Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom | Page 8

licentious monsters, who are true to
their pledges. But as the woman and her children are legally the
property of the man, who stands in the anomalous relation to them of
husband and father, as well as master, they are liable to be seized and
sold for his debts, should he become involved.
There are several cases on record where such persons have been sold
and separated for life. I know of some myself, but I have only space to
glance at one.
I knew a very humane and wealthy gentleman, that bought a woman,
with whom he lived as his
* It is unlawful in the slave States for any one of purely European
descent to intermarry with a person of African ex- traction; though a
white man may live with as many coloured women as he pleases
without materially damaging his reputa- tion in Southern society. wife.
They brought up a family of children, among whom were three nearly
white, well edu- cated, and beautiful girls.
On the father being suddenly killed it was found that he had not left a
will; but, as the family had always heard him say that he had no
surviving relatives, they felt that their liberty and property were quite
secured to them, and, knowing the insults to which they were exposed,
now their protector was no more, they were making preparations to
leave for a free State.
But, poor creatures, they were soon sadly unde- ceived. A villain
residing at a distance, hearing of the circumstance, came forward and
swore that he was a relative of the deceased; and as this man bore, or
assumed, Mr. Slator's name, the case was brought before one of those
horrible tribunals, presided over by a second Judge Jeffreys, and calling
itself a court of justice, but before whom no coloured person, nor an
abolitionist, was ever known to get his full rights.

A verdict was given in favour of the plaintiff, whom the better portion
of the community thought had wilfully conspired to cheat the family.
The heartless wretch not only took the ordi- nary property, but actually
had the aged and friendless widow, and all her fatherless children,
except Frank, a fine young man about twenty-two years of age, and
Mary, a very nice girl, a little younger than her brother, brought to the
auction stand and sold to the highest bidder. Mrs. Slator had cash
enough, that her husband and master left, to purchase the liberty of
herself and children; but on her attempting to do so, the pusillanimous
scoundrel, who had robbed them of their freedom, claimed the money
as his property; and, poor creature, she had to give it up. According to
law, as will be seen hereafter, a slave cannot own any- thing. The old
lady never recovered from her sad affliction.
At the sale she was brought up first, and after being vulgarly criticised,
in the presence of all her distressed family, was sold to a cotton planter,
who said he wanted the "proud old critter to go to his plantation, to
look after the little woolly heads, while their mammies were working in
the field."
When the sale was over, then came the separa- tion, and
"O, deep was the anguish of that slave mother's heart, When called
from her darlings for ever to part; The poor mourning mother of reason
bereft, Soon ended her sorrows, and sank cold in death."
Antoinette, the flower of the family, a girl who was much beloved by
all who knew her, for her Christ-like piety, dignity of manner, as well
as her great talents and extreme beauty, was bought by an uneducated
and drunken salve-dealer.
I cannot give a more correct description of the scene, when she was
called from her brother to the stand, than will be found in the following
lines--

"Why stands she near the auction stand? That girl so young and fair;

What brings her to this dismal place? Why stands she weeping there?
Why does she raise that bitter cry? Why hangs her head with shame, As
now the auctioneer's rough voice So rudely calls her name!
But see! she grasps a manly hand, And in a voice so low, As scarcely to
be heard, she says, "My brother, must I go?"
A moment's pause: then, midst a wail Of agonizing woe, His answer
falls upon the ear,-- "Yes, sister, you must go!
No longer can my arm defend, No longer can I save My sister from the
horrid fate That waits her as a SLAVE!"
Blush, Christian, blush! for e'en the dark Untutored heathen see Thy
inconsistency, and lo! They scorn thy God, and thee!"
The low trader said to a kind lady who wished to purchase Antoinette
out of his hands, "I reckon I'll