center">BY ELIJAH W. SMITH.</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>Come forth, historian of our race,</div> -<div class="i1">And with the pen of Truth</div> -<div>Bring to our claim to Manhood’s rights,</div> -<div class="i1">The strength of written proof;</div> -<div>Draw back the curtain of the past,</div> -<div class="i1">And lift the ages’ pall,</div> -<div>That we may view the portraits grand</div> -<div class="i1">That hang on History’s wall!</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>Tell of a race whose onward tide</div> -<div class="i1">Was often swelled with tears;</div> -<div>In whose hearts bondage has not quenched</div> -<div class="i1">The fire of former years</div> -<div>When Hannibal’s resistless hosts</div> -<div class="i1">Wrought his imperial will,</div> -<div>And brave Toussaint to freedom called,</div> -<div class="i1">From Hayti’s vine-clad hill.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>Write when, in these, our later days,</div> -<div class="i1">Earth’s noble ones are named,</div> -<div>We have a roll of honor, too,</div> -<div class="i1">Of which we’re not ashamed;</div> -<div>If, for the errors of the past,</div> -<div class="i1">In chains did we atone,</div> -<div>God, from our race’s sepulchre,</div> -<div class="i1">Hath rolled away the stone.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>And our dear land, that long hath slept</div> -<div class="i1">Beneath oppression’s spell,</div> -<div>Welcomes the manly fortitude</div> -<div class="i1">That stood the test so well;</div> -<div>Bearing the record, blazoned o’er</div> -<div class="i1">With deeds of valor done,</div> -<div>Up to the Future’s golden door</div> -<div class="i1">He comes, the “Rising Son.”</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span>The battle’s din hath passed away,</div> -<div class="i1">And o’er the furrowed plain</div> -<div>Spring, fresh and green, the tender blades</div> -<div class="i1">Of Freedom’s golden grain;</div> -<div>But eagle eyes must watch the field,</div> -<div class="i1">Lest the fell foe should dare</div> -<div>To scatter, while the sowers sleep,</div> -<div class="i1">Proscription’s noxious snare.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>Lo! shadowy ’mid the forest-trees</div> -<div class="i1">Their demon forms are seen,</div> -<div>And lurid light of baleful eyes</div> -<div class="i1">Flash through the foliage green;</div> -<div>And till completed is the work</div> -<div class="i1">So gloriously begun,</div> -<div>A sentry true on Freedom’s walls</div> -<div class="i1">Stand thou, O “Rising Son!”</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>Go forth! the harbinger of days</div> -<div class="i1">More glorious than the past;</div> -<div>Hushed is the clash of hostile steel,</div> -<div class="i1">The bugle’s battle-blast;</div> -<div>Go, herald of the promised time,</div> -<div class="i1">When men of every land</div> -<div>Shall hasten joyfully to grasp</div> -<div class="i1">The Ethiope’s outstretched hand!</div> -</div></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Memoir of the Author</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER I.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Ethiopians and Egyptians</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_37">36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER II.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Carthaginians</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER III.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Eastern Africa</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Causes of Color</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_78">78</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER V.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Causes of the Difference in Features</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_84">84</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Civil and Religious Ceremonies</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_90">90</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Abyssinians</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Western and Central Africa</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Slave-Trade</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER X.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Republic of Liberia</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_129">129</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Progress in Civilization</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Success of Toussaint</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_150">150</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Capture of Toussaint</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_159">159</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Toussaint a Prisoner in France</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_168">168</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Dessalines as Emperor of Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_173">173</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">War between the Blacks and Mulattoes of Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Christophe as King, and Pétion as President of Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_201">201</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Peace in Hayti, and Death of Pétion</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_209">209</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Boyer the Successor of Pétion in Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_218">218</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Insurrection, and Death of Christophe</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_222">222</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Union of Hayti and Santo Domingo</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_229">229</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Soulouque as Emperor of Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_234">234</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXIV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Geffrard as President of Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_236">236</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Salnave as President of Hayti</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_241">241</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXVI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Jamaica</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_243">243</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXVII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">South America</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_255">255</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXVIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Cuba and Porto Rico</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_258">258</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXIX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Santo Domingo</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_262">262</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Introduction of Blacks into American Colonies</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_265">265</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Slaves in the Northern Colonies</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_270">270</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Colored Insurrections in the Colonies</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_276">276</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Black Men in the Revolutionary War</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_282">282</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXIV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Blacks in the War of 1812</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_286">286</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Curse of Slavery</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_291">291</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXVI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Discontent and Insurrection</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_296">296</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXVII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Growing Opposition to Slavery</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_319">319</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXVIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Mob Law Triumphant</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_322">322</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXIX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Heroism at Sea</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_325">325</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XL.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Iron Age</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_329">329</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Religious Struggles</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_336">336</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_340">340</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Loyalty and Bravery of the Blacks</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_342">342</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLIV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Proclamation of Freedom</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_347">347</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLV.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Blacks enlisted, and in Battle</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_352">352</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLVI.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Negro Hatred at the North</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_382">382</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLVII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Caste and Progress</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_387">387</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLVIII.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Abolitionists</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_393">393</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XLIX.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The New Era</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_413">413</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER L.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="smcap">Race Representatives.</span></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<table summary="Race Representatives"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE. </span></td> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Attucks, C.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_418">418</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Downing, G. T.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_474">474</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Aldridge, Ira.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_489">489</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Dunn, O. J.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_491">491</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Banneker, B.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_425">425</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Douglass, L. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_543">543</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Brown, I. M.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_449">449</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Day, W. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_499">499</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Bell, P. A.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_470">470</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Elliott, R. B.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_403">403</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Butler, W. F.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_525">525</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Forten, C. L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_475">475</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Banister, E. M.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_483">483</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Freeman, J. J.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_551">551</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Bassett, E. D.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_497">497</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Gaines, J. I.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_450">450</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Bell, J. M.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_504">504</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Grimes, L. A.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_534">534</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Campbell, J. P.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_446">446</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Garnett, H. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_457">457</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Clark, P. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_520">520</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Greener, R. T.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_542">542</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Chester, T. M.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_526">526</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Harper, F. E.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_524">524</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Clinton, J. J.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_528">528</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Hayden, L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_547">547</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Carey, M. S.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_539">539</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Jackson, F. M.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_508">508</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Cardozo, T. W.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_495">495</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Jones, S. T.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_531">531</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Cain, R. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_544">544</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Jordan, E., Sir</td> - <td><a href="#Page_481">481</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Douglass, F.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_435">435</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Lewis, E.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_465">465</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Delany, M. R.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_460">460</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Langston, J. M.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_447">447</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span>De Mortie, L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_496">496</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Ransier, A. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_510">510</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Martin, J. S.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_535">535</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Ruffin, G. L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_540">540</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Nell, W. C.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_485">485</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Still, W.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_520">520</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Purvis, C. B.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_549">549</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Simpson, W. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_478">478</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Purvis, R.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_468">468</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Smith, M’Cune</td> - <td><a href="#Page_453">453</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Pinchback, P. B. S.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_517">517</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Smith, S.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_445">445</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Pennington, J. W. C.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_461">461</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Smith, E. W.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_552">552</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Payne, D. A.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_454">454</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Tanner, B. T.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_530">530</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Perry, R. L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_533">533</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Vashon, G. B.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_476">476</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Quinn, W. P.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_432">432</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Wheatley, P.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_423">423</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Reason, C. L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_442">442</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Wayman, ——</td> - <td><a href="#Page_440">440</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Ray, C. B.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_472">472</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Wilson, W. J.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_444">444</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Remond, C. L.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_459">459</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Whipper, W.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_493">493</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Ruggles, D.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_434">434</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Wears, I. C.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_512">512</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Reveles, H. R.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_500">500</a> | </td> - <td class="left">Zuille, J. J.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_473">473</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Rainey, J. H.</td> - <td><a href="#Page_507">507</a> | </td> - <td class="left"></td> - <td></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<h2><i>MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR.</i></h2> - -<p class="center">BY ALONZO D. MOORE.</p> - -<p>Thirty years ago, a young colored man came to my father’s house at -Aurora, Erie County, New York, to deliver a lecture on the subject -of American Slavery, and the following morning I sat upon his knee -while he told me the story of his life and escape from the South. -Although a boy of eight years, I still remember the main features of -the narrative, and the impression it made upon my mind, and the talk -the lecture of the previous night created in our little quiet town. -That man was William Wells Brown, now so widely-known, both at home and -abroad. It is therefore with no little hesitancy that I consent to pen -this sketch of one whose name has for many years been a household word -in our land. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<p>William Wells Brown was born in Lexington, Ky., in the year 1816. His -mother was a slave, his father a slaveholder. The boy was taken to -the State of Missouri in infancy, and spent his boyhood in St. Louis. -At the age of ten years he was hired out to a captain of a steamboat -running between St. Louis and New Orleans, where he remained a year or -two, and was then employed as office boy by Elijah P. Lovejoy, who was -at that time editor of the St. Louis Times. Here William first began -the groundwork of his education. After one year spent in the printing -office, the object of our sketch was again let out to a captain of one -of the steamboats plying on the river. In the year 1834 William made -his escape from the boat, and came North.</p> - -<p>He at once obtained a situation on a steamer on Lake Erie, where, in -the position of steward, he was of great service to fugitive slaves -making their way to Canada. In a single year he gave a free passage -across the lake to sixty-five fugitives. Making his home in Buffalo, -Mr. Brown organized a vigilance committee whose duties were to protect -and aid slaves, while passing through that city on their way to the -“Land of the free,” or to the eastern States. As chairman of that -committee, Mr. Brown was of great assistance to the fleeing bondmen. -The Association kept a fund on hand to employ counsel in case of -capture of a fugitive, besides furnishing all with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> clothing, shoes, -and whatever was needed by those who were in want. Escaping from the -South without education, the subject of our sketch spent the winter -nights in an evening school and availed himself of private instructions -to gain what had been denied him in his younger days.</p> - -<p>In the autumn of 1843, he accepted an agency to lecture for the -Anti-slavery Society, and continued his labors in connection with that -movement until 1849; when he accepted an invitation to visit England. -As soon as it was understood that the fugitive slave was going abroad, -the American Peace Society elected him as a delegate to represent them -at the Peace Congress at Paris.</p> - -<p>Without any solicitation, the Executive Committee of the American -Anti-slavery Society strongly recommended Mr. Brown to the friends -of freedom in Great Britain. The President of the above Society gave -him private letters to some of the leading men and women in Europe. -In addition to these, the colored citizens of Boston held a meeting -the evening previous to his departure, and gave Mr. Brown a public -farewell, and passed resolutions commending him to the confidence and -hospitality of all lovers of liberty in the mother-land.</p> - -<p>Such was the auspices under which this self-educated man sailed for -England on the 18th of July, 1849.</p> - -<p>Mr. Brown arrived in Liverpool, and proceeded at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> once to Dublin, where -warm friends of the cause of freedom greeted him. The land of Burke, -Sheridan, and O’Connell would not permit the American to leave without -giving him a public welcome. A large and enthusiastic meeting held in -the Rotunda, and presided over by <span class="smcap">James Haughton</span>, Esq., gave -Mr. Brown the first reception which he had in the Old World.</p> - -<p>After a sojourn of twenty days in the Emerald Isle, the fugitive -started for the Peace Congress which was to assemble at Paris. The -Peace Congress, and especially the French who were in attendance at -the great meeting, most of whom had never seen a colored person, -were somewhat taken by surprise on the last day, when Mr. Brown made -a speech. “His reception,” said La Presse, “was most flattering. He -admirably sustained his reputation as a public speaker. His address -produced a profound sensation. At its conclusion, the speaker was -warmly greeted by Victor Hugo, President of the Congress, Richard -Cobden, Esq., and other distinguished men on the platform. At the -<i>soirée</i> given by M. de Tocqueville, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, -the American slave was received with marked attention.”</p> - -<p>Having spent a fortnight in Paris and vicinity, viewing the sights, -he returned to London. <span class="smcap">George Thompson</span>, Esq., was among the -first to meet the fugitive on his arrival at the English metropolis. -A few days after, a very large meeting, held in the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>spacious Music -Hall, Bedford Square, and presided over by Sir Francis Knowles, Bart., -welcomed Mr. Brown to England. Many of Britain’s distinguished public -speakers spoke on the occasion. George Thompson made one of his most -brilliant efforts. This flattering reception gained for the fugitive -pressing invitations from nearly all parts of the United Kingdom.</p> - -<p>He narrates in his “Three Years in Europe,” many humorous incidents -that occurred in his travels, and of which is the following:</p> - -<p>“On a cold winter’s evening, I found myself seated before the fire, -and alone, in the principal hotel in the ancient and beautiful town -of Ludlow, and within a few minutes’ walk of the famous old castle -from which the place derives its name. A long ride by coach had so -completely chilled me, that I remained by the fire to a later hour than -I otherwise would have.</p> - -<p>“‘Did you ring, sir?’ asked the waiter, as the clock struck twelve.</p> - -<p>“‘No,’ I replied; ‘but you may give me a light, and I will retire.’</p> - -<p>“I was shown to my chamber, and was soon in bed. From the weight of -the covering, I felt sure that the extra blanket which I had requested -to be put on was there; yet I was shivering with cold. As the sheets -began to get warm, I discovered, to my astonishment, that they were -damp—indeed, wet. My first thought<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> was to ring the bell for the -servant, and have them changed; but, after a moment’s consideration, -I resolved to adopt a different course. I got out of bed, pulled the -sheets off, rolled them up, raised the window, and threw them into -the street. After disposing of the wet sheets, I returned to bed, and -got in between the blankets, and lay there trembling with cold till -Morpheus came to my relief.</p> - -<p>“The next morning I said nothing about the sheets, feeling sure that -the discovery of their loss would be made by the chambermaid in due -time. Breakfast over, I visited the ruins of the old castle, and then -returned to the hotel, to await the coach for Hereford. As the hour -drew near for me to leave, I called the waiter, and ordered my bill. -‘Yes, sir, in a moment,’ he replied, and left in haste. Ten or fifteen -minutes passed away, and the servant once more came in, walked to the -window, pulled up the blinds, and then went out.</p> - -<p>“I saw that something was afloat; and it occurred to me that they had -discovered the loss of the sheets, at which I was pleased; for the -London newspapers were, at that time, discussing the merits and the -demerits of the hotel accommodations of the kingdom, and no letters -found a more ready reception in their columns than one on that subject. -I had, therefore, made up my mind to have the wet sheets put in the -bill, pay for them, and send the bill to the Times.</p> - -<p>“The waiter soon returned again, and, in rather an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> agitated manner, -said, ‘I beg your pardon, sir, but the landlady is in the hall, and -would like to speak to you.’ Out I went, and found the finest specimen -of an English landlady that I had seen for many a day. There she stood, -nearly as thick as she was tall, with a red face garnished around with -curls, that seemed to say, ‘I have just been oiled and brushed.’ A neat -apron covered a black alpaca dress that swept the floor with modesty, -and a bunch of keys hung at her side. O, that smile! such a smile as -none but an adept could put on. However, I had studied human nature -too successfully not to know that thunder and lightning were concealed -under that smile, and I nerved myself for the occasion.</p> - -<p>“‘I am sorry to have to name it, sir,’ said she; ‘but the sheets are -missing off your bed.’</p> - -<p>“‘O, yes,’ I replied; ‘I took them off last night.’</p> - -<p>“‘Indeed!’ exclaimed she; ‘and what did you do with them?’</p> - -<p>“‘I threw them out of the window,’ said I.</p> - -<p>“‘What! into the street?’</p> - -<p>“‘Yes; into the street,’ I said.</p> - -<p>“‘What did you do that for?’</p> - -<p>“‘They were wet; and I was afraid that if I left them in the room they -would be put on at night, and give somebody else a cold.’</p> - -<p>“‘Then, sir,’ said she, ‘you’ll have to pay for them.’ </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> - -<p>“‘Make out your bill, madam,’ I replied, ‘and put the price of the wet -sheets in it, and I will send it to the Times, and let the public know -how much you charge for wet sheets.’</p> - -<p>“I turned upon my heel, and went back to the sitting-room. A moment -more, and my bill was brought in; but nothing said about the sheets, -and no charge made for them. The coach came to the door; and as I -passed through the hall leaving the house, the landlady met me, but -with a different smile.</p> - -<p>“‘I hope, sir,’ said she, ‘that you will never mention the little -incident about the sheets. I am very sorry for it. It would ruin my -house if it were known.’ Thinking that she was punished enough in the -loss of her property, I promised not to mention the name of the house, -if I ever did the incident.</p> - -<p>“The following week I returned to the hotel, when I learned the fact -from the waiter that they had suspected that I had stolen the sheets, -and that a police officer was concealed behind the hall door, on -the day that I was talking with the landlady. When I retired to bed -that night, I found two jugs of hot water in the bed, and the sheets -thoroughly dried and aired.</p> - -<p>“I visited the same hotel several times afterwards, and was invariably -treated with the greatest deference, which no doubt was the result of -my night with the wet sheets.”</p> - -<p>In 1852, Mr. Brown gave to the public his “Three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> Years in Europe,” a -work which at once placed him high as an author, as will be seen by -the following extracts from some of the English journals. The Eclectic -Review, edited by the venerable Dr. Price, one of the best critics in -the realm, said,—“Mr. Brown has produced a literary work not unworthy -of a highly-cultivated gentleman.”</p> - -<p>Rev. Dr. Campbell, in the British Banner, remarked: “We have read Mr. -Brown’s book with an unusual measure of interest. Seldom, indeed, have -we met with anything more captivating. A work more worthy of perusal -has not, for a considerable time, come into our hands.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Brown writes with ease and ability,” said the Times, “and his -intelligent observations upon the great question to which he has -devoted and is devoting his life will command influence and respect.”</p> - -<p>The Literary Gazette, an excellent authority, says of it, “The -appearance of this book is too remarkable a literary event, to pass -without a notice. At the moment when attention in this country is -directed to the state of the colored people in America, the book -appears with additional advantage; if nothing else were attained by -its publication, it is well to have another proof of the capability of -the negro intellect. Altogether, Mr. Brown has written a pleasing and -amusing volume, and we are glad to bear this testimony to the literary -merit of a work by a negro author.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Glasgow Citizen, in its review, remarked,—“W. Wells Brown is no -ordinary man, or he could not have so remarkably surmounted the many -difficulties and impediments of his training as a slave. By dint of -resolution, self-culture, and force of character, he has rendered -himself a popular lecturer to a British audience, and a vigorous -expositor of the evils and atrocities of that system whose chains he -has shaken off so triumphantly and forever. We may safely pronounce -William Wells Brown a remarkable man, and a full refutation of the -doctrine of the inferiority of the negro.”</p> - -<p>The Glasgow Examiner said,—“This is a thrilling book, independent of -adventitious circumstances, which will enhance its popularity. The -author of it is not a man, in America, but a chattel,—a thing to be -bought, and sold, and whipped; but in Europe, he is an author, and a -successful one, too. He gives in this book an interesting and graphic -description of a three years’ residence in Europe. The book will no -doubt obtain, as it well deserves, a rapid and wide popularity.”</p> - -<p>In the spring of 1853, the fugitive brought out his work, “Clotelle; -or, the President’s Daughter,” a book of nearly three hundred pages, -being a narrative of slave life in the Southern States. This work -called forth new criticisms on the “Negro Author” and his literary -efforts. The London Daily News pronounced it a book that would make a -deep impression; while<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> The Leader, edited by the son of Leigh Hunt, -thought many parts of it “equal to anything which had appeared on the -slavery question.”</p> - -<p>The above are only a few of the many encomiums bestowed upon our -author. Besides writing his books, Mr. Brown was also a regular -contributor to the columns of The London Daily News, The Liberator, -Frederick Douglass’ Paper, and The National Anti-slavery Standard. When -we add, that in addition to his literary labors, Mr. Brown was busily -engaged in the study of the medical profession, it will be admitted -that he is one of the most industrious of men. After remaining abroad -nearly six years, and travelling extensively through Great Britain and -on the continent, he returned to the United States in 1854, landing at -Philadelphia, where he was welcomed in a large public meeting presided -over by Robert Purvis, Esq.</p> - -<p>On reaching Boston, a welcome meeting was held in Tremont Temple, with -Francis Jackson, Esq., in the chair, and at which Wendell Phillips -said,—“I rejoice that our friend Brown went abroad; I rejoice still -more that he has returned. The years any thoughtful man spends abroad -must enlarge his mind and store it richly. But such a visit is to a -colored man more than merely intellectual education. He lives for the -first time free from the blighting chill of prejudice. He sees no -society, no institution, no place of resort or means of comfort from -which his color debars him. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> - -<p>“We have to thank our friend for the fidelity with which he has, amid -many temptations, stood by those whose good name religious prejudice -is trying to undermine in Great Britain. That land is not all Paradise -to the colored man. Too many of them allow themselves to be made -tools of the most subtle of their race. We recognize, to-night, the -clear-sightedness and fidelity of Mr. Brown’s course abroad, not only -to thank him, but to assure our friends there that this is what the -Abolitionists of Boston endorse.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Phillips proceeded:—“I still more rejoice that Mr. Brown has -returned. Returned to what? Not to what he can call his ‘country.’ The -white man comes ‘home.’ When Milton heard, in Italy, the sound of arms -from England, he hastened back—young, enthusiastic, and bathed in -beautiful art as he was in Florence. ‘I would not be away,’ he said, -‘when a blow was struck for liberty.’ He came to a country where his -manhood was recognized, to fight on equal footing.</p> - -<p>“The black man comes home to no liberty but the liberty of -suffering—to struggle in fetters for the welfare of his race. It is -a magnanimous sympathy with his blood that brings such a man back. I -honor it. We meet to do it honor. Franklin’s motto was, <i>Ubi Libertas, -ibi patria</i>—Where liberty is, there is my country. Had our friend -adopted that for his rule, he would have stayed in Europe. Liberty for -him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> is there. The colored man who returns, like our friend, to labor, -crushed and despised, for his race, sails under a higher flag. His -motto is,—‘Where my country is, there will I bring liberty!’”</p> - -<p>Although Dr. Brown could have entered upon the practice of his -profession, for which he was so well qualified, he nevertheless, with -his accustomed zeal, continued with renewed vigor in the cause of the -freedom of his race.</p> - -<p>In travelling through the country and facing the prejudice that met -the colored man at every step, he saw more plainly the vast difference -between this country and Europe.</p> - -<p>In giving an account of his passage on the little steamer that plies -between Ithica and Cayuga Bridge, he says,—</p> - -<p>“When the bell rang for breakfast, I went to the table, where I found -some twenty or thirty persons. I had scarcely taken my seat, when a -rather snobby-appearing man, of dark complexion, looking as if a South -Carolina or Georgia sun had tanned him, began rubbing his hands, and, -turning up his nose, called the steward, and said to him, ‘Is it the -custom on this boat to put niggers at the table with white people?’</p> - -<p>“The servant stood for a moment, as if uncertain what reply to make, -when the passenger continued, ‘Go tell the captain that I want him.’ -Away<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> went the steward. I had been too often insulted on account of my -connection with the slave, not to know for what the captain was wanted. -However, as I was hungry, I commenced helping myself to what I saw -before me, yet keeping an eye to the door, through which the captain -was soon to make his appearance. As the steward returned, and I heard -the heavy boots of the commander on the stairs, a happy thought struck -me; and I eagerly watched for the coming-in of the officer.</p> - -<p>“A moment more, and a strong voice called out, ‘Who wants me?’</p> - -<p>“I answered at once, ‘I, sir.’</p> - -<p>“‘What do you wish?’ asked the captain.</p> - -<p>“‘I want you to take this man from the table,’ said I.</p> - -<p>“At this unexpected turn of the affair, the whole cabin broke out -into roars of laughter; while my rival on the opposite side of the -table seemed bursting with rage. The captain, who had joined in the -merriment, said,—</p> - -<p>“‘Why do you want him taken from the table?’</p> - -<p>“‘Is it your custom, captain,’ said I, ‘to let niggers sit at table -with white folks on your boat?’</p> - -<p>“This question, together with the fact that the other passenger had -sent for the officer, and that I had ‘stolen his thunder,’ appeared -to please the company very much, who gave themselves up to laughter; -while<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> the Southern-looking man left the cabin with the exclamation, -‘Damn fools!’”</p> - -<p>In the autumn of 1854, Dr. Brown published his “Sketches of Places and -People Abroad,” that met with a rapid sale, and which the New York -Tribune said, was “well-written and intensely interesting.”</p> - -<p>His drama, entitled “The Dough Face,” written shortly after, and read -by him before lyceums, gave general satisfaction wherever it was heard.</p> - -<p>Indeed, in this particular line the doctor seems to excel, and the -press was unanimous in its praise of his efforts. The Boston Journal -characterized the drama and its reading as “interesting in its -composition, and admirably rendered.”</p> - -<p>“The Escape; or, Leap for Freedom,” followed the “Dough Face,” and -this drama gave an amusing picture of slave life, and was equally as -favorably received by the public.</p> - -<p>In 1863, Dr. Brown brought out “The Black Man,” a work which ran -through ten editions in three years, and which was spoken of by the -press in terms of the highest commendation, and of which Frederick -Douglass wrote in his own paper,—</p> - -<p>“Though Mr. Brown’s book may stand alone upon its own merits, and -stand strong, yet while reading its interesting pages,—abounding -in fact and argument, replete with eloquence, logic, and learning, -clothed with simple yet eloquent language,—it is hard to repress<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> the -inquiry, Whence has this man this knowledge? He seems to have read and -remembered nearly everything which has been written and said respecting -the ability of the negro, and has condensed and arranged the whole into -an admirable argument, calculated both to interest and convince.”</p> - -<p>William Lloyd Garrison said, in The Liberator, “This work has done -good service, and proves its author to be a man of superior mind and -cultivated ability.”</p> - -<p>Hon. Gerritt Smith, in a letter to Dr. Brown, remarked,—“I thank you -for writing such a book. It will greatly benefit the colored race. Send -me five copies of it.”</p> - -<p>Lewis Tappen, in his Cooper Institute speech, on the 5th of January, -1863, said,—“This is just the book for the hour; it will do more for -the colored man’s elevation than any work yet published.”</p> - -<p>The space allowed me for this sketch will not admit the many -interesting extracts that might be given from the American press in -Dr. Brown’s favor as a writer and a polished reader. However, I cannot -here omit the valuable testimony of Professor Hollis Read, in his -ably-written work, “The Negro Problem Solved.” On page 183, in writing -of the intelligent colored men of the country, he says: “As a writer, -I should in justice give the first place to Dr. William Wells Brown, -author of ‘The Black Man.’” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Clotelle,” written by Dr. Brown, a romance founded on fact, is one of -the most thrilling stories that we remember to have read, and shows the -great versatility of the cast of mind of our author.</p> - -<p>The temperance cause in Massachusetts, and indeed, throughout New -England, finds in Dr. Brown an able advocate.</p> - -<p>The Grand Division of the Sons of Temperance of Massachusetts did -itself the honor of electing him Grand Worthy Associate of that body, -and thereby giving him a seat in the National Division of the Sons of -Temperance of North America, where, at its meeting in Boston, 1871, -his speech in behalf of the admission of the colored delegates from -Maryland, will not soon be forgotten by those who were present.</p> - -<p>The doctor is also a prominent member of the Good Templars of -Massachusetts. His efforts, in connection with his estimable wife, for -the spread of temperance among the colored people of Boston, deserve -the highest commendation.</p> - -<p>Some five years ago, our author, in company with others, organized “The -National Association for the Spread of Temperance and Night-schools -among the Freed People at the South,” of which he is now president. -This society is accomplishing great good among the freedmen.</p> - -<p>It was while in the discharge of his duties of visiting the South, in -1871, and during his travels through the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> State of Kentucky, he became -a victim of the Ku-Klux, and of which the following is the narrative:—</p> - -<p>“I visited my native State in behalf of The National Association for -the Spread of Temperance and Night-schools among the Freedmen, and -had spoken to large numbers of them at Louisville, and other places, -and was on my way to speak at Pleasureville, a place half-way between -Louisville and Lexington. I arrived at Pleasureville dépôt a little -after six in the evening, and was met by a colored man, who informed me -that the meeting was to take place five miles in the country.</p> - -<p>“After waiting some time for a team which was expected, we started -on foot, thinking we would meet the vehicle. We walked on until dark -overtook us, and seeing no team, I began to feel apprehensive that all -was not right. The man with me, however, assured me that there was no -danger, and went on. But we shortly after heard the trotting of horses, -both in front and in the rear, and before I could determine what to do, -we were surrounded by some eight or ten men, three of whom dismounted, -bound my arms behind me with a cord, remounted their horses, and -started on in the direction I had been travelling. The man who was with -me disappeared while I was being tied. The men were not disguised, and -talked freely among themselves.</p> - -<p>“After going a mile or more they stopped, and consulted a moment -or two, the purport of which I could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> not hear, except one of them -saying,—‘Lawrence don’t want a nigger hung so near his place.’ They -started again; I was on foot, a rope had been attached to my arms, and -the other end to one of the horses. I had to hasten my steps to keep -from being dragged along by the animal. Soon they turned to the right, -and followed up what appeared to be a cow-path.</p> - -<p>“While on this road my hat fell off, and I called out to the man behind -and said, ‘I’ve lost my hat.’</p> - -<p>“‘You’ll need no hat in half an hour’s time,’ he replied. As we were -passing a log house on this road, a man came out and said, in a -trembling voice, ‘Jim’s dying!’ All the men now dismounted, and, with -the exception of two, they went into the building. I distinctly heard -the cries, groans, and ravings of the sick man, which satisfied me at -once that it was an extreme case of delirium tremens; and as I treated -the malady successfully by the hypodermic remedy, and having with me -the little instrument, the thought flashed upon my mind that I might -save my life by the trial. Consequently, I said to one of the men,—‘I -know what’s the matter with that man, and I can relieve him in ten -minutes.’</p> - -<p>“One of the men went into the house, related what I had said, and the -company came out. The leader, whom they all addressed as ‘Cap,’ began -to question me with regard to my skill in such complaints. He soon -became satisfied, untied me, and we entered the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> sick man’s chamber. My -hands were so numb from the tightness of the cord which bound my arms, -that I walked up and down the room for some minutes, rubbing my hands, -and contemplating the situation. The man lay upon a bed of straw, his -arms and legs bound to the bedstead to keep him from injuring himself -and others. He had, in his agony, bitten his tongue and lips, and his -mouth was covered with bloody froth, while the glare of his eyes was -fearful. His wife, the only woman in the house, sat near the bed with -an infant upon her lap, her countenance pale and anxious, while the -company of men seemed to be the most desperate set I had ever seen.</p> - -<p>“I determined from the first to try to impress them with the idea -that I had derived my power to relieve pain from some supernatural -source. While I was thus thinking the matter over, ‘Cap’ was limping -up and down the room, breathing an oath at nearly every step, and -finally said to me,—‘Come, come, old boy, take hold lively; I want -to get home, for this d—d old hip of mine is raising h—l with me.’ -I said to them,—‘Now, gentlemen, I’ll give this man complete relief -in less than ten minutes from the time I lay my hands on him; but I -must be permitted to retire to a room alone, for I confess that I have -dealings with the devil, and I must consult with him.’ Nothing so -charms an ignorant people as something that has about it the appearance -of superstition, and I did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> want these men to see the syringe, or -to know of its existence. The woman at once lighted a tallow candle, -handed it to ‘Cap,’ and pointed to a small room. The man led the way, -set the light down, and left me alone. I now took out my case, adjusted -the needle to the syringe, filled it with a solution of the acetate of -morphia, put the little instrument into my vest pocket, and returned to -the room.</p> - -<p>“After waving my hands in the air, I said,—‘Gentlemen, I want your -aid; give it to me, and I’ll perform a cure that you’ll never forget. -All of you look upon that man till I say, “Hold!” Look him right in -the eye.’ All eyes were immediately turned upon the invalid. Having -already taken my stand at the foot of the bed, I took hold of the right -leg near the calf, pinched up the skin, inserted the needle, withdrew -it after discharging the contents, slipped the syringe into my pocket, -and cried at the top of my voice, ‘Hold!’ The men now turned to me, -alternately viewing me and the sick man. From the moment that the -injection took place, the ravings began to cease, and in less than ten -minutes he was in perfect ease. I continued to wave my hands, and to -tell the devils ‘to depart and leave this man in peace.’ ‘Cap’ was the -first to break the silence, and he did it in an emphatic manner, for he -gazed steadily at me, then at the sick man, and exclaimed,—‘Big thing! -big thing, boys, d—d if it ain’t!’ </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Another said,—‘A conjurer, by h—ll! you heard him say he deals with -the devil.’ I now thought it time to try ‘Cap,’ for, from his limping, -groaning, and swearing about his hip, it seemed to me a clear case of -sciatica, and I thus informed him, giving him a description of its -manner of attack and progress, detailing to him the different stages of -suffering.</p> - -<p>“I had early learned from the deference paid to the man by his -associates, that he was their leader, and I was anxious to get my -hands on him, for I had resolved that if ever I got him under the -influence of the drug, he should never have an opportunity of putting -a rope around my neck. ‘Cap’ was so pleased with my diagnosis of -his complaint, that he said,—‘Well, I’ll give you a trial, d—d if -I don’t!’ I informed him that I must be with him alone. The woman -remarked that we could go in the adjoining room. As we left the -company, one of them said: ‘You aint agoin’ to kill “Cap,” is you?’ -‘Oh, no!’ I replied. I said, ‘Now, “Cap,” I’ll cure you, but I need -your aid.’ ‘Sir,’ returned he, ‘I’ll do anything you tell me.’ I told -him to lay on the bed, shut his eyes, and count one hundred. He obeyed -at once, and while he was counting, I was filling the syringe with the -morphia.</p> - -<p>“When he had finished counting, I informed him that I would have to -pinch him on the lame leg, so as to get the devil out of it. ‘Oh!’ -replied he, ‘you may pinch as much as you d—d please, for I’ve seen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -and felt h—ll with this old hip!’ I injected the morphia as I had done -in the previous case, and began to sing a noted Methodist hymn as soon -as I had finished. As the medicine took effect, the man went rapidly -off into a slumber, from which he did not awake while I was there, for -I had given him a double dose.</p> - -<p>“I will here remark, that while the morphia will give most instant -relief in sciatica, it seldom performs a perfect cure. But in both -cases I knew it would serve my purpose. As soon as ‘Cap’ was safe, I -called in his companions, who appeared still more amazed than at first. -They held their faces to his to see that he breathed, and would shake -their heads and go out. I told them that I should have to remain with -the man five or six hours. At this announcement one of the company got -furious, and said, ‘It’s all a trick to save his neck from the halter,’ -and concluded by saying at the top of his voice, ‘Come to the tree, to -the tree!’ The men all left the room, assembled in the yard, and had a -consultation. It was now after eleven o’clock, and as they had a large -flask of brandy with them they appeared to keep themselves well-filled, -from the manner in which the room kept scented up. At this juncture -one of the company, a tall, red-haired man, whose face was completely -covered with beard, entered the room, took his seat at the table, drew -out of his pocket a revolver, laid it on the table,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> and began to -fill his mouth with tobacco. The men outside mounted their horses and -rode away, one of whom distinctly shouted, ‘Remember, four o’clock.’ -I continued to visit one and then the other of the invalids, feeling -their pulse, and otherwise showing my interest in their recovery.</p> - -<p>“The brandy appeared to have as salutary effect on the man at the -table as the morphia had on the sick, for he was fast asleep in a few -minutes. The only impediment in the way of my escape now was a large -dog, which it was difficult to keep from me when I first came to the -house, and was now barking, snapping, and growling, as if he had been -trained to it.</p> - -<p>“Many modes of escape suggested themselves to me while the time was -thus passing, the most favored of which was to seize the revolver, rush -out of the house, and run my chance with the dog. However, before I -could put any of these suggestions into practice, the woman went out, -called ‘Lion, Lion,’ and returned, followed by the dog, which she made -lie down by her as she reseated herself. In a low whisper, this woman, -whose fate deserves to be a better one, said,—‘They are going to -hang you at four o’clock; now is your time to go.’ The clock was just -striking two when I arose, and with a grateful look, left the house. -Taking the road that I had come, and following it down, I found my hat, -and after walking some distance out of the way by mistake, I reached<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> -the station, and took the morning train for Cincinnati.”</p> - -<p>I cannot conclude this sketch of our author’s life without alluding to -an incident which occurred at Aurora, my native town, on a visit to -that place in the winter of 1844.</p> - -<p>Dr. Brown was advertised to speak in the old church, which he found -filled to overflowing, with an audience made up mostly of men who had -previously determined that the meeting should not be held.</p> - -<p>The time for opening the meeting had already arrived, and the speaker -was introduced by my father, who acted as chairman.</p> - -<p>The coughing, whistling, stamping of feet, and other noises made by -the assemblage, showed the prejudice existing against the anti-slavery -cause, the doctrines of which the speaker was there to advocate. This -tumult lasted for half an hour or more, during which time unsalable -eggs, peas, and other missiles were liberally thrown at the speaker.</p> - -<p>One of the eggs took effect on the doctor’s face, spattering over -his nicely-ironed shirt bosom, and giving him a somewhat ungainly -appearance, which kept the audience in roars of laughter at the expense -of our fugitive friend.</p> - -<p>Becoming tired of this sort of fun, and getting his Southern blood -fairly aroused, Dr. Brown, who, driven from the pulpit, was standing in -front of the altar,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> nerved himself up, assumed a highly dramatic air, -and said: “I shall not attempt to address you; no, I would not speak to -you if you wanted me to. However, let me tell you one thing, and that -is, if you had been in the South a slave as I was, none of you would -ever have had the courage to escape; none but cowards would do as you -have done here to-night.”</p> - -<p>Dr. Brown gradually proceeded into a narrative of his own life and -escape from the South. The intense interest connected with the various -incidents as he related them, chained the audience to their seats, -and for an hour and a half he spoke, making one of the most eloquent -appeals ever heard in that section in behalf of his race.</p> - -<p>I have often heard my father speak of it as an effort worthy of our -greatest statesmen. Before the commencement of the meeting, the mob had -obtained a bag of flour, taking it up into the belfry of the church, -directly over the entrance door, with the intention of throwing it over -the speaker as he should pass out.</p> - -<p>One of the mob had been sent in with orders to keep as close to the -doctor as he could, and who was to give the signal for the throwing of -the flour. So great was the influence of the speaker on this man, that -his opinions were changed, and instead of giving the word, he warned -the doctor of the impending danger, saying,—“When you hear the cry of -‘let it slide,’<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> look out for the flour.” The fugitive had no sooner -learned these facts than he determined to have a little fun at the -expense of others.</p> - -<p>Pressing his way forward, and getting near a group of the most -respectable of the company, including two clergymen, a physician, and -a justice of the peace, he moved along with them, and as they passed -under the belfry, the doctor cried out at the top of his voice, “Let -it slide!” when down came the flour upon the heads of some of our best -citizens, which created the wildest excitement, and caused the arrest -of those engaged in the disturbance.</p> - -<p>Everybody regarded Dr. Brown’s aptness in this matter as a splendid -joke; and for many days after, the watchword of the boys was, “Let it -Slide!”</p> - -<p>Dr. Brown wrote “The Negro in the Rebellion,” in 1866, which had a -rapid sale. </p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">THE RISING SON.</p> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/line.jpg" alt="decorative line" /></div> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER I.</span> <span class="smaller">THE ETHIOPIANS AND EGYPTIANS.</span></h2> - -<p>The origin of the African race has provoked more criticism than any -other of the various races of man on the globe. Speculation has -exhausted itself in trying to account for the Negro’s color, features, -and hair, that distinguish him in such a marked manner from the rest of -the human family.</p> - -<p>All reliable history, and all the facts which I have been able to -gather upon this subject, show that the African race descended from the -country of the Nile, and principally from Ethiopia.</p> - -<p>The early history of Ethiopia is involved in great obscurity. When -invaded by the Egyptians, it was found to contain a large population, -consisting of savages, hunting and fishing tribes, wandering herdsmen, -shepherds, and lastly, a civilized class, dwelling in houses and in -large cities, possessing a <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>government and laws, acquainted with the -use of hieroglyphics, the fame of whose progress in knowledge and the -social arts had, in the remotest ages, spread over a considerable -portion of the earth. Even at that early period, when all the nations -were in their rude and savage state, Ethiopia was full of historical -monuments, erected chiefly on the banks of the Nile.</p> - -<p>The earliest reliable information we have of Ethiopia, is (B. C. 971) -when the rulers of that country assisted Shishank in his war against -Judea, “with very many chariots and horsemen.” Sixteen years later, we -have an account of Judea being again invaded by an army of a million -Ethiopians, unaccompanied by any Egyptian force.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> The Ethiopian power -gradually increased until its monarchs were enabled to conquer Egypt, -where three of them reigned in succession, Sabbackon, Sevechus, and -Tarakus, the Tirhakah of Scripture.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<p>Sevechus, called so in Scripture, was so powerful a monarch that -Hoshed, king of Israel, revolted against the Assyrians, relying on his -assistance,<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> but was not supported by his ally. This indeed, was the -immediate cause of the captivity of the Ten Tribes; for “in the ninth -year of Hoshed the king, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried -Israel away into Assyria,” as a punishment for unsuccessful rebellion.</p> - -<p>Tirhakah was a more war-like prince; he led an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> army against -Sennacherib,<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> king of Assyria, then besieging Jerusalem; and the -Egyptian traditions, preserved in the age of Herodotus, give an -accurate account of the providential interposition by which the pride -of the Assyrians was humbled.</p> - -<p>It is said that the kings of Ethiopia were always elected from the -priestly caste; and there was a strange custom for the electors, when -weary of their sovereign, to send him a courier with orders to die. -Ergamenes was the first monarch who ventured to resist this absurd -custom; he lived in the reign of the second Ptolemy, and was instructed -in Grecian philosophy. So far from yielding, he marched against the -fortress of the priests, massacred most of them, and instituted a new -religion.</p> - -<p>Queens frequently ruled in Ethiopia; one named Candace made war on -Augustus Cæsar, about twenty years before the birth of Christ, and -though not successful, obtained peace on very favorable conditions.</p> - -<p>The pyramids of Ethiopia, though inferior in size to those in Egypt, -are said to surpass them in architectural beauty, and the sepulchres -evince the greatest purity of taste.</p> - -<p>But the most important and striking proof of the progress of the -Ethiopians in the art of building, is their knowledge and employment -of the arch. Hoskins has stated that their pyramids are of superior -antiquity to those of Egypt. The Ethiopian vases depicted on the -monuments, though not richly ornamented, display a taste and elegance -of form that has never been surpassed. In sculpture and coloring,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> -the edifices of Ethiopia, though not so profusely adorned, rival the -choicest specimens of Egyptian art.</p> - -<p>Meroe was the <i>entrepot</i> of trade between the North and the South, -between the East and the West, while its fertile soil enabled the -Ethiopians to purchase foreign luxuries with native productions. It -does not appear that fabrics were woven in Ethiopia so extensively -as in Egypt; but the manufacture of metal must have been at least as -flourishing.</p> - -<p>But Ethiopia owed its greatness less to the produce of its soil or -its factories than to its position on the intersection of the leading -caravan routes of ancient commerce.</p> - -<p>The Ethiopians were among the first nations that organized a regular -army, and thus laid the foundation of the whole system of ancient -warfare. A brief account of their military affairs will therefore -illustrate not only their history, but that of the great Asiatic -monarchies, and of the Greeks during the heroic ages. The most -important division of an Ethiopian army was the body of war-chariots, -used instead of cavalry. These chariots were mounted on two wheels and -made low; open behind, so that the warrior could easily step in and -out; and without a seat.</p> - -<p>They were drawn by two horses and generally contained two warriors, -one of whom managed the steeds while the other fought. Nations were -distinguished from each other by the shape and color of their chariots.</p> - -<p>Great care was taken in the manufacturing of the chariots and also of -the breeding of horses to draw them. Nothing in our time can equal -the attention<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> paid by the ancients in the training of horses for the -battle-field.</p> - -<p>The harness which these animals wore was richly decorated; and a quiver -and bow-case, decorated with extraordinary taste and skill, were -securely fixed to the side of each chariot. The bow was the national -weapon, employed by both cavalry and infantry. No nation of antiquity -paid more attention to archery than the Ethiopians; their arrows better -aimed than those of any other nation, the Egyptians perhaps excepted. -The children of the warrior caste were trained from early infancy to -the practice of archery.</p> - -<p>The arms of the Ethiopians were a spear, a dagger, a short sword, a -helmet, and a shield. Pole-axes and battle-axes were occasionally -used. Coats of mail were used only by the principal officers, and some -remarkable warriors, like Goliath, the champion of the Philistines. The -light troops were armed with swords, battle-axes, maces, and clubs. -Some idea of the manly forms, great strength, and military training of -the Ethiopians, may be gathered from Herodotus, the father of ancient -history.</p> - -<p>After describing Arabia as “a land exhaling the most delicious -fragrance,” he says,—“Ethiopia, which is the extremity of the -habitable world, is contiguous to this country on the south-west. Its -inhabitants are very remarkable for their size, their beauty, and their -length of life.”<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></p> - -<p>In his third book he has a detailed description of a single tribe -of this interesting people, called the Macrobian, or long-lived -Ethiopians. Cambyses, the Persian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> king, had made war upon Egypt, -and subdued it. He is then seized with an ambition of extending his -conquests still farther, and resolves to make war upon the Ethiopians. -But before undertaking his expedition, he sends spies into the country -disguised as friendly ambassadors, who carry costly presents from -Cambyses. They arrive at the court of the Ethiopian prince, “a man -superior to all others in the perfection of size and beauty,” who sees -through their disguise, and takes down a bow of such enormous size that -no Persian could bend it. “Give your king this bow, and in my name -speak to him thus:—</p> - -<p>“‘The king of Ethiopia sends this counsel to the king of Persia. -When his subjects shall be able to bend this bow with the same ease -that I do, then let him venture to attack the long-lived Ethiopians. -Meanwhile, let him be thankful to the gods, that the Ethiopians have -not been inspired with the same love of conquest as himself.’”<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> - -<p>Homer wrote at least eight hundred years before Christ, and his poems -are well ascertained to be a most faithful mirror of the manners and -customs of his times, and the knowledge of his age.</p> - -<p>In the first book of the Iliad, Achilles is represented as imploring -his goddess-mother to intercede with Jove in behalf of her aggrieved -son. She grants his request, but tells him the intercession must be -delayed for twelve days. The gods are absent. They have gone to the -distant climes of Ethiopia to join in its festal rites. “Yesterday -Jupiter went to the feast with the <i>blameless</i> Ethiopians, away upon -the limits of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> ocean, and all the gods followed together.”<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> Homer -never wastes an epithet. He often alludes to the Ethiopians elsewhere, -and always in terms of admiration and praise, as being the most just of -men; the favorites of the gods.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> - -<p>The same allusion glimmers through the Greek mythology, and appears in -the verses of almost all the Greek poets ere the countries of Italy and -Sicily were even discovered. The Jewish Scripture and Jewish literature -abound in allusion to this distinct and mysterious people; the annals -of the Egyptian priests are full of them, uniformly the Ethiopians are -there lauded as among the best, most religious, and most civilized of -men.<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a></p> - -<p>Let us pause here one moment, and follow the march of civilization -into Europe. Wherever its light has once burned clearly, it has been -diffused, but not extinguished. Every one knows that Rome got her -civilization from Greece; that Greece again borrowed hers from Egypt, -that thence she derived her earliest science and the forms of her -beautiful mythology.</p> - -<p>The mythology of Homer is evidently hieroglyphical in its origin, and -has strong marks of family resemblance to the symbolical worship of -Egypt.</p> - -<p>It descended the Nile; it spread over the delta of that river, as it -came down from Thebes, the wonderful city of a hundred gates. Thebes, -as every scholar knows, is more ancient than the cities of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> -delta. The ruins of the colossal architecture are covered over with -hieroglyphics, and strewn with the monuments of Egyptian mythology. But -whence came Thebes? It was built and settled by colonies from Ethiopia, -or from cities which were themselves the settlements of that nation. -The higher we ascend the Nile, the more ancient are the ruins on which -we tread, till we come to the “hoary Meroe,” which Egypt acknowledged -to be the cradle of her institutions.</p> - -<p>But Meroe was the queenly city of Ethiopia, into which all Africa -poured its caravans laden with ivory, frankincense, and gold. So it is -that we trace the light of Ethiopian civilization first into Egypt, -thence into Greece, and Rome, whence, gathering new splendor on its -way, it hath been diffusing itself all the world over.<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a></p> - -<p>We now come to a consideration of the color of the Ethiopians, that -distinguish their descendants of the present time in such a marked -manner from the rest of the human race.</p> - -<p>Adam, the father of the human family, took his name from the color of -the earth from which he was made.<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> - -<p>The Bible says but little with regard to the color of the various races -of man, and absolutely nothing as to the time when or the reasons why -these varieties were introduced. There are a few passages in which -color is descriptive of the person or the dress. Job said, “My skin is -black upon me.” Job had been sick for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> a long time, and no doubt this -brought about a change in his complexion. In Lamentations, it is said, -“Their visage is blacker than a coal;” also, “our skin was blacker than -an oven.” Both of these writers, in all probability, had reference to -the change of color produced by the famine. Another writer says, “I am -black, but comely.” This may have been a shepherd, and lying much in -the sun might have caused the change.</p> - -<p>However, we now have the testimony of one whom we clearly understand, -and which is of the utmost importance in settling this question. -Jeremiah asks, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his -spots?” This refers to a people whose color is peculiar, fixed, and -unalterable. Indeed, Jeremiah seems to have been as well satisfied -that the Ethiopian was colored, as he was that the leopard had spots; -and that the one was as indelible as the other. The German translation -of Luther has “Negro-land,” for Ethiopia, <i>i. e.</i>, the country of the -blacks.</p> - -<p>All reliable history favors the belief that the Ethiopians descended -from Cush, the eldest son of Ham, who settled first in Shina in Asia. -Eusebius informs us that a colony of Asiatic Cushites settled in that -part of Africa which has since been known as Ethiopia proper. Josephus -asserts that these Ethiopians were descended from Cush, and that in -his time they were still called Cushites by themselves and by the -inhabitants of Asia. Homer divides the Ethiopians into two parts, and -Strabo, the geographer, asserts that the dividing line to which he -alluded was the Red Sea. The Cushites emigrated in part to the west -of the Red Sea; these, remaining unmixed with other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> races, engrossed -the general name of Cushite, or Ethiopian, while the Asiatic Cushites -became largely mingled with other nations, and are nearly or quite -absorbed, or, as a distinct people well-nigh extinct. Hence, from -the allusion of Jeremiah to the skin of the Ethiopian, confirmed and -explained by such authorities as Homer, Strabo, Herodotus, Josephus, -and Eusebius, we conclude that the Ethiopians were an African branch -of the Cushites who settled first in Asia. Ethiop, in the Greek, -means “sunburn,” and there is not the slightest doubt but that these -people, in and around Meroe, took their color from the climate. This -theory does not at all conflict with that of the common origin of man. -Although the descendants of Cush were black, it does not follow that -all the offspring of Ham were dark-skinned; but only those who settled -in a climate that altered their color.</p> - -<p>The word of God by his servant Paul has settled forever the question of -the equal origin of the human races, and it will stand good against all -scientific research. “God hath made of one blood all the nations of men -for to dwell on all the face of the earth.”</p> - -<p>The Ethiopians are not constitutionally different from the rest of the -human family, and therefore, we must insist upon <i>unity</i>, although we -see and admit the variety.</p> - -<p>Some writers have endeavored to account for this difference of color, -by connecting it with the curse pronounced upon Cain. This theory, -however, has no foundation; for if Cain was the progenitor of Noah, -and if Cain’s new peculiarities were perpetuated, then, as Noah was -the father of the world’s new population, the question would be, not -how to account for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> any of the human family being black, but how can -we account for any being white? All this speculation as to the change -of Cain’s color, as a theory for accounting for the variety peculiar -to Cush and the Ethiopians, falls to the ground when we trace back the -genealogy of Noah, and find that he descended not from Cain, but from -Seth.</p> - -<p>Of course Cain’s descendants, no matter what their color, became -extinct at the flood. No miracle was needed in Ethiopia to bring about -a change in the color of its inhabitants. The very fact that the nation -derived its name from the climate should be enough to satisfy the -most skeptical. What was true of the Ethiopians was also true of the -Egyptians, with regard to color; for Herodotus tells us that the latter -were colored and had curled hair.</p> - -<p>The vast increase of the population of Ethiopia, and a wish of its -rulers to possess more territory, induced them to send expeditions down -the Nile, and towards the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Some of -these adventurers, as early as B. C. 885, took up their abode on the -Mediterranean coast, and founded the place which in later years became -the great city of Carthage. Necho, king of Egypt, a man distinguished -for his spirit of enterprise, sent an expedition (B. C. 616) around -the African coast. He employed Phœnecian navigators. This fleet sailed -down the Red Sea, passed the straits of Balel-Mandeb, and, coasting -the African continent, discovered the passage around the Cape of Good -Hope, two thousand years before its re-discovery by Dias and Vasco de -Gama. This expedition was three years in its researches, and while -gone, got out of food, landed, planted corn, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> waited for the crop. -After harvesting the grain, they proceeded on their voyage. The fleet -returned to Egypt through the Atlantic Ocean, the straits of Gibralter, -and the Mediterranean.</p> - -<p>The glowing accounts brought back by the returned navigators of the -abundance of fruits, vegetables, and the splendor of the climate -of the new country, kindled the fire of adventurous enthusiasm in -the Ethiopians, and they soon followed the example set them by the -Egyptians. Henceforward, streams of emigrants were passing over the -Isthmus of Suez, that high road to Africa, who became permanent -residents of the promised land.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1">[1]</a> 2 Chron. xiv: 8-13.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Hawkins, in his work on Meroe, identifies Tirhakah with -the priest Sethos, upon ground, we think, not tenable.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> 2 Kings, xvii: 4.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> 2 Kings, xix: 9.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Herod. iii: 114.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> Herod iii: 21.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Iliad II: 423.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> Iliad XXIII.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Chron. xiv: 9; xvi: 8; Isaiah xlv: 14; Jeremiah xlvi: 9; -Josephus Aut. II; Heeren, vol I: p. 290.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> E. H. Sears, in the “Christian Examiner,” July, 1846.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> Josephus Ant., Vol. I: p. 8.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER II.</span> <span class="smaller">THE CARTHAGINIANS.</span></h2> - -<p>Although it is claimed in history that Carthage was settled by the -Phœnecians, or emigrants from Tyre, it is by no means an established -fact; for when Dido fled from her haughty and tyrannical brother, -Pygmalion, ruler of Tyre, and sailing down the Nile, seeking a place of -protection, she halted at Carthage, then an insignificant settlement -on a peninsula in the interior of a large bay, now called the gulf -of Tunis, on the northern shore of Africa (this was B. C. 880), the -population was made up mainly of poor people, the larger portion of -whom were from Ethiopia, and the surrounding country. Many outlaws, -murderers, highwaymen, and pirates, had taken refuge in the new -settlement. Made up of every conceivable shade of society, with but -little character to lose, the Carthaginians gladly welcomed Dido, -coming as she did from the royal house of Tyre, and they adopted her -as the head of their government. The people became law-abiding, and -the constitution which they adopted was considered by the ancients as -a pattern of political wisdom. Aristotle highly praises it as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> model -to other States. He informs us that during the space of five centuries, -that is, from the foundation of the republic down to his own time, no -tyrant had overturned the liberties of the State, and no demagogue had -stirred up the people to rebellion. By the wisdom of its laws, Carthage -had been able to avoid the opposite evils of aristocracy on the one -hand, and democracy on the other. The nobles did not engross the whole -of the power, as was the case in Sparta, Corinth, and Rome, and in more -modern times, in Venice; nor did the people exhibit the factious spirit -of an Athenian mob, or the ferocious cruelty of a Roman rabble.</p> - -<p>After the tragical death of the Princess Dido, the head of the -government consisted of the <i>suffetes</i>, two chief magistrates, somewhat -resembling the consuls of Rome, who presided in the senate, and whose -authority extended to military as well as civil affairs. These officers -appeared to be entirely devoted to the good of the State and the -welfare of the people.</p> - -<p>The second was the senate itself, composed of illustrious men of the -State. This body made the laws, declared war, negotiated peace, and -appointed to all offices, civil and military. The third estate was -still more popular. In the infancy and maturity of the republic, the -people had taken no active part in the government; but, at a later -period, influenced by wealth and prosperity, they advanced their claims -to authority, and, before long, obtained nearly the whole power. They -instituted a council, designed as a check upon the nobles and the -senate. This council was at first very beneficial to the State, but -afterwards became itself tyrannical. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Carthaginians were an enterprising people, and in the course of -time built ships, and with them explored all ports of the Mediterranean -Sea, visiting the nations on the coast, purchasing their commodities, -and selling them to others. Their navigators went to the coast of -Guinea, and even advanced beyond the mouths of the Senegal and the -Gambia. The Carthaginians carried their commerce into Spain, seized -a portion of that country containing mines rich with gold, and built -thereon a city which they called New Carthage, and which to the present -day is known as Carthaginia.</p> - -<p>The Mediterranean was soon covered with their fleets, and at a time -when Rome could not boast of a single vessel, and her citizens were -entirely ignorant of the form of a ship. The Carthaginians conquered -Sardinia, and a great part of Sicily. Their powerful fleets and -extensive conquests gave them the sovereign command of the seas.</p> - -<p>While Carthage possessed the dominion of the seas, a rival State was -growing up on the opposite side of the Mediterranean, distant about -seven hundred miles, under whose arms she was destined to fall. This -was Rome, the foundation of which was commenced one hundred years after -that of Carthage. These two powerful nations engaged in wars against -each other that lasted nearly two hundred years. In these conflicts the -Carthaginians showed great bravery.</p> - -<p>In the first Punic war, the defeat and capture of Regulus, the -Roman general, by the Carthaginians, and their allies, the Greeks, -humiliated the Romans, and for a time gave the former great advantage -over the latter. The war, however, which lasted twenty-four <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>years, -was concluded by some agreement, which after all, was favorable to -the Romans. The conclusion of the first Punic war (B. C. 249) was not -satisfactory to the more republican portion of the ruling spirits among -the Carthaginians, and especially Hamilcar, the father of Hannibal, -who, at that time occupied a very prominent position, both on account -of his rank, wealth, and high family connections at Carthage; also -on account of the great military energy which he displayed in the -command of the armies abroad. Hamilcar had carried on the wars which -the Carthaginians waged in Africa and Spain after the conclusion of -the war with the Romans, and he was anxious to begin hostilities with -the Romans again. On Hamilcar’s leaving Carthage the last time to join -his army in Spain, he took his son Hannibal, then a boy of nine years, -and made him swear on the altar of his country eternal hatred to the -Romans, an oath that he kept to the day of his death.</p> - -<p>When not yet twenty years of age, Hannibal was placed second in -command of the army, then in Spain, where he at once attracted the -attention and the admiration of all, by the plainness of his living, -his abstinence from strong drink, and the gentlemanly treatment that he -meted out to the soldiers, as well as his fellow-officers.</p> - -<p>He slept in his military cloak on the ground, in the midst of his -soldiers on guard; and in a battle he was always the last to leave -the field after a fight, as he was foremost to press forward in every -contest with the enemy. The death of Hasdrubal placed Hannibal in -supreme command of the army, and inheriting his father’s hatred to -Rome, he resolved to take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> revenge upon his ancient enemy, and at once -invaded the Roman possessions in Spain, and laid siege to the city of -Saguntum, which, after heroic resistance, yielded to his victorious -arms. Thus commenced the second Punic war, in which Hannibal was to -show to the world his genius as a general.</p> - -<p>Leaving a large force in Africa, and also in Spain, to defend these -points, Hannibal set out in the spring of the year B. C. 218, with a -large army to fulfill his project against Rome.</p> - -<p>His course lay along the Mediterranean; the whole distance to Rome -being about one thousand miles by the land route which he contemplated. -When he had traversed Spain, he came to the Pyrenees, a range of -mountains separating that country from Gaul, now France. He was here -attacked by wild tribes of brave barbarians, but he easily drove them -back. He crossed the Pyrenees, traversed Gaul, and came at last to -the Alps, which threw up their frowning battlements, interposing a -formidable obstacle between him and the object of his expedition.</p> - -<p>No warrior had then crossed these snowy peaks with such an army; and -none but a man of that degree of resolution and self-reliance which -could not be baffled, would have hazarded the fearful enterprise. -Indeed, we turn with amazement to Hannibal’s passage of the Alps; -that great and daring feat surpasses in magnitude anything of the -kind ever attempted by man. The pride of the French historians have -often led them to compare Napoleon’s passage of the Great St. Bernard -to Hannibal’s passage of the Alps; but without detracting from the -well-earned fame of the French Emperor, it may safely be affirmed -that his <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>achievements will bear no comparison whatever with the -Carthaginian hero. When Napoleon began the ascent of the Alps from -Martigny, on the shores of the Rhone, and above the Lake of Geneva, he -found the passage of the mountains cleared by the incessant transit of -two thousand years. The road, impracticable for carriages, was very -good for horsemen and foot passengers, and was traversed by great -numbers of both at every season of the year.</p> - -<p>Comfortable villages on the ascent and descent afforded easy -accommodation to the wearied soldiers by day and by night; the ample -stores of the monks at the summit, and the provident foresight of -the French generals had provided a meal for every man and horse that -passed. No hostile troops opposed their passage; the guns were drawn -up in sleds made of hollowed firs; and in four days from the time -they began the ascent from the banks of the Rhone, the French troops, -without losing a man, stood on the Doria Baltea, the increasing waters -of which flowed towards the Po, amidst the gardens and vineyards, and -under the sun of Italy. But the case was very different when Hannibal -crossed from the shores of the Durance to the banks of the Po.</p> - -<p>The mountain sides, which had not yet been cleared by centuries of -laborious industry, presented a continual forest, furrowed at every -hollow by headlong Alpine torrents. There were no bridges to cross -the perpetually recurring obstacles; provisions, scanty at all times -in those elevated solitudes, were then nowhere to be found, having -been hidden away by the natives, and a powerful army of mountaineers -occupied the entrance of the defiles, defended with desperate valor -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> gates of their country, and when dispersed by the superior -discipline and arms of Hannibal’s soldiers, still beset the ridges -about their line of march, and harassed his troops with continual -hostility. When the woody region was passed, and the vanguard emerged -in the open mountain pastures, which led to the verge of perpetual -snow, fresh difficulties awaited them.</p> - -<p>The turf, from the gliding down of the newly-fallen snow on those steep -declivities, was so slippery that it was often scarcely possible for -the men to keep their feet; the beasts of burden lost their footing at -every step, and rolled down in great numbers into the abyss beneath; -the elephants became restive amidst privation and a climate to which -they were totally unaccustomed; and the strength of the soldiers, -worn out by incessant marching and fighting, began to sink before -the continued toil of the ascent. Horrors formidable to all, but in -an especial manner terrible to African soldiers, awaited them at the -summit.</p> - -<p>It was the end of October; winter in all its severity had already set -in on those lofty solitudes; the mountain sides, silent and melancholy -even at the height of summer, when enameled with flowers and dotted -with flocks, presented then an unbroken sheet of snow; the lakes which -were interspersed over the level valley at their feet, were frozen -over and undistinguishable from the rest of the dreary expanse, and -a boundless mass of snowy peaks arose at all sides, presenting an -apparently impassable barrier to their further progress. But it was -then that the genius of Hannibal shone forth in all its lustre.</p> - -<p>“The great general,” says Arnold, “who felt that he now stood -victorious on the ramparts of Italy, and that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> the torrent which rolled -before him was carrying its waters to the rich plains of cisalpine -Gaul, endeavored to kindle his soldiers with his own spirit of hope. -He called them together; he pointed out to them the valley beneath, to -which the descent seemed but the work of a moment.</p> - -<p>“That valley,” said he, “is Italy; it leads to the country of our -friends, the Gauls, and yonder is our way to Rome.” His eyes were -eagerly fixed on that part of the horizon, and as he gazed, the -distance seemed to vanish, till he could almost fancy he was crossing -the Tiber, and assailing the capital. Such were the difficulties of -the passage and the descent on the other side, that Hannibal lost -thirty-three thousand men from the time he entered the Pyrenees till -he reached the plains of Northern Italy, and he arrived on the Po with -only twelve thousand Africans, eight thousand Spanish infantry, and six -thousand horse.</p> - -<p>Then followed those splendid battles with the Romans, which carried -consternation to their capital, and raised the great general to the -highest pinnacle in the niche of military fame.</p> - -<p>The defeat of Scipio, at the battle of Ticinus, the utter rout and -defeat of Sempronius, the defeat of Flaminius, the defeat of Fabius, -and the battle of Cannæ, in the last of which, the Romans had -seventy-six thousand foot, eight thousand horse, and many chariots, -and where Hannibal had only thirty thousand troops, all told, and -where the defeat was so complete that bushels of gold rings were taken -from the fingers of the dead Romans, and sent as trophies to Carthage, -are matters of history, and will ever give to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> Hannibal the highest -position in the scale of ancient military men. Hannibal crossed the -Alps two hundred and seventeen years before the Christian Era, and -remained in Italy sixteen years. At last, Scipio, a Roman general of -the same name of the one defeated by Hannibal at Ticinus, finished -the war in Spain, transported his troops across the Mediterranean; -thus “carrying the war into Africa,” and giving rise to an expression -still in vogue, and significant of effective retaliation. By the aid -of Masinissa, a powerful prince of Numidia, now Morocco, he gained two -victories over the Carthaginians, who were obliged to recall Hannibal -from Italy, to defend their own soil from the combined attacks of the -Romans and Numidians.</p> - -<p>He landed at Leptis, and advanced near Zama, five days’ journey to the -west of Carthage. Here he met the Roman forces, and here, for the first -time, he suffered a total defeat. The loss of the Carthaginians was -immense, and they were compelled to sue for peace. This was granted by -Scipio, but upon humiliating terms.</p> - -<p>Hannibal would still have resisted, but he was compelled by his -countrymen to submit. Thus ended the second Punic war (B. C. 200), -having continued about eighteen years.</p> - -<p>By this war with the Romans, the Carthaginians lost most of their -colonies, and became in a measure, a Roman province. Notwithstanding -his late reverses, Hannibal entered the Carthaginian senate, and -continued at the head of the state, reforming abuses that had crept -into the management of the finances, and the administration of justice. -But these judicious reforms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> provoked the enmity of the factious nobles -who had hitherto been permitted to fatten on public plunder; they -joined with the old rivals of the Barcan family, of which Hannibal was -now the acknowledged head, and even degraded themselves so far as to -act as spies for the Romans, who still dreaded the abilities of the -great general.</p> - -<p>In consequence of their machinations, the old hero was forced to fly -from the country he had so long labored to serve; and after several -vicissitudes, died of poison, to escape the mean and malignant -persecution of the Romans whose hatred followed him in his exile, and -compelled the king of Bithynia to refuse him protection. The mound -which marks his last resting-place is still a remarkable object.</p> - -<p>Hannibal, like the rest of the Carthaginians, though not as black -as the present African population, was nevertheless, colored; not -differing in complexion from the ancient Ethiopians, and with curly -hair. We have but little account of this wonderful man except from -his enemies, the Romans, and nothing from them but his public career. -Prejudiced as are these sources of evidence, they still exhibit him as -one of the most extraordinary men that have ever lived.</p> - -<p>Many of the events of his life remind us of the career of Napoleon. -Like him, he crossed the Alps with a great army; like him, he was -repeatedly victorious over disciplined and powerful forces in Italy; -like him, he was finally overwhelmed in a great battle; like him, he -was a statesman, as well as a general; like him, he was the idol of the -army; like him, he was finally driven from his country, and died in -exile.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span><a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> Yet, no one of Napoleon’s achievements was equal to that -of Hannibal in crossing the Alps, if we consider the difficulties he -had to encounter; nor has anything in generalship surpassed the ability -he displayed in sustaining himself and his army for sixteen years in -Italy, in the face of Rome, and without asking for assistance from his -own country.</p> - -<p>We now pass to the destruction of Carthage, and the dispersion of -its inhabitants. Fifty years had intervened since Hannibal with his -victorious legions stood at the gates of Rome; the Carthaginian -territory had been greatly reduced, the army had witnessed many -changes, Hannibal and his generals were dead, and a Roman army under -Scipio, flushed with victory and anxious for booty, were at the gates -of Carthage.</p> - -<p>For half a century the Carthaginians had faithfully kept all their -humiliating treaties with the Romans; borne patiently the insults and -arrogance of Masinissa, king of Numidia, whose impositions on Carthage -were always upheld by the strong arm of Rome; at last, however, -a serious difficulty arose between Carthage and Numidia, for the -settlement of which the Roman senate dispatched commissioners to visit -the contending parties and report.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately for the Carthaginians, one of these commissioners -was Cato the elder, who had long entertained a determined hatred -to Carthage. Indeed, he had, for the preceding twenty years, -scarcely ever made a speech without closing with,—“<i>Delenda est -Carthago</i>.”—Carthage must be destroyed. Animated by this spirit, it -can easily be imagined that Cato would give the weight of his influence -against the Carthaginians in everything touching their interest. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> - -<p>While inspecting the great city, Cato was struck with its magnificence -and remaining wealth, which strengthened him in the opinion that the -ultimate success of Rome depended upon the destruction of Carthage; and -he labored to bring about that result.</p> - -<p>Scipio demanded that Carthage should deliver up all its materials of -war as a token of submission, which demand was complied with; and -the contents of their magazines, consisting of two hundred thousand -complete suits of armor, two thousand catapults, and an immense number -of spears, swords, bows and arrows. Having disarmed themselves, they -waited to hear the final sentence. The next demand was for the delivery -of the navy; this too was complied with. It was then announced that the -city was to be razed to the ground, the inhabitants sent elsewhere for -a residence, and that the Carthaginian name was to be blotted out. Just -then the navy, the largest in the world, containing vessels of great -strength and beauty, was set on fire, the flames of which lighted up -with appalling effect the coast forty miles around.</p> - -<p>The destruction of this fleet, the naval accumulation of five -centuries, was a severe blow to the pride of the conquered -Carthaginians, and taking courage from despair, they closed the gates -of the city, and resolved that they would fight to the last.</p> - -<p>As in all commonwealths, there were two political parties in Carthage, -struggling for the ascendency; one, republican, devoted to the liberty -of the people and the welfare of the State; the other, conservative in -its character, and in favor of Roman rule. It was this last party that -had disarmed the State at the bidding of the Roman invaders; and now -that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> people had risen, the conservatives who could, fled from the -city, to escape the indignation of the masses.</p> - -<p>Unarmed and surrounded by an army of one hundred thousand men, -resistance seemed to be madness; yet they resisted with a heroism that -surprised and won the esteem of their hard-hearted conquerors.</p> - -<p>Everything was done to repair the damage already sustained by the -surrender of their navy and munitions of war. The pavements of the -streets were torn up, houses demolished, and statues broken to pieces -to obtain stones for weapons, which were carried upon the ramparts -for defence. Everybody that could work at a forge was employed in -manufacturing swords, spear-heads, pikes, and such other weapons as -could be made with the greatest facility and dispatch. They used all -the iron and brass that could be obtained, then melted down vases, -statues, and the precious metals, and tipped their spears with an -inferior pointing of silver and gold.</p> - -<p>When the supply of hemp and twine for cordage for their bows had -failed, the young maidens cut off their hair, and twisted and braided -it into cords to be used as bow-strings for propelling the arrows which -their husbands and brothers made. Nothing in the history of war, either -ancient or modern, will bear a comparison with this, the last struggle -of the Carthaginians. The siege thus begun was carried on more than -two years; the people, driven to the last limit of human endurance, -had aroused themselves to a hopeless resistance in a sort of frenzy of -despair, and fought with a courage and a desperation that compelled the -Romans to send home for more troops.</p> - -<p>Think of a walled city, thirty miles in <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>circumference, with a -population of seven hundred and fifty thousand souls, men, women, and -children, living on limited fare, threatened with starvation, and -surrounded by the sick, the dying, and the dead!</p> - -<p>Even in this condition, so heroic were the Carthaginians, that they -repulsed the Romans, sent fireships against the invaders’ fleet, burned -their vessels, and would have destroyed the Roman army, had it not been -for the skill of Scipio, who succeeded in covering the retreat of the -Roman legions with a body of cavalry.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of fresh troops from Rome, the siege was renewed; and -after a war of three years, famine reduced the population to a little -more than fifty thousand.</p> - -<p>The overpowering army of Scipio finally succeeded in breaking through -the gates, and gaining admission into the city; the opposing forces -fought from street to street, the Carthaginians retreating as the -Romans advanced. One band of the enemy’s soldiers mounted to the tops -of the houses, the roofs of which were flat, and fought their way -there, while another column moved around to cut off retreat to the -citadel. No imagination can conceive the uproar and din of such an -assault upon a populous city—a horrid mingling of the vociferated -commands of the officers, and the shouts of the advancing and -victorious enemy, with the screams of terror from affrighted women -and children, and the dreadful groans and imprecations from men dying -maddened with unsatisfied revenge, and biting the dust in agony of -despair.<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a></p> - -<p>The more determined of the soldiers with <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>Hasdrubal, the Carthaginian -general at their head, together with many brave citizens of both sexes, -and some Roman deserters, took possession of the citadel, which was in -a strongly-fortified section of the city.</p> - -<p>The Romans advanced to the walls of this fortification, and set that -part of the city on fire that lay nearest to it; the fire burned for -six days. When the fire had ceased burning near the citadel, the Roman -troops were brought to the area thus left vacant by the flames, and the -fight was renewed.</p> - -<p>Seeing there was no hope of successfully resisting the enemy, Hasdrubal -opened the gates, and surrendered to the Romans. There was, however, -a temple in the citadel, capable of holding ten or fifteen thousand -persons; in this, many of the brave men and women took refuge; among -these were Hasdrubal’s wife and two children. The gates of the temple -had scarcely been closed and securely barred, ere some one set the -building on fire from within. Half-suffocated with the smoke, and -scorched with the flames, these people were soon running to and fro -with the wildest screams; many of whom reached the roof, and among -them, Hasdrubal’s wife.</p> - -<p>Looking down and seeing her husband standing amongst the Roman -officers, she loaded him with reproaches for what she conceived to -be his cowardice, stabbed her children, threw them into the flames, -and leaped in herself. The city was given up to pillage, and set on -fire. After burning for seventeen days, this great city, the model of -beauty and magnificence, the repository of immense wealth, and one of -the chief States of the ancient world, was no more. The destruction of -Carthage, previously resolved upon in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> cold blood, after fifty years of -peace, and without any fresh provocation from the defenceless people, -who had thrown themselves on the generosity of their rivals, was one of -the most hard-hearted and brutal acts of Roman policy. The sequel of -the history of Carthage presents a melancholy and affecting picture of -the humiliation and decline of a proud and powerful State.</p> - -<p>Meroe, the chief city, and fountain-head of the Ethiopians, was already -fast declining, when Carthage fell, and from that time forward, -the destiny of this people appeared to be downward. With the fall -of Carthage, and the absorption of its territory by Rome, and its -organization into a Roman province, the Carthaginian State ceased. Of -the seven hundred and fifty thousand souls that Carthage contained at -the time that the Romans laid siege to the city, only fifty thousand -remained alive at its fall. The majority of these, hating Roman rule, -bent their way towards the interior of Africa, following the thousands -of their countrymen who had gone before.</p> - -<p>After Carthage had been destroyed, the Romans did everything in their -power to obliterate every vestige of the history of that celebrated -people. No relics are to be seen of the grandeur and magnificence of -ancient Carthage, except some ruins of aqueducts and cisterns.</p> - -<p>In the language of Tasso:—</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Low lie her towers, sole relics of her sway;</div> -<div class="i1">Her desert shores a few sad fragments keep;</div> -<div>Shrines, temples, cities, kingdoms, states decay;</div> -<div class="i1">O’er urns and arch triumphal, deserts sweep</div> -<div class="i1">Their sands, and lions roar, or ivies creep.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> “Famous Men of Ancient Times,” p. 154.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> “Abbott’s History of Hannibal.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER III.</span> <span class="smaller">EASTERN AFRICA.</span></h2> - -<p>In the desert between the Nile and the Red Sea, and among that range of -mountains running parallel with the coast, are Hadharebe, the Ababdeh, -and the Bishari, three very ancient tribes, the modern representatives -of the Ethiopians of Meroe. The language of these people, their -features, so different from the Arabs, and the Guinea Negro, together -with their architecture, prove conclusively that they descended from -Ethiopia; the most numerous and powerful of these tribes being the -Bishari.</p> - -<p>Leaving the shores of the Mediterranean, and passing south of -Abyssinia, along the coast of Africa, and extending far into the -interior over rich mountain-plains, is found the seat of what are -called the “Galla nations.” They are nomadic tribes, vast in numbers, -indefinable in their extent of territory, full of fire and energy, -wealthy in flocks and herds, dark-skinned, woolly-haired, and -thick-lipped.</p> - -<p>Passing farther west into that vast region which lies between the -Mountains of the Moon and the Great Desert, extending through Central -Africa even to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> western coast, we come into what may be more -appropriately called “Negro-land.”</p> - -<p>It is a widely-extended region, which abounds in the arts of -civilization. Here are large cities containing from ten thousand to -thirty thousand souls. Here is a great family of nations, some but just -emerging out of barbarism, some formed into prosperous communities, -preserving the forms of social justice and of a more enlightened -worship, practicing agriculture, and exhibiting the pleasing results of -peaceful and productive industry.</p> - -<p>Mungo Park gives a glowing account of Sego, the capital of Bambuwa, -a city containing thirty thousand inhabitants, with its two-story -houses, its mosques seen in every quarter, its ferries conveying men -and horses over the Niger. “The view of this extensive city,” he says, -“the numerous canoes upon the river, the crowded population, and the -cultivated state of the surrounding country, formed altogether a -prospect of civilization and magnificence which I little expected to -find in the bosom of Africa.”</p> - -<p>Farther east he found a large and flourishing town called Kaffa, -situated in the midst of a country so beautiful and highly cultivated -that it reminds him of England. The people in this place were an -admixture of light brown, dark brown, and dingy black, apparently -showing the influence of the climate upon their ancestors.</p> - -<p>The Mountains of the Moon, as they terminate along the western coast of -Africa, spread out into a succession of mountain plains. These present -three lofty fronts toward the sea, each surrounded with terraces,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> -declining gradually into the lowlands, each threaded with fertilizing -streams, and fanned with ocean breezes.</p> - -<p>The most northern of these plateaus, with their declivities and plains, -forms the delightful land of one of the most powerful and intelligent -of the African tribes, namely, the Mandingoes. They are made up of -shrewd merchants and industrious agriculturists; kind, hospitable, -enterprising, with generous dispositions, and open and gentle manners. -Not far from the Mandingoes, are the people called Solofs, whom Park -describes as “the most beautiful, and at the same time the blackest -people in Africa.”</p> - -<p>But perhaps the most remarkable people among these nations are the -“Fulahs,” whose native seat is the southern part of the plateaus above -described. Here, in their lofty independence, they cultivate the soil, -live in “clean and commodious dwellings,” feed numerous flocks of sheep -and goats, and herds of oxen and horses, build mosques for the worship -of one God, and open schools for the education of their children.</p> - -<p>Timbri, their capital, is a military station, containing nine thousand -inhabitants, from which their victorious armies have gone forth and -subdued the surrounding country. They practice the mechanic arts with -success, forge iron and silver, fabricate cloth, and work skilfully -with leather and wood. Like the Anglo-Saxon, their capital has been -the hive whence colonies have swarmed forth to form new settlements, -and extend the arts of industry; and the “Fellatahs,” an enterprising -people who dwell a thousand miles in the interior, are well known to -belong to the same stock.</p> - -<p>There are many other nations, or rather, tribes, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> this vast central -region, described by Pritchard more or less minutely, variously -advanced in the arts of life, and exhibiting various degrees of -enterprise and energy.</p> - -<p>Passing along the western shore southward, we next come to the coast -of Guinea, where we find the Negro in his worst state of degradation. -Hither comes the slave-trader for his wretched cargo, and hence have -been exported the victims of that horrible commerce, which supplied -the slave-marts of the western world. The demonizing influence of this -traffic on the character of the natives defies all description.</p> - -<p>In the mountains and ravines of this portion of Africa lurk gangs -of robbers, ever on the watch to seize the wives and children of -the neighboring clans and sell them to the traders. Every corner of -the land has been the scene of rapine and blood. Parents sell their -children, and children sell their parents. Such are the passions -stimulated by Christian gold, and such the state of society produced by -contact with Christian nations. These people, degraded and unhumanized -by the slaver, are the progenitors of the black population of the -Southern States of the American Union.</p> - -<p>Still we are to observe, that though the lowest type of Negro character -is to be found on the Guinea coast and the adjacent region, it is not -uniformly degraded. Tribes are to be found, considerably advanced in -civilization, whose features and characters resemble those of the -central region which we have just described.</p> - -<p>Passing southward still farther, and crossing the line, we come into -southern Africa. This whole region from the equator to the Cape, with -the exception of the Hottentots, is, so far as discovered, occupied -by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> what is called the “Great South African Race.” They are a vast -family of nations, speaking dialects of the same language, furnishing -incontrovertible evidence, so says Pritchard, of “a common origin.”</p> - -<p>There is one fact, in reference to them, of absorbing interest; it -is that among these nations, and sometimes among the same tribe, are -found specimens of the lowest Negro type, and specimens of the same -type elevated and transfigured so as to approximate far towards the -European form and features. Between these two there is every possible -variety, and the variations depend much on moral condition and physical -surroundings. Along the coast humanity generally sinks down into its -lowest shapes, and puts on its most disgusting visage.</p> - -<p>Rising into the interior, and climbing the tablelands, the evidence -of decided improvement generally appears. Perhaps the most savage of -these tribes is to be found on the coast of Congo. They are cannibals -of great ferocity and brutality. But on the eastern coast are found -a people called Kafirs, some tribes occupying the coast, and a few -the mountain plains. Some of these tribes, “whose fine forms and easy -attitudes remind the traveller of ancient statues,” inhabit large towns -and cities, have made great progress in the arts of industry, cultivate -vast fields of sugar and tobacco, manufacture various kinds of cutlery, -and “build their houses with masonry, and ornament them with pillars -and mouldings.”</p> - -<p>They exhibit fine traits of intellectual and moral character. Mixed -up with their superstitions, they have some lofty, religious ideas; -believe in the immortality of the soul, in a Supreme Being, whom they -call<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> “The Beautiful,” who exercises a providence over mankind. Such -are the nations of Central and Southern Africa; and if we can rely -on the reports of the best travellers, they furnish some of the best -material, out of which to build up prosperous states and empires, that -is to be found on the face of the earth.</p> - -<p>We come next to the Hottentots, including the Bushmen, who belong to -the same race. In the scale of humanity, he probably sinks below the -inhabitants of Guinea or Congo.</p> - -<p>The Hottentot has long furnished a standard of comparison to moral -writers by which to represent the lowest condition of man. He inhabits -the desert, lives in caves, subsists on roots or raw flesh, has no -religious ideas, and is considered by the European as too wretched a -being to be converted into a slave. How came he thus degraded?</p> - -<p>That is a question which we do not often see answered, and which -must be answered, to the shame of Christian Europe. Before that evil -hour when the Christian navigator neared the Cape of Good Hope, the -Hottentots were “a numerous people, divided into many tribes under a -patriarchal government of chiefs and elders.”</p> - -<p>They had numerous flocks and herds, lived in movable villages, were -bold in the chase, courageous in warfare, yet mild in their tempers and -dispositions; had rude conceptions of religion, and exhibited a scene -of pastoral life like that of the ancient Nomads of the Syrian plains. -In a word, they were a part of that stream of emigration to which we -have referred in a previous chapter, and who evidently were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> living -somewhat as they had in the country of their ancestors.</p> - -<p>Kolben, who saw the Hottentots in the day of their prosperity, -enumerates eighteen tribes of the race. The European colonists hunted -these tribes as they would hunt beasts of prey. Most of them they -exterminated, and seized upon their possessions; the rest they robbed -and drove into forests and deserts, where their miserable descendants -exist as wandering Bushmen, exhibiting to good Christian people -material for most edifying studies in “anatomy and ethnology.”</p> - -<p>There is an immense region, comprising the greater part of interior -Africa, two thousand miles in length, and one thousand in breadth, -nearly equal to the whole of the United States, which has seldom been -trodden by the foot of the Caucasian. It spreads out beneath the -tropics, and is supposed by Humboldt to be one of the most interesting -and fertile regions on the face of the earth.</p> - -<p>“It must be,” he says, “a high table-land, rising into the cooler -strata of the atmosphere, combining therefore the qualities of -the <i>tierra caliente</i> of Mexico, with its ‘cloudless ethers,’ the -luxuriant slopes of the Andes, and the pastoral plains of Southern -Asia. It cannot be a sandy desert, though sometimes put down as such -upon the maps, because vast rivers come rolling down from it into the -surrounding seas.”</p> - -<p>It has long been the land of romance, mystery, and wonder, and of -strange and tantalizing rumors. The “blameless Ethiopians” of Homer, -the favorites of the gods, and the wonderful Macrobians of Herodotus, -are placed by Heeren on the outskirts of this region, where they would -be most likely to be offshoots from its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> parent stock. This country is -guarded from the European by forces more potent than standing armies.</p> - -<p>Around it stretches a border on which brood malaria, pestilence, -and death, and which the English government for half a century have -expended lives and treasure to break through. In one expedition after -another sent out from the island of Ascension, nine white men out of -ten fell victims to the “beautiful, but awful climate.”</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, news from the interior more or less distinct has found -its way over this belt of danger and death. Being a land of mystery, it -should be borne in mind that there is a strong tendency to exaggeration -in all that comes from it. The Niger, one of the noblest of rivers, -skirts this unknown country for some hundreds of miles, after sweeping -away through the middle portion of Central Africa already described.</p> - -<p>The “Colonial Magazine,” speaking of the exploration of this river by -the English expeditions, says: “They have found that this whole tract -of country is one of amazing fertility and beauty, abounding in gold, -ivory, and all sorts of tropical vegetation. There are hundreds of -woods, invaluable for dyeing and agricultural purposes, not found in -other portions of the world.</p> - -<p>“Through it for hundreds of miles sweeps a river from three to six -miles broad, with clean water and unsurpassable depth, flowing on at -the rate of two or three miles an hour, without rock, shoal, or snag -to intercept its navigation. Other rivers pour into this tributary -waters of such volume as must have required hundreds of miles to be -collected, yet they seem scarcely to enlarge it. Upon this river are -scattered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> cities, some of which are estimated to contain a million of -inhabitants; and the whole country teems with a dense population. Far -in the interior, in the very heart of this continent, is a portion of -the African race in an advanced state of civilization.”</p> - -<p>In the year 1816, Captain Tuckey, of the English Navy, made a -disastrous expedition up the Congo. In 1828, Mr. Owen, from the -opposite coast, attempted to penetrate this land of mystery and marvel, -with a like result. But they found a manifest improvement in the -condition of the people the farther they advanced, and they met with -rumors of a powerful and civilized nation still farther inward, whose -country they attempted in vain to explore.</p> - -<p>In 1818, John Campbell, agent of the London Missionary Society, tried -to reach this country by journeying from the Cape northward; and later -still, Captain Alexander led an expedition, having the same object in -view. They found large and populous cities situated in a fertile and -highly-cultivated country, but they did not reach the land of marvel -and mystery, though they heard the same rumors respecting its people. -A writer in the “Westminster Review,” who lived several years on the -western coast, gives an interesting description of the interior of the -country. He says:—</p> - -<p>“A state of civilization exists among some of the tribes, such as had -not been suspected hitherto by those who have judged only from such -accounts as have been given of the tribes with which travellers have -come in contact. They cannot be regarded as savages, having organized -townships, fixed habitations, with regular defences about their cities, -engaging in agriculture and the manufacture of cotton cloths for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> -clothing, which they ornament with handsome dyes of native production, -exhibit handicraft in their conversion of iron and precious metals into -articles of use and ornament.”</p> - -<p>But to no traveller is the cause of African civilization more indebted -than to Dr. Livingstone. Twenty-six years of his life have been spent -in exploring that country and working for the good of its people. In -August, 1849, he discovered Lake Ngami, one of the most beautiful -sheets of water in that sunny land. His discovery of the source of the -Zambesi River and its tributaries, the Victoria Falls, the beds of -gold, silver, iron and coal, and his communication with a people who -had never beheld a white man before, are matters of congratulation to -the friends of humanity, and the elevation of man the world over.</p> - -<p>Along the shores of the Zambesi were found pink marble beds, and white -marble, its clearness scarcely equaled by anything of the kind ever -seen in Europe. In his description of the country through which this -splendid river passes, Dr. Livingstone says: “When we came to the top -of the outer range of the hills, we had a glorious view. At a short -distance below us we saw the Kafue, wending away over a forest-clad -plain to the confluence, and on the other side of the Zambesi, beyond -that, lay a long range of dark hills.</p> - -<p>“A line of fleecy clouds appeared, lying along the course of that river -at their base. The plain below us, at the left of the Kafue, had more -large game on it than anywhere else I had seen in Africa. Hundreds -of buffaloes and zebras grazed on the open spaces, and there stood -lordly elephants feeding majestically, nothing moving apparently, but -the proboscis. I wish that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> I had been able to take a photograph of -the scene so seldom beheld, and which is destined, as guns increase, -to pass away from earth. When we descended, we found all the animals -remarkably tame. The elephants stood beneath the trees, fanning -themselves with their large ears, as if they did not see us.”</p> - -<p>The feathered tribe is abundant and beautiful in this section of -Africa. Dr. Livingstone says: “The birds of the tropics have been -described as generally wanting in power of song. I was decidedly of the -opinion that this was not applicable to many parts of Londa. Here the -chorus, or body of song, was not much smaller in volume than it is in -England. These African birds are not wanting in song; they have only -lacked poets to sing their praises, which ours have had from the time -of Aristophanes downward.”</p> - -<p>Speaking of the fruits, he says: “There are great numbers of wild -grape-vines growing in this quarter; indeed, they abound everywhere -along the banks of the Zambesi. They are very fine; and it occurred to -me that a country which yields the wild vines so very abundantly might -be a fit one for the cultivated species. We found that many elephants -had been feeding on the fruit called mokoronga. This is a black-colored -plum, having purple juice. We all ate it in large quantities, as we -found it delicious.”</p> - -<p>While exploring the Zambesi, Dr. Livingstone visited the hot spring of -Nyamboronda, situated in the bed of a small rivulet called Nyaondo, -which shows that igneous action is not yet extinct. The spring emitted -water hot enough to cook a fish that might accidentally get into it.</p> - -<p>Dr. Livingstone represents the inhabitants, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>throughout his long -journey of more than one thousand miles, as well disposed toward -strangers, and a majority of them favorable to civilization and the -banishment of the slave-trade, that curse of Africa.</p> - -<p>The population of this immense country has been estimated at from fifty -to one hundred and fifty millions; but as we have no certain data from -which to compute anything like a correct estimate of its inhabitants, -it is difficult to arrive at a proper conclusion. Yet from all we can -learn, I should judge one hundred and fifty millions is nearest to it.</p> - -<p>Recent travellers in Africa have discovered ruins which go far to show -that the early settlers built towns, and then abandoned them for more -healthy locations. In September, 1871, the South African explorer, -Carl Mauch, visited the ruins of an ancient and mysterious city in the -highland between the Zambesi and Limpopo Rivers, long known by native -report to the Portuguese, and situated in a land, which from its gold -and ivory, has long been identified by some authorities, as the Ophir -of Scripture. Zimbaoe lies in about lat. 20 degrees 14 seconds S.; -long. 31 degrees 48 seconds E.</p> - -<p>One portion of the ruins rises upon a granite hill about four hundred -feet in relative height; the other, separated by a slight valley, lies -upon a somewhat raised terrace. From the curved and zigzag form still -apparent in the ruined walls which cover the whole of the western -declivity of the hill, these have doubtless formed a once impregnable -fortress. The whole space is densely overgrown with nettles and bushes, -and some great trees have intertwined their roots with the buildings.</p> - -<p>Without exception, the walls, some of which have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> still a height of -thirty feet, are built of cut granite stones, generally of the size of -an ordinary brick, but no mortar has been used. The thickness of the -walls where they appear above ground is ten feet, tapering to seven or -eight feet. In many places monolith pilasters of eight to ten feet in -length, ornamented in diamond-shaped lines, stand out of the building. -These are generally eight inches wide and three in thickness, cut -out of a hard and close stone of greenish-black color, and having a -metallic ring.</p> - -<p>During the first hurried visit, Mauch was unable to find any traces of -inscription, though carvings of unknown characters are mentioned by the -early Portuguese writers. Such however, may yet be found, and a clue -be thus obtained as to the age of the strange edifice. Zimbaoe is, in -all probability, an ancient factory, raised in very remote antiquity -by strangers to the land, to overawe the savage inhabitants of the -neighboring country, and to serve as a depot for the gold and ivory -which it affords. No native tribes dwelling in mud huts could ever have -conceived its erection.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IV.</span> <span class="smaller">CAUSES OF COLOR.</span></h2> - -<p>The various colors seen in the natives in Africa, where amalgamation -with other races is impossible, has drawn forth much criticism, and -puzzled the ethnologist not a little. Yet nothing is more easily -accounted for than this difference of color amongst the same people, -and even under the same circumstances. Climate, and climate alone, is -the sole cause.</p> - -<p>And now to the proof. Instances are adduced, in which individuals, -transplanted into another climate than that of their birth, are said to -have retained their peculiarities of form and color unaltered, and to -have transmitted the same to their posterity for generations. But cases -of this kind, though often substantiated to a certain extent, appear to -have been much exaggerated, both as to the duration of time ascribed, -and the absence of any change. It is highly probable, that the original -characteristics will be found undergoing gradual modifications, which -tend to assimilate them to those of the new country and situation.</p> - -<p>The Jews, however slightly their features may have assimilated to those -of other nations amongst whom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> they are scattered, from the causes -already stated, certainly form a very striking example as regards the -uncertainty of perpetuity in color.</p> - -<p>Descended from one stock, and prohibited by the most sacred -institutions from intermarrying with the people of other nations, and -yet dispersed, according to the divine prediction, into every country -on the globe, this one people is marked with the colors of all; fair in -Briton and Germany; brown in France and in Turkey; swarthy in Portugal -and in Spain; olive in Syria and in Chaldea; tawny or copper-colored -in Arabia and in Egypt;<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> whilst they are “black at Congo, in -Africa.”<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a></p> - -<p>Let us survey the gradations of color on the continent of Africa -itself. The inhabitants of the north are whitest; and as we advance -southward towards the line, and those countries in which the sun’s rays -fall more perpendicularly, the complexion gradually assumes a darker -shade. And the same men, whose color has been rendered black by the -powerful influence of the sun, if they remove to the north, gradually -become whiter (I mean their posterity), and eventually lose their dark -color.<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a></p> - -<p>The Portuguese who planted themselves on the coast of Africa a few -centuries ago, have been succeeded by descendants blacker than many -Africans.<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> On the coast of Malabar there are two colonies of Jews, -the old colony and the new, separated by color, and known as the “black -Jews,” and the “white Jews.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> The old colony are the black Jews, and -have been longer subjected to the influence of the climate. The hair of -the black Jews are curly, showing a resemblance to the Negro. The white -Jews are as dark as the Gipsies, and each generation growing darker.</p> - -<p>Dr. Livingstone says,—“I was struck with the appearance of the people -in Londa, and the neighborhood; they seemed more slender in form, and -their color a lighter olive, than any we had hitherto met.”<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a></p> - -<p>Lower down the Zambesi, the same writer says: “Most of the men are -muscular, and have large, ploughman hands. Their color is the same -admixture, from very dark to light olive, that we saw at Londa.”<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a></p> - -<p>In the year 1840, the writer was at Havana, and saw on board a -vessel just arrived from Africa some five hundred slaves, captured -in different parts of the country. Among these captives were colors -varying from light brown to black, and their features represented the -finest Anglo-Saxon and the most degraded African.</p> - -<p>There is a nation called Tuaricks, who inhabit the oases and southern -borders of the great desert, whose occupation is commerce, and whose -caravans ply between the Negro countries and Fezzan. They are described -by the travellers Hornemann and Lyon.</p> - -<p>The western tribes of this nation are white, so far as the climate and -their habits will allow. Others are of a yellow cast; others again, -are swarthy; and in the neighborhood of Soudan, there is said to be a -tribe completely black. All speak the same dialect, and it is a dialect -of the original African tongue. There is no reasonable doubt of their -being aboriginal.</p> - -<p>Lyon says they are the finest race of men he ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> saw, “tall, -straight, and handsome, with a certain air of independence and pride, -which is very imposing.”<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> If we observe the gradations of color -in different localities in the meridian under which we live, we -shall perceive a very close relation to the heat of the sun in each -respectively. Under the equator we have the deep black of the Negro, -then the copper or olive of the Moors of Northern Africa; then the -Spaniard and Italian, swarthy, compared with other Europeans; the -French, still darker than the English, while the fair and florid -complexion of England and Germany passes more northerly into the -bleached Scandinavian white.<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a></p> - -<p>It is well-known, that in whatever region travellers ascend mountains, -they find the vegetation at every successive level altering its -character, and gradually assuming the appearances presented in more -northern countries; thus indicating that the atmosphere, temperature, -and physical agencies in general, assimilate, as we approach Alpine -regions, to the peculiarities locally connected with high latitudes.</p> - -<p>If, therefore, complexion and other bodily qualities belonging to races -of men, depend upon climate and external conditions, we should expect -to find them varying in reference to elevation of surface; and if they -should be found actually to undergo such variations, this will be a -strong argument that these external characteristics do, in fact, depend -upon local conditions.</p> - -<p>Now, if we inquire respecting the physical characters of the tribes -inhabiting high tracts in warm countries,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> we shall find that they -coincide with those which prevail in the level or low parts of more -northern tracts.</p> - -<p>The Swiss, in the high mountains above the plains of Lombardy, have -sandy or brown hair. What a contrast presents itself to the traveller -who descends into the Milanese territory, where the peasants have -black hair and eyes, with strongly-marked Italian, and almost Oriental -features.</p> - -<p>In the higher part of the Biscayan country, instead of the swarthy -complexion and black hair of the Castilians, the natives have a fair -complexion, with light blue eyes, and flaxen, or auburn hair.<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a></p> - -<p>In the intertropical region, high elevations of surface, as they -produce a cooler climate, occasion the appearance of light complexions. -In the higher parts of Senegambia, which front the Atlantic, and -are cooled by winds from the Western Ocean, where, in fact, the -temperature is known to be moderate, and even cool at times, the light -copper-colored Fulahs are found surrounded on every side by black Negro -nations inhabiting lower districts; and nearly in the same parallel, -but on the opposite coast of Africa, are the high plains of Enared and -Kaffa, where the inhabitants are said to be fairer than the inhabitants -of Southern Europe.<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a></p> - -<p>Do we need any better evidence of the influence of climate on man, than -to witness its effect on beasts and birds? Æolian informs us that the -Eubaea was famous for producing white oxen.<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a> Blumenbach remarks, -that “all the swine of Piedmont are black, those of Normandy white, and -those of Bavaria are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> of a reddish brown. The turkeys of Normandy,” -he states, “are all black; those of Hanover almost all white. In -Guinea, the dogs and the gallinaceous fowls are as black as the human -inhabitants of the same country.”<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a></p> - -<p>The lack of color, in the northern regions, of many animals which -possess color in more temperate latitudes,—as the bear, the -fox, the hare, beasts of burden, the falcon, crow, jackdaw, and -chaffinch,—seems to arise entirely from climate. The common bear -is differently colored in different regions. The dog loses its coat -entirely in Africa, and has a smooth skin.</p> - -<p>We all see and admit the change which a few years produces in the -complexion of a Caucasian going from our northern latitude into the -tropics.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> Smith on “The Complexion of the Human Species.”</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> Pritchard.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> “Tribute for the Negro,” p. 59.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> Pennington’s Text Book, p. 96.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> “Livingstone’s Travels,” p. 296.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> Ibid, p. 364.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> Heeren, Vol. I., p. 297.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> Murray’s “North America.”</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> Pritchard.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> Ibid.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> Æolian, lib. xii, cap. 36.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> Pritchard.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER V.</span> <span class="smaller">CAUSES OF THE DIFFERENCE IN FEATURES.</span></h2> - -<p>We now come to a consideration of the difference in the features of -the human family, and especially the great variety to be seen in -the African race. From the grim worshippers of Odin in the woods of -Germany, down to the present day, all uncivilized nations or tribes -have more or less been addicted to the barbarous custom of disfiguring -their persons.</p> - -<p>Thus, among the North American Indians, the tribe known as the “flat -heads,” usually put their children’s heads to press when but a few -days old; and consequently, their name fitly represents their personal -appearance. While exploring the valley of the Zambesi, Dr. Livingstone -met with several tribes whose mode of life will well illustrate this -point. He says:—</p> - -<p>“The women here are in the habit of piercing the upper lip and -gradually enlarging the orifice until they can insert a shell. The lip -then appears drawn out beyond the perpendicular of the nose, and gives -them a most ungainly aspect. Sekwebu remarked,—‘These women want to -make their mouths like those of ducks.’ And indeed, it does appear as -if they had the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> idea that female beauty of lip had been attained by -the <i>Ornithorhynchus paradoxus</i> alone. This custom prevails throughout -the country of the Maravi, and no one could see it without confessing -that fashion had never led women to a freak more mad.”<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a></p> - -<p>There is a tribe near the coast of Guinea, who consider a flat nose the -paragon of beauty; and at early infancy, the child’s nose is put in -press, that it may not appear ugly when it arrives to years of maturity.</p> - -<p>Many of the tribes in the interior of Africa mark the face, arms, -and breasts; these, in some instances, are considered national -identifications. Knocking out the teeth is a common practice, as will -be seen by reference to Dr. Livingstone’s travels. Living upon roots, -as many of the more degraded tribes do, has its influence in moulding -the features.</p> - -<p>There is a decided coincidence between the physical characteristics -of the varieties of man, and their moral and social condition; and it -also appears that their condition in civilized society produces marked -modification in the intellectual qualities of the race. Religious -superstition and the worship of idols have done much towards changing -the features of the Negro from the original Ethiopian of Meroe, to the -present inhabitants of the shores of the Zambesi.</p> - -<p>The farther the human mind strays from the ever-living God as a -spirit, the nearer it approximates to the beasts; and as the mental -controls the physical, so ignorance and brutality are depicted upon the -countenance.</p> - -<p>As the African by his fall has lost those qualities<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> that adorn -the visage of man, so the Anglo-Saxon, by his rise in the scale of -humanity, has improved his features, enlarged his brain, and brightened -in intellect.</p> - -<p>Let us see how far history will bear us out in this assertion. We all -acknowledge the Anglo-Saxon to be the highest type of civilization. But -from whence sprang this refined, proud, haughty, and intellectual race? -Go back a few centuries, and we find their ancestors described in the -graphic touches of Cæsar and Tacitus. See them in the gloomy forests -of Germany, sacrificing to their grim and gory idols; drinking the -warm blood of their prisoners, quaffing libations from human skulls; -infesting the shores of the Baltic for plunder and robbery; bringing -home the reeking scalps of enemies as an offering to their king.</p> - -<p>Macaulay says:—“When the Britons first became known to the Tyrian -mariners, they were little superior to the Sandwich Islanders.”</p> - -<p>Hume says:—“The Britons were a rude and barbarous people, divided into -numerous clans, dressed in the skins of wild beasts: druidism was their -religion, and they were very superstitious.” Cæsar writing home, said -of the Britons,—“They are the most degraded people I ever conquered.” -Cicero advised his friend Atticus not to purchase slaves from Briton, -“because,” said he, “they cannot be taught music, and are the ugliest -people I ever saw.”</p> - -<p>An illustration of the influence of circumstances upon the physical -appearance of man may be found still nearer our own time. In the Irish -rebellion in 1641, and 1689, great multitudes of the native Irish were -driven from Armagh and the South down into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> the mountainous tract -extending from the Barony of Flews eastward to the sea; on the other -side of the kingdom the same race were expelled into Litrin, Sligo, -and Mayo. Here they have been almost ever since, exposed to the worst -effects of hunger and ignorance, the two great brutalizers of the human -race.</p> - -<p>The descendants of these exiles are now distinguished physically, from -their kindred in Meath, and other districts, where they are not in a -state of personal debasement. These people are remarkable for open, -projecting mouths, prominent teeth, and exposed gums; their advancing -cheek-bones and depressed noses carry barbarism on their very front.</p> - -<p>In Sligo and northern Mayo, the consequences of two centuries of -degradation and hardship exhibit themselves in the whole physical -condition of the people, affecting not only the features, but the -frame, and giving such an example of human degradation as to make it -revolting.</p> - -<p>They are only five feet two inches, upon an average, bow-legged, -bandy-shanked, abortively-featured; the apparitions of Irish ugliness -and Irish want.<a name="FNanchor_27_27" id="FNanchor_27_27"></a><a href="#Footnote_27_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a></p> - -<p>Slavery is, after all, the great demoralizer of the human race. In -addition to the marks of barbarism left upon the features of the -African, he has the indelible imprint of the task-master. Want of food, -clothing, medical attention when sick, over-work, under the control of -drunken and heartless drivers, the hand-cuffs and Negro whip, together -with the other paraphernalia of the slave-code, has done much to -distinguish the blacks from the rest of the human family. It must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> also -be remembered that in Africa, the people, whether living in houses or -in the open air, are oppressed with a hot climate, which causes them -to sleep, more or less, with their mouths open. This fact alone is -enough to account for the large, wide mouth and flat nose; common sense -teaching us that with the open mouth, the features must fall.</p> - -<p>As to the hair, which has also puzzled some scientific men, it is -easily accounted for. It is well-known that heat is the great crisper -of the hair, whether it be on men’s heads or on the backs of animals. I -remember well, when a boy, to have witnessed with considerable interest -the preparations made on great occasions by the women, with regard to -their hair.</p> - -<p>The curls which had been carefully laid away for months, were taken -out of the drawer, combed, oiled, rolled over the prepared paper, and -put in the gently-heated stove, there to remain until the wonted curl -should be gained. When removed from the stove, taken off the paper -rolls, and shaken out, the hair was fit to adorn the head of any lady -in the land.</p> - -<p>Now, the African’s hair has been under the influence for many -centuries, of the intense heat of his native clime, and in each -generation is still more curly, till we find as many grades of hair as -we do of color, from the straight silken strands of the Malay, to the -wool of the Guinea Negro. Custom, air, food, and the general habits -of the people, spread over the great area of the African continent, -aid much in producing the varieties of hair so often met with in the -descendants of the country of the Nile.</p> - -<p>In the recent reports of Dr. Livingstone, he describes the physical -appearance of a tribe which he met,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> and which goes to substantiate -what has already been said with regard to the descent of the Africans -from the region of the Nile. He says:—</p> - -<p>“I happened to be present when all the head men of the great chief -Msama who lives west of the south end of Tanganayika, had come together -to make peace with certain Arabs who had burned their chief town, and I -am certain one could not see more finely-formed, intellectual heads in -any assembly in London or Paris, and the faces and forms corresponded -with the finely-shaped heads. Msama himself had been a sort of Napoleon -for fighting and conquering in his younger days.</p> - -<p>“Many of the women are very pretty, and, like all ladies, would be -much prettier if they would only let themselves alone. Fortunately, -the dears cannot change their darling black eyes, beautiful foreheads, -nicely-rounded limbs, well-shaped forms, and small hands and feet; -but they must adorn themselves, and this they will do by filing their -splendid teeth to points like cats’ teeth. These specimens of the fair -sex make shift by adorning their fine, warm brown skins, and tattooing -various pretty devices without colors. They are not black, but of a -light warm brown color.</p> - -<p>“The Cazembe’s queen would be esteemed a real beauty, either in London, -Paris, or New York; and yet she had a small hole through the cartilage, -near the tip of her fine aquiline nose. But she had only filed one side -of two of the front swan-white teeth, and then what a laugh she had! -Large sections of the country northwest of Cazembe, but still in the -same inland region, are peopled with men very much like those of Msama -and Cazembe.”</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> “Livingstone’s Travels,” p. 366.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_27_27" id="Footnote_27_27"></a><a href="#FNanchor_27_27"><span class="label">[27]</span></a> “Dublin University Magazine,” Vol. IV., p. 653.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VI.</span> <span class="smaller">CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES.</span></h2> - -<p>While paganism is embraced by the larger portion of the African races, -it is by no means the religion of the land. Missionaries representing -nearly every phase of religious belief have made their appearance in -the country, and gained more or less converts. Mohammedanism, however, -has taken by far the greatest hold upon the people.</p> - -<p>Whatever may be said of the followers of Mohammed in other countries, -it may truly be averred that the African has been greatly benefited by -this religion.</p> - -<p>Recent discussions and investigations have brought the subject of -Mohammedanism prominently before the reading public, and the writings -of Weil, and Noldeke, and Muir, and Sprenger, and Emanuel Deutsch, -have taught the world that “Mohammedanism is a thing of vitality, -fraught with a thousand fruitful germs;” and have amply illustrated the -principle enunciated by St. Augustine, showing that there are elements -both of truth and goodness in a system which has had so wide-spread an -influence upon mankind, embracing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> within the scope of its operations -more than one hundred millions of the human race; that the exhibition -of the germs of truth, even though “suspended in a gallery of -counterfeits,” has vast power over the human heart.</p> - -<p>Whatever may be the intellectual inferiority of the Negro tribes (if, -indeed, such inferiority exists), it is certain that many of these -tribes have received the religion of Islam without its being forced -upon them by the overpowering arms of victorious invaders. The quiet -development and organization of a religious community in the heart -of Africa has shown that Negroes, equally with other races, are -susceptible of moral and spiritual impressions, and of all the sublime -possibilities of religion.</p> - -<p>The history of the progress of Islam in the country would present -the same instances of real and eager mental conflict of minds in -honest transition, of careful comparison and reflection, that have -been found in other communities where new aspects of truth and fresh -considerations have been brought before them. And we hold that it shows -a stronger and more healthy intellectual tendency to be induced by the -persuasion and reason of a man of moral nobleness and deep personal -convictions to join with him in the introduction of beneficial changes, -than to be compelled to follow the lead of an irresponsible character, -who forces us into measures by his superior physical might.</p> - -<p>Mungo Park, in his travels seventy years ago, everywhere remarked the -contrast between the pagan and Mohammedan tribes of interior Africa. -One very important improvement noticed by him was abstinence from -intoxicating drinks. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> - -<p>“The beverage of the pagan Negroes,” he says, “is beer and mead, of -which they often drink to excess; the Mohammedan converts drink nothing -but water.”</p> - -<p>Thus, throughout Central Africa there has been established a vast total -abstinence society; and such is the influence of this society that -where there are Moslem inhabitants, even in pagan towns, it is a very -rare thing to see a person intoxicated. They thus present an almost -impenetrable barrier to the desolating flood of ardent spirits with -which the traders from Europe and America inundate the coast at Caboon.</p> - -<p>Wherever the Moslem is found on the coast, whether Jalof, Fulah, or -Mandingo, he looks upon himself as a separate and distinct being from -his pagan neighbor, and immeasurably his superior in intellectual -and moral respects. He regards himself as one to whom a revelation -has been “sent down” from Heaven. He holds constant intercourse with -the “Lord of worlds,” whose servant he is. In his behalf Omnipotence -will ever interpose in times of danger. Hence he feels that he cannot -indulge in the frivolities and vices which he considers as by no means -incompatible with the character and professions of the Kafir, or -unbeliever.</p> - -<p>There are no caste distinctions among them. They do not look upon the -privileges of Islam as confined by tribal barriers or limitations. -On the contrary, the life of their religion is aggressiveness. They -are constantly making proselytes. As early as the commencement of the -present century, the elastic and expansive character of their system -was sufficiently marked to attract the notice of Mr. Park.</p> - -<p>“In the Negro country,” observes that celebrated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> traveller, “the -Mohammedan religion has made, and continues to make, considerable -progress.” “The yearning of the native African,” says Professor -Crummell, “for a higher religion, is illustrated by the singular fact -that Mohammedanism is rapidly and peaceably spreading all through the -tribes of Western Africa, even to the Christian settlements of Liberia.”</p> - -<p>From Senegal to Lagos, over two thousand miles, there is scarcely -an important town on the seaboard where there is not at least one -mosque, and active representatives of Islam often side by side with -the Christian teachers. And as soon as a pagan, however obscure or -degraded, embraces the Moslem faith, he is at once admitted as an equal -to their society. Slavery and slave-trade are laudable institutions, -provided the slaves are Kafirs. The slave who embraces Islamism is -free, and no office is closed against him on account of servile -blood.<a name="FNanchor_28_28" id="FNanchor_28_28"></a><a href="#Footnote_28_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a></p> - -<p>Passing over into the southern part, we find the people in a state -of civilization, and yet superstitious, as indeed are the natives -everywhere.</p> - -<p>The town of Noble is a settlement of modern times, sheltering forty -thousand souls, close to an ancient city of the same name, the Rome of -aboriginal South Africa. The religious ceremonies performed there are -of the most puerile character, and would be thought by most equally -idolatrous with those formerly held in the same spot by the descendants -of Mumbo Jumbo.</p> - -<p>On Easter Monday is celebrated the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span><i>Festa del Señor de los Temblores</i>, -or Festival of the Lord of Earthquakes. On this day the public plaza -in front of the cathedral is hung with garlands and festoons, and the -belfry utters its loudest notes. The images of the saints are borne -out from their shrines, covered with fresh and gaudy decorations. The -Madonna of Bethlehem, San Cristoval, San Blas, and San José, are borne -on in elevated state, receiving as they go the prayers of all the -Maries, and Christophers, and Josephs, who respectively regard them -as patrons. But the crowning honors are reserved for the miraculous -Crucifix, called the Lord of Earthquakes, which is supposed to protect -the city from the dreaded terrestrial shocks, the <i>Temblores</i>.</p> - -<p>The procession winds around a prescribed route, giving opportunity -for public prayers and the devotions of the multitude; the miraculous -image, in a new spangled skirt, that gives it the most incongruous -resemblance to an opera-dancer, is finally shut up in the church; and -then the glad throng, feeling secure from earthquakes another year, -dance and sing in the plaza all night long.</p> - -<p>The Borers, a hardy, fighting, and superstitious race, have a showy -time at weddings and funerals. When the appointed day for marriage has -arrived, the friends of the contracting parties assemble and form a -circle; into this ring the bridegroom leads his lady-love.</p> - -<p>The woman is divested of her clothing, and stands somewhat as mother -Eve did in the garden before she thought of the fig-leaf. The man -then takes oil from a shell, and anoints the bride from the crown of -her head to the soles of her feet; at the close of this ceremony, the -bridegroom breaks forth into joyful peals of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> laughter, in which all -the company join, the musicians strike up a lively air, and the dance -commences. At the close of this, the oldest woman in the party comes -forward, and taking the bride by the right hand, gives her to her -future husband.</p> - -<p>Two maids standing ready with clothes, jump to the bride, and begin -rubbing her off. After this, she is again dressed, and the feast -commences, consisting mainly of fruits and wines.</p> - -<p>The funeral services of the same people are not less interesting. At -the death of one of their number, the body is stripped, laid out upon -the ground, and the friends of the deceased assemble, forming a circle -around it, and commence howling like so many demons. They then march -and counter-march around, with a subdued chant. After this, they hop -around first on one foot, then on the other; stopping still, they cry -at the top of their voices—“She’s in Heaven, she’s in Heaven!” Here -they all fall flat upon the ground, and roll about for a few minutes, -after which they simultaneously rise, throw up their hands, and run -away yelling and laughing.</p> - -<p>Among the Bechuanas, when a chief dies, his burial takes place in his -cattle-yard, and all the cattle are driven for an hour over the grave, -so that it may be entirely obliterated.<a name="FNanchor_29_29" id="FNanchor_29_29"></a><a href="#Footnote_29_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a> In all the Backwain’s -pretended dreams and visions of their God, he has always a crooked leg -like the Egyptian.<a name="FNanchor_30_30" id="FNanchor_30_30"></a><a href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a></p> - -<p>Musical and dancing festivities form a great part of the people’s time. -With some of the tribes, instrumental music has been carried to a high -point of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>culture. Bruce gives an account of a concert, the music of -which he heard at the distance of a mile or more, on a still night in -October. He says: “It was the most enchanting strain I ever listened -to.”</p> - -<p>It is not my purpose to attempt a detailed account of the ceremonies of -the various tribes that inhabit the continent of Africa; indeed, such a -thing would be impossible, even if I were inclined to do so.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_28_28" id="Footnote_28_28"></a><a href="#FNanchor_28_28"><span class="label">[28]</span></a> Prof. Blyden, in “Methodist Quarterly Review,” June, -1871.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_29_29" id="Footnote_29_29"></a><a href="#FNanchor_29_29"><span class="label">[29]</span></a> Dr. Livingstone.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_30_30" id="Footnote_30_30"></a><a href="#FNanchor_30_30"><span class="label">[30]</span></a> Thau.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE ABYSSINIANS.</span></h2> - -<p>According to Bruce, who travelled extensively in Africa, the -Abyssinians have among them a tradition, handed down from time -immemorial, that Cush was their father. Theodore, late king of -Abyssinia, maintained that he descended in a direct line from Moses. -As this monarch has given wider fame to his country than any of his -predecessors, it will not be amiss to give a short sketch of him and -his government.</p> - -<p>Theodore was born at Quarel, on the borders of the western Amhara, and -was educated in a convent in which he was placed by his mother, his -father being dead. He early delighted in military training, and while -yet a boy, became proficient as a swordsman and horseman.</p> - -<p>Like Robert Clive, Warren Hastings, and many other great warriors, -Theodore became uneasy under the restraint of the school-room, and -escaped from the convent to his uncle, Dejatch Comfu, a noted rebel, -from whom he imbibed a taste for warlike pursuits, and eventually -became ruler of a large portion of Abyssinia. Naturally ambitious -and politic, he succeeded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> in enlarging his authority steadily at -the expense of the other “Ras,” or chiefs, of Abyssinia. His power -especially increased when, in 1853, he defeated his father-in-law, -Ras Ali, and took him prisoner. At length in 1855, he felt himself -strong enough to formally claim the throne of all Abyssinia, and he was -crowned as such by the Abuna Salama, the head of the Abyssinian church.</p> - -<p>His reign soon proved to be the most effective Abyssinia had ever -had. As soon as he came into power, his attention was directed to the -importance of being on terms of friendship with the government which -rules India, and which has established itself in the neighboring -stronghold of Aden. He therefore resolved to assert the rights assured -to him by virtue of the treaty made between Great Britain and Abyssinia -in the year 1849, and ratified in 1852, in which it was stipulated that -each State should receive embassadors from the other. Mr. Plowden, who -had been for many years English consul at Massawah, although not an -accredited agent to Abyssinia, went to that country with presents for -the people in authority, and remained during the war which broke out at -the succession of Theodore.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, Mr. Plowden, who had succeeded in winning the favor of -the emperor, to a large extent, was killed; and his successor, Mr. -Cameron, was informed, soon after his arrival in 1862, by the King, -that he desired to carry out the above-mentioned treaty; he even wrote -an autograph letter to Queen Victoria, asking permission to send an -embassy to London. Although the letter reached England in February, -1863, it remained unanswered; and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> supposition is, that this -circumstance, together with a quarrel with Mr. Stern, a missionary, who -in a book on Abyssinia, had spoken disrespectfully of the King, and who -had remonstrated against the flogging to death of two interpreters, -roused the King’s temper, and a year after having dispatched the -unanswered letter, he sent an armed force to the missionary station, -seized the missionaries, and put them in chains. He also cast Mr. -Cameron into prison, and had him chained continually to an Abyssinian -soldier.</p> - -<p>Great excitement prevailed in England on the arrival of the news of -this outrage against British subjects: but in consideration of an armed -expedition having to undergo many hardships in such a warm climate, -it was deemed best by the English government to use diplomacy in its -efforts to have the prisoners released. It was not until the second -half of August, 1865, that Mr. Rassam, an Asiatic, by birth, was sent -on a special mission to the Abyssinian potentate, and was received -on his arrival in February, 1866, in a truly magnificent style, the -release of the prisoners being at once ordered by the King. But the -hope thus raised was soon to be disappointed, for when Mr. Rassam and -the other prisoners were just on the point of taking leave of the -Emperor, they were put under arrest, and notified that they would have -to remain in the country as State guests until an answer could be -obtained to another letter which the King was going to write to the -Queen.</p> - -<p>After exhausting all diplomatic resources to obtain from Theodore the -release of the captives, the English government declared war against -Theodore. The war was chiefly to be carried on with the troops, -European and native, which in India had become<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> accustomed to the hot -climate. The first English troops made their appearance in October, -1867, but it was not until the close of the year that the whole of -the army arrived. The expedition was commanded by General Sir Robert -Napier, heretofore commanding-general at Bombay. Under him acted as -commanders of divisions, Sir Charles Steevely, and Colonel Malcolm, -while Colonel Merewether commanded the cavalry. The distance from -Massowah, the landing-place of the troops, to Magdala, the capital of -Theodore, is about three hundred miles. The English had to overcome -great difficulties, but they overcame them with remarkable energy. King -Theodore gradually retired before the English without risking a battle -until he reached his capital. Then he made a stand, and fought bravely -for his crown, but in vain; he was defeated, the capital captured, and -the King himself slain.</p> - -<p>King Theodore was, on the whole, the greatest ruler Abyssinia has -ever had: even, according to English accounts, he excelled in all -manly pursuits, and his general manner was polite and engaging. Had he -avoided this foolish quarrel with England, and proceeded on the way of -reform which he entered upon in the beginning of his reign, he would -probably have played an important part in the political regeneration of -Eastern Africa.</p> - -<p>As a people, the Abyssinians are intelligent, are of a ginger-bread, -or coffee color, although a large portion of them are black. Theodore -was himself of this latter class. They have fine schools and colleges, -and a large and flourishing military academy. Agriculture, that great -civilizer of man, is carried on here to an extent unknown in other -parts of the country.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER VIII.</span> <span class="smaller">WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA.</span></h2> - -<p>The Colony of Sierra Leone, of which Free Town is the capital, is -situated in 8 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, and is about 13½ -degrees west longitude; was settled by the English, and was for a long -time the most important place on the western coast of Africa. The three -leading tribes on the coast of Sierra Leone are the Timanis, the Susus, -and the Veys. The first of these surround the British Colony of Sierra -Leone on all sides. The Susus have their principal settlements near -the head-waters of the Rio Pongas, and are at some distance from the -sea coast. The Veys occupy all the country about the Gallinas and Cape -Mount, and extend back into the country to the distance of fifty or a -hundred miles.</p> - -<p>The Timanis cultivate the soil to some extent, have small herds of -domestic animals, and are engaged to a greater or less extent in barter -with the English colonists of Sierra Leone. They may be seen in large -numbers about the streets of Free Town, wearing a large square cotton -cloth thrown around their persons. They are strong and healthy in -appearance, but have a much<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> less intellectual cast of countenance than -the Mandingoes or Fulahs, who may also be seen in the same place. Like -all the other tribes in Africa, especially the pagans, they are much -addicted to fetichism,—worship of evil spirits,—administering the -red-wood ordeal, and other ceremonies. They are depraved, licentious, -indolent, and avaricious. But this is no more than what may be said of -every heathen tribe on the globe.</p> - -<p>The Veys, though not a numerous or powerful tribe, are very -intellectual, and have recently invented an alphabet for writing -their own language, which has been printed, and now they enjoy the -blessings of a written system, for which they are entirely indebted -to their own ingenuity and enterprise. This is undoubtedly one of the -most remarkable achievements of this or any other age, and is itself -enough to silence forever the cavils and sneers of those who think so -contemptuously of the intellectual endowments of the African race. The -characters used in this system are all new, and were invented by the -people themselves without the aid of outsiders. The Veys occupy all the -country along the sea-board from Gallinas to Cape Mount.</p> - -<p>In stature, they are about the ordinary height, of slender, but -graceful figures, with very dark complexions, but large and well-formed -heads.</p> - -<p>As the Veys are within the jurisdiction of Liberia, that government -will be of great service to them. The Biassagoes, the Bulloms, the -Dego, and the Gola, are also inhabitants of the Sierra Leone coast. -Other tribes of lesser note are scattered all along the coast, many of -which have come under the good influence of the Liberian government. -Cape Coast Castle, the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span>stronghold of the English on the African coast, -has, in past years, been a place of great importance. It was from -this place that its governor, Sir Charles McCarthy, went forth to the -contest with the Ashantees, a warlike tribe, and was defeated, losing -his life, together with that of seven others.</p> - -<p>Here, at this castle, “L. E. L.,” the gifted poetess and novelist of -England, died, and was buried within the walls. This lamented lady -married Captain McLean, the governor-general of the castle, and her -death caused no little comment at the time, many blaming the husband -for the wife’s death.</p> - -<p>The Kru people are also on the coast, and have less general -intelligence than the Fulahs, Mandingoes, and Degos. They are -physically a fine-appearing race, with more real energy of character -than either of the others. It would be difficult to find better -specimens of muscular development, men of more manly and independent -carriage, or more real grace of manner, anywhere in the world. No -one ever comes in contact with them, for the first time, without -being struck with their open, frank countenances, their robust and -well-proportioned forms, and their independent bearing, even when they -have but the scantiest covering for their bodies.</p> - -<p>Their complexion varies from the darkest shade of the Negro to that of -the true mulatto. Their features are comparatively regular; and, though -partaking of all the characteristics of the Negro, they are by no means -strongly marked in their general outline or development. The most -marked deficiency is in the formation of their heads, which are narrow -and peaked, and do not indicate a very high order of intellectual<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> -endowment. Experience, however, has shown that they are as capable of -intellectual improvement as any other race of men.<a name="FNanchor_31_31" id="FNanchor_31_31"></a><a href="#Footnote_31_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a></p> - -<p>In the interior of Youeba, some distance back from Cape Coast, lies the -large city of Ibaddan, a place with a population of about two hundred -thousand souls. Abeokuta has a population of more than one hundred -thousand, and is about seventy-five miles from the sea coast, with -a history that is not without interest. Some fifty years ago, a few -persons of different tribes, who had been constantly threatened and -annoyed by the slave-traders of the coast, fled to the back country, -hid away in a large cave, coming out occasionally to seek food, and -taking in others who sought protection from these inhuman men-hunters.</p> - -<p>This cavern is situated on the banks of the Ogun, and in the course -of time became the hiding-place of great numbers from the surrounding -country. At first, they subsisted on berries, roots, and such other -articles of food as they could collect near their place of retreat; but -growing in strength by the increase of population, they began to bid -defiance to their enemies.</p> - -<p>A slave-hunting party from Dahomey, having with them a considerable -number of captives, passing the cavern, thought it a good opportunity -to add to their wealth, and consequently, made an attack upon the -settlers. The latter came forth in large force from their hiding-place, -gave battle to the traders, defeated them, capturing their prisoners -and putting their enemies to flight. The captives were at once -liberated, and joined their deliverers. In the course of time this -settlement<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> took the name of Abeokuta. These people early turned their -attention to agriculture and manufacturing, and by steady increase -in population, it soon became a city of great wealth and importance. -About thirty years ago, a number of recaptives from Sierra Leone, who -had formerly been taken from this region of country, and who had been -recaptured by the English, liberated and educated, visited Lagos for -trade. Here they met many of their old friends and relations from -Abeokuta, learned of the flourishing town that had grown up, and with -larger numbers returned to swell the population of the new city.</p> - -<p>The King of Dahomey watched the growing power of Abeokuta with an evil -eye, and in 1853, he set in motion a large army, with the view of -destroying this growing city, and reducing its inhabitants to slavery. -The King made a desperate attack and assault upon the place, but he -met with a resistance that he little thought of. The engagement was -carried on outside of the walls for several hours, when the Dahomian -army was compelled to give way, and the King himself was saved only by -the heroism and frantic manner in which he was defended by his Amazons. -This success of the people of Abeokuta gave the place a reputation -above what it had hitherto enjoyed, and no invading army has since -appeared before its walls.</p> - -<p>Much of the enterprise and improvement of these people is owing to the -good management of Shodeke, their leader. Coming from all sections near -the coast, and the line of the slave-traders, representing the remnants -of one hundred and thirty towns, these people, in the beginning, were -anything but united. Shodeke brought them together and made them -feel as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> one family. This remarkable man had once been captured by -the slave-traders, but had escaped, and was the first to suggest the -cave as a place of safety. Throughout Sierra Leone, Abeokuta, and -the Yoruba country generally the best-known man in connection with -the African civilization, is Mr. Samuel Crowther, a native, and who, -in the Yoruba language, was called Adgai. He was embarked as a slave -on board a slaver at Badagry, in 1822. The vessel was captured by a -British man-of-war and taken to Sierra Leone. Here he received a good -education, was converted, and became a minister of the Gospel, after -which he returned to his native place.</p> - -<p>Mr. Crowther is a man of superior ability, and his attainments in -learning furnish a happy illustration of the capacity of the Negro -for improvements. Dahomey is one of the largest and most powerful of -all the governments on the west coast. The King is the most absolute -tyrant in the world, owning all the land, the people, and everything -that pertains to his domain. The inhabitants are his slaves, and they -must come and go at his command. The atrocious cruelties that are -constantly perpetrated at the command and bidding of this monarch, -has gained for him the hatred of the civilized world; and strange to -say, these deeds of horror appear to be sanctioned by the people, who -have a superstitious veneration for their sovereign, that is without -a parallel. Abomi, the capital of Dahomey, has a large population, a -fort, and considerable trade. The King exacts from all the sea-port -towns on this part of the coast, and especially from Popo, Porto Novo, -and Badagry, where the foreign slave-trade, until within<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> a very short -period, was carried on as in no other part of Africa.</p> - -<p>The Dahomian soldiery, for the past two hundred years, have done little -less than hunt slaves for the supply of the traders.</p> - -<p>The English blockading squadron has done great service in breaking -up the slave-trade on this part of the coast, and this has turned -the attention of the people to agriculture. The country has splendid -natural resources, which if properly developed, will make it one of -the finest portions of Western Africa. The soil is rich, the seasons -are regular, and the climate favorable for agricultural improvements. -Indian corn, yams, potatoes, manico, beans, ground-nuts, plantains, and -bananas are the chief products of the country. Cotton is raised to a -limited extent.</p> - -<p>The practice of sacrificing the lives of human beings upon the graves -of dead kings every year in Dahomey, and then paving the palace -grounds with the skulls of the victims, has done much to decrease the -population of this kingdom. As many as two thousand persons have been -slaughtered on a single occasion. To obtain the required number, wars -have been waged upon the surrounding nations for months previous to the -sacrifice. There is no place where there is more intense heathenism; -and to mention no other feature in their superstitious practice, the -worship of snakes by the Dahomians fully illustrates this remark.</p> - -<p>A building in the centre of the town is devoted to the exclusive use of -reptiles, and they may be seen here at any time in great numbers. They -are fed, and more care taken of them than of the human inhabitants of -the place. If they are found straying away they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> must be brought back; -and at the sight of them the people prostrate themselves on the ground, -and do them all possible reverence. To kill or injure one of them is to -endure the penalty of death. On certain days they are taken out by the -priests or doctors, and paraded about the streets, the bearers allowing -them to coil themselves around their arms, necks, and bodies, and even -to put their heads into the carriers’ bosoms.</p> - -<p>They are also employed to detect persons who are suspected of theft, -witchcraft, and murder. If in the hands of the priest they bite the -suspected person, it is sure evidence of his guilt; and no doubt the -serpent is trained to do the will of his keeper in all cases. Images -called <i>greegrees</i>, of the most uncouth shape and form, may be seen in -all parts of the town, and are worshipped by everybody.</p> - -<p>In every part of Africa, polygamy is a favorite institution. In their -estimation it lies at the very foundation of all social order, and -society would scarcely be worth preserving without it. The highest -aspiration that the most eminent African ever rises to, is to have a -large number of wives. His happiness, his reputation, his influence, -his position in society, and his future welfare, all depend upon it. -In this feeling the women heartily concur; for a woman would much -rather be the wife of a man who had fifty others, than to be the sole -representative of a man who had not force of character to raise himself -above the one-woman level.</p> - -<p>The consequence is, that the so-called wives are little better than -slaves. They have no purpose in life other than to administer to the -wants and gratify the passions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> of their lords, who are masters and -owners, rather than husbands.</p> - -<p>In nearly every nation or tribe, the wife is purchased; and as this -is done in the great majority of cases when she is but a child, her -wishes, as a matter of course, are never consulted in this most -important affair of her whole life.</p> - -<p>As both father and mother hold a claim on the daughter, and as each -makes a separate bargain with the future son-in-law, the parent -generally makes a good thing out of the sale. The price of a wife -ranges all the way from the price of a cow to three cows, a goat or -a sheep, and some articles of crockery-ware, beads, and a few other -trinkets. Where the girl is bought in infancy, it remains with the -parents till of a proper age. There are no widows, the woman being sold -for life, and becomes the wife of the husband’s brother, should the -former die. A man of respectability is always expected to provide a -separate house for each of his wives. Each woman is mistress of her own -household, provides for herself and her children, and entertains her -husband as often as he favors her with his company.</p> - -<p>The wife is never placed on a footing of social equality with her -husband. Her position is a menial one, and she seldom aspires to -anything higher than merely to gratify the passions of her husband. She -never takes a seat at the social board with him.</p> - -<p>Men of common standing are never allowed to have as many wives as a -sovereign. Both the Kings of Dahomey and Ashantee are permitted by -law to have three thousand three hundred and thirty-three. No one is -allowed to see the King’s wives except the King’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> female relatives, or -such messengers as he may send, and even these must communicate with -them through their bamboo walls. Sometimes they go forth in a body -through the streets, but are always preceded by a company of boys, -who warn the people to run out of the way, and avoid the unpardonable -offence of seeing the King’s wives. The men especially, no matter -what their rank, must get out of the way; and if they have not had -sufficient time to do this, they must fall flat on the ground and -hide their faces until the procession has passed. To see one of the -King’s wives, even accidentally, is a capital offence; and the scene of -the confusion which occasionally takes place in the public market in -consequence of the unexpected approach of the royal cortege, is said to -be ludicrous beyond all description.</p> - -<p>At the death of the King, it is not uncommon for his wives to fall upon -each other with knives, and lacerate themselves in the most cruel and -barbarous manner; and this work of butchery is continued until they are -forcibly restrained. Women are amongst the most reliable and brave in -the King’s army, and constitute about one-third of the standing army in -Ashantee and Dahomey.</p> - -<p>One of the most influential and important classes in every African -community is the deybo, a set of professional men who combine the -medical and priestly office in the same person. They attend the sick -and administer medicines, which usually consist of decoctions of herbs -or roots, and external applications. A doctor is expected to give his -undivided attention to one patient at a time, and is paid only in case -of successful treatment. If the case is a serious one, he is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> expected -to deposit with the family, as a security for his good behavior and -faithful discharge of duty, a bundle of hair that was shorn from his -head at the time he was inaugurated into office, and without which he -could have no skill in his profession whatever.</p> - -<p>The doctor professes to hold intercourse with, and have great influence -over demons. He also claims to have communications from God. No man -can be received into the conclave without spending two years or more -as a student with some eminent member of the fraternity. During this -period he must accompany his preceptor in all his journeyings, perform -a variety of menial services, is prohibited from shaving his head, -washing his body, or allowing water to be applied to him in any way -whatever, unless perchance he falls into a stream, or is overtaken -by a shower of rain, when he is permitted to get off as much dirt as -possible from his body. The doctor’s badge of office is a monkey’s -skin, which he carries in the form of a roll wherever he goes, and of -which he is as proud as his white brother of his sheep-skin diploma.</p> - -<p>In their capacity as priests, these men profess to be able to raise -the dead, cast out devils, and do all manner of things that other -people are incapable of doing. The doctor is much feared by the -common classes. No innovation in practice is allowed by these men. A -rather amusing incident occurred recently, which well illustrates the -jealousy, bigotry, and ignorance of these professionals.</p> - -<p>Mr. Samuel Crowther, Jr., having returned from England, where he -had studied for a physician, began the practice of his profession -amongst his native<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> people. The old doctors hearing that Crowther was -prescribing, called on him in a large delegation. Mr. Crowther received -the committee cordially; heard what they had to say, and expressed his -willingness to obey, provided they would give him a trial, and should -find him deficient. To this they agreed; and a time was appointed -for the test to take place. On the day fixed, the regulars appeared, -clothed in their most costly robes, well provided with charms, each -holding in his hand his monkey’s skin, with the head most prominent.</p> - -<p>Mr. Crowther was prepared to receive them. A table was placed in the -middle of the room, and on it a dish, in which were a few drops of -sulphuric acid, so placed that a slight motion of the table would cause -it to flow into a mixture of chlorate of potassa and white sugar. An -English clock was also in the room, from which a cock issued every hour -and crowed. It was arranged that the explosion from the dish, and the -crowing of the rooster, should take place at the same moment.</p> - -<p>The whole thing was to be decided in favor of the party who should -perform the greatest wonder. After all were seated, Mr. Crowther made a -harangue, and requested them to say who should lead off in the contest.</p> - -<p>This privilege they accorded to him. The doors were closed, the -curtains drawn, and all waited in breathless silence. Both the hands on -the clock were fast approaching the figure twelve. Presently the cock -came out and began crowing, to the utter astonishment of the learned -visitors. Crowther gave the table a jostle; and suddenly, from the -midst of the dish burst forth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> flame and a terrible explosion. This -double wonder was too much for these sages. The scene that followed -is indescribable. One fellow rushed through the window and scampered; -one fainted and fell upon the floor; another, in his consternation, -overturned chairs, tables, and everything in his way, took refuge -in the bedroom, under the bed, from which he was with difficulty -afterwards removed.</p> - -<p>It need not be added that they gave no more trouble, and the practice -they sought to break up was the more increased for their pains.<a name="FNanchor_32_32" id="FNanchor_32_32"></a><a href="#Footnote_32_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a></p> - -<p>In Southern Guinea, and especially in the Gabun country, the natives -are unsurpassed for their cunning and shrewdness in trade; and even in -everything in the way of dealing with strangers. The following anecdote -will illustrate how easily they can turn matters to their own account.</p> - -<p>There is a notable character in the Gabun, of the name of Cringy. No -foreigner ever visits the river without making his acquaintance; and -all who do so, remember him forever after. He speaks English, French, -Portuguese, and at least half a dozen native languages, with wonderful -ease. He is, in person, a little, old, grey-headed, hump-backed man, -with a remarkably bright, and by no means unpleasant eye. His village -is perched on a high bluff on the north side of the Gabun River, near -its outlet. He generally catches the first sight of vessels coming in, -and puts off in his boat to meet the ship. If the captain has never -been on the coast before, Cringy will make a good thing out of him, -unless he has been warned by other sailors. The cunning African is a -pilot; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> after he brings a vessel in and moors her opposite his town -by a well-known usage, it is now Cringy’s. He acts as interpreter; -advises the captain; helps to make bargains, and puts on airs as if the -ship belonged to him. If anybody else infringes on his rights in the -slightest degree, he is at once stigmatized as a rude and ill-mannered -person. Cringy is sure to cheat everyone he deals with, and has been -seized half a dozen times or more by men-of-war, or other vessels, and -put in irons. But he is so adroit with his tongue, and so good-natured -and humorous, that he always gets clear.</p> - -<p>The following trick performed by him, will illustrate the character of -the man.</p> - -<p>Some years ago, the French had a fight with the natives. After reducing -the people near the mouth of the river to obedience by the force of -arms, Commodore B— proposed to visit King George’s towns, about thirty -miles higher up the river, with the hope of getting them to acknowledge -the French authority without further resort to violence. In order to -make a favorable impression, he determined to take his squadron with -him. His fleet consisted of two large sloops-of-war and a small vessel. -As none of the French could speak the native language, and none of King -George’s people could speak French, it was a matter of great importance -that a good interpreter should be employed. It was determined that -Cringy was the most suitable man. He was sent for, accepted the offer -at once—for Cringy himself had something of importance at stake—and -resolved to profit by this visit.</p> - -<p>One of Cringy’s wives was the daughter of King George; and this woman, -on account of ill-treatment,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> had fled and gone back into her father’s -country. All his previous efforts to get his wife had failed. And now -when the proposition came from the commodore, the thought occurred to -Cringy that he could make himself appear to be a man of great influence -and power. The party set out with a favoring wind and tide, and were -soon anchored at their place of destination. With a corps of armed -marines, the commodore landed and proceeded to the King’s palace.</p> - -<p>The people had had no intimation of such a visit, and the sudden -arrival of this armed body produced a very strong sensation, and all -eyes were on Cringy, next to the commodore, for he was the only one -that could explain the object of the expedition. King George and his -council met the commodore, and Cringy was instructed to say that the -latter had come to have a friendly talk with the King, with the view of -establishing amicable relations between him and the King of France, and -would be glad to have his signature to a paper to that effect. Now was -Cringy’s moment; and he acted his part well.</p> - -<p>The wily African, with the air of one charged with a very weighty -responsibility, said: “King George, the commodore is very sorry that -you have not returned my wife. He wishes you to do it now in a prompt -and quiet manner, and save him the trouble and pain of bringing his big -guns to bear upon your town.”</p> - -<p>King George felt the deepest indignation; not so much against the -commodore, as Cringy, for resorting to so extraordinary a measure to -compel him to give up his daughter. But he concealed the emotions of -his heart, and, without the slightest change<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> of countenance, but with -a firm and determined tone of voice, he said to his own people, “Go -out quietly and get your guns loaded; and if one drop of blood is shed -here to-day, be sure that not one of these Frenchmen get back to their -vessels. But be sure and”—he said it with great emphasis, “let Cringy -be the first man killed.”</p> - -<p>This was more than Cringy had bargained for. And how is he to get out -of this awkward scrape? The lion has been aroused, and how shall he be -pacified? But this is just the position to call out Cringy’s peculiar -gift, and he set to work in the most penitent terms. He acknowledged, -and begged pardon for his rash, unadvised counsel; reminded his -father-in-law that they were all liable to do wrong sometimes, and -that this was the most grievous error of his whole life. And as to the -threat of the commodore, a single word from him would be sufficient to -put a stop to all hostile intentions.</p> - -<p>The wrath of the King was assuaged. The commodore, however, by this -time had grown impatient to know what was going on, and especially, -why the people had left the house so abruptly. With the utmost -self-possession, Cringy replied that the people had gone to catch a -sheep, which the King had ordered for the commodore’s dinner; and as -to signing the paper, that would be done when the commodore was ready -to take his departure. And to effect these two objects, Cringy relied -wholly upon his own power of persuasion.</p> - -<p>True enough the sheep was produced and the paper was signed. King -George and the French commodore parted good friends, and neither of -them knew for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> more than a month after, the double game which Cringy -had played; and what was more remarkable than all, Cringy was rewarded -by the restoration of his wife.<a name="FNanchor_33_33" id="FNanchor_33_33"></a><a href="#Footnote_33_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a></p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_31_31" id="Footnote_31_31"></a><a href="#FNanchor_31_31"><span class="label">[31]</span></a> Wilson’s “Western Africa.”</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_32_32" id="Footnote_32_32"></a><a href="#FNanchor_32_32"><span class="label">[32]</span></a> “A Pilgrimage to my Motherland.” Campbell.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_33_33" id="Footnote_33_33"></a><a href="#FNanchor_33_33"><span class="label">[33]</span></a> “Western Africa.” Wilson.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER IX.</span> <span class="smaller">THE SLAVE-TRADE.</span></h2> - -<p>The slave-trade has been the great obstacle to the civilization of -Africa, the development of her resources, and the welfare of the Negro -race. The prospect of gain, which this traffic held out to the natives, -induced one tribe to make war upon another, burn the villages, murder -the old, and kidnap the young. In return, the successful marauders -received in payment gunpowder and rum, two of the worst enemies of an -ignorant and degraded people.</p> - -<p>Fired with ardent spirits, and armed with old muskets, these people -would travel from district to district, leaving behind them smouldering -ruins, heart-stricken friends, and bearing with them victims whose -market value was to inflame the avaricious passions of the inhabitants -of the new world.</p> - -<p>While the enslavement of one portion of the people of Africa by another -has been a custom of many centuries, to the everlasting shame and -disgrace of the Portuguese, it must be said they were the first to -engage in the foreign slave-trade. As early as the year 1503, a few -slaves were sent from a Portuguese <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>settlement in Africa into the -Spanish colonies in America. In 1511 Ferdinand, the fifth king of -Spain, permitted them to be carried in great numbers.</p> - -<p>Ferdinand, however, soon saw the error of this, and ordered the trade -to be stopped. At the death of the King, a proposal was made by -Bartholomew de las Cassas, the bishop of Chiapa, to Cardinal Ximenes, -who held the reins of the government of Spain till Charles V. came -to the throne, for the establishment of a regular system of commerce -in the persons of the native Africans. The cardinal, however, with a -foresight, a benevolence, and a justice which will always do honor to -his memory, refused the proposal; not only judging it to be unlawful to -consign innocent people to slavery at all, but to be very inconsistent -to deliver the inhabitants of one country over for the benefit of -another.</p> - -<p>Charles soon came to the throne, the cardinal died, and in 1517 the -King granted a patent to one of his Flemish favorites, containing an -exclusive right of importing four thousand Africans into the islands -St. Domingo, Porto Rico, Cuba, and Jamaica. In 1562 the English, during -the reign of Queen Elizabeth, commenced the importation of African -slaves, which were taken to Hispaniola by Sir John Hawkins. The trade -then became general. The French persuaded Louis XIII., then King of -France, that it would be aiding the cause of Christianity to import -the Africans into the colonies, where they could be converted to the -Christian religion; and the French embarked in the trade.</p> - -<p>The Dutch were too sharp-eyed to permit such an opportunity to fill -their coffers to pass by, so they <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>followed the example set by the -Portuguese, the English, and the French. The trade being considered -lawful by all countries, and especially in Africa, the means of -obtaining slaves varied according to the wishes of the traders.</p> - -<p>Some whites travelled through the country as far as it was practical, -and bartered goods for slaves, chaining them together, who followed -their masters from town to town until they reached the coast, where -they were sold to the owners of ships. Others located themselves on the -coast and in the interior, and bought the slaves as they were brought -in for sale.</p> - -<p>A chief of one of the tribes of the Guinea coast, who had been out -on a successful marauding expedition, in which he had captured some -two hundred slaves, took them to the coast, sold his chattels to the -captain of a vessel, and was invited on board the ship. The chief with -his three sons and attendants had scarcely reached the deck of the ship -when they were seized, hand-cuffed, and placed with the other Negroes, -which enabled the captain to save the purchase money, as well as adding -a dozen more slaves to his list.</p> - -<p>Had this happened in the nineteenth century, it would have been -pronounced a “Yankee trick.”</p> - -<p>Some large ships appeared at the slave-trading towns on the coast, -ready to convey to the colonies any slaves whose owners might see fit -to engage them. Their cargoes would often be made up of the slaves of -half a dozen parties, on which occasions the chattels would sometimes -become mixed, and cause a dispute as to the ownership. To avoid this, -the practice of branding the slaves on the coast before shipping them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> -was introduced. Branding a human being on the naked body, the hot iron -hissing in the quivering flesh, the cries and groans of the helpless -creatures, were scenes enacted a few years ago, and which the African -slave-trader did not deny.</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>There on a rude mat, spread upon the ground,</div> -<div>A stalwart Negro lieth firmly bound;</div> -<div>His brawny chest one brutal captor smites,</div> -<div>And notice to the ringing sound invites;</div> -<div>Another opes his mouth the teeth to show,</div> -<div>As cattle-dealers aye are wont to do.</div> -<div>Hark, to that shrill and agonizing cry!</div> -<div>Gaze on that upturned, supplicating eye!</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>How the flesh quivers, and how shrinks the frame,</div> -<div>As the initials of her owner’s name</div> -<div>Burn on the back of that Mandingo girl;</div> -<div>Yet calmly do the smoke-wreaths upward curl</div> -<div>From his cigar, whose right unfaltering hand</div> -<div>Lights with a match the cauterizing brand,</div> -<div>The while his left doth the round shoulder clasp,</div> -<div>And hold his victim in a vise-like grasp.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>As cruel as was the preparation before leaving their native land, -it was equalled, if not surpassed, by the passage on shipboard. Two -thousand human beings put on a vessel not capable of accommodating half -that number; disease breaking out amongst the slaves, when but a few -days on the voyage; the dead and the dying thrown overboard, and the -cries and groans coming forth from below decks is but a faint picture -of the horrid trade.</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“All ready?” cried the captain;</div> -<div class="i1">“Ay, ay!” the seamen said;</div> -<div>“Heave up the worthless lubbers—</div> -<div class="i1">The dying and the dead.”</div> -<div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span>Up from the slave-ship’s prison</div> -<div class="i1">Fierce, bearded heads were thrust;</div> -<div>“Now let the sharks look to it—</div> -<div class="i1">Toss up the dead ones first!”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>Slave-factories, or trading-pens, were established up and down the -coast. And although England for many years kept a fleet in African -waters, to watch and break up this abominable traffic, the swiftness of -the slavers, and the adroitness of their pilots, enabled them to escape -detection by gaining hiding-places in some of the small streams on the -coast, or by turning to the ocean until a better opportunity offered -itself for landing.</p> - -<p>Calabar and Bonny were the two largest slave-markets on the African -coast. From these places alone twenty thousand slaves were shipped, in -the year 1806. It may therefore be safe to say, that fifty thousand -slaves were yearly sent into the colonies at this period; or rather, -sent from the coast, for many thousands who were shipped, never reached -their place of destination. During the period when this traffic -was carried on without any interference on the part of the British -government, caravans of slaves were marched down to Loango from the -distance of several hundred miles, and each able-bodied man was -required to bring down a tooth of ivory. In this way a double traffic -was carried on; that in ivory by the English and American vessels, and -the slaves by the Portuguese.</p> - -<p>All who have investigated the subject, know that the rivers Benin, -Bonny, Brass, Kalabar, and Kameruns, were once the chief seats of this -trade. It is through these rivers that the Niger discharges itself into -the ocean; and as the factories near the mouths of these <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>different -branches had great facility of access to the heart of Africa, it is -probable that the traffic was carried on more vigorously here than -anywhere else on the coast.</p> - -<p>But the abolition of the slave-trade by England, and the presence of -the British squadron on the coast, has nearly broken up the trade.</p> - -<p>The number of vessels now engaged in carrying on a lawful trade in -these rivers is between fifty and sixty; and so decided are the -advantages reaped by the natives from this change in their commercial -affairs, that it is not believed they would ever revert to it again, -even if all outward restraints were taken away. So long as the African -seas were given up to piracy and the slave-trade, and the aborigines -in consequence were kept in constant excitement and warfare, it was -almost impossible either to have commenced or continued a missionary -station on the coast for the improvement of the natives. And the fact -that there was none anywhere between Sierra Leone and the Cape of -Good Hope, previous to the year 1832, shows that it was regarded as -impracticable.<a name="FNanchor_34_34" id="FNanchor_34_34"></a><a href="#Footnote_34_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a></p> - -<p>Christianity does not invoke the aid of the sword; but when she can -shield from the violence of lawless men by the intervention of “the -powers that be,” or when the providence of God goes before and smoothes -down the waves of discord and strife, she accepts it as a grateful -boon, and discharges her duty with greater alacrity and cheerfulness.</p> - -<p>Throughout all the region where the slave-trade was once carried on, -there is great decline in business, except where that traffic has been -replaced by legitimate commerce or agriculture. Nor could it well be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> -otherwise. The very measures which were employed in carrying on this -detestable traffic at least over three-fourths of the country, were -in themselves quite sufficient to undermine any government in the -world. For a long term of years the slaves were procured on the part of -these larger and more powerful governments by waging war against their -feebler neighbors for this express purpose; and in this way they not -only cut off all the sources of their own prosperity and wealth, but -the people themselves, while waging this ruthless and inhuman warfare, -were imbibing notions and principles which would make it impossible for -them to cohere long as organized nations.</p> - -<p>The bill for the abolition of the British slave-trade received the -royal assent on March 25, 1807; and this law came into operation on and -after January 1, 1808. That was a deed well done; and glorious was the -result for humanity. To William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson, Granville -Sharp, and a few others, is the credit due for this great act.</p> - -<p>Although the slave-trade was abolished by the British government, and -afterwards by the American and some other nations, the slave-trade -still continued, and exists even at the present day, in a more limited -form, except, perhaps, in Northern and Central Africa, and on the Nile. -In that section the trade is carried on in the most gigantic manner. It -begins every year in the month of August, when the traders prepare for -a large haul.</p> - -<p>All the preparations having been completed, they ascend the Nile in a -regular squadron. Every expedition means war; and, according to its -magnitude, is provided with one hundred to one thousand armed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> men. -The soldiers employed consist of the miserable Dongolowie, who carry -double-barrelled shot-guns and knives, and are chiefly noted for their -huge appetites and love of marissa (beer). Each large dealer has his -own territory, and he resents promptly any attempt of another trader to -trespass thereon.</p> - -<p>For instance, Agate, the most famous of all African slave-traders, -knew, and his men frequently visited, the Victoria Nyanza, long before -Speke ever dreamed of it. Agate’s station is now near the Nyanza, and -he keeps up a heavy force there, as indeed he does at all his stations. -When the expedition is ready, it moves slowly up to the Neam-Neam -country, for instance, and if one tribe is hostile to another, he joins -with the strongest and takes his pay in slaves. Active spies are kept -in liberal pay to inform him of the number and quality of the young -children; and when the chief believes he can steal one hundred he -settles down to work, for that figure means four thousand dollars. He -makes a landing with his human hounds, after having reconnoitred the -position,—generally in the night time. At dawn he moves forward on the -village, and the alarm is spread among the Negroes, who herd together -behind their aboriginal breastplates, and fire clouds of poisoned -arrows. The trader opens with musketry, and then begins a general -massacre of men, women, and children. The settlement, surrounded by -inflammable grass, is given to the flames, and the entire habitation -is laid in ashes. Probably out of the wreck of one thousand charred -and slaughtered people, his reserve has caught the one hundred coveted -women and children, who are flying from death in wild despair.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> They -are yoked together by a long pole, and marched off from their homes -forever. One-third of them may have the small-pox; and then with this -infected cargo the trader proceeds to his nearest station.</p> - -<p>Thence the Negroes are clandestinely sent across the desert to -Kordofan, whence, they are dispersed over Lower Egypt and other -markets. It not unfrequently happens that the Negroes succeed in -killing their adversaries in these combats. But the blacks here are not -brave. They generally fly after a loss of several killed, except with -the Neam-Neams, who always fight with a bravery commensurate with their -renown as cannibals.</p> - -<p>The statistics of the slave-trade are difficult to obtain with absolute -accuracy, but an adequate approximation may be reached. It is safe to -say that the annual export of slaves from the country lying between -the Red Sea and the Great Desert is twenty-five thousand a year, -distributed as follows: From Abyssinia, carried to Jaffa or Gallabat, -ten thousand; issuing by other routes of Abyssinia, five thousand; by -the Blue Nile, three thousand; by the White Nile, seven thousand. To -obtain these twenty-five thousand slaves and sell them in market, more -than fifteen thousand are annually killed, and often the mortality -reaches the terrible figure of fifty thousand. It is a fair estimate -that fifty thousand children are stolen from their parents every year. -Of the number forced into slavery, fifteen thousand being boys and ten -thousand girls, it is found that about six thousand go to Lower Egypt, -two thousand are made soldiers, nine thousand concubines, five hundred -eunuchs, five thousand cooks or servants, while ten thousand eventually -die from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> the climate, and three thousand obtain their papers of -freedom. They are dispersed over three million square miles of -territory, and their blood finally mingles with that of the Turk, the -Arab, and the European. The best black soldiers are recruited from the -Dinkas, who are strong, handsome Negroes, the finest of the White Nile. -The other races are thickly built and clumsy, and are never ornamental; -the Abyssinians, for whatever service and of whatever class, excel -all their rival victims in slavery. They are quiet and subdued, and -seldom treacherous or insubordinate. They prefer slavery, many of them, -to freedom, because they have no aspirations that are inordinate. -The girls are delicate, and not built for severe labor. Though born -and bred in a country where concubines are as legitimate and as much -honored as wives, they revolt against the terrors of polygamy.</p> - -<p>In Abyssinia there is a feature of the slave-commerce which does not -seem to exist elsewhere. The natives themselves enslave their own -countrymen and countrywomen. Since the death of Theodore, the country -has been the scene of complex civil war. Each tribe is in war against -its neighbor; and when the issue comes to a decisive battle, the victor -despoils his antagonist of all his property, makes merchandise of the -children, and forwards them to the Egyptian post of Gallabat, where -they find a ready and active market. All along the frontier there is -no attempt to prevent slavery. It exists with the sanction of the -officials, and by their direct co-operation. Another profession is -that of secret kidnappers. The world knows little how much finesse and -depravity and duplicity are required in this business. The impression -is abroad,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> that the slave-trade provokes nothing more than murder, -theft, arson, and rape. But it is a disgraceful fact that some traders -habitually practice the most inhuman deception to accomplish their end. -They frequently settle down in communities and households in the guise -of benefactors, and while so situated they register each desirable boy -and girl, and afterward conspire to kidnap or kill them, as chance may -have it. Such is the story of the African slave-trade of to-day.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_34_34" id="Footnote_34_34"></a><a href="#FNanchor_34_34"><span class="label">[34]</span></a> Wilson’s “Western Africa.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER X.</span> <span class="smaller">THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA.</span></h2> - -<p>The Republic of Liberia lies on the west coast of Africa, and was -settled by emigrants from the United States in 1822.</p> - -<p>The founders of this government met with many obstacles: First, -disease; then opposition from the natives; all of which, however, they -heroically overcame.</p> - -<p>The territory owned by the Liberian government extends some six hundred -miles along the West African coast, and reaches back indefinitely -towards the interior, the native title to which has been fairly -purchased.</p> - -<p>It has brought within its elevating influence at least two hundred -thousand of the native inhabitants, who are gradually acquiring -the arts, comforts, and conveniences of civilized life. It has a -regularly-organized government, modelled after our own, with all the -departments in successful operation. Schools, seminaries, a college, -and some fifty churches, belonging to seven different denominations, -are in a hopeful condition. Towns and cities are being built where -once<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> the slave-trade flourished with all its untold cruelty, -bloodshed, and carnage. Agriculture is extending, and commerce is -increasing. The Republic of Liberia numbers to-day among its civilized -inhabitants, about thirty thousand persons, about fifteen thousand of -which are American Liberians; that is, those who have emigrated from -the United States with their descendants. More than three hundred -thousand aborigines reside within the territory of Liberia, and -are brought more or less directly under the influence and control -of her civilized institutions. There are churches in the Republic, -representing different denominations, with their Sunday Schools and -Bible classes, and contributing something every week for missionary -purposes. The exports in the year 1866, amounted to about three hundred -thousand dollars.</p> - -<p>The undeveloped capacities for trade, no one can estimate. With a most -prolific soil, and a climate capable of producing almost every variety -of tropical fruit, the resources of the land are beyond computation. A -sea-coast line, six hundred miles in length, and an interior stretching -indefinitely into the heart of the country, offer the most splendid -facilities for foreign commerce.</p> - -<p>For a thousand miles along the coast, and two hundred miles inland, -the influence of the government has been brought to bear upon domestic -slavery among the natives, and upon the extirpation of the slave-trade, -until both have ceased to exist.</p> - -<p>The interior presents a country inviting in all its aspects; a fine, -rolling country, abounding in streams and rivulets; forests of timber -in great variety, abundance, and usefulness; and I have no doubt quite -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>salubrious, being free from the miasmatic influences of the mangrove -swamps near the coast.</p> - -<p>The commercial resources of Liberia, even at the present time, though -scarcely commenced to be developed, are of sufficient importance to -induce foreigners, American and European, to locate in the Republic -for the purposes of trade; and the agricultural and commercial sources -of wealth in Western and Central Africa are far beyond the most -carefully-studied speculation of those even who are best acquainted -with the nature and capacity of the country. The development of these -will continue to progress, and must, in the very nature of things, -secure to Liberia great commercial importance; and this will bring her -citizens into such business relations with the people of other portions -of the world as will insure to them that consideration which wealth, -learning, and moral worth never fail to inspire.</p> - -<p>From the beginning, the people of Liberia, with a commendable zeal -and firmness, pursued a steady purpose towards the fulfilment of the -great object of their mission to Africa. They have established on her -shores an asylum free from political oppression, and from all the -disabilities of an unholy prejudice; they have aided essentially in -extirpating the slave-trade from the whole line of her western coast; -they have introduced the blessings of civilization and Christianity -among her heathen population, and by their entire freedom from all -insubordination, or disregard of lawful authority, and by their -successful diplomacy with England, France, and Spain, on matters -involving very perplexing international questions, they have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> indicated -some ability, at least for self-government and the management of their -own public affairs.</p> - -<p>The banks of the St. Paul’s, St. John’s, Sinoe, and Farmington Rivers, -and of the River Cavalla, now teeming with civilized life and industry, -presenting to view comfortable Christian homes, inviting school-houses -and imposing church edifices, but for the founding of Liberia would -have remained until this day studded with slave-barracoons, the -theatres of indescribable suffering, wickedness, and shocking deaths.</p> - -<p>Liberia is gradually growing in the elements of national stability. The -natural riches of that region are enormous, and are such as, sooner -or later, will support a commerce, to which that at present existing -on the coast is merely fractional. The Liberians own and run a fleet -of “coasters,” collecting palm-oil, cam-wood, ivory, gold-dust, and -other commodities. A schooner of eighty tons was built, costing eleven -thousand dollars, and loaded in the autumn of 1866, at New York, from -money and the proceeds of African produce sent for that purpose by an -enterprising merchant of Grand Bassa County.</p> - -<p>A firm at Monrovia are having a vessel built in one of the ship-yards -of New York to cost fifteen thousand dollars.</p> - -<p>An intelligent friend has given us the following as an approximate -estimate of the sugar-crop on the St. Paul’s in 1866: “Sharp, one -hundred and twenty thousand pounds; Cooper, thirty thousand pounds; -Anderson, thirty-five thousand pounds; Howland, forty thousand pounds; -Roe, thirty thousand pounds; sundry smaller farmers, one hundred and -fifty <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>thousand; total, five hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds. -The coffee-crop also is considerable, though we are not able to state -how much.”</p> - -<p>During the year 1866, not less than six hundred tons of cam-wood, -twelve hundred tons of palm-oil, and two hundred tons of palm-kernels, -were included in the exports of the Republic. And these articles of -commercial enterprise and wealth are capable of being increased to -almost any extent.</p> - -<p>The Colonization Society, under whose auspices the colony of Liberia -was instituted, was, as the writer verily believes, inimical to the -freedom of the American slaves, and therefore brought down upon it -the just condemnation of the American abolitionists, and consequently -placed the people in a critical position; I mean the colonists. But -from the moment that the Liberians in 1847 established a Republic, -unfurled their national banner to the breeze, and began to manage their -own affairs, we then said, “Cursed be the hand of ours that shall throw -a stone at our brother.”</p> - -<p>Fortunately, for the colony, many of the emigrants were men of more -than ordinary ability; men who went out with a double purpose; first, -to seek homes for themselves and families out of the reach of the -American prejudice; second, to carry the gospel of civilization to -their brethren. These men had the needed grit and enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>Moles, Teage, and Johnson, are names that we in our boyhood learned to -respect and love. Roberts, Benson, Warner, Crummell, and James, men of -more recent times, have done much to give Liberia her deservedly high -reputation. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> - -<p>With a government modelled after our own constitution and laws, that -are an honor to any people, and administered by men of the genius -and ability which characterizes the present ruling power, Liberia is -destined to hold an influential place in the history of nations. Her -splendid resources will yet be developed; her broad rivers will be -traversed by the steamship, and her fertile plains will yet resound -to the thunder of the locomotive. The telegraph wire will yet catch -up African news and deposit it in the Corn Exchange, London, and Wall -Street, New York.</p> - -<p>That moral wilderness is yet to blossom with the noblest fruits of -civilization and the sweetest flowers of religion. She will yet have -her literature, her historians and her poets. Splendid cities will rise -where now there are nothing but dark jungles.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XI.</span> <span class="smaller">PROGRESS IN CIVILIZATION.</span></h2> - -<p>It is a pleasing fact to relate that the last fifty years have -witnessed much advance towards civilization in Africa; and especially -on the west coast. This has resulted mainly from the successful efforts -made to abolish the slave-trade. To the English first, and to the -Liberians next, the praise must be given for the suppression of this -inhuman and unchristian traffic. Too much, however, cannot be said in -favor of the missionaries, men and women, who, forgetting native land, -and home-comforts, have given themselves to the work of teaching these -people, and thereby carrying civilization to a country where each went -with his life in his hands.</p> - -<p>Amongst the natives themselves, in several of the nations, much -interest is manifested in their own elevation. The invention of an -alphabet for writing their language, by the Veys, and this done too by -their own ingenuity, shows remarkable advancement with a race hitherto -regarded as unequal to such a task.</p> - -<p>This progress in civilization is confined more strictly to the Jalofs, -the Mandingoes, and the Fulahs, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span>inhabiting the Senegambia, and the -Veys, of whom I have already made mention. Prejudice of race exists -among the Africans, as well as with other nations. This is not, -however, a prejudice of color, but of clan or tribe. The Jalofs, for -instance, are said by travellers to be the handsomest Negroes in -Africa. They are proud, haughty, and boast of their superiority over -other tribes, and will not intermarry with them; yet they have woolly -hair, thick lips, and flat noses, but with tall and graceful forms. In -religion they are Mohammedans.</p> - -<p>Rev. Samuel Crowther has been one of the most successful missionaries -that the country has yet had. He is a native, which no doubt gives -him great advantage over others. His two sons, Josiah and Samuel, are -following in the footsteps of their illustrious father.</p> - -<p>The influences of these gentlemen have been felt more directly in the -vicinity of Lagos and Abeokuta. The Senior Crowther is the principal -Bishop in Africa, and is doing a good work for his denomination, and -humanity.</p> - -<p>Native eloquence, and fine specimens of oratory may be heard in many -of the African assemblies. Their popular speakers show almost as -much skill in the use of happy illustrations, striking analogies, -pointed argument, historical details, biting irony, as any set of -public speakers in the world; and for ease, grace, and naturalness of -manner, they are perhaps unsurpassed. The audiences usually express -their assent by a sort of grunt, which rises in tone, and frequently -in proportion, as the speaker becomes animated, and not unfrequently -swells out into a tremendous shout, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> thus terminates the discussion -in accordance with the views of the speaker. He has said exactly what -was in the heart of the assembly, and they have no more to say or hear -on the subject.<a name="FNanchor_35_35" id="FNanchor_35_35"></a><a href="#Footnote_35_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a> Civilization is receiving an impetus from the -manufacturing of various kinds of goods as carried on by the people -through Africa, and especially in the Egba, Yoruba, and Senegambia -countries. Iron-smelting villages, towns devoted entirely to the -manufacturing of a particular kind of ware, and workers in leather, -tailors, weavers, hat, basket, and mat-makers, also workers in silk and -worsted may be seen in many of the large places.</p> - -<p>Some of these products would compare very favorably with the best -workmanship of English and American manufacturers.</p> - -<p>Much is done in gold, silver, and brass, and jewelry of a high order is -made in the more civilized parts of the country.</p> - -<p>The explorations of various travellers through Africa, during the -past twenty-five years, have aided civilization materially. A debt of -gratitude is due to Dr. Livingstone for his labors in this particular -field.</p> - -<p>I have already made mention of the musical talent often displayed in -African villages, to the great surprise of the traveller.</p> - -<p>The following account from the distinguished explorer, will be read -with interest. Dr. Livingstone says: “We then inquired of the King -relative to his band of music, as we heard he had one. He responded -favorably, saying he had a band, and it should meet and play for us -at once. Not many <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>minutes elapsed until right in front of our house -a large fire was kindled, and the band was on the ground. They began -to play; and be assured I was not a little surprised at the harmony of -their music. The band was composed of eight members, six of whom had -horns, made of elephant tusks, beautifully carved and painted. These -all gave forth different sounds, or tones. The bass horn was made of a -large tusk; and as they ascended the scale the horns were less. They -had a hole cut into the tusk near its thin end, into which they blew -the same as into a flute or fife. They had no holes for the fingers, -hence the different tones were produced by the lengths of the horns, -and by putting the hand into the large, open part of the horn and -again removing it. I noticed that one small horn had the large end -closed and the small one open. The different tones were produced by -the performer opening and closing this end with the palm of his hand. -They had also two drums; one had three heads placed on hollow sticks -or logs, from one to two feet long; the other had but one head; they -beat them with their hands, not sticks. I however saw a large war-drum, -about five feet high, made on the principle of the above, which was -beaten with sticks. The band serenaded us three times during our stay. -They played different tunes, and there was great variety throughout -their performance; sometimes only one horn was played, sometimes two -or three, and then all would join in; sometimes the drums beat softly, -then again loud and full. The horns used in this band are also used for -war-horns.</p> - -<p>“At about eleven o’clock we were awakened by music,—a human voice -and an instrument—right before our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> door. “What is it?” “A guitar?” -“No; but it is fine music.” “Ah! it is a harp. Let us invite him in.” -Such conjectures as the above were made as the old man stood before -our door and sang and played most beautifully. We invited him in; and -true enough, we found it to be a species of harp with twelve strings. -He sang and played a long while, and then retired,—having proven to -us that even far out in the wild jungles of Africa, that most noble of -all human sciences is to a certain degree cultivated. We were serenaded -thrice by him. He came from far in the interior.”</p> - -<p>One of the greatest obstacles to civilization in Africa, is the -traders. These pests are generally of a low order in education, and -many of them have fled from their own country, to evade the punishment -of some crime committed. Most of them are foul-mouthed, licentious men, -who spread immorality wherever they appear. It would be a blessing -to the natives if nine-tenths of these leeches were driven from the -country.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_35_35" id="Footnote_35_35"></a><a href="#FNanchor_35_35"><span class="label">[35]</span></a> Wilson’s “Western Africa.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XII.</span> <span class="smaller">HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>In sketching an account of the people of Hayti, and the struggles -through which they were called to pass, we confess it to be a difficult -task. Although the writer visited the Island thirty years ago, and has -read everything of importance given by the historians, it is still no -easy matter to give a true statement of the revolution which placed -the colored people in possession of the Island, so conflicting are the -accounts.</p> - -<p>The beautiful island of St. Domingo, of which Hayti is a part, was -pronounced by the great discoverer to be the “Paradise of God.”</p> - -<p>The splendor of its valleys, the picturesqueness of its mountains, the -tropical luxuriance of its plains, and the unsurpassed salubrity of -its climate, confirms the high opinion of the great Spaniard. Columbus -found on the Island more than a million of people of the Caribbean -race. The warlike appearance of the Spaniards caused the natives to -withdraw into the interior. However, the seductive genius of Columbus -soon induced the Caribbeans to return to their towns, and they extended -their hospitality to the illustrious stranger. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> - -<p>After the great discoverer had been recalled home and left the Island, -Dovadillo, his successor, began a system of unmitigated oppression -towards the Caribbeans, and eventually reduced the whole of the -inhabitants to slavery; and thus commenced that hateful sin in the New -World. As fresh adventurers arrived in the Island, the Spanish power -became more consolidated and more oppressive. The natives were made -to toil in the gold-mines without compensation, and in many instances -without any regard whatever to the preservation of human life; so much -so, that in 1507, the number of natives had, by hunger, toil, and the -sword, been reduced from a million to sixty thousand. Thus, in the -short space of fifteen years, more than nine hundred thousand perished -under the iron hand of slavery in the island of St. Domingo.</p> - -<p>The Island suffered much from the loss of its original inhabitants; -and the want of laborers to till the soil and to work in the mines, -first suggested the idea of importing slaves from the coast of Africa. -The slave-trade was soon commenced and carried on with great rapidity. -Before the Africans were shipped, the name of the owner and the -plantation on which they were to toil was stamped on their shoulders -with a burning iron. For a number of years St. Domingo opened its -markets annually to more than twenty thousand newly-imported slaves. -With the advance of commerce and agriculture, opulence spread in every -direction. The great tide of immigration from France and Spain, and -the vast number of Africans imported every year, so increased the -population that at the commencement of the French Revolution, in 1789, -there were nine hundred thousand souls on the Island.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> Of these, seven -hundred thousand were Africans, sixty thousand mixed blood, and the -remainder were whites and Caribbeans. Like the involuntary servitude -in our own Southern States, slavery in St. Domingo kept morality at a -low stand. Owing to the amalgamation between masters and slaves, there -arose the mulatto population, which eventually proved to be the worst -enemies of their fathers.</p> - -<p>Many of the planters sent their mulatto sons to France to be educated. -When these young men returned to the Island, they were greatly -dissatisfied at the proscription which met them wherever they appeared. -White enough to make them hopeful and aspiring, many of the mulattoes -possessed wealth enough to make them influential. Aware, by their -education, of the principles of freedom that were being advocated in -Europe and the United States, they were ever on the watch to seize -opportunities to better their social and political condition. In the -French part of the Island alone, twenty thousand whites lived in the -midst of thirty thousand free mulattoes and five hundred thousand -slaves. In the Spanish portion, the odds were still greater in favor of -the slaves. Thus the advantage of numbers and physical strength was on -the side of the oppressed. Right is the most dangerous of weapons—woe -to him who leaves it to his enemies!</p> - -<p>The efforts of Wilberforce, Sharp, Buxton, and Clarkson, to abolish -the African slave-trade, and their advocacy of the equality of the -races, were well understood by the men of color. They had also learned -their own strength in the Island, and that they had the sympathy of -all Europe with them. The news of the oath of the Tennis Court, and -the taking of the Bastile<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> at Paris, was received with the wildest -enthusiasm by the people of St. Domingo.</p> - -<p>The announcement of these events was hailed with delight by both -the white planters and the mulattoes; the former, because they -hoped the revolution in the Mother Country would secure to them the -independence of the colony; the latter, because they viewed it as a -movement that would give them equal rights with the whites; and even -the slaves regarded it as a precursor to their own emancipation. But -the excitement which the outbreak at Paris had created amongst the -free men of color and the slaves, at once convinced the planters that -a separation from France would be the death-knell of slavery in St. -Domingo.</p> - -<p>Although emancipated by law from the dominion of individuals, the -mulattoes had no rights; shut out from society by their color, deprived -of religious and political privileges, they felt their degradation even -more keenly than the bond slaves. The mulatto son was not allowed to -dine at his father’s table, kneel with him in his devotions, bear his -name, inherit his property, nor even to lie in his father’s graveyard. -Laboring as they were under the sense of their personal social wrongs, -the mulattoes tolerated, if they did not encourage, low and vindictive -passions. They were haughty and disdainful to the blacks, whom they -scorned, and jealous and turbulent to the whites, whom they hated and -feared.</p> - -<p>The mulattoes at once despatched one of their number to Paris, to lay -before the Constitutional Assembly their claim to equal rights with -the whites. Vincent Oge, their deputy, was well received at Paris -by Lafayette, Brisot, Barnave, and Gregoire, and was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> admitted to a -seat in the Assembly, where he eloquently portrayed the wrongs of his -race. In urging his claims, he said if equality was withheld from the -mulattoes, they would appeal to force. This was seconded by Lafayette -and Barnave, who said: “Perish the Colonies, rather than a principle.”</p> - -<p>The Assembly passed a decree, granting the demands of the men of color, -and Oge was made bearer of the news to his brethren. The planters armed -themselves, met the young deputy on his return to the Island, and a -battle ensued. The free colored men rallied around Oge, but they were -defeated and taken, with their brave leader; were first tortured, and -then broken alive on the wheel.</p> - -<p>The prospect of freedom was put down for the time, but the blood of Oge -and his companions bubbled silently in the hearts of the African race; -they swore to avenge them.</p> - -<p>The announcement of the death of Oge in the halls of the Assembly -at Paris, created considerable excitement, and became the topic of -conversation in the clubs and on the boulevards. Gregoire defended the -course of the colored men and said: “If liberty was right in France, it -was right in St. Domingo.” He well knew that the crime for which Oge -had suffered in the West Indies, had constituted the glory of Mirabeau -and Lafayette at Paris, and Washington and Hancock in the United -States. The planters in the Island trembled at their own oppressive -acts, and terror urged them on to greater violence. The blood of Oge -and his accomplices had sown everywhere despair and conspiracy. The -French sent an army to St. Domingo to enforce the law. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> - -<p>The planters repelled with force the troops sent out by France, denying -its prerogatives, and refusing the civic oath. In the midst of these -thickening troubles, the planters who resided in France were invited -to return, and to assist in vindicating the civil independence of -the Island. Then was it that the mulattoes earnestly appealed to the -slaves, and the result was appalling. The slaves awoke as from an -ominous dream, and demanded their rights with sword in hand. Gaining -immediate success, and finding that their liberty would not be granted -by the planters, they rapidly increased in numbers; and in less than a -week from its commencement, the storm had swept over the whole plain -of the north, from east to west, and from the mountains to the sea. -The splendid villas and rich factories yielded to the furies of the -devouring flames; so that the mountains, covered with smoke and burning -cinders, borne upward by the wind looked like volcanoes; and the -atmosphere as if on fire, resembled a furnace.</p> - -<p>Such were the outraged feelings of a people whose ancestors had been -ruthlessly torn from their native land and sold in the shambles of St. -Domingo. To terrify the blacks and convince them that they could never -be free, the planters were murdering them on every hand by thousands.</p> - -<p>The struggle in St. Domingo was watched with intense interest by the -friends of the blacks, both in Paris and in London, and all appeared -to look with hope to the rising up of a black chief, who should prove -himself adequate to the emergency. Nor did they look in vain. In the -midst of the disorder that threatened on all sides, the negro chief -made his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> appearance in the person of a slave named Toussaint. This man -was the grandson of the King of Ardra, one of the most powerful and -wealthy monarchs on the west coast of Africa. By his own energy and -perseverance, Toussaint had learned to read and write, and was held in -high consideration by the surrounding planters, as well as their slaves.</p> - -<p>In personal appearance he was of middle stature, strongly-marked -African features, well-developed forehead, rather straight and neat -figure, sharp and bright eye, with an earnestness in conversation that -seemed to charm the listener. His dignified, calm, and unaffected -demeanor would cause him to be selected in any company of men as one -who was born for a leader.</p> - -<p>His private virtues were many, and he had a deep and pervading -sense of religion; and in the camp carried it even as far as Oliver -Cromwell. Toussaint was born on the Island, and was fifty years of age -when called into the field. One of his chief characteristics was his -humanity.</p> - -<p>Before taking any part in the revolution, he aided his master’s family -to escape from the impending danger. After seeing them beyond the reach -of the revolutionary movement, he entered the army as an inferior -officer, but was soon made aid-de-camp to General Bissou. Disorder -and bloodshed reigned through the Island, and every day brought fresh -intelligence of depredations committed by whites, mulattoes, and blacks.</p> - -<p>Hitherto, the blacks had been guided by Jean-François, Bissou, and -Jeannot. The first of these was a slave, a young Creole of good -exterior; he had long before the revolution obtained his liberty. At -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> commencement of the difficulties, he fled to the mountains and -joined the Maroons, a large clan of fugitive slaves then wandering -about in the woods and mountains, that furnished this class a secure -retreat. This man was mild, vain, good-tempered, and fond of luxury.</p> - -<p>Bissou belonged to the religious body designated “The Fathers of -Charity.” He was fiery, wrathful, rash, and vindictive; always in -action, always on horseback, with a white sash, and feathers in his -hat, or basking in the sunshine of the women, of whom he was very fond. -Jeannot, a slave of the plantation of M. Bullet, was small and slender -in person, and of boundless activity. Perfidious of soul, his aspect -was frightful and revolting. Capable of the greatest crimes, he was -inaccessible to regret or remorse.</p> - -<p>Having sworn implacable hatred against the whites, he thrilled with -rage when he saw them; and his greatest pleasure was to bathe his hands -in their blood. These three were the leaders of the blacks till the -appearance of Toussaint; and under their rule, the cry was “Blood, -blood, blood!” Such was the condition of affairs when a decree was -passed by the Colonial Assembly, giving equal rights to the mulattoes, -and asking their aid in restoring order and reducing the slaves again -to their chains. Overcome by this decree, and having gained all they -wished, the free colored men joined the planters in a murderous crusade -against the slaves. This union of the whites and mulattoes to prevent -the bondman getting his freedom, created an ill-feeling between the two -proscribed classes, which seventy years have not been able to efface. -The French government sent a second army<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> to St. Domingo to enforce -the laws, giving freedom to the slaves, and Toussaint joined it on its -arrival in the Island, and fought bravely against the planters.</p> - -<p>While the people of St. Domingo were thus fighting amongst themselves, -the revolutionary movement in France had fallen into the hands of -Robespierre and Danton, and the guillotine was beheading its thousands -daily. When the news of the death of Louis XVI. reached St. Domingo, -Toussaint and his companions left the French and joined the Spanish -army, in the eastern part of the Island, and fought for the King of -Spain. Here Toussaint was made brigadier-general, and appeared in the -field as the most determined foe of the French planters.</p> - -<p>The two armies met; a battle was fought in the streets, and many -thousands were slain on both sides; the planters, however, were -defeated. During the conflict the city was set on fire, and on every -side presented shocking evidence of slaughter, conflagration, and -pillage. The strifes of political and religious partisanship, which -had raged in the clubs and streets of Paris, were transplanted to St. -Domingo, where they raged with all the heat of a tropical clime, and -the animosities of a civil war. Truly did the flames of the French -revolution at Paris, and the ignorance and self-will of the planters, -set the island of St. Domingo on fire. The commissioners with their -retinue retired from the burning city into the neighboring highlands, -where a camp was formed to protect the ruined town from the opposing -party. Having no confidence in the planters, and fearing a reaction, -the commissioners proclaimed a general emancipation to the slave -population, and invited the blacks who had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> joined the Spaniards -to return. Toussaint and his followers accepted the invitation, -returned, and were enrolled in the army under the commissioners. Fresh -troops arrived from France, who were no sooner in the Island than -they separated—some siding with the planters, and others with the -commissioners. The white republicans of the Mother Country were arrayed -against the white republicans of St. Domingo, whom they were sent out -to assist. The blacks and the mulattoes were at war with each other; -old and young of both sexes, and of all colors, were put to the sword, -while the fury of the flames swept from plantation to plantation, and -from town to town.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIII.</span> <span class="smaller">SUCCESS OF TOUSSAINT.</span></h2> - -<p>During these sad commotions, Toussaint, by his superior knowledge of -the character of his race, his humanity, generosity, and courage, -had gained the confidence of all whom he had under his command. The -rapidity with which he travelled from post to post astonished every -one. By his genius and surpassing activity, Toussaint levied fresh -forces, raised the reputation of the army, and drove the English and -Spanish from the Island.</p> - -<p>The boiling caldron of the revolution during its progress, had thrown -upon its surface several new military men, whose names became household -words in St. Domingo. First of these, after Toussaint, was Christophe, -a man of pure African origin, though a native of New Grenada. On being -set free at the age of fifteen, he came to St. Domingo, where he -resided until the commencement of the revolution. He had an eye full of -fire, and a braver man never lived. Toussaint early discovered his good -qualities, and made him his lieutenant, from which he soon rose to be a -general of division. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<p>As a military man, Christophe was considered far superior to Toussaint; -and his tall, slim figure, dressed in the uniform of a general, was -hailed with enthusiasm wherever he appeared.</p> - -<p>Next to Christophe was Dessalines. No one who took part in the St. -Domingo revolution has been so severely censured as this chief. At the -commencement of the difficulties, Dessalines was the slave of a house -carpenter, with whom he had learned the trade. He was a small man, of -muscular frame, and of a dingy black. He had a haughty and ferocious -look. Hunger, thirst, fatigue, and loss of sleep he seemed made to -endure, as if by peculiarity of constitution. Dessalines was not a -native of either of the West India Islands, for the marks upon his arms -and breast, and the deep furrows and incisions on his face, pointed out -the coast of Africa as his birth-place. Inured by exposure and toil to -a hard life, his frame possessed a wonderful power of endurance. By -his activity and singular fierceness on the field of battle, he first -attracted the attention of Toussaint, who placed him amongst his guides -and attendants, and subsequently advanced him rapidly through several -grades, to the dignity of third in command. A more courageous man never -appeared upon the battle-field. What is most strange in the history of -Dessalines is, that he was a savage, a slave, a soldier, a general, and -died when an emperor.</p> - -<p>Among the mulattoes were several valiant chiefs. The ablest of these -was Rigaud, the son of a wealthy planter. Having been educated at -Paris, his manner was polished, and his language elegant. Had he been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> -born in Asia, Rigaud would have governed an empire, for he had all the -elements of a great man.</p> - -<p>In religion he was the very opposite of Toussaint. An admirer of -Voltaire and Rousseau, he had made their works his study. A long -residence in Paris had enabled him to become acquainted with many of -the followers of these two distinguished philosophers.</p> - -<p>He had seen two hundred thousand persons following the bones of -Voltaire, when removed to the Pantheon; and, in his admiration for the -great writer, had confounded liberty with infidelity.</p> - -<p>Rigaud was the first amongst the mulattoes, and had sided with the -planters in their warfare against the blacks. But the growing influence -of this chief early spread fear in the ranks of the whites, which was -seen and felt by the mulattoes everywhere.</p> - -<p>In military science, horsemanship, and activity, Rigaud was the -first man on the Island, of any color, Toussaint bears the following -testimony to the great skill of the mulatto general: “I know Rigaud -well. He leaps from his horse when at full gallop, and he puts all his -force in his arm when he strikes a blow.” He was boundless in resources -as he was brave and daring. High-tempered and irritable, he at times -appeared haughty. The charmed power that he held over the men of his -color can scarcely be described. At the breaking out of the revolution, -he headed the mulattoes in his native town, and soon drew around him a -formidable body of men. Rigaud’s legion was considered to be by far the -best drilled and most reliable in battle of all the troops raised on -the Island.</p> - -<p>The mulattoes were now urging their claims to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> citizenship and -political enfranchisement, by arming themselves in defence of their -rights; the activity and talent of their great leader, Rigaud, had -been the guidance and support of their enterprise. He was hated by the -whites in the same degree as they feared his influence with his race.</p> - -<p>The unyielding nature of his character, which gave firmness and -consistency to his policy while controling the interest of his -brethren, made him dear to them.</p> - -<p>Intrigue and craftiness could avail nothing against the designs of one -who was ever upon the watch, and who had the means of counteracting all -secret attempts against him; and open force in the field could not be -successful in destroying a chieftain whose power was often felt, but -whose person was seldom seen.</p> - -<p>Thus to accomplish a design which had long been in contemplation, -the whites of Aux Cayes were now secretly preparing a mine for -Rigaud,—which, though it was covered with flowers, and to be sprung -by the hand of professed friendship,—it was thought would prove a -sure and efficacious method of ridding them of such an opponent, and -destroying the pretensions of the mulattoes forever.</p> - -<p>It was proposed that the anniversary of the destruction of the Bastile -should be celebrated in the town by both whites and mulattoes, in -union and gratitude. A civic procession marched to the church, where -the Te Deum was chanted and an oration pronounced by citizen Delpech. -The Place d’Armes was crowded with tables of refreshments, at which -both whites and mulattoes seated themselves. But beneath this <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>seeming -patriotism and friendship a dark and fatal conspiracy lurked, plotting -treachery and death.</p> - -<p>It had been resolved that at a preconcerted signal every white at the -table should plunge his knife into the bosom of the mulatto who was -seated nearest to him. Cannon had been planted around the place of -festivity, that no fugitive from the massacre should have the means -of escaping; and that Rigaud should not fail to be secured as the -first victim to a conspiracy prepared especially against his life, the -commander-in-chief of the national guard had been placed at his side, -and his murder of the mulatto chieftain was to be the signal for a -general onset upon all his followers.</p> - -<p>But between the conception and the accomplishment of a guilty deed, -man’s native abhorrence of crime often interposes many obstacles to -success. The officer to whom had been entrusted the assassination -of Rigaud, found it no small matter to screw his courage up to the -sticking-place, and the expected signal which he was to display in -blood to his associates, was so long delayed that secret messengers -began to come to him from all parts of the table, demanding why -execution was not done on Rigaud. Urged on by these successive appeals, -the white general at last applied himself to the fatal task which had -been allotted him. But instead of silently plunging his dagger into the -bosom of the mulatto chief, he sprang upon him with a pistol in his -hand, and with a loud execration, fired it at his intended victim. But -Rigaud remained unharmed, and in the scuffle which ensued the white -assassin was disarmed and put to flight.</p> - -<p>The astonishment of the mulattoes soon gave way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> to tumult and -indignation, and this produced a drawn battle, in which both whites and -mulattoes, exasperated as they were to the utmost, fought man to man.</p> - -<p>The struggle continued fiercely, until the whites were driven from the -town, having lost one hundred and fifty of their number, and slain -many of their opponents. Tidings of this conspiracy flew rapidly in -all directions; and such was the indignation of the mulattoes at this -attack on their chief, whose death had even been announced in several -places as certain, that they seized upon all the whites within their -reach, and their immediate massacre was only prevented by the arrival -of intelligence that Rigaud was still alive.<a name="FNanchor_36_36" id="FNanchor_36_36"></a><a href="#Footnote_36_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a></p> - -<p>The hostile claims of Toussaint and Rigaud, who shared between them the -whole power of the Island, soon brought on a bloody struggle between -the blacks and mulattoes.</p> - -<p>The contest was an unequal one, for the blacks numbered five hundred -thousand, while the mulattoes were only thirty thousand. The mulattoes, -alarmed by the prospect that the future government of the Island was -likely to be engrossed altogether by the blacks, thronged from all -parts of the Island to join the ranks of Rigaud. As a people, the -mulattoes were endowed with greater intelligence; they were more -enterprising, and in all respects their physical superiority was more -decided than their rivals, the blacks.</p> - -<p>They were equally ferocious, and confident as they were in their -superior powers, they saw without a thought of discouragement or fear -the enormous disparity of ten to one in the respective numbers of -their adversaries and themselves. Rigaud began the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> war by surprising -Leogane, where a multitude of persons of every rank and color were put -to death without mercy.</p> - -<p>Toussaint, on learning this, hastened together all the troops which he -then had in the neighborhood of Port au Prince, and ordered all the -mulattoes to assemble at the church of that town, where he mounted the -pulpit, and announced to them his intended departure to war against -their brethren. He said, “I see into the recesses of your bosoms; you -are ready to rise against me; but though my troops are about to leave -this province, you cannot succeed, for I shall leave behind me both -my eyes and my arms; the one to watch, and the other to reach you.” -At the close of this admonition, threatening as it was, the mulattoes -were permitted to leave the church, and they retired, awestruck and -trembling with solicitude, to their homes.</p> - -<p>The forces of Rigaud, fighting under the eyes of the chief whom they -adored, defended with vigor the passes leading to their territory; -and though they were but a handful, in comparison with the hordes who -marched under the banners of Toussaint, their brave exertions were -generally crowned with success.</p> - -<p>The mulattoes under Rigaud, more skilled in the combinations of -military movements, made up for their deficiency in numbers by greater -rapidity and effectiveness in their operations. A series of masterly -manœuvres and diversions were followed up in quick succession, which -kept the black army in full employment. But Toussaint was too strong, -and he completely broke up the hopes of the mulattoes in a succession -of victories, which gave him entire control of the Island, except, -perhaps, a small portion of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> South, which still held out. Rigaud, -reduced in his means of defence, had the misfortune to see his towns -fall one after another into the power of Toussaint, until he was driven -to the last citadel of his strength—the town of Aux Cayes. As he thus -yielded foot by foot, everything was given to desolation before it was -abandoned, and the genius of Toussaint was completely at fault in his -efforts to force the mulatto general from his last entrenchments.</p> - -<p>He was foiled at every attempt, and his enemy stood immovably at bay, -notwithstanding the active assaults and overwhelming numbers of his -forces.</p> - -<p>The government of France was too much engaged at home with her own -revolution, to pay any attention to St. Domingo. The republicans in -Paris, after getting rid of their enemies, turned upon each other. The -revolution, like Saturn, devoured its own children; priest and people -were murdered upon the thresholds of justice. Marat died at the hands -of Charlotte Corday; Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette were guillotined, -Robespierre had gone to the scaffold, and Bonaparte was master of -France.</p> - -<p>The conqueror of Egypt now turned his attention to St. Domingo. It was -too important an island to be lost to France, or be destroyed by civil -war; and through the mediation of Bonaparte, the war between Toussaint -and Rigaud was brought to a close.</p> - -<p>With the termination of this struggle, every vestige of slavery, and -all obstacles to freedom, disappeared. Toussaint exerted every nerve to -make Hayti what it had formerly been. He did everything in his power to -promote agriculture; and in this he succeeded beyond the most sanguine -expectations of the friends of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>freedom, both in England and France. -Even the planters who had remained on the Island acknowledged the -prosperity of Hayti under the governorship of the man whose best days -had been spent in slavery.</p> - -<p>The peace of Amiens left Bonaparte without a rival on the continent, -and with a large and experienced army which he feared to keep idle; and -he determined to send a part of it to St. Domingo.</p> - -<p>The army for the expedition to St. Domingo was fitted out, and no pains -or expense spared to make it an imposing one. Fifty-six ships of war, -with twenty-five thousand men, left France for Hayti. It was, indeed, -the most valiant fleet that had ever sailed from the French dominions. -The Alps, the Nile, the Rhine, and all Italy had resounded with the -exploits of the men who were now leaving their country for the purpose -of placing the chains again on the limbs of the heroic people of St. -Domingo. There were men in that army that had followed Bonaparte from -the siege of Toulon to the battle under the shades of the pyramids of -Egypt,—men who had grown gray in the camp. Among them were several -colored men, who had distinguished themselves on the field of battle.</p> - -<p>There was Rigaud, the bravest of the mulatto chiefs, whose valor had -disputed the laurels with Toussaint. There, too, was Pétion, the most -accomplished scholar of whom St. Domingo could boast; and lastly, -there was Boyer, who was destined at a future day to be President of -the Republic of Hayti. These last three brave men had become dupes and -tools of Bonaparte, and were now on their way to assist in reducing the -land of their birth to slavery.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_36_36" id="Footnote_36_36"></a><a href="#FNanchor_36_36"><span class="label">[36]</span></a> Brown’s History of Sant. Domingo, Vol. I., p. 257.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIV.</span> <span class="smaller">CAPTURE OF TOUSSAINT.</span></h2> - -<p>Le Clerc, the brother-in-law of Bonaparte, the man who had married the -voluptuous Pauline, was commander-in-chief of the army. Le Clerc was -not himself a man of much distinction in military affairs; his close -relationship with the ruler of France was all that he had to recommend -him to the army of invasion. But he had with him Rochambeau, and other -generals, who had few superiors in arms. Before arriving at Hayti the -fleet separated, so as to attack the island on different sides.</p> - -<p>News of the intended invasion reached St. Domingo some days before the -squadron had sailed from Brest; and therefore the blacks had time to -prepare to meet their enemies. Toussaint had concentrated his forces -at such points as he expected would be first attacked. Christophe was -sent to defend Cape City, and Port au Prince was left in the hands of -Dessalines.</p> - -<p>Le Clerc, with the largest part of the squadron, came to anchor off -Cape City, and summoned the place to surrender. The reply which he -received from Christophe was such as to teach the captain-general<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> -what he had to expect in the subjugation of St. Domingo. “Go tell your -general that the French shall march here only over ashes; and that the -ground shall burn beneath their feet,” was the answer that Le Clerc -obtained in return to his command. The French general sent another -messenger to Christophe, urging him to surrender, and promising the -black chief a commission of high rank in the French army. But he found -he had a man, and not a slave, to deal with. The exasperated Christophe -sent back the heroic reply, “The decision of arms can admit you only -into a city in ashes; and even on these ashes will I fight still.” The -black chief then distributed torches to his principal officers, and -awaited the approach of the French.</p> - -<p>With no navy, and but little means of defence, the Haytians determined -to destroy their towns rather than they should fall into the hands of -the enemy. Late in the evening the French ships were seen to change -their position, and Christophe, satisfied that they were about to -effect a landing, set fire to his own house, which was the signal for -the burning of the town. The French general wept as he beheld the ocean -of flames rising from the tops of the houses in the finest city in St. -Domingo.</p> - -<p>Another part of the fleet landed in Samana, where Toussaint, with an -experienced wing of the army, was ready to meet them. On seeing the -ships enter the harbor, the heroic chief said: “Here come the enslavers -of our race. All France is coming to St. Domingo, to try again to put -the fetters upon our limbs; but not France with all her troops of the -Rhine, the Alps, the Nile, the Tiber, nor all Europe to help her, can -extinguish the soul of Africa. That soul, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> once the soul of a -man, and no longer that of a slave, can overthrow the pyramids, and -the Alps themselves, sooner than again be crushed down into slavery.” -The French, however, effected a landing, but they found nothing but -smouldering ruins where once stood splendid cities. Toussaint and his -generals at once abandoned the towns, and betook themselves to the -mountains, those citadels of freedom in St. Domingo, where the blacks -have always proved too much for the whites.</p> - -<p>Toussaint put forth a proclamation to the colored people, in which he -said: “You are now to meet and fight enemies who have neither faith, -law, nor religion. Let us resolve that these French troops shall -never leave our shores alive.” The war commenced, and the blacks -were victorious in nearly all the battles. Where the French gained a -victory, they put their prisoners to the most excruciating tortures; -in many instances burning them in pits, and throwing them into boiling -chaldrons. This example of cruelty set by the whites, was followed by -the blacks. Then it was that Dessalines, the ferocious chief, satisfied -his long pent-up revenge against the white planters and French soldiers -that he made prisoners. The French general saw that he could gain -nothing from the blacks on the field of battle, and he determined upon -a stratagem, in which he succeeded too well.</p> - -<p>A correspondence was opened with Toussaint in which the captain-general -promised to acknowledge the liberty of the blacks, and the equality of -all, if he would yield. Overcome by the persuasions of his generals, -and the blacks who surrounded him, and who were sick and tired of -the shedding of blood, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span>Toussaint gave in his adhesion to the French -authorities. This was the great error of his life.</p> - -<p>The loss that the French army had sustained during the war, was great. -Fifteen thousand of their best troops, and some of their bravest -generals, had fallen before the arms of these Negroes, whom they -despised.</p> - -<p>Soon after Toussaint gave in his adhesion, the yellow fever broke out -in the French army, and carried off nearly all of the remaining great -men,—more than seven hundred medical men, besides twenty-two thousand -sailors and soldiers. Among these were fifteen hundred officers. It -was at this time that Toussaint might have renewed the war with great -success. But he was a man of his word, and would not take the advantage -of the sad condition of the French army.</p> - -<p>Although peace reigned, Le Clerc was still afraid of Toussaint; and by -the advice of Napoleon, the black general was arrested, together with -his family, and sent to France.</p> - -<p>The great chief of St. Domingo had scarcely been conveyed on board the -ship Creole, and she out of the harbor, ere Rigaud, the mulatto general -who had accompanied Le Clerc to St. Domingo, was arrested, put in -chains, and sent to France.</p> - -<p>The seizure of Toussaint and Rigaud caused suspicion and alarm among -both blacks and mulattoes, and that induced them to raise again the -flag of insurrection, in which the two proscribed classes were united.</p> - -<p>Twenty thousand fresh troops arrived from France, but they were not -destined to see Le Clerc, for the yellow fever had taken him off. In -the mountains were many barbarous and wild blacks, who had <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span>escaped -from slavery soon after being brought from the coast of Africa. One of -these bands of savages were commanded by Lamour de Rance, an adroit, -stern, savage man, half naked, with epaulettes tied to his bare -shoulders for his only token of authority. This man had been brought -from the coast of Africa, and sold as a slave in Port au Prince. On -being ordered one day to saddle his master’s horse, he did so; then -mounted the animal, fled to the mountains, and ever after made these -fearful regions his home. Lamour passed from mountain to mountain with -something of the ease of the birds of his own native land. Toussaint, -Christophe, and Dessalines, had each in their turn pursued him, but in -vain. His mode of fighting was in keeping with his dress. This savage, -united with others like himself, became complete master of the wilds -of St. Domingo. They came forth from their mountain homes, and made -war on the whites wherever they found them. Le Clerc was now dead, and -Rochambeau, who succeeded him in the government of St. Domingo, sent -to Cuba to get bloodhounds, with which to hunt down the blacks in the -mountains.</p> - -<p>In personal appearance, Rochambeau was short and stout, with a deformed -body, but of robust constitution; his manner was hard and severe, -though he had a propensity to voluptuousness. He lacked neither ability -nor experience in war. In his youth, he had, under the eyes of his -illustrious father, served the cause of freedom in the United States; -and while on duty in the slave portion of our government, formed a low -idea of the blacks, which followed him even to St. Domingo.</p> - -<p>The planters therefore hailed with joy <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>Rochambeau as a successor to Le -Clerc; and when the bloodhounds which he had sent to Cuba for arrived, -cannon were fired, and demonstrations of joy were shown in various ways.</p> - -<p>Even the women, wives of the planters, went to the sea-side, met the -animals, and put garlands about their necks, and some kissed and -caressed the dogs.<a name="FNanchor_37_37" id="FNanchor_37_37"></a><a href="#Footnote_37_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a></p> - -<p>Such was the degradation of human nature. While the white women -were cheering on the French, who had imported bloodhounds as their -auxiliaries, the black women were using all their powers of persuasion -to rouse the blacks to the combat. Many of these women walked from -camp to camp, and from battalion to battalion, exhibiting their naked -bodies, showing their lacerated and scourged persons;—these were the -marks of slavery, made many years before, but now used for the cause of -human freedom.</p> - -<p>Christophe, who had taken command of the insurgents, now gave -unmistakable proofs that he was a great general, and scarcely second -to Toussaint. Twenty thousand fresh troops arrived from France to the -aid of Rochambeau; yet the blacks were victorious wherever they fought. -The French blindly thought that cruelty to the blacks would induce -their submission, and to this end they bent all their energies. An -amphitheatre was erected, and two hundred dogs, sharpened by extreme -hunger, put there, and black prisoners thrown in. The raging animals -disputed with each other for the limbs of their victims, until the -ground was dyed with human blood.</p> - -<p>Three hundred brave blacks were put to death in this horrible manner. -The blacks, having spread their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> forces in every quarter of the island, -were fast retaking the forts and towns. Christophe commanded in the -north, Dessalines in the west, and Clervaux in the south.</p> - -<p>Despotism and sensuality have often been companions. In Rochambeau, -the one sharpened the appetite for the other, as though greediness of -bodily pleasure welcomed the zest arising from the sight of bodily pain.</p> - -<p>No small part of his time Rochambeau passed at table, or on sofas, -with the Creole females, worshippers of pleasure, as well as most -cruel towards their slaves. To satisfy these fascinating courtesans, -scaffolds were raised in the cities, which were bathed in the blood of -the blacks. They even executed women and children, whose only crime -was, that they had brothers, fathers, or husbands among the revolters. -These brutal murders by the French filled the blacks with terror. -Dessalines started for the Cape, for the purpose of meeting Rochambeau, -and avenging the death of the blacks. In his impetuous and terrible -march, he surrounded and made prisoners a body of Frenchmen; and with -branches of trees, that ferocious chief raised, under the eyes of -Rochambeau, five hundred gibbets, on which he hanged as many prisoners.</p> - -<p>The numerous executions which began at the Cape soon extended to other -places. Port au Prince had its salt waters made bloody, and scaffolds -were erected and loaded, within and without the walls. The hand of -tyranny spread terror and death over the shores of the north and the -west. As the insurrection became more daring, it was thought that the -punishments had not been either numerous enough, violent enough, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> -various enough. The colonists counselled and encouraged more vengeance. -Children, women, and old men were confined in sacks, and thrown into -the sea; this was the punishment of parricides among the Romans, ten -centuries before; and now resorted to by these haters of liberty.</p> - -<p>Rochambeau put five hundred blacks, prisoners whom he had taken in -battle, to death in one day. Twenty of Toussaint’s old officers were -chained to the rocks and starved to death.</p> - -<p>But the blacks were gradually getting possession of the strongholds in -the islands.</p> - -<p>“To arms! to arms!” was the cry all over the island, until every one -who could use even the lightest instrument of death, was under arms.</p> - -<p>Dessalines, Belair, and Lamartiniere, defeated the French general at -Verettes; in no place was the slaughter so terrible as there. At a mere -nod of Dessalines, men who had been slaves, and who dreaded the new -servitude with which they were threatened, massacred seven hundred of -the whites that Dessalines had amongst his prisoners.</p> - -<p>The child died in the arms of its sick and terrified mother; the father -was unable to save the daughter, the daughter unable to save the -father. Mulattoes took the lives of their white fathers, to whom they -had been slaves, or whom, allowing them to go free, had disowned them; -thus revenging themselves for the mixture of their blood. So frightful -was this slaughter, that the banks of the Artibonite were strewn with -dead bodies, and the waters dyed with the blood of the slain. Not a -grave was dug, for Dessalines had prohibited interment, in order that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> -the eyes of the French might see his vengeance even in the repulsive -remains of carnage.</p> - -<p>The united enthusiasm and bravery of the blacks and mulattoes was too -much for the French. Surrounded on all sides, Rochambeau saw his troops -dying for the want of food. For many weeks they lived on horse flesh, -and were even driven to subsist on the dogs that they had imported from -Cuba.</p> - -<p>Reduced to the last extremity by starvation, the French general sued -for peace, and promised that he would immediately leave the Island; -it was accepted by the blacks, and Rochambeau prepared to return to -France. The French embarked in their vessels of war, and the standard -of the blacks once more waved over Cape City, the capital of St. -Domingo. As the French sailed from the Island, they saw the tops of -the mountains lighted up;—it was not a blaze kindled for war, but for -freedom. Every heart beat for liberty, and every voice shouted for joy. -From the ocean to the mountains, and from town to town, the cry was -“Freedom! Freedom!” Thus ended Napoleon’s expedition to St. Domingo. In -less than two years the French lost more than fifty thousand persons. -After the retirement of the whites, the men of color put forth a -Declaration of Independence, in which they said: “We have sworn to show -no mercy to those who may dare to speak to us of slavery.”</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_37_37" id="Footnote_37_37"></a><a href="#FNanchor_37_37"><span class="label">[37]</span></a> Beard’s Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XV.</span> <span class="smaller">TOUSSAINT A PRISONER IN FRANCE.</span></h2> - -<p>While the cause of independence, forced at length on the aspirations -of the natives of Hayti, was advancing with rapid strides, amid all -the tumult of armies, and all the confusion of despotic cruelties, -Toussaint L’Ouverture pined away in the dark, damp, cold prison of Joux.</p> - -<p>This castle stands on the brink of the river Daubs; on the land side, -the road of Besancon, leading into Switzerland, gives the stronghold -the command of the communications between that country and France. This -dungeon built by the Romans, has in it a room fifteen feet square, with -a stone floor, the same of which the entire castle is constructed. -One small window, high up on the side, looking out on the snows of -Switzerland, is the only aperture that gives light to the dismal spot. -In winter, ice covers the floor; in summer, it is deep with water. In -this living tomb, Toussaint was placed, and left to die.</p> - -<p>All communication was forbidden him with the outer world. He received -no news of his wife and family. He wrote to Bonaparte, demanding a -trial,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> but received no reply. His fare was limited to a sum not -sufficient to give him the comforts of life. His servant was taken -away, and food reduced to a still smaller quantity; and thus the -once ruler of St. Domingo, the man to whom in the darkest day of the -insurrection the white planters looked for safety, knowing well his -humanity, was little by little brought to the verge of starvation.</p> - -<p>Toussaint’s wife and children had been arrested, sent to France, -separated from him, and he knew nothing of their whereabouts. He wrote -to Napoleon in behalf of them. The document contained these words:</p> - -<p>“General Le Clerc employed towards me means which have never been -employed towards the greatest enemies. Doubtless I owe that contempt -to my color; but has that color prevented me from serving my country -with zeal and fidelity? Does the color of my body injure my honor or my -courage? Suppose I was a criminal, and that the general-in-chief had -orders to arrest me; was it needful to employ carabineers to arrest my -wife and children; to tear them from their residence without respect, -and without charity? Was it necessary to fire on my plantations, and -on my family, or to ransack and pillage my property? No! My wife, my -children, my household, were under no responsibility; have no account -to render to government. General Le Clerc had not even the right to -arrest them. Was that officer afraid of a rival?</p> - -<p>“I compare him to the Roman Senate, that pursued Hannibal even into his -retirement. I request that he and I may appear before a tribunal, and -that the government bring forward the whole of my correspondence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> with -him. By that means, my innocence, and all I have done for the republic, -will be seen.”</p> - -<p>Toussaint was not even aware of Le Clerc’s death. Finding that the -humanity of Colomier, the governor of the castle, would not allow -the prisoner to starve fast enough, Napoleon ordered the keeper to a -distance; and on his return, Toussaint was dead.</p> - -<p>Thus in the beginning of April, in the year 1803, died Toussaint -L’Ouverture, a grandson of an African king. He passed the greater -number of his days in slavery, and rose to be a soldier, a general, a -governor, and to-day lives in the hearts of the people of his native -isle. Endowed by nature with high qualities of mind, he owed his -elevation to his own energies and his devotion to the welfare and -freedom of his race. His habits were thoughtful, and, like most men of -energetic temperaments, he crowded much into what he said.</p> - -<p>So profound and original were his opinions, that they have been -successively drawn upon by all the chiefs of St. Domingo since his -era, and still without loss of adaptation to the circumstances of the -country. His thoughts were copious and full of vigor; and what he could -express well in his native patois, he found tame and unsatisfactory in -the French language, which he was obliged to employ in the details of -his official business.</p> - -<p>He would never sign what he did not fully understand, obliging two or -three secretaries to re-word the document, until they had succeeded in -furnishing the particular phrase expressive of his meaning. While at -the height of his power, and when all around him were furnished with -every comfort, and his officers living<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> in splendor, Toussaint himself -lived with an austere sobriety, which bordered on abstemiousness.</p> - -<p>Clad in a common dress, with a red Madras handkerchief tied around his -head, he would move amongst the people as though he were a laborer. -On such occasions he would often take a musket, throw it up into the -air, and catching it, kiss it; again hold it up, and exclaim to the -gazing multitude, “Behold your deliverer; in this lies your liberty!” -Toussaint was entirely master of his own appetites and passions.</p> - -<p>It was his custom to set off in his carriage with the professed object -of going to some particular point of the Island, and when he had -passed over several miles of the journey, to quit the carriage, which -continued its route under the same escort of guards, while Toussaint -mounted on horseback, and followed by his officers, made rapid -excursions across the country to places where he was least expected. It -was upon one of these occasions that he owed his life to his singular -mode of travelling. He had just left his carriage when an ambuscade -of mulattoes, concealed in the thickets of Boucassin, fired upon the -guard; several balls pierced the carriage, and one of them killed an -old servant, who occupied the seat of his master.</p> - -<p>No person knew better than he the art of governing the people under his -jurisdiction. The greater part of the blacks loved him to idolatry. -Veneration for Toussaint was not confined to the boundaries of St. -Domingo; it ran through Europe; and in France his name was frequently -pronounced in the senate with the eulogy of polished eloquence. No one -can look back<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> upon his career without feeling that Toussaint was a -remarkable man. Without being bred to the science of arms, he became a -valiant soldier, and baffled the skill of the most experienced generals -that had followed Napoleon. Without military knowledge, he fought like -one born in the camp.</p> - -<p>Without means, he carried on a war successfully. He beat his enemies in -battle, and turned their weapons against them. He possessed splendid -traits of genius, which were developed in the private circle, in the -council chamber, and upon the field of battle. His very name became a -tower of strength to his friends and a terror to his foes.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVI.</span> <span class="smaller">DESSALINES AS EMPEROR OF HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>Rochambeau, with the remnant of his defeated army, had scarcely -retired from St. Domingo before the news of the death of Toussaint -reached the Island. The announcement of this, together with the fact -that their great general had died by starvation, assured the natives -of the essential goodness of their cause, and the genuine vigor of -their strength. They had measured swords with the whites, and were -conscious of their own superiority. Slavery in St. Domingo was dead, -and dead forever. The common enemy was gone, and the victory had -been gained by the union of the blacks and mulattoes, and these put -forth a Declaration of Rights, in which they said: “The independence -of St. Domingo is proclaimed. Restored to our primitive dignity, we -have secured our rights; we swear never to cede them to any power in -the world. The frightful veil of prejudice is torn in pieces; let it -remain so forever. Woe to him who may wish to collect the blood-stained -tatters. We have sworn to show no mercy to those who may dare to speak -to us of slavery.” This document was signed by Dessalines,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> Christophe, -and Clervaux, the three chiefs who had conducted the war after the -capture of Toussaint.</p> - -<p>The first of these were black, and represented that class of his race -who held sentiments of the most extreme hatred to the whites. The -second was also black, but of a feeling more inclined to moderation. -The third represented the mulattoes, although he had none of the -prejudice against the blacks, so prevalent in those days. Clervaux was -a brave man, and had fought under Toussaint before the landing of Le -Clerc and Rochambeau.</p> - -<p>By the daring manifested on the field of battle, his fierce and -sanguinary look, his thirst for blood, Dessalines had become the leader -of the blacks in the war for liberty; and now that victory was perched -upon their banners, and the civil government of the Island was to fall -into their hands, he set his associates aside, and took the State into -his own charge. Jean Jacques Dessalines was appointed governor-general -for life. He was not only a life officer, but he had the power to -establish laws, to declare war, to make peace, and even to appoint his -successor.</p> - -<p>Having by a show of mildness gained the advantage which he sought,—the -acquisition of power,—Dessalines, a few weeks after his appointment as -governor for life, threw aside the mask, and raised the cry of “Hayti -for the Haytians,” thinking by proscribing foreigners, he should most -effectually consolidate his own authority.</p> - -<p>From that moment the career of this ferocious man was stained with -innocent blood, and with crimes that find no parallel, unless in -the dark deeds of Rochambeau, whom he seemed anxious to imitate. -The blacks,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> maddened by the recollection of slavery, and crimes -perpetrated under its influence; maddened by the oft-repeated stories -of murders committed by the French, and the presence of many of their -old masters still on the Island, and whose bloody deeds Dessalines -continually kept before them in his proclamations, were easily led into -the worst of crimes by this man.</p> - -<p>On the 8th of October, 1804, Dessalines was proclaimed Emperor of -Hayti, with the title of Jean Jacques the First. A census taken in 1805 -showed the population of that part of the Island ruled by Dessalines, -to be only four hundred thousand.</p> - -<p>The title of majesty was conferred on the new Emperor, as well as -on his august consort, the empress; their persons were declared -inviolable, and the crown elective; but the Emperor had the right to -nominate his successor among a chosen number of candidates. The sons of -the sovereign were to pass through all the ranks of the army.</p> - -<p>Every emperor who should attach to himself a privileged body, under the -name of guard of honor, or any other designation, was, by the fact, -to be regarded as at war with the nation, and should be driven from -the throne, which then was to be occupied by one of the councillors of -state, chosen by the majority of the members of that body.</p> - -<p>The emperor had the right to make, and approve and publish the laws; -to make peace and war; to conclude treaties; to distribute the armed -force at his pleasure; he also possessed the exclusive prerogative -of pardon. The generals of brigade and of division were to form part -of the council of state. Besides a secretary of state, there was to -be a minister of finances, and a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> minister of war. All persons were -encouraged to settle their differences by arbitration.</p> - -<p>No dominant religion was admitted; the liberty of worship was -proclaimed; the State was not to take on itself the support of any -religious institution. Marriage was declared a purely civil act, and in -some cases divorce was permitted. State offences were to be tried by -a council to be named by the Emperor. All property belonging to white -Frenchmen was confiscated to the State. The houses of the citizens were -pronounced inviolable.</p> - -<p>The Constitution was placed under the safeguard of the magistrates, of -fathers, of mothers, of citizens, of soldiers, and recommended to their -descendants, to all the friends of liberty, to the philanthropists of -all countries, as a striking token of the goodness of God, who, in the -order of his immortal decrees, had given the Haytians power to break -their bonds, and make themselves a free, civilized, and independent -people. This Constitution, which, considering its origin, contains so -much that is excellent, and which even the long civilized States of -Europe might advantageously study, was accepted by the emperor, and -ordered to be forthwith carried into execution.</p> - -<p>The condition of the farm-laborer was the same as under the system -of Toussaint L’Ouverture; he labored for wages which were fixed at -one-fourth of the produce, and that produce was abundant. The whip and -all corporal punishments were abolished.</p> - -<p>Idleness was regarded as a crime, but was punished only by -imprisonment. Two-thirds of the labor extracted under slavery was -the amount required under the new system. Thus the laborers gained -a <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>diminution of one-third of their toil, while their wants were -amply supplied. The mulattoes, or quaterons, children of whites and -mulattoes, who were very numerous, if they could show any relationship, -whether legitimate or not, with the old white proprietors, were allowed -to inherit their property.</p> - -<p>Education was not neglected in the midst of these outward and material -arrangements. In nearly all the districts, schools were established; -and the people, seeing what advantage was to be derived from learning, -entered them, and plied themselves vigorously to gain in freedom what -they had lost in slavery.</p> - -<p>A praiseworthy effort was made by the framers of the constitution, -under which Dessalines was inaugurated emperor, to extinguish all -distinctions of color among the colored people themselves.</p> - -<p>They decreed that the people should be denominated <i>blacks</i>; but such -distinctions are far stronger than words on paper. Unfortunately, -the distinctions in question, which was deeply rooted, and rested -on prejudices and antipathies which will never be erased from human -nature, had been aggravated by long and sanguinary contests between the -blacks and mulattoes.</p> - -<p>Aware of that individual superiority which springs from a share in -the influences of civilization, the mulattoes of Hayti despised the -uneducated black laborers by whom they were surrounded, and felt that -by submitting to their sway, they put themselves under the domination -of a majority whose sole authority lay exclusively in their numbers. -The mulattoes really believed that their natural position was to fill -the places in the government once held by the whites.</p> - -<p>They would no doubt have forgotten their party<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> interests, and labored -for the diffusion through the great body of the people of the higher -influence of civilization, if they could have secured those positions.</p> - -<p>The mutual hatred between the mulattoes and the blacks was so deeply -rooted, that neither party could see anything good in the other; -and therefore, whatever was put forth by one party, no matter how -meritorious in itself, was regarded with suspicion by the other.</p> - -<p>The regular army of Dessalines was composed of fifteen thousand men, -in which there was included a corps of fifteen hundred cavalry. They -were a motley assemblage of ragged blacks, kept in the ranks, and -performing their limited routine of duty through the awe inspired among -them by the rigid severity of the imperial discipline. The uniform -of the troops had not been changed when the Island was erected into -an independent power, and the red and blue of the French army still -continued to distinguish the soldiers of the Haytian army, even when -the French were execrated as a race of monsters, with whom the blacks -of St. Domingo should have nothing in common. Together with the regular -army of the empire, there existed a numerous corps of national guard, -composed of all who were capable of bearing arms; though the services -of these were not required but in some dangerous emergency of the -State. The national guard and regular army were called into the field -four times every year; and during these seasons of military movement, -the government of Dessalines was over a nation of soldiers in arms, as -they remained in their encampment for some days, to be instructed in -military<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> knowledge, and to be reviewed by the great officers of the -empire.</p> - -<p>Dessalines now put forth a proclamation filled with accusations against -the white French still on the Island.</p> - -<p>This ferocious manifesto was intended as a preliminary measure in the -train of horrible events to follow. In the month of February, 1805, -orders were issued for the pursuit and arrest of all those Frenchmen -who had been accused of being accomplices in the executions ordered by -Rochambeau.</p> - -<p>Dessalines pretended that more than sixty thousand of his compatriots -had been drowned, suffocated, hung, or shot in these massacres. “We -adopt this measure,” said he, “to teach the nations of the world that, -notwithstanding the protection which we grant to those who are loyal -towards us, nothing shall prevent us from punishing the murderers who -have taken pleasure in bathing their hands in the blood of the sons of -Hayti.”</p> - -<p>These instigations were not long in producing their appropriate -consequences among a population for so many years trained to cruelty, -and that hated the French in their absence in the same degree that -they feared them when present. On the 28th of April it was ordered by -proclamation that all the French residents in the Island should be put -to death; and this inhuman command of Dessalines was eagerly obeyed by -his followers, particularly by the mulattoes, who had to manifest a -flaming zeal for their new sovereign, in order to save themselves from -falling victims to his sanguinary vengeance. Acting under the dread -surveillance of Dessalines, all the black chiefs were forced to show -themselves equally cruel; and if any French<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> were saved from death, it -was due to the mercy of the inferior blacks, who dared not to avoid -their generosity. Dessalines made a progress through all the towns -where there were any French citizens remaining, and while his soldiers -were murdering the unfortunate victims of his ferocity, the monster -gloated with secret complacency over the scene of carnage, like some -malignant fiend glorying in the pangs of misery suffered by those who -had fallen a sacrifice to his wickedness.</p> - -<p>The massacre was executed with an attention to order, which proves how -minutely it had been prepared. All proper precautions were taken, that -no other whites than the French should be included in the proscription. -In the town of Cape François, where the massacre took place, on the -night of the 20th of April, the precaution was first taken of sending -detachments of soldiers to the houses of the American and English -merchants, with strict orders to permit no person, not even the black -generals, to enter them, without the permission of the master of -the house, who had been previously informed of all that was about -to happen. This command was obeyed so punctually, that one of these -privileged individuals had the good fortune to preserve the lives of -a number of Frenchmen whom he had concealed in his house, and who -remained in their asylum until the guilty tragedy was over.</p> - -<p>The priests, surgeons, and some necessary artisans were preserved from -destruction, consisting in all, of one-tenth of the French residents. -All the rest were massacred without regard to age or sex. The personal -security enjoyed by the foreign whites was no safeguard to the horror -inspired in them by the scenes of misery which were being enacted -without. At every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> moment of the night, the noise was heard of axes, -which were employed to burst open the doors of the neighboring houses; -of piercing cries, followed by a deathlike silence, soon, however, to -be changed to a renewal of the same sounds of grief and terror, as the -soldiers proceeded from house to house.</p> - -<p>When this night of horror and massacre was over, the treacherous -cruelty of Dessalines was not yet appeased. An imperial proclamation -was issued in the morning, alleging that the blacks were sufficiently -avenged upon the French, and inviting all who had escaped the -assassination of the previous night to make their appearance upon -the Place d’Armes of the town, in order to receive certificates of -protection; and it was declared to them that in doing this they might -count upon perfect safety to themselves.</p> - -<p>Many hundreds of the French had been forewarned of the massacre, and by -timely concealment had succeeded in preserving their lives. Completely -circumvented by the fiendish cunning of Dessalines, this little remnant -of survivors came out of their places of concealment, and formed -themselves in a body upon the Place d’Armes. But at the moment when -they were anxiously expecting their promised certificates of safety, -the order was given for their execution. The stream of water which -flowed through the town of Cape François was fairly tinged with their -blood.<a name="FNanchor_38_38" id="FNanchor_38_38"></a><a href="#Footnote_38_38" class="fnanchor">[38]</a></p> - -<p>Many of the great chiefs in the black army were struck with horror -and disgust at this fiendish cruelty of their emperor. Christophe -was shocked at the atrocity of the measure, though he dared not -display any open opposition to the will of the monarch. Dessalines<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> -had no troublesome sensibilities of soul to harass his repose for a -transaction almost without a parallel in history. He sought not to -share the infamy of the action with the subordinate chiefs of his army, -but without a pang of remorse he claimed to himself the whole honor of -the measure.</p> - -<p>In another proclamation, given to the world within a few days after -the massacre, he boasts of having shown more than ordinary firmness, -and affects to put his system of policy in opposition to the lenity -of Toussaint, whom he accuses, if not of want of patriotism, at least -of want of firmness in his public conduct. Dessalines was prompted to -the share he took in this transaction by an inborn ferociousness of -character; but a spirit of personal vengeance doubtless had its effect -upon the subordinate agents in the massacre. They hated the French for -the cruelties of Rochambeau.</p> - -<p>Although the complete evacuation of the Island by the forces of the -French, and the ceaseless employment of the armies of Napoleon in -the wars of Europe, had left the blacks of St. Domingo in the full -possession of that Island, Dessalines lived in continual dread that the -first moment of leisure would be seized by the conqueror of Europe to -attempt the subjugation of his new empire. The black chief even alleged -in excuse for the massacre which he had just accomplished, that the -French residents in the Island had been engaged in machinations against -the dominion of the blacks, and that several French frigates then lying -at St. Jago de Cuba had committed hostilities upon the coast, and -seemed threatening a descent upon this land.</p> - -<p>Influenced by this perpetual solicitude, Dessalines now turned his -attention to measures of defence, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> case the French should again -undertake the reduction of the country. It was ordered that at the -first appearance of a foreign army ready to land upon the shores of the -Island, all the towns upon the coast should be burnt to the ground, and -the whole population be driven to the fastnesses of the interior.</p> - -<p>He also built fortifications in the mountains as places of refuge in -the event of foreign invasion. Always violent and sanguinary, when -there remained no whites upon whom to employ his ferocity, his cruelty -was lavished upon his own subjects. For the slightest causes, both -blacks and mulattoes were put to death without mercy and without the -forms of trial. The sight of blood awakened within him his desire of -slaughter, and his government became at length a fearful despotism, -against the devouring vengeance of which none, not even those of his -own household, was safe. The generals Clervaux, Geffrard, and Gabart -died suddenly and mysteriously; and the aggressions of Dessalines, -directed particularly against the mulattoes, soon awakened the -vengeance of that jealous class, who were already displeased at their -insignificance in the State, and at the exaltation of the black dynasty -which seemed about to become permanent in the country. A secret -conspiracy was accordingly planned against the black monarch, and when, -on the 17th of October, 1806, he commenced a journey from St. Marks -to Port au Prince, the occasion was improved to destroy him. A party -of mulattoes lying in ambuscade at a place called Pont Rouge, made an -attack upon him, and he was killed at the first fire.</p> - -<p>Thus closed the career of Dessalines, a man who had commenced life as a -slave, and ended as an <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span>emperor; a man whose untiring energy, headlong -bravery, unsurpassed audacity, and native genius made him to be feared -by both blacks and whites, and whose misdeeds have furnished to the -moralists more room for criticism than any other man whose life was -passed in the West Indies.</p> - -<p>Yet this “monster,” with all his faults, did much for the redemption -of his race from slavery. Had Dessalines been in the position of -Toussaint, he would never have been captured and transported to -Europe. He who reads the history of the St. Domingo struggle without -prejudice, and will carefully examine the condition of parties, see -the efforts made by the expatriated planters to regain possession of -the Island, and view impartially the cruel and exterminating war upon -the blacks, as carried on by Le Clerc and Rochambeau, cannot feel like -throwing the mantle of charity over some of the acts of Jean Jacques -Dessalines. After the death of the emperor, the victorious mulattoes -followed up their success by attacking the partisans of Dessalines, -and four days were expended in destroying them. Upon the 21st there -appeared a proclamation, portraying the crimes of the fallen emperor, -and announcing that the country had been delivered of a tyrant. A -provisional government was then constituted, to continue until time -could be afforded for the formation of a new constitution, and General -Christophe was proclaimed the provisional head of the State.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_38_38" id="Footnote_38_38"></a><a href="#FNanchor_38_38"><span class="label">[38]</span></a> Malo.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVII.</span> <span class="smaller">WAR BETWEEN THE BLACKS AND MULATTOES OF HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>The ambitious and haughty mulattoes had long been dissatisfied with -the obscure condition into which they had been thrown by the reign of -Dessalines; and at the death of that ruler, they determined to put -forward their claim. Therefore, while Christophe was absent from the -capital, the mulattoes called a convention, framed a constitution, -organized a republic, and elected for their president, Alexandre Pétion.</p> - -<p>This man was a quadroon, the successor of Rigaud and Clervaux -to the confidence of the mulattoes. He had been educated at the -military school at Paris; was of refined manners, and had ever been -characterized for his mildness of temper and the insinuating grace -of his address. He was a skilful engineer, and at the time of his -elevation to power he passed for the most scientific officer and the -most erudite individual among the people of Hayti. Attached to the -fortunes of Rigaud, Pétion had acted as his lieutenant in the war -against Toussaint, and had accompanied that chief to France. Here he -remained until the departure of the expedition under Le Clerc, when -he embarked in that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> disastrous enterprise, to employ his talents -in restoring his country to the dominion of France. Pétion joined -Dessalines, Christophe, and Clervaux when they revolted and turned -against the French, and aided in gaining the final independence of -the Island. He was commanding a battalion of mulattoes, under the -government of Dessalines, at the close of the empire.</p> - -<p>Christophe, therefore, as soon as he heard that he had a rival in -Pétion, rallied his forces, and started for Port au Prince, to meet -his enemy, and obtain by conquest what had been refused him by right -of succession; and, as he thought, of merit. Pétion was already in the -field; the two armies met, and a battle was fought.</p> - -<p>In this contest, the impetuosity of Christophe’s attack was more than -a match for the skill and science of Pétion; and the new president was -defeated in his first enterprise against the enemy of his government. -The ranks of Pétion were soon thrown into irretrievable confusion, and -in a few minutes they were driven from the field—Pétion himself being -hotly pursued in his flight, finding it necessary, in order for the -preservation of his life, to exchange his decorations for the garb of a -farmer, whom he encountered on his way, and to bury himself up to the -neck in a marsh until his fierce pursuers had disappeared.</p> - -<p>After this signal success, Christophe pressed forward to Port au -Prince, and laid siege to that town, in the hope of an easy triumph -over his rival. But Pétion was now in his appropriate sphere of action, -and Christophe discovered that in contending against an experienced -engineer in a fortified town, success was of more difficult attainment -than while encountering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> the same enemy in the open field, where his -science could not be brought into action. Christophe could make no -impression on the town; and feeling ill assured of the steadfastness of -his own proper government at Cape François, he withdrew his forces from -the investment of Port au Prince, resolved to establish in the North -a separate government of his own, and to defer to some more favorable -opportunity the attempt to subdue his rival at Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>Thus placing themselves in hostile array against each other, the two -chiefs of Hayti employed themselves in strengthening and establishing -their respective governments, and in attempts to gain over the -different parts of the Island to an acknowledgment of their authority. -Christophe assumed the title of President of the State, and Pétion, -of the Republic; and the inhabitants of the country conferred their -allegiance according to the opinions of their chiefs, or the places of -their residence.</p> - -<p>The successes of Christophe in his late campaign against his rival -at Port au Prince, had encouraged him with the hope of obtaining a -complete conquest over him when he had strengthened and confirmed -his power over the blacks of the North. The greater part of this -province had already declared for him, and refused to acknowledge the -new president at Port au Prince, who had been taken from among the -mulattoes of the South. In this state of public feeling, Christophe -proceeded to issue a series of proclamations and addresses to the -people and the army, encouraging them to hope for a better era about to -arise under his auspices, in which the evils of foreign invasion and -the disaster of intestine disturbance were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> to cease, and the wounds of -the country to be healed by the restoration of peace and tranquillity. -He manifested a desire to encourage the prosperity of commerce and -agriculture; and by thus fostering individual enterprise, to ensure -the happiness of the people under his rule. To support the credit of -his government among the commercial nations abroad, he dispatched -a manifesto to each of them, with a design to remove the distrust -which had begun to be entertained in the mercantile world of the new -governments of Hayti.</p> - -<p>It was announced in these dispatches that the storehouses and magazines -of the Island were crowded and overflowing with the rich productions -of the Antilles, awaiting the arrival of foreign vessels to exchange -for them the produce and fabrics of other lands; that the vexatious -regulations and ignorant prohibitions of his predecessor no longer -existed to interfere with the commercial prosperity of the Island; -and that protection and encouragement would be granted to commercial -factors from abroad, who should come to reside in the ports of the -country.</p> - -<p>Christophe felt that his assumption of power was but a usurpation, and -that so long as his government remained in operation without the formal -sanction of the people, his rival at Port au Prince possessed immense -advantages over him, inasmuch as he had been made the constituted head -of the country by an observance of the forms of the constitution. To -remedy this palpable defect, which weakened his authority, he resolved -to frame another constitution, which would confirm him in the power he -had usurped, and furnish him with a legal excuse for maintaining his -present<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> attitude. In accordance with this policy he convoked another -assembly at Cape François, composed of the generals of his army and -the principal citizens of that province, and after a short session -these subservient legislators terminated their labors by giving to -the world another constitution of the country, dated upon the 17th of -February, 1807. This new enactment declared all persons residing upon -the territory of Hayti, free citizens, and that the government was to -be administered by a supreme magistrate, who was to take the title of -President of the State, and General-in-Chief of the land and the naval -forces.</p> - -<p>The office was not hereditary, but the president had the right -to choose his successor from among the generals of the army; and -associated with him in the government there was to exist a Council -of State, consisting of nine members, selected by the President from -among the principal military chiefs. This, like the constitution, which -conferred power upon Dessalines, made Christophe an autocrat, though he -was nominally but the mere chief magistrate of a republic.</p> - -<p>The rival government of Port au Prince differed from that of -Christophe, by its possessing more of the forms of a republic. With -a president who held his power for life, and who could not directly -appoint his successor, there was associated a legislative body, -consisting of a chamber of representatives chosen directly by the -people, and a senate appointed by the popular branch of the government, -to sustain or control the president in the exercise of his authority.</p> - -<p>Hostilities between Christophe and Pétion were carried on for a long -time, which led to little less than the enfeeblement of both parties. -The black chief,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> however, established his power on solid foundations -in the North, while Pétion succeeded in retaining a firm position in -the South. Thus was the Island once more unhappily divided between two -authorities, each of which watched its opportunity for the overthrow of -the other.</p> - -<p>The struggle between the two presidents of Hayti had now continued -three years, when a new competitor started up, by the arrival of Rigaud -from France. He had passed by way of the United States, and arrived -at Aux Cayes on the 7th of April, 1810. This was an unexpected event, -which awakened deep solicitude in the bosom of Pétion, who could not -avoid regarding that distinguished mulatto as a more formidable rival -than Christophe. He feared his superior talents, and dreaded the -ascendency he held over the mulatto population. Rigaud was welcomed -by his old adherents with enthusiastic demonstrations of attachment -and respect; and after enjoying for a few days the hospitalities that -were so emulously offered to him, he proceeded on his way to Port au -Prince. Though Pétion could not feel at his ease while such a rival -was journeying in a species of triumph through the country, he dared -not, at least in his present condition, to make an open manifestation -of his displeasure, or employ force against one who had such devoted -partisans at his command. He determined, therefore, to mask his jealous -feelings, and wear an exterior of complaisance, until he could discover -the designs of Rigaud. The latter was received graciously by the -President, whose suspicions were all effectually lulled by the harmless -deportment of the great mulatto chieftain; and he was even invested<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> by -Pétion with the government of the South. This was to place an idol in -the very temple of its worshippers, for Rigaud returned to Aux Cayes to -draw all hearts to himself. No one in that province now cast a thought -upon Pétion; and within a short period Rigaud was in full possession -of his ancient power. Pétion, affrighted at his situation, surrounded -as he was by two such rivals as Rigaud and Christophe, began an open -rupture with the former before he had fully ascertained whether he -could sustain himself against the hostilities of the latter. Some of -the mulattoes, who, with a spirit of patriotism or clanship foresaw -the triumphs which would be offered to the blacks by civil dissensions -among themselves, proposed a compromise between Rigaud and Pétion; but -this was rejected by the latter, who began to make preparations to -invade Rigaud’s province.</p> - -<p>Resolved to profit by this division, Christophe marched against Pétion, -but the common danger brought about a union, and Christophe judged it -prudent to retire.</p> - -<p>When Pétion had been left at peace, by the temporary retirement of -Christophe from the war against him, all his former jealousy was -awakened within him against Rigaud. The treaty of Miragoane had been -wrung from him by the hard necessities of his situation, which were -such as to force him to choose between yielding himself a prey to the -warlike ambition of Christophe, or complying with the urgent demands -pressed upon him by the political importance of Rigaud. A compact thus -brought about by the stern compulsion of an impending danger, and -not yielded as a voluntary sacrifice for the preservation of peace,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> -was not likely to remain unviolated when the necessity of the moment -had passed away and was forgotten. Thus, as has been observed, when -Christophe, engaged as he was in renovating the structure of his -government, had ceased from his hostilities against Pétion, the latter -became immediately infested with all his former dislike of Rigaud. -Intrigues were commenced against him, to shake the fidelity of his -followers, and to turn the hearts of the Southern blacks against the -mulatto who had been placed over them as their chief.</p> - -<p>Emissaries were employed in all parts of that province, reminding -the people of the obligations which they owed to the constituted -authorities of the Republic at Port au Prince, and conjuring them to -remember that the preservation of the country against the designs of -France could only be assured by the unanimous support given to the -chief of the Republic, who alone could perpetuate the institutions of -the country, and maintain its independence against its foreign enemies.</p> - -<p>An armistice concluded between Pétion and the Maroon chief, Gomar, -furnished an opportunity to the former to arm this formidable brigand -against the government of the South. Gomar’s followers, eager for new -scenes of plunder, commenced their depredations in the plain of Aux -Cayes, and the plantations in that quarter were soon subjected to the -same ravages as had fallen to the lot of those of Grand Anse. While -Rigaud was involved in a perplexing war with these banditti, and had -already discovered that the allegiance of his own followers at Aux -Cayes was wavering and insecure, he was dismayed at the intelligence -that Pétion had already invaded his <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span>territory at the head of an -army. Thus were the mulattoes committing suicide upon their political -hopes, if not upon their very existence, by a mad strife in the cause -of their respective chiefs, when their formidable enemy in the North -was concentrating his power, and watching a favorable moment to pour -destruction upon both.</p> - -<p>Rigaud hastened to collect his forces, in order to defend his territory -against this invasion of Pétion; and the latter, having already passed -the mountains of La Hotte, was met by his antagonist in the plain of -Aux Cayes. A furious battle immediately took place; and after a gallant -resistance, Rigaud’s troops had already begun to give ground before the -overpowering numbers and successive charges of the enemy, when a strong -reinforcement of troops under the command of General Borgella, coming -in from Aquin, turned the tide of battle in favor of Rigaud, and Pétion -was defeated in his turn, and his army almost annihilated in the rout -which followed.<a name="FNanchor_39_39" id="FNanchor_39_39"></a><a href="#Footnote_39_39" class="fnanchor">[39]</a></p> - -<p>The joy of this signal victory over his opponent, which had driven him -from the southern territory, did not efface the bitter recollections -which had fastened themselves upon the sensitive mind of Rigaud. In -that province, where he had once been all-powerful, and Pétion a -subservient instrument of his will, he saw that his former glory had so -far departed that he could not trust the fidelity of his own personal -attendants, while his former lieutenant was now his triumphant rival. -The applauses and sworn devotedness with which the multitude had once -followed in the march of his power had now with proverbial fickleness,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> -been exchanged for the coldness of indifference, or an open alliance -with his foes.</p> - -<p>In this desolate state of his fortunes, Rigaud had lost his wonted -energies; and instead of following up his late success, and arming -himself for the last desperate effort to crush his insinuating but -unwarlike opponent, he returned to Aux Cayes, to new solicitudes and -new experience of the faithlessness of that mob whose whirlwind-march -he had once guided by a single word. Pétion’s partisans had now gained -over to their opinions a formidable proportion of the people of Aux -Cayes, and Rigaud had scarcely entered his capital when a multitude -of blacks and mulattoes were gathered in the streets opposite the -government house.</p> - -<p>Their cries of vengeance upon Rigaud, and their menacing preparations, -struck a panic into the little body of followers, who, faithful among -the faithless, still adhered with unshaken constancy to the declining -fortunes of their once glorious chief. His friends besought Rigaud not -to attempt the hazardous experiment of showing himself in the gallery -to persuade the mob to disperse. But not suspecting that the last -remnant of his once mighty influence had departed from him, Rigaud -persevered in his design, and advancing to the gallery of the house, -he demanded in a mild voice of the leaders of the multitude what they -intended by a movement so threatening, when he received in answer a -volley of musketry aimed at his life.</p> - -<p>But he remained unharmed, though he returned into the house heart-sick -and desperate. A furious onset was immediately commenced from without, -and this was answered by a vigilant and deadly defence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> from Rigaud’s -followers within. The contest continued through the night, but the mob -were defeated in every attempt which they made to obtain a lodgment -within the walls of the edifice, and no decisive success could be -obtained to disperse them. Rigaud, now convinced that the witchery of -his power existed no longer, made a formal abdication of his authority, -and nominated General Borgella as his successor in the command of -the South. Rigaud, worn with chagrin and humiliation, retired to his -plantation, Laborde, where he died within a few days after, a victim to -the faithlessness of the multitude.</p> - -<p>Thus ended the life of André Rigaud, the ablest scholar and most -accomplished military man of any color which the St. Domingo revolution -had produced. The death of Rigaud had the effect of uniting the mulatto -generals, Borgella and Boyer under Pétion, and against Christophe; the -latter, however, succeeded in maintaining his authority in the North, -and still looked forward to a time when he should be able to govern the -whole Island.</p> - -<p>Christophe, like Dessalines, had been made a monarch by the -constitution which formed a basis to his power; but he had at -first only assumed to himself the modest title of President. This -moderation in his ambition arose from the desire to supplant Pétion -in his government, and become the supreme head of the whole country -without any rival or associate. For this purpose it was necessary to -surround his power with republican forms; to make it attractive in -the estimation of the better class of blacks and mulattoes, with whom -republican notions happened to be in vogue. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - -<p>But the prospect of superseding Pétion in his authority had become less -clear with every succeeding attempt, of Christophe against him; and -after years of untiring hostility, it was evident that Pétion was more -firmly enthroned in the hearts of his people than at the commencement -of his administration, and that no solid and durable advantages had -been gained over him in the field. Christophe was thus led to change -his policy; and, instead of seeking to assimilate the nature of the two -governments, in order to supplant his rival in the affections of his -countrymen, he now resolved to make his government the very contrast of -the other, and leave it to the people of his country to decide which of -the two forms of power was the best adapted to the nature and genius of -the population over which they maintained their sway.</p> - -<p>The one was a republic in direct contact with the people, and governed -by a plain engineer officer, who, though clothed with the sovereignty -of the state, “bore his faculties so meekly” that he mixed freely with -his fellow-citizens, but as a man in high repute for his intelligence -and his virtues.</p> - -<p>Christophe determined that the other should be a monarchy, surrounded -by all the insignia of supreme power, and sustained by an hereditary -nobility, who, holding their civil and military privileges from the -crown, would be props to the throne, and maintain industry and order -among the subjects of the government. The Republic was a government -of the mulattoes, and had been placed under the rule of a mulatto -president. The monarchy was to be essentially and throughout, a -dominion of the pure blacks, between whom and the mulattoes it was -alleged there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> was such diversity of interest and personal feeling that -no common sympathy could exist between them.</p> - -<p>In pursuance of this new policy, Christophe’s Council of State was -convoked, and commenced its labors to modify the constitution of -February, 1807, in order to make it conformable to the new ambition -of Christophe. With this council there had been associated the -principal generals of the army and several private citizens, who were -sufficiently in the favor of Christophe to be ranked among those -willing to do him honor. The labors of this council were brief, and -upon the 20th of March, 1811, the session was closed by the adoption -of a new form of government. The imperial constitution of 1805 was -modified to form an hereditary monarchy in the North, and to place the -crown of Hayti upon Christophe, under the title of Henry the First.</p> - -<p>In their announcement to the world of this new organization of the -government, the Council declared that the constitution which had been -framed in the year 1807, imperfect as it was, had been adapted to the -circumstances of the country at that epoch, but that the favorable -moment had arrived to perfect their work, and establish a permanent -form of government, suited to the nature and condition of the people -over which it was to bear rule.</p> - -<p>They added that the majority of the nation felt with them the necessity -of establishing an hereditary monarchy in the country, inasmuch as -a government administered by a single individual was, less than any -other, subject to the chances of revolution, as it possessed within -itself a higher power to maintain the laws, to protect the rights of -citizens, to preserve internal order, and maintain respect abroad; that -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> title of governor-general, which had been conferred upon Toussaint -L’Ouverture, was insufficient to the dignity of a supreme magistrate; -that that of emperor, which had been bestowed upon Dessalines, could -not in strictness be conferred but upon the sovereign of several states -united under one government, while that of president did not, in fact, -carry with it the idea of sovereign power at all. In consideration of -these grave objections to all other terms to designate the supreme head -of the state, the council expressed itself driven at last to adopt the -title of king. The council next proceeded by a formal decree to confer -the title of King of Hayti upon Henri Christophe and his successors -in the male line, and to make such changes and modifications in the -constitution of 1807 as were required by the recent alteration in the -structure of the government.</p> - -<p>On the 4th of April, the Council of State, which, with the additions -made to their number from among the chiefs of the army and the leaders -among the population, was pompously styled the Council General, in -their robes of state, and headed by their president, proceeded to the -palace of Christophe, to announce in formal terms the termination -of their labors, which had resulted in the formation of a new -constitution, making the crown of Hayti hereditary in the family of -the reigning prince. After a speech filled with the very essence of -adulation, the President of the Council, General Romaine, exclaimed -in the presence of the sovereign, “People of Hayti, regard with pride -your present situation. Cherish no longer any fears for the future -prosperity of your country, and address your gratitude to Heaven; for -while there exists a Henry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> upon the throne, a Sully will ever be found -to direct the march of your happiness.”</p> - -<p>On the day following, the new constitution was proclaimed by official -announcement throughout the kingdom, and Christophe entered upon the -exercise of the kingly powers which had been conferred upon him. The -first act of his reign was the promulgation of a royal edict, creating -an hereditary nobility, as a natural support to his government, and -an institution to give éclat and permanence to his sovereignty. These -dignitaries of the kingdom were taken mostly from among the chiefs -of the army, and consisted of two princes, not of the royal blood, -of seven dukes, twenty-two counts, thirty-five barons, and fourteen -chevaliers.</p> - -<p>Of priority in rank among the princes of the kingdom, were those of the -royal blood, consisting of the two sons of Christophe, the eldest of -whom, as heir apparent, received the title of Prince Royal.</p> - -<p>Having finished these creations of his new monarchy, and received -the two royal crowns of Hayti, Christophe appointed the 2d of June, -1811, as the day for his coronation. All the chiefs of the army and -other grandees of the realm had orders to repair to the capital, and -among them there appeared a deputation from the blacks of the Spanish -territory, who had assumed to themselves the pompous appellations of -Don Raphael de Villars, chief commandant of Santiago; Don Raymond de -Villa, commandant of Vega; Don Vincent de Luna, and Don José Thabanes, -who at least represented the Spanish creoles by the grandiloquence -of their names. An immense pavilion had been erected upon the Place -d’Armes of Cape Henry, furnished with a throne, galleries for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> the -great ladies of the court, chapels, oratories, an orchestra, and all -the arrangements necessary for the august ceremony. This was performed -in due stateliness by the new archbishop of Hayti, the capuchin Brelle, -who consecrated Christophe King of Hayti, under the title of Henry the -First.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_39_39" id="Footnote_39_39"></a><a href="#FNanchor_39_39"><span class="label">[39]</span></a> Lacroix.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">CHRISTOPHE AS KING, AND PÉTION AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>Christophe, now enthroned as the sovereign of the North, seized upon -the leisure which was afforded him after perfecting the internal -details of his new government, to attempt a peaceable union of the -blacks of the South with those who were already the loyal subjects -of what he considered the legitimate authority of the Island. For -this purpose a large deputation was dispatched from his capital, to -proceed into the territory of the republic as the envoys of the black -king, who proposed the union of the whole population in one undivided -government, secured under the form of an hereditary monarchy, both -from the revolutions and weakness of one, the structure of which was -more popular. These emissaries, sent to declare the clemency and -peaceful intentions of the monarch of the North, were taken from among -the prisoners who had fallen into the power of Christophe by the -capitulation of the Mole St. Nicholas, and who had been adopted into -the royal army, and made the sharers of the royal bounty of the black -king. To<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> assist in this new measure, a proclamation was issued from -the palace at Cape Henry on the 4th of September, 1811, addressed to -the inhabitants of the South, who were no longer called the enemies of -the royal government, but erring children, misled by the designing; -and they were implored to return to their allegiance to the paternal -government of that chief who had just been constituted the hereditary -prince of the blacks. “A new era,” said this royal document, “has now -dawned upon the destinies of Hayti.</p> - -<p>“New grades, new employments, new dignities; in fine, an order of -hereditary nobility are hereafter to be the rewards of those who devote -themselves to the State. You can participate in all these advantages. -Come, then, to join the ranks of those who have placed themselves under -the banners of the royal authority, which has no other design than the -happiness and glory of the country.”</p> - -<p>This policy of Christophe was to employ the weapons of Pétion against -himself. But the republican chieftain was in better play with the foils -than his more unsophisticated rival of the monarchy, and Christophe -soon discovered that while he was attacking the government of Pétion by -appeals to the blacks, who were to be dazzled with his royal goodness, -the arts of his rival were employed in the very heart of his dominions, -and had already insinuated the poison of rebellion among his most -trusted subjects. His infant navy had hardly been launched and manned -with the objects of his clemency and royal favor, when a detachment of -the squadron, consisting of the Princess Royal and several brigs of -war, abjured his authority, and raised the standard of the republic. -This defection was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> punished by an English frigate under Sir James -Lucas Yeo,<a name="FNanchor_40_40" id="FNanchor_40_40"></a><a href="#Footnote_40_40" class="fnanchor">[40]</a> who captured the rebellious squadron, and restored the -agents to Christophe’s vengeance.</p> - -<p>Indignant at these attempts of the mulatto government to divert the -affections of his subjects from their sworn allegiance to his throne, -Christophe resolved on immediate war and the employment of the sword -against that race whose pride and hatred made them the enemies of the -pure blacks. Conscious of his military superiority, he resolved to make -his preparations for the intended enterprise such as to ensure success -over his opponent, and all the disposable forces of his army were -gathered together for an invasion of the territories of the Republic.</p> - -<p>The Artibonite was soon crossed, and Pétion’s forces, under the command -of General Boyer, were met and defeated in the gorges of the mountains -of St. Marks; and the way thus laid open for an immediate advance on -Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>The siege of this place was the object of the expedition, and -Christophe pressed forward once more to try the fortune of war against -his hated enemy. So sudden was the invasion, that Pétion was taken -totally unprepared—a considerable portion of his army being absent -from the capital, employed in watching the movements of General -Borgella in the south.</p> - -<p>In this state of weakness the town might have been surprised, and -fallen an easy prey to the invading army, but Christophe had not -calculated upon such a speedy result, and though his vanguard had -seized upon a post a little to the north of the town, while the -inhabitants in their exposed condition were panic-struck <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span>at the -certain prospect of being captured immediately, the arrival of the main -body of Christophe’s army being delayed twenty-four hours, time was -thus afforded to Pétion to rally and concentrate his means of defence, -so as to be prepared for an effectual resistance. Christophe’s whole -force came up the next day, and Pétion’s capital was nearly surrounded -by a formidable train of artillery, and an army of twenty thousand men.</p> - -<p>In this gigantic attempt of their old adversary, the mulattoes felt -with terror that defeat and conquest would not be to them a simple -change of government, but would involve in its tremendous consequences -the total extermination of their race. In so hazardous a situation, -they were taught to reflect upon the madness of their ambition, which, -by sowing dissensions among themselves, had exposed them, weak and -unarmed, to the whole power of their natural enemy. In so fearful a -crisis, the resolution was at last taken to repair their former error, -and thus avert the disasters which now overhung them by an attenuated -thread. Negotiations were hastily commenced with General Borgella, who, -sympathizing with his brethren of Port au Prince in their perilous -situation, consented to conditions of peace, and even yielded himself -to the orders of Pétion. The assistance of the army of the South was -thus secured, and General Borgella at the head of his forces marched -to the assistance of Pétion, and succeeded, in spite of the efforts of -Christophe, in gaining an entrance into the town.</p> - -<p>The operations of the siege had already commenced; but the mulattoes, -now united, were enabled to make a vigorous defence. Christophe’s -formidable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> train of artillery had been mounted in batteries upon the -heights above the town, and kept up a slow but ceaseless fire upon the -works of the garrison within.</p> - -<p>Pétion conducted the defence with considerable ability, and a -succession of vigorous sallies made upon the lines of the besieging -army without the town, taught the latter that they had a formidable -adversary to overcome before the town would yield itself to their mercy.</p> - -<p>Amidst these continued struggles, which daily gave employment to the -two forces, and had already begun to inflame Christophe with the rage -of vexation that his anticipated success was so likely to be exchanged -for defeat, Pétion had, one day, at the head of a reconnoitering party, -advanced too far beyond his lines, when he was pursued by a squadron of -the enemy’s cavalry.</p> - -<p>The President of the Republic had been discovered by the decorations -upon his hat; and the enemy kept up a hot pursuit, which hung upon -the very footsteps of the mulatto commander-in-chief, whose escape in -such circumstances seemed impossible, when one of his officers devoted -himself to death to save the life of his chief.</p> - -<p>Exchanging hats with the president, he rode swiftly in another -direction. The whole party of the enemy were thus drawn after him, and -he was soon overtaken and cut down, while Pétion made his escape into -the town.</p> - -<p>The siege of Port au Prince had now continued two months, and the -obstinacy of its defence had already begun to make Christophe despair -of final success, when an occurrence took place which determined him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> -to raise it immediately. Indignant at the tyranny of the black king, -several chiefs of his army had formed a conspiracy to assassinate him -during his attendance at church. Christophe was always punctual at -mass, and upon these occasions the church was filled with officers in -waiting, and surrounded with soldiers. It had been arranged to stab him -while he was kneeling at the altar, and then to proclaim the death of -the tyrant to the soldiery, whose attachment to their monarch, it was -thought, was not so warm as to render such an enterprise hazardous.</p> - -<p>This dangerous undertaking had been prepared in such secrecy, that -a great number of the officers and soldiers of the army had been -drawn into the ranks of the conspirators, and all things were now in -readiness for the final blow. In this stage of the transaction, a -mulatto proved faithless to his associates, and informed Christophe -minutely of all the plans of the conspiracy, and of all the agents who -had devoted themselves to his destruction.</p> - -<p>The monarch, thus possessed of a full knowledge of all that had been -prepared against him, concealed the vengeful feelings that burned -within him under an appearance of the utmost composure. He feared -lest a whisper intimating that he had been informed of the intentions -of the conspirators might snatch them from his vengeance by urging -them to desert to the enemy. At the usual hour the troops paraded -at the church, and Christophe, instead of entering to assist at the -mass, placed himself at the head of his army, and designated by their -names the leaders of the conspiracy, who were ordered to march to -the centre.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> An order was then given to the troops to fire, and the -execution was complete.</p> - -<p>A black named Etienne Magny, was one of the ablest of Christophe’s -generals; and though he had been secretary to the council of state that -had raised the latter to the throne of Hayti, he had now become so -dissatisfied with his work that nothing retained him to the standard -of his king but the reflection that his family, whom he had left at -Cape Henry, would be required to pay the forfeit of his defection -with their heads. A body of black soldiers, who were upon the point -of deserting to the army of Pétion, willing to give éclat to their -defection by taking their commander with them, surrounded the tent of -Magny by night, and communicated to him their intention. The black -general hesitated not to express his willingness to accompany them; but -he urged that tenderness for his family forbade an attempt which would -doom them all to certain destruction.</p> - -<p>The black soldiers refused to yield to these considerations, and -seizing upon Magny, they bore him off undressed, and without his arms, -into the town. To preserve the lives of Magny’s family, Pétion treated -him as a prisoner of war; and he remained at Port au Prince until the -death of Christophe, when he was made the commander of the North under -Boyer.</p> - -<p>Christophe, discouraged at his defeats, and enraged at the sweeping -defections which were every day diminishing the numbers of his army, -and strengthening the resources of his rival, now commenced his retreat -towards the north, whence intelligence had lately reached him of -designs in preparation against him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> among his own subjects. The army -of the republic, under General Boyer, commenced a pursuit. The cause -of Pétion seemed triumphant. Boyer pressed closely upon the rear of -the royal army, and Christophe seemed on the point of losing all, when -the cautious policy of Pétion restrained Boyer’s activity, and the -republicans turned back from the pursuit. Christophe had been foiled -in his great effort by Pétion and Borgella, and he now regarded the -mulattoes with a hatred so deep and fiendlike, that nothing would -satisfy the direness of his vengeance but the utter extermination of -that race. A body of mulatto women of the town of Gonaives, who had -sympathized with their brethren of Port au Prince in the struggle -which the latter were maintaining against the power of Christophe, and -with this communion of feeling had made prayers to the Virgin against -the success of their king, became the first victims of the rage of -Christophe against their race.</p> - -<p>They were marched out of the town, and all subjected to military -execution, without a distinction in their punishment or consideration -of mercy for their sex. Christophe had long ago resolved to rest the -foundation of his power upon the support of the pure blacks, and he -now determined to make his administration one of ceaseless hatred and -persecution to the mulattoes.</p> - -<p>Through the influence of this policy, he hoped to make the number of -the blacks prevail over the superior intelligence and bravery of the -mulattoes.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_40_40" id="Footnote_40_40"></a><a href="#FNanchor_40_40"><span class="label">[40]</span></a> Lacroix.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XIX.</span> <span class="smaller">PEACE IN HAYTI, AND DEATH OF PÉTION.</span></h2> - -<p>Christophe had now discovered the too palpable truth, that so far from -his possessing the means to drive his rival from the government of the -South, all his cares and precautions were requisite to maintain the -sovereignty over his own subjects of the North. A train of perpetual -suspicions kept his jealousy ever alive, and vexed by the tortures of -eternal solicitude, his despotic temper grew by the cruelty which had -become its aliment. Together with this perpetual inquietude for the -safety of his power, which made the new throne of Hayti a pillow of -thorns and torture, other considerations had their influence to arrest -the hostilities between the two chiefs of the country. The giant power -of Napoleon had now extended itself over almost all the thrones of -Europe, and with such an infinity of means at his disposal, it was -yearly expected that another armament, proportioned to the overgrown -power of the French Emperor, would be sent to crush the insurgents of -St. Domingo, and restore that island once more to the possession of its -ancient colonists. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> - -<p>Influenced by the fears inspired by these forebodings, the two -governments of Hayti were actuated by a common instinct of -self-preservation to cease from their warfare, and instead of -spending their resources in a civil strife which threatened to become -interminable, to employ themselves in giving permanence to their -existing condition, and prosperity to the country under their control. -The population, which had been employed in the armies of the two -powers, had been taken from their labors upon the soil, and the ravages -of war had consumed and destroyed the scanty growth of the plantations.</p> - -<p>Amidst this unproductiveness of agriculture, which spread the miseries -of want and destitution among the inhabitants of both governments, the -occurrence of a maritime war between the United States and England -entirely cut off the supplies which had been drawn from those two -countries, and the evil condition of the Island was complete. In this -sad state of their affairs, both Christophe and Pétion ceased from all -military operations against each other, without previous arrangement or -military truce; and they directed all their efforts to heal the wounds -which had been inflicted by hostile depredation or the neglect of -peaceful employments within their respective territories.</p> - -<p>The tax laid by Christophe upon his subjects exceeded in despotism -anything of the kind ever before known in the Island; and even -surpassed the outrageous demands of Dessalines.</p> - -<p>Pétion dared not to tax his subjects to supply the wants of his -administration; and for this purpose he was driven to embarrass -commerce by the imposition of enormous duties upon the trade carried -on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> in his ports. But Christophe had assumed a station which forebade -him to fear his subjects, and he furnished yearly millions to his -treasury by a territorial tax, which poured one-fourth of all the -productions of the kingdom into the royal coffers. Possessed of this -revenue, which placed his finances beyond the contingencies of chance, -the commercial regulations of Christophe were the very opposites of -those enforced within the republic; and the traffic in the ports of the -kingdom was annually augmented by a competition sustained at advantages -so immense.</p> - -<p>The army of the monarchy was in all things better furnished and more -respectable than that of the republic. The troops were well clothed -and well armed. They were kept under a discipline so strict that it -knew no mercy and permitted no relaxation. The smallest delinquency was -visited upon the offender with unsparing flagellation or with military -execution. The troops received a merely nominal stipend for their -services, and each soldier was required to gain his subsistence by the -cultivation of a few acres of ground, which were allotted him out of -the national domain; and of this scanty resource a fourth was required -to be delivered into the hands of the king’s officers, as a part of the -royal revenues.</p> - -<p>Although Christophe had determined to maintain his power by the -bayonets of the soldiery, he condescended to no measures of unusual -moderation in his conduct toward these supporters of his authority. The -soldiers of the army, as well as the laborers of the plantations, lived -in perpetual dread of the rod of authority which was ever brandished -over their heads; and of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> merciless inflictions of authority the -former obtained a more than ordinary share.</p> - -<p>Upon common occasions, Christophe assumed little state, showing himself -among his subjects but as a private individual of superior rank. Like -his model, George III., it was his habit to walk the streets of the -capital dressed in plain citizen’s costume, and with no decorations -to designate his rank but a golden star upon his breast. In this -unostentatious manner he was often seen upon the quay, watching the -operations at the custom-house; or in the town, superintending the -laborers engaged in the erection of public edifices. His never-failing -companion upon these occasions was a huge cane, which he exercised -without mercy upon those who were idle in his presence, or whose petty -offences of any kind called for extemporary flagellation.</p> - -<p>Christophe was without education, but like his predecessor, Dessalines, -he found a royal road to learning. His knowledge of books was -extensive, as several educated mulattoes retained about his person -under the name of secretaries were employed several hours of each day -in reading to the monarch. He was particularly delighted with history, -of which his knowledge was extensive and accurate; and Frederick the -Great of Prussia was a personage with whom above all others he was -captivated, the name of Sans Souci, his palace, having been borrowed -from Potsdam.</p> - -<p>Such sharpness had been communicated to his genius, naturally astute, -by having knowledge thus dispensed to him in daily portions, that -Christophe became at last a shrewd critic upon the works read before -him, and even grew fastidious in the selection of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> authors. The -events of that stormy period of European history, as detailed in the -public journals of the time, were listened to with a greedy ear, and -the course of Napoleon’s policy was watched with a keenness which -manifested Christophe’s own interest in the affair.</p> - -<p>Christophe, though a pure African, was not a jet black, his complexion -being rather a dusky brown. His person was commanding, slightly -corpulent, and handsome. His address was cold, polished, and graceful. -He possessed a certain air of native dignity which corresponded well -with his high official station, and he exacted great personal deference -from all who approached him. The personal qualities and majestic -bearing of the black king impressed his own characteristics upon his -court. The most formal ceremony was observed upon public occasions, -and no grandee of the realm could safely appear at the court of -his sovereign without the costume and decorations of his rank. The -ceremonial and observances were modelled after the drawing-rooms at St. -James palace, and Christophe was always pleased with the attendance of -whites, particularly if they were titled Englishmen. Many distinguished -foreigners visited the court of the black monarch, attracted thither -by a curiosity to witness the spectacle of an African levée, a scene -which, by established regulation, was held at the palace on the -Thursday of every week.</p> - -<p>The company was collected in an ante-chamber which adjoined the -principal hall of the palace, where the novices in courtly life were -suitably drilled and instructed in the minute details of the parts -they were expected to play in the coming pageantry, by two or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> three -assistants of the grand master of ceremonies, the Baron de Sicard. When -all things were in readiness, both within and without, the doors were -thrown open, and the monarch of Hayti appeared seated upon the throne -in royal costume, with the crown upon his head, and surrounded by a -glittering cortege composed of his ministers, grand almoner, grand -marshal of the palace, chamberlains, and heralds at arms.</p> - -<p>Political offences were never left unpunished by Christophe, and -towards delinquents of this kind he never manifested his vengeance -by open violence or a display of personal indignation. Those who had -excited his mistrust were upon some occasions even favored with a -personal visit from the monarch, who studiously concealed his vengeful -purposes under a show of kindness, and the utmost graciousness of -manner. But the arrival of his vengeance was not retarded by this -display of civility. The agents of Christophe generally made their -appearance by night, and the suspected offender was secretly hurried -off to the fate which awaited him. But though Christophe’s anger for -offences not of a political character was violent, it was seldom bloody.</p> - -<p>Amidst a torrent of philippics against such persons, his customary -expression, “O! diable,” was a signal to those in attendance to fall -upon the offender and scourge him with canes; and when the punishment -had been made sufficient, the justice of the monarch was satisfied, and -the culprit was restored again to his favor. Sometimes, however, his -indignation in these cases was aroused to the ferocity of a savage not -to be appeased but by the blood of his victim.</p> - -<p>We must now turn to the affairs of the republic.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> Pétion had long been -despondent for the permanence of the republic, and this feeling had by -degrees grown into a settled despair, when he discovered that his long -administration had not succeeded in giving order and civilization to -the idle and barbarous hordes composing the dangerous population of his -government. While the more despotic sway of Christophe maintained the -prosperity of his kingdom, Pétion found that the people of the republic -was becoming every day a more ungovernable rabble, indolent, dissolute, -and wretched. While the coffers of Christophe were overflowing with -millions of treasures wrung by the hard exactions of his tyranny from -the blacks who toiled upon the soil, the finances of the republic -were already in irretrievable confusion, as the productions of that -territory were hardly sufficient for the sustenance of its population.</p> - -<p>Amidst these perplexities and embarrassments, Pétion fell sick in the -month of March, 1818, and after a malady which continued but eight -days, he perished of a mind diseased, declaring to his attendants that -he was weary of life.</p> - -<p>The announcement that Pétion was no more threw all the foreign -merchants of the republic into consternation. They expected that -an event like this would be the harbinger of another revolution to -overturn all that had been achieved, or of a long and destructive -anarchy, which would completely annihilate the little authority there -yet remained in the republic. Merchandise to the amount of millions -had been sold to the credit of the country, in the doubtful hope that -its government would be durable. Both treasures and blood were at -stake, but the terror of the moment was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> soon appeased. At the tidings -of Pétion’s illness, the Senate had assembled itself in session, and -this body conferred power upon the expiring president to nominate his -successor; and Pétion, when he foresaw that his death was inevitable, -designated for this purpose General Boyer, then commanding the -arrondissement of Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>The funeral ceremonies of the deceased president took place upon the -first of April, and were performed with the most august solemnity. -All the great officers of the army were ordered to their posts, and -required to maintain a ceaseless vigilance for the preservation of -tranquillity. An embargo was laid until the Sunday following upon all -vessels in the harbor of Port au Prince, and several detachments of -troops were ordered to march towards different points of the frontier. -The observance of every precaution which the most anxious solicitude -could suggest for the maintenance of internal peace, and the prevention -of invasion from abroad, was evidence that Pétion had bequeathed his -power to a successor worthy of his choice.</p> - -<p>There was a wide difference between Pétion and Christophe; the former -was a republican at heart, the latter, a tyrant by nature. Assuming -no pretensions to personal or official dignity, and totally rejecting -all the ceremonial of a court, it was Pétion’s ambition to maintain -the exterior of a plain republican magistrate. Clad in the white linen -undress of the country, and with a Madras handkerchief tied about his -head, he mixed freely and promiscuously with his fellow-citizens, or -seated himself in the piazza of the government house, accessible to all.</p> - -<p>Pétion was subtle, cautious, and designing. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> aspired to be the -Washington, as Christophe was deemed the Bonaparte, of Hayti. By -insinuating the doctrines of equality and republicanism, Pétion -succeeded in governing, with but ten thousand mulattoes, a population -of more than two hundred thousand blacks.</p> - -<p>The administration of Pétion was mild, and he did all that he could -for the elevation of the people whom he ruled. He was the patron -of education and the arts; and scientific men, for years after his -death, spoke his name with reverence. He was highly respected by the -representatives of foreign powers, and strangers visiting his republic -always mentioned his name in connection with the best cultivated -and the most gentlemanly of the people of Hayti. The people of the -republic, without distinction of color or sect, regarded Pétion’s -death as a great national calamity; and this feeling extended even -into Christophe’s dominion, where the republican president had many -warm friends amongst the blacks as well as the mulattoes. Pétion was -only forty-eight years of age at his death. He was a man of medium -size, handsome, as were nearly all of the men of mixed blood, who took -part in the Haytian war. His manners were of the Parisian school, and -his early military training gave him a carriage of person that added -dignity to his general appearance.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XX.</span> <span class="smaller">BOYER THE SUCCESSOR OF PÉTION IN HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>Boyer, the new president, was peaceably acknowledged by the people of -the republic as their lawful chief, and no other general of the army -manifested any disposition to establish an adverse claim to the vacant -dignity.</p> - -<p>Boyer, finding himself tranquilly seated in power, and placed beyond -any danger from the hostile enterprises of the rival dynasty, devoted -himself to the encouragement of agriculture and commerce within his -territory. He made a tour of inspection through all the different -districts, and in each of them the due observance of the laws was -enjoined, and the citizens were urged to abandon their idle habits, and -for the good of the State, if not for the promotion of their individual -interests, to employ themselves in the development of the great -resources of the country.</p> - -<p>Within a few months after his elevation to power, the new president -formed the resolution to disperse the hordes of banditti that infested -Grande Anse, and kept the whole South in perpetual alarm. Conscious of -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> importance there existed of depriving his great competitor of a -lodgment within the very heart of the republic, such as to expose its -very capital to the danger of an attack both in front and rear, Boyer -determined to fit out a sufficient force to sweep the mountains of La -Hotte, and if possible, to capture Gomar within the very fastnesses -which had been for so many years his natural citadel.</p> - -<p>Christophe, on the other hand, determined, if possible, to preserve -this important point from which he could so easily gain an entrance to -the territory of the republic, made a diversion in favor of the Maroons -in this movement against them, by assuming a hostile attitude upon -the northern frontier of the republic. A formidable detachment of the -royal army was already entering the neutral territory of Boucausin, -and threatening another attack upon Port au Prince, when Boyer found -it necessary to defer his intended expedition against Gomar, and -recall all his forces to repel the danger which was threatening in an -opposite quarter. This was the single result which Christophe designed -to accomplish by his movement on Port au Prince; and when this had been -effected, his army returned to its quarters in the North.</p> - -<p>But Boyer was not to be turned aside from his resolution of rescuing -the best districts of his territory from continual spoliation, and -when the panic had subsided which had been inspired by the threatened -invasion of Christophe, he put his troops in motion in the autumn of -1819, for a campaign against the Maroons of Grande Anse. The troops of -the republic met, and defeated the brigands. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> - -<p>Having accomplished the objects of his visit, and left peace and -tranquillity where those conditions had so long been unknown, Boyer -commenced his return to his capital, gratified that his attainment -of power had been effected so peaceably, and that the hopes of his -administration were already based more solidly than ever upon the -wishes of the people.</p> - -<p>Boyer had now attained complete success in his design to shut the -boundaries of his states against the machinations of Christophe; and -until a more favorable moment he contented himself to maintain a policy -strictly defensive against an opponent so warlike. The latter, on his -side, enraged at the defeat and overthrow of his allies of Grande Anse, -began to threaten another invasion of Boyer’s territory, and many -months glided away in the daily expectation of the commencement of -hostilities between the two governments. In this interval the growing -tyranny of Christophe forced a flood of emigration from his realms -into the territories of the republic, and the very household troops -of the monarch began to desert in large numbers from the service of a -sovereign whose cruelty decimated their ranks at the instigation of -his caprice. Bold, crafty, and suspicious, Christophe with one breath -congratulated his subjects upon the glorious possession which they held -of personal liberty and national independence, and with another he -doomed them to scourgings, imprisonment, and death.</p> - -<p>So unlimited and habitual was his severity, that it was said of -him that he would put a man to death with as little hesitation as -a sportsman would bring down an article of game. His dungeons were -filled with <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span>thousands of victims of all colors, and new detachments of -prisoners were daily arriving to swell the number. The innocent were -confounded with the guilty; for under the promptings of his hatred or -jealousy, the despot would not stop to make nice discriminations.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXI.</span> <span class="smaller">INSURRECTION, AND DEATH OF CHRISTOPHE.</span></h2> - -<p>Christophe, who now might be denominated the Caligula of the blacks, -was every day adding to the discontent and terror of his subjects. His -soldiers were treated with extreme severity for every real or fancied -fault, and they sought for nothing so earnestly as for an occasion -to abandon his service, and gain an asylum within the territories -of his rival; or to attempt, what they scarcely dared to meditate, -the dethronement of a tyrant who caused them to pass their lives in -wretchedness. Christophe possessed a knowledge of this disaffection -entertained towards him, and instead of seeking to assure and -perpetuate the allegiance of his army, to the bayonets of which he was -indebted for his power, his vengeance became every day more watchful -and more terrible, until his conduct exceeded in cruelty even that -which had already spread hatred and misery throughout the nation. -Christophe determined to rule through the inspirement of fear alone, -and he practised no arts of conciliation to preserve to his interests -those even who were necessary to the maintenance of his power. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span></p> - -<p>His despotism was thus carried beyond the limits of endurance. So -far from seeking to attach his great officers to his own person, by -lavishing upon them the favors of his government, his suspicions had -become alarmed at the growing wealth of his nobles, in consequence -of the immense incomes drawn by them from the estates placed under -their control, within the districts of which they were the titulary -lords. To prevent this inordinate increase of wealth among a class of -persons who, it was thought, might one day employ it against the throne -and dignity of the sovereign, an institution was formed, called the -Royal Chamber of Accounts, which, by a sort of star-chamber process, -appraised the estates of the nobility, and disburdened them of so -much of their wealth as the king deemed a matter of superfluity to -them. Several of the black nobles had already been subjected to the -jurisdiction of this royal court; and, actuated by secret indignation -for this arbitrary spoliation of their property, they sought only for -an opportunity to drive Christophe from his power, in the hope to share -the same authority among themselves.</p> - -<p>In the month of August, 1820, Christophe, while attending mass, was -attacked with paralysis, and was immediately carried to his palace at -Sans Souci, where he remained an invalid for many months, to the great -satisfaction of his subjects.</p> - -<p>This event, so favorable to the treacherous designs of the discontented -chiefs of his government, furnished an occasion for the formation of a -dangerous conspiracy, at the head of which were Paul Romaine, Prince -of Limbe, and General Richard, the governor of the royal capital. -The conspirators designed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> put Christophe to death, and after the -performance of a deed so acceptable to the nation, to form a northern -republic, similar in its structure to that which existed in the South, -at the head of which was to be placed General Romaine, with the title -of president.</p> - -<p>But before this scheme could be carried out, a division of the royal -army, stationed at St. Marks, and consisting of a force of six thousand -men, exasperated at the cruelties practiced upon them, seized upon -this occasion to revolt. The commanding general was beheaded, and a -deputation of the mutineers was dispatched to carry the head of the -murdered officer to the president of the republic at Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>The intelligence of this revolt was carried quickly to Christophe’s -capital, and it produced an explosion of popular feeling that betokened -the speedy downfall of the black monarchy. The troops of the capital -immediately put themselves under arms, and assumed a threatening -attitude. On the evening of the 6th of October, the inhabitants of the -capital were startled at the noise of drums beating to arms.</p> - -<p>The streets were soon filled with soldiers, obeying or resisting the -authority of their officers, as the latter happened to favor or hate -the power of the king. The governor of the capital, who did not wish -for such a dénouement to his plans, undertook measures to subdue the -mutinous spirit of the troops; but though he sought for support on -every side, he found no readiness, either on the part of the army or -of the people, to assist him in his attempt. The tumult increased -every moment, and spread by degrees to every part of the town, until -the whole population became united in the rebellion. The army took the -lead, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> whole body of the inhabitants followed the example of -the soldiers. It was decided by acclamation to march upon Sans Souci, -and seize upon Christophe within his own palace, but this movement was -deferred until the following day.</p> - -<p>Meantime, Christophe had been informed of these proceedings, so ominous -to the preservation of his power, if not of his life. He had not yet -recovered from his malady, but his unconquerable energy of soul had -not been paralyzed by disease, for he leaped immediately from his bed, -demanding that his arms should be brought to him, and that his horse -should be ordered to the door. But if his bold spirit did not quail -before the calamities which were impending over him, his bodily frame -proved unequal to the activity of his mind, and he was compelled to -rest satisfied with sending forward his guards to subdue the rebellious -troops of the capital, while he remained within his palace to await his -destiny.</p> - -<p>Meantime, General Richard, the governor of the capital, had put himself -at the head of the insurgents, the number of whom amounted to ten or -twelve thousand, and the column took up its march directly for Sans -Souci. On Sunday, the 8th of October, the insurgents encountered -on their way the detachment of body guards which the monarch had -dispatched against them.</p> - -<p>The two forces quickly arranged themselves in order of battle, and a -brisk fire commenced between them. It continued, however, but a few -minutes. The cry of the insurgents was, “Liberté, liberté,” and the -utterance of this magical word soon became contagious in the ranks of -the royal guards. The latter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> had even less predilection for their -monarch than the other corps of the army, for their situation and -rank bringing them in nearer contact with the royal person, they were -frequently exposed to the terrific explosions of the royal vengeance.</p> - -<p>Thus the watchword of the mutineers was answered with redoubled -enthusiasm by the household troops, and they passed over in a body to -join the forces of the insurgents. The whole military power of the -kingdom was now united in a vast column of mutineers, burning for -vengeance upon Christophe, and pressing onward to the palace of Sans -Souci.</p> - -<p>The king was soon informed that his guards had declared against him, -and that the forces of the insurgents were already in the immediate -vicinity of his palace. At this astounding intelligence he exclaimed in -despair, “Then all is over with me!” and seizing a pistol, shot himself -through the heart.</p> - -<p>Thus perished a man who had succeeded in maintaining his authority over -the blacks for a longer time than any of the chiefs of the revolution. -This he accomplished through the single agency of the extraordinary -energy of his character. The unshrinking boldness and decision of his -measures made terror the safeguard of his throne, until his excessive -cruelty drove his subjects to a point at which fear is changed into -desperation. His policy at first was that of Toussaint, but he carried -it to an access of rigor which made his government a despotism. -Like his great predecessor, he possessed such intimate knowledge -of the African character, as enabled him to succeed completely in -controlling those placed under his sway, and, in spite of the national -propensities, to make his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> plans effectual for developing the resources -of the country. While the territory was still a neglected waste, and -its population poor, the lands of Christophe were in a condition of -high productiveness, and the monarch died, leaving millions in the -royal treasury.</p> - -<p>But the salutary restraints imposed upon his disorderly subjects at the -commencement of his reign, had been augmented by degrees to correspond -to the demands of an evergrowing jealousy, until they had become -changed to a rigorous severity of discipline, or vengeance, such as -has been practised in few countries upon the globe. The dungeons of -the Citadel Henry were almost as fatal to human life as the Black Hole -at Calcutta, and it has been asserted, that amidst the pestiferous -exhalations and suffocative atmosphere of these abodes of misery, the -prisoners were almost sure to perish after a short confinement. With -less truth it has been alleged, that fifty thousand persons lost their -lives in these living tombs, while thirty thousand others perished -of fatigue, hunger, and hardship of those who had been condemned for -offences of a lighter nature, to labors upon the public works of the -kingdom, all of which were performed under the lash and bayonet of the -soldiery.<a name="FNanchor_41_41" id="FNanchor_41_41"></a><a href="#Footnote_41_41" class="fnanchor">[41]</a></p> - -<p>These estimates are probably beyond the truth, though the number -is incredible of those who perished under the severe exactions of -Christophe’s tyranny, by hardship, imprisonment, military execution, or -the infliction of sudden death, executed amidst a burst of ferocious -vengeance in the despot. Christophe failed of giving perpetuity to his -government through the mere abuse of his power. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p> - -<p>The king was fifty-three years of age at his death, having reigned nine -years. With a mind little capable of continuous thought, Christophe -possessed a strong and obstinate will. When once he had gained an -elevated position, he manifested great energy of character. Anxious -to augment by commerce the material strength of his dominions, and to -develop its moral power by education, he imposed on the emancipated -people a labor not unlike that of the days of their servitude. Many -hundreds of lives were sacrificed in erecting the palace of Sans Souci, -and grading its grounds. The schools put in operation in his time, -surpassed anything of the kind ever introduced in that part of the -Island before or since.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_41_41" id="Footnote_41_41"></a><a href="#FNanchor_41_41"><span class="label">[41]</span></a> Malo.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXII.</span> <span class="smaller">UNION OF HAYTI AND SANTO DOMINGO.</span></h2> - -<p>The death of Christophe was hailed with enthusiasm and applause, in his -own part of the Island, as well as in the republic; and on the 15th of -October, 1821, General Paul Romaine put himself at the head of affairs, -and proclaimed a republic. A deputation was at once dispatched to -President Boyer, with an offer to unite the two governments under him, -as their head. This was accepted, and in a short time the union took -place.</p> - -<p>From the time of the evacuation of the Island by the French under -Rochambeau, Santo Domingo, the Spanish part of the Island, had become a -place of refuge for the white colonist, and the persecuted mulattoes; -and during the administration of Dessalines and Christophe, Santo -Domingo was comparatively quiet, except an occasional visit from the -partisans of some of the Haytian chiefs. Santo Domingo was a mulatto -government, and it hailed with joy the union under Boyer, and a scheme -was set on foot to carry the Spanish part of the Island over to Boyer. -Many of their best men thought it would be better for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> whole Island -to be governed by one legislature, and that its capital should be at -Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>The authorities of Santo Domingo were clearly of this opinion, for when -the new project was laid before them, they yielded a ready assent, and -a deputation immediately set forward in the month of December, 1821, -to convey the wishes of the Spanish blacks to the mulatto chief of -the French part of the Island. Boyer was formally solicited to grant -his consent that the Spanish part of the Island should be annexed to -the republic. This was a demand so gratifying to Boyer’s personal -ambition that any reluctance on his part to comply with it was clearly -impossible. Thus the Spanish deputies were received with the utmost -graciousness, and dismissed with every favor that gratified hope could -bestow.</p> - -<p>But a year had elapsed since the rebellion in the North had transferred -the realms of Christophe as a precious godsend to the peaceable -possession of Boyer, and the army of the republic was now ordered to -put itself in readiness for a victorious and bloodless march to Santo -Domingo. Boyer placed himself at its head, and a rapid advance was made -into the heart of the Spanish territory. Not the least resistance was -encountered, and the inhabitants of each of the towns in succession -hastened emulously to testify their adherence to the cause of the -republic, until the invading column marched at last in a sort of -triumph into the city of Santo Domingo.</p> - -<p>The principal authorities, and the people generally, made a formal -transfer of their allegiance to their new rulers, and were permitted -to remain in the enjoyment of their former privileges. The chief -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span>command of the lately acquired territory was placed by Boyer in the -hands of General Borgella, and the president returned to Port au -Prince, gratified by the extraordinary success with which fortune had -crowned his administration; which he commenced by governing a distant -province in the southwestern part of the Island, and by a succession -of unlooked-for incidents, he had been placed at the head of the whole -country, without a competitor to annoy him, or any malcontents to -disturb the internal repose of his government.</p> - -<p>The death of Christophe, and the elevation of Boyer to the government -of all St. Domingo, were events which had in the meantime created a -strong sensation in the ranks of the old colonists residing in France, -as well as at the office of the minister for the colonies. Boyer’s -attachment to France was presumed to be stronger than that of his -predecessor, Pétion, and under such circumstances, new hope was derived -from the event of his exaltation to power. It was now thought that -an occurrence so propitious to the claims of France upon her ancient -colony would lead to a satisfactory adjustment of the difficulty which -had been interposed against the success of former negotiation. The -French cabinet immediately formed the resolution to sound the new chief -of Hayti as to his sentiments in regard to an arrangement between -the two governments. The difficulties in the way of an easy conquest -of the country, and the tone of firmness which had been held both by -Christophe and Pétion to all former demands made upon them by the -agents of France, had by degrees depressed the hopes of the colonists, -and diminished the expectations of the French government in relation -to the claims upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> St. Domingo. The restoration of the Island to its -former condition of colonial dependence, and the establishment of the -ancient planters in the possession of their estates and negroes, were -no longer regarded as events within the bounds of possibility, and the -demands of France upon the government of Hayti were now lowered to the -mere claim of an indemnity to the colonists for the losses which had -reduced them to beggary.</p> - -<p>At length, a secret agent of the minister of marine held an audience -with Boyer, and informed him that the French government having in -former years made repeated attempts to accomplish an arrangement -between the two countries, all of which had been fruitless, it was -desired that Boyer himself would renew the negotiations in his turn. In -consequence of this information, Boyer appointed General Boyé as his -plenipotentiary, who was furnished with instructions authorizing him -to commence negotiations with the appointed agent of France, either -in that or some neutral country, for the purpose of terminating the -differences existing between their respective governments. M. Esmangart -and the Haytian envoy agreed to hold their conferences at Brussels, but -the hopes of the two contracting nations were in this instance also -destined to be frustrated. The parties could not agree as to the nature -of the indemnity to be made.</p> - -<p>At length, in 1825, after the recognition of the independence of Hayti -by others, the French, under Charles X., sold to its inhabitants the -rights which they had won by their swords for the sum of one hundred -and fifty millions of francs, to be paid as an indemnity to the -colonists. This was the basis of a treaty of peace and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> fraternal -feeling between France and Hayti, that resulted in great good to -the latter. In 1843, a party opposed to president Boyer made its -appearance, which formed itself into a conspiracy to overthrow the -government. Seeing that he could not make head against it, Boyer, in -disgust, took leave of the people in a dignified manner, and retired to -the island of Jamaica, where, a few years since, he died.</p> - -<p>Jean Pierre Boyer was born at Port au Prince, on the second of -February, 1776, received a European education at Paris, fought under -Rigaud and Toussaint L’Ouverture; and in consequence of the success -which the black leader obtained, quitted the Island. Boyer returned to -Hayti in Le Clerc’s expedition; he, however, separated from the French -general-in-chief, and joined in the foremost in the great battle for -the freedom of his race. He was a brave man, a good soldier, and proved -himself a statesman of no ordinary ability. When he came into power, -the mountains were filled with Maroons, headed by their celebrated -chief, Gomar; Rigaud and Pétion had tried in vain to rid the country of -these brigands.</p> - -<p>Boyer, however, soon broke up their strongholds, dispersed them, -and finally destroyed or brought them all under subjection. By his -good judgment, management, and humanity, he succeeded in uniting the -whole island under one government, and gained the possession of what -Christophe had exhausted himself with efforts to obtain, and what -Pétion had sighed for, without daring to cherish a single hope that -its attainment could be accomplished. Few men who took part in the St. -Domingo drama, did more good, or lived a more blameless life, than -Boyer.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">SOULOUQUE AS EMPEROR OF HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>General Riche, a <i>griffe</i>, or dark mulatto, was selected to fill the -place left vacant by the flight of Boyer; and his ability, together -with the universal confidence reposed in him by all classes, seemed to -shadow forth a prosperous era for the republic. He had, however, done -little more than enter upon his arduous duties, when he was carried off -by a sudden malady, universally regretted by the entire population.</p> - -<p>The Senate, whose duty it was to elect the president, gave a majority -of their votes for Faustin Soulouque, on the first of March, 1847, and -he was inaugurated into the position the same day.</p> - -<p>Soulouque was a tall, good-natured, full-blooded negro, who, from the -year 1804, when he was house-servant for General Lamarre, had passed -through all the events of his country without leaving any trace of -himself, whether good or bad. With no education, no ability, save that -he was a great eater, he was the last man in the republic that would -have been thought of for any office, except the one he filled.</p> - -<p>True, in 1810, while his master, General Lamarre,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> was defending the -Mole against Christophe, the former was killed, and Soulouque was -charged to carry the general’s heart to Pétion, who made the servant a -lieutenant in his mounted guard; and on Pétion’s death, he bequeathed -him to Boyer, as a piece of furniture belonging to the presidential -palace. Boyer made Soulouque first servant, under the title of -“captain,” to his housekeeper. Here he grew fat, and was forgotten -till 1843, when the revolution brought him into note. After serving a -short time as president, his vanity induced Soulouque to aspire to be -emperor, and that title was conferred upon him in the year 1849. In -this silly step he took for his model Napoleon Bonaparte, according to -whose court and camp Soulouque formed his own.</p> - -<p>But the people of Hayti soon saw the sad mistake in the election of -such a man to power, and his change of base aroused a secret feeling -against the empire, which resulted in its overthrow, in 1859.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">GEFFRARD AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>Fabre Geffrard was born at Cayes September 19, 1806. His father was -General Nicholas Geffrard, one of the founders of Haytian independence. -He became a soldier at the early age of fifteen, and after serving in -the ranks, passed rapidly through several grades of promotion, until -he obtained a captaincy. In 1843, when General Herard took up arms -against President Boyer, he choose Geffrard for his lieutenant, who, -by his skill and bravery, contributed largely to the success of the -revolutionary army. As a reward for his valuable services, he received -from the new government the brevet rank of general of brigade, and was -commandant of Jacmel, and in 1845 he was named general of division. -In 1849 he was appointed by Soulouque to take command of his Haytian -army sent against the Dominicans, and in 1856 it fell to his lot, by -the display of rare military talents, to repair in some measure the -disasters attending the invasion of St. Domingo by the Haytian army, -led by the emperor himself. Shortly after, Soulouque, moved thereto, -doubtless, by jealousy of Geffrard’s well-earned fame,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> disgraced him; -but the emperor paid dearly for this, for in December, 1858, Geffrard -declared against him, and in January, 1859, Soulouque was overthrown, -with his mock empire, and Geffrard proclaimed President of the -Republic, which was restored.</p> - -<p>He at once set himself vigorously to work to remedy the numerous -evils which had grown up under the administration of his ignorant, -narrow-minded, and cruel predecessor, and became exceedingly popular. -He established numerous schools in all parts of the Republic, and -gave every encouragement to agricultural and industrial enterprise -generally. In 1861, he concluded a concordat with the Pope, creating -Hayti an Archbishopric. Humane in his disposition, enlightened and -liberal in his views, and a steady friend of progress, his rule, at one -time, promised to be a long and prosperous one.</p> - -<p>Geffrard was in color a <i>griffe</i>, and was fifty-two years of age when -called to the presidency of Hayti. He was of middle height, slim in -figure, of a pleasing countenance, sparkling eye, gray hair, limbs -supple by bodily exercise, a splendid horseman, and liberal to the -arts, even to extravagance. Possessing a polished education, he was -gentlemanly in his conversation and manners. Soon after assuming the -presidency, he resolved to encourage immigration, and issued an address -to the colored Americans, which in point of sympathy and patriotic -feeling for his race, has never been surpassed by any man living or -dead.</p> - -<p>It may be set down as a truism, that slavery, proscription, -and oppression are poor schools in which to train independent, -self-respecting freemen. Individuals so trained are apt to have all -their aspirations,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> aims, ends, and objects in life on a level with the -low, grovelling, and servile plane of a slavish and dependent mind; or -if by chance that mind has grown restless under its fetters, and sighs -for enfranchisement and liberty, it is apt to rush to the other extreme -in its desires, and is led to covet those positions for which it has -no proper qualifications whatever. The bent of the slavery-disciplined -mind is either too low or too high. It cannot remain in equilibrium. It -either cringes with all the dastard servility of the slave, or assumes -the lordly airs of a cruel and imperious despot.</p> - -<p>These things, therefore, being true of the victims of abject servitude, -we have herein the key to the failure of the colored emigration to -Hayti.</p> - -<p>At the invitation of President Geffrard, in 1861, some of the colored -citizens of the United States did accept the invitation and went out; -but it would have been better for them and for Hayti had they remained -at home. The majority of the emigrants ventured on the voyage to Hayti, -because a free passage was given them by Geffrard; and the offer of the -Haytian government to supply the emigrants with provisions until they -could raise a crop, was a bait which these idlers could not withstand.</p> - -<p>Men who had been failures in their own country, could scarcely be -expected to meet with success by merely a trip across the sea.</p> - -<p>What Hayti needed were men with stout hearts and hard hands, fitted for -an agricultural life, determined upon developing the resources of the -country. Men of the above type are to be found in our land, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> they -can easily make a living here, and have no cause to emigrate.</p> - -<p>The liberal offer of the Haytian president to Americans and other -blacks to come to the Island, and his general progressive efforts to -elevate his people, were not appreciated by the Haytians, and the -spirit of revolution which had so long governed the Island, soon began -to manifest itself.</p> - -<p>The several rebellions against the authority of President Geffrard, of -Hayti, at length culminated in his overthrow and expulsion from the -Island, and the elevation of his old enemy, Salnave, to the presidency. -The rebellion, which was headed by Salnave, was begun in 1865. The -rebels seized and held the town of Cape Haytian for several months, -and were only finally driven out on its bombardment by the English -man-of-war, Bull Dog, commanded by Captain Wake. Salnave was forced to -leave Hayti and take refuge in St. Domingo. Captain Wake was called by -the British government, and cashiered for his attack on Cape Haytian.</p> - -<p>In his exile Salnave continued his efforts to revolutionize the -country, and found many adherents, but few opportunities for an -uprising. An attempt was made by his friends at Port au Prince on -February 1, 1867; but Geffrard had been forewarned, and this attempt -failed, and the ringleaders were captured and shot. The revolutionists -did not despair, however, and on the night of February 22d a more -successful effort was made; Geffrard was driven to seek safety in -flight, and abdicating the presidency, went into exile in Jamaica. A -Provisional Government was appointed, and Salnave, whom the people -hailed as the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span>“Garibaldi of Hayti,” and the “Deliverer of the People,” -was appointed President on April 26, 1867. He however insisted that he -would not accept the presidency except at the hands of the people. An -election was therefore ordered and held. There were no rival candidates -in the field, the other most distinguished participants in the -revolution, Generals Nissage and Chevallier, conceding the presidential -chair to Salnave with great good-will. He was unanimously elected, and -on Sunday, May 12, was sworn into office.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXV.</span> <span class="smaller">SALNAVE AS PRESIDENT OF HAYTI.</span></h2> - -<p>President Salnave was a native of Cape Haytian, and was forty-one -years of age when elevated to power. He was the son of French and -Negro parents. He entered the army of Hayti in early youth, and was a -major under Geffrard when the empire was overthrown. While holding the -same commission under the Republic, Salnave projected the rebellion -of 1865, and seized Cape Haytian, from which he was driven, as we -have described. He was said to be a man of unusual intelligence, of -progressive and liberal ideas, great energy of character, and brilliant -results were expected from his administration.</p> - -<p>However, obtaining supreme power by force, so common in Hayti, any -one could see that Salnave’s government would be of short duration. -The same influences as some of the men who aided him in driving out -Geffrard, soon began secretly to work against the new president, and -on the 18th of December, 1869, Salnave found himself shut up in his -capital, and surrounded on all sides by his most bitter enemies. At -last, on the 8th of January, 1870, the Haytian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> president sought safety -in flight, but was captured by President Cabral, of Dominica, into -whose government Salnave had taken refuge.</p> - -<p>Delivered up to his own government by the Dominican president, Salnave -was tried for high treason, condemned and shot. In personal appearance -the defeated chief was a fine representative of the race. He was brown -in complexion, hair black, soft, and wavy, education good, for the -West Indies. Salnave was high-tempered, heedless, and even cruel. He -was succeeded in the government of Hayti by General Nissage Saget, who -seems to have the confidence of the people, and whom, it is hoped, he -will have the power to unite.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">JAMAICA.</span></h2> - -<p>Jamaica, the chief of the British West India Islands, was discovered by -Columbus on his second voyage, in May, 1494, and was taken from Spain -by the English in May, 1655, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. It -thus became an appendage to the British crown, after it had been in the -possession of Spain for one hundred and forty-six years. The number of -slaves on the Island at this time was about fifteen hundred.</p> - -<p>Morgan, a notorious pirate and buccaneer, was knighted and made -governor of the Island in 1670. Lord Vaughan succeeded Morgan, and -under his administration the African Company was formed, and the -slave-trade legalized; Africans were imported in large numbers, and the -development of the natural resources of Jamaica greatly increased the -wealth of the planters.</p> - -<p>The number of slaves annually imported into the Island amounted to -sixteen thousand,<a name="FNanchor_42_42" id="FNanchor_42_42"></a><a href="#Footnote_42_42" class="fnanchor">[42]</a> so that within thirty years the slave population -had increased from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> ninety-nine thousand to upwards of two hundred -thousand, whilst the total numerical strength of the whites did not -exceed sixteen thousand.</p> - -<p>From this time down to the year 1832, it presented a succession of -wars, usurpations, crimes, misery, and vice; nor in this desert of -human wretchedness is there one green spot on which the mind of a -philanthropist would love to dwell; all is one revolting scene of -infamy, bloodshed, and unmitigated woe; of insecure peace and open -disturbance; of the abuse of power, and of the reaction of misery -against oppression. In 1832 an insurrection of the slaves occurred, -by which the lives of seven hundred slaves were sacrificed, and an -expense, including property destroyed, of one hundred and sixty-two -thousand pounds sterling.</p> - -<p>The total importation of slaves from the conquest of the Island by the -English to 1805, amounted to eight hundred and fifty thousand, and this -added to forty thousand brought by the Spaniards, made an aggregate of -eight hundred and ninety thousand, exclusive of all births, in three -hundred years. The influence which the system of slavery spread over -the community in Jamaica and the rest of the British West Indies, was -not less demoralizing than in Hayti and the other islands.</p> - -<p>Crimes which in European countries would have been considered and -treated as a wanton insult to society at large, did not exclude the -parties from the pale of respectable society, or generally operate to -their disadvantage among the female portion of the community.</p> - -<p>The reckless destroyers of female innocence and happiness united in -the dance, mingled in public<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> entertainments, and were admitted at the -social board, and were on terms of intimacy with the younger branches -of families.<a name="FNanchor_43_43" id="FNanchor_43_43"></a><a href="#Footnote_43_43" class="fnanchor">[43]</a></p> - -<p>The intermediate colors between the whites<a name="FNanchor_44_44" id="FNanchor_44_44"></a><a href="#Footnote_44_44" class="fnanchor">[44]</a> and pure blacks, were -denominated as follows: A Sambo is the offspring of a mulatto woman by -a black man; a mulatto is the child of a black woman and white man; a -quadroon is the offspring of a mulatto by a white man, and a mestee -is that of a quadroon woman by a white man. The offspring of a female -mestee by a white man being above the third in lineal descent from the -Negro ancestor, was white, in the estimation of the law, and enjoyed -all the privileges and immunities of Her Majesty’s white subjects; but -all the rest, whether mulattoes, quadroons, or mestees, were considered -by the law as mulattoes or persons of color.</p> - -<p>Although the people of Jamaica represented to the home government that -the slaves were satisfied and happy, and would not accept their freedom -were it offered them, a revolt of the blacks took place in 1832. -More than fifty thousand were engaged in this effort to obtain the -long-wished-for boon.</p> - -<p>The man with whom the insurrection originated,—Samuel Sharp,—was -a slave, and a member of the Baptist Church in Montego Bay. He was -born in slavery, but he had never felt anything of the bitterness of -slavery. He was born in a family that treated him indulgently; he was -a pet, and was brought up as the playmate of the juvenile members of -the family, and had opportunities of learning to read and for mental -cultivation, to which very few of his fellow-slaves had access; and -Sharp, above all this, was possessed of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> mind worthy of any man, and -of oratorical powers of no common order.</p> - -<p>Sharp determined to free himself and his fellow-slaves. I do not know -whether he was himself deceived, or whether he knowingly deceived -his fellow-conspirators; but he persuaded a large number of them to -believe that the British government had made them free, and that their -owners were keeping them in slavery, in opposition to the wishes of -the authorities in England. It so happened, that, just at that time, -the planters themselves were pursuing a course which favored Sharp’s -proceedings directly. They were holding meetings through the length and -breadth of the Island, protesting against the interference of the home -government with their property, passing very inflammatory resolutions, -and threatening that they would transfer their allegiance to the United -States, in order that they might perpetuate their interest in their -slaves.</p> - -<p>The insurrection was suppressed, and about two thousand of the slaves -were put to death. This effort of the bondmen to free themselves, -gave a new impetus to the agitation of the abolition movement, which -had already begun under the auspices of Buxton, Allen, Brougham, and -George Thompson, the successors of Clarkson, Wilberforce, Sharp, and -Macaulay; and the work went bravely on. Elizabeth Heyrick, feeling that -the emancipation of the slave could never be effected by gradual means, -raised the cry of “Immediate emancipation.” She wrote: “Immediate -emancipation is the object to be aimed at; it is more wise and -rational, more politic and safe, as well as more just and humane, than -gradual emancipation. The interests, moral and political, temporal and -eternal,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> of all parties concerned, will be best promoted by immediate -emancipation.”</p> - -<p>The doctrine of immediate emancipation was taken up by the friends of -the Negro everywhere, and Brougham, in Parliament, said:—</p> - -<p>“Tell me not of rights; talk not of the property of the planter in -his slaves. I deny the right; I acknowledge not the property. The -principles, the feelings, of our common nature, rise in rebellion -against it. Be the appeal made to the understanding or to the heart, -the sentence is the same that rejects it. In vain you tell me of laws -that sanction such a claim.”</p> - -<p>John Philpot Curran followed, in one of the finest speeches ever made -in behalf of the rights of man. Said he,—</p> - -<p>“I speak in the spirit of the British Law, which makes liberty -commensurate with, and inseparable from, the British soil; which -proclaims, even to the stranger and the sojourner, the moment he sets -his foot upon British earth, that the ground on which he treads is -holy, and consecrated by the genius of Universal Emancipation. No -matter in what language his doom may have been pronounced; no matter -what complexion, incompatible with freedom, an Indian or an African -sun may have burnt upon him; no matter in what disastrous battle his -liberty may have been cloven down; no matter with what solemnities he -may have been devoted upon the altar of slavery; the first moment he -touches the sacred soil of Britain, the altar and the god sink together -in the dust; his soul walks abroad in her own majesty; his body swells -beyond the measure of his chains, that burst from around<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> him, and he -stands redeemed, regenerated, and disenthralled, by the irresistible -genius of universal emancipation.”</p> - -<p>The name and labors of Granville Sharp have been overshadowed by those -of other men, who reaped in the full, bright sunshine of success the -harvest of popular admiration for the results of a philanthropic -policy, of which Granville Sharp was the seed-sower. Zachary, Macaulay, -Clarkson, Wilberforce, and Buxton are regarded as the leaders of the -great movement that emancipated the slaves of Great Britain. Burke and -Wilkes are remembered as the enlightened advocates of the Independence -of America; and these great names throw a shadow over the Clerk in the -Ordnance, who, with high-souled integrity, resigned his place, and -gave up a calling that was his only profession and livelihood, rather -than serve a government that waged a fratricidal war, and who, in -defiance of the opinions of the Solicitor and Attorney-General, and of -the Lord Chief-Justice, opposed by all the lawyers, and forsaken even -by his own professional advisers, undertook to search the indices of -a law library, to wade through an immense mass of dry and repulsive -literature, and to make extracts from all the most important Acts of -Parliament as he went along; until, at the very time that slaves were -being sold by auction in Liverpool and London, and when he could not -find a single lawyer who agreed with his opinion, he boldly exclaimed, -“God be thanked! there is nothing in any English law or statute that -can justify the enslaving of others.”</p> - -<p>Granville Sharp, in his boyhood a linen-draper’s apprentice, and -afterwards a clerk in the Ordnance <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span>Department of England, one day, -in the surgery of his brother, saw a negro named Jonathan Strong, -lame, unable to work, almost blind, very ill, and turned adrift in the -streets of London, by his master, a lawyer in Barbadoes. The assistance -of Granville Sharp, and of his brother William, the surgeon, restored -Jonathan Strong to health, and obtained for him a situation. Two years -afterwards, the Barbadoes lawyer recognized his slave, strong, healthy, -and valuable, serving as a footman behind a lady’s carriage, and he -arrested the negro, and put him in prison, until there should be an -opportunity to ship him for the West Indies.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sharp appealed to the Lord Mayor, who, although he decided that he -was incompetent to deal with the legal question of the black’s freedom, -released Strong, because there was no offence charged against him.</p> - -<p>And then—it was in 1767—now more than a hundred years ago—then began -the protracted movement in England in favor of the slave. The master -of Jonathan Strong immediately commenced an action against Granville -Sharp, to recover possession of his negro, of whom he said he had been -robbed: and Sharp drew up the result of his study of the question, in a -plain, clear, and manly statement, which, after having been circulated -some time in manuscript, was printed in 1769, and was headed, “On the -injustice of tolerating slavery in England.”</p> - -<p>It produced such an effect on the opinion of the public, that the -lawyer abandoned his proceedings. Other cases soon tested the earnest -philanthropy of the slaves’ friend. The wife of one Styles was seized -and sent to Barbadoes. Sharp compelled the aggressor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> to bring the -woman back. In 1776, Thomas Lewis was kidnapped and shipped for -Jamaica. Sharp found him chained to the mainmast of a ship at Spithead, -and by a writ of <i>habeas corpus</i> brought him before Lord Mansfield, the -very judge whose opinion had been most strongly expressed in opposition -to that entertained by Granville Sharp on the subject of slavery.</p> - -<p>Lord Mansfield discharged the negro, because no evidence was adduced -to show that he was ever nominally the property of the man who claimed -him; but the great question of liberty or slavery remained as undecided -as before. At this time the slave-trade was carried on openly in the -streets of London, Bristol, and Liverpool.</p> - -<p>Negro slavery was enforced by merchants, supported by lawyers, and -upheld by judges; and that a clerk in a public office, without personal -influence, and armed, only with integrity and moral courage, should, -under such circumstances, assert, and, in the end, should prove, that -the slave who sets his foot on British ground becomes at that instant -free, is one of the most striking incidents in modern history.</p> - -<p>An opportunity for bringing the conflicting opinions to an issue soon -occurred. A negro named James Somerset had been taken to England and -left there by his master, who afterwards wished to send him back to -Jamaica. Sharp found counsel to defend the negro, and Lord Mansfield -intimated that the case was one of such general concern, that he should -take the opinions of all the judges upon it. The case was adjourned -and readjourned, and was carried over from term to term; but at length -Lord Mansfield declared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> the court to be clearly of opinion that “the -claim of slavery never can be supported in England; that the power -claimed never was in use in England nor acknowledged by law; and -that, therefore, the man James Somerset, must be discharged.” By this -judgment, the slave-trade in England was effectually abolished.</p> - -<p>History affords no nobler picture than that of Granville Sharp. -Standing alone, opposed to the opinions of the ablest lawyers, and the -most rooted prejudices and customs of the times; fighting unassisted -the most memorable battle for the constitution of his country, and for -the liberties of British subjects, and by his single exertions gaining -a most memorable victory.</p> - -<p>On the 1st of August, 1838, eight hundred thousand African bondmen were -made fully and unconditionally free; an act of legislation the most -magnanimous and sublime in the annals of British history. Although the -enemies of emancipation had predicted that murder and pillage would -follow such an act, the conduct of the freed people was everything that -the most ardent friends of the Negro could wish.</p> - -<p>On the evening of the day preceding that which witnessed the actual -bestowment of the inestimable boon on the apprentices of Jamaica, -the towns and missionary stations throughout the Island were crowded -with people especially interested in the event, and who, filling the -different places of worship, remained in some instances performing -different acts of devotion until the day of liberty dawned, when they -saluted it with the most joyous acclamations. Others, before and -after similar services, dispersed themselves in different directions -throughout the town and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> villages, singing the national anthem and -devotional hymns, occasionally rending the air with their acclamations -of “Freedom’s come! We’re free, we’re free; our wives and our children -are free!”</p> - -<p>The conduct of the newly-emancipated peasantry everywhere, would have -done credit to Christians of the most civilized country in the world. -Their behavior was modest, unassuming, civil, and obliging to each -other as members of one harmonious family.</p> - -<p>Many of the original stock of slaves had been imported from amongst the -Mandingoes, and Foulahs, from the banks of the Senegal, the Gambia, -and the Rio Grande, the most refined and intellectual of the African -tribes; and from the Congoes of Upper and Lower Guinea, the most -inferior of the African race. The latter class brought with them all -the vices and superstitions of their native land, and these had been -cultivated in Jamaica.</p> - -<p>The worst of these superstitious ideas was obeism, a species of -witchcraft employed to revenge injuries, or as a protection against -theft and murder, and in favor for gaining the love of the opposite -sex. It consisted in placing a spell or charm near the cottage of -the individual intended to be brought under its influence, or when -designed to prevent the depredations of thieves, in some conspicuous -part of the house, or on a tree; it was signified by a calabash or -gourd, containing among other ingredients, a combination of different -colored rags, cats’ teeth, parrots’ feathers, toads’ feet, egg-shells, -fish-bones, snakes’ teeth, and lizards’ tails.<a name="FNanchor_45_45" id="FNanchor_45_45"></a><a href="#Footnote_45_45" class="fnanchor">[45]</a></p> - -<p>Terror immediately seized upon the individual who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> beheld it, and -either by resigning himself to despair, or by the secret communication -of poison, in most cases death was the inevitable consequence. Similar -to the influence of this superstition was that of their solemn curses -pronounced upon thieves, but which would be too tedious to detail here. -All of the Negro physicians of the olden times professed to have the -gift of obeism, and were feared far more than they were loved.</p> - -<p>Dreams and visions constituted fundamental articles of their religious -creed. Some supernatural revelations were regarded as indispensable -to qualify for admission to the full privileges of their community. -Candidates were required, indeed, to dream a certain number of dreams -before they were received to membership, the subjects of which were -given them by their teachers.</p> - -<p>The meetings of this fraternity were frequently prolonged through -nearly half the night. The ministers enjoined on their followers the -duty of fasting one or two days in the week, and encouraged a weekly -meeting at each other’s houses, alternately, to drink “hot water” -out of white tea-cups (the whole of the tea-table paraphernalia -corresponding), which they designated by the absurd and inappropriate -epithet of “breaking the peace.” To such a deplorable extent did -they carry these superstitious practices, and such was the degree of -ignorance on the part of both minister and people, that, in the absence -of better information as to what was to be sung in their religious -assemblies, they were in the habit of singing the childish story of -“The house that Jack built.”</p> - -<p>The missionaries, and especially the Baptists, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> had been laboring -against great disadvantages before the abolition of slavery, now that -the curse was out of the way, did a noble work for the freed people. -The erection of chapels all through the Island soon changed the moral -and social condition of the blacks, as well as gave them a right idea -of Christian duty.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_42_42" id="Footnote_42_42"></a><a href="#FNanchor_42_42"><span class="label">[42]</span></a> “Jamaica, Past and Present.” Phillippo.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_43_43" id="Footnote_43_43"></a><a href="#FNanchor_43_43"><span class="label">[43]</span></a> Phillippo.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_44_44" id="Footnote_44_44"></a><a href="#FNanchor_44_44"><span class="label">[44]</span></a> Phillippo.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_45_45" id="Footnote_45_45"></a><a href="#FNanchor_45_45"><span class="label">[45]</span></a> “Jamaica, Past and Present.” Phillippo.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">SOUTH AMERICA.</span></h2> - -<p>The Portuguese introduced slavery into Brazil about the year 1558, and -the increase of that class of the population was as rapid as in any -part of the newly discovered country. The treatment of the slaves did -not differ from Jamaica, St. Domingo, and Cuba.</p> - -<p>Brazil has given the death-blow to the wicked system which has been so -long both her grievous burden and her foul disgrace. Henceforth, every -child born in the empire is free, and in twenty years the chains will -fall from the limbs of her last surviving slave. By this decree, nearly -three million blacks are raised up from the dust; and though but few -of this generation can hope to see the day of general emancipation, it -is much for them to know that the curse which rested on the parents -will no longer be transmitted to the children; it is something that -the younger of them have a bright although distant future to look -toward and to wait for. Very likely, too, the dying institution will -not be suffered to linger out the whole of the existence which the new -law accords to it; as the benefits of free labor to the whole country -become appreciated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> fresh legislation may hasten the advent of national -liberty and justice.</p> - -<p>The first colonists enslaved the Indians; and, despite the futile -measures of emancipation adopted by the Portuguese crown in 1570, in -1647, and in 1684, these unfortunate natives remained in servitude -until 1755, and would perhaps have been held to this day, had they -not proved very unprofitable. Negroes were accordingly imported from -other Portuguese dominions, and a slave-trade with the African coast -naturally sprang up, and is only just ended. Portugal bound herself -by treaty with England, in 1815, to abolish the trade. Brazil renewed -the obligation in her own name in 1826. Yet in 1839 it was estimated -that eighty thousand blacks were imported every year; and, ten years -later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported that the brutal traffic -had only been reduced one-fourth. The energetic action of England, -declaring in 1845 that Brazilian slave-ships should be amenable to -English authorities, led to a long diplomatic contest, and threats of -war; but it bore fruit in 1850 in a statute wherein Brazil assimilated -the trade to piracy, and in 1852 the emperor declared it virtually -extinct.</p> - -<p>In the mean time, an opposition, not to the slave-trade alone, but -to slavery, too, gradually strengthened itself within the empire. -Manumission became frequent, and the laws made it very easy. A society -was organized under the protection of the emperor, which, every year, -in open church, solemnly liberated a number of slaves; and in 1856 the -English Embassador wrote home that the government had communicated -to him their resolution gradually to abolish<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> slavery in every part -of the empire. The grand step which they have now taken has no doubt -been impelled by the example of our own country. It is one of the many -precious fruits which have sprung, and are destined yet to spring, from -the soil which we watered so freely with patriot blood.</p> - -<p>Information generally, with regard to Brazil, is scanty, especially in -connection with the blacks; but in all the walks of life, men of color -are found in that country.</p> - -<p>In the Brazilian army, many of the officers are mulattoes, and some of -a very dark hue. The prejudice of color is not so prominent here, as in -some other slaveholding countries.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">CUBA AND PORTO RICO.</span></h2> - -<p>Cuba, the stronghold of Spain, in the western world, has labored -under the disadvantages of slavery for more than three hundred years. -The Lisbon merchants cared more for the great profits made from the -slave-trade, than for the development of the rich resources of this, -one of the most beautiful of the West India Islands, and therefore, -they invested largely in that nefarious traffic. The increase of -slaves, the demand for sugar and the products of the tropics, and the -inducement which a race for wealth creates in the mind of man, rapidly -built up the city of Havana, the capital of the Island. The colored -population of Cuba, like the whites, have made but little impression on -the world outside of their own southern home. There is, however, one -exception in favor of the blacks. In the year 1830, there appeared in -Havana a young colored man, whose mother had recently been brought from -Africa. His name was Placido, and his blood was unmixed. Being with a -comparatively kind master, he found time to learn to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> read, and began -developing the genius which at a later period showed itself.</p> - -<p>The young slave took an interest in poetry, and often wrote poems which -were set to music and sung in the drawing-rooms of the most refined -assemblies in the city. His young master, paying his addresses to a -rich heiress, the slave was ordered to write a poem embodying the -master’s passion for the young lady. Placido acquitted himself to the -entire satisfaction of the lover, who copied the epistle in his own -hand, and sent it on its mission. The slave’s compositions were so much -admired that they found their way into the newspapers; but no one knew -the negro as their author.</p> - -<p>In 1838, these poems, together with a number which had never appeared -in print, were entrusted to a white man, who sent them to England, -where they were published and much praised for the talent and scholarly -attainment which they evinced. A number of young whites, who were -well acquainted with Placido, and appreciated his genius, resolved to -purchase him, and present him his freedom, which was done in 1842.</p> - -<p>But a new field had opened itself to the freed black, and he began to -tread in its paths. Freedom for himself was only the beginning; he -sighed to make others free.</p> - -<p>The imaginative brain of the poet produced verses which the slaves sung -in their own rude way, and which kindled in their hearts a more intense -desire for liberty. Placido planned an insurrection of the slaves, in -which he was to be their leader and deliverer; but the scheme failed.</p> - -<p>After a hasty trial, he was convicted and sentenced<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> to death. The -fatal day came, he walked to the place of execution with as much -calmness as if it had been to an ordinary resort of pleasure. His manly -and heroic bearing excited the sympathy and admiration of all who saw -him. As he arrived at the fatal spot, he began reciting the hymn, which -he had written in his cell the previous night.</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Almighty God; whose goodness knows no bound,</div> -<div class="i1">To Thee I flee in my severe distress;</div> -<div class="i1">O, let Thy potent arm my wrongs redress,</div> -<div>And rend the odious veil by slander wound</div> -<div>About my brow. The base world’s arm confound,</div> -<div class="i2">Who on my front would now the seal of shame impress.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The free blacks in Cuba form an important element in her population, -and these people are found in all the professions and trades. The first -dentists are Blake and Coopat, mulattoes; the first musician, Joseito -White, a mulatto; one of the best young ladies’ academies at present -existing at Havana is personally conducted by an accomplished negro -woman, Maria de Serra, to whom many a lady of high rank owes her social -and intellectual accomplishments. The only Cuban who has distinguished -herself as an actress on foreign stages is Dacoste, a mulatto; -Covarrubias, the great comedian and lively writer, for many years the -star of the Cuban stage, was also a mulatto; Francisco Manzano, the -poet, was a negro slave.</p> - -<p>The prompter of the theatre of St. John, of Porto Rico, is Bartolo -Antique, a negro, so intelligent that the dramatic companies that come -from Spain prefer him to their own prompters. The engineer of the -only steamboat in Porto Rico is a colored man. The only artist worthy -to be mentioned, in the same Island,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> is the religious painter, José -Campeche, a mulatto. These are only a few known and acknowledged as -colored, but should we search the sources of every family in Cuba and -Porto Rico, we are sure that more or less, we could trace the African -blood in the greatest number of our most illustrious citizens.</p> - -<p>In Porto Rico, Dubois, a mulatto, paid the penalty of his head for his -boldness and patriotism. There were in Cuba, in 1862, two hundred and -twenty-one thousand four hundred and seventeen free colored people, and -three hundred and sixty-eight thousand five hundred and fifty slaves. -In Porto Rico, in the same year, there were two hundred and forty-one -thousand and fifteen free colored people, and forty-one thousand seven -hundred and thirty-six slaves.</p> - -<p>When the English troops invaded the Island of Cuba, in 1762, the -negroes behaved so well during the siege at Havana, that a large -number of them received from Governor Prado’s hands, and in the name -of the King, their letters of emancipation, in acknowledgment of their -gallantry and good services.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXIX.</span> <span class="smaller">SANTO DOMINGO.</span></h2> - -<p>Although not strictly a Spanish possession, Santo Domingo may be -counted in, with the people already enumerated in the West Indies. -Its history is identical with that of Hayti. Forming a part of the -same Island, and inhabited by blacks, mulattoes, and whites; and being -part of the battle-ground upon which the negroes fought the French, in -the revolution which freed the Island from its former masters. Santo -Domingo has passed through all the scenes of blood and desolation, only -in a milder form, that their neighbors of the other end of the Island -have experienced. Santo Domingo has been under Spanish, French, and -Haytian rule, and often a republic of her own, the latter of which she -now enjoys.</p> - -<p>It was during the government of Boyer that the Spanish or Dominican -part of the Island was united with the French part. In relation to -this matter, gross misrepresentations have been made;—it has been -urged in defence of the Dominican claim to an independent government, -an independence based upon nullification, that they were beaten down, -trampled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> upon, and almost crushed before they would unite with a -nation of blacks.</p> - -<p>The facts are these: at the time of Boyer’s election, the Spanish part -of the Island was independent, but its situation was most precarious; -the war between Spain and her revolted provinces in South America -was at its height, and the Columbian privateers which thronged the -Caribbean sea were continually plundering the people along the shores -of the Spanish coast; moreover, there were many persons in that -division of the Island who were inclined to favor a union with the -patriots of South America, but by far the largest number opposed this -suggestion.</p> - -<p>Such was the state of things at the commencement of Boyer’s -administration. After maturely reflecting upon the difficulties by -which they were surrounded, the feeble government of the Spanish part -sought protection in a union with the Haytians, and Boyer was formally -solicited by them to grant his consent to the annexation of the Eastern -part. This request was complied with, and the Eastern region became a -part and parcel of that republic.</p> - -<p>Thus it is seen that the Dominicans adopted the Haytian government, not -only voluntarily, but joyfully.</p> - -<p>At the close of Boyer’s administration the Dominicans separated from -the Haytians, and formed a republic, since which time the latter has -made war upon the former, whenever an opportunity presented itself, and -which has been the great cause of the poverty and want of development -of both sections of the Island.</p> - -<p>Herard, who succeeded Boyer in the government of Hayti, and who was -president when the Dominicans seceded, was himself a mulatto, and there -appeared to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> be no cause of difficulty, but the people of Santo Domingo -wanted the change.</p> - -<p>The Dominicans enjoyed a better state of civilization than their -neighbors, and if let alone, would soon outstrip Hayti in everything -pertaining to free and independent government.</p> - -<p>But the Dominicans have to keep a large standing army, which takes most -of their young men, and are always in an unsettled state, which greatly -hinders the commercial and agricultural growth of the country.</p> - -<p>Both Hayti and Santo Domingo will doubtless, at no distant day, fall -into the hands of some more civilized nation or nations, for both are -on the decline, especially as regards self-defence. Both are to-day at -the mercy of nearly all other nations, and some day the “Doctor” will -go in to look after the “Sick man.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXX.</span> <span class="smaller">INTRODUCTION OF BLACKS INTO THE AMERICAN COLONIES.</span></h2> - -<p>Simultaneously with the landing of the Pilgrims from the Mayflower, -on Plymouth Rock, December 22d, 1620, a clumsy-looking brig, old and -dirty, with paint nearly obliterated from every part, slowly sailed -up the James River, and landed at Jamestown. The short, stout, fleshy -appearance of the men in charge of the vessel, and the five empty -sour-crout barrels which lay on deck, told plainly in what country the -navigators belonged.</p> - -<p>Even at that early day they had with them their “native beverage,” -which, though not like the lager of the present time, was a drink -over which they smoked and talked of “Farderland,” and traded for -the negroes they brought. The settlers of Jamestown, and indeed, all -Virginia at that time, were mainly cavaliers, gentlemen-adventurers, -aspiring to live by their wits and other men’s labor. Few of the -pioneers cherished any earnest liking for downright persistent muscular -exertion, yet some exertion was urgently required to clear away the -heavy forest which all but covered the soil of the infant colony, and -to grow the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> tobacco which easily became the staple export by means of -which nearly everything required by its people but food was to be paid -for in England.</p> - -<p>The landing of the twenty slaves from the Dutch brig was the signal -for all sorts of adventurers to embark in the same nefarious traffic. -Worn-out and unseaworthy European ships, brigs, barks, schooners, -and indeed, everything else that could float, no matter how unsafe, -were brought into requisition to supply the demand for means of -transportation in the new commerce.</p> - -<p>Thousands of persons incarcerated in the prisons of the old world -were liberated upon condition that they would man these slave-trading -vessels. The discharged convicts were used in the slave factories on -the African coast, and even the marauding expeditions sent out from -the slave ships in search of victims were mainly made up of this vile -off-cast and scum of the prison population of England, France, Germany, -Spain, and Portugal. So great was the increase of this traffic, that -in a short time the importation in a single year amounted to forty -thousand slaves.</p> - -<p>The immense growth of the slave population in the Southern States, soon -caused politicians to take sides for or against the institution. This, -however, did not manifest itself to any very great extent, until the -struggle for National Independence was over, and the people, North and -South, began to look at their interests connected with each section of -the country.</p> - -<p>At the time that the Declaration of Independence was put forth, no -authentic enumeration had been made; but when the first census was -taken in 1791, the total number of slaves in what are now known as the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span>Northern States, was forty thousand three hundred and seventy; in the -Southern, six hundred and fifty-three thousand nine hundred and ten.</p> - -<p>It is very common at this day to speak of our revolutionary struggle as -commenced and hurried forward by a union of free and slave colonies; -but such is not the fact. However slender and dubious its legal basis, -slavery existed in each and all of the colonies that united to declare -and maintain their Independence. Slaves were proportionately more -numerous in certain portions of the South; but they were held with -impunity throughout the North, advertised like dogs or horses, and sold -at auction, or otherwise, as chattels. Vermont, then a territory in -dispute between New Hampshire and New York, and with very few civilized -inhabitants, mainly on its southern and eastern borders, is probably -the only portion of the revolutionary confederation never polluted by -the tread of a slave.</p> - -<p>The spirit of liberty, aroused or intensified by the protracted -struggle of the colonists against usurped and abused power in the -mother-country, soon found itself engaged in natural antagonism against -the current form of domestic despotism.</p> - -<p>“How shall we complain of arbitrary or unlimited power exerted over -us, while we exert a still more despotic and inexcusable power over a -dependent and benighted race?” was very fairly asked. Several suits -were brought in Massachusetts—where the fires of liberty burned -earliest and brightest—to test the legal right of slaveholding; -and the leading Whigs gave their money and their legal services to -support these actions, which were generally on one ground or another, -successful. Efforts for an express law of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span>emancipation, however, -failed, even in Massachusetts; the Legislature doubtless apprehended -that such a measure, by alienating the slaveholders, would increase the -number and power of the Tories; but in 1777, a privateer having brought -a lot of captured slaves into Jamaica, and advertised them for sale, -the General Court, as the legislative assembly was called, interfered, -and had them set at liberty. The first Continental Congress which -resolved to resist the usurpations and oppressions of Great Britain by -force, had already declared that our struggle would be “for the cause -of human nature,” which the Congress of 1776, under the lead of Thomas -Jefferson, expanded into the noble affirmation of the right of “all -men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” contained in the -immortal preamble to the Declaration of Independence. A like averment -that “all men are born free and equal,” was in 1780 inserted in the -Massachusetts Bill of Rights; and the Supreme Court of that State, in -1783, on an indictment of a master for assault and battery, held this -declaration a bar to slave-holding henceforth in the State.</p> - -<p>A similar clause in the second Constitution of New Hampshire, was -held by the courts of that State to secure freedom to every child -born therein after its adoption. Pennsylvania, in 1780, passed an act -prohibiting the further introduction of slaves, and securing freedom -to all persons born in that State thereafter. Connecticut and Rhode -Island passed similar acts in 1784. Virginia, in 1778, on motion of Mr. -Jefferson, prohibited the further importation of slaves; and in 1782, -removed all legal restrictions on emancipation. Maryland adopted both -of these in 1783. North<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> Carolina, in 1786, declared the introduction -of slaves into the State “of evil consequences and highly impolitic,” -and imposed a duty of £5 per head thereon. New York and New Jersey -followed the example of Virginia and Maryland, including the domestic -in the same interdict with the foreign slave-trade. Neither of these -states, however, declared a general emancipation until many years -thereafter, and slavery did not wholly cease in New York until about -1830, nor in New Jersey till a much later date. The distinction of free -and slave states, with the kindred assumption of a natural antagonism -between the North and South, was utterly unknown to the men of the -Revolution.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXI.</span> <span class="smaller">SLAVES IN THE NORTHERN COLONIES.</span></h2> - -<p>The earliest account we have of slavery in Massachusetts is recorded in -Josselyn’s description of his first visit to New England, in 1638. Even -at that time, slave-raising on a small scale had an existence at the -North. Josselyn says: “Mr. Maverick had a negro woman from whom he was -desirous of having a breed of slaves; he therefore ordered his young -negro man to sleep with her. The man obeyed his master so far as to go -to bed, when the young woman kicked him out.”<a name="FNanchor_46_46" id="FNanchor_46_46"></a><a href="#Footnote_46_46" class="fnanchor">[46]</a> This seems to have -been the first case of an insurrection in the colonies, and commenced, -too, by a woman. Probably this fact has escaped the notice of the -modern advocates of “Woman’s Rights.” The public sentiment of the early -Christians upon the question of slavery can be seen by the following -form of ceremony, which was used at the marriage of slaves.</p> - -<p>This was prepared and used by the Rev. Samuel Phillips, of Andover, -whose ministry there, beginning in 1710, and ending with his death, in -1771, was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> prolonged and eminently distinguished service of more than -half the eighteenth century:—</p> - -<blockquote><p>“You, Bob, do now, in ye Presence of God and these Witnesses, Take -Sally to be your wife;</p> - -<p>“Promising, that so far as shall be consistent with ye Relation -which you now Sustain as a servant, you will Perform ye Part of -an Husband towards her: And in particular, as you shall have -ye Opportunity & Ability, you will take proper Care of her in -Sickness and Health, in Prosperity & Adversity;</p> - -<p>“And that you will be True & Faithfull to her, and will Cleave -to her only, so long as God, in his Providence, shall continue -your and her abode in Such Place (or Places) as that you can -conveniently come together. —— —— Do You thus Promise?</p> - -<p>“You, Sally, do now, in ye Presence of God, and these Witnesses, -Take Bob to be your Husband;</p> - -<p>“Promising, that so far as your present Relation as a Servant -shall admit, you will Perform the Part of a Wife towards him: and -in particular,</p> - -<p>“You Promise that you will Love him; And that as you shall have -the Opportunity & Ability, you will take a proper Care of him in -Sickness and Health; in Prosperity and Adversity:</p> - -<p>“And you will cleave to him only, so long as God, in his -Providence, shall continue his & your Abode in such Place (or -Places) as that you can come together. —— —— Do you thus -Promise? I then, agreeable to your Request, and with ye Consent of -your Masters & Mistresses, do Declare that you have License given -you to be conversant and familiar together as Husband and Wife, so -long as God shall continue your Places of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> Abode as aforesaid; And -so long as you Shall behave yourselves as it becometh servants to -doe:</p> - -<p>“For you must both of you bear in mind that you remain still, as -really and truly as ever, your Master’s Property, and therefore it -will be justly expected, both by God and Man, that you behave and -conduct yourselves as Obedient and faithfull Servants towards your -respective Masters & Mistresses for the Time being:</p> - -<p>“And finally, I exhort and Charge you to beware lest you give -place to the Devel, so as to take occasion from the license now -given you, to be lifted up with Pride, and thereby fall under the -Displeasure, not of Man only, but of God also; for it is written, -that God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the humble.</p> - -<p>“I shall now conclude with Prayer for you, that you may become -good Christians, and that you may be enabled to conduct as such; -and in particular, that you may have Grace to behave suitably -towards each Other, as also dutifully towards your Masters & -Mistresses, Not with Eye Service as Men pleasers, ye Servants of -Christ doing ye Will of God from ye heart, &c.</p> - -<p>“[<span class="smcap">Endorsed</span>]</p> - -<p> “<span class="smcap">Negro Marriage.</span>”</p></blockquote> - -<p>We have given the above form of marriage, <i>verbatim et literatim</i>.</p> - -<p>In 1641, the Massachusetts Colony passed the following law:—</p> - -<p>“There shall never be any bond slaverie, villinage, or captivitie -amongst us unless it be lawfull captives taken in just warres, and such -strangers as willingly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> sell themselves. And these shall have all the -liberties and Christian usages, which the law of God established in -Israel concerning such persons doth morally require. This exempts none -from servitude, who shall be judged thereto by authority.”</p> - -<p>In 1646, one James Smith, a member of a Boston church, brought home two -negroes from the coast of Guinea, and had been the means of killing -near a hundred more. In consequence of this conduct, the General Court -passed the following order:—</p> - -<p>“The General Court conceiving themselves bound by the first opportunity -to bear witness against the heinous and crying sin of man-stealing, -as also to prescribe such timely redress for what is passed, and such -a law for the future as may sufficiently deter all others belonging -to us to have to do in such vile and odious courses, justly abhorred -of all good and just men, do order that the negro interpreter with -others unlawfully taken, be by the first opportunity at the charge of -the country for the present, sent to his native country (Guinea) and -a letter with him of the indignation of the Court thereabouts, and -justice thereof desiring our honored Governor would please put this -order in execution.”</p> - -<p>From this time till about 1700, the number of slaves imported into -Massachusetts was not large. In 1680, Governor Simon Bradstreet, in -answer to inquiries from “the lords of his Majesty’s privy council,” -thus writes:—</p> - -<p>“There hath been no company of blacks or slaves brought into the -country since the beginning of this plantation, for the space of fifty -yeares, only one small vessell about two yeares since after twenty -months’<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> voyage to Madagascar brought hither betwixt forty and fifty -negroes, most women and children, sold for £10, £15, and £20 apiece, -which stood the merchants in near £40 apiece one with another: now and -then two or three negroes are brought hither from Barbadoes and other -of His Majesty’s plantations, and sold here for about £20 apiece, so -that there may bee within our government about one hundred, or one -hundred and twenty, and it may bee as many Scots brought hither and -sold for servants in the time of the war with Scotland, and most now -married and living here, and about halfe so many Irish brought hither -at several times as servants.”</p> - -<p>The number of slaves at this period in the middle and southern colonies -is not easily ascertained, as few books, and no newspapers were -published in North America prior to 1704. In that year, the “Weekly -News Letter” was commenced, and in the same year the “Society for the -propagation of the Gospels in foreign parts opened a catechising school -for the slaves at New York, in which city there were then computed -to be about fifteen hundred Negro and Indian slaves,” a sufficient -number to furnish materials for the “irrepressible conflict,” which had -long before begun. The catechist, whom the Society employed, was “Mr. -Elias Neau, by nation a Frenchman, who having made a confession of the -Protestant religion in France, for which he had been confined several -years in prison, and seven years in the galleys.” Mr. Neau entered upon -his office “with great diligence, and his labors were very successful; -but the negroes were much discouraged from embracing the Christian -religion upon the account of the very little regard showed them in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> any -religious respect. Their marriages were performed by mutual consent -only, without the blessing of the church; they were buried by those -of their own country and complexion, in the common field, without any -Christian office; perhaps some ridiculous heathen rites were performed -at the grave by some of their own people. No notice was given of their -being sick, that they might be visited; on the contrary, frequent -discourses were made in conversation that they had no souls, and -perished as the beasts, and that they grew worse by being taught and -made Christians.”<a name="FNanchor_47_47" id="FNanchor_47_47"></a><a href="#Footnote_47_47" class="fnanchor">[47]</a></p> - -<p>From this time forward, the increase of slaves was very rapid in -Virginia and South Carolina, and with this increase, discontent began -to show itself amongst the blacks.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_46_46" id="Footnote_46_46"></a><a href="#FNanchor_46_46"><span class="label">[46]</span></a> John Josselyn.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_47_47" id="Footnote_47_47"></a><a href="#FNanchor_47_47"><span class="label">[47]</span></a> Joshua Coffin</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXII.</span> <span class="smaller">COLORED INSURRECTIONS IN THE COLONIES.</span></h2> - -<p>The first serious effort at rebellion by the slaves in the colonies, -occurred in New York, in 1712; where, if it had not been for the timely -aid from the garrison, the city would have been reduced to ashes. The -next insurrection took place in South Carolina, in 1720, where the -blacks in considerable numbers attacked the whites in their houses and -in the streets.</p> - -<p>Forces were immediately raised and sent after them, twenty-three of -whom were taken, six convicted, three executed, and three escaped.</p> - -<p>In October, 1722, about two hundred negroes near the mouth of the -Rappahannock River, Virginia, got together in a body, armed with the -intent to kill the people in church, but were discovered, and fled.</p> - -<p>On the 13th of April, 1723, Governor Dummer issued a proclamation with -the following preamble, viz:—</p> - -<p>“Whereas, within some short time past, many fires have broke out -within the town of Boston, and divers buildings have thereby been -consumed: which fires have been designedly and industriously kindled -by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> some villainous and desperate negroes, or other dissolute people, -as appears by the confession of some of them (who have been examined -by the authority), and many concurring circumstances; and it being -vehemently suspected that they have entered into a combination to burn -and destroy the town, I have therefore thought fit, with the advice of -his Majesty’s council, to issue forth this proclamation,” etc.</p> - -<p>On the 18th of April, 1723, Rev. Joseph Sewall preached a discourse, -particularly occasioned “by the late fires yt have broke out in Boston, -supposed to be purposely set by ye negroes.”</p> - -<p>On the next day, April 19th, the Selectmen of Boston made a report to -the town on the subject, consisting of nineteen articles, of which the -following is No. 9:—</p> - -<p>“That if more than two Indians, Negro or Mulatto Servants or Slaves -be found in the Streets or Highways in or about the Town, idling or -lurking together unless in the service of their Master or Employer, -every one so found shall be punished at the House of Correction.”</p> - -<p>So great at that time were the alarm and danger in Boston, occasioned -by the slaves, that in addition to the common watch, a military force -was not only kept up, but at the breaking out of every fire, a part of -the militia were ordered out under arms to keep the slaves in order!!</p> - -<p>In 1728, an insurrection of slaves occurred in Savannah, Georgia, who -were fired on twice before they fled. They had formed a plot to destroy -all the whites, and nothing prevented them but a disagreement about the -mode. At that time, the population consisted of three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> thousand whites -and two thousand seven hundred blacks.</p> - -<p>In August, 1730, an insurrection of blacks occurred in Williamsburgh, -Virginia, occasioned by a report, on Colonel Spotswood’s arrival, that -he had directions from His Majesty to free all baptized persons. The -negroes improved this to a great height. Five counties were in arms -pursuing them, with orders to kill them if they did not submit.</p> - -<p>In August, 1730, the slaves in South Carolina conspired to destroy all -the whites. This was the first open rebellion in that State where the -negroes were actually armed and embodied, and took place on the Sabbath.</p> - -<p>In the same month, a negro man plundered and burned a house in Malden -(Mass.,) and gave this reason for his conduct, that his master had sold -him to a man in Salem, whom he did not like.</p> - -<p>In 1731, Captain George Scott, of Rhode Island, was returning from -Guinea with a cargo of slaves, who rose upon the ship, murdered three -of the crew, all of whom soon after died, except the captain and boy.</p> - -<p>In 1732, Captain John Major, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was -murdered, with all his crew, and the schooner and cargo seized by the -slaves.</p> - -<p>In 1741, there was a formidable insurrection among the slaves in New -York. At that time the population consisted of twelve thousand whites, -and two thousand blacks. Of the conspirators, thirteen were burned -alive, eighteen hung, and eighty transported.</p> - -<p>Those who were transported were sent to the West India islands. As a -specimen of the persons who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> were suitable for transportation, I give -the following from the “Boston Gazette,” Aug. 17, 1761:—</p> - -<p>“To be sold, a parcel of likely young Negroes, imported from Africa, -cheap for cash. Inquire of John Avery. Also, if any person have any -negro men, strong and hearty, though not of the best moral character, -which are proper subjects of transportation, they may have an exchange -for small negroes.”</p> - -<p>In 1747, the slaves on board of a Rhode Island ship commanded by -Captain Beers, rose, when off Cape Coast Castle, and murdered the -captain and all the crew, except the two mates, who swam ashore.</p> - -<p>In 1754, C. Croft, Esq., of Charleston, South Carolina, had his -buildings burned by his female negroes, two of whom were burned alive!!</p> - -<p>In September, 1755, Mark and Phillis, slaves, were put to death -at Cambridge (Mass.,) for poisoning their master, Mr. John Codman -of Charlestown. Mark was hanged, and Phillis burned alive. Having -ascertained that their master had, by his will, made them free at his -death, they poisoned him in order to obtain their liberty so much the -sooner.</p> - -<p>In the year 1800, the city of Richmond, Virginia, and indeed the whole -slave-holding country were thrown into a state of intense excitement, -consternation and alarm, by the discovery of an intended insurrection -among the slaves. The plot was laid by a slave named Gabriel, who was -claimed as the property of Mr. Thomas Prosser. A full and true account -of this General Gabriel, and of the proceedings consequent on the -discovery of the plot, has never yet been published. In 1831, a short -account which is false in almost every particular, appeared in the -Albany<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> “Evening Journal,” under the head of “Gabriel’s Defeat.”</p> - -<p>The following is the copy of a letter dated September 21, 1800, -written by a gentleman of Richmond, Virginia, published in the “Boston -Gazette,” October 6th:—</p> - -<p>“By this time, you have no doubt heard of the conspiracy formed in this -country by the negroes, which, but for the interposition of Providence, -would have put the metropolis of the State, and even the State itself, -into their possession. A dreadful storm, with a deluge of rain, which -carried away the bridges, and rendered the water-courses everywhere -impassable, prevented the execution of their plot. It was extensive -and vast in its design. Nothing could have been better contrived. The -conspirators were to have seized on the magazine, the treasury, the -mills, and the bridges across James River. They were to have entered -the city of Richmond in three places with fire and sword, to commence -an indiscriminate slaughter, the French only excepted. They were then -to have called on their fellow-negroes and the friends of humanity -throughout the continent, by proclamation, to rally round their -standard. The magazine, which was defenceless, would have supplied them -with arms for many thousand men.</p> - -<p>“The treasury would have given them money, the mills bread, and the -bridges would have enabled them to let in their friends, and keep -out their enemies. Never was there a more propitious season for the -accomplishment of their purpose.</p> - -<p>“The country is covered with rich harvests of Indian corn; flocks and -herds are everywhere fat in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> fields, and the liberty and equality -doctrine, nonsensical and wicked as it is (in this land of tyrants and -slaves), is for electioneering purposes sounding and resounding through -our valleys and mountains in every direction. The city of Richmond -and the circumjacent country are in arms, and have been so for ten or -twelve days past. The patrollers are doubled through the State, and the -Governor, impressed with the magnitude of the danger, has appointed for -himself three aids-de-camp. A number of conspirators have been hung, -and a great many more are yet to be hung. The trials and executions are -going on day by day. Poor, deluded wretches! Their democratic deluders, -conscious of their own guilt, and fearful of the public vengeance, are -most active in bringing them to punishment.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIII.</span> <span class="smaller">BLACK MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.</span></h2> - -<p>The Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, may be regarded as the first act in -the great drama of the American Revolution. “From that moment,” said -Daniel Webster, “we may date the severance of the British Empire.” The -presence of the British soldiers in King Street excited the patriotic -indignation of the people. The whole community was stirred, and sage -counsellors were deliberating and writing and talking about the public -grievances. But it was not for “the wise and prudent” to be the first -to act against the encroachments of arbitrary power.</p> - -<p>A motley rabble of men and boys, led by Crispus Attucks, a negro, and -shouting, “The way to get rid of these soldiers is to attack the main -guard; strike at the root; this is the nest!” with more valor than -discretion, they rushed to King Street, and were fired upon by Captain -Preston’s company. Crispus Attucks was the first to fall; he and Samuel -Gray and Jonas Caldwell were killed on the spot. Samuel Maverick and -Patrick Carr were mortally wounded.</p> - -<p>The excitement which followed was intense. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> bells of the town -were rung; an impromptu meeting was held, and an immense assembly was -gathered. Three days after, on the 8th, a public funeral of the martyrs -took place. The shops in Boston were closed; all the bells of Boston -and neighboring towns were rung. It was said that a greater number of -persons assembled on this occasion than were ever before gathered on -the continent for a similar purpose.</p> - -<p>The body of Attucks, the negro slave, had been placed in Faneuil Hall, -with that of Caldwell, both being strangers in the city. Maverick was -buried from his mother’s house in Union Street, and Gray from his -brother’s, in Royal Exchange Lane. The four hearses formed a junction -in King Street, and there the procession marched on in columns six -deep, with a long file of coaches belonging to the most distinguished -citizens, to the middle burying-ground, where the four victims were -deposited in one grave, over which a stone was placed with the -following inscription:</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Long as in Freedom’s cause the wise contend,</div> -<div>Dear to your country shall your fame extend;</div> -<div>While to the world the lettered stone shall tell,</div> -<div>Where Caldwell, Attucks, Gray and Maverick fell.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The anniversary of this event was publicly commemorated in Boston, by -an oration and other exercises, every year until after our national -independence was achieved, when the Fourth of July was substituted for -the fifth of March, as the more proper day for general celebration. Not -only was the occasion commemorated, but the martyrs who then gave up -their lives were remembered and honored. For half a century<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> after the -close of the war, the name of Crispus Attucks was honorably mentioned -by the most noted men of the country, who were not blinded by foolish -prejudice, which, to say the most, was only skin-deep.</p> - -<p>A single passage from Bancroft’s history will give a succinct and clear -account of the condition of the army in respect to colored soldiers, at -the time of the battle of Bunker Hill:—</p> - -<p>“Nor should history forget to record, that, as in the army at -Cambridge, so also in this gallant band, the free negroes of the colony -had their representatives. For the right of free negroes to bear arms -in the public defence was, at that day, as little disputed in New -England as their other rights. They took their place not in a separate -corps, but in the ranks with the white man; and their names may be read -on the pension-rolls of the country, side by side with those of other -soldiers of the Revolution.”<a name="FNanchor_48_48" id="FNanchor_48_48"></a><a href="#Footnote_48_48" class="fnanchor">[48]</a></p> - -<p>The capture of Major-General Prescott, of the British army, on the -9th of July, 1777, was an occasion of great rejoicing throughout the -country. Prince, the valiant negro who seized that officer, ought -always to be remembered with honor for his important service.</p> - -<p>The battle of Red Bank, and the battle of Rhode Island, on the 29th of -August, 1778, entitle the blacks to perpetual honor.<a name="FNanchor_49_49" id="FNanchor_49_49"></a><a href="#Footnote_49_49" class="fnanchor">[49]</a></p> - -<p>When Colonel Green was surprised and murdered, near Points Bridge, New -York, on 14th of May, 1781,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> his colored soldiers heroically defended -him till they were cut to pieces; and the enemy reached him over the -dead bodies of his faithful negroes. Of this last engagement, Arnold, -in his “History of Rhode Island,” says:—</p> - -<p>“A third time the enemy, with desperate courage and increased strength, -attempted to assail the redoubt and would have carried it, but for the -timely aid of two continental battalions despatched by Sullivan to -support his almost exhausted troops. It was in repelling these furious -onsets, that the newly raised black regiment, under Colonel Greene, -distinguished itself by deeds of desperate valor. Posted behind a -thicket in the valley, they three times drove back the Hessians, who -charged repeatedly down the hill to dislodge them; and so determined -were the enemy in these successive charges, that, the day after the -battle, the Hessian colonel, upon whom this duty had devolved, applied -to exchange his command, and go to New York, because he dared not lead -his regiment again to battle, lest his men should shoot him for having -caused them so much loss.”</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_48_48" id="Footnote_48_48"></a><a href="#FNanchor_48_48"><span class="label">[48]</span></a> Bancroft’s “History of the United States.” Vol. VII. p. -421.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_49_49" id="Footnote_49_49"></a><a href="#FNanchor_49_49"><span class="label">[49]</span></a> Moore’s “Diary of the American Revolution.” Vol. I. p. -468.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIV.</span> <span class="smaller">BLACKS IN THE WAR OF 1812.</span></h2> - -<p>In the war of 1812, colored men again did themselves honor by -volunteering their services in aid of American freedom, both at -the North and at the South. In the latter section, even the slaves -were invited, and entered the army, where their bravery was highly -appreciated. The following document speaks for itself.</p> - -<blockquote><p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Head Quarters, Seventh Military District</span>, }<br /> -<span class="smcap">Mobile</span>, September 21, 1814. <span class="s3"> </span> }</p> - -<p>“<i>To the Free Colored Inhabitants of Louisiana</i>:</p> - -<p>“Through a mistaken policy, you have heretofore been deprived of -a participation in the glorious struggle for national rights, in -which our country is engaged. This no longer shall exist.</p> - -<p>“As sons of freedom, you are now called upon to defend our most -inestimable blessings. As Americans, your country looks with -confidence to her adopted children for a valorous support, as a -faithful return for the advantages enjoyed under her mild and -equitable government. As fathers, husbands, and brothers, you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> are -summoned to rally around the standard of the Eagle, to defend all -which is dear in existence.</p> - -<p>“Your country, although calling for your exertions, does not -wish you to engage in her cause without remunerating you for the -services rendered. Your intelligent minds are not to be led away -by false representations—your love of honor would cause you -to despise the man who should attempt to deceive you. With the -sincerity of a soldier, and in the language of truth, I address -you.</p> - -<p>“To every noble-hearted free man of color, volunteering to serve -during the present contest with Great Britain, and no longer, -there will be paid the same bounty, in money and lands, now -received by the white soldiers of the United States, namely—one -hundred and twenty-four dollars in money, and one hundred and -sixty acres of land. The non-commissioned officers and privates -will also be entitled to the same monthly pay, daily rations, and -clothes, furnished to any American soldier.</p> - -<p>“On enrolling yourselves in companies, the Major-General -commanding will select officers for your government, from your -white fellow-citizens. Your non-commissioned officers will be -appointed from among yourselves.</p> - -<p>“Due regard will be paid to the feelings of freemen and soldiers. -You will not, by being associated with white men, in the same -corps, be exposed to improper comparisons, or unjust sarcasm. As a -distinct independent battalion or regiment, pursuing the path of -glory, you will, undivided, receive the applause and gratitude of -your countrymen.</p> - -<p>“To assure you of the sincerity of my intentions,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> and my anxiety -to engage your invaluable services to our country, I have -communicated my wishes to the Governor of Louisiana, who is fully -informed as to the manner of enrollments, and will give you every -necessary information on the subject of this address.</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Andrew Jackson</span>, <span class="s8"> </span> <br /> -“Major-General Commanding.”<a name="FNanchor_50_50" id="FNanchor_50_50"></a><a href="#Footnote_50_50" class="fnanchor">[50]</a></p></blockquote> - -<p>December 18th, 1814, General Jackson issued the following address to -the colored members of his army:—</p> - -<blockquote><p>“<span class="smcap">Soldiers!</span>—When, on the banks of the Mobile, I called -you to take up arms, inviting you to partake of the perils and -glory of your white fellow-citizens, I expected much from you; for -I was not ignorant that you possessed qualities most formidable -to an invading enemy. I knew with what fortitude you could endure -hunger and thirst, and all the fatigues of a campaign. I knew -well how you loved your native country, and that you, as well as -ourselves, had to defend what man holds most dear—his parents, -wife, children, and property. You have done more than I expected. -In addition to the previous qualities I before knew you to -possess, I found among you a noble enthusiasm, which leads to the -performance of great things.</p> - -<p>“Soldiers! the President of the United States shall hear how -praiseworthy was your conduct in the hour of danger, and the -representatives of the American people will give you the praise -your exploits entitle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> you to. Your general anticipates them in -applauding your noble ardor.</p> - -<p>“The enemy approaches; his vessels cover our lakes; our brave -citizens are united, and all contention has ceased among them. -Their only dispute is, who shall win the prize of valor, or who -the most glory, its noblest reward.</p> - -<p class="right">“By order, <span class="s8"> </span> <span class="s3"> </span><br /> -“<span class="smcap">Thomas Butler</span>, Aid-de-camp.”</p></blockquote> - -<p>The “New Orleans Picayune,” in an account of the celebration of the -Battle of New Orleans, in that city, in 1851, says:—</p> - -<p>“Not the least interesting, although the most novel feature of the -procession yesterday, was the presence of ninety of the colored -veterans who bore a conspicuous part in the dangers of the day they -were now for the first time called to assist in celebrating, and who, -by their good conduct in presence of the enemy, deserved and received -the approbation of their illustrious commander-in-chief. During the -thirty-six years that have passed away since they assisted to repel -the invaders from our shores, these faithful men have never before -participated in the annual rejoicings for the victory which their valor -contributed to gain.</p> - -<p>“Their good deeds have been consecrated only in their memories, or -lived but to claim a passing notice on the page of the historian. Yet, -who more than they deserve the thanks of the country, and the gratitude -of succeeding generations? Who rallied with more alacrity in response -to the summons of danger? Who endured more cheerfully the hardships of -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> camp, or faced with greater courage the perils of the fight? If, -in that hazardous hour, when our homes were menaced with the horrors -of war, we did not disdain to call upon the colored population to -assist in repelling the invading horde, we should not, when the danger -is past, refuse to permit them to unite with us in celebrating the -glorious event which they helped to make so memorable an epoch in our -history. We were not too exalted to mingle with them in the affray; -they were not too humble to join in our rejoicings.</p> - -<p>“Such, we think, is the universal opinion of our citizens. We conversed -with many yesterday, and without exception, they expressed approval of -the invitation which had been extended to the colored veterans to take -part in the ceremonies of the day, and gratification at seeing them in -a conspicuous place in the procession.</p> - -<p>“The respectability of their appearance, and the modesty of their -demeanor, made an impression on every observer and elicited unqualified -approbation. Indeed, though in saying so we do not mean disrespect -to any one else, we think that they constituted decidedly the most -interesting portion of the pageant, as they certainly attracted the -most attention.”</p> - -<p>On Lakes Erie and Champlain, colored men were also engaged in these -battles which have become historical, exhibiting the same heroism that -characterized them in all their previous efforts in defence of their -country’s rights.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_50_50" id="Footnote_50_50"></a><a href="#FNanchor_50_50"><span class="label">[50]</span></a> Niles’ Register, Vol. VII., p. 205.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE CURSE OF SLAVERY.</span></h2> - -<p>The demoralization which the institution entailed upon all classes in -the community in which it existed, was indeed fearful to contemplate; -and we may well say that slavery is the curse of curses. While it made -the victim a mere chattel, taking from him every characteristic of -manhood, it degraded the mind of the master, brutalized his feelings, -seared his conscience, and destroyed his moral sense.</p> - -<p>Immorality to a great extent, pervaded every slaveholding city, town, -village, and dwelling in the South. Morality and virtue were always the -exceptions. The Southern clergy, backed by the churches, defended their -right to hold slaves to the last. Houses of religious worship and the -negro pen were often in sight of each other.</p> - -<p>The Southern newspapers teemed with advertisements, which were a fair -index to this monstrous social evil.</p> - -<p>Now that slavery is swept away, it may be interesting to see some -of these newspaper notices, in the light of the new dispensation of -freedom. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span></p> - -<p>The New Orleans “True Delta” in 1853, graced its columns with the -following: “Mr. Joseph Jennings respectfully informs his friends and -the public, that, at the request of many of his acquaintances, he has -been induced to purchase from Mr. Osborn, of Missouri, the celebrated -dark bay horse “Star,” age five years, square trotter, and warranted -sound, with a new light-trotting buggy and harness; also the stout -mulatto girl “Sarah,” aged about twenty years, general house servant, -valued at nine hundred dollars, and guaranteed; will be raffled for at -four o’clock, <span class="smaller">P. M.</span>, February 1st, at any hotel selected by -the subscribers.</p> - -<p>“The above is as represented, and those persons who may wish to engage -in the usual practice of raffling will, I assure them, be perfectly -satisfied with their destiny in this affair.</p> - -<p>“Fifteen hundred chances, at one dollar each.</p> - -<p>“The whole is valued at its just worth, fifteen hundred dollars.</p> - -<p>“The raffle will be conducted by gentlemen selected by the interested -subscribers present. Five nights allowed to complete the raffle. Both -of above can be seen at my store, No. 78 Common Street, second door -from Camp, at from 9 o’clock, <span class="smaller">A. M.</span>, till half-past two, -<span class="smaller">P. M.</span></p> - -<p>“Highest throw takes the first choice; the lowest throw the remaining -prize, and the fortunate winners to pay twenty dollars each, for the -refreshments furnished for the occasion.”</p> - -<p>The “Picayune,” of the same city, gives the following: </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span></p> - -<p>“$100 <span class="smcap">Reward</span>.—Run away from the plantation of the -undersigned, the negro man Shedrick, a preacher, five feet nine inches -high, about forty years old, but looking not over twenty-three, -stamped N. E. on the breast, and having both small toes cut off. He -is of a very dark complexion, with eyes small, but bright, and a look -quite insolent. He dresses good, and was arrested as a runaway at -Donaldsonville, some three years ago. The above reward will be paid for -his arrest, by addressing Messrs. Armant Brothers, St. James Parish, or -A. Miltenberger & Co., 30 Carondelet Street.”</p> - -<p>A Savannah (Georgia) paper has the annexed notice.</p> - -<p>“Committed to prison, three weeks ago, under suspicious circumstances, -a negro woman, who calls herself Phebe, or Phillis. Says she is free, -and lately from Beaufort District, South Carolina. Said woman is about -fifty years of age, stout in stature, mild-spoken, five feet four -inches high, and weighs about one hundred and forty pounds. Having made -diligent inquiry by letter, and from what I can learn, said woman is a -runaway. Any person owning said slave can get her by making application -to me, properly authenticated.”</p> - -<p>The practice of capturing runaway slaves, with blood-hounds trained for -the purpose, during the days of slave rule in the South, is well known. -We give below one of the advertisements as it appeared in print at the -time.</p> - -<p>“The undersigned, having an excellent pack of hounds for trailing and -catching runaway slaves, informs the public that his prices in future -will be as follows for such services: </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span></p> - -<table summary="catching runaway slaves"> - <tr> - <td class="left">For each day employed in hunting or trailing</td> - <td>$2.50</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">For catching each slave</td> - <td>10.00</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">For going over ten miles, and catching slaves </td> - <td>20.00</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>“If sent for, the above prices will be exacted in cash. The -subscriber resides one mile and a half south of Dadeville, Ala.</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">B. Black.</span>”</p> - -<p>Slavery so completely seared the conscience of the whites of the South, -that they had no feeling of compassion for the blacks, as the following -illustration will show. At St. Louis, in the year 1835, Francis -McIntosh, a free colored man, while defending himself from an attack of -white ruffians, one of the latter was killed. At once the colored man -was taken, chained to a tree, and burnt to death. One of the newspapers -at the time gave the following account of the inhuman affair:—</p> - -<p>“All was silent as death while the executioners were piling wood around -their victim. He said not a word, until feeling that the flames had -seized upon him. He then uttered an awful howl, attempting to sing -and pray, then hung his head, and suffered in silence, except in -the following instance. After the flames had surrounded their prey, -his eyes burnt out of his head, and his mouth seemingly parched to -a cinder, some one in the crowd, more compassionate than the rest, -proposed to put an end to his misery by shooting him, when it was -replied, ‘That would be of no use, since he was already out of pain.’ -‘No, no,’ said the wretch, ‘I am not, I am suffering as much as ever; -shoot me, shoot me.’ ‘No, no,’ said one of the fiends who was standing -about the sacrifice they were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> roasting, ‘he shall not be shot. I would -sooner slacken the fire, if it would increase his misery;’ and the man -who said this was, as we understand, an officer of justice!”</p> - -<p>Lest this demonstration of “public opinion” should be regarded as a -sudden impulse merely, not an index of the settled tone of feeling in -that community, it is important to add, that the Hon. Luke E. Lawless, -Judge of the Circuit Court of Missouri, at a session of that court -in the city of St. Louis, some months after the burning of this man, -decided officially that since the burning of McIntosh was the act, -either directly or by countenance of a majority of the citizens, it -is “a case which transcends the jurisdiction” of the Grand Jury! Thus -the State of Missouri proclaimed to the world that the wretches who -perpetrated that unspeakably diabolical murder, and the thousands that -stood by consenting to it, were her representatives, and the Bench -sanctified it with the solemnity of a judicial decision.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVI.</span> <span class="smaller">DISCONTENT AND INSURRECTION.</span></h2> - -<p>An undeveloped discontent always pervaded the black population of the -South, bond and free. Human bondage is ever fruitful of insurrection, -wherever it exists, and under whatever circumstances it may be found. -The laws forbidding either free people of color or slaves to assemble -in any considerable numbers for religious, or any other purpose, -without two or more whites being present, and the rigorous enforcement -of such laws, show how fearful the slave-masters were of their injured -victims.</p> - -<p>Everything was done to make the Negro feel that he was not a man, but -a thing; his inferiority was impressed upon him in all possible ways. -In the great cities of the South, free colored ladies were not allowed -to wear a veil in the streets, or in any public places. A violation of -this law was visited with thirty-nine lashes upon the bare back. The -same was inflicted upon the free colored man who should be seen upon -the streets with a cigar in his mouth, or a walking-stick in his hand. -Both, when walking the streets, were forbidden to take the inside of -the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span>pavement. Punishment of fine and imprisonment was laid upon any -found out of their houses after nine o’clock at night.</p> - -<p>An extra tax was placed upon every member of a free colored family. -While all these odious edicts were silently borne by the free colored -people of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1822, there was a suppressed -feeling of indignation, mortification, and discontent, that was only -appreciated by a few. Among the most dissatisfied of the free blacks -was Denmark Vesey, a man who had purchased his freedom in the year -1800, and since that time had earned his living by his trade, being a -carpenter and joiner.</p> - -<p>In person, Vesey was tall and of spare make; in color, a dark mulatto; -high forehead; eyes, dark brown; nose, long and with a Roman cast. His -education was superior to that of his associates, and he had read much, -especially of the condition of his own race, and felt deeply for them -in their degraded condition.</p> - -<p>Vesey was a native of the West Indies. Having been employed on -shipboard by his master, Captain Vesey, Denmark had seen a great -deal of the world, and had acquired a large fund of information, and -was regarded as a leading man among the blacks. He had studied the -Scriptures, and never lost an opportunity of showing that they were -opposed to chattel-slavery. He spoke freely with the slaves upon the -subject, and often with the whites, where he found he could do so -without risk to his own liberty.</p> - -<p>After resolving to incite the slaves to rebellion, he began taking -into his confidence such persons as he could trust, and instructing -them to gain adherents<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> from among the more reliable of both bond and -free. Peter Poyas, a slave of more than ordinary foresight and ability, -was selected by Vesey as his lieutenant; and to him was committed the -arduous duty of arranging the mode of attack, and of acting as the -military leader.</p> - -<p>His plans showed some natural generalship; he arranged the night -attack; he planned the enrollment of a mounted troop to scour the -streets; and he had a list of all the shops where arms and ammunition -were kept for sale. He voluntarily undertook the management of the -most difficult part of the enterprise,—the capture of the main -guard-house,—and had pledged himself to advance alone, and surprise -the sentinel. He was said to have a magnetism in his eye, of which his -confederates stood in great awe; if he once got his eye upon a man, -there was no resisting it.</p> - -<p>Gullah Jack, Tom Russell, and Ned Bennett. The last two were not less -valuable than Peter Poyas; for Tom was an ingenious mechanic, and made -battle-axes, pikes, and other instruments of death, with which to carry -on the war. All of the above were to be generals of brigades, and were -let into all the secrets of the intended rising. It has long been -the custom in Charleston for the country slaves to visit the city in -great numbers on Sunday, and return to their homes in time to commence -work on the following morning. It was therefore determined by Denmark -to have the rising take place on Sunday. The slaves of nearly every -plantation in the vicinity were enlisted, and were to take part.</p> - -<p>The details of the plan, however, were not rashly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> committed to the -mass of the confederates; they were known only to a few, and were -finally to have been announced after the evening prayer-meeting on -the appointed Sunday. But each leader had his own company enlisted, -and his own work marked out. When the clock struck twelve, all were -to move. Peter Poyas was to lead a party ordered to assemble at South -Bay, and to be joined by a force from James’ Island; he was then to -march up and seize the arsenal and guard-house opposite St. Michael’s -Church, and detach a sufficient number to cut off all white citizens -who should appear at the alarm posts. A second body of negroes, from -the country and the Neck, headed by Ned Bennett, was to assemble on -the Neck and seize the arsenal there. A third was to meet at Governor -Bennett’s Mills, under command of Rolla, another leader, and, after -putting the governor and intendant to death, to march through the -city, or be posted at Cannon’s Bridge, thus preventing the inhabitants -of Cannonsborough from entering the city. A fourth, partly from the -country and partly from the neighboring localities in the city, was to -rendezvous on Gadsden’s Wharf, and attack the upper guard-house.</p> - -<p>A fifth, composed of country and Neck negroes, was to assemble at -Bulkley’s farm, two miles and a half from the city, seize the upper -powder magazine, and then march down; and a sixth was to assemble at -Denmark Vesey’s, and obey his orders. A seventh detachment, under -Gullah Jack, was to assemble in Boundary Street, at the head of King -Street, to capture the arms of the Neck company of militia, and to -take an additional supply from Mr. Duquercron’s shop. The naval stores -on Mey’s Wharf were also to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> be attacked. Meanwhile a horse company, -consisting of many draymen, hostlers, and butcher boys, was to meet at -Lightwood’s Alley, and then scour the streets to prevent the whites -from assembling. Every white man coming out of his own door was to -be killed, and, if necessary, the city was to be fired in several -places—slow match for this purpose having been purloined from the -public arsenal and placed in an accessible position.</p> - -<p>The secret and plan of attack, however, were incautiously divulged -to a slave named Devany, belonging to Colonel Prioleau, and he at -once informed his master’s family. The mayor, on getting possession -of the facts, called the city council together for consultation. The -investigation elicited nothing new, for the slaves persisted in their -ignorance of the matter, and the authorities began to feel that they -had been imposed upon by Devany and his informant, when another of -the conspirators, being bribed, revealed what he knew. Arrests after -arrests were made, and the Mayor’s Court held daily examinations for -weeks. After several weeks of incarceration, the accused, one hundred -and twenty in number, were brought to trial: thirty-four were sentenced -to transportation, twenty-seven acquitted by the court, twenty-five -discharged without trial, and thirty-five condemned to death. With but -two or three exceptions, all of the conspirators went to the gallows -feeling that they had acted right, and died like men giving their lives -for the cause of freedom. A report of the trial, written soon after, -says of Denmark Vesey:—</p> - -<p>“For several years before he disclosed his intentions to any one, he -appears to have been constantly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> and assiduously engaged in endeavoring -to embitter the minds of the colored population against the white. -He rendered himself perfectly familiar with all those parts of the -Scriptures which he thought he could pervert to his purpose, and would -readily quote them to prove that slavery was contrary to the laws of -God,—that slaves were bound to attempt their emancipation, however -shocking and bloody might be the consequences,—and that such efforts -would not only be pleasing to the Almighty, but were absolutely -enjoined, and their success predicted, in the Scriptures. His favorite -texts, when he addressed those of his own color, were Zachariah xiv: -1-3, and Joshua vi: 21; and in all his conversations he identified -their situation with that of the Israelites.</p> - -<p>The number of inflammatory pamphlets on slavery brought into Charleston -from some of our sister states within the last four years (and once -from Sierra Leone), and distributed amongst the colored population of -the city, for which there was a great facility, in consequence of the -unrestricted intercourse allowed to the persons of color between the -different states in the Union, and the speeches in Congress of those -opposed to the admission of Missouri into the Union, perhaps garbled -and misrepresented, furnished him with ample means for inflaming the -minds of the colored population of this State; and by distorting -certain parts of those speeches, or selecting from them particular -passages, he persuaded but too many that Congress had actually declared -them free, and that they were held in bondage contrary to the laws of -the land.</p> - -<p>Even whilst walking through the streets in company with another, he -was not idle; for if his companion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> bowed to a white person, he would -rebuke him, and observe that all men were born equal, and that he was -surprised that any one would degrade himself by such conduct,—that -he would never cringe to the whites, nor ought any one who had -the feelings of a man. When answered, ‘We are slaves,’ he would -sarcastically and indignantly reply, ‘You deserve to remain slaves;’ -and if he were further asked, ‘What can we do?’ he would remark, -‘Go and buy a spelling-book and read the fable of Hercules and the -Wagoner,’ which he would then repeat, and apply it to their situation. -He also sought every opportunity of entering into conversation with -white persons, when they could be overheard by negroes near by, -especially in grog shops; during which conversation, he would artfully -introduce some bold remark on slavery; and sometimes, when, from the -character he was conversing with, he found he might be still bolder, he -would go so far, that, had not his declarations in such situations been -clearly proved, they would scarcely have been credited. He continued -this course until some time after the commencement of the last winter; -by which time he had not only obtained incredible influence amongst -persons of color, but many feared him more than their owners, and, one -of them declared, even more than his God.”</p> - -<p>The excitement which the revelations of the trial occasioned, and -the continual fanning of the flame by the newspapers, were beyond -description. Double guard in the city, the country patrol on -horseback and on foot, the watchfulness that was observed on all -plantations, showed the deep feeling of fear pervading the hearts of -the slaveholders, not only in South Carolina, but the fever extended -to the other Southern states,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> and all seemed to feel that a great -crisis had been passed. And indeed, their fears seem not to have been -without ground, for a more complicated plan for an insurrection could -scarcely have been conceived. And many were of opinion that the rising -once begun, they would have taken the city and held it, and might have -sealed the fate of slavery in the South.<a name="FNanchor_51_51" id="FNanchor_51_51"></a><a href="#Footnote_51_51" class="fnanchor">[51]</a> But a more successful -effort in rebellion was made in Southampton, Virginia, in the year -1831, at the head of which was Nat Turner.</p> - -<p>On one of the oldest and largest plantations in Southampton County, -Virginia, owned by Benjamin Turner, Esq., Nat was born a slave, on -the 2d of October, 1800. His parents were of unmixed African descent. -Surrounded as he was by the superstition of the slave quarters, and -being taught by his mother that he was born for a prophet, a preacher, -and a deliverer of his race, it is not strange that the child should -have imbibed the principles which were afterwards developed in his -career. Early impressed with the belief that he had seen visions, and -received communications direct from God, he, like Napoleon, regarded -himself as a being of destiny. In his childhood Nat was of an amiable -disposition; but circumstances in which he was placed as a slave, -brought out incidents that created a change in his disposition, and -turned his kind and docile feeling into the most intense hatred to the -white race.</p> - -<p>Being absent one night from his master’s plantation without a pass, -he was caught by Whitlock and Mull, the two district patrolers, and -severely flogged. This act of cruelty inflamed the young slave, and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> -resolved upon having revenge. Getting two of the boys of a neighboring -plantation to join him, Nat obtained a long rope, went out at night -on the road through which the officers had their beat, and stationing -his companions, one on each side of the road, he stretched the rope -across, fastening each end to a tree, and drawing it tight. His rope -thus fixed, and his accomplices instructed how to act their part, Nat -started off up the road. The night being dark, and the rope only six or -eight inches from the ground, the slave felt sure that he would give -his enemies a “high fall.”</p> - -<p>Nat hearing them, he called out in a disguised voice, “Is dat you, -Jim?” To this Whitlock replied, “Yes, dis is me.” Waiting until the -white men were near him, Nat started off upon a run, followed by the -officers. The boy had placed a sheet of white paper in the road, so -that he might know at what point to jump the rope, so as not to be -caught in his own trap. Arriving at the signal he sprung over the -rope, and went down the road like an antelope. But not so with the -white men, for both were caught by the legs and thrown so hard upon -the ground that Mull had his shoulder put out of joint, and his face -terribly lacerated by the fall; while Whitlock’s left wrist was -broken, and his head bruised in a shocking manner. Nat hastened home, -while his companions did the same, not forgetting to take with them -the clothesline which had been so serviceable in the conflict. The -patrolers were left on the field of battle, crying, swearing, and -calling for help.</p> - -<p>Snow seldom falls as far south as the southern part of Virginia; but -when it does, the boys usually have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> a good time snow-balling, and on -such occasions the slaves, old and young, women and men, are generally -pelted without mercy, and with no right to retaliate. It was only a -few months after his affair with the patrolers, that Nat was attacked -by a gang of boys, who chased him some distance, snow-balling with all -their power. The slave boy knew the lads, and determined upon revenge. -Waiting till night, he filled his pockets with rocks, and went into -the street. Very soon the same gang of boys were at his heels, and -pelting him. Concealing his face so as not to be known, Nat discharged -his rocks in every direction, until his enemies had all taken to their -heels.</p> - -<p>The ill treatment he experienced at the hands of the whites, and the -visions he claimed to have seen, caused Nat to avoid, as far as he -could, all intercourse with his fellow-slaves, and threw around him a -gloom and melancholy that disappeared only with his life.</p> - -<p>Both the young slave and his friends averred that a full knowledge of -the alphabet came to him in a single night. Impressed with the belief -that his mission was a religious one, and this impression strengthened -by the advice of his grandmother, a pious but ignorant woman, Nat -commenced preaching when about twenty-five years of age, but never -went beyond his own master’s locality. In stature he was under the -middle size, long-armed, round-shouldered, and strongly marked with -the African features. A gloomy fire burned in his looks, and he had a -melancholy expression of countenance. He never tasted a drop of ardent -spirits in his life, and was never known to smile. In the year 1828 new -visions appeared to Nat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> and he claimed to have direct communication -with God. Unlike most of those born under the influence of slavery, he -had no faith in conjuring, fortune-telling, or dreams, and always spoke -with contempt of such things.</p> - -<p>Being hired out to cruel masters, he ran away and remained in the woods -thirty days, and could have easily escaped to the free states, as -did his father some years before; but he received, as he says in his -confession a communication from the spirit, which said, “Return to your -earthly master, for he who knoweth his Master’s will, and doeth it not, -shall be beaten with many stripes.” It was not the will of his earthly, -but his heavenly Master that he felt bound to do, and therefore Nat -returned. His fellow-slaves were greatly incensed at him for coming -back, for they knew well his ability to reach Canada, or some other -land of freedom, if he was so inclined.</p> - -<p>He says further: “About this time I had a vision, and saw white spirits -and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened, the -thunder rolled in the heavens, and blood flowed in streams; and I heard -a voice saying, ‘Such is your luck; such are you called on to see; and -let it come, rough or smooth, you must surely bear it.’”</p> - -<p>Some time after this, Nat had, as he says, another vision, in which -the spirit appeared and said, “The serpent is loosened, and Christ has -laid down the yoke he has borne for the sins of men, and you must take -it up, and fight against the serpent, for the time is fast approaching -when the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” There is no -doubt but that this last sentence filled Nat with enthusiastic feeling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> -in favor of the liberty of his race, that he had so long dreamed of. -“The last shall be first, and the first shall be last,” seemed to him -to mean something. He saw in it the overthrow of the whites, and the -establishing of the blacks in their stead, and to this end he bent -the energies of his mind. In February, 1831, Nat received his last -communication, and beheld his last vision. He said, “I was told I -should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own -weapons.”</p> - -<p>The plan of an insurrection was now formed in his own mind, and the -time had arrived for him to take others into the secret; and he at once -communicated his ideas to four of his friends, in whom he had implicit -confidence. Hark Travis, Nelson Williams, Sam Edwards, and Henry Porter -were slaves like himself, and like him had taken their names from their -masters. A meeting must be held with these, and it must take place in -some secluded place, where the whites would not disturb them; and a -meeting was appointed. The spot where they assembled was as wild and -romantic as were the visions that had been impressed upon the mind of -their leader.</p> - -<p>Three miles from where Nat lived was a dark swamp filled with reptiles, -in the middle of which was a dry spot, reached by a narrow, winding -path, and upon which human feet seldom trod, on account of its having -been the place where a slave had been tortured to death by a slow fire, -for the crime of having flogged his cruel and inhuman master. The -night for the meeting arrived, and they came together. Hark brought a -pig; Sam, bread; Nelson, sweet potatoes, and Henry, brandy; and the -gathering was turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> into a feast. Others were taken in, and joined -the conspiracy. All partook heartily of the food and drank freely, -except Nat. He fasted and prayed. It was agreed that the revolt should -commence that night, and in their own master’s households, and that -each slave should give his oppressor the death-blow. Before they left -the swamp Nat made a speech, in which he said, “Friends and brothers: -We are to commence a great work to-night. Our race is to be delivered -from slavery, and God has appointed us as the men to do his bidding, -and let us be worthy of our calling. I am told to slay all the whites -we encounter, without regard to age or sex. We have no arms or -ammunition, but we will find these in the houses of our oppressors, -and as we go on, others can join us. Remember that we do not go forth -for the sake of blood and carnage, but it is necessary that in the -commencement of this revolution all the whites we meet should die, -until we shall have an army strong enough to carry on the war upon a -Christian basis. Remember that ours is not a war for robbery and to -satisfy our passions; it is a struggle for freedom. Ours must be deeds, -and not words. Then let’s away to the scene of action.”</p> - -<p>Among those who had joined the conspirators was Will, a slave, who -scorned the idea of taking his master’s name. Though his soul longed -to be free, he evidently became one of the party, as much to satisfy -revenge, as for the liberty that he saw in the dim distance. Will had -seen a dear and beloved wife sold to the negro-trader and taken away, -never to be beheld by him again in this life. His own back was covered -with scars, from his shoulders to his feet. A large scar, running from -his right eye down to his chin,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> showed that he had lived with a cruel -master. Nearly six feet in height, and one of the strongest and most -athletic of his race, he proved to be the most unfeeling of all the -insurrectionists. His only weapon was a broad-axe, sharp and heavy.</p> - -<p>Nat and his accomplices at once started for the plantation of Joseph -Travis, with whom the four lived, and there the first blow was struck. -In his confession, just before his execution, Nat said:—</p> - -<p>“On returning to the house, Hark went to the door with an axe, for the -purpose of breaking it open, as we knew we were strong enough to murder -the family should they be awakened by the noise; but reflecting that -it might create an alarm in the neighborhood, we determined to enter -the house secretly, and murder them whilst sleeping. Hark got a ladder -and set it against the chimney, on which I ascended, and hoisting a -window, entered, and came down-stairs, unbarred the doors, and removed -the guns from their places. It was then observed that I must spill -the first blood. On which, armed with a hatchet, and accompanied by -Will, I entered my master’s chamber. It being dark, I could not give -a death-blow. The hatchet glanced from his head; he sprang from the -bed and called his wife. It was his last word; Will laid him dead with -a blow of his axe, and Mrs. Travis shared the same fate as she lay -in bed. The murder of this family, five in number, was the work of a -moment; not one of them awoke. There was a little infant sleeping in a -cradle, that was forgotten until we had left the house and gone some -distance, when Henry and Will returned and killed it. We got here four -guns that would shoot, and several old muskets, with a pound or two -of powder.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> We remained for some time at the barn, where we paraded; -I formed them in line as soldiers, and after carrying them through -all the manœuvres I was master of, marched them off to Mr. Salathiel -Francis’s, about six hundred yards distant.</p> - -<p>“Sam and Will went to the door and knocked. Mr. Francis asked who was -there; Sam replied it was he and he had a letter for him; on this he -got up and came to the door; they immediately seized him, and dragging -him out a little from the door, he was despatched by repeated blows on -the head. There was no other white person in the family. We started -from there to Mrs. Reese’s, maintaining the most perfect silence on our -march, where, finding the door unlocked, we entered and murdered Mrs. -Reese in her bed while sleeping; her son awoke, but only to sleep the -sleep of death; he had only time to say, ‘Who is that?’ and he was no -more.</p> - -<p>“From Mrs. Reese’s we went to Mrs. Turner’s, a mile distant, which we -reached about sunrise, on Monday morning. Henry, Austin, and Sam, went -to the still, where, finding Mr. Peebles, Austin shot him; the rest of -us went to the house. As we approached, the family discovered us and -shut the door. Vain hope! Will, with one stroke of his axe, opened it, -and we entered, and found Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Newsome in the middle -of the room, almost frightened to death. Will immediately killed Mrs. -Turner with one blow of his axe. I took Mrs. Newsome by the hand, and -with the sword I had when apprehended, I struck her several blows over -the head, but was not able to kill her, as the sword was dull. Will, -turning round and discovering it, despatched her also. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> general -destruction of property, and search for money and ammunition, always -succeeded the murders.</p> - -<p>“By this time, my company amounted to fifteen, nine men mounted, who -started for Mrs. Whitehead’s, (the other six were to go through a -by-way to Mr. Bryant’s, and rejoin us at Mrs. Whitehead’s).</p> - -<p>“As we approached the house, we discovered Mr. Richard Whitehead -standing in the cotton patch, near the lane fence; we called him over -into the lane, and Will, the executioner, was near at hand, with his -fatal axe, to send him to an untimely grave. As we pushed on to the -house, I discovered some one running around the garden, and thinking it -was some of the white family, I pursued; but finding it was a servant -girl belonging to the house, I returned to commence the work of death; -but they whom I left had not been idle; all the family were already -murdered but Mrs. Whitehead and her daughter Margaret. As I came round -to the door, I saw Will pulling Mrs. Whitehead out of the house, and at -the step he nearly severed her head from her body with his broadaxe. -Miss Margaret, when I discovered her, had concealed herself in the -corner formed by the projection of the cellar cap from the house; on -my approach she fled, but was soon overtaken, and after repeated blows -with a sword, I killed her with a blow over the head with a fence rail. -By this time the six who had gone by Mr. Bryant’s rejoined us, and -informed me they had done the work of death assigned them.</p> - -<p>“We again divided, part going to Mr. Richard Porter’s, and from thence -to Nathaniel Francis’s, the others to Mr. Howell Harris’s and Mr. -T. Doyles’s. On my reaching Mr. Porter’s, he had escaped with his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> -family. I understood there that the alarm had already spread, and I -immediately returned to bring up those sent to Mr. Doyles’s and Mr. -Howell Harris’s; the party I left going on to Mr. Francis’s, having -told them I would join them in that neighborhood. I met those sent to -Mr. Doyles’s and Mr. Howell Harris’s returning, having met Mr. Doyles -on the road and killed him.</p> - -<p>“Learning from some who joined them that Mr. Harris was from home, I -immediately pursued the course taken by the party gone on before; but -knowing that they would complete the work of death and pillage at Mr. -Francis’s before I could get there, I went to Mr. Peter Edwards’s, -expecting to find them there; but they had been there already. I then -went to Mr. John T. Barrows’s; they had been there and murdered him. I -pursued on their track to Captain Newitt Harris’s. I found the greater -part mounted and ready to start; the men, now amounting to about forty, -shouted and hurrahed as I rode up; some were in the yard loading their -guns, others drinking. They said Captain Harris and his family had -escaped; the property in the house they destroyed, robbing him of money -and other valuables.</p> - -<p>“I ordered them to mount and march instantly; this was about nine or -ten o’clock, Monday morning. I proceeded to Mr. Levi Waller’s, two -or three miles distant. I took my station in the rear, and as it was -my object to carry terror and devastation wherever we went, I placed -fifteen or twenty of the best mounted and most to be relied on in -front, who generally approached the houses as fast as their horses -could run. This was for two purposes; to prevent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> their escape, and -strike terror to the inhabitants. On this account I never got to -the houses, after leaving Mrs. Whitehead’s, until the murders were -committed, except in one case. I sometimes got in sight in time to see -the work of death completed, view the mangled bodies as they lay, in -silent satisfaction, and immediately start in quest of other victims. -Having murdered Mrs. Waller and ten children, we started for Mr. -William Williams’s. We killed him and two little boys that were there: -while engaged in this, Mrs. Williams fled, and got some distance from -the house; but she was pursued, overtaken, and compelled to get up -behind one of the company, who brought her back, and after showing her -the mangled body of her lifeless husband, she was told to get down and -lie by his side, where she was shot dead.</p> - -<p>“I then started for Mr. Jacob Williams’s, where the family were -murdered. Here we found a young man named Drury, who had come on -business with Mr. Williams; he was pursued, overtaken, and shot. Mrs. -Vaughan’s was the next place we visited; and after murdering the family -here, I determined on starting for Jerusalem. Our number amounted now -to fifty or sixty, all mounted and armed with guns, axes, swords, and -clubs. On reaching Mr. James W. Parker’s gate, immediately on the road -leading to Jerusalem, and about three miles distant, it was proposed to -me to call there; but I objected, as I knew he was gone to Jerusalem, -and my object was to reach there as soon as possible; but some of the -men having relations at Mr. Parker’s, it was agreed that they might -call and get his people.</p> - -<p>“I remained at the gate on the road, with seven or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span> eight, the others -going across the field to the house, about half a mile off. After -waiting some time for them, I became impatient, and started to the -house for them, and on our return we were met by a party of white men, -who had pursued our blood-stained track, and who had fired on those -at the gate, and dispersed them, which I knew nothing of, not having -been at that time rejoined by any of them. Immediately on discovering -the whites, I ordered my men to halt and form, as they appeared to be -alarmed. The white men, eighteen in number, approached us within about -one hundred yards, when one of them fired, and I discovered about half -of them retreating. I then ordered my men to fire and rush on them; -the few remaining stood their ground until we approached within fifty -yards, when they fired and retreated.</p> - -<p>“We pursued and overtook some of them, whom we thought we left dead; -after pursuing them about two hundred yards, and rising a little hill, -I discovered they were met by another party, and had halted, and were -reloading their guns, thinking that those who retreated first, and the -party who fired on us at fifty or sixty yards distant, had only fallen -back to meet others with ammunition. As I saw them reloading their -guns, and more coming up than I saw at first, and several of my bravest -men being wounded, the others became panic-stricken, and scattered -over the field; the white men pursued and fired on us several times. -Hark had his horse shot under him, and I caught another for him that -was running by me; five or six of my men were wounded, but none left -on the field. Finding myself defeated here, I instantly determined to -go through a private way, and cross the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> Nottoway River at the Cypress -Bridge, three miles below Jerusalem, and attack that place in the rear, -as I expected they would look for me on the other road, and I had a -great desire to get there to procure arms and ammunition.”</p> - -<p>Reënforcements came to the whites, and the blacks were overpowered and -defeated by the superior numbers of their enemy. In this battle many -were slain on both sides. Will, the bloodthirsty and revengeful slave, -fell with his broad-axe uplifted, after having laid three of the whites -dead at his feet with his own strong arm and his terrible weapon. His -last words were, “Bury my axe with me;” for he religiously believed -that in the next world the blacks would have a contest with the whites, -and that he would need his axe. Nat Turner, after fighting to the last -with his short-sword, escaped with some others to the woods near by, -and was not captured for nearly two months. He had aroused the entire -country by his deeds, and for sixty days had eluded a thousand armed -men on his track. When taken, although half starved, and exhausted by -fatigue, like a fox after a weary chase, he stood erect and dignified, -proud and haughty, amid his captors, his sturdy, compact form, marked -features, and flashing eye, declaring him to be every inch a man.</p> - -<p>When brought to trial, he pleaded “not guilty;” feeling, as he said, -that it was always right for one to strike for his own liberty. After -going through a mere form of trial, he was convicted and executed at -Jerusalem, the county seat for Southampton County, Virginia. Not a -limb trembled nor a muscle was observed to move. Thus died Nat Turner, -at the early<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> age of thirty-one years—a martyr to the freedom of -his race, and a victim to his own fanaticism. He meditated upon the -wrongs of his oppressed and injured people, till the idea of their -deliverance excluded all other ideas from his mind, and he devoted his -life to its realization. Everything appeared to him a vision, and all -favorable omens were signs from God. That he was sincere in all that he -professed, there is not the slightest doubt. After being defeated, he -might have escaped to the free states, but the hope of raising a new -band kept him from doing so.</p> - -<p>He impressed his image upon the minds of those who once beheld him. -His looks, his sermons, his acts, and his heroism live in the hearts -of his race, on every cotton, sugar, and rice plantation at the South. -The present generation of slaves have a superstitious veneration for -his name. He foretold that at his death the sun would refuse to shine, -and that there would be signs of disapprobation given from Heaven. -And it is true that the sun was darkened, a storm gathered, and more -boisterous weather had never appeared in Southampton County than on the -day of Nat’s execution. The sheriff, warned by the prisoner, refused to -cut the cord that held the trap. No black man would touch the rope. A -poor old white man, long besotted by drink, was brought forty miles to -be the executioner. And even the planters, with all their prejudice and -hatred, believed him honest and sincere; for Mr. Gray, who had known -Nat from boyhood, and to whom he made his confession, says of him:—</p> - -<p>“It has been said that he was ignorant and cowardly, and that his -object was to murder and rob, for the purpose of obtaining money to -make his escape. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> is notorious that he was never known to have a -dollar in his life, to swear an oath, or drink a drop of spirits. As to -his ignorance, he certainly never had the advantages of education; but -he can read and write, and for natural intelligence and quickness of -apprehension, is surpassed by few men I have ever seen. As to his being -a coward, his reason, as given, for not resisting Mr. Phipps, shows -the decision of his character. When he saw Mr. Phipps present his gun, -he said he knew it was impossible for him to escape, as the woods were -full of men; he therefore thought it was better for him to surrender, -and trust to fortune for his escape.</p> - -<p>“He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably. On other -subjects he possesses an uncommon share of intelligence, with a -mind capable of attaining anything, but warped and perverted by the -influence of early impressions. He is below the ordinary stature, -though strong and active, having the true negro face, every feature of -which is strongly marked. I shall not attempt to describe the effect of -his narrative, as told and commented on by himself, in the condemned -hole of the prison; the calm, deliberate composure with which he spoke -of his late deeds and intentions; the expression of his fiend-like -face, when excited by enthusiasm—still bearing the stains of the blood -of helpless innocence about him, clothed with rags and covered with -chains, yet daring to raise his manacled hands to Heaven, with a spirit -soaring above the attributes of man; I looked on him, and the blood -curdled in my veins.”</p> - -<p>Fifty-five whites and seventy-three blacks lost their lives in the -Southampton rebellion. On the fatal night when Nat and his companions -were dealing death<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> to all they found, Captain Harris, a wealthy -planter had his life saved by the devotion and timely warning of his -slave Jim, said to have been half-brother to his master. After the -revolt had been put down, and parties of whites were out hunting the -suspected blacks, Captain Harris, with his faithful slave, went into -the woods in search of the negroes. In saving his master’s life, Jim -felt that he had done his duty, and could not consent to become a -betrayer of his race; and on reaching the woods, he handed his pistol -to his master, and said, “I cannot help you hunt down these men; they, -like myself, want to be free. Sir, I am tired of the life of a slave; -please give me my freedom, or shoot me on the spot.” Captain Harris -took the weapon and pointed it at the slave. Jim, putting his right -hand upon his heart, said, “This is the spot; aim here.” The captain -fired, and the slave fell dead at his feet.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_51_51" id="Footnote_51_51"></a><a href="#FNanchor_51_51"><span class="label">[51]</span></a> T. W. Higginson, in Atlantic Monthly, June, 1861.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVII.</span> <span class="smaller">GROWING OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY.</span></h2> - -<p>The vast increase of the slave population in the Southern States, and -their frequent insurrectionary efforts, together with the fact that the -whole system was in direct contradiction to the sentiments expressed in -the declaration of American independence, was fast creating a hatred to -slavery.</p> - -<p>The society of Friends, the first to raise a warning voice against the -sin of human bondage, had nobly done its duty; and as early as 1789 had -petitioned Congress in favor of the abolition of slavery.</p> - -<p>Previous to this, however, William Beorling, a Quaker, of Long Island, -Ralph Sandiford of Philadelphia, Benjamin Lay, and several others of -the society of Friends, had written brave words in behalf of negro -freedom.</p> - -<p>Benjamin Lundy, also a member of the Society of Friends, commenced, in -1821, at Baltimore, the publication of a monthly paper, called “The -Genius of Universal Emancipation.” This journal advocated gradual, not -immediate emancipation. It had, however, one good effect, and that was, -to attract the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span>attention of William Lloyd Garrison to the condition of -the enslaved negro.</p> - -<p>Out of this interest grew “The Liberator,” which was commenced January -1, 1831, at Boston. Two years later, the American Anti-slavery Society -was organized at Philadelphia.</p> - -<p>After setting forth the causes which the patriots of the American -Revolution had to induce them to throw off the British yoke, they nobly -put forth the claim of the slave to his liberty.</p> - -<p>The document was signed by sixty-four persons, among whom was William -Lloyd Garrison, and John G. Whittier.</p> - -<p>The formation of the American Anti-slavery Society created considerable -excitement at the time, and exposed its authors to the condemnation -of the servile pulpit and press of that period. Few, however, saw the -great importance of such a work, and none of the movers in it imagined -that they would live to witness the accomplishing of an object for -which the society was brought into being.</p> - -<p>One of the most malignant opposers that the abolitionists had to meet, -in their commencement, was the American Colonization Society, an -organization which began in 1817, in the interest of the slaveholders, -and whose purpose was to carry off to Africa the free colored people. -Garrison’s “Thoughts on African Colonization,” published in 1832, had -already drawn the teeth of this enemy of the Negro, and for which the -society turned all its batteries against him.</p> - -<p>The people of the Southern States were not alone in the agitation, for -the question had found its way into all of the ramifications of society -in the North. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span></p> - -<p>Miss Prudence Crandall, about this time, started a school for colored -females, in Canterbury, Connecticut, which was soon broken up, and Miss -Crandall thrown into prison.</p> - -<p>David Walker, a colored man, residing at Boston, had published an -appeal in behalf of his race, filled with enthusiasm, and well -calculated to arouse the ire of the pro-slavery feeling of the country.</p> - -<p>The liberation of his slaves, by James G. Binney of Kentucky, and his -letters to the churches, furnished fuel to the agitating flames.</p> - -<p>The free colored people of the North, especially in Boston, New York, -and Philadelphia, were alive to their own interest, and were yearly -holding conventions, at which they would recount their grievances, and -press their claims to equal rights with their white fellow-citizens.</p> - -<p>At these meetings, the talent exhibited, the able speeches made, and -the strong appeals for justice which were sent forth, did very much to -raise the blacks in the estimation of the whites generally, and gained -for the Negroes’ cause additional friends.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">MOB LAW TRIUMPHANT.</span></h2> - -<p>In the year 1834, mob law was inaugurated in the free states, which -extended into the years 1835-6 and 7.</p> - -<p>The mobbing of the friends of freedom commenced in Boston, in October, -1835, with an attack upon William Lloyd Garrison, and the ladies’ -Anti-slavery Society. This mob, made up as it was by “Gentlemen of -property and standing,” and from whom Mr. Garrison had to be taken to -prison to save his life, has become disgracefully historical.</p> - -<p>The Boston mob was followed by one at Utica, New York, headed by Judge -Beardsley, who broke up a meeting of the New York State Anti-slavery -Society. Arthur Tappan’s store was attacked by a mob in New York City, -and his property destroyed, to the value of thirty thousand dollars. -The Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, a brave man of the State of Maine, had -located at St. Louis, where he took the editorial charge of “The St. -Louis Times,” and in its columns nobly pleaded for justice to the -enslaved negro. The writer of this was for a period of six months -employed in the office of “The Times,” and knew Mr. Lovejoy well.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> -Driven from St. Louis by mob law, he removed to Alton, Illinois. Here -the spirit of slavery followed him, broke up his printing-press, threw -it into the river, and murdered the heroic advocate of free speech.</p> - -<p>Thus this good man died; but his death raised up new and strong friends -for the oppressed. Wendell Phillips visited the grave of the martyr -recently, and gave the following description of his burial-place:—</p> - -<p>“Lovejoy lies buried now in the city cemetery, on a beautiful knoll. -Near by rolls the great river. His resting-place is marked by an oblong -stone, perhaps thirty inches by twenty, and rising a foot above the -ground; on this rests a marble scroll bearing this inscription:</p> - -<p class="center">Hic<br />Jacet<br /><span class="smcap">Lovejoy</span>.<br /> -Jam parce sepulto.<br /><br />[<i>Here lies Lovejoy, Spare him, now, in his grave.</i>]”</p> - -<p>A more marked testimonial would not, probably, have been safe from -insult and disfigurement, previous to 1864. He fought his fight so far -in the van, so much in the hottest of the battle, that not till after -nigh thirty years and the final victory could even his dust be sure of -quiet.</p> - -<p>In the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Albany, Utica, and many other -places in the free states, the colored people were hunted down like -wild beasts, and their property taken from them or destroyed.</p> - -<p>In the two first-named places, the churches and dwellings of these -unoffending citizens were set on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> fire in open day, and burnt to ashes -without any effort on the part of the authorities to prevent it.</p> - -<p>Even the wives and children of the colored men were stoned in the -streets, and the school-houses sought out, their inmates driven away, -and many of the children with their parents had to flee to the country -for safety.</p> - -<p>Such was the feeling of hate brought out in the North by the influence -of slavery at the South.</p> - -<p>During this reign of terror among the colored people in the free -states, their brethren in slavery were also suffering martyrdom. Free -blacks were arrested, thrown into jail, scourged in their own houses, -and if they made the slightest resistance, were shot down, hung at a -lamp-post, or even burnt at the stake.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XXXIX.</span> <span class="smaller">HEROISM AT SEA.</span></h2> - -<p>In the month of August, 1839, there appeared in the newspapers a -shocking story:—that a schooner, going coastwise from Havana to -Neuvitas, in the Island of Cuba, early in July, with about twenty white -passengers, and a large number of slaves, had been seized by the slaves -in the night time, and the passengers and crew all murdered except two, -who made their escape to land in an open boat. About the 20th of the -same month, a strange craft was seen repeatedly on our coast, which was -believed to be the captured Spanish coaster, in the possession of the -negroes. She was spoken by several pilot-boats and other vessels, and -partially supplied with water, of which she was very much in want. It -was also said that the blacks appeared to have a great deal of money. -The custom-house department and the officers of the navy were instantly -aroused to go in pursuit of the “pirates,” as the unknown possessors -of the schooner were spontaneously called. The United States steamer -Fulton, and several revenue cutters were dispatched, and notice given -to the collectors at the various seaports. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the 10th of August, the “mysterious schooner” was near the shore at -Culloden Point, on the east end of Long Island, where a part of the -crew came on shore for water and fresh provisions, for which they paid -with undiscriminating profuseness. Here they were met by Captain Green -and another gentleman, who stated that they had in their possession a -large box filled with gold. Shortly after, on the 26th, the vessel was -espied by Captain Gedney, U. S. N., in command of the brig Washington, -employed on the coast survey, who despatched an officer to board her. -The officer found a large number of negroes, and two Spaniards, Pedro -Montez and José Ruiz, one of whom immediately announced himself as the -owner of the negroes, and claimed his protection. The schooner was -thereupon taken possession of by Captain Gedney.</p> - -<p>The leader of the blacks was pointed out by the Spaniards, and his -name given as Joseph Cinque. He was a native of Africa, and one of the -finest specimens of his race ever seen in this country. As soon as he -saw that the vessel was in the hands of others, and all hope of his -taking himself and countrymen back to their home land at an end, he -leaped overboard with the agility of an antelope. The small boat was -immediately sent after him, and for two hours did the sailors strive -to capture him before they succeeded. Cinque swam and dived like an -otter, first upon his back, then upon his breast, sometimes his head -out of water, and sometimes his heels out. His countrymen on board -the captured schooner seemed much amused at the chase, for they knew -Cinque well, and felt proud of the untameableness of his nature. After -baffling them for a time, he swam towards the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> vessel, was taken on -board, and secured with the rest of the blacks, and they were taken -into New London, Connecticut.</p> - -<p>The schooner proved to be the Amistad, Captain Ramon Ferrer, from -Havana, bound to Principe, about one hundred leagues distant, with -fifty-four negroes held as slaves, and two passengers. The Spaniards -said, that after being out four days, the negroes rose in the night and -killed the captain and a mulatto cook; that the helmsman and another -sailor took to the boat and went on shore; that the only two whites -remaining were the said passengers, Montez and Ruiz, who were confined -below until morning; that Montez the elder, who had been a sea-captain, -was required to steer the ship for Africa; that he steered easterly in -the day-time, because the negroes could tell his course by the sun, -but put the vessel about in the night. They boxed about some days in -the Bahama Channel, and were several times near the Islands, but the -negroes would not allow her to enter any port. Once they were near Long -Island, but then put out to sea again, the Spaniards all the while -hoping they might fall in with some ship of war that would rescue them -from their awkward situation. One of the Spaniards testified that when -the rising took place, he was awaked by the noise, and that he heard -the captain order the cabin boy to get some bread and throw it to the -negroes, in hope to pacify them. Cinque, however, the leader of the -revolt, leaped on deck, seized a capstan bar, and attacked the captain, -whom he killed at a single blow, and took charge of the vessel; his -authority being acknowledged by his companions, who knew him as a -prince in his native land. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span></p> - -<p>After a long litigation in the courts, the slaves were liberated and -sent back to their native land.</p> - -<p>In the following year, 1840, the brig Creole, laden with slaves, sailed -from Richmond, bound for New Orleans; the slaves mutinied, took the -vessel, and carried her into the British West Indies, and thereby -became free. The hero on this occasion was Madison Washington.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XL.</span> <span class="smaller">THE IRON AGE.</span></h2> - -<p>The resolute and determined purpose of the Southerners to make the -institution of slavery national, and the equally powerful growing -public sentiment at the North to make freedom universal, showed plainly -that the nation was fast approaching a crisis on this absorbing -question. In Congress, men were compelled to take either the one or -the other side, and the debates became more fiery, as the subject -progressed.</p> - -<p>John P. Hale led in the Senate, while Joshua R. Giddings was the -acknowledged leader in the House of Representatives in behalf of -freedom. On the part of slavery, the leadership in the Senate lay -between Foot of Mississippi, and McDuffie of South Carolina; while -Henry A. Wise, followed by a ravenous pack watched over the interest of -the “peculiar institution” in the House.</p> - -<p>The early adoption of the famous “Gag Law,” whereby all petitions on -the subject of slavery were to be “tabled” without discussion, instead -of helping the Southern cause, brought its abettors into contempt.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> In -the House, Mr. Giddings was censured for offering resolutions in regard -to the capture of the brig Creole.</p> - -<p>Mr. Giddings resigned, went home, was at once re-elected, and returned -to Congress to renew the contest. An attempt to expel John Quincy -Adams, for presenting a petition from a number of persons held in -slavery, was a failure, and from which the friends of the negro took -fresh courage.</p> - -<p>In the South, the Legislatures were enacting laws abridging the -freedom of speech and of the press, and making it more difficult for -Northerners to travel in the slave states. Rev. Charles T. Torry was -in the Maryland Penitentiary for aiding slaves to escape, and Jonathan -Walker had been branded with a red-hot iron, and sent home for the same -offence. The free colored people of the South were being persecuted in -a manner hitherto unknown in that section. Amid all these scenes, there -was a moral contest going on at the North. The Garrison abolitionists, -whose head-quarters were in Boston, were at work with a zeal which has -scarcely ever been equalled by any association of men and women.</p> - -<p>“The Liberator,” Mr. Garrison’s own paper, led the vanguard; while the -“National Anti-slavery Standard,” edited at times by Oliver Johnson, -Lydia Maria Child, David Lee Child, and Sydney Howard Gay, gave no -uncertain sound on the slavery question.</p> - -<p>The ladies connected with this society, headed by Maria Weston Chapman, -held an annual fair, and raised funds for the prosecution of the work -of changing public sentiment, and otherwise aiding the anti-slavery -movement. Lecturing agents were kept in the field the year round, or -as far as their means would permit.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span> A few clergymen had already taken -ground against the blood-stained sin, and were singled out by both -pulpit and press, as marks for their poisoned arrows. The ablest and -most ultra of these, was Theodore Parker, the singularly gifted and -truly eloquent preacher of the 28th Congregational Society of Boston. -Thomas Wentworth Higginson, though younger and later in the cause, -was equally true, and was amongst the first to invite anti-slavery -lecturers to his pulpit. The writer of this, a negro, at his invitation -occupied his desk at Newburyport, when it cost something to be an -abolitionist.</p> - -<p>Brave men of other denominations, in different sections of the country, -were fast taking their stand with the friends of the slave.</p> - -<p>The battle in Congress was raging hotter and hotter. The Florida war, -the admission of Texas, and the war against Mexico, had given the -slaveholders a bold front, and they wielded the political lash without -the least mercy or discretion upon all who offended them. Greater -protection for slave property in the free states was demanded by those -who saw their human chattels escaping.</p> - -<p>The law of 1793, for the recapture of fugitive slaves, was now -insufficient for the great change in public opinion, and another -code was asked for by the South. On the 18th of September, 1850, the -Fugitive Slave Bill was passed, and became the law of the land.</p> - -<p>This was justly condemned by good men of all countries, as the most -atrocious enactment ever passed by any legislative body. The four -hundred thousand free colored residents in the non slave-holding -states,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> were liable at any time to be seized under this law and -carried into servitude.</p> - -<p>Intense excitement was created in every section of the free states -where any considerable number of colored persons resided. In -Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio, where there were many fugitives -and descendants of former slaves, the feeling rose to fever-heat. -Every railroad leading toward Canada was thronged with blacks fleeing -for safety. In one town in the State of New York, every member of a -Methodist Church, eighty-two in number, including the pastor, fled to -Canada.</p> - -<p>The passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill was a sad event to the colored -citizens of this State. At that time there were eight thousand nine -hundred and seventy-five persons of color in Massachusetts. In -thirty-six hours after the passage of the bill was known here, five and -thirty colored persons applied to a well-known philanthropist in this -city for counsel. Before sixty hours passed by, more than forty had -fled. The laws of Massachusetts could not be trusted to shelter her own -children; they must flee to Canada.<a name="FNanchor_52_52" id="FNanchor_52_52"></a><a href="#Footnote_52_52" class="fnanchor">[52]</a></p> - -<p>Numbers of these fugitives had escaped many years before, had married -free partners, had acquired property, and had comfortable homes; these -were broken up and their members scattered. Soon after the law went -into force, the kidnappers made their appearance in Boston.</p> - -<p>The fact that men-stealers were prowling about the streets, through -which, eighty years before, the enemies of liberty had been chased, -caused no little <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span>sensation amongst all classes, and when it was -understood that William Craft and his beautiful quadroon wife were -the intended victims, the excitement increased fearfully. These two -persons had escaped from Macon, in the State of Georgia, a year and a -half before. The man was of unmixed negro, the woman, nearly white. -Their mode of escape was novel. The wife, attired as a gentleman, -attended by her husband as a slave, took the train for the North, and -arrived in Philadelphia, after a journey of two days; part of which -was made on steamboats. The writer was in the Quaker City at the time -of their arrival, and was among the first to greet them. Many exciting -incidents occurred during the passage to the land of freedom, which -gave considerable notoriety to the particular case of the Crafts, and -the slave-catchers were soon marked men.</p> - -<p>After many fruitless attempts to have the fugitives arrested, Hughs and -his companions returned to the South; while Craft and his wife fled to -England.</p> - -<p>Boston was not alone in her commotion; Daniel had been arrested at -Buffalo, and taken before Henry K. Smith, a drunken commissioner, and -remanded to his claimant; Hamlet was captured by the kidnappers in -New York City, and Jerry was making his name famous by his arrest at -Syracuse, in the same state.</p> - -<p>The telegrams announcing these events filled the hearts of the blacks -with sad emotions, and told the slave-holders that the law could be -executed. News soon came from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and other -states, of the arrest and rendition of persons claimed as slaves, many -of whom were proven to be free-born. Boston was not permitted to remain -long ere she again witnessed the reappearance of the negro-catcher. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span></p> - -<p>A colored man named Shadrach was claimed as a slave; he was arrested, -put in prison, and the kidnappers felt that for once they had a sure -thing. Boston, however, was a strange place for a human being to be -in a dungeon for wanting to be free; and Shadrach was spirited away -to Canada, no one knew how. The men of Boston who traded largely with -the South, felt that their city was in disgrace in not being able to -execute the Fugitive Slave Bill, and many of them wished heartily for -another opportunity.</p> - -<p>So, on the night of the third of April, 1851, Thomas Simms was -arrested, and after a trial which became historical, was sent back into -slavery, to the utter disgrace of all concerned in his return.</p> - -<p>Next came the rendition of Anthony Burns, a Baptist clergyman, who -was arrested at the instance of Charles F. Suttle, of Virginia. The -commissioner before whom the case was tried was Ellis Greely Loring. -This trial excited even more commotion than did the return of Simms. A -preacher in fetters because he wanted to be free was a new thing to the -people of Boston.</p> - -<p>During the progress of the hearing, the feeling extended to the country -towns, and nearly every train coming in brought large numbers of -persons anxious to behold the new order of things. To guard against the -possibility of a rescue, the building in which the commissioner did his -work was in chains. Burns was delivered to Suttle, and the Union was -once more safe.</p> - -<p>The Boston Court House in chains, two hundred rowdies and thieves sworn -in as special policemen, respectable citizens shoved off the sidewalks -by these slave-catchers, all for the purpose of satisfying “our -brethren of the South.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span></p> - -<p>But this act did not appease the feelings or satisfy the demands of the -slave-holders, while it still further inflamed the fire of abolitionism.</p> - -<p>The “Dred Scott Decision” added fresh combustibles to the smouldering -heap. Dred Scott, a slave, taken by his master into free Illinois, and -then beyond the line of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, and then -back into Missouri, sued for and obtained his freedom, on the ground -that having been taken where, by the Constitution, slavery was illegal, -his master lost all claim.</p> - -<p>But the Supreme Court, on appeal, reversed the judgment, and Dred -Scott, with his wife and children, was taken back into slavery.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_52_52" id="Footnote_52_52"></a><a href="#FNanchor_52_52"><span class="label">[52]</span></a> “Rendition of Thomas Simms.” Theodore Parker, p. 20, -1852.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLI.</span> <span class="smaller">RELIGIOUS STRUGGLES.</span></h2> - -<p>Caste, the natural product of slavery, did not stop at the door of the -sanctuary, as might be presumed that it would, but entered all, or -nearly all, of the Christian denominations of our country, and in some -instances even pursued the negro to the sacramental altar. All churches -had their “Negro-pew,” where there were any blacks to put into them. -This was the custom at the South, and it was the same at the North.</p> - -<p>As the religion of the country was fashioned to suit the public -sentiment, which was negro-hating in its character, the blacks of the -United States would have formed a poor idea of the Christian religion -in its broadest sense, had not an inward monitor told them that there -was still something better.</p> - -<p>The first step towards the enjoyment of religious freedom was taken -by the colored people of Philadelphia. This was caused by the unkind -treatment of their white brethren, who considered them a nuisance in -their houses of worship, where they were pulled off their knees while -in the act of prayer, and ordered to the back seats. From these and -other acts of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span>unchristian conduct, the blacks considered it their duty -to devise means of having a house for religious worship, of their own. -Therefore, in November, 1787, they seceded from the Methodist Church, -in Philadelphia, formed a society, built a house to meet in, and set up -for themselves.</p> - -<p>Although the whites considered the blacks as intruders in their -churches, they were, nevertheless, unwilling to allow them to worship -by themselves, unless they should have the privilege of furnishing -their sable brethren with preachers. The whites denied the blacks -the right of taking the name of Methodist without their consent, and -even went so far as to force their white preachers into the pulpits -of the colored people on Sundays. The law, however, had more justice -in it than the Gospel; and it stepped in between the blacks and their -religious persecutors, and set the former free.</p> - -<p>In 1793, Rev. Richard Allen built a church for his people in -Philadelphia, and henceforth their religious progress was marvellous. -In 1816, Richard Allen was ordained Bishop of the African Methodist -Episcopal Church; Morris Brown was ordained a bishop in 1828; Edward -Waters in 1836; and William P. Quinn in 1844. These were known as the -Bethel Methodists. About the same time, the colored Christians of New -York, feeling the pressure of caste, which weighed heavily upon them, -began to sigh for the freedom enjoyed by their brethren in the City of -Brotherly Love; and in 1796, under the lead of Francis Jacobs, William -Brown, and William Miller, separated from their white brethren, and -formed a church, now known as the African Methodist Episcopal Zion -Church. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> branch of seceders equalled in prosperity their brethren -in Philadelphia.</p> - -<p>The first annual conference of these churches was held in the city of -Baltimore, in April, 1818. The example set by the colored ministers of -Philadelphia and New York was soon followed by their race in Baltimore, -Richmond, Boston, Providence, and other places. These independent -religious movements were not confined to the sect known as Methodists, -but the Baptists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians were permitted to -set up housekeeping for themselves.</p> - -<p>The Episcopalians, however, in New York and Philadelphia, had to suffer -much, for they were compelled to listen to the preacher on Sunday who -would not recognize them on Monday. The settlement of the Revs. Peter -Williams at New York, and William Douglass at Philadelphia, seemed -to open a new era to the blacks in those cities, and the eloquence -of these two divines gave the members of that sect more liberty -throughout the country. In the Southern States, the religious liberty -of the blacks was curtailed far more than at the North. The stringent -slave-law, which punished the negro for being found outside of his -master’s premises after a certain time at night, was construed so as to -apply to him in his going to and from the house of God; and the poor -victim was often flogged for having been found out late, while he was -on his way home from church.</p> - -<p>These laws applied as well to the free blacks as to the slaves, and -frequently the educated colored preacher had his back lacerated with -the “cat-o’-nine-tails” within an hour of his leaving the pulpit.</p> - -<p>In all of the slave states laws were early enacted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> regulating the -religious movements of the blacks, and providing that no slave or free -colored person should be allowed to preach. The assembling of blacks -for religious worship was prohibited, unless three or more white -persons were present.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLII.</span> <span class="smaller">JOHN BROWN’S RAID ON HARPER’S FERRY.</span></h2> - -<p>The year 1859 will long be memorable for the bold attempt of John Brown -and his companions to burst the bolted door of the Southern house of -bondage, and lead out the captives by a more effectual way than they -had yet known; an attempt in which, it is true, the little band of -heroes dashed themselves to bloody death, but, at the same time, shook -the prison walls from summit to foundation, and shot wild alarm into -every tyrant heart in all the slave-land. What were the plans and -purposes of the noble old man is not precisely known, and perhaps will -never be; but whatever they were, there is reason to believe they had -been long maturing,—brooded over silently and secretly, with much -earnest thought, and under a solemn sense of religious duty.</p> - -<p>Of the five colored men who were with the hero at the attack on -Harper’s Ferry, only two, Shields Green and John A. Copeland, were -captured alive. The first of these was a native of South Carolina, -having been born in the city of Charleston, in the year 1832. Escaping -to the North in 1857, he <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span>resided in Rochester, New York, until -attracted by the unadorned eloquence and native magnetism of John Brown.</p> - -<p>Shields Green was of unmixed blood, good countenance, bright eye, and -small in figure. One of his companions in the Harper’s Ferry fight, -says of Green, “He was the most inexorable of all our party; a very -Turco in his hatred against the stealers of men. Wiser and better -men no doubt there were, but a braver man never lived than Shields -Green.”<a name="FNanchor_53_53" id="FNanchor_53_53"></a><a href="#Footnote_53_53" class="fnanchor">[53]</a></p> - -<p>He behaved with becoming coolness and heroism at his execution, -ascending the scaffold with a firm, unwavering step, and died as he had -lived, a brave man, expressing to the last his eternal hatred to human -bondage, prophesying that slavery would soon come to a bloody end.</p> - -<p>John A. Copeland was from North Carolina, and was a mulatto of superior -abilities, and a genuine lover of liberty and justice. He died as -became one who had linked his fate with that of the hero of Harper’s -Ferry.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_53_53" id="Footnote_53_53"></a><a href="#FNanchor_53_53"><span class="label">[53]</span></a> “A Voice from Harper’s Ferry.” O. P. Anderson.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLIII.</span> <span class="smaller">LOYALTY AND BRAVERY OF THE BLACKS.</span></h2> - -<p>The assault on Fort Sumter on the 12th of April, 1861, was the dawn of -a new era for the Negro. The proclamation of President Lincoln, calling -for the first seventy-five thousand men to put down the Rebellion, was -responded to by the colored people throughout the country. In Boston, -at a public meeting of the blacks a large number came forward, put -their names to an agreement to form a brigade, and march at once to -the seat of war. A committee waited on the Governor three days later, -and offered the services of these men. His Excellency replied that he -had no power to receive them. This was the first wet blanket thrown -over the negro’s enthusiasm. “This is a white man’s war,” said most of -the public journals. “I will never fight by the side of a nigger,” was -heard in every quarter where men were seen in Uncle Sam’s uniform.</p> - -<p>Wherever recruiting offices were opened, black men offered themselves, -and were rejected. Yet these people, feeling conscious that right would -eventually prevail, waited patiently for the coming time, pledging -themselves to go at their country’s call. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span></p> - -<p>While the country seemed drifting to destruction, and the -administration without a policy, the heart of every loyal man was -made glad by the appearance of the proclamation of Major-General John -C. Fremont, then in command at the West. The following extract from -that document, which at the time caused so much discussion, will bear -insertion here:—</p> - -<p>“All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands within these -lines, shall be tried by court-martial; and if found guilty, will be -shot. The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of -Missouri, who shall take up arms against the United States, or who -shall be directly proven to have taken active part with their enemies -in the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use, and -their slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared free men.”</p> - -<p>The above was the first official paper issued after the commencement of -the war, that appeared to have the ring of the right kind of mettle.</p> - -<p>Without waiting for instructions from the capital, General Fremont -caused manumission papers to be issued to a number of slaves, -commencing with those owned by Thomas L. Snead, of St. Louis. This -step taken by the brave Fremont was followed by a similar movement of -General Hunter, then stationed in South Carolina. President Lincoln, -however, was persuaded to annul both of the above orders.</p> - -<p>In the month of June, 1861, the schooner S. J. Waring, from New York, -bound to South America, was captured on the passage by the rebel -privateer Jeff Davis, a prize-crew put on board, consisting of a -captain, mate, and four seamen, and the vessel set sail for the port of -Charleston, South Carolina. Three of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span> the original crew were retained -on board, a German as steersman, a Yankee, who was put in irons, and a -black man named William Tillman, the steward and cook of the schooner. -The latter was put to work at his usual business, and told that he was -henceforth the property of the Confederate States, and would be sold on -his arrival at Charleston as a slave.</p> - -<p>Night comes on; darkness covers the sea; the vessel is gliding swiftly -towards the South; the rebels, one after another, retire to their -berths; the hour of midnight approaches; all is silent in the cabin; -the captain is asleep; the mate, who has charge of the watch, takes -his brandy toddy, and reclines upon the quarter-deck. The negro thinks -of home and all its endearments; he sees in the dim future chains and -slavery.</p> - -<p>He resolves, and determines to put the resolution into practice upon -the instant. Armed with a heavy club, he proceeds to the captain’s -room. He strikes the fatal blow. He next goes to the adjoining room; -another blow is struck, and the black man is master of the cabin. -Cautiously he ascends to the deck, strikes the mate. The officer is -wounded, but not killed. He draws his revolver, and calls for help. -The crew are aroused; they are hastening to aid their commander. The -negro repeats his blows with the heavy club; the rebel falls dead at -Tillman’s feet. The African seizes the revolver, drives the crew below -deck, orders the release of the Yankee, puts the enemy in irons, and -proclaims himself master of the vessel.</p> - -<p>Five days more, and the “S. J. Waring” arrives in the port of New York, -under the command of William Tillman, the negro patriot.</p> - -<p>The brave exploit of Tillman had scarcely ceased<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> being the topic of -conversation, ere the public were again startled by the announcement -that Robert Small, a slave, had escaped with the steamer Planter -from Charleston, South Carolina. This event was communicated to the -Secretary of War, by Commodore Dupont.</p> - -<p>Up to this time, the services of colored men in the war had not been -recognized; however, soon after Major-General B. F. Butler accepted and -acknowledged their services in Louisiana.</p> - -<p>It is probably well known that the free colored population of New -Orleans, in intelligence, public spirit, and material wealth, surpass -those of the same class in any other city of the Union. Many of these -gentlemen have been highly educated, have travelled extensively in this -and foreign countries, speak and read the French, Spanish, and English -languages fluently, and in the Exchange Rooms, or at the Stock Boards, -wield an influence at any time fully equal to the same number of white -capitalists. Before the war, they represented in that city alone -fifteen millions of property, and were heavily taxed to support the -schools of the State, but were not allowed to claim the least benefit -therefrom.</p> - -<p>These gentlemen, representing so much intelligence, culture, and -wealth, and who would, notwithstanding the fact that they all have -negro blood in their veins, adorn any circle of society in the -North, who would be taken upon Broadway for educated and wealthy -Cuban planters, rather than free negroes, although many of them have -themselves held slaves, have always been loyal to the Union; and, when -New Orleans seemed in danger of being recaptured by the rebels under -General<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span> Magruder, these colored men rose <i>en masse</i>, closed their -offices and stores, armed and organized themselves into six regiments, -and for six weeks abandoned their business, and stood ready to fight -for the defence of New Orleans, while at the same time not a single -white regiment from the original white inhabitants was raised.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLIV.</span> <span class="smaller">THE CAPITAL FREE.—PROCLAMATION OF FREEDOM.</span></h2> - -<p>In 1862 slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia, the honor of -which in the main belongs to Henry Wilson, Senator from Massachusetts.</p> - -<p>With the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, commenced -a new era at our country’s capital. The representatives of the -governments of Hayti and Liberia had both long knocked in vain to be -admitted with the representatives of other nations. The slave power had -always succeeded in keeping them out. But a change had now come over -the dreams of the people, and Congress was but acting up to this new -light in passing the bill admitting the representatives of the black -republics.</p> - -<p>As we have before stated, the slave-trade was still being carried on -between the Southern States and Africa. Ships were fitted out in the -Northern ports for the purpose of carrying on this infernal traffic. -And although it was prohibited by an act of Congress, none had ever -been convicted for dealing in slaves. The new order of things was to -give these trafficers a trial, and test the power by which they had so -long<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> dealt in the bodies and souls of men whom they had stolen from -their native land.</p> - -<p>One Nathaniel Gordon was already in prison in New York, and his trial -was fast approaching. It came, and he was convicted of piracy in the -United States District Court in the city of New York; the piracy -consisting in having fitted out a slaver, and shipped nine hundred -Africans at Congo River, with a view to selling them as slaves. The -same man had been tried for the same offence before; but the jury -failed to agree, and he accordingly escaped punishment for the time. -Every effort was made which the ingenuity of able lawyers could invent, -or the power of money could enforce, to save this miscreant from the -gallows; but all in vain; for President Lincoln utterly refused to -interfere in any way whatever, and Gordon was executed on the 7th of -February.</p> - -<p>This blow appeared to give more offence to the commercial Copperheads -than even the emancipation of the slaves in the District of Columbia; -for it struck an effectual blow at a very lucrative branch of commerce, -in which the New Yorkers were largely interested. Thus it will be seen -that the nation was steadily moving on to the goal of freedom.</p> - -<p>In September, 1862, the colored people of Cincinnati, Ohio, organized -the “Black Brigade,” and rendered eminent service in protecting that -city from the raids of John Morgan and other brigands.</p> - -<p>On the first of January, 1863, President Lincoln put forth his -Emancipation Proclamation, as follows:—</p> - -<blockquote><p>“Whereas, On the 22d day of September, in the year of our Lord one -thousand eight hundred and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> sixty-three, a proclamation was issued -by the President of the United States, containing, among other -things, the following; to wit:</p> - -<p>“That, On the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one -thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves -within any State or any designated part of a State, the people -whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, -shall be then, henceforward, and forever, free; and the Executive -Government of the United States, including the military and naval -force thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such -persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or -any of them, in any effort they may make for their actual freedom; -that the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, -by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if -any, in which the people therein respectively shall then be in -rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State -or people thereof shall on that day be in good faith represented -in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto, -at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such -States shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong -countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such -State and the people thereof are not then in rebellion against the -United States.</p> - -<p>“Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United -States, by virtue of the power in me vested, as Commander-in-Chief -of the Army and Navy of the United States in times of actual -rebellion against the authorities and government of the United -States, and as a fit and necessary war-measure for suppressing -this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> rebellion, do on this, the first day of January, in the -year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and -in accordance with my purpose so to do, publicly proclaimed for -the full period of one hundred days from the date of the first -above-mentioned order, designate as the States and parts of -States wherein the people thereof, respectively, are this day in -rebellion against the United States. The following, to wit:—</p> - -<p>“Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, -Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.</p> - -<p>“Louisiana (except the parishes of Placquemines, St. Mary, -Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, -Assumption, Terre Bonne, Lafourche, St. Bernard, St. Martin, and -Orleans, including the city of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, -Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, -except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and -also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth -City, York, Princess Anne, and Norfolk, including the cities of -Norfolk and Portsmouth, which excepted parts are for the present -left precisely as if this proclamation were not made.</p> - -<p>“And by virtue of the power, for the purpose aforesaid, I do -order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said -designated States and parts of States are, and henceforward shall -be, <span class="smaller">FREE</span>; and the Executive Government of the United -States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will -recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons.</p> - -<p>“And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to -abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I -recommend to them, that,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> in all cases where allowed, they labor -faithfully for reasonable wages.</p> - -<p>“And I further declare and make known, that such persons, if in -suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of -the United States, to garrison forts, positions, stations, and -other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service. And -upon this, sincerely believed to be an act of justice warranted -by the constitution, and upon military necessity, I invoke the -considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty -God.</p> - -<p>“In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the -seal of the United States to be affixed.</p> - -<p>“Done at the city of Washington, this first day of January, in -the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, -and of the independence of the United States of America the -eighty-seventh.</p> - -<p class="right">(Signed) <span class="s8"> </span> “<span class="smcap">Abraham Lincoln.</span>”</p></blockquote> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLV.</span> <span class="smaller">BLACKS ENLISTED, AND IN BATTLE.</span></h2> - -<p>Attorney-General Bates had already given his opinion with regard to -the citizenship of the negro, and that opinion was in the black man’s -favor. The Emancipation Proclamation was only a prelude to calling -on the colored men to take up arms, and the one soon followed the -other; for the word “Emancipation” had scarcely gone over the wires, -ere Adjutant-General Thomas made his appearance in the valley of the -Mississippi. At Lake Providence, Louisiana, he met a large wing of -the army, composed of volunteers from all parts of the country, and -proclaimed to them the new policy of the administration.</p> - -<p>The Northern regiments stationed at the South, or doing duty in that -section, had met with so many reverses on the field of battle, and had -been so inhumanly treated by the rebels, both men and women, that the -new policy announced by Adjutant-General Thomas at Lake Providence and -other places, was received with great favor, especially when the white -soldiers heard from their immediate commanders that the freedmen when -enlisted would be employed in doing fatigue-duty,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> when not otherwise -needed. The slave, regarding the use of the musket as the only means -of securing his freedom permanently, sought the nearest place of -enlistment with the greatest speed.</p> - -<p>The appointment of men from the ranks of the white regiments over the -blacks caused the former to feel still more interest in the new levies. -The position taken by Major-General Hunter, in South Carolina, and -his favorable reports of the capability of the freedmen for military -service, and the promptness with which that distinguished scholar and -Christian gentleman, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, accepted the colonelcy -of the First South Carolina, made the commanding of negro regiments -respectable, and caused a wish on the part of white volunteers to seek -commissions over the blacks.</p> - -<p>The new regiments filled up rapidly; the recruits adapted themselves -to their new condition with a zeal that astonished even their friends; -and their proficiency in the handling of arms, with only a few days’ -training, set the minds of their officers at rest with regard to their -future action.</p> - -<p>On the 7th of June, 1863, the first regular battle was fought between -the blacks and whites in the valley of the Mississippi. The planters -had boasted, that, should they meet their former slaves, a single look -from them would cause the negroes to throw down their weapons, and run. -Many Northern men, especially Copperheads, professed to believe that -such would be the case. Therefore, all eyes were turned to the far-off -South, the cotton, sugar, and rice-growing States, to see how the -blacks would behave on the field of battle; for it is well known that -the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> ignorant of the slave population belonged in that section.</p> - -<p>The first intimation that the commanding officer at Milliken’s Bend -received was from one of the black men, who went into the colonel’s -tent, and said, ‘Massa, the secesh are in camp.’ The colonel ordered -him to have the men load their guns at once. He instantly replied,—</p> - -<p>“We have done did dat now, massa.” Before the colonel was ready, the -men were in line, ready for action.</p> - -<p>“The enemy charged us so close that we fought with our bayonets, hand -to hand. I have six broken bayonets to show how bravely my men fought,” -said the colonel. “I can truly say,” continued he, “that I never saw a -braver company of men in my life.</p> - -<p>“Not one of them offered to leave his place until ordered to fall back. -I went down to the hospital, three miles, to-day, to see the wounded. -Nine of them were there, two having died of their wounds. A boy who had -cooked for me came and begged a gun when the rebels were advancing, and -took his place with the company; and when we retook the breastworks, I -found him badly wounded, with one gun-shot and two bayonet wounds. A -new recruit I had issued a gun to the day before the fight was found -dead, with a firm grasp on his gun, the bayonet of which was broken -in three pieces. So they fought and died, defending the cause that we -revere. They met death coolly, bravely; not rashly did they expose -themselves, but all were steady and obedient to orders.”</p> - -<p>This battle satisfied the slave-masters of the South<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> that their -charm was gone; and that the negro, as a slave, was lost forever. -Yet there was one fact connected with the battle of Milliken’s Bend -which will descend to posterity, as testimony against the humanity of -slave-holders; and that is, that no negro was ever found alive that was -taken a prisoner by the rebels in this fight.</p> - -<p>The next engagement which the blacks had, was up the St. Mary’s River, -South Carolina, under the command of Colonel T. W. Higginson. Here, -too, the colored men did themselves and their race great credit.</p> - -<p>We now come to the battle of Port Hudson, in which the black forces -consisted of the First Louisiana, under Lieutenant-Colonel Bassett, and -the Third Louisiana, under Colonel Nelson. The line-officers of the -Third were white; and the regiment was composed mostly of freedmen, -many of whose backs still bore the marks of the lash, and whose brave, -stout hearts beat high at the thought that the hour had come when they -were to meet their proud and unfeeling oppressors.</p> - -<p>The First was the noted regiment called “The Native Guard,” which -General Butler found when he entered New Orleans, and which so -promptly offered its services to aid in crushing the Rebellion. The -line-officers of this regiment were all colored, taken from amongst the -most wealthy and influential of the free colored people of New Orleans. -It was said that not one of them was worth less than twenty-five -thousand dollars. The brave, the enthusiastic, and the patriotic, found -full scope for the development of their powers in this regiment, of -which all were well educated; some were fine scholars. One of the most -efficient officers was Captain André Callioux, a man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span> whose identity -with his race could not be mistaken. This regiment petitioned their -commander to allow them to occupy the post of danger in the battle, and -it was granted.</p> - -<p>As the moment of attack drew near, the greatest suppressed excitement -existed; but all were eager for the fight. Captain Callioux walked -proudly up and down the line, and smilingly greeted the familiar faces -of his company. Officers and privates of the white regiments looked -on as they saw these men at the front, and asked each other what they -thought would be the result. Would these blacks stand fire? Was not -the test by which they were to be tried too severe? Colonel Nelson -being called to act as brigadier-general, Lieutenant-Colonel Finnegas -took his place. The enemy in his stronghold felt his power, and bade -defiance to the expected attack. At last the welcome word was given, -and our men started. The enemy opened a blistering fire of shell, -canister, grape, and musketry. The first shell thrown by the enemy -killed and wounded a number of the blacks; but on they went. “Charge” -was the word.</p> - -<p>At every pace, the column was thinned by the falling dead and wounded. -The blacks closed up steadily as their comrades fell, and advanced -within fifty paces of where the rebels were working a masked battery, -situated on a bluff where the guns could sweep the whole field over -which the troops must charge. This battery was on the left of the -charging line. Another battery of three or four guns commanded the -front, and six heavy pieces raked the right of the line as it formed, -and enfiladed its flank and rear as it charged on the bluff. It was -ascertained that a bayou ran<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span> under the bluff where the guns lay,—a -bayou deeper than a man could ford. This charge was repulsed with -severe loss. Lieutenant-Colonel Finnegas was then ordered to charge, -and in a well-dressed, steady line his men went on the double-quick -down over the field of death.</p> - -<p>No matter how gallantly the men behaved, no matter how bravely they -were led, it was not in the course of things that this gallant brigade -should take these works by charge. Yet charge after charge was ordered -and carried out under all these disasters with Spartan firmness. Six -charges in all were made. Colonel Nelson reported to General Dwight the -fearful odds he had to contend with. Says General Dwight, in reply, -“Tell Colonel Nelson I shall consider that he has accomplished nothing -unless he take those guns.” Humanity will never forgive General Dwight -for this last order; for he certainly saw that he was only throwing -away the lives of his men. But what were his men? “Only niggers.” Thus -the last charge was made under the spur of desperation.</p> - -<p>The ground was already strewn with the dead and wounded, and many of -the brave officers had fallen early in the engagement. Among them was -the gallant and highly-cultivated Anselmo. He was a standard-bearer, -and hugged the stars and stripes to his heart as he fell forward upon -them pierced by five balls. Two corporals near by struggled between -themselves as to who should have the honor of again raising those -blood-stained emblems to the breeze. Each was eager for the honor; and -during the struggle a missile from the enemy wounded one of them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> and -the other corporal shouldered the dear old flag in triumph, and bore it -through the charge in the front of the advancing lines.</p> - -<p>Shells from the rebel guns cut down trees three feet in diameter, and -they fell, at one time burying a whole company beneath their branches. -Thus they charged bravely on certain destruction, till the ground was -slippery with the gore of the slaughtered, and cumbered with the bodies -of the maimed. The last charge was made about one o’clock. At this -juncture, Captain Callioux was seen with his left arm dangling by his -side,—for a ball had broken it above the elbow,—while his right hand -held his unsheathed sword gleaming in the rays of the sun; and his -hoarse, faint voice was heard cheering on his men. A moment more, and -the brave and generous Callioux was struck by a shell, and fell far in -advance of his company.</p> - -<p>The fall of this officer so exasperated his men, that they appeared -to be filled with new enthusiasm; and they rushed forward with a -recklessness that probably has never been surpassed. Seeing it to be -a hopeless effort, the taking of these batteries, the order was given -to change the programme; and the troops were called off. But had they -accomplished anything more than the loss of many of their brave men? -Yes; they had. The self-forgetfulness, the undaunted heroism, and the -great endurance of the Negro, as exhibited that day, created a new -chapter in American history for the colored man.</p> - -<p>Many Persians were slain at the battle of Thermopylæ; but history -records only the fall of Leonidas and his four hundred companions. So -in the future, when we shall have passed away from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span> stage, and -rising generations shall speak of the conflict at Port Hudson, and the -celebrated charge of the negro brigade, they will forget all others in -the admiration for André Callioux and his colored associates. General -Banks, in his report of the battle of Port Hudson, says: “Whatever -doubt may have existed heretofore as to the efficiency of organizations -of this character, the history of this day proves conclusively to those -who were in a condition to observe the conduct of these regiments, that -the government will find in this class of troops effective supporters -and defenders. The severe test to which they were subjected, and the -determined manner in which they encountered the enemy, leaves upon my -mind no doubt of their ultimate success.”</p> - -<p>The splendid behavior of the blacks in the valley of the Mississippi, -was soon equalled by the celebrated Fifty-fourth Massachusetts -Regiment, commanded by the lamented Robert G. Shaw.</p> - -<p>On the sixteenth of July, the Fifty-fourth Regiment (colored), -Colonel R. G. Shaw, was attacked by the enemy, on James Island, in -which a fight of two hours’ duration took place, the Rebels largely -out-numbering the Union forces. The Fifty-fourth, however, drove the -enemy before them in confusion. The loss to our men was fourteen killed -and eighteen wounded. During the same day, Colonel Shaw received -orders from General Gillmore to evacuate the Island. Preparations -began at dusk. The night was dark and stormy, and made the movement -both difficult and dangerous. The march was from James Island to Cole -Island, across marshes, streams, and dikes, and part of the way upon -narrow foot-bridges, along which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> it was necessary to proceed in -single file. The whole force reached Cole Island the next morning, -July 17, and rested during the day on the beach opposite the south end -of Folly Island. About ten o’clock in the evening, the colonel of the -Fifty-fourth received orders directing him to report, with his command, -to General George C. Strong, at Morris Island, to whose brigade the -regiment was transferred.</p> - -<p>From eleven o’clock of Friday evening until four o’clock of Saturday, -they were being put on the transport, the “General Hunter,” in a boat -which took about fifty at a time. There they breakfasted on the same -fare, and had no other food before entering into the assault on Fort -Wagner in the evening.</p> - -<p>The General Hunter left Cole Island for Folly Island at six <span class="smaller">A. -M.</span>; and the troops landed at Pawnee Landing about nine and a -half <span class="smaller">A. M.</span>, and thence marched to the point opposite Morris -Island, reaching there about two o’clock in the afternoon. They were -transported in a steamer across the inlet, and at four <span class="smaller">P. M.</span>, -began their march for Fort Wagner. They reached Brigadier-General -Strong’s quarters, about midway on the Island, about six or six and a -half o’clock, where they halted for five minutes.</p> - -<p>General Strong expressed a great desire to give them food and -stimulants; but it was too late, as they had to lead the charge. They -had been without tents during the pelting rains of Thursday and Friday -nights. General Strong had been impressed with the high character of -the regiment and its officers; and he wished to assign them the post -where the most severe work was to be done, and the highest honor was to -be won. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span></p> - -<p>The march across Folly and Morris Islands was over a sandy road, and -was very wearisome. The regiment went through the centre of the Island, -and not along the beach, where the marching was easier.</p> - -<p>When they had come within six hundred yards of Fort Wagner, they formed -in line of battle, the colonel heading the first, and the major the -second battalion. This was within musket-shot of the enemy. There -was little firing from the enemy; a solid shot falling between the -battalions, and another falling to the right, but no musketry. At this -point, the regiment, together with the next supporting regiment, the -Sixth Connecticut, Ninth Maine, and others, remained half an hour. The -regiment was addressed by General Strong and by Colonel Shaw. Then, at -seven and a half or seven and three-quarters o’clock, the order for -the charge was given. The regiment advanced at quick time, changed to -double-quick when at some distance on.</p> - -<p>The intervening distance between the place where the line was formed -and the fort was run over in a few minutes. When about one hundred -yards from the fort, the rebel musketry opened with such terrible -effect that for an instant the first battalion hesitated,—but only -for an instant; for Colonel Shaw, springing to the front and waving -his sword, shouted, “Forward, my brave boys!” and with another cheer -and a shout they rushed through the ditch, gained the parapet on the -right, and were soon engaged in a hand-to-hand conflict with the enemy. -Colonel Shaw was one of the first to scale the walls. He stood erect, -to urge forward his men, and while shouting for them to press on was -shot dead, and fell into the fort. His body<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span> was found, with twenty of -his men lying dead around him; two lying on his own body.</p> - -<p>The Fifty-fourth did well and nobly; only the fall of Colonel Shaw -prevented them from entering the fort. They moved up as gallantly as -any troops could, and with their enthusiasm, they deserved a better -fate.</p> - -<p>Sergeant-Major Lewis H. Douglass, son of Frederick Douglass, the -celebrated orator, sprang upon the parapet close behind Colonel Shaw, -and cried out, “Come, boys, come; let’s fight for God and Governor -Andrew.” This brave young man was the last to leave the parapet. Before -the regiment reached the parapet, the color-sergeant was wounded; and -while in the act of falling, the colors were seized by Sergeant William -H. Carney, who bore them up, and mounted the parapet, where he, too, -received three severe wounds. But on orders being given to retire, the -color-bearer, though almost disabled, still held the emblem of liberty -in the air, and followed his regiment by the aid of his comrades, -and succeeded in reaching the hospital, where he fell exhausted and -almost lifeless on the floor, saying, “The old flag never touched the -ground, boys.” Captain Lewis F. Emilio, the junior captain,—all of his -superiors having been killed or wounded,—took command, and brought the -regiment into camp. In this battle, the total loss in officers and men, -killed and wounded, was two hundred and sixty-one.</p> - -<p>When inquiry was made at Fort Wagner, under flag of truce, for the body -of Colonel Shaw of the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth, the answer was, -“We have buried him with his niggers!” It is the custom of savages to -outrage the dead, and it was only natural<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span> that the natives of South -Carolina should attempt to heap insult upon the remains of the brave -young soldier; but that wide grave on Morris Island will be to a whole -race a holy sepulchre. No more fitting place for burial, no grander -obsequies could have been given to him who cried, as he led that -splendid charge, “On, my brave boys,” than to give to him and to them -one common grave.</p> - -<p>Shaw’s Regiment afterwards distinguished itself in the hard-fought -battle of Olustee, an engagement that will live in the history of the -Rebellion.</p> - -<p>The battle of Olustee was fought in a swamp situated thirty-five miles -west of Jacksonville, and four miles from Sanderson, in the State of -Florida. The expedition was under the immediate command of General -C. Seymour, and consisted of the Seventh New Hampshire, Seventh -Connecticut, Eighth United States (colored) Battery, Third United -States Artillery, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored), and First North -Carolina (colored). The command having rested on the night of the 19th -of February, 1864, at Barbour’s Ford, on the St. Mary’s River, took -up its line of march on the morning of the 20th, and proceeded to -Sanderson, nine miles to the west, which was reached at one o’clock, -<span class="smaller">P. M.</span>, without interruption; but about three miles beyond, -the advance drove in the enemy’s pickets. The Seventh Connecticut, -being deployed as skirmishers, fell in with the enemy’s force in the -swamp, strengthened still more by rifle-pits. Here they were met by -cannon and musketry; but our troops, with their Spencer rifles, played -great havoc with the enemy, making an attempt to take one of his pieces -of artillery, but failed. However, they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span> held their ground nobly for -three-quarters of an hour, and were just about retiring as the main -body of our troops came up.</p> - -<p>The Eighth (colored), which had never been in battle, and which had -been recruited but a few weeks, came up and filed to the right, when -they met with a most terrific shower of musketry and shell. General -Seymour now came up, and pointing in front, towards the railroad, said -to Colonel Fribley, commander of the Eighth, “Take your regiment in -there,”—a place which was sufficiently hot to make the oldest and most -field-worn veterans tremble; and yet these men, who had never heard the -sound of a cannon before, rushed in where they commenced dropping like -grass before the sickle. Still on they went without faltering, until -they came within two hundred yards of the enemy’s strongest works. Here -these brave men stood for nearly three hours before a terrible fire, -closing up as their ranks were thinned out, fire in front, on their -flank, and in the rear, without flinching or breaking.</p> - -<p>Colonel Fribley, seeing that it was impossible to hold the position, -passed along the lines to tell the officers to fire, and fall back -gradually, and was shot before he reached the end. He was shot in the -chest, told the men to carry him to the rear, and expired in a very -few minutes. Major Burritt took command, but was also wounded in a -short time. At this time Captain Hamilton’s battery became endangered, -and he cried out to our men for God’s sake to save his battery. Our -United States flag, after three sergeants had forfeited their lives by -bearing it during the fight, was planted on the battery by Lieutenant -Elijah Lewis, and the men rallied around it; but the guns had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span> -jammed up so indiscriminately, and so close to the enemy’s lines, that -the gunners were shot down as fast as they made their appearance; and -the horses, whilst they were wheeling the pieces into position, shared -the same fate. They were compelled to leave the battery, and failed to -bring the flag away. The battery fell into the enemy’s hands. During -the excitement, Captain Bailey took command, and brought out the -regiment in good order. Sergeant Taylor, Company D., who carried the -battle-flag, had his right hand nearly shot off, but grasped the colors -with the left hand, and brought them out.</p> - -<p>The Seventh New Hampshire was posted on both sides of the wagon-road, -and broke, but soon rallied, and did good execution. The line was -probably one mile long, and all along the fighting was terrific.</p> - -<p>Our artillery, where it could be worked, made dreadful havoc on the -enemy; whilst the enemy did us but very little injury with his; -with the exception of one gun, a sixty-four pound swivel, fixed on -a truck-car on the railroad, which fired grape and canister. On the -whole, their artillery was very harmless; but their musketry fearful.</p> - -<p>Up to this time, neither the First North Carolina nor the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts had taken any part in the fight, as they were in the -rear some distance. However, they heard the roar of battle, and were -hastening to the field, when they were met by an aide, who came riding -up to the colonel of the Fifty-fourth, saying, “For God’s sake, -Colonel, double-quick, or the day is lost!” Of all the regiments, every -one seemed to look to the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts with the most -dependence on the field of battle. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> regiment was under the command -of Colonel E. N. Hallowell, who fell wounded by the side of Colonel -Shaw, at Fort Wagner, and who, since his recovery, had been in several -engagements, in all of which he had shown himself an excellent officer, -and had gained the entire confidence of his men, who were willing to -follow him wherever he chose to lead. When the aide met these two -regiments, he found them hastening on.</p> - -<p>The First North Carolina was in light marching order; the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts was in heavy marching order, with knapsacks, haversacks, -canteens, and every other appurtenance of the soldier. But off went -everything, and they double-quicked on to the field. At the most -critical juncture, just as the rebels were preparing for a simultaneous -charge along the whole line, and they had captured our artillery and -turned it upon us, Colonel James Montgomery, Colonel Hallowell, and -Lieutenant-Colonel Hooper formed our line of battle on right by file -into line.</p> - -<p>The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts went in first, with a cheer. They were -followed by the First North Carolina (colored); Lieutenant-Colonel -Reed, in command, headed the regiment, sword in hand, and charged -upon the rebels. They broke when within twenty yards of contact with -our negro troops. Overpowered by numbers, the First North Carolina -fell back in good order, and poured in a destructive fire. Their -colonel fell, mortally wounded. Major Bogle fell wounded, and two -men were killed in trying to reach his body. The Adjutant, William -C. Manning, before wounded at Malvern Hills, got a bullet in his -body, but persisted in remaining until another shot struck<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> him. His -lieutenant-colonel, learning the fact, embraced him, and implored him -to leave the field. The next moment the two friends were stretched -side by side; the colonel had received his own death-wound. But the -two colored regiments had stood in the gap, and saved the army. The -Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, which, with the First North Carolina, may -be truly said to have saved the forces from utter rout, lost eighty men.</p> - -<p>There were three color-sergeants shot down; the last one was shot -three times before he relinquished the flag of his country. His name -was Samuel C. Waters, Company C., and his body sleeps where he fell. -The battle-flag carried by Sergeant Taylor was borne through the fight -with the left hand, after the right one was nearly shot off. The rebels -fired into the place where the wounded were being attended to; and -their cavalry was about making a charge on it just as the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts appeared on the field, when they retired.</p> - -<p>Had Colonel Hallowell not seen at a glance the situation of affairs, -the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers would have been killed or -captured. When they entered the field with the First North Carolina, -which is a brave regiment, they (the First North Carolina) fired well -while they remained; but they gave way, thus exposing the right. On -the left, the rebel cavalry were posted; and as the enemy’s left -advanced on our right, their cavalry pressed the left. Both flanks -were thus being folded up, and slaughter or capture would have been -the inevitable result. We fell back in good order, and established new -lines of battle, until we reached Sanderson. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span></p> - -<p>Here a scene that beggars description was presented. Wounded men -lined the railroad station; and the roads were filled with artillery, -caissons, ammunition, baggage-wagons, infantry, cavalry, and -ambulances. The only organized bodies ready to repel attack were a -portion of the Fortieth Massachusetts Mounted Infantry, armed with the -Spencer repeating-rifle, the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, and -the Seventh Connecticut, commanded by Colonel Hawley, now governor of -Connecticut.</p> - -<p>An occurrence of thrilling interest took place during the battle, which -I must not omit to mention. It was this:—</p> - -<p>Colonel Hallowell ordered the color-line to be advanced one hundred -and fifty paces. Three of the colored corporals, Pease, Palmer, and -Glasgow, being wounded, and the accomplished Goodin killed, there were -four only left,—Wilkins, the acting sergeant, Helman, and Lenox. The -colors were perforated with bullets, and the staff was struck near the -grasp of the sergeant; but the color-guard marched steadily out, one -hundred and fifty paces to the front, with heads erect and square to -the front; and the battalion rallied around it, and fought such a fight -as made Colonel Hallowell shout with very joy, and the men themselves -to ring out defiant cheers which made the pines and marshes of Ocean -Pond echo again.</p> - -<p>Although these colored men had never been paid off, and their families -at home were in want, they were as obedient, and fought as bravely, as -the white troops, whose pockets contained “greenbacks,” and whose wives -and children were provided for.</p> - -<p>The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts went into the battle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> with “Three cheers -for Massachusetts, and seven dollars a month.”</p> - -<p>It is well known that the general in command came to the colonel and -said, “The day is lost; you must do what you can to save the army -from destruction.” And nobly did they obey him. They fired their -guns till their ammunition was exhausted, and then stood with fixed -bayonets till the broken columns had time to retreat, and though once -entirely outflanked, the enemy getting sixty yards in their rear, -their undaunted front and loud cheering caused the enemy to pause, and -allowed them time to change front. They occupied the position as rear -guard all the way back to Jacksonville; and wherever was the post of -danger, there was the Fifty-fourth to be found.</p> - -<p>When the forces arrived at Jacksonville, they there learned that the -train containing the wounded was at Ten-Mile Station, where it had -been left, owing to the breaking down of the engine. The Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts, fatigued and worn out as it was, was despatched at once, -late at night, to the assistance of the disabled train. Arriving at -Ten-Mile Station, they found that the only way to bring the wounded -with them was to attach ropes to the cars, and let the men act as -motive power. Thus the whole train of cars containing the wounded from -the battle of Olustee was dragged a distance of ten miles by that brave -colored regiment.</p> - -<p>The battle of Poison Springs, Arkansas, between one thousand Union and -eight thousand rebel troops, was one of the most severe conflicts of -the war. Six hundred of the Union forces were colored, and from Kansas, -some of them having served under old John<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span> Brown during the great -struggle in that territory. These black men, as it will be seen, bore -the brunt of the fight, and never did men show more determined bravery -than was exhibited on this occasion.</p> - -<p>Nothing in the history of the Rebellion equalled in inhumanity and -atrocity the horrid butchery at Fort Pillow, Kentucky, on the 13th of -April, 1864. In no other school than slavery could human beings have -been trained to such readiness for cruelties like these. Accustomed -to brutality and bestiality all their lives, it was easy for them to -perpetrate the atrocities which startled the civilized foreign world, -as they awakened the indignation of our own people.</p> - -<p>After the rebels were in undisputed possession of the fort, and the -survivors had surrendered, they commenced the indiscriminate butchery -of all the Federal soldiery. The colored soldiers threw down their -guns, and raised their arms, in token of surrender; but not the least -attention was paid to it. They continued to shoot down all they found. -A number of them, finding no quarter was given, ran over the bluff -to the river, and tried to conceal themselves under the bank and in -the bushes, where they were pursued by the rebel savages, whom they -implored to spare their lives. Their appeals were made in vain; and -they were all shot down in cold blood, and, in full sight of the -gunboat, chased and shot down like dogs. In passing up the bank of the -river, fifty dead might be counted strewed along. One had crawled into -a hollow log, and was killed in it; another had got over the bank into -the river, and had got on a board that ran out into the water. He lay -on it on his face, with his feet in the water. He lay there, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> -exposed, stark and stiff. Several had tried to hide in crevices made by -the falling bank, and could not be seen without difficulty; but they -were singled out, and killed. From the best information to be had, the -white soldiers were, to a very considerable extent, treated in the same -way.</p> - -<p>We now record an account of the battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina, -and one of the most famous engagements in which the blacks fought -during the war.</p> - -<p>Honey Hill is about two and a half miles east of the village of -Grahamville, Beaufort District. On the crest of this, where the road -or the highway strikes it, is a semicircular line of earthworks, -defective, though, in construction, as they are too high for infantry, -and have little or no exterior slope. These works formed the centre -of the rebel lines; while their left reached up into the pinelands, -and their right along a line of fence that skirted the swamp below the -batteries. They commanded fully the road in front as it passes through -the swamp at the base of the hill, and only some fifty or sixty yards -distant. Through the swamp runs a small creek, which spreads up and -down the roads for some thirty or forty yards, but is quite shallow the -entire distance. Some sixty yards beyond the creek, the main road turns -off to the left, making an obtuse angle; while another and smaller road -makes off to the right from the same point.</p> - -<p>The Union forces consisted of six thousand troops, artillery, cavalry, -and infantry, all told, under the command of Major-General J. G. -Foster, General John P. Hatch having the immediate command. The First -Brigade, under General E. E. Potter, was composed of the Fifty-sixth -and One Hundred and Forty-fourth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> United States, Twenty-fifth Ohio, -and Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth United States (colored). The Second -Brigade, under Colonel A. S. Hartwell, was composed of the Fifty-fourth -and Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, and Twenty-sixth and Thirty-second -United States (colored). Colonel E. P. Hallowell, of the Fifty-fourth -Massachusetts, had, in spite of his express desire, been left behind in -command of Morris and Folly Islands. As at the battle of Olustee, the -enemy was met in small numbers some three or four miles from his base. -The Union forces approached the fort by the left road, which brought -them in front of the enemy’s guns, pointing down the hill, which was -also down the road.</p> - -<p>The Thirty-second United States colored troops were ordered to charge -the rebel fort; had got in position at the head of the road. They -attempted, but got stuck in the marsh, which they found impassable at -the point of their assault; and a galling fire of grape, canister, and -musketry being opened on them, they were forced to retire.</p> - -<p>The Thirty-fourth United States colored troops also essayed an assault, -but could not get near enough to produce any effect upon it. These -regiments, however, only fell back to the line of battle, where they -remained throughout the entire fight.</p> - -<p>The Fifty-fifth Massachusetts (colored) went into the fight on the -right of the brigade, commanded by Colonel Hartwell. The fire became -very hot; but still the regiment did not waver, the line merely -quivered. Captain Goraud, of General Foster’s staff, whoso gallantry -was conspicuous all day, rode up just as Colonel Hartwell was wounded -in the hand, and advised him to retire; but the colonel declined. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span></p> - -<p>Colonel Hartwell gave the order; the colors came to the extreme front, -when the colonel shouted, “Follow your colors!” The bugle sounded the -charge, and then the colonel led the way himself.</p> - -<p>After an unsuccessful charge in line of battle by the Fifty-fourth and -Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, the Fifty-fifth was formed in column by -company, and again thrice marched up that narrow causeway in the face -of the enemy’s batteries and musketry.</p> - -<p>Captain Crane, of the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, whose company had been -left in charge of Fort Delafield, at Folly Island, but who, at his own -request, had gone as aide to Colonel Hartwell, was, as well as the -colonel, mounted.</p> - -<p>Just as they reached the marsh in front of the turn in the road, and -within a short distance of the rebel works, the horse of brave Colonel -Hartwell, while struggling through the mud, was literally blown in -pieces by a discharge of canister.</p> - -<p>The colonel was wounded at the same time, and attempted to jump from -his horse; but the animal fell on him, pressing him into the mud. -At this time, he was riding at the side of the column, and the men -pressed on past; but as they neared the fort they met a murderous fire -of grape, canister, and bullets at short range. As the numbers of the -advance were thinned, the few who survived began to waver, and finally -the regiment retreated.</p> - -<p>In retiring, Lieutenant Ellsworth, and one man of the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts, came to the rescue of Colonel Hartwell, and in spite -of his remonstrance that they should leave him to his fate, and take -care of themselves, released him from his horse, and bore<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span> him from the -field. But before he was entirely out of range of the enemy’s fire, -the colonel was again wounded, and the brave private soldier who was -assisting was killed, and another heroic man lost.</p> - -<p>The Twenty-fifth Ohio, soon after the commencement of the engagement, -were sent to the right, where they swung around, and fought on a line -nearly perpendicular to our main front. A portion of the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts were with them. One or two charges were essayed, but -were unsuccessful; but the front was maintained there throughout the -afternoon. The Twenty-fifth had the largest loss of all the regiments.</p> - -<p>The colored troops fought well throughout the day. Counter-charges were -made at various times during the fight by the enemy; but our infantry -and artillery mowed them down, and they did not at any time get very -near our lines. Whenever a charge of our men was repulsed, the rebels -would flock out of their works, whooping like Indians; but Ames’s guns -and the terrible volleys of our infantry would send them back. The -Naval Brigade behaved splendidly.</p> - -<p>The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, heroes of all the hard fights that -occurred in the department, were too much scattered in this battle to -do full justice to themselves. Only two companies went into the fight -at first, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hooper. They were posted on the -left. Subsequently they were joined by four more companies, who were -left on duty in the rear.</p> - -<p>Many scenes transpired in this battle which would furnish rich material -for the artist. In the midst of the engagement, a shell exploded -amongst the color-guard, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span>severely wounding the color-sergeant, Ring, -who was afterwards killed by a bullet. Private Fitzgerald, of Company -D., Massachusetts Fifty-fifth, was badly wounded in the side and leg, -but remained at his post. Major Nutt, seeing his condition, ordered -him to the rear. The man obeyed; but soon the major saw that he had -returned, when he spoke sharply, “Go to the rear, and have your wounds -dressed.” The man again obeyed the order; but in a few minutes more -was seen by the major, with a handkerchief bound around the leg, and -loading and firing. The major said to our informant, “I thought I would -let him stay.”</p> - -<p>Like the Fifty-fourth at Olustee, the Fifty-fifth was the last regiment -to leave the field, and cover the retreat at Honey Hill.</p> - -<p>It is only simple justice to the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, -to say that at Honey Hill it occupied the most perilous position -throughout nearly the entire battle.</p> - -<p>Three times did these heroic men march up the hill nearly to the -batteries, and as many times were swept back by the fearful storm of -grape-shot and shell; more than one hundred being cut down in less than -half an hour. Great was its loss; and yet it remained in the gap, while -our outnumbered army was struggling with the foe on his own soil, and -in the stronghold chosen by himself.</p> - -<p>What the valiant Fifty-fourth Massachusetts had been at the battle of -Olustee, the Fifty-fifth was at Honey Hill.</p> - -<p>Never was self-sacrifice, by both officers and men, more apparent than -on this occasion; never did men<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span> look death more calmly in the face. -See the undaunted and heroic Hartwell at the head of his regiment, and -hear him shouting, “Follow your colors, my brave men!” and with drawn -sword leading his gallant band. His horse is up to its knees in the -heavy mud. The rider, already wounded, is again struck by the fragment -of a shell, but keeps his seat; while the spirited animal struggling -in the mire, and plunging about, attracts the attention of the braves, -who are eagerly pressing forward to meet the enemy, to retake the lost -ground, and gain a victory, or at least, save the little army from -defeat. A moment more, he is killed; and the brave Hartwell attempts to -jump from his charger, but is too weak. The horse falls with fearful -struggles upon its rider, and both are buried in the mud. The brave -Captain Crane, the Adjutant, is killed, and falls from his horse near -his colonel. Lieutenant Boynton, while urging his men, is killed. -Lieutenant Hill is wounded, but still keeps his place. Captains Soule -and Woodward are both wounded, and yet keep their command. The blood -is running freely from the mouth of Lieutenant Jewett; but he does not -leave his company. Sergeant-Major Trotter is wounded, but still fights. -Sergeant Shorter is wounded in the knee, yet will not go to the rear. A -shell tears off the foot of Sergeant-Major Charles L. Mitchel; and as -he is carried to the rear, he shouts, with uplifted hand, “Cheer up, -boys; we’ll never surrender!” But look away in front: there are the -colors, and foremost amongst the bearers is Robert M. King, the young, -the handsome, and the gentlemanly sergeant, whose youth and bravery -attract the attention of all. Scarcely more than twenty years of age, -well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> educated, he left a good home in Ohio to follow the fortunes of -war, and to give his life to help redeem his race. The enemy train -their guns upon the colors, the roar of cannon and crack of rifle is -heard, the advanced flag falls, the heroic King is killed; no, he is -not dead, but only wounded. A fellow-sergeant seizes the colors; but -the bearer will not give them up. He rises, holds the old flag aloft -with one hand, and presses the other upon the wound in his side to -stop the blood. “Advance the colors!” shouts the commander. The brave -King, though saturated with his own blood, is the first to obey the -order. As he goes forward, a bullet passes through his heart, and he -falls. Another snatches the colors; but they are fast, the grasp of -death holds them tight. The hand is at last forced open, the flag is -raised to the breeze, and the lifeless body of Robert M. King is borne -from the field. This is but a truthful sketch of the part played by one -heroic son of Africa, whose death was lamented by all who knew him. -This is only one of the two hundred and forty-nine that fell on the -field of Honey Hill. With a sad heart we turn away from the picture.</p> - -<p>The Sixth Regiment United States colored troops was the second -which was organized at Camp William Penn, near Philadelphia, by -Lieutenant-Colonel Wagner, of the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania -Volunteers. The regiment left Philadelphia on the 14th of October, -1863, with nearly eight hundred men, and a full complement of officers, -a large majority of whom had been in active service in the field.</p> - -<p>The regiment reported to Major-General B. F. Butler, at Fortress -Monroe, and were assigned to duty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</a></span> at Yorktown, Virginia, and became -part of the brigade (afterwards so favorably known), under the -command of Colonel S. A. Duncan, Fourth United States colored troops. -Here they labored upon the fortifications, and became thoroughly -disciplined under the tuition of their colonel, John W. Ames, formerly -captain of the Eleventh Infantry, United States army, ably seconded -by Lieutenant-Colonel Royce and Major Kiddoo. During the winter, -the regiment took a prominent part in the several raids made in the -direction of Richmond, and exhibited qualities that elicited the praise -of their officers, and showed that they could be fully relied upon in -more dangerous work.</p> - -<p>The regiment was ordered to Camp Hamilton, Virginia, in May, 1864, -where a division of colored troops was formed, and placed under the -command of Brigadier-General Hinks. In the expedition made up the James -River the same month, under General Butler, this division took part. -The white troops were landed at Bermuda Hundreds. Three regiments of -colored men were posted at various points along the river. Duncan’s -brigade landed at City Point, where they immediately commenced -fortifications. The Sixth and Fourth Regiments were soon after removed -to Spring Hill, within five miles of Petersburg. Here they labored -night and day upon those earthworks which were soon to be the scene of -action which was to become historical. The Sixth was in a short time -left alone, by the removal of the Fourth Regiment to another point.</p> - -<p>On the 29th of May, the rebel forces made an assault on the -picket-line, the enemy soon after attacking in strong force, but were -unable to drive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</a></span> back the picket-line any considerable distance. The -Fourth Regiment was ordered to the assistance of the Sixth; but our -forces were entirely too weak to make it feasible or prudent to attack -the enemy, who withdrew during the night, having accomplished nothing.</p> - -<p>This was the first experience of the men under actual fire, and they -behaved finely. When the outer works around Petersburg were attacked, -June 15, Duncan’s brigade met the rebels, and did good service, driving -the enemy before him. We had a number killed and wounded in this -engagement. The rebels sought shelter in their main works, which were -of the most formidable character. These defences had been erected by -the labor of slaves, detailed for the purpose. Our forces followed -them to their stronghold. The white troops occupied the right; and in -order to attract the attention of the enemy, while these troops were -manœuvring for a favorable attacking position, the colored soldiers -were subject to a most galling fire for several hours, losing a number -of officers and men. Towards night, the fight commenced in earnest by -the troops on the right, who quickly cleared their portion of the line; -this was followed by the immediate advance of the colored troops, the -Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Twenty-second Regiments. In a very short -time the rebels were driven from the whole line; these regiments -capturing seven pieces of artillery, and a number of prisoners. For -their gallantry in this action the colored troops received a highly -complimentary notice from General W. H. Smith in General Orders.</p> - -<p>A few hours after entering the rebel works, our soldiers were gladdened -by a sight of the veterans of the Army of the Potomac, who that -night relieved our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</a></span> men at the front. A glance at the strong works -gave the new-comers a better opinion of the fighting qualities of -the negroes than they had calculated upon; and a good feeling was at -once established, that rapidly dispelled most of the prejudices then -existing against the blacks; and from that time to the close of the -war, the negro soldier stood high with the white troops.</p> - -<p>After spending some time at the Bermuda Hundreds, the Sixth Regiment -was ordered to Dutch Gap, Virginia, where, on the 16th of August, they -assisted in driving the rebels from Signal Hill; General Butler, in -person, leading our troops. The Sixth Regiment contributed its share -towards completing Butler’s famous canal, during which time they were -often very much annoyed by the rebel shells thrown amongst them. The -conduct of the men throughout these trying scenes reflected great -credit upon them. On the 29th of September, the regiment occupied the -advance in the demonstration made by Butler that day upon Richmond. The -first line of battle was formed by the Fourth and Sixth Regiments; the -latter entered the fight with three hundred and fifteen men, including -nineteen officers.</p> - -<p>The enemy were driven back from within two miles of Deep Bottom, to -their works at New Market Heights; the Sixth was compelled to cross a -small creek, and then an open field. They were met by a fearful fire -from the rebel works; men fell by scores; still the regiment went -forward. The color-bearers, one after another, were killed or wounded, -until the entire color-guard were swept from the field. Two hundred and -nine men, and fourteen officers, were killed and wounded. Few fields of -battle showed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</a></span> greater slaughter than this; and in no conflict did both -officers and men prove themselves more brave. Captains York and Sheldon -and Lieutenant Meyer were killed close to the rebel works. Lieutenants -Pratt, Landon, and McEvoy subsequently died of the wounds received. -Lieutenant Charles Fields, Company A., was killed on the skirmish-line: -this left the company in charge of the first sergeant, Richard Carter, -of Philadelphia, who kept it in its advanced position through the -entire day, commanding with courage and great ability, attracting -marked attention for his officer-like bearing. During the battle many -instances of unsurpassed bravery were shown by the common soldier, -which proved that these heroic men were fighting for the freedom of -their race, and the restoration of a Union that should protect man -in his liberty without regard to color. No regiment did more towards -extinguishing prejudice against the Negro than the patriotic Sixth.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLVI.</span> <span class="smaller">NEGRO HATRED AT THE NORTH.</span></h2> - -<p>The prompt manner in which colored men in the North had enlisted in -the army to aid in putting down the Rebellion, and the heroism and -loyalty of the slaves of the South in helping to save the Union, so -exasperated the disloyal people in the Northern States, that they -early began a system of cowardly warfare against the blacks wherever -they found them. The mob spirit first manifested itself at a meeting -held in Boston, December 3, 1860, to observe the anniversary of the -death of John Brown. A combination of North End roughs and Beacon -Street aristocrats took possession of the Tremont Temple, the place of -holding the meeting, appointed Richard S. Fay as Chairman, and passed a -series of resolutions in favor of the slave-holders of the South, and -condemnatory of the abolitionists.</p> - -<p>This success induced these enemies of free discussion to attempt to -break up the meeting of the Twenty-eighth Congregational Society at -Music Hall the following Sunday, at which Frederick Douglass was the -speaker. Wendell Phillips addressed the same society at the same place, -on the 19th following, when the mob<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</a></span> spirit seemed even more violent -than on any previous occasion. These events were still fresh in the -minds of the haters of negro freedom, when, on the 10th of July, 1863, -the great mob commenced in the city of New York.</p> - -<p>The mob was composed of the lowest and most degraded of the foreign -population (mainly Irish), raked from the filthy cellars and dens of -the city, steeped in crimes of the deepest dye, and ready for any -act, no matter how dark; together with the worst type of our native -criminals, whose long service in the prisons of the country, and whose -training in the Democratic party, had so demoralized their natures that -they were ever on the hunt for some deed of robbery or murder.</p> - -<p>This conglomerated mass of human beings were under the leadership of -men standing higher than themselves in the estimation of the public, -but, if possible, really lower in moral degradation. Cheered on by men -holding high political positions, and finding little or no opposition, -they went on at a fearful rate.</p> - -<p>Never, in the history of mob-violence, was crime carried to such -an extent. Murder, arson, robbery, and cruelty reigned triumphant -throughout the city, day and night, for more than a week.</p> - -<p>Hundreds of the blacks, driven from their homes, and hunted and chased -through the streets, presented themselves at the doors of jails, -prisons, police-stations, and begged admission. Thus did these fiends -prowl about the city, committing crime after crime; indeed, in point of -cruelty, the Rebellion was transferred from the South to the North.</p> - -<p>The destruction of the colored Orphan Asylum, after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</a></span> first robbing -the little black children of their clothing, seemed a most heartless -transaction.</p> - -<p>Nearly forty colored persons were murdered during this reign of terror. -Some were hung at lamp-posts, some thrown off the docks, while others, -shot, clubbed, and cut to pieces with knives, were seen lying dead in -the streets.</p> - -<p>Numbers of men and boys amused themselves by cutting pieces of flesh -from the dead body of a black man who was suspended from a lamp-post at -the corner of Prince Street.</p> - -<p>Hundreds of colored men and women had taken shelter in the buildings -reached by passing through the “Arch,” on Thompson Street. The mob made -several unsuccessful attempts to gain admission to this alley, where, -in one of the buildings, was a room about thirty by forty feet square, -in the centre of which stood an old-fashioned cook-stove, the top of -which seemed filled with boilers, and all steaming away, completely -filling the place with a dense fog. Two lamps, with dingy chimneys, -and the light from the fire, which shone brightly through the broken -doors of the stove, lighted up the room. Eight athletic black women, -looking for all the world as if they had just returned from a Virginia -corn-field, weary and hungry, stood around the room.</p> - -<p>Each of these Amazons was armed with a tin dipper, apparently new, -which had no doubt been purchased for the occasion. A woman of -exceedingly large proportions—tall, long-armed, with a deep scar -down the side of her face, and with a half grin, half smile—was the -commander-in-chief of the “hot room.” This woman stood by the stove, -dipper in hand, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</a></span> occasionally taking the top from the large -wash-boiler, which we learned was filled with boiling water, soap, and -ashes.</p> - -<p>In case of an attack, this boiler was to be the “King of Pain.”</p> - -<p>Guided by a friend who had furnished us a disguise, the writer entered -the “hot room,” and took a view of its surroundings. As we saw the -perspiration streaming down the faces of these women, we ventured a few -questions.</p> - -<p>“Do you expect an attack?” we asked.</p> - -<p>“Dunno, honey; but we’s ready ef dey comes,” was the reply from the -aunty near the stove.</p> - -<p>“Were you ever in slavery?” we continued.</p> - -<p>“Yes; ain’t bin from dar but little while.”</p> - -<p>“What State?”</p> - -<p>“Bred and born in ole Virginny, down on de Pertomuc.”</p> - -<p>“Have you any of your relations in Virginia now?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; got six chilens down dar somewhar, an’ two husbuns—all sole to -de speclaturs afore I run away.”</p> - -<p>“Did you come off alone?”</p> - -<p>“No; my las ole man bring me ’way.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t mean to be taken back by the slave-catchers, in peace?”</p> - -<p>“No; I’ll die fuss.”</p> - -<p>“How will you manage if they attempt to come into this room?”</p> - -<p>“We’ll all fling hot water on ’em, an’ scall dar very harts out.”</p> - -<p>“Can you all throw water without injuring each other?”</p> - -<p>“O yes, honey; we’s bin practicin’ all day.” And<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</a></span> here the whole -company joined in a hearty laugh, which made the old building ring.</p> - -<p>The intense heat drove us from the room. As we descended the steps and -passed the guards, we remarked to one of them,—</p> - -<p>“The women seem to be prepared for battle.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” he replied; “dem wimmens got de debil in ’em to-night, an’ no -mistake. Dey’ll make dat a hot hell in dar fur somebody.”</p> - -<p>And here the guards broke forth into a hearty laugh, which was caught -up and joined in by the women in the house, which showed very clearly -that these blacks felt themselves masters of the situation.</p> - -<p>As the mob made their last attempt to gain an entrance to the alley, -one of their number, a man bloated with strong drink, and heaping oaths -upon the “niggers,” succeeded in getting through, and made his way to -the “hot room,” where, it is said, he suddenly disappeared. It was -whispered that the washerwomen made soap-grease of his carcass.</p> - -<p>The inhabitants of the “Arch” were not again disturbed.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLVII.</span> <span class="smaller">CASTE AND PROGRESS.</span></h2> - -<p>Caste is usually found to exist in communities or countries among -majorities, and against minorities. The basis of it is owing to some -supposed inferiority or degradation attached to the hated ones. -However, nothing is more foolish than this prejudice. But the silliest -of all caste is that which is founded on color; for those who entertain -it have not a single logical reason to offer in its defence.</p> - -<p>The fact is, slavery has been the cause of all the prejudice against -the negro. Wherever the blacks are ill-treated on account of their -color, it is because of their identity with a race that has long worn -the chain of slavery. Is there anything in black that should be hated? -If so, why do we see so much black in common use as clothing among all -classes? Indeed, black is preferred to either white or colors. How -often the young man speaks in ecstasies of the black eyes and black -hair of his lady-love! Look at the hundreds of advertised hair-dyes, -used for the purpose of changing Nature! See men with their gray -beards dyed black; women with those beautiful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[Pg 388]</a></span> black locks, which but -yesterday were as white as the driven snow! Not only this, but even -those with light or red whiskers run to the dye-kettle, steal a color -which Nature has refused them, and an hour after curse the negro for -a complexion that is not stolen. If black is so hateful, why do not -gentlemen have their boots whitewashed? If the slaves of the South had -been white, the same prejudice would have existed against them. Look at -the “poor white trash,” as the lower class of whites in the Southern -States are termed.</p> - -<p>The general good conduct of the blacks during the Rebellion, and -especially the aid rendered to our Northern men escaping from Southern -prisons, has done much to dispel the prejudice so rampant in the -free states. The following, from the pen of Junius Henri Browne, the -accomplished war correspondent of “The Tribune,” is but a fair sample -of what was said for the negro during the great conflict. In his very -interesting work, “Four Years in Secessia,” he says:—</p> - -<p>“The negro who had guided us to the railway had told us of another of -his color to whom we could apply for shelter and food at the terminus -of our second stage. We could not find him until nearly dawn; and when -we did, he directed us to a large barn filled with corn-husks. Into -that we crept with our dripping garments, and lay there for fifteen -hours, until we could again venture forth. Floundering about in the -husks, we lost our haversacks, pipes, and a hat.</p> - -<p>“About nine o’clock we procured a hearty supper from the generous -negro, who even gave me his hat,—an appropriate presentation, as one -of my companions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[Pg 389]</a></span> remarked, by an ‘intelligent contraband’ to the -reliable gentleman of ‘The New York Tribune.’ The negro did picket-duty -while we hastily ate our meal, and stood by his blazing fire. The old -African and voice and moistened eyes, as we parted from them with -grateful hearts. ‘God bless negroes!’ say I, with earnest lips. During -our entire captivity, and after our escape, they were ever our firm, -brave, unflinching friends. We never made an appeal to them they did -not answer. They never hesitated to do us a service at the risk even of -life; and under the most trying circumstances, revealed a devotion and -a spirit of self-sacrifice that were heroic.</p> - -<p>“The magic word ‘Yankee’ opened all their hearts, and elicited the -loftiest virtues. They were ignorant, oppressed, enslaved; but they -always cherished a simple and beautiful faith in the cause of the -Union, and its ultimate triumph, and never abandoned or turned aside -from a man who sought food or shelter on his way to freedom.”</p> - -<p>The month of May, 1864, saw great progress in the treatment of -the colored troops by the government of the United States. The -circumstances were more favorable for this change than they had -hitherto been. Slavery had been abolished in the District of Columbia, -Maryland, and Missouri. The heroic assault on Fort Wagner, the -unsurpassed bravery exhibited at Port Hudson, the splendid fighting at -Olustee and Honey Hill, had raised the colored men in the estimation of -the nation. President Lincoln and his advisers had seen their error, -and begun to repair the wrong. The year opened with the appointment -of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[Pg 390]</a></span> Dr. A. T. Augusta, a colored gentleman, as surgeon of colored -volunteers, and he was at once assigned to duty, with the rank of -major. Following this, was the appointment, by Governor Andrew, -of Massachusetts, of Sergeant Stephen A. Swailes, of Company F., -Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment, as second lieutenant.</p> - -<p>M. R. Delany, M. D., was soon after appointed a major of negro -volunteers, and assigned to duty at Charleston, South Carolina. W. P. -Powell, Jr., received an appointment as surgeon, about the same time.</p> - -<p>The steamer Planter, since being brought out of Charleston by Robert -Small, was under the command of a Yankee, who, being ordered to do -service where the vessel would be liable to come under the fire of -rebel guns, refused to obey; whereupon Lieutenant-Colonel Elwell, -without consultation with any higher authority, issued an order, -placing Robert Small in command of the “Planter.”</p> - -<p>The acknowledgment of the civil rights of the negro had already been -granted, in the admission of John S. Rock, a colored man, to practice -law in all the counties within the jurisdiction of the United States. -John F. Shorter, who was promoted to a lieutenancy in Company D, -Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, was by trade a carpenter, and was -residing in Delaware County, Ohio, when the call was made for colored -troops. Severely wounded at the battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina, -on the 30th of November, 1864, he still remained with his regiment, -hoping to be of service.</p> - -<p>At the conclusion of the war, he returned home,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[Pg 391]</a></span> but never recovered -from his wound, and died a few days after his arrival. James Monroe -Trotter, promoted for gallantry, was wounded at the battle of Honey -Hill. He is a native of Grand Gulf, Mississippi; removed to Cincinnati, -Ohio; was educated at the Albany (Ohio) Manual Labor University, where -he distinguished himself for his scholarly attainments. He afterwards -became a school-teacher, which position he filled with satisfaction -to the people of Muskingum and Pike Counties, Ohio, and with honor -to himself. Enlisting as a private in the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts -Regiment, on its organization, he returned with it to Boston as a -lieutenant, an office honorably earned.</p> - -<p>William H. Dupree, a native of Petersburg, Virginia, was brought up -and educated at Chillicothe, Ohio. He enlisted in the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts Regiment, on its formation, as a private, was soon made -orderly-sergeant, and afterwards promoted to a lieutenancy for bravery -on the field of battle.</p> - -<p>Charles L. Mitchel, promoted to a lieutenancy in the Fifty-fifth -Massachusetts Regiment for gallantry at the battle of Honey Hill, where -he was severely wounded (losing a limb), is a native of Hartford, -Connecticut, and son of William A. Mitchel of that city. Lieutenant -Mitchel served an apprenticeship to William H. Burleigh, in the office -of the old “Charter Oak,” in Hartford, where he became an excellent -printer. For five or six years previous to entering the army, he was -employed in different printing-offices in Boston, the last of which was -“The Liberator,” edited by William Lloyd Garrison, who never speaks of -Lieutenant Mitchel but in words of the highest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">[Pg 392]</a></span> commendation. General -A. S. Hartwell, late colonel of the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, -makes honorable mention of Lieutenant Mitchel.</p> - -<p>In the year 1867, Mr. Mitchel was elected to the Massachusetts -Legislature, from Ward Six, in Boston. The appointment of John M. -Langston to a position in the Freedman Bureau, showed progress.</p> - -<p>However, the selection of E. D. Bassett, as Minister and Consul-General -to Hayti, astonished even those who had the most favorable opinion of -President Grant, and satisfied the people generally, both colored and -white. Since the close of the war, colored men have been appointed to -honorable situations in the Custom Houses in the various States, also -in the Post Office and Revenue Department.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[Pg 393]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLVIII.</span> <span class="smaller">THE ABOLITIONISTS.</span></h2> - -<p>A little more than forty years ago, William Lloyd Garrison hoisted the -banner of immediate and unconditional emancipation, as the right of -the slave, and the duty of the master. The men and women who gradually -rallied around him, fully comprehended the solemn responsibility they -were then taking, and seemed prepared to consecrate the best years -of their lives to the cause of human freedom. Amid the moral and -political darkness which then overshadowed the land, the voice of -humanity was at length faintly heard, and soon aroused opposition; for -slavery was rooted and engrafted in every fibre of American society. -The imprisonment of Mr. Garrison at Baltimore, at once directed public -attention to the heinous sin which he was attacking, and called around -him some of the purest and best men of the country.</p> - -<p>The Boston mob of 1835 gave now impulse to the agitation, and brought -fresh aid to the pioneer of the movement. Then came the great battle -for freedom of speech and the press; a battle in which the heroism of -this small body of proscribed men and women had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">[Pg 394]</a></span> ample room to show -their genius and abilities. The bold and seeming audacity with which -they attacked slavery in every corner where the monster had taken -refuge, even in the face of lynchings, riots, and murders, carried with -it a charm which wrung applause from the sympathizing heart throughout -the world, and showed that the American Abolitionists possessed a -persistency and a courage which had never found a parallel in the -annals of progress and reform.</p> - -<p>In the spring of 1859, we attended a meeting of the Executive Committee -of the American Anti-slavery Society, as it was then organized, and -we shall write of the members as they appeared at that time. The -committee was composed of twelve persons besides the chairman, and were -seated around a long table. At the head of the table sat William Lloyd -Garrison, the Chairman of the Board, and the acknowledged leader of the -movement. His high and prominent forehead, piercing eye, pleasant, yet -anxious countenance, long nose, and smile upon his lips, point him out -at once as a man born to guide and direct.</p> - -<p>The deference with which he is treated by his associates shows their -appreciation of his abilities and his moral worth. Tender and blameless -in his family affections, devoted to his friends, simple and studious, -upright, guileless, distinguished, and worthy, like the great men -of antiquity, to be immortalized by another Plutarch. As a speaker, -he is forcible, clear, and logical; as a writer, he has always been -regarded as one of the ablest in our country. How many services, never -to be forgotten, has he not rendered to the cause of the slave and the -welfare of mankind.</p> - -<p>Many of those who started out with him in young<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[Pg 395]</a></span> manhood, when he left -his Newburyport home, were swept away like so much floating wood before -the tide.</p> - -<p>When the sturdiest characters gave way, when the finest geniuses passed -one after another under the yoke of slavery, Garrison stood firm to -his convictions, like a rock that stands stirless amid the conflicting -agitation of the waves. He is not only the friend and advocate of -freedom with his pen and tongue, but to the oppressed of every clime he -opens his purse, his house, and his heart. In days past, the fugitive -slave, fresh from the prison-house of the South, who was turned off by -the politician, and had experienced the cold shoulder of the divine, -found a warm bed and breakfast under the hospitable roof of William -Lloyd Garrison.</p> - -<p>The society whose executive committee is now in session, is one of no -inconsiderable influence in the United States. No man has had more -bitter enemies or stauncher friends than Mr. Garrison.</p> - -<p>There are those among his friends who would stake their all upon -his veracity and integrity; and we are sure that the colored people -throughout America, in whose cause he has so long labored, will with -one accord assign the highest niche in their affections to the champion -of universal emancipation. This is not intended as an eulogium, for -no words of ours could add the weight of a feather to the world-wide -fame of William Lloyd Garrison; but we simply wish to record the -acknowledgment of a grateful negro to the most distinguished friend of -his race.</p> - -<p>On the right of the chairman sat Wendell Phillips, America’s ablest -orator. He is a little above the middle height, well made, and -remarkably graceful in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[Pg 396]</a></span> person. His golden hair is now growing thin and -changing its color, and his youthful look has gone; but he shows no -yielding to age, and is in the full maturity of his powers. Descended -from one of the oldest and most cultivated stock of New England’s sons; -educated at the first university; graduating with all the honors which -the college could bestow on him; studying law with Judge Story, and -becoming a member of the bar; he has all the accomplishments that these -advantages can give to a man of a great mind.</p> - -<p>Nature has treated Mr. Phillips as a favorite. His expressive -countenance paints and reflects every emotion of his soul. His -gestures, like his delivery, are wonderfully graceful. There is a -fascination in the soft gaze of his eyes, which none can but admire. -Being a close student, and endowed by Nature with a retentive memory, -he supplies himself with the most complicated dates and historical -events. Nothing can surpass the variety of his matter. He extracts -from a subject all that it contains, and does it as none but Wendell -Phillips can. His voice is beautifully musical, and it is calculated -to attract wherever it is heard. He is a man of calm intrepidity, of -a patriotic and warm heart, with temper the most gentle, a rectitude -of principle entirely natural, a freedom from ambition, and a modesty -quite singular.</p> - -<p>His speeches upon every subject upon which he has spoken, will -compare favorably with anything ever uttered by Pitt or Sheridan in -their palmiest days. No American is so eagerly reported in Europe, -in what he says on the platform, as Mr. Phillips. His appeal for -Cretan independence was circulated in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[Pg 397]</a></span> language of Demosthenes and -Isocrates through Greece and its islands, and reached the ears of the -mountaineers of Crete, for whom he spoke.</p> - -<p>But it is in the Anti-slavery cause that we love to write of him. As a -speaker on that platform, he has never had an equal; and the good he -has rendered the slave by his eloquent speeches can never be estimated.</p> - -<p>Considering his position in society, his talents and prospects when in -youth he entered the ranks of the proscribed and hated Abolitionists, -we feel that Mr. Phillips has sacrificed more upon the altar of freedom -than any other living man.</p> - -<p>On the opposite side of the table from Mr. Phillips, sits Edmund -Quincy, the ripe scholar and highly-cultivated gentleman and -interesting writer. If he is not so eloquent a speaker as his friend -Phillips, he is none the less staunch in his adherence to principle. He -is one of the best presiding officers that New England can produce.</p> - -<p>A little farther down on the same side is Francis Jackson. His calm -Roman face, large features, well-developed head, and robust-looking -frame tells you at once that he is a man of courage. He was one of -the first to take his stand by the side of Mr. Garrison; and when the -mob in 1835 broke up the anti-slavery meeting held by the ladies, Mr. -Jackson, with a moral courage scarcely ever equalled, came forward and -offered his private dwelling to them to hold their meeting in.</p> - -<p>Still farther down on the same side sits Maria Weston Chapman, the -well-read and accomplished lady, the head and heart of the Anti-slavery -Bazaar. Many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">[Pg 398]</a></span> an influential woman has been induced to take part in -the Bazaar and Subscription Festival, solely on account of the earnest -eloquence and polished magnetism of Mrs. Chapman. By her side sits her -gifted little sister, Anne Warren Weston. On the opposite side of the -table is Samuel May, Jr., the able and efficient general agent of the -Society. To his perseverance, industry, gentlemanly manners, and good -sense, the Society owes much of its success. In the earlier days of the -movement, Mr. May left the pulpit and a lucrative salary, that he might -devote his time to the cause in which his heart had long been engaged. -Mr. May is an earnest speaker, and never takes the platform unless -he has something to say. He is simple, plain, and one of the best of -friends. It was the good fortune of the writer to be associated with -him for a number of years; and he never looks back to those days but -with the best feeling and most profound respect for the moral character -and Christian worth of Samuel May, Jr.</p> - -<p>Not far from Mr. May sat Charles F. Hovey, the princely Summer Street -merchant, the plain, honest, outspoken man whose heart felt the wrongs -of the oppressed as keenly as if he himself had been one of the race. -Gathered since to his heavenly rest, he bequeathed a large sum of -money to carry on the battle for the negro’s freedom. Farther down the -table was Eliza Lee Follen, whose poems in favor of liberty have so -often been sung in our anti-slavery conventions. Sydney Howard Gay, -the polished writer, the editor of the Society’s organ, occupied a -seat next to Mrs. Follen. With small frame, finely-cut features, and -pleasant voice, he is ever listened to with marked <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[Pg 399]</a></span>attention. Mr. Gay -is a gentleman in every sense of the term.</p> - -<p>Near the end of the table is William I. Bowditch, the able scholar, the -ripe lawyer, the devoted friend of freedom. Lastly, there is Charles -K. Whipple, the “C. K. W.,” of “The Liberator,” and the “North,” of -the “Anti-slavery Standard.” A stronger executive board for a great -moral object probably never existed. They were men and women in whom -the public had the utmost confidence, individually, for rectitude of -character.</p> - -<p>There were also present on this occasion five persons who were not -members of the board, but whose long and arduous labors entitled them -to a seat around the table. These were Samuel J. May, Lydia Maria -Child, James and Lucretia Mott, and Thomas Garrett; and of these we -shall now make mention.</p> - -<p>Born in Boston, educated in her unsurpassed schools, a graduate of -Harvard University, and deeply imbued with the spirit and teachings -of the great leader of our salvation, and a philanthropist by nature, -Samuel J. May was drawn to the side of Mr. Garrison by the force of -sympathy. He was a member of the Philadelphia Convention in 1833, -at the formation of the American Anti-slavery Society, and his name -is appended to the immortal “Declaration of Sentiments,” penned by -Garrison, his life-long friend. When Prudence Crandall was imprisoned -at Canterbury, Connecticut, for the crime of teaching colored girls -to read, her most attached friend was Samuel J. May. He defended the -persecuted woman, and stood by her till she was liberated. Although -closely confined to his duties as preacher of the Gospel, Mr. May -gave much<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">[Pg 400]</a></span> of his time to the slaves’ cause. As a speaker, he was -always interesting; for his sweet spirit and loving nature won to him -the affectionate regard of all with whom he came in contact. As an -Abolitionist, none were more true, more fearless. His house was long -the home of the fugitive slaves passing through Syracuse, New York, and -his church was always open to the anti-slavery lecturer when others -were shut against him.</p> - -<p>Lydia Maria Child early embraced the cause of the enslaved negro. Her -sketches of some of the intellectual characters of the race appeared -more than thirty years ago, and created considerable sensation from the -boldness with which she advocated the black man’s equality.</p> - -<p>James and Lucretia Mott were amongst the first in Pennsylvania to take -the stand by the side of Mr. Garrison in defence of negro freedom. -They were Abolitionists in every sense of the term, even to their -clothing and food, for they were amongst the earliest to encourage the -introduction of free-labor goods as a means of breaking up slavery, -by reducing the value of the products of the slave’s toil. As a -speaker, Mrs. Mott was doubtless the most eloquent woman that America -ever produced. A highly-cultivated and reflective mind, thoroughly -conversant with the negro’s suffering, hating everything that savored -of oppression, whether religiously or politically, and possessing the -brain and the courage, Mrs. Mott’s speeches were always listened to -with the closest attention and the greatest interest.</p> - -<p>Mr. Mott took little or no part in public gatherings; but his -suggestions on committees, and his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">[Pg 401]</a></span> advice generally, were reliable. He -gave of his means liberally, and seconded every movement of his noble -wife.</p> - -<p>Thomas Garrett was an Abolitionist from his youth up; and though the -grand old cause numbered among its supporters, poets, sages, and -statesmen, it had no more faithful worker in its ranks than Thomas -Garrett. The work of this good man lay in Delaware, one of the -meanest states in the Union, and the services which he rendered the -free colored people of that State in their efforts to rise above the -prejudice exhibited against their race can never be estimated.</p> - -<p>But it was as a friend of the bondman escaping from his oppressor that -Mr. Garrett was most widely known. For more than forty years he devoted -himself to aiding the runaway slave in getting his freedom.</p> - -<p>We have written of the executive officers of the most radical wing -of the Anti-slavery movement, yet there was still another band whose -labors were, if possible, more arduous, and deserve as much praise as -any of whom we have made mention.</p> - -<p>These were the lecturing agents, the men and women who performed the -field service, the most difficult part of all the work. They went from -city to city, and from town to town, urging the claims of the slave to -his freedom; uttering truths that the people were not prepared for, and -receiving in return, rotten eggs, sticks, stones, and the condemnation -of the public generally. Many of these laborers neither asked nor -received any compensation; some gave their time and paid their own -expenses, satisfied with having an opportunity to work for humanity.</p> - -<p>In the front rank of this heroic and fearless band,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">[Pg 402]</a></span> stood Abby Kelly -Foster, the Joan of Arc, of the anti-slavery movement. Born, we -believe, in the Society of Friends, and retaining to a great extent the -seriousness of early training, convinced of the heinousness of slavery, -she threw comfort, ease, and everything aside, and gave herself, in the -bloom of young womanhood, to the advocacy of the right of the negro to -his freedom. We first met Mrs. Foster (then Miss Kelly), about thirty -years ago, at Buffalo, in the State of New York, and for the first time -listened to a lecture against the hated system from which we had so -recently escaped.</p> - -<p>Somewhat above the common height, slim, but well-proportioned, -finely-developed forehead and a pleasing countenance, eyes bright, -voice clear, gestures a little nervous, and dressed in a plain manner, -Mrs. Foster’s appearance on that occasion made a deep and lasting -impression upon her audience. The life-like pictures which she drew of -the helpless condition of her sisters in chains brought tears to many -eyes, and when she demanded that those chains should be broken they -responded with wild applause.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, Mrs. Foster is logical, forcible; leaping from irony to -grave argument. Her illustrations, anecdotes, and figures are always to -the point. She is sharp and quick at repartee. In the earlier days of -the movement, she was considered very able in discussion. At Buffalo, -where we first heard her, she basted one of our ablest lawyers until -he acknowledged the fact, amid loud applause. Mrs. Foster was at times -harsh, but not harsher than truth. She is uncompromising, and always -reliable in a public meeting where discussion on reformatory questions -is under <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">[Pg 403]</a></span>consideration. This lady gave the best years of her useful -life to the redemption of the negro from slavery.</p> - -<p>We may well give Stephen S. Foster a place by the side of his noble -wife. He, too, embraced the cause of the slave at the dawn of the -agitation of the subject, and at once became one of its ablest -advocates. In downright field-work, as a lecturer, he did more than any -other man. Mr. Foster was the most unpopular of all the anti-slavery -agents; and simply because he “hewed to the line and the plummet,” -not caring in whose face the chips flew. He was always at home in a -discussion, and woe betide the person who fell into his hands. His -announcement of his subject often startled his hearers, and even his -best friends and associates would sometimes feel that he had overstated -the question. But he always more than proved what he had said in the -outset. In private life he is almost faultless; proverbially honest, -trustworthy, and faithful in all his dealings, possessing in the -estimation of his neighbors a high moral character.</p> - -<p>Parker Pillsbury entered the field as an advocate of freedom about the -same time as did Mr. Foster, and battled nobly for the oppressed.</p> - -<p>Charles L. Remond was, we believe, the first man of color to take the -platform as a regular lecturer in the anti-slavery cause, and was, no -doubt, the ablest representative that the race had till the appearance -of Frederick Douglass, in 1842. Mr. Remond prided himself more as the -representative of the educated free man of color, and often alluded to -the fact that “not a drop of slave blood” coursed through his veins. -Mr. Remond has little or no originality, but his studied elocutionary -powers, and fine flow of language,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">[Pg 404]</a></span> together with his being a colored -man, always gained for him an attentive hearing. But the genius and -originality of Frederick Douglass, and his unadorned eloquence, -overshadowed and threw Remond in the shade. This so soured the latter -that he never recovered from it, and even at the present time speaks -disparagingly of his early friend and associate. However, both of these -gentlemen did much to bring about the abolition of American Slavery.</p> - -<p>Conspicuous among the advocates of freedom, almost from its earliest -dawn to its close, was Charles C. Burleigh, the devoted friend of -humanity. Nature has been profuse in showering her gifts upon Mr. -Burleigh, but all have been bestowed upon his head and heart. There -is a kind of eloquence which weaves its thread around the hearer, -and gradually draws him into its web, fascinating him with its -gaze, entangling him as the spider does the fly, until he is fast. -Such is the eloquence of Charles C. Burleigh. As a debater, he is -unquestionably the ablest who took sides with the slave. If he did not -speak so fast, he would equal Wendell Phillips; if he did not reason -his subject out of existence, he would surpass him. Cyrus M. Burleigh -also did good service in the anti-slavery cause, both as a lecturer and -editor of “The Pennsylvania Freeman.”</p> - -<p>If Lucy Stone did not come into the field as early as some of whom we -have made mention, she brought with her when she did an earnestness -and enthusiasm that gave her an attentive audience wherever she spoke. -Under the middle size, hair generally cut short, round face, eyes -sparkling, not handsome, yet good to look upon, always plainly dressed, -not a single<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">[Pg 405]</a></span> dollar for diamonds, but a heart gushing for humanity, -Lucy Stone at once became one of the most popular of the anti-slavery -speakers. Her arguments are forcible, her appeals pathetic, her -language plain, and at times classical. She is ready in debate, fertile -in illustration, eloquent in enunciation, and moves a congregation as -few can.</p> - -<p>For real, earnest labor, as a leader of a corps of agents in a -reformatory movement, Susan B. Anthony has few equals. As a speaker, -she is full of facts and illustrations, and at times truly eloquent. -Susan is always reliable; and if any of her travelling companions are -colored, her hawk-eye is ever on the watch to see that their rights -are not invaded on the score of their complexion. The writer’s dark -skin thoroughly tested Miss Anthony’s grit some years ago at Cleveland, -Ohio; but when weighed, she was not found wanting. On that occasion -she found an efficient backer in our able and eloquent friend, Aaron -M. Powell. These two, backed by the strong voice and earnest words of -Andrew T. Foss, brought the hotelkeeper to his senses; and the writer -was allowed to go to the dinner-table, and eat with white folks. Mr. -Powell has for some years been the sole editor of the “Anti-Slavery -Standard,” and as editor and speaker has rendered a lasting service -to the cause of negro freedom. Andrew T. Foss left his pulpit some -twenty years ago, to devote his entire time to the discussion of the -principles of liberty, where his labors were highly appreciated.</p> - -<p>Sallie Hollie filled an important niche on the anti-slavery platform. -Her Orthodox antecedents, her scriptural knowledge, her prayerful and -eloquent <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">[Pg 406]</a></span>appeals obtained for her admission into churches when many -others were refused; yet she was as uncompromising as truth.</p> - -<p>Oliver Johnson gave his young manhood to the negro’s cause when to -be an Abolitionist cost more than words. He was, in the earlier days -of the movement, one of the hardest workers; both as a lecturer and -writer, that the cause had. Mr. Johnson is a cogent reasoner, a deep -thinker, a ready debater, an accomplished writer, and an eloquent -speaker. He has at times edited the “Herald of Freedom,” “Anti-Slavery -Standard,” and “Anti-Slavery Bugle;” and has at all times been one of -the most uncompromising and reliable of the “Old Guard.”</p> - -<p>Henry C. Wright was also among the early adherents to the doctrine of -universal and immediate emancipation, and gave the cause the best years -of his life.</p> - -<p>Giles B. Stebbins, a ripe scholar, an acute thinker, earnest and able -as a speaker, devoted to what he conceives to be right, was for years -one of the most untiring of freedom’s advocates.</p> - -<p>Of those who occasionally volunteered their services without money and -without price, few struck harder blows at the old Bastile of slavery -than James N. Buffum, a man of the people, whose abilities have been -appreciated and acknowledged by his election as mayor of his own city -of Lynn.</p> - -<p>James Miller McKim was one of the signers of the Declaration of -Sentiments, at Philadelphia, in 1833, and ever after gave his heart -and his labors to the slave’s cause. For many years the leading man -in the Anti-slavery Society in Pennsylvania, Mr. McKim’s labors were -arduous, yet he never swerved<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">[Pg 407]</a></span> from duty. He is a scholar, well -read, and is a good speaker, only a little nervous. His round face -indicates perseverance that will not falter, and integrity that will -not disappoint. He always enjoyed the confidence of the Abolitionists -throughout the country, and is regarded as a man of high moral -character. Of the underground railroad through Pennsylvania, Mr. McKim -knows more than any man except William Still.</p> - -<p>Mary Grew, for her earnest labors, untiring activity, and truly -eloquent speeches, was listened to with great interest and attention -wherever she spoke. A more zealous and able friend the slave never had -in Pennsylvania.</p> - -<p>Lucretia Mott, the most eloquent woman that America ever produced, -was a life-long Abolitionist, of the straightest kind. For years her -clothing, food, and even the paper that she wrote her letters on, were -the products of free labor. Thirty years ago we saw Mrs. Mott take from -her pocket a little paper bag filled with sugar, and sweeten her tea. -We then learned that it was her practice so to do when travelling, to -be sure of having free sugar.</p> - -<p>A phrenologist would pronounce her head faultless. She has a thoughtful -countenance, eyes beaming with intelligence, and a voice of much -compass. Mrs. Mott speaks hesitatingly at times, when she begins her -remarks, and then words flow easily, and every word has a thought. She -was always a favorite with the Abolitionists, and a welcome speaker at -their anniversary meetings.</p> - -<p>This was the radical wing of the Abolitionists,—men and women who -believed mainly in moral <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">[Pg 408]</a></span>suasion. Outside of these were many others -who were equally sincere, and were laboring with all their powers -to bring about emancipation, and to some of them I shall now call -attention.</p> - -<p>Some thirty years ago we met for the first time a gentleman of noble -personal appearance, being about six feet in height, well-proportioned; -forehead high and broad; large dark eyes, full of expression; hair -brown, and a little tinged with gray. The fascination of his smiling -gaze, and the hearty shake of his large, soft hand, made us feel at -home when we were introduced to Gerrit Smith. His comprehensive and -well-cultivated mind, his dignified and deliberate manner and musical -voice fit him for what he is,—one of Nature’s noblest orators. -Speaking is not the finest trait in the character of Mr. Smith, but his -great, large heart, every pulsation of which beats for humanity. He -brought to the negro’s cause wealth and position, and laid it all upon -the altar of his redemption. In the year 1846 he gave three thousand -farms to the same number of colored men; and three years later he gave -a farm each to one thousand white men, with ten thousand dollars to be -divided amongst them.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smith has spent in various ways many hundred thousand dollars -for the liberation and elevation of the blacks of this country. Next -to Mr. Smith, in the State of New York, is Beriah Greene, whose long -devotion to the cause of freedom is known throughout our land. Many of -the colored men whose career have done honor to the race, owe their -education to Mr. Greene. He is the most radical churchman we know of, -always right on the question of slavery. He did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_409" id="Page_409">[Pg 409]</a></span> much in the early days -of the agitation, and his speeches were considered amongst the finest -productions on the anti-slavery platform.</p> - -<p>The old Abolitionists of thirty years ago still remember with pleasure -the smiling face and intellectual countenance of Nathaniel P. Rogers, -editor of the “Herald of Freedom,” a weekly newspaper that found a -welcome wherever it went. Mr. Rogers was a man of rare gifts, of a -philosophical and penetrating mind, high literary cultivation, quick -perception, and of a most genial nature. He dealt hard blows at the -peculiar institution with both his tongue and his pen. As a speaker, -he was more argumentative than eloquent, but was always good in a -discussion. As an ardent friend of Mr. Garrison, and a co-worker with -him, Mr. Rogers should have been named with the moral suasionists.</p> - -<p>William Goodell, a prolific writer, a deep thinker, a man of great -industry, and whose large eyes indicate immense language, has labored -long and faithfully for justice and humanity.</p> - -<p>John P. Hale was the first man to make a successful stand in Congress, -and he did his work nobly. His free-and-easy manner, his Falstaffian -fun, and Cromwellian courage, were always too much for Foote and his -Southern associates in the Senate, and in every contest for freedom the -New Hampshire Senator came off victorious. Mr. Hale is a large, fat, -social man, fine head, pleasing countenance, possessing much pungent -wit, irony, and sarcasm; able and eloquent in debate, and has always -been a true friend of negro freedom and elevation.</p> - -<p>Charles Sumner had made his mark in favor of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_410" id="Page_410">[Pg 410]</a></span>humanity, and especially -in behalf of the colored race, long before the doors of the United -States Senate opened to admit him as a member. In the year 1846, -he refused to lecture before a New Bedford lyceum, because colored -citizens were not allowed to occupy seats in common with the whites. -His lectures and speeches all had the ring of the right metal. His -career in Congress has been one of unsurpassed brilliancy. His -oratorical efforts in the capital of the nation equal anything ever -reported from the forums of Rome or Athens. Whatever is designed to -promote the welfare and happiness of the human race, Mr. Sumner has the -courage to advocate and defend to the last.</p> - -<p>In firmness, he may be said to be without a rival on the floor of -the Senate, and has at times appeared a little dogged. However, -his foresight and sagacity show that he is generally in the right. -Mr. Sumner’s efforts in favor of reform have been ably seconded in -Congress by his colleague and friend, Henry Wilson, a man of the -people, and from the people. Without great educational attainments, -modest in his manners, never assuming aristocratic airs, plain, blunt, -yet gentlemanly, Mr. Wilson has always carried with him a tremendous -influence; and his speeches exhibit great research and much practical -common sense. He is a hard worker, and in that kind of industry which -is needed on committees, he is doubtless unequalled. As an old-time -Whig, a Free-soiler, and a Republican, Mr. Wilson has always been an -Abolitionist of the most radical stripe; and in Congress, has done as -much for negro emancipation, and the elevation of the blacks, as any -living man. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_411" id="Page_411">[Pg 411]</a></span></p> - -<p>Foremost in his own State, as well as in Congress, for many years, was -that good old man, Thaddeus Stevens, an earnest friend of the poor man, -whether white or black. Strong in the consciousness of being right, -he never shrank from any encounter, and nobody said more in fewer -words, or gave to language a sharper bite, than he. On the question -of slavery, Mr. Stevens was uncompromisingly the negro’s friend and -faithful advocate.</p> - -<p>Joshua R. Giddings, next to John Quincy Adams, was the first man, we -believe, that really stirred up the House of Representatives in behalf -of the slave. Mr. Giddings was a man without fear, entirely devoted to -the welfare of mankind; not an orator, in the accepted sense of the -term, but an able debater; ready in facts and illustrations, and always -to be relied upon when the Southerners attempted to encroach upon -freedom. Mr. Giddings never denied, even in the earlier days of the -agitation, that he was an Abolitionist.</p> - -<p>George W. Julian, of Indiana, entered the halls of Congress as an enemy -of negro slavery, and, up to the present time, stands firm to his early -convictions.</p> - -<p>Thomas Russell began life as a friend of negro emancipation, and -wherever his eloquent voice was heard, it gave no uncertain sound on -the subject of freedom. The Judge is a special favorite of the colored -men of Boston, and richly deserves it; for, as a Collector of Customs, -he has given employment to a large number of the proscribed class.</p> - -<p>Charles W. Slack, the talented editor of “The Commonwealth,”—the -outspoken friend of liberty, whose gentlemanly deportment, polished -manners, and sympathetic heart extend to the negro the same cordial<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_412" id="Page_412">[Pg 412]</a></span> -welcome in his office that he gives to the white man,—is an old-time -Abolitionist. The colored clerk in his Revenue department is <i>prima -facie</i> evidence that he has no prejudice against the negro. Both as -a speaker and a writer, Mr. Slack did the cause of the slave great -service, when it cost something to be a friend to the race.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_413" id="Page_413">[Pg 413]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER XLIX.</span> <span class="smaller">THE NEW ERA.</span></h2> - -<p>The close of the Rebellion opened to the negro a new era in his -history. The chains of slavery had been severed; and although he had -not been clothed with all the powers of the citizen, the black man was, -nevertheless, sure of all his rights being granted, for revolutions -seldom go backward. With the beginning of the work of reconstruction, -the right of the negro to the ballot came legitimately before the -country, and brought with it all the virus of negro hate that could be -thought of. President Andrew Johnson threw the weight of his official -influence into the scales against the newly-liberated people, which -for a time cast a dark shadow over the cause of justice and freedom. -Congress, however, by its Constitutional amendments, settled the -question, and clothed the blacks with the powers of citizenship; and -with their white fellow-citizens they entered the reconstruction -conventions, and commenced the work of bringing their states back into -the Union. This was a trying position for the recently enfranchised -blacks; for slavery had bequeathed to them nothing but poverty, -ignorance, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_414" id="Page_414">[Pg 414]</a></span> dependence upon their former owners for employment and -the means of sustaining themselves and their families. The transition -through which they passed during the war, had imparted to some a -smattering of education; and this, with the natural aptitude of the -negro for acquiring, made the colored men appear to advantage in -whatever position they were called to take part.</p> - -<p>The speeches delivered by some of these men in the conventions and -state legislatures exhibit a depth of thought, flights of eloquence, -and civilized statesmanship, that throw their former masters far in the -background.</p> - -<p>In the work of reconstruction, the colored men had the advantage -of being honest and sincere in what they undertook, and labored -industriously for the good of the country.</p> - -<p>The riots in various Southern states, following the enfranchising of -the men of color, attest the deep-rooted prejudice existing with the -men who once so misruled the rebellious states. In Georgia, Tennessee, -and Louisiana, these outbursts of ill feeling caused the loss of many -lives, and the destruction of much property. No true Union man, white -or black, was safe. The Constitutional amendment, which gave the ballot -to the black men of the North in common with their brethren of the -South, aroused the old pro-slavery feeling in the free states, which -made it scarcely safe for the newly enfranchised to venture to the -polls on the day of election in some of the Northern cities. The cry -that this was a “white man’s government,” was raised from one end of -the country to the other by the Democratic press, and the Taney theory -that “black<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_415" id="Page_415">[Pg 415]</a></span> men had no rights that white men were bound to respect,” -was revived, with all its negro hate.</p> - -<p>Military occupation of the South was all that saved the freedmen -from destruction. Under it, they were able to take part in the -various Constitutional and Legislative elections, and to hold seats -in those bodies. As South Carolina had been the most conspicuous in -the Rebellion, so she was the first to return to the Union, and to -recognize the political equality of the race whom in former days she -had bought and sold. Her Senate hall, designed to echo the eloquence -of the Calhouns, the McDuffies, the Hammonds, the Hamptons, and the -Rhetts, has since resounded with the speeches of men who were once her -bond slaves. Ransier, the negro, now fills the chair of President of -the Senate, where once sat the proud and haughty Calhoun; while Nash, -the tall, gaunt, full-blooded negro, speaks in the plantation dialect -from the desk in which Wade Hampton in former days stood. The State -is represented in Congress by Elliott, Rainey, and De Large. South -Carolina submitted quietly to her destiny.</p> - -<p>Not so, however, with Georgia. At the election in November, 1867, -for members to the State Convention, thirty thousand white and -eighty thousand colored votes were polled, and a number of colored -delegates elected. A Constitution was framed and ratified, and a -Legislature elected under it was convened. After all this, supposing -they had passed beyond Congressional control, the Rebel element in -the Legislature asserted itself; and many of those whose disabilities -had been removed by the State Convention, which comprised a number of -colored members, joined<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_416" id="Page_416">[Pg 416]</a></span> in the declaration which was made by that -Legislature, that a man having more than one-eighth of African blood in -his veins was ineligible to office.</p> - -<p>These very men to whom the Republican party extended all the rights -and privileges of citizenship, of which they had deprived themselves, -denied political equality to a large majority of their fellow-citizens. -Twenty-eight members were expelled on December 22, 1869; an Act of -Congress was passed requiring the re-assembling of the persons declared -elected by the military commander, the restoration of the expelled -members, and the rejection of others, who were disqualified.</p> - -<p>The expulsion of the ex-rebels from the Georgia Legislature, and the -admission of the loyal colored men, whose seats had been forcibly -taken from them, had a good effect upon all the Southern States, for -it showed that the national administration was determined that justice -should be done.</p> - -<p>The prompt admission of Hiram R. Revels to a seat in the United States -Senate from Mississippi, showed that progress was the watch-word of -the Republican party. The appointments of E. D. Bassett as Minister to -Hayti, and J. Milton Turner as Consul-General to Liberia, set at rest -all doubt with regard to the views of President Grant, and the negro’s -political equality.</p> - -<p>In 1869, colored men, for the first time in the history of the District -of Columbia, were drawn as jurors, and served with white men. This was -the crowning event of that glorious emancipation which began at the -capital, and radiated throughout the length and breadth of the nation. -Since then, one by one, distinguishing lines have been erased, and now -the black man is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_417" id="Page_417">[Pg 417]</a></span> deemed worthy to participate in all the privileges of -an American citizen.</p> - -<p>The election of Oscar J. Dunn as Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana, -was a triumph which gladdened the hearts of his race from Maine to -California. Alabama sent B. S. Turner to Congress; Florida, J. T. -Walls, while colored men entered the Legislative halls of several -states not named in this connection.</p> - -<p>The National Republican Convention, held at Philadelphia in June, 1872, -received as delegates a number of colored men, and for the first time -in the history of Presidential conventions, the negro’s voice was heard -and applauded.</p> - -<p>Education is what we now need, and education we must have, at all -hazards. Wilberforce and Avery Colleges, and Lincoln University, have -all done good service. Howard University, Lincoln Institute, Hampton -Manual Labor School, and Fisk University, are harbingers of light to -our people. But we need an educated ministry; and until we have it, the -masses will grope in darkness. The cause of Temperance, that John the -Baptist of reforms, must be introduced into every community, and every -other method resorted to by the whites for their elevation should be -used by the colored men.</p> - -<p>Our young men must be encouraged to enter the various professions, -and to become mechanics, and thereby lay the foundation for future -usefulness.</p> - -<p>An ignorant man will trust to luck for success; an educated man will -make success. God helps those who help themselves.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_418" id="Page_418">[Pg 418]</a></span></p> - -<h2><span>CHAPTER L.</span> <span class="smaller">REPRESENTATIVE MEN AND WOMEN.</span></h2> - -<p>In our Sketches of Representative Men and Women, some will be found to -have scarcely more than a local reputation; but they are persons who -have contributed, of their ability, towards the Freedom of the Race, -and should not be forgotten. Others bid fair to become distinguished in -the future. We commence with our first hero:—</p> - -<h3>CRISPUS ATTUCKS.</h3> - -<p>The principle that taxation and representation were inseparable was -in accordance with the theory, the genius, and the precedents of -British legislation; and this principle was now, for the first time, -intentionally invaded. The American colonies were not represented in -Parliament; yet an act was passed by that body, the tendency of which -was to invalidate all right and title to their property. This was the -“Stamp Act,” of March 23, 1765, which ordained that no sale, bond, -note of hand, nor other instrument of writing, should be valid, unless -executed on paper bearing the stamp prescribed by the home government. -The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_419" id="Page_419">[Pg 419]</a></span> intelligence of the passage of the stamp act at once roused -the indignation of the liberty-loving portion of the people of the -colonies, and meetings were held at various points to protest against -this high-handed measure.</p> - -<p>Massachusetts was the first to take a stand in opposition to the -mother country. The merchants and traders of Boston, New York, and -Philadelphia entered into non-importation agreements, with a view of -obtaining a repeal of the obnoxious law. Under the pressure of public -sentiment, the stamp act officers gave in their resignations. The -eloquence of William Pitt and the sagacity of Lord Camden brought about -a repeal of the stamp act in the British Parliament. A new ministry, in -1767, succeeded in getting through the House of Commons a bill to tax -the tea imported into the American colonies, and it received the royal -assent. Massachusetts again took the lead in opposing the execution of -this last act, and Boston began planning to take the most conspicuous -part in the great drama. The agitation in the colonies provoked the -home government, and power was given to the governor of Massachusetts -to take notice of all persons who might offer any treasonable -objections to these oppressive enactments, that the same might be -sent home to England to be tried there. Lord North was now at the -head of affairs, and no leniency was to be shown to the colonies. The -concentration of British troops in large numbers at Boston convinced -the people that their liberties were at stake, and they began to rally.</p> - -<p>A crowded and enthusiastic meeting, held in Boston, in the latter -part of the year 1769, was addressed by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_420" id="Page_420">[Pg 420]</a></span> the ablest talent that the -progressive element could produce. Standing in the back part of the -hall, eagerly listening to the speakers, was a dark mulatto man, very -tall, rather good-looking, and apparently, about fifty years of age. -This was Crispus Attucks. Though taking no part in the meeting, he -was nevertheless destined to be conspicuous in the first struggle in -throwing off the British yoke. Twenty years previous to this, Attucks -was the slave of William Brouno, Esq., of Framingham, Massachusetts; -but his was a heart beating for freedom, and not to be kept in the -chains of mental or bodily servitude.</p> - -<p>From the “Boston Gazette” of Tuesday, November 20, 1750, I copy the -following advertisement:—</p> - -<blockquote><p>“Ran away from his master William Brouno Framingham, on the -30th of Sept., last, a Molatto Fellow, about 27 years of Age -named Crispus, well set, six feet 2 inches high, short curl’d -Hair, knees nearer together than common; had on a light coloured -Bearskin Coat, brown Fustian jacket, new Buckskin Breeches, blew -yarn Stockins and Checkered Shirt. Whoever shall take up said -Runaway, and convey him to his above said Master at Framingham, -shall have Ten Pounds, old Tenor Reward and all necessary charges -paid.”</p></blockquote> - -<p>The above is a <i>verbatim et literatim</i> advertisement for a runaway -slave one hundred and twenty-two years ago. Whether Mr. Brouno -succeeded in recapturing Crispus or not, we are left in the dark.</p> - -<p>Ill-feeling between the mother country and her colonial subjects -had been gaining ground, while British<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_421" id="Page_421">[Pg 421]</a></span> troops were concentrating -at Boston. On the 5th of March, 1770, the people were seen early -congregating at the corners of the principal streets, at Dock Square, -and near the Custom House. Captain Preston, with a body of redcoats, -started out for the purpose of keeping order in the disaffected -town, and was hissed at by the crowds in nearly every place where he -appeared. The day passed off without any outward manifestation of -disturbance, but all seemed to feel that something would take place -after nightfall. The doubling of the guard in and about the Custom -House showed the authorities felt an insecurity that they did not care -to express. The lamps in Dock Square threw their light in the angry -faces of a large crowd who appeared to be waiting for the crisis, in -whatever form it should come. A part of Captain Preston’s company was -making its way from the Custom House, when they were met by the crowd -from Dock Square, headed by the black man Attucks, who was urging -them to meet the redcoats, and drive them from the streets. “These -rebels have no business here,” said he; “let’s drive them away.” The -people became enthusiastic, their brave leader grew more daring in -his language and attitude, while the soldiers under Captain Preston -appeared to give way. “Come on! don’t be afraid!” cried Attucks. “They -dare not shoot; and, if they dare, let them do it.”</p> - -<p>Stones and sticks, with which the populace were armed, were freely -used, to the great discomfiture of the English soldiers. “Don’t -hesitate! come on! We’ll drive these rebels out of Boston!” were the -last words heard from the lips of the colored man, for the sharp crack -of muskets silenced his voice, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_422" id="Page_422">[Pg 422]</a></span> he fell weltering in his blood. -Two balls had pierced his sable breast. Thus died Crispus Attucks, the -first martyr to American liberty, and the inaugurator of the revolution -that was destined to take from the crown of George the Third its -brightest star. An immense concourse of citizens followed the remains -of the hero to its last resting-place, and his name was honorably -mentioned in the best circles. The last words, the daring, and the -death of Attucks gave spirit and enthusiasm to the revolution, and his -heroism was imitated by both whites and blacks. His name was a rallying -cry for the brave colored men who fought at the battle of Bunker’s -Hill. In the gallant defence of Redbank, where four hundred blacks -met and defeated fifteen hundred Hessians, headed by Count Donop, the -thought of Attucks filled them with ardor. When Colonel Green fell at -Groton, surrounded by his black troops who perished with him, they went -into the battle feeling proud of the opportunity of imitating the first -martyr of the American revolution.</p> - -<p>No monument has yet been erected to him. An effort was made in the -legislature of Massachusetts a few years since, but without success. -Five generations of accumulated prejudice against the negro had -excluded from the American mind all inclination to do justice to one of -her bravest sons. Now that slavery is abolished, we may hope, in future -years, to see a monument raised to commemorate the heroism of Crispus -Attucks. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_423" id="Page_423">[Pg 423]</a></span></p> - -<h3>PHILLIS WHEATLEY.</h3> - -<p>In the year 1761, when Boston had her slave market, and the descendants -of the Pilgrims appeared to be the most pious and God-fearing people -in the world, Mrs. John Wheatley went into the market one day, for -the purpose of selecting and purchasing a girl for her own use. Among -the group of children just imported from the African coast was a -delicately-built, rather good-looking child of seven or eight years, -apparently suffering from the recent sea-voyage and change of climate. -Mrs. Wheatley’s heart was touched at the interesting countenance and -humble modesty of this little stranger. The lady bought the child, and -she was named Phillis. Struck with the slave’s uncommon brightness, -the mistress determined to teach her to read, which she did with no -difficulty. The child soon mastered the English language, with which -she was totally unacquainted when she landed upon the American shores.</p> - -<p>Her school lessons were all perfect, and she drank in the Scriptural -teachings as if by intuition. At the age of twelve, she could write -letters and keep up a correspondence that would have done honor to one -double her years. Mrs. Wheatley, seeing her superior genius, no longer -regarded Phillis as a servant, but took her as a companion. It was -not surprising that the slave-girl should be an object of attraction, -astonishment, and attention with the refined and highly-cultivated -society that weekly assembled in the drawing-room of the Wheatleys.</p> - -<p>As Phillis grew up to womanhood, her progress and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_424" id="Page_424">[Pg 424]</a></span> attainments kept -pace with the promise of her earlier years. She drew around her the -best educated of the white ladies, and attracted the attention and -notice of the literary characters of Boston, who supplied her with -books, and encouraged the ripening of her intellectual powers. She -studied the Latin tongue, and translated one of Ovid’s tales, which was -no sooner put in print in America, than it was republished in London, -with elegant commendations from the reviews.</p> - -<p>In 1773, a small volume of her poems, containing thirty-nine pieces, -was published in London, and dedicated to the Countess of Huntingdon. -The genuineness of this work was established in the first page of the -volume, by a document signed by the governor of Massachusetts, the -lieutenant-governor, her master, and fifteen of the most respectable -and influential citizens of Boston, who were acquainted with her -talents and the circumstances of her life. Her constitution being -naturally fragile, she was advised by her physician to take a sea -voyage, as the means of restoring her declining health.</p> - -<p>Phillis was emancipated by her master at the age of twenty-one years, -and sailed for England. On her arrival, she was received and admired in -the first circles of London society; and it was at that time that her -poems were collected and published in a volume, with a portrait and a -memoir of the authoress. Phillis returned to America, and married Dr. -Peters, a man of her own color, and of considerable talents. Her health -began rapidly to decline, and she died at the age of twenty-six years, -in 1780. Fortunately rescued from the fate that awaits the victims of -the slave-trade, this injured daughter of Africa had an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_425" id="Page_425">[Pg 425]</a></span> opportunity -of developing the genius that God had given her, and of showing to the -world the great wrong done to her race.</p> - -<p>Although her writings are not free from imperfections of style and -sentiment, her verses are full of philosophy, beauty, and sublimity. It -cost her no effort to round a period handsomely, or polish a sentence -until it became transparent with splendor. She was easy, forcible, and -eloquent in language, and needed but health and a few more years of -experience to have made her a poet of greater note.</p> - -<h3>BENJAMIN BANNEKER.</h3> - -<p>The services rendered to science, to liberty, and to the intellectual -character of the negro by Banneker, are too great for us to allow his -name to sleep, and his genius and merits to remain hidden from the -world.</p> - -<p>Benjamin Banneker was born in the State of Maryland, in the year 1732, -of pure African parentage; their blood never having been corrupted by -the introduction of a drop of Anglo-Saxon. His father was a slave, and -of course could do nothing towards the education of the child. The -mother, however, being free, succeeded in purchasing the freedom of -her husband, and they, with their son, settled on a few acres of land, -where Benjamin remained during the lifetime of his parents.</p> - -<p>His entire schooling was gained from an obscure country school, -established for the education of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_426" id="Page_426">[Pg 426]</a></span> children of free negroes; and -these advantages were poor, for the boy appears to have finished -studying before he arrived at his fifteenth year. Although out of -school, Banneker was still a student, and read with great care and -attention such books as he could get. Mr. George Ellicott, a gentleman -of fortune and considerable literary taste, and who resided near to -Benjamin, became interested in him, and lent him books from his large -library. Among these books were Mayer’s Tables, Fergusson’s Astronomy, -and Leadbeater’s Lunar Tables. A few old and imperfect astronomical -instruments also found their way into the boy’s hands, all of which he -used with great benefit to his own mind.</p> - -<p>Banneker took delight in the study of the languages, and soon mastered -the Latin, Greek, and German. He was also proficient in the French. The -classics were not neglected by him, and the general literary knowledge -which he possessed caused Mr. Ellicott to regard him as the most -learned man in the town, and he never failed to introduce Banneker to -his most distinguished guests.</p> - -<p>About this time, Benjamin turned his attention particularly to -Astronomy, and determined on making calculations for an almanac, and -completed a set for the whole year. Encouraged by this attempt, he -entered upon calculations for subsequent years, which, as well as the -former, he began and finished without the least assistance from any -person or books than those already mentioned; so that whatever merit is -attached to his performance is exclusively his own.</p> - -<p>He published an almanac in Philadelphia for the years 1792-3-4-5, and -which contained his <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_427" id="Page_427">[Pg 427]</a></span>calculations, exhibiting the different aspects of -the planets, a table of the motions of the sun and moon, their risings -and settings, and the courses of the bodies of the planetary system.</p> - -<p>By this time, Banneker’s acquirements had become generally known, -and the best scholars in the country opened correspondence with him. -Goddard & Angell, the well-known Baltimore publishers, engaged his pen -for their establishment, and became the publishers of his almanacs. A -copy of his first production was sent to Thomas Jefferson, together -with a letter intended to interest the great statesman in the cause of -negro emancipation and the elevation of the negro race, in which he -says:—</p> - -<p>“It is a truth too well attested to need a proof here, that we are a -race of beings who have long labored under the abuse and censure of -the world; that we have long been looked upon with an eye of contempt, -and considered rather as brutish than human, and scarcely capable of -mental endowments. I hope I may safely admit, in consequence of the -report which has reached me, that you are a man far less inflexible in -sentiments of this nature than many others; that you are measurably -friendly and well disposed towards us, and that you are willing to lend -your aid and assistance for our relief from those many distresses and -numerous calamities to which we are reduced.</p> - -<p>“If this is founded in truth, I apprehend you will embrace every -opportunity to eradicate that train of absurd and false ideas and -opinions which so generally prevail with respect to us, and that your -sentiments are concurrent with mine,—which are, that one universal -Father hath given being to us all; that he hath not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_428" id="Page_428">[Pg 428]</a></span> only made us all -of one flesh, but that he hath also, without partiality, afforded us -all the same sensations, and endowed us all with the same faculties; -and that, however variable we may be in society or religion, however -diversified in situation or in color, we are all of the same family, -and stand in the same relation to him. If these are sentiments of which -you are fully persuaded, you cannot but acknowledge that it is the -indispensable duty of those who maintain the rights of human nature, -and who profess the obligations of Christianity, to extend their power -and influence to the relief of every part of the human race from -whatever burden or oppression they may unjustly labor under; and this, -I apprehend a full conviction of the truth and obligation of these -principles should lead all to.</p> - -<p>“I have long been convinced that if your love for yourselves, and for -those inestimable laws which preserved to you the rights of human -nature, is founded on sincerity, you cannot help being solicitous that -every individual, of whatever rank or distinction, might with you -equally enjoy the blessings thereof; neither can you rest satisfied -short of the most active effusion of your exertions, in order to -effect their promotion from any state of degradation to which the -unjustifiable cruelty and barbarism of men may have reduced them.</p> - -<p>“I freely and cheerfully acknowledge that I am one of the African race, -and in that color which is natural to them, of the deepest dye; and it -is under a sense of the most profound gratitude to the Supreme Ruler of -the universe, that I now confess to you that I am not under that state -of tyrannical thraldom and inhuman captivity to which too many of my -brethren are doomed; but that I have abundantly tasted of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_429" id="Page_429">[Pg 429]</a></span> fruition -of those blessings which proceed from that free and unequalled liberty -with which you are favored, and which I hope you will willingly allow -you have mercifully received from the immediate hand of that Being from -whom proceedeth every good and perfect gift.</p> - -<p>“Your knowledge of the situation of my brethren is too extensive to -need a recital here; neither shall I presume to prescribe methods by -which they may be relieved, otherwise than by recommending to you -and to others to wean yourselves from those narrow prejudices which -you have imbibed with respect to them, and, as Job proposed to his -friends, ‘put your soul in their souls’ stead.’ Thus shall your hearts -be enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards them; and thus shall -you need neither the direction of myself or others in what manner to -proceed herein.... The calculation for this almanac is the production -of my arduous study in my advanced stage of life; for having long had -unbounded desires to become acquainted with the secrets of nature, -I have had to gratify my curiosity herein through my own assiduous -application to astronomical study, in which I need not recount to you -the many difficulties and disadvantages which I have had to encounter.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Jefferson at once replied, and said:—</p> - -<p>“I thank you sincerely for your letter and the almanac it contained. -Nobody wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that -Nature has given to our black brethren talents equal to those of the -other colors of men, and that the appearance of the want of them is -owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in -Africa and America. I can add with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_430" id="Page_430">[Pg 430]</a></span> truth, that nobody wishes more -ardently to see a good system commenced for raising their condition, -both of their body and their mind, to what it ought to be, as far as -the imbecility of their present existence, and other circumstances, -which cannot be neglected, will admit. I have taken the liberty of -sending your almanac to Monsieur de Condorcet, secretary of the Academy -of Sciences at Paris, and a member of the Philanthropic Society, -because I consider it as a document to which your whole color have -a right, for their justification against the doubts which have been -entertained of them.”</p> - -<p>The letter from Banneker, together with the almanac, created in the -heart of Mr. Jefferson a fresh feeling of enthusiasm in behalf of -freedom, and especially for the negro, which ceased only with his life. -The American statesman wrote to Brissot, the celebrated French writer, -in which he made enthusiastic mention of the “Negro Philosopher.” At -the formation of the “Society of the Friends of the Blacks,” at Paris, -by Lafayette, Brissot, Barnave, Condorcet, and Gregoire, the name of -Banneker was again and again referred to to prove the equality of the -races. Indeed, the genius of the “Negro Philosopher” did much towards -giving liberty to the people of St. Domingo. In the British House of -Commons, Pitt, Wilberforce, and Buxton often alluded to Banneker by -name, as a man fit to fill any position in society. At the setting off -of the District of Columbia for the capital of the federal government, -Banneker was invited by the Maryland commissioners, and took an -honorable part in the settlement of the territory. But, throughout -all his intercourse with men of influence, he never lost sight of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_431" id="Page_431">[Pg 431]</a></span>condition of his race, and ever urged the emancipation and elevation -of the slave. He well knew that everything that was founded upon the -admitted inferiority of natural right in the African was calculated to -degrade him and bring him nearer to the foot of the oppressor, and he -therefore never failed to allude to the equality of the races when with -those whites whom he could influence. He always urged self-elevation -upon the colored people whom he met. He felt that to deprive the black -man of the inspiration of ambition, of hope, of wealth, of standing, -among his brethren of the earth, was to take from him all incentives to -mental improvement.</p> - -<p>What husbandman incurs the toil of seed-time and culture, except with -a view to the subsequent enjoyment of a golden harvest? Banneker was -endowed by Nature with all those excellent qualifications which are -necessary previous to the accomplishment of a great man. His memory was -large and tenacious, yet, by a curious felicity, chiefly susceptible of -the finest impressions it received from the best authors he read, which -he always preserved in their primitive strength and amiable order. He -had a quickness of apprehension and a vivacity of understanding which -easily took in and surmounted the most subtile and knotty parts of -mathematics and metaphysics. He possessed in a large degree that genius -which constitutes a man of letters; that equality, without which, -judgment is cold, and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, -combines, amplifies, and animates.</p> - -<p>He knew every branch of history, both natural and civil; he had read -all the original historians of England, France, and Germany, and -was a great <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_432" id="Page_432">[Pg 432]</a></span>antiquarian. Criticism, metaphysics, morals, politics, -voyages, and travels, were all studied and well digested by him. With -such a fund of knowledge, his conversation was equally interesting, -instructive, and entertaining. Banneker was so favorably appreciated -by the first families in Virginia, that in 1803 he was invited by -Mr. Jefferson, then President of the United States, to visit him at -Monticello, where the statesman had gone for recreation. But he was -too infirm to undertake the journey. He died the following year, aged -seventy-two. Like the golden sun that has sunk beneath the western -horizon, but still throws upon the world, which he sustained and -enlightened in his career, the reflected beams of his departed genius, -his name can only perish with his language.</p> - -<p>Banneker believed in the divinity of reason, and in the omnipotence of -the human understanding, with Liberty for its handmaid. The intellect, -impregnated by science, and multiplied by time, it appeared to him, -must triumph necessarily over all the resistance of matter. He had -faith in liberty, truth, and virtue. His remains still rest in the -slave state where he lived and died, with no stone to mark the spot, or -tell that it is the grave of Benjamin Banneker. He labored incessantly, -lived irreproachably, and died in the literary harness, universally -esteemed and regretted.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM P. QUINN.</h3> - -<p>The man who lays aside home comforts, and willingly becomes a -missionary to the poorest of the poor, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_433" id="Page_433">[Pg 433]</a></span>deserves the highest praise -that his fellow-men can bestow upon him. After laboring faithfully for -the upbuilding of the church in New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, -William P. Quinn, thirty-five years ago, went to the West, a most -undesirable place for a colored man at that time. But he did not count -the cost; it was enough for him to know that his services were needed, -and he left the consequences with God.</p> - -<p>Never, probably, was a man more imbued with the spirit of the Great -Teacher, than was Mr. Quinn in his missionary work. Old men and women -are still living who delight to dwell on the self-denial, Christian -zeal, manly graces, and industry that characterized this good man in -the discharge of his duties in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. -His advice was always fatherly; his example inculcated devoted piety.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, he was earnest and eloquent, possessing an inward -enthusiasm that sent a magnetic current through his entire -congregation. Having the fullest confidence of the people with whom -he was called to labor, they regarded him as one sent of God, and -they hung upon his words as if their future welfare depended upon the -counsel they received.</p> - -<p>In 1844, Mr. Quinn was made a bishop, a position for which he had every -qualification. Tanner, in his “Apology,” says:—</p> - -<p>“The demands of the work made it necessary to elect another bishop, -and, as if by inspiration, a large majority fixed their eyes on the -great missionary as the man most competent to fill the post.”</p> - -<p>Bishop Quinn died in February, 1873, at the advanced age of eighty-five -years. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_434" id="Page_434">[Pg 434]</a></span></p> - -<h3>DAVID RUGGLES.</h3> - -<p>Of those who took part in the anti-slavery work thirty-five years ago, -none was more true to his race than David Ruggles. Residing in the city -of New York, where slaveholders often brought their body servants, and -kept them for weeks, Mr. Ruggles became a thorn in the sides of these -Southern sinners. He was ready at all times, in dangers and perils, -to wrest his brethren from these hyenas, and so successful was he in -getting slaves from their masters, and sending them to Canada, that he -became the terror of Southerners visiting northern cities. He was one -of the founders of the celebrated underground railroad.</p> - -<p>Harassed by the pro-slavery whites, and betrayed and deserted by some -of his own color, David Ruggles still labored for his people.</p> - -<p>He was deeply interested in the moral, social, and political elevation -of the free colored men of the North, and to that end published and -edited for several years the “Mirror of Liberty,” a quarterly magazine, -devoted to the advocacy of the rights of his race.</p> - -<p>As a writer, Mr. Ruggles was keen and witty,—always logical,—sending -his arrows directly at his opponent. The first thing we ever read, -coming from the pen of a colored man, was “David M. Reese, M. D., -used up by David Ruggles, a man of color.” Dr. Reese was a noted -colonizationist, and had written a work in which he advocated the -expatriation of the blacks from the American continent; and Mr. -Ruggles’s work was in reply to it. In this argument the negro proved -too much for the Anglo-Saxon, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_435" id="Page_435">[Pg 435]</a></span>exhibited in Mr. Ruggles those -qualities of keen perception, deep thought, and originality, that mark -the critic and man of letters.</p> - -<p>He was of unmixed blood, of medium size, genteel address, and -interesting in conversation.</p> - -<p>Attacked with a disease which resulted in total blindness, Mr. Ruggles -visited Northampton, Massachusetts, for the benefit of his health. Here -he founded a “Water Cure,” which became famous, and to which a large -number of the better classes resorted. In this new field, Mr. Ruggles -won honorable distinction as a most successful practitioner, secured -the warm regard of the public, and left a name embalmed in the hearts -of many who feel that they owe life to his eminent skill and careful -practice. Mr. Ruggles was conscientious, upright, and just in all his -dealings. He died in 1849, universally respected and esteemed.</p> - -<h3>FREDERICK DOUGLASS.</h3> - -<p>The career of this distinguished individual whose name heads this -sketch, is more widely known than that of any other living colored -man. Born and brought up under the institution of slavery, which -denied its victims the right of developing those natural powers that -adorn the children of men, and distinguish them from the beasts of -the forest,—an institution that gave a premium to ignorance, and -made intelligence a crime, when the possessor was a negro,—Frederick -Douglass<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_436" id="Page_436">[Pg 436]</a></span> is, indeed, the most wonderful man that America has ever -produced, white or black.</p> - -<p>His days of servitude were like those of his race who were born at the -South, differing but little from the old routine of plantation life. -Douglass, however, possessed superior natural gifts, which began to -show themselves even when a boy, but his history has become too well -known for us to dwell on it here. The narrative of his life, published -in 1845, gave a new impetus to the black man’s literature. All other -stories of fugitive slaves faded away before the beautifully-written, -highly-descriptive, and thrilling memoir of Frederick Douglass. Other -narratives had only brought before the public a few heart-rending -scenes connected with the person described. But Mr. Douglass, in his -book, brought not only his old master’s farm and its occupants before -the reader, but the entire country around him, including Baltimore -and its shipyard. The manner in which he obtained his education, -and especially his learning to write, has been read and re-read by -thousands in both hemispheres. His escape from slavery is too well -understood to need a recapitulation here.</p> - -<p>He took up his residence in New Bedford, where he still continued the -assiduous student, mastering the different branches of education which -the accursed institution had deprived him of in early life.</p> - -<p>His advent as a lecturer was a remarkable one. White men and black men -had talked against slavery, but none had ever spoken like Frederick -Douglass. Throughout the North the newspapers were filled with the -sayings of the “eloquent fugitive.” He often travelled with others, but -they were all lost sight of in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_437" id="Page_437">[Pg 437]</a></span> the eagerness to hear Douglass. His -travelling companions would sometimes get angry, and would speak first -at the meetings; then they would take the last turn; but it was all -the same—the fugitive’s impression was the one left upon the mind. He -made more persons angry, and pleased more, than any other man. He was -praised, and he was censured. He made them laugh, he made them weep, -and he made them swear.</p> - -<p>His “Slaveholders’ Sermon” was always a trump card. He awakened an -interest in the hearts of thousands who before were dead to the slave -and his condition. Many kept away from his lectures, fearing lest -they should be converted against their will. Young men and women, in -those days of pro-slavery hatred, would return to their fathers’ roofs -filled with admiration for the “runaway slave,” and would be rebuked by -hearing the old ones grumble out, “You’d better stay at home and study -your lessons, and not be running after the nigger meetings.”</p> - -<p>In 1841, he was induced to accept an agency as a lecturer for the -Anti-slavery Society, and at once became one of the most valuable of -its advocates. He visited England in 1845. There he was kindly received -and heartily welcomed; and after going through the length and breadth -of the land, and addressing public meetings out of number on behalf of -his countrymen in chains, with a power of eloquence which captivated -his auditors, and brought the cause which he pleaded home to their -hearts, he returned home, and commenced the publication of the “North -Star,” a weekly newspaper devoted to the advocacy of the cause of -freedom.</p> - -<p>Mr. Douglass is tall and well made. His vast and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_438" id="Page_438">[Pg 438]</a></span> fully-developed -forehead shows at once that he is a superior man intellectually. He is -polished in his language, and gentlemanly in his manners. His voice is -full and sonorous. His attitude is dignified, and his gesticulation is -full of noble simplicity. He is a man of lofty reason; natural, and -without pretension; always master of himself; brilliant in the art -of exposing and abstracting. Few persons can handle a subject, with -which they are familiar, better than he. There is a kind of eloquence -issuing from the depth of the soul as from a spring, rolling along its -copious floods, sweeping all before it, overwhelming by its very force, -carrying, upsetting, ingulfing its adversaries, and more dazzling and -more thundering than the bolt which leaps from crag to crag. This is -the eloquence of Frederick Douglass. One of the best mimics of the age, -and possessing great dramatic powers; had he taken up the sock and -buskin, instead of becoming a lecturer, he would have made as fine a -Coriolanus as ever trod the stage.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, Frederick Douglass has had more imitators than almost -any other American, save, perhaps, Wendell Phillips. Unlike most -great speakers, he is a superior writer also. Some of his articles, -in point of ability, will rank with anything ever written for the -American press. He has taken lessons from the best of teachers, amid -the homeliest realities of life; hence the perpetual freshness of his -delineations, which are never over-colored, never strained, never -aiming at difficult or impossible effects, but which always read like -living transcripts of experience.</p> - -<p>Mr. Douglass has obtained a position in the front rank as a lyceum -lecturer. His later addresses from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_439" id="Page_439">[Pg 439]</a></span> manuscripts, however, do not, in -our opinion, come up to his extemporaneous efforts.</p> - -<p>But Frederick Douglass’s abilities as an editor and publisher have done -more for the freedom and elevation of his race than all his platform -appeals. Previous to the year 1848, the colored people of the United -States had no literature. True, the “National Reformer,” the “Mirror -of Liberty,” the “Colored American,” “The Mystery,” the “Disfranchised -American,” the “Ram’s Horn,” and several others of smaller magnitude, -had been in existence, had their run, and ceased to live. All of the -above journals had done something towards raising the black man’s -standard, but they were merely the ploughs breaking up the ground -and getting the soil ready for the seed-time. Newspapers, magazines, -and books published in those days by colored men, were received with -great allowance by the whites, who had always regarded the negro as an -uneducated, inferior race, and who were considered out of their proper -sphere when meddling with literature.</p> - -<p>The commencement of the publication of the “North Star” was the -beginning of a new era in the black man’s literature. Mr. Douglass’s -well-earned fame gave his paper at once a place with the first journals -in the country; and he drew around him a corps of contributors and -correspondents from Europe, as well as all parts of America and the -West Indies, that made its columns rich with the current news of the -world.</p> - -<p>While the “North Star” became a welcome visitor to the homes of whites -who had never before read a newspaper edited by a colored man, its -proprietor <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_440" id="Page_440">[Pg 440]</a></span>became still more popular as a speaker in every State in -the Union where abolitionism was tolerated.</p> - -<p>“My Bondage and My Freedom,” a work published by Mr. Douglass a few -years ago, besides giving a fresh impulse to anti-slavery literature, -showed upon its pages the untiring industry of the ripe scholar.</p> - -<p>Some time during the year 1850, we believe, his journal assumed the -name of “Frederick Douglass’s Paper.” Its purpose and aim was the same, -and it remained the representative of the negro till it closed its -career, which was not until the abolition of slavery.</p> - -<p>Of all his labors, however, we regard Mr. Douglass’s efforts as -publisher and editor as most useful to his race. For sixteen years, -against much opposition, single-handed and alone, he demonstrated the -fact that the American colored man was equal to the white in conducting -a useful and popular journal.</p> - -<h3>ALEXANDER W. WAYMAN.</h3> - -<p>Bishop Wayman was born in Maryland, in 1821, and consequently, is -fifty-two years of age. He showed an early love of books, and used -his time to the best advantage. He began as a preacher in the A. M. -E. Church in 1842, being stationed on the Princeton circuit, in New -Jersey. From that time forward his labors were herculean. In 1864, he -was, by an almost unanimous vote, elected a bishop. Tanner, in his -“Apology,” said of him:— </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_441" id="Page_441">[Pg 441]</a></span></p> - -<p>“As a preacher, the bishop appears to advantage. Of dignified mien, -easy gestures, and a rolling voice, he is sure to make a favorable -impression, while the subject-matter of his discourse is so simple that -the most illiterate may fully comprehend it; the wisest, also, are -generally edified.”</p> - -<p>It is said that Bishop Wayman is scarcely ever seen with any book -except the Bible or a hymn-book, and yet he is a man of letters, as -will be acknowledged by all who have had the pleasure of listening to -his eloquent sermons. He is a student, and is well read in history and -the poets, and often surprises his friends by his classical quotations. -There is a harmonious blending of the poetical and the practical, -a pleasant union of the material with the spiritual, an arm-in-arm -connection of the ornamental and useful, a body and soul joined -together in his discourses. There is something candid, tangible, solid, -nutritious, and enduring in his sermons. He is even at times, profound. -He presents his arguments and appeals with an articulation as distinct -and as understandable as his gesticulation is impressive.</p> - -<p>In person, the bishop is stout, fleshy, and well-proportioned. His -round face, smiling countenance, twinkling eye, and merry laugh, -indicate health and happiness. He is of unadulterated African origin. -Blameless in all the relations of life, a kind and affectionate -husband, a true friend, and a good neighbor, Bishop Wayman’s character -may safely be said to be above suspicion. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_442" id="Page_442">[Pg 442]</a></span></p> - -<h3>CHARLES L. REASON.</h3> - -<p>Professor Reason has for a number of years been connected with the -educational institutions of New York. In 1849, he was called to the -professorship of Mathematics and Belles-Lettres in New York Central -College. This position he held during his own pleasure, with honor to -himself and benefit to the students. A man of fine education, superior -intelligence, gentlemanly in every sense of the term, of excellent -discrimination, one of the best of students, Professor Reason holds a -power over those under him seldom attained by men of his profession.</p> - -<p>Were I a sculptor, and looking for a model of a perfect man in personal -appearance, my selection would be Charles L. Reason. As a writer of -both prose and poetry, he need not be ashamed of his ability. Extremely -diffident, he seldom furnishes anything for the public eye. In a -well-written essay on the propriety of establishing an industrial -college, and the probable influence of the free colored people upon the -emancipated blacks, he says:—</p> - -<p>“Whenever emancipation shall take place, immediate though it be, -the subjects of it, like many who now make up the so-called free -population, will be in what geologists call the ‘transition state.’ -The prejudice now felt against them for bearing on their persons the -brand of slaves, cannot die out immediately. Severe trials will still -be their portion: the curse of a ‘taunted race’ must be expiated by -almost miraculous proofs of advancement; and some of these miracles -must be antecedent to the great day of jubilee. To<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_443" id="Page_443">[Pg 443]</a></span> fight the battle -upon the bare ground of abstract principles will fail to give us -complete victory. The subterfuges of pro-slavery selfishness must now -be dragged to light, and the last weak argument, that the negro can -never contribute anything to advance the national character, ‘nailed -to the counter as base coin.’ To the conquering of the difficulties -heaped up in the path of his industry, the free colored man of the -North has pledged himself. Already he sees, springing into growth, -from out his foster work-school, intelligent young laborers, competent -to enrich the world with necessary products; industrious citizens, -contributing their proportion to aid on the advancing civilization of -the country; self-providing artisans, vindicating their people from the -never-ceasing charge of fitness for servile positions.”</p> - -<p>In the “Autographs for Freedom,” from which the above extract is taken, -Professor Reason has a beautiful poem, entitled “Hope and Confidence,” -which, in point of originality and nicety of composition, deserves a -place among the best productions of Wordsworth.</p> - -<p>A poem signifies design, method, harmony, and therefore consistency of -parts. A man may be gifted with the most vividly ideal nature; he may -shoot from his brain some blazing poetic thought or imagery, which may -arouse wonder and admiration, as a comet does; and yet he may have no -constructiveness, without which the materials of poetry are only so -many glittering fractions. A poem can never be tested by its length or -brevity, but by the adaptation of its parts. A complete poem is the -architecture of thought and language. It requires artistic skill to -chisel rough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_444" id="Page_444">[Pg 444]</a></span> blocks of marble into as many individual forms of beauty; -but not only skill, but genius, is needed to arrange and harmonize -those forms into the completeness of a Parthenon. A grave popular -error, and one destructive of personal usefulness, and obstructive to -literary progress, is the free-and-easy belief that because a man has -the faculty of investing common things with uncommon ideas, therefore -he can write a poem.</p> - -<p>The idea of poetry is to give pleasurable emotions, and the world -listens to a poet’s voice as it listens to the singing of a summer -bird; that which is the most suggestive of freedom and eloquence being -the most admired. Professor Reason has both the genius and the artistic -skill. He is highly respected in New York, where he resides, and is -doing a good work for the elevation of his race.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM J. WILSON.</h3> - -<p>At the head of our representative men,—especially our men of -letters,—stands Professor Wilson. He has, at times, contributed some -very able papers to the current literature of the day. In the columns -of “Frederick Douglass’s Paper,” the “Anglo-African Magazine,” and -the “Weekly Anglo-African,” appeared at times, over the signature of -“Ethiop,” some of the raciest and most amusing essays to be found in -the public journals of this country. As a sketch writer of historical -scenes and historical characters,—choosing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_445" id="Page_445">[Pg 445]</a></span> his own subjects, -suggested by his own taste or sympathies,—few men are capable of -greater or more successful efforts than William J. Wilson.</p> - -<p>In his imaginary visit to the “Afric-American Picture Gallery,” -he exhibits splendid traits of the genius of the true critic. His -criticism on the comparative merits of Samuel R. Ward and Frederick -Douglass, published in the papers some years ago, together with his -essay on Phillis Wheatley, raised Mr. Wilson high in the estimation of -men of letters. His “School Room Scene” is both amusing and instructive.</p> - -<p>To possess genius, the offspring of which ennobles the sentiments, -enlarges the affections, kindles the imagination, and gives to us -a view of the past, the present, and the future, is one of the -highest gifts that the Creator bestows upon man. With acute powers -of conception, a sparkling and lively fancy, and a quaintly-curious -felicity of diction, Mr. Wilson wakes us from our torpidity and -coldness to a sense of our capabilities.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, he is pleasing in style, with the manners of a gentleman. -His conversational powers are of the first order, in which he exhibits -deep thought. In personal appearance, he is under the middle size; -his profile is more striking than his front face; he has a smiling -countenance, under which you see the man of wit. The professor is -of unmixed race, of which he is not ashamed. He is cashier of the -Freedmen’s Savings Bank at Washington, and his good advice to his race -with whom he has dealings in money matters proves of much service to -them. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_446" id="Page_446">[Pg 446]</a></span></p> - -<h3>JABEZ P. CAMPBELL.</h3> - -<p>One of the best of men was born in one of the meanest States in -the Union. Jabez P. Campbell is a native of the insignificant and -negro-hating State of Delaware, and is in the sixty-eighth year of his -age. His father was a Revolutionary soldier, and when he laid aside the -knapsack and the musket, he put on the armor of the Lord, and became a -preacher of the A. M. E. Church. Like all colored boys in those days, -the subject of this sketch found many difficulties in obtaining an -education in a part of the country where colored men had “no rights -that white men were bound to respect.”</p> - -<p>After a few quarters’ schooling, under incompetent teachers, Campbell -began a course of self-instruction, ending in the study of theology. In -1839, he commenced as a preacher, laboring in various sections of the -country, eventually settling down as General Book Steward of the A. M. -E. Church, and editor of the “Christian Recorder.”</p> - -<p>In the year 1864, the subject of our sketch was elected a bishop, and -since that time he has labored principally in the Indiana, Missouri, -Louisiana, and California districts.</p> - -<p>The bishop is eminently a man of the people, not conceited in the -least, yet dignified and gentlemanly. He is a man of ready wit, keen -in discussion, well posted up on all questions of the day, and is not -afraid to avow his views. Bishop Campbell has a wonderful gift of -language, and uses it to the best advantage. His delivery is easy, and -his gestures natural; and, as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_447" id="Page_447">[Pg 447]</a></span> preacher, he ranks amongst the first -in the denomination. In person, he is of medium size, dark brown skin, -finely chiselled features, broad forehead, and a countenance that -betokens intelligence.</p> - -<h3>JOHN M. LANGSTON.</h3> - -<p>John M. Langston is a native of Chillicothe, Ohio, and a graduate -of Oberlin College. He studied theology and law, and preferring the -latter, was admitted to the bar, practised successfully in the courts -of his native state till the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he -removed to Washington, where he now resides. During the war, and some -time after its close, Mr. Langston was engaged in superintending the -Freedmen’s Schools at the South. He now occupies a professorship in -Howard University.</p> - -<p>The end of all eloquence is to sway men. It is, therefore, bound by -no arbitrary rules of diction or style, formed on no specific models, -and governed by no edicts of self-elected judges. It is true, there -are degrees of eloquence, and equal success does not imply equal -excellence. That which is adapted to sway the strongest minds of an -enlightened age ought to be esteemed the most perfect, and, doubtless, -should be the criterion by which to test the abstract excellence of -all oratory. Mr. Langston represents the highest idea of the orator, -as exemplified in the power and discourses of Sheridan in the English -House of Commons, and Vergniaud in the Assembly of the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_448" id="Page_448">[Pg 448]</a></span>Girondists. He -is not fragmentary in his speeches; but, as a deep, majestic stream, he -moves steadily onward, pouring forth his rich and harmonious sentences -in strains of impassioned eloquence. His style is bold and energetic; -full of spirit. He is profound, without being hollow, and ingenious, -without being subtile.</p> - -<p>An accomplished scholar and a good student, he displays in his speeches -an amount of literary acquirements not often found in the mere business -lawyer. When pleading, he speaks like a man under oath, though without -any starched formality of expression. The test of his success is the -permanent impression which his speeches leave on the memory. They do -not pass away with the excitement of the moment, but remain in the -mind, with the lively colors and true proportions of the scenes which -they represent. Mr. Langston is of medium size, and of good figure; -high and well-formed forehead; eyes full, but not prominent; mild and -amiable countenance; modest deportment; strong, musical voice; and -wears the air of a gentleman. He is highly respected by men of all -classes, and especially, by the legal profession. He is a vigorous -writer, and, in the political campaigns, contributes both with speech -and pen to the liberal cause. Few men in the south-west have held the -black man’s standard higher than John Mercer Langston.</p> - -<p>As Dean of the Law Department in Howard University, he has won the -admiration of all connected with the institution, and, in a recent -address, delivered in the State of New York, on law, Mr. Langston -has shown that he is well versed in all that pertains to that high -profession. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_449" id="Page_449">[Pg 449]</a></span></p> - -<h3>JOHN M. BROWN.</h3> - -<p>Among the fine-looking men that have been sent out by the A. M. E. -Church, to preach the gospel, none has a more manly frame, intellectual -countenance, gentlemanly demeanor, Christian spirit, and love of his -race, than John M. Brown. When the Committee on Boundary in the A. M. -E. Church recommended in the General Conference of 1864, “that there be -set apart a Conference in the State of Louisiana, to be known as the -Louisiana Conference, embracing the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, -Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, and all that part of Florida lying west of -Chattanooga River,” Mr. Brown was selected as the man eminently fitted -to go to the new field of labor. Money was evidently not a burden to -him, for, being a barber, he got on a steamer, and shaved his way to -his post of labor.<a name="FNanchor_54_54" id="FNanchor_54_54"></a><a href="#Footnote_54_54" class="fnanchor">[54]</a></p> - -<p>He arrived in New Orleans, unfurled his banner, and went to work in a -way that showed that he was “terribly in earnest.” He sowed the seed, -and, although he was thrown into the calaboose, his work still went -on, a church was erected, members were gathered in, and the cause -of Christian missions prospered. After laboring faithfully in this -field, Mr. Brown was appointed Corresponding Secretary of the A. M. E. -Church, with his head-quarters in Baltimore. He now holds the high and -honorable position of bishop, a place that no one is better qualified -to fill than he.</p> - -<p>He is a mulatto, of middle age, with talents of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_450" id="Page_450">[Pg 450]</a></span> high order, fluent -speaker, terse writer, and popular with all classes. Oberlin College -has not turned out a more praiseworthy scholar, nor a better specimen -of a Christian gentleman, than Bishop Brown.</p> - -<h3>JOHN I. GAINES.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Gaines was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, November 6th, 1821. His early -education was limited, as was generally the case with colored youth in -that section, in those days. Forced into active life at an early age, -he yet found time to make himself a fair English scholar, and laid the -foundation of that power to be useful, which he afterwards exercised -for the benefit of his people.</p> - -<p>At the age of sixteen, he was found in attendance upon a convention, -held in one of the interior towns of his native state. At that early -age, he showed clearly his mental powers, and men, many years his -senior listened with respect to the sage counsel which even then he -was capable of giving. From that time to the very day of his death he -mingled in the councils, and busied himself with the affairs of his -people; and it is no derogation to the merits of others to say, that -few have counselled more wisely, or acted more successfully than he.</p> - -<p>The enterprise with which his name is the most permanently connected, -is the movement which has given to Cincinnati her system of public -schools for colored youth. When the law of 1849, granting school -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_451" id="Page_451">[Pg 451]</a></span>privileges to colored youth, was passed, the City Council of -Cincinnati refused to appropriate the funds placed in the treasury for -the support of the schools, alleging that there was no authority to do -so. Here was a chance for our deceased friend to exhibit those high -qualities which made him a lamp to the feet of his people. Cautious, -but firm, determined, but patient, he led in the movement, which -resulted in a decision of the Supreme Court of the State, placing -the colored public schools upon the same footing as the other public -schools of the city, and gave their control to a board of directors -selected by the colored people. The contest was prolonged nearly two -years, but at last the little black man triumphed over the city of -Cincinnati.</p> - -<p>His next aim was to have the schools thoroughly organized, and placed -in comfortable houses. He cheerfully performed the onerous duties -of clerk and general agent to the Board, his only reward being a -consciousness that he was useful to his people. His purposes were -temporarily interrupted in 1853, by a law taking the control of the -schools from the colored people. Not connected officially with the -schools, he still maintained a deep interest in their condition, and, -in 1856, an opportunity offering, he used his influence and means -to have the schools again placed under the control of the colored -people. This point gained, he again set on foot measures looking to -the erection of school-houses. This he at last accomplished. His -first report to the City Council, made in 1851, urges the erection -of school-houses, and his last report, made in 1859, announces the -completion of two large houses, costing over twenty-four thousand -dollars.</p> - -<p>If he is a benefactor of his race, who causes two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_452" id="Page_452">[Pg 452]</a></span> blades of grass to -grow where but one grew before, surely, he is worthy of praise, who -has let rays of intellectual light fall upon the famished minds of a -forlorn race, whom a hard fate has condemned to slavery and ignorance.</p> - -<p>He was, from early youth, a firm, though not fanatical adherent of -the Temperance cause. He felt that intoxicating drinks had caused -many strong men to fall, and, for his brother’s sake, he abstained. -Meeting one evening, at a social party, a gentleman from a neighboring -State, eminent in the world of politics and philanthropy, a bottle -of sparkling Catawba and two glasses were placed on the table before -them, the host remarking at the time that “there was no need for two -tumblers, for Mr. Gaines would not use his.”</p> - -<p>“Surely, Mr. Gaines will pledge me, a friend of his race, in a glass -of wine made from the grape that grows on his native hills,” said the -gentleman.</p> - -<p>Mr. Gaines shook his head. “I appreciate the honor,” said he, “but -conscience forbids.”</p> - -<p>The character of his mind was much to be prized by a people who need -prudent counsels. Seldom speaking until he had examined his subject -thoroughly, he was generally prepared to speak with a due regard to the -effects of his speech.</p> - -<p>The subject of this sketch was of pure African descent, small in -stature, of genteel figure, countenance beaming with intelligence, -eloquent in speech, and able in debate. He died November 27, 1859. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_453" id="Page_453">[Pg 453]</a></span></p> - -<h3>JAMES M’CUNE SMITH, M. D.</h3> - -<p>Unable to get justice done him in the educational institutions of his -native country, James M’Cune Smith turned his face towards a foreign -land. He graduated with distinguished honors at the University of -Glasgow, Scotland, where he received his diploma of M. D. For the last -twenty-five years he has been a practitioner in the city of New York, -where he stands at the head of his profession. On his return from -Europe, the doctor was warmly welcomed by his fellow-citizens, who were -anxious to pay due deference to his talents; since which time he has -justly been esteemed among the leading men of his race on the American -continent. When the natural ability of the negro was assailed, some -years ago, in New York, Dr. Smith came forward as the representative of -the black man, and his essays on the comparative anatomy and physiology -of the races, read in the discussion, completely vindicated the -character of the negro, and placed the author among the most logical -and scientific writers in the country.</p> - -<p>The doctor has contributed many valuable papers to the different -journals published by colored men during the last quarter of a -century. The New York dailies have also received aid from him during -the same period. History, antiquity, bibliography, translation, -criticism, political economy, statistics,—almost every department -of knowledge,—receive emblazon from his able, ready, versatile, and -unwearied pen. The emancipation of the slave, and the elevation of the -free colored people, has claimed the greatest share of his time as a -writer. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_454" id="Page_454">[Pg 454]</a></span></p> - -<p>The law of labor is equally binding on genius and mediocrity. The -mind and body rarely visit this earth of ours so exactly fitted to -each other, and so perfectly harmonizing together, as to rise without -effort, and command in the affairs of men. It is not in the power of -every one to become great. No great approximation, even towards that -which is easiest attained, can be accomplished without exercise of much -thought and vigor of action; and thus is demonstrated the supremacy of -that law which gives excellence only when earned, and assigns labor its -unfailing reward.</p> - -<p>It is this energy of character, industry, and labor, combined with -superior intellectual powers, which gave Dr. Smith so much influence in -New York.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, he was eloquent, and at times brilliant, but always -clear, and to the point. In stature, the doctor was not tall, but -thick, and somewhat inclined to corpulency. He had a fine and -well-developed head; broad and lofty brow; round, full face; firm -mouth; and an eye that dazzled. In blood he stood, apparently, equal -between the Anglo-Saxon and the African.</p> - -<h3>DANIEL A. PAYNE, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Teacher of a small school at Charleston, South Carolina, in the -year 1834, Daniel A. Payne felt the oppressive hand of slavery too -severely upon him, and he quitted the Southern Sodom, and came North. -After going through a regular course of theological studies, at -Gettysburg Seminary, he took up his residence at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_455" id="Page_455">[Pg 455]</a></span> Baltimore, where -he soon distinguished himself as a preacher in the African Methodist -denomination. He was several years since elected bishop, and is now -located in the State of Ohio.</p> - -<p>Bishop Payne is a scholar and a poet; having published, in 1850, a -volume of his productions, which created considerable interest for the -work, and gave the author a standing among literary men. His writings -are characterized by sound reasoning and logical conclusions, and -show that he is well read. The bishop is devotedly attached to his -down-trodden race, and is constantly urging upon them self-elevation. -After President Lincoln’s interview with the committee of colored men -at Washington, and the colonization scheme recommended to them, and the -appearance of Mr. Pomeroy’s address to the free blacks, Bishop Payne -issued, through the columns of the “Weekly Anglo-African,” a word of -advice, which had in it the right ring, and showed in its composition -considerable literary ability. A deep vein of genuine piety pervades -all the productions of Bishop Payne. As a pulpit orator, he stands -deservedly high. In stature, he is rather under the middle size, -intellectual countenance, and gentlemanly in appearance. He has done -much towards building up Wilberforce College in Ohio, an institution -that is an honor to the race.</p> - -<h3>ALEXANDER CRUMMELL, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Among the many bright examples of the black man which we present, -one of the foremost is Alexander<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_456" id="Page_456">[Pg 456]</a></span> Crummell. Blood unadulterated, a -tall and manly figure, commanding in appearance, a full and musical -voice, fluent in speech, a graduate of Cambridge University, England, -a mind stored with the richness of English literature, competently -acquainted with the classical authors of Greece and Rome, from the -grave Thucydides to the rhapsodical Lycophron, gentlemanly in all his -movements, language chaste and refined, Dr. Crummell may well be put -forward as one of the best and most favorable representatives of his -race. He is a clergyman of the Episcopal denomination, and deeply -versed in theology. His sermons are always written, but he reads them -as few persons can.</p> - -<p>In 1848, Dr. Crummell visited England, and delivered a well-conceived -address before the Anti-slavery Society in London, where his eloquence -and splendid abilities were at once acknowledged and appreciated. The -year before his departure for the Old World, he delivered an “Eulogy on -the Life and Character of Thomas Clarkson,” which was a splendid, yet -just tribute to the life-long labors of that great man.</p> - -<p>Dr. Crummell is one of our ablest speakers. His style is polished, -graceful, and even elegant, though never merely ornate or rhetorical. -He has the happy faculty of using the expressions best suited to the -occasion, and bringing in allusions which give a popular sympathy to -the best cultivated style. He is, we think, rather too sensitive, and -somewhat punctillious.</p> - -<p>Dr. Crummell is a gentleman by nature, and could not be anything else, -if he should try. Some ten years since, he wrote a very interesting -work on Africa, to which country he emigrated in 1852.</p> - -<p>We have had a number of our public men to <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_457" id="Page_457">[Pg 457]</a></span>represent us in Europe -within the past twenty-five years; and none have done it more honorably -or with better success to the character and cause of the black man, -than Alexander Crummell. We met him there again and again, and followed -in his track wherever he preached or spoke before public assemblies, -and we know whereof we affirm. Devotedly attached to the interest -of the colored man, and having the moral, social, and intellectual -elevation of the natives of Africa at heart, we do not regret that he -considers it his duty to labor in his fatherland. Warmly interested in -the Republic, and so capable of filling the highest position that he -can be called to, we shall not be surprised, some day, to hear that -Alexander Crummell is president of Liberia.</p> - -<p>Avery College has just done itself the honor of conferring the degree -of Doctor of Divinity upon this able man; and sure we are that a title -was never better bestowed than in the present instance.</p> - -<p>Since writing the above sketch, we learn that Dr. Crummell has -returned, and taken up his residence in the City of New York, where he -is now pastor of a church.</p> - -<h3>HENRY HIGHLAND GARNETT, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Though born a slave in the State of Maryland, Henry Highland Garnett -is the son of an African chief, stolen from the coast of his native -land. His father’s family were all held as slaves till 1822, when they -escaped to the north. In 1835, he became a member<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_458" id="Page_458">[Pg 458]</a></span> of Canaan Academy, -New Hampshire. Three months after entering the school, it was broken up -by a mob, who destroyed the building. Dr. Garnett afterwards entered -Oneida Institute, New York, under the charge of that noble-hearted -friend of man, Beriah Green, where he was treated with equality by the -professors and his fellow-students. There he gained the reputation of -a courteous and accomplished man, an able and eloquent debater, and a -good writer.</p> - -<p>His first appearance as a public speaker, was in 1837, in the City of -New York, where his speech at once secured for him a standing among -first-class orators. Dr. Garnett is in every sense of the term a -progressive man. He is a strenuous advocate of freedom, temperance, -education, and the religious, moral, and social elevation of his -race. He is an acceptable preacher, evangelical in his profession. -His discourses, though showing much thought and careful study, are -delivered extemporaneously, and with good effect. Having complete -command of his voice, he uses it with skill, never failing to fill the -largest hall. One of the most noted addresses, ever given by a colored -man in this country was delivered by Dr. Garnett at the National -Convention of Colored Americans, at Buffalo, New York, in 1843. -None but those who heard that speech have the slightest idea of the -tremendous influence which he exercised over the assembly.</p> - -<p>Dr. Garnett visited England in 1850, where he spent several months, -and went thence to the island of Jamaica, spending three years there -as a missionary. He has written considerably, and has edited one or -two journals at different times, devoted to the elevation of his race. -Dr. Garnett was, for two or three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_459" id="Page_459">[Pg 459]</a></span> years, president of Avery College, -where he was considered a man of learning. He also spent some time -in Washington, as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in that city. At -present, he is located over Shiloh Church, New York City.</p> - -<p>For forty years an advocate of the rights of his race, forcible and -daring as a speaker, having suffered much, with a good record behind -him, Dr. Garnett may be considered as standing in the front rank as a -leader of his people.</p> - -<h3>CHARLES L. REMOND.</h3> - -<p>Born and brought up in Salem, Massachusetts, Mr. Remond had the -advantage of early training in the best of schools. In 1838, he -took the field as a lecturer, under the auspices of the American -Anti-slavery Society, and, in company with the Rev. Ichabod Codding, -canvassed the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. -In 1840, he visited England as a delegate to the first “World’s -Anti-slavery Convention,” held in London. He remained abroad two years, -lecturing in the various towns in the united kingdom.</p> - -<p>Mr. Remond was welcomed on his return home, and again resumed his -vocation as a lecturer. In stature, he is small, of spare make, neat, -wiry build, and genteel in his personal appearance. He has a good -voice, and is considered one of the best declaimers in New England. -He has written little or nothing for the press, and his notoriety is -confined solely to the platform. Sensitive to a fault, and feeling -sorely the prejudice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_460" id="Page_460">[Pg 460]</a></span> against color which exists throughout the -United States, his addresses have been mainly on that subject, on -which he is always interesting. Mr. Remond’s abilities have been very -much overrated. His speeches, when in print, attracted little or no -attention, and he was never able to speak upon any subject except -slavery, upon which he was never deep.</p> - -<h3>MARTIN R. DELANY, M. D.</h3> - -<p>Dr. Delany has long been before the public. His first appearance, we -believe, was in connection with “The Mystery,” a weekly newspaper -published at Pittsburg, and of which he was editor. His journal was -faithful in its advocacy of the rights of man, and had the reputation -of being a well-conducted sheet. The doctor afterwards was associated -with Frederick Douglass in the editorial management of his paper at -Rochester, New York. From the latter place, he removed to Canada, and -resided in Chatham, where he was looked upon as one of its leading -citizens.</p> - -<p>Dr. Martin R. Delany, though regarded as a man high in his profession, -is better and more widely known as a traveller, discoverer, and -lecturer. His association with Professor Campbell in the “Niger Valley -Exploring Expedition,” has brought the doctor very prominently before -the world, and especially that portion of it which takes an interest -in the civilization of Africa. The official report of that expedition -shows that he did not visit that country with his eyes shut.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_461" id="Page_461">[Pg 461]</a></span> His -observations and suggestions about the climate, soil, diseases, and -natural productions of Africa, are interesting, and give evidence that -the doctor was in earnest. The published report, of which he is the -author, will repay a perusal.</p> - -<p>On his return home, Dr. Delany spent some time in England, and lectured -in the British metropolis and the provincial cities, with considerable -success, on Africa and its resources. As a member of the International -Statistical Congress, he acquitted himself with credit to his position -and honor to his race. The foolish manner in which the Hon. Mr. Dallas, -our minister to the court of St. James, acted on meeting Dr. Delany in -that august assembly, and the criticisms of the press of Europe and -America, will not soon be forgotten.</p> - -<p>He is short, compactly built, has a quick, wiry walk, and is decided -and energetic in conversation, unadulterated in race, and proud of -his complexion. Though somewhat violent in his gestures, and paying -but little regard to the strict rules of oratory, Dr. Delany is, -nevertheless, an interesting, eloquent speaker. Devotedly attached -to his fatherland, he goes for a “Negro Nationality.” Whatever he -undertakes, he executes it with all the powers that God has given him; -and what would appear as an obstacle in the way of other men, would be -brushed aside by Martin R. Delany.</p> - -<h3>JAMES W. C. PENNINGTON, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Dr. Pennington was born a slave on the farm of Colonel Gordon, in the -State of Maryland. His early<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_462" id="Page_462">[Pg 462]</a></span> life was not unlike the common lot of -the bondmen of the Middle States. He was by trade a blacksmith, which -increased his value to his owner. He had no opportunities for learning, -and was ignorant of letters when he made his escape to the north. -Through intense application to books, he gained, as far as it was -possible, what slavery had deprived him of in his younger days. But he -always felt the early blight upon his soul.</p> - -<p>Dr. Pennington had not been free long ere he turned his attention -to theology, and became an efficient preacher in the Presbyterian -denomination. He was several years settled over a church at Hartford, -Connecticut. He has been in Europe three times, his second visit being -the most important, as he remained there three or four years, preaching -and lecturing, during which time he attended the Peace Congresses held -at Paris, Brussels, and London. While in Germany, the degree of Doctor -of Divinity was conferred upon him by the University of Heidelberg. On -his return to the United States, he received a call, and was settled as -pastor over Shiloh Church, New York City.</p> - -<p>The doctor was a good student, a ripe scholar, and deeply versed in -theology. While at Paris, in 1849, we, with the American and English -delegates to the Peace Congress, attended divine service at the -Protestant Church, where Dr. Pennington had been invited to preach. -His sermon, on that occasion, was an elegant production, made a marked -impression on his hearers, and created upon the minds of all a more -elevated idea of the negro. In past years, he has labored zealously -and successfully for the education, and moral, social, and religious -elevation of his race. The doctor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_463" id="Page_463">[Pg 463]</a></span> was unadulterated in blood, with -strongly-marked African features. In stature, he was of the common -size, slightly inclined to corpulency, with an athletic frame and a -good constitution. The fact that Dr. Pennington was considered a good -Greek, Latin, and German scholar, although his early life was spent in -slavery, is not more strange than that Henry Diaz, the black commander -in Brazil, is extolled in all the histories of that country as one of -the most sagacious and talented men and experienced officers of whom -they could boast. Dr. Pennington died in 1871, his death being hastened -by the excessive use of intoxicating liquors, which had impaired his -usefulness in his latter days.</p> - -<h3>FRANCIS L. CARDOZO.</h3> - -<p>The boiling cauldron of the rebellion threw upon its surface in the -Southern States a large number of colored men, who are now playing -a conspicuous part in the political affairs of their section of -the country. Some of these, like their white brethren, are mere -adventurers, without ability, native or acquired, and owe their -elevated position more to circumstances than to any gifts or virtues of -their own. There are, however, another class, some of whom, although -uneducated, are men of genius, of principle, and Christian zeal, -laboring with all their powers for the welfare of the country and -the race. A few of the latter class have had the advantages of the -educational institutions of the North and of Europe, as well as at the -South, and were fully prepared for the situation when called<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_464" id="Page_464">[Pg 464]</a></span> upon to -act. One of the most gifted of these, a man of fine education, honest, -upright, just in his dealings with his fellows; one whose good sense -and manly qualities never desert him,—is Francis L. Cardozo.</p> - -<p>Born in Charleston, South Carolina, his father a white man and -a slaveholder, his mother a mulatto, Mr. Cardozo is of a fair -complexion. He is above the middle size, robust and full-faced, with -a well-developed head, large brain, and a face of fine expression. -Educated in Scotland, and having travelled extensively abroad, he -presents the exterior of a man of refinement and of high culture, -possessing considerable literary taste, and his conversation at once -shows him to be a man of learning. Industrious and methodical in his -habits, still the ardent student, young in years, comparatively, Mr. -Cardozo bids fair to be one of the leading men at the national capital, -as he is now in his own State. He studied theology, was ordained as a -minister, and preached for a time in Connecticut with great acceptance.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, Mr. Cardozo has few equals, colored or white. Without any -strained effort, his expressions are filled with integrity, sobriety, -benevolence, satire, and true eloquence. Forcible in speech, his -audience never get tired under the sound of his musical voice.</p> - -<p>During the rebellion, he returned to his native State, where he -was of great service to his own people. He took a leading part in -the reconstruction convention that brought South Carolina back in -the Union, and was elected to the state legislature, where he was -considered one of their ablest men. He now fills the high and honorable -position of Secretary of State of his own commonwealth. He is held in -high estimation by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_465" id="Page_465">[Pg 465]</a></span> all classes: even the old negro-hating whites of -the “palmetto” state acknowledge the ability and many manly virtues of -Francis L. Cardozo.</p> - -<h3>EDMONIA LEWIS.</h3> - -<p>Miss Lewis, the colored American artist, is of mingled Indian and -African descent. Her mother was one of the Chippewa tribe, and her -father a full-blooded African. Both her parents died young, leaving the -orphan girl and her only brother to be brought up by the Indians. Here, -as may well be imagined, her opportunities for education were meagre -enough.</p> - -<p>Edmonia Lewis is below the medium height; her complexion and features -betray her African origin; her hair is more of the Indian type, black, -straight, and abundant. Her head is well balanced, exhibiting a large -and well-developed brain. Although brought up in the wilderness, she -spent some time at Oberlin College, and has a good education.</p> - -<p>Her manners are childlike and simple, and most winning and pleasing. -She has the proud spirit of her Indian ancestor, and if she has more -of the African in her personal appearance, she has more of the Indian -in her character. On her first visit to Boston, she saw a statue of -Benjamin Franklin. It filled her with amazement and delight. She did -not know by what name to call “the stone image,” but she felt within -her the stir of new powers.</p> - -<p>“I, too, can make a stone man,” she said to herself; and at once she -went to visit William Lloyd Garrison,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_466" id="Page_466">[Pg 466]</a></span> and told him what she knew she -could do, and asked him how she should set about doing it.</p> - -<p>Struck by her enthusiasm, Garrison gave her a note of introduction to -Brackett, the Boston sculptor, and after a little talk with her, Mr. -Brackett gave her a piece of clay and a mould of a human foot, as a -study.</p> - -<p>“Go home and make that,” said he; “if there is anything in you, it will -come out.”</p> - -<p>Alone in her own room, the young girl toiled over her clay, and when -she had done her best, carried the result to her master. He looked -at her model, broke it up, and said, “Try again.” She did try again, -modelled feet and hands, and at last undertook a medallion of the head -of John Brown, which was pronounced excellent.</p> - -<p>The next essay was the bust of a young hero, Colonel Shaw, the first -man who took the command of a colored regiment, and whose untimely and -glorious death, and the epitaph spoken by the South, “Bury him with his -niggers,” have made him an immortal name in the history of our civil -war.</p> - -<p>The family of this young hero heard of the bust which the colored girl -was making as a labor of love, and came to see it, and were delighted -with the portrait which she had taken from a few poor photographs. Of -this bust she sold one hundred copies, and with that money she set out -for Europe, full of hope and courage.</p> - -<p>Arriving at Rome, Miss Lewis took a studio, and devoted herself to hard -study and hard work, and here she made her first statue—a figure of -Hagar in her despair in the wilderness. It is a work full of feeling, -for, as she says, “I have a strong sympathy for all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_467" id="Page_467">[Pg 467]</a></span> women who have -struggled and suffered. For this reason the Virgin Mary is very dear to -me.”</p> - -<p>The first copy of Hagar was purchased by a gentleman from Chicago. A -fine group of the Madonna with the infant Christ in her arms, and two -adoring angels at her feet, attests the sincerity of her admiration -for the Jewish maiden. This last group has been purchased by the young -Marquis of Bute, Disraeli’s Lothair, for an altar-piece.</p> - -<p>Among Miss Lewis’s other works are two small groups, illustrating -Longfellow’s poem of Hiawatha. Her first, “Hiawatha’s Wooing,” -represents Minnehaha seated, making a pair of moccasins, and Hiawatha -by her side, with a world of love-longing in his eyes. In the marriage, -they stand side by side with clasped hands. In both, the Indian -type of features is carefully preserved, and every detail of dress, -etc., is true to nature. The sentiment is equal to the execution. -They are charming hits, poetic, simple, and natural; and no happier -illustrations of Longfellow’s most original poem were ever made than -these by the Indian sculptor.</p> - -<p>A fine bust, also, of this same poet, is about to be put in marble, -which has been ordered by Harvard College; and in this instance, at -least, Harvard has done itself honor. If it will not yet open its doors -to women who ask education at its hands, it will admit the work of a -woman who has educated herself in her chosen department.</p> - -<p>Miss Lewis has a fine medallion portrait of Wendell Phillips, a -charming group of sleeping babies, and some other minor works, in her -studio. At Rome, she is visited by strangers from all nations, who -happen in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_468" id="Page_468">[Pg 468]</a></span> great city, and every one admires the genius of the -artist.</p> - -<p>The highest art is that which rises above the slavish copying of -nature, without sinking back again into a more slavish conventionalism. -All the forms of such art are intensely simple and natural, but through -the natural, the spiritual speaks. The saintly glory shines through -the features of its saints, and does not gather in a ring around their -heads. It speaks a language all can understand, and has no jargon of -its own. It needs no initiation before we can understand its mysteries, -excepting that of the pure heart and the awakened mind. It represents -nature, but in representing, it interprets her. It shows us nothing but -reality, but in the real, it mirrors the invisible ideal.</p> - -<p>A statue is a realized emotion, or a thought in stone—not an embodied -dream. A picture is a painted poem—not a romance in oil. Working -together with nature, such art rises to something higher than nature -is, becomes the priestess of her temple, and represents to more prosaic -souls that which only the poet sees. The truly poetical mind of Edmonia -Lewis shows itself in all her works, and exhibits to the critic the -genius of the artist.</p> - -<h3>ROBERT PURVIS.</h3> - -<p>Robert Purvis was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but had the -advantages of a New England collegiate education. He early embraced -the principles of freedom as advocated by William Lloyd Garrison, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_469" id="Page_469">[Pg 469]</a></span> -during the whole course of the agitation of the question of slavery, -remained true to his early convictions.</p> - -<p>Possessed of a large fortune at the very commencement of life, Mr. -Purvis took an active part in aiding slaves to obtain their freedom, by -furnishing means to secure for them something like justice before the -pro-slavery courts of Pennsylvania, when arrested as fugitives, or when -brought into the state voluntarily by their owners.</p> - -<p>Mr. Purvis did not stop with merely giving of his abundant means, but -made many personal sacrifices, and ran risks of loss of life in doing -what he conceived to be an act of duty. Though white enough to pass as -one of the dominant race, he never denied his connection with the negro.</p> - -<p>In personal appearance, and in manners, Mr. Purvis is every inch -the gentleman. Possessing a highly-cultivated mind, a reflective -imagination, easy and eloquent in speech, but temper quickly aroused, -he is always interesting as a public speaker.</p> - -<p>Although he spent a large amount in philanthropic causes, Mr. Purvis is -still a man of wealth, and owns a princely residence at Bybury, some -fifteen miles from Philadelphia. With character unblemished, blameless -in his domestic life, an ardent friend, and a dangerous foe, Robert -Purvis stands to-day an honor to both races.</p> - -<h3>JAMES M. WHITFIELD.</h3> - -<p>James M. Whitfield was a native of Massachusetts, and removed in early -life to Buffalo, New York, where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_470" id="Page_470">[Pg 470]</a></span> he followed the humble occupation -of a barber. However, even in this position, he became noted for his -scholarly attainments and gentlemanly deportment. Men of polish and -refinement were attracted to his saloon, and while being shaved, would -take pleasure in conversing with him; and all who knew him felt that he -was intended by Nature for a more elevated station in life.</p> - -<p>He wrote some fine verses, and published a volume of poems in 1846, -which well stood the test of criticism. His poem, “How long, O God, -how long!” is a splendid production, and will take a place in American -literature.</p> - -<p>Mr. Whitfield removed to California some years since, where he took a -forward stand with the progressive men of his race.</p> - -<h3>PHILLIP A. BELL.</h3> - -<p>Although we have but a meagre historical record, as producers of -books, magazines, and newspapers, it must still be admitted that some -noble efforts have been made, and not a little time and money spent by -colored men in literary enterprises during the last forty years. The -oldest, and one of the ablest of American journalists, is Phillip A. -Bell.</p> - -<p>This gentleman started the “Colored American” in the year 1837, as -co-editor with the late Rev. Samuel E. Cornish, and subsequently, with -the late Dr. James M’Cune Smith. The paper was a weekly, and published -in the city of New York. The “Colored<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_471" id="Page_471">[Pg 471]</a></span> American” was well conducted, -had the confidence of the public, distinguished for the ability shown -in its editorials, as well as its correspondents.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bell retired from the management of the paper, in 1840. All, -however, who remember as far back as thirty-five years, will bear -testimony to the efficient work done by the “Colored American,” and the -honor that is due to its noble founder. Some ten years ago, Mr. Bell -removed to California, where he, in company with Mr. Peter Anderson, -flung to the breeze the “Pacific Appeal,” a weekly newspaper, devoted -to the interest of the colored man, and which has accomplished great -good for humanity. In 1865, Mr. Bell launched the “Elevator,” a spicy -weekly, the columns of which attest its ability. Science, philosophy, -and the classics are treated in a masterly manner.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bell is an original and subtile writer, has fine powers of -analysis, and often flings the sparkling rays of a vivid imagination -over the productions of his pen.</p> - -<p>His articles are usually of a practical nature, always trying to remove -evils, working for the moral, social, and political elevation of his -race.</p> - -<p>In person, Mr. Bell is of medium size, of dark complexion, pleasing -countenance, gentlemanly in his manners, a man of much energy, strong -determination, unbending endurance, and transparent honesty of purpose.</p> - -<p>Of good education and a highly-cultivated mind, Mr. Bell attracts to -him the most refined of his color, who regard him as the Napoleon of -the colored press. Our subject was not intended by Nature for the -platform, and has the good sense not to aspire to oratorical fame. In -conversation, however, he is always <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_472" id="Page_472">[Pg 472]</a></span>interesting, drawing from a rich -and varied experience, full of dry humor.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bell has a host of friends in New York, where he is always spoken -of in the highest manner, and is regarded as the prince of good fellows.</p> - -<h3>CHARLES B. RAY, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Dr. Ray is a clergyman of the Presbyterian order, and has resided in -the city of New York for the last half century. In the year 1840, -he became the editor of the “Colored American,” a journal which he -conducted with signal ability, always true to the cause of the Southern -slave, and the elevation of the black man everywhere. Dr. Ray is well -educated, a man of liberal and reformatory views, a terse and vigorous -writer, an able and eloquent speaker, well informed upon all subjects -of the day.</p> - -<p>He has long been identified with every good work in New York, and -enjoys the confidence and respect of a large circle of friends.</p> - -<p>In person, Dr. Ray is of small stature, neat and wiry build, in race -standing about half-way between the African and the Anglo-Saxon. He is -polished in his manners, and gentlemanly in his personal appearance. -As a writer, a preacher, and a platform-speaker, he has done much to -elevate the standard of the colored man in the Empire State.</p> - -<p>In the multitude of national and state conventions held thirty years -ago and thereabouts, the assembly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_473" id="Page_473">[Pg 473]</a></span> was scarcely considered complete -without the presence of Charles B. Ray, D. D.</p> - -<p>In the religious conventions of his own denomination, he was always -regarded with respect, and his sermons delivered to white congregations -never failed to leave a good impression for the race to which the -preacher belonged. Blameless in his family relations, guided by the -highest moral rectitude, a true friend to everything that tends to -better the moral, social, religious, and political condition of man, -Dr. Ray may be looked upon as one of the foremost of the leading men of -his race.</p> - -<h3>JOHN J. ZUILLE.</h3> - -<p>Thirty-five years ago, it was not an easy thing to convince an American -community that a colored man was fit for any position save that of a -servant. A few men, however, one after another, came upon the surface, -and demonstrated beyond a doubt that genius was not confined to race -or color. Standing foremost amongst these, was John J. Zuille of New -York, who, by his industry, sobriety, and fair dealing, did much to -create for the black man a character for business tact in the great -metropolis. Mr. Zuille is, by trade, a practical printer, and in -company with Bell, Cornish, and others, started the “Colored American” -in 1837. As printer of that journal, he showed mechanical skill that -placed him at once amongst the ablest of the craft.</p> - -<p>Mr. Zuille has also taken a prominent part in all matters pertaining -to the welfare of his race in the Empire State. For the past ten years -he has been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_474" id="Page_474">[Pg 474]</a></span> cashier of the Freedmen’s Bank in the city of New York, a -position for which his ability as a business man eminently qualifies -him.</p> - -<p>Mr. Zuille seems to be but little adulterated in race, short, -thick-set, pleasant countenance, energetic and gentlemanly in his -movements.</p> - -<p>His reputation stands without blot or blemish, and he is surrounded by -a large circle of friends, whose entire confidence he enjoys.</p> - -<h3>GEORGE T. DOWNING.</h3> - -<p>The tall, fine figure, manly walk, striking profile, and piercing eye -of George T. Downing would attract attention in any community, even -where he is unknown. Possessing remarkable talents, finely educated, a -keen observer, and devoted to the freedom and elevation of his race, -he has long been looked upon as a representative man. A good debater, -quick to take advantage of the weak points of an opponent, forcible in -speech, and a natural orator, Mr. Downing is always acceptable as a -speaker.</p> - -<p>He is a native of New York, but resides at the national capital, where -he exerts considerable influence in political affairs, especially those -pertaining to the welfare of the negro race.</p> - -<p>A diplomatist by nature, Mr. Downing can “buttonhole” a congressman -with as good effect as almost any man. Daring and aspiring, anxiously -catching at the advantage of political elevation, he is always a -leading man in conventions. Upright in his dealings, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_475" id="Page_475">[Pg 475]</a></span>uncompromising, -and strongly attached to the principles of justice. Mr. Downing enjoys -the confidence and respect of both white and colored. As he is well -qualified to fill any position, we would be glad to see him appointed -to represent our government at some foreign court.</p> - -<h3>CHARLOTTE L. FORTEN.</h3> - -<p>Miss Forten is a native of Philadelphia; came to Massachusetts in 1854, -entered the Higginson Grammar School at Salem, where she soon earned -the reputation of an attentive and progressive student. She graduated -from that institution with high honor, having received a premium for “A -Parting Hymn,” sung at the last examination. In this composition Miss -Forten gave unmistakable evidence of genius of a high order. She became -a correspondent of the “National Anti-slavery Standard,” and wrote some -very spicy letters, extracts from which were given in other journals.</p> - -<p>In a poem entitled “The Angel’s Visit,” she makes a touching allusion -to her departed mother, which for style and true poetical diction, -is not surpassed by anything in the English language. In blood, -Miss Forten stands between the Anglo-Saxon and the African, with -finely-chiselled features, well-developed forehead, countenance beaming -with intelligence, and a mind richly stored with recollections of -the best authors. Highly cultivated, and sensitive to the prejudice -existing against her color, Miss Forten’s lot is not an easy one in -this world of ours. She still <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_476" id="Page_476">[Pg 476]</a></span>continues to write for the press, giving -most of her articles in the “Atlantic Monthly.”</p> - -<p>During the war, and since its close, she has spent much time in -teaching in the Southern States, where her labors are highly -appreciated.</p> - -<h3>GEORGE B. VASHON.</h3> - -<p>The subject of this sketch was born in Pittsburg, through the schools -of which he passed, then studied at Oberlin College, graduating with -the degree of Master of Arts. After reading law with Hon. Walter -Forward, he was admitted to the bar in 1847. Mr. Vashon soon after -visited Hayti, where he remained three years, returning home in 1850. -Called to a professorship in New York Central College, Mr. Vashon -discharged the duties of the office with signal ability. A gentleman—a -graduate of that institution, now a captain in the federal army—told -the writer that he and several of his companions, who had to recite to -Professor Vashon, made it a practice for some length of time to search -Greek, Latin, and Hebrew for phrases and historical incidents, and -would then question the professor, with the hope of “running him on a -snag.”</p> - -<p>“But,” said he, “we never caught him once, and we came to the -conclusion that he was the best read man in the college.”</p> - -<p>Literature has a history, and few histories can compare with it in -importance, significance, and moral grandeur. There is, therefore, -a great price to pay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_477" id="Page_477">[Pg 477]</a></span> for literary attainments, which will have an -inspiring and liberalizing influence—a price not in silver and gold, -but in thorough mental training. This training will give breadth of -view, develop strength of character, and a comprehensive spirit, by -which the ever-living expressions of truth and principle in the past, -may be connected with those of a like character in the present.</p> - -<p>Mr. Vashon seems to have taken this view of what constitutes the -thorough scholar, and has put his theory into practice. All of the -productions of his pen show the student and man of literature. But -he is not indebted alone to culture, for he possesses genius of no -mean order—poetic genius, far superior to many who have written and -published volumes. As Dryden said of Shakspeare, “He needed not the -spectacles of books to read Nature; he looked inward, and found her -there.” The same excellence appertains to his poetical description -of the beautiful scenery and climate of Hayti, in his “Vincent Oge.” -His allusion to Columbus’ first visit to the Island is full of solemn -grandeur.</p> - -<p>Mr. Vashon is of mixed blood; in stature, of medium size, rather round -face, with a somewhat solemn countenance, a man of few words,—needs -to be drawn out to be appreciated. While visiting a distinguished -colored gentleman at Rochester, New York, some years ago, the host, -who happened to be a wit as well as an orator, invited in “Professor -T——,” a man ignorant of education, but filled with big talk and -high-sounding words, without understanding their meaning,—to entertain -Mr. Vashon, intending it as a joke. “Professor T——” used all the -language that he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_478" id="Page_478">[Pg 478]</a></span> master of, but to no purpose. The man of letters -sat still, listened, gazed at the former, but did not dispute any point -raised. The uneducated professor, feeling that he had been imposed -upon, called Mr. D—— one side, and in a whisper, said:—</p> - -<p>“Are you sure that this is an educated man? I fear that he is an -impostor; for I tried, but could not call him out.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Vashon has long been engaged in imparting education to his -down-trodden race, and in this path of duty has contributed much for -the elevation of his people. We are somewhat surprised that none of -the liberal colleges have done themselves the honor to confer upon Mr. -Vashon the title of LL. D.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM H. SIMPSON.</h3> - -<p>It is a compliment to a picture to say that it produces the impression -of the actual scene. Taste has, frequently, for its object, works of -art. Nature, many suppose, may be studied with propriety; but art, -they reject as entirely superficial. But what is the fact? In the -highest sense, art is the child of Nature; and is most admired when -it preserves the likeness of its parent. In Venice, the paintings of -Titian, and of the Venetian artists generally, exact from the traveller -a yet higher tribute, for the hues and forms around him constantly -remind him of their works.</p> - -<p>Many of the citizens of Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and -other cities of our country, are often called to mention the names of -their absent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_479" id="Page_479">[Pg 479]</a></span> or departed friends, by looking upon their features, as -transferred to canvas by the pencil and brush of William H. Simpson, -the young colored artist. He has evidently taken Titian, Murillo, and -Raphael for his masters. The Venetian painters were diligent students -of the nature that was around them. The subject of our sketch seems to -have imbibed their energy, as well as learned to copy the noble example -they left behind. The history of painters, as well as poets, is written -in their works. The best life of Goldsmith is to be found in his poem -of “The Traveller,” and his novel of “The Vicar of Wakefield.” No one -views the beautiful portrait of J. P. Kemble, in the National Gallery -in London, in the character of Hamlet, without thinking of Sir Thomas -Lawrence, who executed it.</p> - -<p>The organ of color is prominent in the cranium of Mr. Simpson, and -it is well developed. His portraits are admired for their life-like -appearance, as well as for the fine delineation which characterizes -them all. It is very easy to transcribe the emotions which paintings -awaken, but it is no easy matter to say why a picture is so painted -as that it must awaken certain emotions. Many persons feel art; some -understand it; but few both feel and understand it. Mr. Simpson is -rich in depth of feeling and spiritual beauty. His portrait of John T. -Hilton, which was presented to the Masonic Lodge a few months since, is -a splendid piece of art. The longer you look on the features, the more -the picture looks like real life.</p> - -<p>The taste displayed in the coloring of the regalia, and the admirable -perspective of each badge of honor, show great skill. No higher praise -is needed than to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_480" id="Page_480">[Pg 480]</a></span> say that a gentleman of Boston, distinguished for -his good judgment in the picture gallery, wishing to secure a likeness -of Hon. Charles Sumner, induced the senator to sit to Mr. Simpson -for the portrait; and in this instance the artist has been signally -successful.</p> - -<p>His likenesses have been so correct, that he has often been employed -to paint whole families, where only one had been bargained for in -the commencement. He is considered unapproachable in taking juvenile -faces. Mr. Simpson does not aspire to anything in his art beyond -portrait-painting. Nevertheless, a beautiful fancy sketch, hanging in -his studio, representing summer, exhibits marked ability and consummate -genius. The wreath upon the head, with different kinds of grain -interwoven, and the nicety of coloring in each particular kind, causes -those who view it to regard him as master of his profession. Portraits -of his execution are scattered over most of the Northern States and the -Canadas. Some have gone to Liberia, Hayti, and California.</p> - -<p>Mr. Simpson is a native of Buffalo, New York, where he received a -liberal education. But even in school, his early inclination to draw -likenesses materially interfered with his studies. The propensity to -use his slate and pencil in scratching down his schoolmates, instead of -doing his sums in arithmetic, often gained him severe punishment. After -leaving school, he was employed as errand boy by Matthew Wilson, Esq., -the distinguished artist, who soon discovered young Simpson’s genius, -and took him as an apprentice. In 1854, they removed to Boston, where -Mr. Simpson labored diligently to acquire a thorough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_481" id="Page_481">[Pg 481]</a></span> knowledge of the -profession. Mr. Wilson stated to the writer, that he never had a man -who was more attentive or more trustworthy than William H. Simpson.</p> - -<p>Of unmixed negro blood, small in stature, a rather mild and womanly -countenance, firm and resolute eye, gentlemanly in appearance, and -intelligent in conversation, Mr. Simpson will be respected for his many -good qualities. He died in 1872.</p> - -<h3>SIR EDWARD JORDAN.</h3> - -<p>Edward Jordan was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in the year 1798. After -quitting school, he entered a clothing store, as a clerk; but his deep -hatred to slavery, and the political and social outrages committed upon -the free colored men, preyed upon his mind to such an extent that, in -1826, he associated himself with Robert Osborn, in the publication -of “The Watchman,” a weekly newspaper devoted to the freedom and -enfranchisement of the people of color.</p> - -<p>His journal was conducted with marked ability, and Mr. Jordan soon -began to wield a tremendous influence against the slave power. While -absent from his editorial duties, in 1830, an article appeared in -“The Watchman,” upon which its editor was indicted for constructive -treason. He was at once arrested, placed in the dock, and arraigned for -trial. He pleaded “Not guilty,” and asked for time to prepare for his -defence. The plea was allowed, and the case was traversed to the next -court. The trial came on at the appointed time; the jury was packed, -for the pro-slavery element had determined on the conviction of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_482" id="Page_482">[Pg 482]</a></span>distinguished advocate of liberty. The whole city appeared to be lost -to everything but the proceedings of the assize. It was feared that, if -convicted, a riot would be the result, and the authorities prepared for -this.</p> - -<p>A vessel of war was brought up abreast of the city, the guns of which -were pointed up one of the principal streets, and at almost every -avenue leading to the sea, a merchant vessel was moored, armed with -at least one great gun, pointing in a similar direction, to rake the -streets from bottom to top. A detachment of soldiers was kept under -arms, with orders to be ready for action at a moment’s warning. -The officers of the court, including the judge, entered upon their -duties, armed with pistols; and the sheriff was instructed to shoot -the prisoner in the dock if a rescue was attempted. If convicted, Mr. -Jordan’s punishment was to be death. Happily for all, the verdict was -“Not guilty.” The acquittal of the editor of “The Watchman” carried -disappointment and dismay into the ranks of the slave oligarchy, while -it gave a new impetus to the anti-slavery cause, both in Jamaica and in -Great Britain, and which culminated in the abolition of slavery on the -1st of August, 1834. The following year, Mr. Jordan was elected member -of the Assembly for the city of Kingston, which he still represents. -About this time, “The Watchman” was converted into a daily paper, under -the title of “The Morning Journal,” still in existence, and owned by -Jordan and Osborn. In 1853, Mr. Jordan was elected mayor of his native -city without opposition, which office he still holds. He was recently -chosen premier of the Island, and president of the privy council.</p> - -<p>No man is more respected in the Assembly than Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_483" id="Page_483">[Pg 483]</a></span> Jordan, and reform -measures offered by him are often carried through the house, owing to -the respect the members have for the introducer. In the year 1860, the -honorable gentleman was elevated to the dignity of knighthood by the -Queen.</p> - -<p>Sir Edward Jordan has ever been regarded as an honest, upright, and -temperate man. In a literary point of view, he is considered one of the -first men in Jamaica.</p> - -<p>It is indeed a cheering sign for the negro to look at one of his race -who a few years ago was tried for his life in a city in which he has -since been mayor, and has held other offices of honor.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jordan has died since the above sketch was written, and no man in -Jamaica ever received greater honors at his funeral than he.</p> - -<h3>EDWIN M. BANNISTER.</h3> - -<p>Edwin M. Bannister was born in the town of St. Andrew, New Brunswick, -and lost his father when only six years old. He attended the Grammar -School in his native place, and received a better education than -persons generally in his position. From early childhood he seems to -have had a fancy for painting, which showed itself in the school-room -and at home. He often drew portraits of his school-fellows, and the -master not unfrequently found himself upon the slate, where Edwin’s -success was so manifest that the likeness would call forth merriment -from the boys, and create laughter at the expense of the teacher. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_484" id="Page_484">[Pg 484]</a></span></p> - -<p>At the death of his mother, when still in his minority, he was put out -to live with the Hon. Harris Hatch, a wealthy lawyer, the proprietor -of a fine farm some little distance in the country. In his new home -Edwin did not lose sight of his drawing propensities, and though the -family had nothing in the way of models except two faded portraits, -kept more as relics than for their intrinsic value, he nevertheless -practised upon them, and often made the copy look more lifelike than -the original. On the barn doors, fences, and every place where drawings -could be made, the two ancient faces were to be seen pictured.</p> - -<p>When the family were away on the Sabbath at church, the young artist -would take possession of the old Bible, and copy its crude engravings, -then replace it upon the dusty shelf, feeling an inward gratification, -that, instead of satisfying the inclination, only gave him fresh zeal -to hunt for new models. By the great variety of drawings which he had -made on paper, and the correct sketches taken, young Bannister gained -considerable reputation in the lawyer’s family, as well as in the -neighborhood. Often, after the household had retired at night, the -dim glimmer from the lean tallow candle was seen through the attic -chamber window. It was there that the genius of the embryo artist was -struggling for development.</p> - -<p>There is a great diversity of opinion with regard to genius, many -mistaking talent for genius. Talent is strength and subtilty of -mind: genius is mental inspiration and delicacy of feeling. Talent -possesses vigor and acuteness of penetration, but is surpassed by the -vivid intellectual conceptions of genius. The former is skilful and -bold, the latter aspiring and gentle. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_485" id="Page_485">[Pg 485]</a></span> talent excels in practical -sagacity; and hence those striking contrasts so often witnessed in the -world,—the triumphs of talent through its adroit and active energies, -and the adversities of genius in the midst of its boundless, but -unattainable aspirations. Mr. Bannister is a lover of poetry and the -classics, and is always hunting up some new model for his gifted pencil -and brush.</p> - -<p>He has a beautiful scene representing “Cleopatra waiting to receive -Marc Antony,” which I regret that I did not see. I am informed, -however, that it is a beautifully-executed picture.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bannister is of mixed blood, of spare make, slim, with an -interesting cast of countenance, quick in his motions, easy in his -manners, and respected by all.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM C. NELL.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Nell is a native of Boston, and from the beginning of the -anti-slavery agitation was identified with the movement. He labored -long and arduously for equal school-rights for the colored children of -his native city, where he performed a good work.</p> - -<p>Mr. Nell is the author of the “Colored Patriots of the American -Revolution,” a book filled with interesting incidents connected with -the history of the blacks of this country, past and present. He has -also written several smaller works, all of which are humanitarian in -their character.</p> - -<p>Deeply interested in the intellectual development<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_486" id="Page_486">[Pg 486]</a></span> and cultivation of -his race, he has given much toil without compensation.</p> - -<p>Mr. Nell is of medium height, slim, genteel figure, quick step, elastic -movement, a thoughtful yet pleasant brow, thin face, and chaste in his -conversation.</p> - -<p>A student, and a lover of literature, he has a cultivated -understanding, and has collected together more facts on the race with -which he is identified than any other man of our acquaintance.</p> - -<p>Mr. Nell is of unimpeachable character, and highly respected by his -fellow-citizens.</p> - -<h3>IRA ALDRIDGE.</h3> - -<p>On looking over the columns of “The Times,” one morning, I saw it -announced under the head of “Amusements,” that “Ira Aldridge, the -African Roscius,” was to appear in the character of Othello, in -Shakspeare’s celebrated tragedy of that name, and having long wished to -see my sable countryman, I resolved at once to attend. Though the doors -had been open but a short time when I reached the Royal Haymarket, -the theatre where the performance was to take place, the house was -well filled, and among the audience I recognized the faces of several -distinguished persons of the nobility, the most noted of whom was Sir -Edward Bulwer Lytton, the renowned novelist—his figure neat, trim, -hair done up in the latest fashion—looking as if he had just come out -of a band-box. He is a great lover of the drama, and has a private -theatre at one of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_487" id="Page_487">[Pg 487]</a></span> country seats, to which he often invites his -friends, and presses them into the different characters.</p> - -<p>As the time approached for the curtain to rise, it was evident that -the house was to be “jammed.” Stuart, the best Iago since the days of -Young, in company with Roderigo, came upon the stage as soon as the -green curtain went up. Iago looked the villain, and acted it to the -highest conception of the character. The scene is changed, all eyes are -turned to the right door, and thunders of applause greet the appearance -of Othello.</p> - -<p>Mr. Aldridge is of the middle size, and appeared to be about -three-quarters African; has a voice deep and powerful; and it was very -evident that Edmund Kean, once his master, was also the model which -he carefully followed in the part. There were the same deliberate, -over-distinct enunciations, the same prolonged pauses and gradually -performed gestures, in imitation of Kean’s manner. As Iago began to -work upon his feelings, the Moor’s eyes flashed fire, and, further on -in the play, he looked the very demon of despair. When he seized the -deceiver by the throat, and exclaimed,—</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Villain, be sure thou prove my love false!</div> -<div>Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof;</div> -<div>Or, by the worth of mine eternal soul,</div> -<div>Thou hadst been better have been born a dog,</div> -<div>Than answer my waked wrath,”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>the audience, with one impulse, rose to their feet amid the wildest -enthusiasm. At the end of the third act, Othello was called before -the curtain, and received the applause of the delighted multitude. I -watched the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_488" id="Page_488">[Pg 488]</a></span> countenance and every motion of Bulwer Lytton with almost -as much interest as I did that of the Moor of Venice, and saw that none -appeared to be better pleased than he. The following evening I went to -witness his Hamlet, and was surprised to find him as perfect in that as -he had been in Othello; for I had been led to believe that the latter -was his greatest character.</p> - -<p>The whole court of Denmark was before us; but till the words,</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“’Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,”—</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>fell from the lips of Mr. Aldridge, was the general ear charmed, or the -general tongue arrested. The voice was so low, and sad, and sweet, the -modulation so tender, the dignity so natural, the grace so consummate, -that all yielded themselves silently to the delicious enchantment. When -Horatio told him that he had come to see his father’s funeral, the deep -melancholy that took possession of his face showed the great dramatic -power of Mr. Aldridge.</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student!”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>seemed to come from his inmost soul.</p> - -<p>Ira Aldridge was a native of Africa, born soon after his father’s -arrival in Senegal, came to the United States on the father’s return, -remained here for a time, and was then sent to Scotland, where he -received a liberal education. During his latter years, Mr. Aldridge -travelled extensively on the Continent of Europe, visiting among other -places St. Petersburg, where the Russians became wild and enthusiastic -over his <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_489" id="Page_489">[Pg 489]</a></span>dramatic representations. He died in London, in 1868, leaving -a widow, a Swedish lady, with whom he had lived happily, and in -magnificent style, near London, for several years.</p> - -<h3>OSCAR JAMES DUNN.</h3> - -<p>Oscar J. Dunn was a native of Louisiana, and by trade a plasterer, at -which he worked during his early life. His education was limited, but -what he lacked in book learning was made up in good common sense. In -color, he was a brown skin, of commanding appearance, dignified in -manners, and calculated to make a favorable impression upon all who had -the good fortune to make his acquaintance. Although born a slave, he -was, nevertheless, one of Nature’s noblest men.</p> - -<p>Called into public life at a time when the condition of his race was in -a critical transition state, he exhibited powers of intellect, honesty -of purpose, and private virtues seldom equalled. General Sheridan, -while in command at New Orleans, early discovered the rare gifts of Mr. -Dunn, and appointed him a member of the city council. He served the -city and state in various ways until he was elected to the position of -lieutenant-governor of the state. Intelligent upon all subjects, and -remarkable for sound judgment, his opinion and counsel upon questions -of state were sought by men of all parties. As a presiding officer in -the Louisiana Senate, Mr. Dunn exhibited parliamentary talent that at -once commanded the respect and challenged the admiration of the most -fastidious; and for dispatch of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_490" id="Page_490">[Pg 490]</a></span> business in his official chair, few -men in the country have been his equal.</p> - -<p>But the greatest characteristic of this man was his downright honesty. -In this he stood almost alone, for while the legislature of Louisiana -was charged with being a stock-jobbing concern, and its members, one -after another, rolling in their new-gained wealth, Oscar J. Dunn was -not only above suspicion, but actually died a poor man.</p> - -<p>He was a calm, vigilant sentry for Louisiana when she dreamed it least. -Firmly resisting temptations to sin, which too often beset official -station, he could never be made an accomplice with others against her. -His inflexible integrity was in itself a mighty protest against the -shams of the state administration, and commanded such candid respect -even from the Democrats, that of late the authors of those shams, in -their recourse to Democrats for the fresh lease of power denied them -by Republicans, were constrained to revive a prejudice for a pretext, -and to charge him with instigating a black man’s party. There existed -not a fact to justify the charge; but a lie was a fit auxiliary to -new projects of fraud, and unhappily, there were “itching palms” to -subscribe it per order.</p> - -<p>His views were most catholic on the question of class. He wanted -amity, not jealousy, between the colors, for he recognized all in the -political society as brethren, not as rivals. He felt that injustice -to any one citizen, white or black, was, if unredressed, a menace to -all; that our interests were in common; our ballots, honestly counted, -our common consent; and our influence for good, our common basis of -endeavor for Louisiana. His aims for his race were too<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_491" id="Page_491">[Pg 491]</a></span> sincere to -embarrass its progress by provoking anew the old sectional spleen -against it—and he tacitly compelled in his own case a recognition, -which any citizen might envy. Standing in a high official trust, and -yet in a dark skin, he rebuked with quiet, inoffensive emphasis, the -miserable heresy that a man is more or less a worthy citizen because of -his color.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, Mr. Dunn was not what the world would call “eloquent,” -but what he said was always listened to with the greatest interest -and respect. All classes held him in high esteem, and with his own -color his power was unlimited. Attacked by a sudden and sure malady, -death swept him away while in the zenith of his influence, on the -twenty-first of November, 1871.</p> - -<h3>JOHN R. LYNCH.</h3> - -<p>The late rebellion has not produced a more remarkable instance of a -self-made man than is seen in the career of John R. Lynch, Speaker of -the House of Representatives of Mississippi. He was born in Louisiana, -just opposite Natchez, in the year 1847, of a slave mother, then -the property of a Mr. Lapiche, and is now in his twenty-fifth year. -His father, being a man of wealth and character, made the necessary -arrangements when Mr. Lynch was yet a child, to have him and his mother -set free, but by his sudden and unexpected death, and treachery on the -part of those who had entered into the agreement with him, the plan -was not carried out, and both remained slaves until emancipated by the -result of the war. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_492" id="Page_492">[Pg 492]</a></span></p> - -<p>During his time of servitude, and while he was yet a boy, Mr. Lynch had -a deep, irrepressible desire to rise above the hopeless lot to which -destiny seemed to have assigned him, and went forward with the energy -which has characterized him since that time, to the acquirement of as -much education as was within his reach. He learned to read and write -while a slave, but no more. After his mother became the property of -Mr. Alfred Davis, she was taken to Natchez with her children, and has -lived there ever since. In 1864, and while the Federal troops were in -possession of that city, Mr. Lynch enjoyed the opportunity of attending -night school, for four months only, and that closed all the educational -advantages of which he has been possessed. Since that time he has been -entirely dependent on his own efforts and resources, and his innate -desire to obtain knowledge, for the advancement he has made.</p> - -<p>That his career has been most remarkable thus far, cannot be denied by -any one. This will appear most evident by a comparison of his humble -origin and the many disadvantages under which he has labored, with the -honorable position he now holds, and the high qualifications he brings -with him to sustain him in that place. In point of education, he is -amply fitted; in natural ability that is well-defined, cultivated, and -ready, he certainly has no superior in the House. His knowledge of -parliamentary law and usages has been tested in many heated contests -with the best tacticians of the legislature, and proved to be inferior -to none, however able. Nor do all these high qualifications, so -amply possessed by Mr. Lynch, contain all the good things we have to -say of him. He has the still higher<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_493" id="Page_493">[Pg 493]</a></span> virtue of unimpeached honesty -and veracity. During all the two years of tempting trials that he -has witnessed, it never once was intimated that he was even open to -suspicion. The record he made during all that time is as pure and -untarnished as the driven snow. No one ever questioned his integrity, -or clouded his fair name with the intimation that he deviated from the -path of rectitude and right. If he sometimes departed from the course -marked out by a majority of his party, he did so, as he believed, in -the discharge of a solemn duty, and with no other desire than to do -what he conceived to be right.</p> - -<p>He was appointed justice of the peace by General Ames in 1868, for -the city of Natchez, took a prominent part in the constitutional -convention of the State, was a member of the last legislature, and now -fills the Speaker’s chair. Mr. Lynch is fluent in speech, eloquent -in his addresses, chaste in his language, and gentlemanly in all his -intercourse with others. Medium in size, genteel in figure, brown in -complexion, with piercing eyes, amiable countenance, manly and upright -walk, Mr. Lynch makes a dignified appearance in the speaker’s chair, -and handles the gavel according to Cushing. He has been elected to a -seat in Congress from his state.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM WHIPPER.</h3> - -<p>The subject of this sketch is one of the deepest thinkers of which the -black man can boast in our broad land. In early life, he was engaged -in the lumber trade in Columbia, Pennsylvania, in which he <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_494" id="Page_494">[Pg 494]</a></span>secured -a competency. Even while battling with the world for filthy lucre, -Mr. Whipper gave much of his time to the advocacy of the freedom of -the slave, and the elevation of the colored men of the North. In his -business relations with the whites he always left a good impression of -the negro’s capability, honesty, and gentlemanly deportment.</p> - -<p>In 1833, he took charge of the editorial department of the “National -Reformer,” a monthly magazine, published by the American Moral Reform -Society. Mr. Whipper’s editorials were couched in chaste and plain -language, but bold and outspoken in the advocacy of truth. He said:—</p> - -<p>“We believe that Education, Temperance, Economy, and Universal Liberty, -if properly carried out, will prove a powerful auxiliary in producing -this necessary reformation, on which rests the Christian’s hope. -They are now producing wonders in our country, under distinct and -specific organizations. They are adhesive virtues, and as capable of -uniting with each other as a like number of seas are of commingling -their waters, and forming one great ocean. If this mighty current of -philanthropy could become united in one living stream, it would soon -sweep from our country every vestige of misery and oppression. And is -it not as necessary that it should be so, as that a single mind should -embrace these principles alone? Our country is rich with the means of -resuscitating her from moral degeneracy. She possesses all the elements -for her redemption; she has but to will it, and she is free.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Whipper is a mulatto of fine personal appearance, above the middle -size, stoops a little,—that bend of the shoulders that marks the -student. He is <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_495" id="Page_495">[Pg 495]</a></span>remarkably well read, able to cite authority from -the ancients, and posted in all the current literature of the day. -He is social and genial, and very interesting and entertaining in -conversation. Mr. Whipper resides in Philadelphia, where he is highly -respected by all classes, and loved and looked up to by his own race.</p> - -<h3>T. W. CARDOZO.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Cardozo is a native of Charleston, South Carolina; is a mulatto, -with a slight preponderance of Anglo-Saxon blood. He is thirty-five -years old, and therefore, is in the prime of life. He was born free, -and had advantages of northern schools, and finished his education -at the Newburg Collegiate Institute. From 1861 to 1866, he was a -school-teacher. In 1868, he went to North Carolina as a pioneer in the -cause of education among the freedmen, and to establish a normal school -in the eighteenth congressional district, and to use his influence -in procuring state aid in organizing a system of common schools. His -success in this enterprise was all that the most sanguine devotee could -have expected. He remained there until the schools were firmly fixed -upon a substantial basis.</p> - -<p>In 1870, Mr. Cardozo removed to Vicksburg, Mississippi. He did not -apply for any office, although it is well known that all the offices in -the State were in that year filled by appointment of the governor,—but -he went to work, and organized a large school in the city, which soon -took rank among the first in the State.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_496" id="Page_496">[Pg 496]</a></span> In 1871, at the earnest -solicitation of the members of the Republican party, he became a -candidate for, and was elected to, the office of Circuit Clerk of -Warren County. For the manner in which he has discharged the intricate -duties of that very responsible office, he elicited the highest -compliments from the judge as well as the members of the bar.</p> - -<p>Mr. Cardozo has recently been nominated for State Superintendent of -Education, a position which he is in every way well qualified to fill. -He will bring to the office a practical knowledge which will be of -great service to the State, and a lasting benefit to the race with whom -he is identified.</p> - -<p>Modest and reserved, dignified and gentlemanly, Mr. Cardozo is -calculated to gain the esteem and confidence of all with whom he may -come in contact.</p> - -<h3>LOUISE DE MORTIE.</h3> - -<p>Although born free, in Norfolk, Virginia, Mrs. De Mortie’s education -was limited. This, however, she strove to improve by studying when the -time for her school days had passed. She came to Boston in 1853, we -believe, and made it her home. In the autumn of 1862, Mrs. De Mortie -began as a public reader in Boston, and her rare ability, eloquent -rendering of the poets, pleasing manner, and good sense, gained for -her a host of admiring friends, among whom were some of the leading -men and women of the country, and a successful public career seemed -to be before her. But hearing of the distress and want amongst<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_497" id="Page_497">[Pg 497]</a></span> the -colored children of New Orleans, left orphans by the war, she resolved -to go there, and devote herself to their welfare. Although urged by -her relatives and friends at the North to leave New Orleans until the -yellow fever had ceased, she refused to desert her post, saying that -her duty was with her helpless race.</p> - -<p>In 1867, Mrs. De Mortie undertook to raise the means to build an Orphan -Home, and succeeded in obtaining the amount required for the erection -of the building. But her useful career was cut short by the yellow -fever. She died on the tenth of October, 1867, in the thirty-fourth -year of her age. She bore her illness with Christian fortitude, and in -her last moments said, with a childlike simplicity, “I belong to God, -our Father.”</p> - -<p>The announcement of her death was received with regret by her large -circle of friends at the North, while the newspapers of New Orleans, -her adopted home, spoke of her in the most eulogistic terms.</p> - -<p>Mrs. De Mortie was a remarkably gifted and brilliant woman. In personal -appearance, she was somewhat taller than the middle height, with a -Grecian cast of countenance, eyes dark and sparkling, lips swelling, -forehead high, refined manners, and possessing energy which always -brings success. In fact, it may be truthfully said, that Louise De -Mortie was one of the most beautiful of her sex.</p> - -<h3>EBENEZER D. BASSETT.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Bassett is a self-made man, and may safely be put forward as -one of the best representatives of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_498" id="Page_498">[Pg 498]</a></span> race. Born at Litchfield, -Connecticut, in 1833, Mr. Bassett graduated, the foremost scholar of -his class, at the Birmingham Academy, when quite young, and afterwards -graduated at the Connecticut State Normal School, with high honor, in -1853. He immediately thereafter removed to New Haven, took charge of -a public grammar school in that city, and eagerly availed himself of -the facilities afforded by Yale College, to prosecute the study of -the classics, mathematical science, and general literature. In 1855, -he was called by the Orthodox Society of Friends to the charge of the -Philadelphia Colored High School, which, under his management, became -very widely known as the foremost institution of the kind in the -country. The honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him -by the Lincoln University at Oxford, Pennsylvania.</p> - -<p>On the elevation of General Grant to the presidency, Mr. Bassett became -a candidate for the Haytian Mission, and so well satisfied were the -people generally, that he received the unsolicited endorsement of the -ablest men, colored and white, of all parties.</p> - -<p>He is a mulatto of medium size, prominent features, nearly straight -black hair, neat figure, gentlemanly in personal appearance, -intelligent and chaste in conversation, and possesses a high moral -character. He is a ripe scholar, well versed in the classics, and has -much literary taste.</p> - -<p>As a representative of the United States to another government, Mr. -Bassett has more than fulfilled the most sanguine expectations of his -friends, while the country generally regard him as one of the ablest -of our diplomatic agents. His correspondence with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_499" id="Page_499">[Pg 499]</a></span> Home Government -has shown him to be a man of decided ability. Indeed, Mr. Bassett’s -manly deportment, and dignified and high-toned character, have raised -the Haytian mission to a more elevated position than it has ever before -enjoyed.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM HOWARD DAY.</h3> - -<p>As a student at Oberlin College, William Howard Day stood well, and -graduated with honors. He resided some years at Cleveland, Ohio, where, -for a time, he published a weekly newspaper, which rendered timely and -efficient service to the cause of freedom, and the elevation of the -colored people of that State. In 1856 or 1857, he visited England, -where he was much admired for his scholarly attainments, and truly -genuine eloquence. On his return home, Mr. Day became associate -editor of the “Zion’s Standard and Weekly Review.” He now resides at -Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he publishes “Our National Progress,” a -paper devoted to the cause of reform, and the elevation of man.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, Mr. Day may be regarded as one of the most effective of -the present time; has great self-possession, and gaiety of imagination; -is rich in the selection of his illustrations, well versed in history, -literature, science, and philosophy, and can draw on his finely-stored -memory at will. As a writer, Mr. Day is far above newspaper editors -generally, exhibiting much care and thought in many of his articles. As -a speaker and writer, he has done a good work for his race. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_500" id="Page_500">[Pg 500]</a></span></p> - -<p>He is a mulatto of ordinary size, has a large and well-balanced head, -high forehead, bright eyes, intellectual and pleasing countenance, -genteel figure, and is what the ladies would call “a handsome man.” Mr. -Day, besides his editorial duties, holds a responsible and lucrative -office in the State Department of Pennsylvania, which he fills with -honor to himself, and profit to the State.</p> - -<h3>HIRAM R. REVELS, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Dr. Revels is a native of North Carolina, where, at Fayetteville, -Cumberland County, he was born, a freeman, on the first of September, -A. D., 1822. Passing his boyhood and youth, until about twenty-one -years of age, in North Carolina, he went to northern Indiana, the laws -of his native state forbidding colored schools. The parents of the lad -had been permitted to prepare him somewhat for an education, and he -had been studying, off and on, some years previous to leaving for the -North. He passed two years in Indiana, attending a Quaker school, and -then removed to Dark County, Ohio, where he remained for some time, and -subsequently graduated at Knox College, at Galesburg, Illinois; and -after that, entered the ministry as a preacher of the gospel under the -auspices of the Methodist Church. At this time he was twenty-five years -of age. His first charge was in Indiana. From entering the service -of the church to the present time he has steadily persevered as a -preacher, and is well known as a practical Christian and a zealous and -eloquent expounder of the word. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_501" id="Page_501">[Pg 501]</a></span></p> - -<p>After some years in Indiana, he filled important posts in Missouri, -Maryland, Kentucky, and Kansas, in the cause of the African M. E. -Church. He was in Maryland in 1861, at the breaking out of the war, and -materially aided in forming in that State the first Maryland colored -regiment. He was also able to assist in Missouri in raising the first -colored regiment in that State, and returned to Mississippi in 1864, -settling in Vicksburg, where he had charge of a church congregation, -and assisted in organizing other churches, and in forming and putting -into operation the school system, visiting various portions of the -State on his own responsibility, and among other places, preaching in -Jackson. His health failing, Dr. Revels went to the North once more, -after the close of hostilities, where he remained eighteen months. -Returning, he located at Natchez, where he preached regularly to a -large congregation, and where General Ames, then military governor, -appointed him to the position of alderman. In 1869, he was duly elected -to the State Senate.</p> - -<p>In January, 1870, Dr. Revels was selected to represent Mississippi in -the United States Senate, the announcement of which took the country by -surprise, and as the time drew near for the colored senator to appear -in his place in Congress, the interest became intense. Many who had -heard reconstruction discussed in its length and breadth,—by men of -prophetic power and eloquent utterance, by men of merely logical and -judicial minds, by men narrow and selfish, as well as those sophistical -and prejudiced,—and who had no particular interest in the debates, -still came day after day, hoping to see qualified for his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_502" id="Page_502">[Pg 502]</a></span> seat in the -senate the first colored man presenting himself for so high an office, -the first to be in eminent civil service in the general government.</p> - -<p>At last, on Friday, February 25, 1870, a day never to be forgotten, -at about five o’clock, in the presence of the chamber and galleries -crowded with expectant and eager spectators, the oath was administered -to Hiram R. Revels, by the vice-president. Senator Wilson accompanied -him to the chair, and he was at once waited upon to his seat by the -sergeant-at-arms.</p> - -<p>Saulsbury had done his best to turn backward the wheels of progress; -Davis fought in vain, declaring he would “resist at every step” -this unconstitutional measure, giving illustrations, dissertations, -execrations, and recommendations of and for the “Negro” and his -Republican friends; Stockton, in the interest of law and precedent, -begged that the subject should go to the judiciary committee, but the -party of freedom moved on in solid phalanx of unanimity to the historic -result. Mr. Sumner, who had not taken part in the debate, raised his -voice with impressiveness and power, comprehending the whole question -in a short speech just before the vote.</p> - -<p>Thus was accomplished the last important step in the National -Legislature for those once enslaved, and the crowning rebuke to the -Rebellion, especially as the Mississippi senator took the seat made -vacant by Jefferson Davis when his treason became known to the North -and to the government. After the close of his senatorial course, he -was appointed President of Alcorn University, with a salary of two -thousand five hundred dollars per annum, which place and its emoluments -he left,—at the desire of Governor Powers, and as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_503" id="Page_503">[Pg 503]</a></span> thought it his -duty,—to serve as Secretary of State, at the longest possible time, -for less than one year. He had four years still remaining of his office -as President of the University; hence, financially considered, he -sacrificed something in reaching the higher official honors. It is due -to him to say that the appointment was bestowed unsolicited by himself, -through the governor’s belief in his fitness for the position.</p> - -<p>Dr. Revels is a mulatto, of good address, of medium size, hair curly, -features somewhat prominent, with something of the ministerial air.</p> - -<h3>ROBERT B. ELLIOTT.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Elliott has the honor of representing in Congress the South -Carolina District, once filled by John C. Calhoun, the most -distinguished man of the olden time from the Palmetto State. We have -not been able to inform ourselves as to Mr. Elliott’s birth-place and -educational advantages; but we understand, however, that he studied and -adopted the law as a profession, in which he stands high. He commenced -his political career at the South, and was a member of the State -Constitutional Convention of South Carolina in 1868; was a member of -the House of Representatives of South Carolina from July 6, 1868, to -October 23, 1870; was appointed, on the 25th of March, 1869, Assistant -Adjutant-General, which position he held until he was elected to the -Forty-second Congress as a Republican.</p> - -<p>Mr. Elliott is black, of unmixed blood, strongly-marked <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_504" id="Page_504">[Pg 504]</a></span>negro -features, close curly hair, bright and penetrating eyes, genteel -in his personal appearance, somewhat English in his accent, a good -speaker, and dignified in his manners. His speeches in Congress, and -his public addresses before his constituents, show him to be a man of -high cultivation. With his own race, Mr. Elliott stands deservedly -well, and commands the respect of the whites everywhere. In Congress, -he is looked upon as an able debater, and is listened to with marked -attention.</p> - -<h3>J. MADISON BELL.</h3> - -<p>The negro’s ability to master language, his vivid imagination, his -great delight in rhetorical exercise, his inward enthusiasm, his -seeming power to transport himself into the scene which he describes, -or the emotion he has summoned, has long puzzled the brain of our -deepest and most acute thinkers. The best test of true eloquence is the -effect it produces upon the listener. The finest illustration of the -self-made orator may be found in J. Madison Bell, whose poetic genius, -classic mind, and highly-cultivated understanding has never been -appreciated by our people.</p> - -<p>In the winter of 1867, it was our good fortune to make the acquaintance -of this gentleman, then giving a series of poetical readings at -Washington. His evening’s entertainment was made up entirely of his -own writings, and they were all of a superior character. Mr. Bell is -a rare instance of the combination of the highest excellence of the -poet with the best style of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_505" id="Page_505">[Pg 505]</a></span> the orator. The oratory of some men is not -easily described; so it is with Mr. Bell. His masterly argument, acute -reasoning, and the soul-stirring appeals to the highest feelings of our -nature soon carry away the listener in an enthusiasm of admiration. -His descriptive powers, both in his writings and his extemporaneous -addresses, are of the highest order.</p> - -<p>Mr. Bell has spent some years in California, where he did much for -the elevation of his race. He now resides in Ohio, and exerts a good -influence in behalf of the cause of universal freedom. He is a mulatto, -of fine physical appearance, high, broad forehead, countenance beaming -with intelligence, handsome, like most of his race who have a mixture -of Anglo-Saxon. Mr. Bell was born in Gallipolis, in 1827, and was in -early life a plasterer by trade, but ere long he laid aside the trowel -for the pen.</p> - -<h3>J. MILTON TURNER.</h3> - -<p>The subject of this sketch was born a slave, and resided in Missouri. -He received his education at Oberlin College, where he gained the -reputation of possessing remarkable oratorical ability. Whether he -graduated at that institution or not, we have been unable to learn. It -is said, however, that he has a classical education, and is refined -in his manners. In the last presidential election, Mr. Turner was the -leader of the colored citizens in St. Louis, where it is asserted that -he was the most eloquent man on the stump. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_506" id="Page_506">[Pg 506]</a></span></p> - -<p>After the inauguration of President Grant, Mr. Turner received the -appointment of Consul General to Liberia, the government of which -received him with distinguished honors. At his reception, Mr. Turner -said: “In the true spirit of progress, you have planted upon these -shores the germ of a republic that is destined not only to develop -a civilization worthy of the respect and admiration of unborn -generations, but by means of the Christian religion to debarbarize and -benefit for almost immediate usefulness thousands of human beings whose -intellects are to-day debased by the destructive potency of heathenish -superstition.”</p> - -<h3>HENRY M. TURNER, D. D., LL. D.</h3> - -<p>Of our many gifted, enthusiastic, and eloquent men, few have been more -favored by nature than Henry M. Turner. A native of South Carolina, -he seems to have the genius and fire of the Calhouns and McDuffies, -without possessing a drop of their blood. Mr. Turner is a good-sized, -fine-looking, brown-skinned man, of forty years of age, with a splendid -voice, fluent in speech, pleasing in gestures, and powerful in his -delivery. It is said that at the tender age of twelve, he had a dream -in which he saw multitudes of men coming to him to be taught.<a name="FNanchor_55_55" id="FNanchor_55_55"></a><a href="#Footnote_55_55" class="fnanchor">[55]</a> That -dream made an impression that followed him to the present time, and no -doubt had much influence in shaping his course of life. He was licensed -to preach before he had reached his <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_507" id="Page_507">[Pg 507]</a></span>twenty-first year. He joined -the A. M. E. Church in 1857. During the rebellion, President Lincoln -appointed him chaplain of the 1st Regiment, U. S. C. T., and the first, -too, of all the colored chaplains. He resigned his pastoral relations -with his church, and followed his brother-men to the battle-field, and -remained in service till the close of the war.</p> - -<p>In his “Apology,” Tanner says of Dr. Turner: “He is a remarkable man; -and though at times the paraphernalia of the kitchen seems to be in -the parlor, and, <i>vice versa</i>, there is always enough of him to demand -the respect of the most learned and the admiration of the masses. More -earnest than polite, a man who thinks for himself, speaks as he feels, -and who fears only God, his memory will not cease with his life—a man -who may truly say with Themistocles, ‘’Tis true I never learned how to -tune a harp, or play upon a lute; but I know how to raise a small and -inconsiderable city to glory and greatness.’”</p> - -<p>In a sermon preached on the death of the Rev. Milton Tillinghast, -pastor of the First Baptist Church, Macon, Georgia, Dr. Turner -shows himself to be an able theologian, and a man of the finest -sensibilities. His “Negro in all Ages” is a production of rare merit, -and exhibits great research.</p> - -<h3>JOSEPH H. RAINEY.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Rainey is a native of South Carolina, and was born at Georgetown. -His parents purchased their freedom, and gave the son a good education, -although<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_508" id="Page_508">[Pg 508]</a></span> it was against the law to do such an act. His father was a -barber, and he followed that occupation at Charleston till 1862, when, -having been forced to work on the fortifications of the Confederates, -he escaped to the West Indies, where he remained until the close of the -war, when he returned to his native town. He was elected a delegate -to the State Constitutional Convention of 1868, and was a member of -the State Senate of South Carolina in 1870, resigning when elected to -the Forty-first Congress as a Republican to fill the vacancy caused -by the non-reception of B. F. Whittemore, and was re-elected to the -Forty-second Congress as a Republican.</p> - -<p>Mr. Rainey is below the medium size, of a dark olive complexion, -straight, black hair, finely chiseled features, modest in manners, and -dignified in his deportment. Although not what the world would call -an orator, he is, nevertheless, an able debater, and in his reply to -“Sunset” Cox, in the House of Representatives, showed talents superior -to the New Yorker.</p> - -<h3>FANNY M. JACKSON.</h3> - -<p>Miss Jackson was born, we believe, in the District of Columbia, -about the year 1837, and was left an orphan while yet a child. She -was brought up by her aunt, Mrs. Sarah Clark. She had but limited -opportunities for education in Washington, in those days. In charge -of Mrs. Orr, she removed to New Bedford when in her sixteenth year. -After remaining here a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_509" id="Page_509">[Pg 509]</a></span> while, she took up her residence in the family -of Mayor Caldwell, at Newport, Rhode Island. It was at this time that -Miss Jackson evinced those high attributes of mind which have since -culminated in the ripe scholar.</p> - -<p>Her rare genius attracted the attention of Mr. Caldwell, and by his -aid, in connection with Mrs. Clark, she was able to enter school at -Bristol, Rhode Island, and begin the studies of the higher branches. -After due preparation here, Miss Jackson went to Oberlin College, where -she soon took rank with the most industrious and progressive students. -To enable her to assist in paying her increased expenses, she taught -music in families in the village, and thereby aided others while she -was helping herself. Her intellectual aspirations and moral endowments -gained the undivided respect and sympathy of her Oberlin teachers.</p> - -<p>Graduating with honors, Miss Jackson at once took a position as teacher -in the high school for colored youths in Philadelphia, where she is -at present the principal. Her ability in governing an institution -of learning has given her more than a local fame. She believes in -progress, and is still the student. She has written some good articles -for the press, which evince culture of no mean order. As a writer, she -is a cogent reasoner, a deep thinker, taking hold of live issues, and -dealing with them in a masterly manner.</p> - -<p>Miss Jackson has appeared on the platform, and with telling effect. -In her addresses, which are always written, she is more fluent than -eloquent, more solid than brilliant, more inclined to labored arguments -than to rounded periods and polished sentences, and yet no period or -sentence lacks finish. Wit, humor, pathos,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_510" id="Page_510">[Pg 510]</a></span> irony,—flow from her lips -as freely as water from an unfailing fountain.</p> - -<p>Looking back at her struggles for education and the high position -she has attained as a teacher and a lady of letters, Miss Jackson is -altogether one of the most remarkable women of our time.</p> - -<p>In person, she is of medium size; in complexion, a mulatto; features, -well-defined, with an intelligent cast of countenance. The organ of -benevolence is prominently developed, as are the organs of causality, -comparison, ideality, and sublimity. This accounts for the elegance of -her diction, the dazzle of her rhetoric, and the native grace of her -fascinating powers. Irreproachable in her reputation, with her rare -gifts and moral aspirations, Miss Jackson cannot fail to be of untold -benefit to her race.</p> - -<h3>ALONZO J. RANSIER.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Ransier is, in every respect, a self-made man. Born in Charleston, -South Carolina, and, although his parents were free, they had to -contend with poverty on the one hand and slavery on the other, and -the son’s opportunities for education were poor. It is said that he -never had any regular schooling. Yet he so far advanced in a common -business education that at the age of sixteen years he was engaged -in shipping cotton, rice, and other produce for some of the leading -commercial houses in Charleston. Throughout all his business relations, -Mr. Ransier gained the respect and confidence of those with whom he had -dealings. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_511" id="Page_511">[Pg 511]</a></span></p> - -<p>Immediately after the war, he contributed much towards the first -Republican Convention held in his State, 1866, and was chosen by it -to convey a memorial from that body to the Congress of the United -States, setting forth the grievances of the loyal people, and asking -the protection and aid of the government in their behalf. He remained -in Washington nearly one month, as a member of what was known as the -“Outside Congress,” which was composed of the leading colored men from -all parts of the country. He was chairman of the executive committee of -that body.</p> - -<p>He was a member of the constitutional convention, and presidential -elector on the Grant and Colfax ticket in 1868. He conducted that -campaign, as chairman of the Republican State Executive Committee, -with great judgment and ability. He was auditor of Charleston County, -and resigned it on accepting the nomination as a candidate for -lieutenant-governor. Being elected by a large majority to the latter -position, he became, <i>ex-officio</i>, presiding officer of the senate, -and, as such, was very popular among the members, because of his just -rulings and courteous manners.</p> - -<p>He is known to be favorable to general amnesty, and somewhat -conservative upon many questions of public policy, but no one has ever -assailed his private reputation. He may be regarded as one of the most -reliable and influential men in the South.</p> - -<p>Mr. Ransier is a mulatto, under forty years of age, of good address, -energetic, and at times enthusiastic, full of activity, genial, -good-natured, genteel in his personal appearance, and has all the -bearing of a well-bred gentleman. He has been elected to a seat in -Congress, where he will no doubt ably represent his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_512" id="Page_512">[Pg 512]</a></span> race, and prove -a valuable addition to the cause of Republicanism. As a speaker, -Mr. Ransier stands well, being a good debater, always using refined -language and—what is better than all,—good sense in his arguments.</p> - -<h3>ISAIAH C. WEARS.</h3> - -<p>To be a good debater is one of the noblest gifts of God to a public -speaker. There are thousands of men in and out of the pulpit, who can -deliver sermons and addresses, original or selected, and do it in the -most approved style of oratory, and yet cannot debate a simple question -with a child. This may seem extravagant to those who have not been -behind the curtain with public men. A proficient and reliable debater -must have brains, a well-stored mind, with ability to draw upon the -resources at will; then the gift of gab, a temper entirely under his -control, and must possess a common degree of politeness. Give such a -man a fair cause, and you have a first-class debater. We listened to -the ablest men in and out of the British Parliament twenty years ago, -when Brougham, Derby, Thompson, Disraeli, Cobden, and a host of English -orators, were in their prime, and we sat with delight in the gallery of -the French Assembly when the opposition was led by Lamartine. We spent -twenty-five years with the abolitionists of our own country, and in -whose meetings more eloquence was heard than with any other body of men -and women that ever appeared upon the world’s platform. And after all, -we have come to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_513" id="Page_513">[Pg 513]</a></span> conclusion that the most logical, ready, reliable, -and eloquent debater we have ever heard is a black man, and that black -man, the gentleman whose name heads this sketch.</p> - -<p>Isaiah C. Wears is a resident of Philadelphia, but a native of -Baltimore, Maryland, and is about fifty years of age. For more than -a quarter of a century he has been a leading man in his city, and -especially in the organization and support of literary societies. The -“Platonian Institute,” “Garrisonian Institute,” “The Philadelphia -Library Company,” and some smaller associations, owe their existence to -the energy, untiring zeal, and good judgment of Mr. Wears. Fidelity to -the freedom and elevation of his own race kept him always on the alert, -watching for the enemy. The Colonization Society found in him a bitter -and relentless foe; and the negro, an able and eloquent advocate.</p> - -<p>He has long stood at the head of “The Banneker Institute,” one of -the finest and most useful associations in our country, and where we -have listened to as good speeches as ever were made in the halls of -Congress. Mr. Wears is not confined in his labors to the literary and -the political, but is one of the foremost men in the church, and, had -he felt himself called upon to preach, he would now be an ornament to -the pulpit.</p> - -<p>In person, he is small, of neat figure, pure in his African origin, -intelligent countenance, and an eye that looks right through you. Mr. -Wears has a good education, is gentlemanly in appearance, well read, -with a character unimpeachable, and is a citizen honored and respected -by all. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_514" id="Page_514">[Pg 514]</a></span></p> - -<h3>JOSIAH T. WALLS.</h3> - -<p>Josiah T. Walls was born at Winchester, Virginia, December 30, 1842; -received a common-school education; is a planter; was elected a member -of the State Constitutional Convention in 1868; was elected a member of -the House of Representatives of the State Legislature in 1868; after -serving one year, was elected to the State Senate for four years in -1869, and was elected to the Forty-second Congress as a Republican, -from the State of Florida.</p> - -<p>In stature, Mr. Walls is slim and thin; in complexion, a mulatto; -close, curly hair; genteel in dress; polite in manners; and well -esteemed by those who know him best.</p> - -<p>He sometimes reads his speeches, which makes him appear dull; but, in -reality, he is a man of force and character, and has done a good work -in his adopted State.</p> - -<p>Mr. Walls is deeply interested in agriculture, and takes pride in -inculcating his well-informed views in the freedmen, whose welfare -he has at heart. As a farmer, he ranks amongst the foremost in his -locality, and his stock is improved far above that of his neighbors.</p> - -<h3>JOHN PATTERSON SAMPSON.</h3> - -<p>James D. Sampson, of North Carolina, the father of the subject of this -notice, by his wealth and enterprise as a house carpenter, gave the -Sampson family<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_515" id="Page_515">[Pg 515]</a></span> distinction in that State many years ago. They were -free people, of Scottish and African lineage, who valued education -highly, and boasted somewhat of their revolutionary ancestry. He -educated his children at Northern schools, and (by special legislation) -before the war, was allowed certain privileges for his family. It -was a question, however, with the authorities, after he had erected -several fine buildings, whether he should be allowed to live in the one -intended for his family, although the street in the neighborhood of his -property took his name.</p> - -<p>John, Benjamin, and Joseph were inclined to literary professions. -Benjamin, probably the best scholar, graduated at Oberlin College; was -professor of the classics at the Avery Institute, in Pennsylvania, -and is now filling a similar position with credit, at Wilberforce, -Ohio. John P. Sampson, the most active in public life, was born in -Wilmington, North Carolina, 1838. At an early age, he was sent to -Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he acquired a common-school education; -then among the first colored youth entering the white schools of -Boston, he graduated from Comer’s College through a course in -book-keeping, navigation, and civil engineering, but began life as a -teacher in the public schools of New York, until inspired by a speech -from William Watkins, when he gave up the school, and engaged to -canvass New York under Horace Greeley and James M’Cune Smith, in behalf -of Negro Suffrage, continuing for several years in the lecturing field -through the West.</p> - -<p>He published the “Colored Citizen” several years at Cincinnati, the -only colored war-policy paper published during the war, and was aided -by the Christian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_516" id="Page_516">[Pg 516]</a></span> Commission, which circulated thousands among the -colored soldiers. The paper was generally quoted as the soldiers’ -organ. At the same time, he edited through the mail a paper published -by a company of colored men in Louisville, Kentucky. He studied -theology at the Western Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, and -was ordained elder over a prosperous congregation in Alleghany, -Pennsylvania; was principal of the Phonetic Academy, at Bowling Green, -Kentucky, assisted by Professor Murray and other able teachers. He -accepted an engagement in the work of reconstruction; was commissioned -by General Howard to look after schools in the Third District of North -Carolina; elected treasurer and assessor of Wilmington; nominated for -the Legislature, and soon became a prominent candidate for Congress; -and might have succeeded, were it not for some perversion of his -father’s connection with the purchase of slaves before the war, in -order to assist them in obtaining their freedom.</p> - -<p>Becoming interested in the profession of the law, he gave up his -prospects in the South, stood a clerical examination at Washington, was -appointed to a clerkship in the Treasury, read law at the National Law -University, graduated, and was admitted to practice in the District -Supreme Court. He soon became prominent in district politics, published -a spirited campaign paper, was engaged by the general committee -to speak in the Republican canvass of 1872, and has since been -commissioned by Governor Cook as one of the justices for the district, -in connection with his present position at the Treasury.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sampson is an able writer, an eloquent and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_517" id="Page_517">[Pg 517]</a></span>interesting speaker, -polished and gentlemanly in his manners, and highly respected. In -person, he is tall and slim, with a genteel figure, well-balanced head, -bright eye, and a countenance beaming with intelligence.</p> - -<h3>BENJAMIN S. TURNER.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Turner is a man of large size, full chest, and broad shoulders, -flat nose, curly hair, and has the appearance of having experienced -plantation life.</p> - -<p>He was born in Halifax County, North Carolina, March 17, 1825; was -raised as a slave, and received no early education, because the laws -of that State made it criminal to educate slaves; removed to Alabama -in 1830, and, by clandestine study, obtained a fair education; is now -a dealer in general merchandise; was elected tax collector of Dallas -County, in 1867, and councilman of the city of Selma, in 1869; and was -elected to the Forty-second Congress as a Republican from the State -of Alabama. Mr. Turner, though always in his seat during the sitting -of the House, is very quiet; is seldom seen conversing; votes, but -never speaks; has a reputation for good sense and political business -sagacity. He has the unbounded confidence of his constituents, and is -looked up to as a leader amongst his people.</p> - -<h3>P. B. S. PINCHBACK.</h3> - -<p>Struggling upward from the colored man’s starting-point in the -South, and at last reaching a seat in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_518" id="Page_518">[Pg 518]</a></span> United States Senate, Mr. -Pinchback has placed himself in the front rank of the race which his -color represents. His position as Lieutenant-Governor of the State of -Louisiana, at a time when true courage, manly vigor, great prudence, -and good judgment were needed, showed him to be in possession of some -of the best qualities of a statesman.</p> - -<p>The wily Warmoth found more than his match in his attempts to make a -tool of the colored man. Becoming acting Governor of the State, he -surprised even his most intimate friends in the ability he exhibited.</p> - -<p>For the victory over Warmoth, and the great benefit that will -accrue from it to the State, the people of Louisiana owe much to -Acting-Governor Pinchback. Had he accepted the tendered bribe of -Warmoth, and acted as his accomplice, the outrages upon the treasury -of the State, the installation of persons as State officials against -the expressed wish of the people, would have been carried out without -any means of redress being left in the hands of the people. By the -patriotic action of Governor Pinchback, the calamities that would have -followed the continuance of the power of Warmoth were averted, and a -greater feeling of security at once sprang up amongst the masses.</p> - -<p>The colored population of Louisiana have reason to be proud that one of -their race was so conspicuously instrumental in seizing the opportunity -for opening the way to rid the State of that power which had retarded -its progress.</p> - -<p>The statesmanlike conduct of Oscar J. Dunn and Mr. Pinchback reflects -great credit upon the intelligence of the colored citizens of that -commonwealth.</p> - -<p>Mr. Pinchback is a man of energy, eloquent in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_519" id="Page_519">[Pg 519]</a></span> speech, gentlemanly in -manners, kind and hospitable, and is said to be a man of wealth.</p> - -<h3>JAMES LYNCH.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Lynch was born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, about the year -1840. His father, who followed a mercantile pursuit, was a freedman, -and his mother had been a slave, but had her liberty purchased by -her husband. While quite young, James was employed in caring for his -father’s interests, and there are those living who remember him as a -remarkably smart and fine appearing lad, driving the delivery team -which hauled goods to his father’s patrons in the city. As soon as -old enough, he was sent to Hanover, New Hampshire, to enter Kimball -University, from which institution, in due time, he graduated with -usual honors.</p> - -<p>After completing his education, Mr. Lynch went to Indiana, where he -was a preacher of the Gospel for some years. He then went to Galena, -Illinois, where he married. We next hear of him in Philadelphia, -pursuing the honorable calling of editor of the “Recorder,” a popular -Methodist publication. He was known everywhere as an eloquent speaker -and able and fluent writer, and he moved in as good society as perhaps -any of his compeers enjoyed.</p> - -<p>In the year 1867, Mr. Lynch removed to the State of Mississippi, and -filled the pulpit in one of the Methodist churches in Jackson. He there -became editor of a religious journal.</p> - -<p>Lynch’s articles were always carefully prepared,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_520" id="Page_520">[Pg 520]</a></span> thoughtful, -argumentative, and convincing, and undoubtedly performed a good work -wherever read.</p> - -<p>He first became politically prominent in Mississippi in what is -denominated as the “Dent-Alcorn” campaign of 1869, when he was -nominated for the office of Secretary of State by the Republicans, -made the canvass with the best speakers in the State, and was duly -elected and qualified, and up to the time of his decease had ably -and efficiently filled all the requirements of that important and -responsible position.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lynch was of a brown, or coffee color, a little below the medium -size, good features, gentlemanly and kind-hearted, a genial companion, -and well beloved by all who knew him. He died on the 18th of December, -1872.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM STILL.</h3> - -<p>The subject of this sketch is a native of the State of New Jersey, and -was born in Burlington County, on the 7th of October, 1821. He was -brought up on a farm owned by his father and mother, Levin and Charity -Still. The immediate neighborhood of his birth-place afforded but -little advantage for the education of the poorer class of whites, much -less for colored children, who had to meet the negro-hating prejudice -of those times; yet William’s thirst for knowledge and love of books -created in his favor a good impression with the teacher of the common -school, which obtained for the lad a quarter’s schooling, and some -additional aid on rainy days.</p> - -<p>The colored boy’s companions were all white, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_521" id="Page_521">[Pg 521]</a></span>nevertheless his good -behavior, earnest zeal, and rapid advancement gained him the friendship -of both teacher and scholars, and did much to break down the prejudice -against the colored race in that vicinity.</p> - -<p>By assiduous study and outside aid he became proficient in reading, -writing, and arithmetic, and, as age advanced, paid considerable -attention to the classics.</p> - -<p>The harsh prejudice of race which William Still was called upon to -meet in his business intercourse with the whites, early made him -deeply interested in the cause of freedom, then being advocated by -the Abolitionists, and he became a subscriber to one of their weekly -journals. At this time he was the only colored man in the town that -took such a paper, and it was hard work, with his small wages, to meet -its subscription and postage demands.</p> - -<p>Seeing the bad effects of the use of intoxicating liquors in the -community, Mr. Still early adopted the principles of temperance, to -which he tenaciously clings to the present day.</p> - -<p>Well-grounded in moral, religious, and temperance views, William Still, -at the age of twenty-three years, went to the city of Philadelphia to -reside.</p> - -<p>Although the temptations of the great Babel were laid before him, his -early convictions kept him from yielding.</p> - -<p>The long connection of William Still with the anti-slavery office -in Philadelphia, his intimate relationship with the Pennsylvania -Abolitionists, a body of men and women of whom too much cannot be said -in their praise, and the deep interest he felt in the fleeing bondmen -passing through that city to Canada, has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_522" id="Page_522">[Pg 522]</a></span> brought him very prominently -before the American people.</p> - -<p>Mr. Still is well educated, has good talents, and has cultivated -them. He is an interesting and forcible writer, and some of the -stories of escaped slaves, which he has recently put forth in his -valuable work, “The Underground Railroad,” point him out as one of the -best benefactors of his race. After the beginning of the war of the -slaveholders had made it certain that slavery would be abolished, and -the close of the anti-slavery office in Philadelphia, Mr. Still went -into the coal trade, by which he has become independent.</p> - -<p>Upright and honest in all his dealings, a faithful friend, blameless -in his family relations, an affectionate husband and father, we have -always taken pride in putting forth William Still as a model man.</p> - -<p>The subject of this sketch is of medium size, unadulterated in race, -prominent and regular features, always a smile upon his countenance, -affable, humorous, neat in his person, gentlemanly in his deportment, -and interesting in his conversation. With all classes of good men and -women who know him, both colored and white, no man stands higher, or is -regarded with more confidence, than William Still.</p> - -<h3>PETER H. CLARK.</h3> - -<p>As an acute thinker, an eloquent and splendid speaker, possessing -rare intellectual gifts, fine education with large culture, a moral -nature full of sympathy and benevolence for all mankind, Peter H. -Clark<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_523" id="Page_523">[Pg 523]</a></span> justly stands in the foremost rank of the noted men of his race. -Although not an old man, Mr. Clark has, for the past quarter of a -century, taken a prominent part in all of the great conventions called -to consider the condition, and the best means for the moral, social, -and political elevation of the colored population of the United States. -Mr. Clark was associated with Frederick Douglass in the editorial -management of the “North Star” twenty years ago, and his articles were -always fresh, vigorous, and telling.</p> - -<p>In the various political contests in the State of Ohio for the last ten -years, he has taken a foremost position, and his appearance at public -meetings in Hamilton County has done much towards annihilating the -prejudice so rampant in that section.</p> - -<p>His argumentative speeches, scholastic attainments, and gentlemanly -bearing, have been of untold benefit to his race throughout Ohio.</p> - -<p>During the Rebellion, when the colored citizens of Cincinnati were -sorely and cruelly abused, Peter H. Clark stepped forward as their -representative man, and nobly did he do his duty.</p> - -<p>The history of “The Black Brigade,” written at that time, did him great -credit, and was of immense value to the black man.</p> - -<p>Mr. Clark is a resident of Cincinnati, and is the principal of the -Gaines High School in that city. To him, probably more than to any -other man, are the colored people there indebted for the inculcation of -the creditable desire for education and advancement true of them.</p> - -<p>He is somewhat below the middle size, thin, sharp features, bright -eye, rather of a dyspeptic appearance,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_524" id="Page_524">[Pg 524]</a></span> hospitable and kind, upright -and gentlemanly in all the relations of life, with a host of admirers -wherever he is known. No man has been truer to his oppressed people -than Peter H. Clark, and none are more deserving of their unlimited -confidence than he.</p> - -<p>To the pen of Mr. Clark we are indebted for the sketch of John I. -Gaines, in this work.</p> - -<h3>FRANCES ELLEN HARPER.</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Harper is a native of Maryland, and was born in Baltimore, in -1825, of free parents. What she was deprived of in her younger days in -an educational point of view, she made up in after years, and is now -considered one of the most scholarly and well-read women of the day. -Her poetic genius was early developed, and some of her poems, together -with a few prose articles, with the title of “Forest Leaves,” were -published, and attracted considerable attention, even before she became -known to the public through her able platform orations.</p> - -<p>An article on “Christianity,” by Mrs. Harper, will stand a comparison -with any paper of the kind in the English language.</p> - -<p>Feeling deeply the injury inflicted upon her race, she labored most -effectually by both pen and speech for the overthrow of slavery, and -for ten years before the commencement of the Rebellion, the press -throughout the free states recorded her efforts as amongst the ablest -made in the country. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_525" id="Page_525">[Pg 525]</a></span></p> - -<p>Few of our American poets have written verses more pointed against -existing evils, than Frances Ellen Harper. Her eloquent poem, “To the -Union Savers of Cleveland,” on the return of a fugitive slave to her -master at the South, will always be read with a feeling of indignation -against the people of the North who could suffer such things to be done.</p> - -<p>“The Slave Mother” will stand alongside of Whittier’s best poems on -the “Peculiar Institution.” The poems on “The Proclamation,” and the -“Fifteenth Amendment,” will be read by her race with delight in after -ages.</p> - -<p>All of Mrs. Harper’s writings are characterized by chaste language, -much thought, and a soul-stirring ring that are refreshing to the -reader.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, she ranks deservedly high; her arguments are forcible, -her appeals pathetic, her logic fervent, her imagination fervid, and -her delivery original and easy. Mrs. Harper is dignified both in public -and in private, yet witty and sociable. She is the ablest colored lady -who has ever appeared in public in our country, and is an honor to the -race she represents.</p> - -<p>In person, Mrs. Harper is tall, and of neat figure; mulatto in color, -bright eyes, smiling countenance, and intelligent in conversation.</p> - -<h3>WILLIAM F. BUTLER.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Butler is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and came to the States -in 1853. Three years later, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_526" id="Page_526">[Pg 526]</a></span> was ordained by Rev. William H. Bishop, -and began as a preacher of the Zion M. E. Church. He is now pastor of -St. Mark’s Church, New York. For the past three or four years, Mr. -Butler has taken an active part in the politics of the Empire State, -and was sent as a delegate to the National Republican Convention that -nominated General Grant for his second term, and in which assembly he -exercised considerable influence with the colored delegates from the -South.</p> - -<p>Mr. Butler is a man of good education, well read, of retentive memory, -able in debate, quick to take advantage of an opponent, an eloquent, -extemporaneous speaker, and popular with the masses.</p> - -<p>He is considered “headstrong” by the older preachers of “Zion,” and -came out from that connection a few years since, and has built up the -church over which he now presides. He has great energy and force of -character, and will generally be found in the front rank, rather than -as a follower. In stature, Mr. Butler is below the medium, of neat -figure, genteel in appearance, of mixed blood, sharp, bright eyes, -pleasing countenance, easy in manners, and interesting in conversation. -He is about thirty years of age. In all emergencies, he has been -considered true to his race, and may be regarded as a representative -man.</p> - -<h3>T. MORRIS CHESTER.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Chester is a native of Pennsylvania, and is by profession, a -lawyer. He spent some years in Liberia, returned home, and took -an honorable part in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_527" id="Page_527">[Pg 527]</a></span> war of the Rebellion. He has travelled -extensively in Europe, making a good impression wherever he appeared. -In 1867, Hon. C. M. Clay, Minister to Russia, in a correspondence with -the State Department at Washington, said of Mr. Chester’s visit to St. -Petersburg:—</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Sir</span>:—Captain T. Morris Chester, late of the United States -Volunteer Army, being in St. Petersburg, coming well recommended by -distinguished citizens of the United States, and being also well -educated, and of good address, I called upon the minister of foreign -affairs, and told him that I would not apply in the usual way, by note, -to have Captain Chester, a colored American citizen, presented to his -Imperial Majesty, as there was no precedent, and I did not know how his -Imperial Majesty would be disposed to act; but I desired that he would -approach his Imperial Majesty in an informal way, and ascertain his -wishes in this regard. The assistant minister of foreign affairs, Mr. -De Westmann, acquiesced in the proposal, and, in a few days, wrote me -that the Emperor had given orders to have Captain Chester’s name put -upon the list of persons for the first presentation.</p> - -<p>“To-day being the occasion of a grand review of the imperial guard, the -Emperor sent an invitation to Captain Chester to assist in the review, -which he did, riding around with his Imperial Majesty’s staff, and -taking lunch at the winter palace with the staff officers and a portion -of the Imperial family, who accompanied the Emperor at the lunch.</p> - -<p>“I have made these facts known to you, as I regard the affair of some -importance. We have four millions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_528" id="Page_528">[Pg 528]</a></span> of colored citizens; they are with -us, and of us, for good as well as evil.</p> - -<p>“I think that it is the duty of all good citizens to try and elevate -the African race in America, and inspire them with all possible -self-respect, and prepare them for that ultimate influence which they -must sooner or later have, upon the political and economical interests -of the United States. These are the views which have influenced my -action in this case, which, not partisan in their character, I should -hope would be satisfactory to all patriotic Americans.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Chester is of pure African origin, a splendid looking man, with -manners highly cultivated.</p> - -<h3>JOSEPH J. CLINTON, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Joseph J. Clinton is a native of Philadelphia, born October 3, 1823, -possesses a good, common-school education, studied at the Alleghany -Institute, but did not graduate. He was apprenticed to Francis Chew, -a hair-worker, and learned that trade. At the age of fifteen, he -experienced religion, joined the Zion Methodist denomination, and -became an ardent advocate of the cause of Christ. He began as a lay -preacher, at the early age of seventeen. At eighteen, he went into -business for himself in the hair work, yet continued dispensing the -Gospel to those who would hear.</p> - -<p>In 1843, Bishop Clinton was ordained an elder, and in 1856, was made -bishop. During the civil war, he spent almost his entire time at the -South. As chaplain of the First United States Colored Regiment, Colonel -Holman, Mr. Clinton did a good work<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_529" id="Page_529">[Pg 529]</a></span> amongst his race. He did not -confine himself to mere camp duties, but performed a mission work which -had its influence amongst the slaves, far and wide. Seeing that the -spread of the Gospel was of greater importance than remaining with a -regiment, Bishop Clinton gave himself entirely up to gospel missionary -work. He organized ten conferences, ordained and licensed seven hundred -ministers, admitted two hundred thousand members in the denomination, -brought one hundred thousand children into the Sabbath School, -and travelled in all of the Southern States. In 1869, he visited -California, and organized a conference in San Francisco.</p> - -<p>In person, Bishop Clinton is stout, fleshy, and well-proportioned. -He has a full face, which indicates the best of health and happy -contentment; countenance mild, benignant and thoughtful, with an -expression of integrity, denoting his inability to do a mean thing. -The bishop is a good declaimer, and the outbursting and overwhelming -effusions of his natural eloquence, the striking originality of his -conceptions, the irresistible power of his captivating voice, the vivid -and copious display of illustration, thrill and charm the hearer. He is -justly popular with the public, as well as with his own denomination. -He presides in the conferences with great dignity and impartiality, -deciding questions according to Cushing and justice, and without -fear or favor. Bishop Clinton resides in the city of Philadelphia, -surrounded by a loving family and a host of admiring friends. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_530" id="Page_530">[Pg 530]</a></span></p> - -<h3>BENJAMIN T. TANNER, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Dr. Tanner is the editor of the “Christian Recorder,” the organ of the -African Methodist Episcopal Church (Bethel). He is a mulatto of medium -size, modest and genteel, social and pleasant in conversation, and -has a classical education. Tanner’s “Apology for African Methodism,” -is the ablest written work yet produced upon that subject. In it, he -employs facts and statistics, but they have the varied beauty of the -rainbow, and the golden glow of the sunlight, when viewed through the -prism of his rich imagination. There are but few men who can excel him -in description; indeed, he wields a masterly pen in that department -of literature, every idea being full of thought. As editor of “The -Recorder,” he has written many witty, pithy, and brilliant sentiments. -There is a tinge of opulent fancy running through his editorials which -always refreshes one. As a speaker, Dr. Tanner ranks well, being -fluent, ready, easy in his manner, and reliable in his statements.</p> - -<p>The wide reputation of his journal, outside of his own denomination, -is probably the best test of his ability as a newspaper conductor. He -has done much to build up Methodism among our people, and to inculcate -the feeling for a better educated ministry, which is everywhere needed. -Dr. Tanner’s efforts towards the elevation of his race have been of -lasting good, and, as he is still a young man, we look forward to his -accomplishing more in the large field before him. As a citizen of -Philadelphia, he is enterprising, energetic, and works for the public -good. He is highly respected<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_531" id="Page_531">[Pg 531]</a></span> by all classes, and justly holds the -position of a representative man, whose title was gained by merit, and -not by favor.</p> - -<h3>SINGLETON T. JONES, D. D.</h3> - -<p>Singleton T. Jones is a native of Pennsylvania, and is about fifty -years of age. He is tall, and of a fine figure, pleasing countenance, -bright eye, and unadulterated in race and color. He commenced -travelling as a preacher of the Zion Methodist denomination in the year -1847, and was ordained a bishop in 1868. He is a man of surpassing -power and eloquence. His sermons are brilliant with unmeasured poetry, -and abound in wit, invective, glowing rhetoric, and logic.</p> - -<p>The bishop often surprises his attentive listeners with his historical -knowledge. When in the pulpit, he throws light on the subject by the -coruscations of his wit, drives home a truth by solid argument, and -clinches it by a quotation from Scripture, and a thrilling and pointed -appeal which moves his audience like a shock from an electric battery. -No one sleeps under the preaching of Bishop Jones, for he has long been -considered the most eloquent man in his denomination. His character is -without a blemish, and he is blest with a large circle of friends, and -the happiest family relations.</p> - -<h3>JERMIN W. LOGUEN.</h3> - -<p>Born a slave at the South, and escaping to the free states some thirty -years ago, Jermin W. Loguen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_532" id="Page_532">[Pg 532]</a></span> passed through the fiery ordeal that -awaited every fugitive lecturer or preacher in those days. He was -among the earliest of those to take stock in the underground railroad, -and most nobly did he do his work. For more than twenty years Bishop -Loguen labored in season and out of season, in western New York, as an -efficient conductor on the road, helping the fugitive on his way to -Canada. As a lecturer, his varied experience, eloquent and effective -speeches, did much to change public opinion in behalf of liberty.</p> - -<p>As a preacher, he was very popular with the Zion Methodist -denomination, with whom he acted. His education was limited, yet he -used good language, both in his sermons and addresses. He was made a -bishop some time about 1868, and discharged his duties with credit to -himself, and satisfaction to his people.</p> - -<p>But Bishop Loguen will be remembered longer for his humanitarian work. -If to have been true and faithful to the cause of his people in the day -of their sorrow and destitution, when friends were few, and enemies -were many; if to have been eyes to the blind, legs to the lame, bread -to the hungry, and shelter to the outcast of our afflicted and hunted -people when it was the fashion in America to hunt men; if to have -devoted a whole life to works of humanity and justice, entitles a man -to the respect and esteem of his fellow-men, and especially, of the -class benefited, Jermin W. Loguen has well earned such respect and -esteem.</p> - -<p>In person, he was of large frame, of mixed blood, strong, manly -voice, fine countenance, genteel in his manners, and interesting in -conversation. He died in 1871. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_533" id="Page_533">[Pg 533]</a></span></p> - -<h3>RUFUS L. PERRY.</h3> - -<p>“The National Monitor” is a wide-awake journal, edited by Rufus L. -Perry, a live man, in every sense of the term. As corresponding -secretary of “The Consolidated American Educational Association,” Mr. -Perry has been of great benefit to the cause of education at the South -amongst the freedmen who so much need such efforts. His society is -mainly engaged in sending into the field approved missionary preachers -and teachers; organizing schools and missions on a self-sustaining -basis, in the more interior portions of the South; looking up, and -having on hand, qualified colored teachers, to send out as they may be -called for.</p> - -<p>The association is under the auspices of the Baptist denomination, and -the “National Monitor,” of which Mr. Perry is editor, may be termed an -organ of that sect. The columns of the paper show well the versatile -character of the gentleman whose brain furnishes the mental food for -its readers, and the cause of its wide-spread popularity.</p> - -<p>Mr. Perry is a self-made man, well educated, possessing splendid -natural abilities, an able and eloquent speaker, popular with other -religious bodies as well as his own, and makes himself generally useful -wherever he may happen to be. He is devotedly attached to his race, and -never leaves a stone unturned to better their moral, social, religious, -and political condition.</p> - -<p>As a resident of Brooklyn, New York, his influence is felt in building -up and maintaining the character of the colored people. Mr. Perry is -considered one of the most efficient of the Baptist clergymen of the -“City of Churches.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_534" id="Page_534">[Pg 534]</a></span></p> - -<h3>LEONARD A. GRIMES.</h3> - -<p>A native of Loudon County, Virginia, born in Leesburg, in 1815, of free -parents, Leonard A. Grimes was subjected to all the disabilities that -his race had to endure in the South, except being a bound slave. While -yet a boy, young Grimes went to Washington, where he was employed in -a butcher’s shop, and afterwards in an apothecary’s establishment. He -subsequently hired himself out to a slaveholder, whose confidence he -soon gained. Accompanying his employer in some of his travels in the -remote South, he had an opportunity of seeing the different phases of -slave life; and its cruelty created in his mind an early hatred to the -institution, which lasted him during his long and eventful career.</p> - -<p>On his return to Washington, the subject of this sketch began to take -an interest in the underground railroad, and to him many escaped slaves -were indebted for their freedom. A free colored man with a slave wife -and seven children appealed to Mr. Grimes to aid them to escape, for -the wife and children were to be carried to the far South. Through the -kindness of this good man the family succeeded in reaching Canada, -where they were free. Search was made for the family, suspicion fell -upon Grimes as the author of their escape, he was tried, found guilty, -and sent to the state prison at Richmond for two years.</p> - -<p>At the expiration of his imprisonment, Mr. Grimes returned to -Washington, and soon removed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where -he resided two years, and then came to Boston. A small Baptist -congregation was worshipping in a hall at this time, and they called<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_535" id="Page_535">[Pg 535]</a></span> -Mr. Grimes to be their pastor. In this new field of labor he soon -began to show the great executive ability which was to be a blessing -to his race in Boston. The Twelfth Baptist Church, of which he was the -head for a quarter of a century, and the congregation, consisting of -some of the better class of the colored citizens of the metropolis, is -a monument that no one need be ashamed of. Mr. Grimes was an ardent -anti-slavery man, when many of his clerical brethren were on the other -side of the question.</p> - -<p>Mr. Grimes was a man of great amiability of character, with always a -cheering word and a smile for those with whom he came in contact. As -a preacher, he was a man of power, though he was not an easy speaker. -He was a mulatto of fine appearance, good manners, dignified, and -courteous. No man was more beloved by his friends or respected by the -community. At his funeral, which occurred in March, 1873, more than -fifty carriages were among the long cortege that followed his remains. -It is not often that a man leaves the world with fewer enemies or more -substantial friends than Leonard A. Grimes.</p> - -<h3>JOHN SELLA MARTIN.</h3> - -<p>John Sella Martin is a native of the State of North Carolina, and was -born at Charlotte, in 1832. He was the slave of his master, who sold -him while he was yet a child. Part of his life was passed in Georgia -and Louisiana, from the latter of which States he escaped in 1856. -Mr. Martin resided some time at Chicago,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_536" id="Page_536">[Pg 536]</a></span> studied for the ministry at -Detroit, and was first settled over a church at Buffalo. He came to -Boston in 1859, and was introduced to the public at Tremont Temple, -by Rev. Mr. Kalloch, for whom he preached several weeks, during that -gentleman’s vacation. The impression which Mr. Martin made while at -the Temple was very favorable; and after supplying a pulpit for some -time at Lawrence, he was settled over the Joy Street Baptist Church in -Boston. He has since preached in New York and Washington, but is now -engaged in politics, having renounced the ministry three or four years -since.</p> - -<p>Mr. Martin has visited England three times, and is well informed upon -matters pertaining to that country, as well as this. He is an easy -speaker, fluent and ready, and gives the impression of a man well -informed on the subject upon which he talks. He was, for a time, editor -of the “National Era,” and then corresponding editor of the same paper. -However, he lacks stability of purpose. In his newspaper articles, Mr. -Martin evinces considerable literary ability. In person, he is of mixed -blood, gentlemanly in his appearance, and refined in his manners.</p> - -<h3>“MOSES.”</h3> - -<p>For eight or ten years previous to the breaking out of the Rebellion, -all who frequented anti-slavery conventions, lectures, picnics, and -fairs, could not fail to have seen a black woman of medium size, upper -front teeth gone, smiling countenance, attired in coarse, but neat -apparel, with an old-fashioned reticule,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_537" id="Page_537">[Pg 537]</a></span> or bag, suspended by her -side, and who, on taking her seat, would at once drop off into a sound -sleep. This woman was Harriet Tubman, better known as “Moses.”</p> - -<p>She first came to Boston in 1854, and was soon a welcome visitor to -the homes of the leading Abolitionists, who were always attentive -listeners to her strange and eventful stories. Her plantation life, -where she was born a slave at the South, was cruelly interesting. Her -back and shoulders, marked with the biting lash, told how inhuman was -the institution from which she had fled. A blow upon the head had -caused partial deafness, and inflicted an injury which made her fall -asleep the moment she was seated. Moses had no education, yet the most -refined person would listen for hours while she related the intensely -interesting incidents of her life, told in the simplest manner, but -always seasoned with good sense.</p> - -<p>During her sojourn in Boston, Moses made several visits to the South, -and it was these that gave her the cognomen of “Moses.” Men from -Canada, who had made their escape years before, and whose families were -still in the prison-house of slavery, would seek out Moses, and get her -to go and bring their dear ones away. How strange! This woman,—one -of the most ordinary looking of her race; unlettered; no idea of -geography; asleep half of the time,—would penetrate the interior slave -states, hide in the woods during the day, feed on the bondsman’s homely -fare at night, bring off whole families of slaves, and pilot them to -Canada, after running the gauntlet of the most difficult parts of the -Southern country. No fugitive was ever captured who had Moses for a -leader. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_538" id="Page_538">[Pg 538]</a></span></p> - -<p>While in Canada, in 1860, we met several whom this woman had brought -from the land of bondage, and they all believed that she had -supernatural power. Of one man we inquired, “Were you not afraid of -being caught?”</p> - -<p>“O, no,” said he, “Moses is got de charm.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” we asked.</p> - -<p>He replied, “De whites can’t catch Moses, kase you see she’s born wid -de charm. De Lord has given Moses de power.”</p> - -<p>Yes, and the woman herself felt that she had the charm, and this -feeling, no doubt, nerved her up, gave her courage, and made all who -followed her feel safe in her hands.</p> - -<p>When the war broke out, instinct called Moses into active service, and -she at once left for the South. Long before Butler’s “Contraband of -War” doctrine was recognized by the government, Moses was hanging upon -the outskirts of the Union army, and doing good service for those of -her race who sought protection in our lines. When the Negro put on the -“blue,” Moses was in her glory, and travelled from camp to camp, being -always treated in the most respectful manner. These black men would -have died for this woman, for they believed that she had a charmed life.</p> - -<p>It is said that General Burnside, on one occasion, sent Moses into the -enemy’s camp, and that she returned in due time, with most valuable -information. During the last year of the Rebellion, she had in her -possession a paper, the presentation of which always gained for her a -prompt passage through any part of the Union lines.</p> - -<p>Moses followed Sherman in his march “From Atlanta<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_539" id="Page_539">[Pg 539]</a></span> to the Sea,” and -witnessed the attack on Petersburg. The great deference shown her by -the Union officers, who never failed to tip their caps when meeting -her, and the strange stories told of her pioneer adventures, and the -substantial aid given by her to her own race, has left with them a -lasting impression that Moses still holds “the charm.”</p> - -<h3>MARY SHADD CAREY.</h3> - -<p>Mary Ann Shadd Carey is a native of Delaware, and has resided for -several years in Canada. She is tall and slim, with a fine head, which -she carries in a peculiar manner. She has good features, intellectual -countenance, bright, sharp eyes, that look right through you. She holds -a legitimate place with the strong-minded women of the country.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Carey received a far better education than usually fell to the lot -of the free colored people of her native State, and which she greatly -improved. She early took a lively interest in all measures tending -to the elevation of her race, and has, at various times, filled the -honorable positions of school teacher, school superintendent, newspaper -publisher and editor, lecturer, and travelling agent. As a speaker, she -ranks deservedly high; as a debater, she is quick to take advantage of -the weak points of her opponent, forcible in her illustrations, biting -in her sarcasm, and withering in her rebukes.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Carey is resolute and determined, and you might as well attempt -to remove a stone wall with your little finger, as to check her in -what she <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_540" id="Page_540">[Pg 540]</a></span>conceives to be right and her duty. Although she has mingled -much in the society of men, attended many conventions composed almost -exclusively of males, and trodden paths where women usually shrink to -go, no one ever hinted aught against her reputation, and she stands -with a record without blot or blemish. Had she been a man, she would -probably have been with John Brown at Harper’s Ferry.</p> - -<p>When the government determined to put colored men in the field to aid -in suppressing the Rebellion, Mrs. Carey raised recruits at the West, -and brought them on to Boston, with as much skill, tact, and order -as any of the recruiting officers under the government. Her men were -always considered the best lot brought to head-quarters. Indeed, the -examining surgeon never failed to speak of Mrs. Carey’s recruits as -faultless. This proves the truth of the old adage, that “It takes a -woman to pick out a good man.” Few persons have done more real service -for the moral, social, and political elevation of the colored race than -Mrs. Carey. She is a widow, and still in the full-orbed womanhood of -life, working on, feeling, as she says, “It is better to wear out, than -to rust out.”</p> - -<h3>GEORGE L. RUFFIN.</h3> - -<p>One of the most damaging influences that the institution of slavery had -on the colored population of the country, was to instill in the mind of -its victim the belief that he could never rise above the position of -a servant. The highest aspiration of most colored men,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_541" id="Page_541">[Pg 541]</a></span> thirty years -ago, was to be a gentleman’s body servant, a steward of a steam-boat, -head-waiter at a first-class hotel, a boss barber, or a boot-black with -good patronage, and four or five boys under him to do the work. Even -at this day, although slavery has been abolished ten years, its spirit -still clings to the colored man, and, more especially, at the North. To -wait at parties, attend weddings and dinners, and above all, to be a -caterer, seems to be the highest aim of our Northern young men, when, -to be a good mechanic, would be far more honorable, and have greater -tendency towards the elevation of the race. A few exceptions to what I -have penned above are to be found occasionally, and one of these is the -gentleman whose name heads this sketch.</p> - -<p>George L. Ruffin was born in Richmond, Virginia, of free parents, and -of course had limited educational opportunities. He came to Boston some -twenty years ago, and followed the calling of a hairdresser up to about -five years since, when he began the study of the law with Honorable -Harvey Jewell. In due time, he was admitted to the bar, and is now in -the enjoyment of a good practice in his profession. One of the most -praiseworthy acts connected with Mr. Ruffin’s elevation, is that he -studied law while he was at his barber’s chair, and dependent upon it -for a living.</p> - -<p>As a member of the Massachusetts Legislature, Mr. Ruffin exhibited -scholarly attainments in his speeches that placed him at once amongst -the foremost men of that body. As a speaker, he is interesting, for his -addresses show that he gives his subjects a thorough canvassing before -he delivers them. Mr. Ruffin is a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_542" id="Page_542">[Pg 542]</a></span> student, and is destined, we -think, to rise still higher in his profession.</p> - -<p>He takes a deep interest in the elevation and welfare of his race, is -prominent in all public meetings, has a happy faculty in discharging -the duties of presiding officer, or chairman of a committee, and writes -resolutions that are readable, as well as to the purpose for which they -are intended. Mr. Ruffin is highly respected in the community, and has -done much in his dealings with prominent citizens to lift upward the -standard of the colored man. He is of mixed blood, short, stout, with -a rather pleasing cast of countenance, and features good to look upon. -In speaking to our young men, we have often mentioned the career of Mr. -Ruffin as worthy of imitation.</p> - -<h3>RICHARD T. GREENER.</h3> - -<p>Richard T. Greener is a graduate of Harvard University, which, under -ordinary circumstances, is considered a passport to future usefulness -and preferment. Soon after leaving college, he was invited to become -a teacher in the institute for colored youth, at Philadelphia. Here -his labors were highly appreciated, and many regrets were manifested -on his leaving to take charge of another institution of learning at -Washington, where he now resides.</p> - -<p>Mr. Greener takes a deep interest in everything tending towards -the development of the genius of the race, and has written some -very readable articles on education for the “New National Era.” His -writings<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_543" id="Page_543">[Pg 543]</a></span> exhibit considerable research, a mind well stored from -English literature, and show that he is a man of industry and progress. -Long before leaving college, Mr. Greener gave evidence of possessing -talents for the platform, and recent speeches and addresses place him -in the advanced ground in the art of oratory.</p> - -<p>Mr. Greener is a mulatto, and, in personal appearance, is of medium -size, good figure, well-balanced head, intellectual face, interesting -conversationalist, and eager for distinction. Mr. Greener is not -more than twenty-eight or thirty years of age, and has before him a -brilliant future. He is a good representative of our rising young men, -and is well calculated to inspire the youth of the country with noble -feelings for self-elevation. His motto is “the young men to the front.” -But he should remember that while the young men may take a legitimate -place at the front, the old men must not be asked to take a back seat. -The race cannot afford, yet a while, to dispense with the services of -the “Old Guard.”</p> - -<h3>LEWIS H. DOUGLASS.</h3> - -<p>The senior editor of the “New National Era” is the eldest son of -Frederick Douglass, and inherits a large share of the father’s -abilities. He was born in Massachusetts, has a liberal education, is a -practical printer, received excellent training in the office of “The -North Star,” at Rochester, New York, and is well calculated to conduct -a newspaper. Mr. Douglass distinguished himself at the attack on Fort -Wagner,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_544" id="Page_544">[Pg 544]</a></span> where the lamented Colonel Robert G. Shaw fell. His being the -first to ascend the defences surrounding the fort, and his exclamation -of “Come, boys, we’ll fight for God and Governor Andrew,” was at the -time commented upon by the press of Europe as well as of our own -country.</p> - -<p>Mr. Douglass is an active, energetic man, deeply alive to every -interest of his race, uncompromising in his adherence to principle, and -is a valuable citizen in any community. He has held several important -positions in Washington, where his influence is great. He is a good -writer, well informed, and interesting in conversation. In asserting -his rights against the proscriptive combinations of the printers -of Washington, Mr. Douglass was more than a match for his would-be -superiors. As a citizen, he is highly respected, and is regarded as -one of the leading men of the district. He is of medium size, a little -darker in complexion than the father, has a manly walk, gentlemanly in -his manners, intellectual countenance, and reliable in his business -dealings. His paper, the “New National Era,” is well conducted, and -should receive the patronage of our people throughout the country.</p> - -<h3>RICHARD H. CAIN.</h3> - -<p>Mr. Cain is well known as a Methodist preacher of some note, having -been a leading man in that denomination for many years. During the -Rebellion he took up his residence in South Carolina, where his good -judgment, industry, and executive ability gave him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_545" id="Page_545">[Pg 545]</a></span> considerable -influence with his race. In the Constitutional and Reconstruction -Conventions Mr. Cain took an active part, and in the State Legislature, -gave unmistakable evidence of a knowledge of state affairs. He has been -called to fill several positions of honor and trust, and discharged his -duties with signal ability.</p> - -<p>The moral, social, religious, and political elevation of his people has -long claimed a large share of Mr. Cain’s time and attention.</p> - -<p>As an editor, he exhibited much literary tact and talent in conducting -his paper, urging in its columns education, character, and wealth, -as a basis for man’s elevation. In 1872, he was elected to Congress, -representing the city of Charleston. As a politician, Mr. Cain stands -high in his State, being considered one of their ablest stump-speakers, -and stump-speaking is regarded at the South as the best quality of an -orator. Mr. Cain is nearly pure in blood, rather under the medium size, -bright eye, intelligent countenance, strong, loud voice, energetic -in his actions, throwing some dramatic fervor into his elocutionary -powers, and may be termed an enthusiastic speaker. Gentlemanly in his -manners, blameless in his family relations, staunch in his friendship, -honest in his dealings with his fellow-men, Mr. Cain may be regarded as -a representative man, and an able one, too.</p> - -<h3>STEPHEN SMITH.</h3> - -<p>In no state in the Union have the colored people had greater obstacles -thrown in the way of their moral,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_546" id="Page_546">[Pg 546]</a></span> social, and political elevation, -than in Pennsylvania. Surrounded by a population made up of the odd -ends of all countries, the German element predominating, with a large -sprinkling of poor whites from the Southern States, holding prejudice -against the race, the blacks of Pennsylvania have had a hard struggle. -Fortunately, however, for them, there were scattered over the State -a few representative men, who, by their industry, honesty, and moral -courage did much to raise the character and standard of the colored man.</p> - -<p>Foremost among these was Stephen Smith, who, while a young man began -life as a lumberman in Columbia, where, for twenty-five years, he -was one of the principal dealers in that business. By upright and -patient labor, Mr. Smith amassed a fortune, removed to the city of -Philadelphia, where he has since resided, and where he has long been -one of the pillars of society.</p> - -<p>For many years, the subject of this sketch has been an acceptable -preacher in the Methodist denomination, to which sect he has given -liberally of his vast means. Several years ago, Mr. Smith built a -church at his own expense, and gave it to his people. More recently, he -has erected and endowed an asylum for the poor of his race.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smith is a mulatto, of medium size, strongly built, fascinating -countenance, yet plain looking, with indelibly marked features. He is -now in the sunset of life, and his head is thickly sprinkled with gray -hairs. Although he is in the autumn of his years, he is still vigorous, -attending to his own business, preaching occasionally, and looking -after the interest of “our people.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_547" id="Page_547">[Pg 547]</a></span></p> - -<p>Always interested in the elevation of man, few have done more for his -race than Stephen Smith. He is highly respected, and has the entire -confidence of the people of his own city, as well as all who enjoy his -acquaintance.</p> - -<h3>LEWIS HAYDEN.</h3> - -<p>Thirty years ago, the underground railroad was in full operation, and -many daring attempts were made by Northern men to aid slaves in their -escape to a land of freedom. In some instances, both the fugitives and -their friends were captured, taken back, tortured, and imprisoned. The -death of the Rev. Charles T. Torrey, in the Maryland Penitentiary, for -helping away a family of slaves; the branding of Jonathan Walker for -the same offence; the capture of Captain Daniel Drayton for bringing -off a number of bondmen in his vessel, the “Pearl;” and the long and -cruel imprisonment of the Rev. Calvin Fairbanks, are historical facts -well known to the old Abolitionists.</p> - -<p>The subject of this sketch was born in Lexington, Kentucky, where he -spent his early days in slavery. Lewis Hayden and his family made their -escape from the State of Kentucky in the year 1846; by the assistance -of the Rev. Calvin Fairbanks and Miss Delia A. Webster. Both of the -above persons suffered cruelly, for their kindness to the fugitives. -Miss Webster, after several months’ imprisonment, was liberated, but -Mr. Fairbanks remained in the State Prison at Frankfort, Kentucky, more -than ten years, during which time everything was done by officials of -the prison to make his confinement as painful as possible. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_548" id="Page_548">[Pg 548]</a></span></p> - -<p>To the great credit of Mr. Hayden, he labored faithfully to secure the -release of his friend, and was, we believe, the means of shortening his -sufferings.</p> - -<p>With his family, Mr. Hayden took up his residence in Boston, where he -has since remained, and where he now enjoys the respect and confidence -of a large circle of friends.</p> - -<p>Daring the reign of terror, caused by the attempt to enforce the -Fugitive Slave Law, in the return of escaped bondmen, Mr. Hayden became -conspicuous as one of the most faithful friends of his race, daring -everything for freedom, never shrinking from any duty, and never -counting the cost.</p> - -<p>For the past dozen years, he has held a situation at the State House, -and, last winter, served in the Legislature, where his speeches and his -votes were given for reform.</p> - -<p>While he does not attempt to be an orator, Mr. Hayden is, nevertheless, -a very effective speaker. He is a man of common size, with little or no -Anglo-Saxon blood, genteel in his manners, intelligent in conversation, -and correct in all the relations of life.</p> - -<h3>HENRY GARLAND MURRAY.</h3> - -<p>To be able to tell a story, and tell it well, is a gift, and not an -acquirement; a gift that one may well be proud of. The gentleman whose -name heads this sketch, left his sunny home in the Island of Jamaica, -last autumn, and paid a flying visit to our country. We had heard of -Mr. Murray as the able editor of the leading<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_549" id="Page_549">[Pg 549]</a></span> newspaper in Kingston, -and, therefore, he was not an entire stranger to us.</p> - -<p>But his great powers as a lecturer, we were ignorant of. With a number -of friends, we went one evening to listen to a lecture on “Life among -the Lowly in Jamaica.” The speaker for the occasion was Henry G. -Murray, who soon began his subject. He was a man of fine personal -appearance, a little inclined to corpulency, large, electric eyes, -smiling countenance beaming with intelligence, and wearing the air of a -well-bred gentleman.</p> - -<p>He commenced in a calm, cool, moderate manner, and did not depart from -it during the evening. Mr. Murray’s style is true to nature, and the -stories which he gave with matchless skill, convulsed every one with -laughter. He evinced talent for both tragic and comic representation, -rarely combined. His ludicrous stories, graphically told, kept every -face on a grin from the commencement to the end. For pathos, genius, -inimitable humor, and pungent wit, we have never seen his equal. He -possesses the true <i>vivida vis</i> of eloquence. Mr. Murray is a man -of learning, accomplishment, and taste, and will be warmly welcomed -whenever he visits us again.</p> - -<h3>SAMPSON DUNBAR TALBOT.</h3> - -<p>Bishop Talbot is a native of Massachusetts, and was born in the town -of Stoughton. He received a good, common-school education at West -Bridgewater, went to the West, and studied theology, and began to -preach,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_550" id="Page_550">[Pg 550]</a></span> at the age of twenty-five years. Returning East, he preached -in Boston for two years, where he made many friends. He was ordained -a bishop of the A. M. E. Zion Church, about nine years ago, and now -resides in Washington, D. C.</p> - -<p>Bishop Talbot is about fifty-five years of age, of common size and -stature, a dark mulatto, fine head, and thoughtful face, with but -little of the negro cast of countenance. He is a good student, well -read, and better informed than the clergy generally.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, he is sound, clear, thorough, and though not brilliant, -is a very interesting preacher. His dignified, calm utterance has great -power. He is much admired in the pulpit, and never lacks hearers.</p> - -<p>The absence of fire and brimstone in his sermons gives the bishop a -gentlemanly air in the pulpit that strongly contrasts with his brethren -of the cloth. He is a good presiding officer, and rules according to -Cushing. Living a blameless life, having an unblemished reputation, and -taking a deep interest in everything pertaining to the moral, social, -and political condition of the race, Bishop Talbot is highly respected -by all.</p> - -<h3>CHARLES BURLEIGH PURVIS, M. D.</h3> - -<p>Dr. Purvis is a son of Robert Purvis, the well-known philanthropist, -and co-worker with William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, and -Lucretia Mott. When a boy, “Burleigh” often met us at the steamer or -the cars, a number of miles away, took us to the homestead at Bybery, -listened to our lecture in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_551" id="Page_551">[Pg 551]</a></span> “old hall,” and then returned us to the -train or boat the next morning, and always did it cheerfully, and with -a smile.</p> - -<p>The subject of our sketch was born in Philadelphia, in 1841, received -a collegiate education, graduating A. M.; studied at the Cleveland -Medical College, where, in 1864, he received the degree of M. D. He -entered the army as acting-assistant surgeon during the summer of the -same year.</p> - -<p>Dr. Purvis now resides at Washington, and holds the honorable -position of Professor of <i>Materia Medica</i> and Jurisprudence in Howard -University. The doctor takes a lively interest in the education and -elevation of his race, and exercises considerable influence in the -affairs of the District.</p> - -<p>He inherits much of his father’s enthusiasm and oratorical powers, -and has spoken eloquently and successfully in public meetings and -conventions.</p> - -<p>By close attention to his profession, Dr. Purvis has taken a high -rank as a physician. In complexion, he stands about half-way between -the Anglo-Saxon and the negro, probably throwing in a little mite of -Indian. Like his father, the doctor is of fine personal appearance, -dignified and gentlemanly in his manners, and respected by every one.</p> - -<h3>JOHN J. FREEMAN.</h3> - -<p>That spicy and spirited weekly, “The Progressive American,” is edited -by the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. By his native genius, -untiring <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_552" id="Page_552">[Pg 552]</a></span>industry, and scholarly attainments, he has created and kept -alive a newspaper that is a welcome guest in New York, and the country -around. As an editor, Mr. Freeman has been eminently successful, -and his journal now ranks amongst the very best of our papers. His -editorials exhibit more than ordinary tact and talent, and are always -on the side of right, morality, and the elevation of man. He has long -taken a leading part in state affairs, and has held prominent places in -conventions and public meetings.</p> - -<p>As a speaker, he is interesting, and knows what he talks about.</p> - -<p>His speeches consist of strong arguments and spirited appeals. -Personally, Mr. Freeman is sociable and affable in his manners, and -hearty and pleasant in his address. In complexion, he is of a brown -skin, with well-defined features, intellectual forehead, slim and -straight, with a walk something akin to the Indian. He is gentlemanly, -upright, and correct in his intercourse with mankind, and highly -respected as a man of advanced ideas.</p> - -<h3>ELIJAH W. SMITH.</h3> - -<p>The subject of this sketch is a grandson of the late Rev. Thomas Paul, -whose eloquence as a preacher is vividly remembered by Bostonians of -forty years ago, as one of the most entertaining of divines. Born in -Boston, Elijah W. Smith is well known as one of her most respected -citizens. He is by trade a printer, which he learned in the office -of “The Liberator,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_553" id="Page_553">[Pg 553]</a></span> with Wm. Lloyd Garrison, who always speaks of -“Elijah” with the utmost respect. No one can read Mr. Smith’s poems -without a regret that he has written so little, and yet he has given -us more poetry than any other colored American. Few living poets -understand, better than he, the elements of true poetry.</p> - -<p>The evenness of his numbers, the polish of his diction, the rich melody -of his musically-embodied thoughts, and the variety of his information, -show that Nature has not been sparing in showering her gifts upon him.</p> - -<p>In his poetry Mr. Smith seeks to make mankind, and things around him, -in harmony with a better state of moral existence.</p> - -<p>His contributions to literature will ever tend to delight and instruct -the lovers of liberty and pure and refined society. Most of his -articles have appeared in “The Boston Daily Traveller,” and “The -Saturday Evening Express.” The longest poem contains thirty verses.</p> - -<p>“Keep off the Grass,” and “Welcome to Spring,” shows the author’s -leaning towards Nature. “Crushed At Sedan,” “Vive La France,” and “A -Plea for the Recognition of Cuba,” are the promptings of a sympathetic -heart. “Peter and Joseph’s Trip to Vermont” is full of humor, and shows -that our author is at home in comic poetry. Mr. Smith’s finer feelings -find vent in those beautiful poems the “Winter Song of the Poor,” -and “Merry Christmas,” either of which is enough to give a writer -everlasting fame.</p> - -<p>The Republican Party owes our author a debt of gratitude for the lyrics -he has contributed to its aid in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_554" id="Page_554">[Pg 554]</a></span> this section. The following lines are -from the beautiful and soul-stirring poem entitled “Freedom’s Jubilee,” -read at a Ratification Meeting of the Fifteenth Amendment:</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Glory to God! for the struggle is ended,</div> -<div class="i1">Glory to God! for the victory won,</div> -<div>Honor to those who the Right have defended,</div> -<div class="i1">Through the long years since the conflict begun.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>“O, may the prayers of those ready to perish</div> -<div class="i1">Guard them from harm like a girdle of fire!</div> -<div>Deep in our hearts their good deeds we will cherish,</div> -<div class="i1">And to deserve them we’ll ever aspire.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>“God! at Thine altar, in thanksgiving bending,</div> -<div class="i1">Grant that our eyes Thy great goodness may see;</div> -<div>O, may Thy light, while the temple’s veil rending,</div> -<div class="i1">Show, through its portals, the path of the Free.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>“Our Lost Leader,” written on the death of Charles Sumner, is one of -Mr. Smith’s best productions. “The Boston Daily Traveller” says: “This -is a beautiful poem written by Elijah W. Smith, who is a true poet, and -who has produced some of the best poetry called forth by the death of -Mr. Sumner.”</p> - -<p>We can only give the last verse:</p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“Give us the faith to kneel around</div> -<div class="i1">Our Country’s shrine, and swear</div> -<div>To keep alive the sacred flame</div> -<div class="i1">That <span class="smcap">Sumner</span> kindled there!”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The “Song of The Liberators” has in it the snap and fire that shows the -author’s sound appreciation of the workers for liberty. We give a few -of those spirited verses, and regret that want of space prevents our -placing the entire poem before the reader: </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_555" id="Page_555">[Pg 555]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div>“The battle-cry is sounding</div> -<div class="i1">From every hill and vale,</div> -<div>From rock to rock resounding,</div> -<div class="i1">Now shall the tyrants quail.</div> -<div>No more with chain and fetter,</div> -<div class="i1">No more with prison cell,</div> -<div>Shall despots punish heroes</div> -<div class="i1">In the land they love so well.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div>“And thou, O Isle of Beauty,</div> -<div class="i1">Thy plaintive cry is heard;</div> -<div>Throughout our wide dominions,</div> -<div class="i1">The souls of men are stirred;</div> -<div>And rising in their manhood,</div> -<div class="i1">They shout from sea to sea,</div> -<div>‘Destruction to the tyrants!</div> -<div class="i1">Fair Cuba shall be free!’”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>In person Mr. Smith is short, and inclined to be stout, with complexion -of a light brown.</p> - -<p>His head is large and well developed; the expression of his features -are mild and good, his eyes are lively, and the turn of his face is -graceful and full of sensibility, and delicately susceptible of every -impression.</p> - -<p>Still on the sunny side of fifty, and being of studious habits and an -impassioned lover of Nature, we may yet look for valuable contributions -from his versatile pen.</p> - -<p>We hope, ere long, to see his poems given to the reading public in a -collected form, for we are sure that they would be a prized accession -to the current literature of the day, besides the valuable work they -would do for the elevation of his own race.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smith has written more than sixty poems, one of which will be found -in the fore-part of this volume.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_54_54" id="Footnote_54_54"></a><a href="#FNanchor_54_54"><span class="label">[54]</span></a> “An Apology for Methodism.” B. T. Tanner, p. 388.</p> - -<p><a name="Footnote_55_55" id="Footnote_55_55"></a><a href="#FNanchor_55_55"><span class="label">[55]</span></a> Tanner’s “Apology,” p. 415.</p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/ad1.jpg" alt="My Southern Home" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/ad2.jpg" alt="THE NEGRO IN THE REBELLION" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RISING SON, OR, THE ANTECEDENTS AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE COLORED RACE ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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