A
BRIEF MISCELLANEOUS
NARRATIVE
OS1 THE
MORE EARLY PART OP THE LIFE OP
1. TILMON,
PASTOR OP A COLORED METHODIST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
IX THE CITY OF* NEW YORK.
"WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.
JERSEY CITY:
W. W. & L. A. PRATT, PEINTKItS, SENTINEL BUILDINGS
1S53.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by
LEVIN T1LM0N,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court'of the Southern District of
new york*
PREFACE.
The brief narrative I Lave introduced to the public,
has been hastily thrown together. In view of some of
the events of the more earlier part of my life, the
thoughts of which has always given me a detested
hatred to the system of American Slavery. Having
thus formed an early impression from what I have
suffered, that Slavery was wrong, against which I
have felt it to be an imperative duty, to make an ex¬
pression of my feelings. This I have attempted sev¬
eral times, but have become discouraged, for thewa-nt
of a liberal education, but of which I have been
robbed by the evil genius of American Slavery. In
reviewing my past life, I feel that I have been the child
of misfortune, being deprived of all early advantages.
I have been thrown upon my own resources, upon
| which I have had to depend. Having quite a zest
for learning, and to acquire information, I have been
j driven to burn the midnight lamp, until my health
lhas become much impaired. For this and the neglect
of my youthful training, I lay to the charge of the
American people; whose soil of the sunny South
my father and mother had to till and cultivate. This
jhas not been their condition alone, but it has been,
and still is, the condition of more than three millions
\of Africa!s sons and daughter sy that now live upon the
soil of the American continent. There are two posi¬
tions which the colored people occupy in this coun¬
try : First, as slaves, and Second, as nominal freemen,
I We ask. what is the condition of the slaves in a land
2
of whips and chains ? The apologistfor slavery says,
" that they are better off than the latter." We admit
that the condition of the latter is bad enough; but
not to be equalled with the suffering of the slaves,
for they are subjected to a condition below that of the
brute: denied of all that man holds dear to himself
upon earth. They dare not say that their souls are
their own, or speak in their own defence. Poor, help¬
less people ! Their manhood is crushed—their rights
are trampled in the dust—the female virtue is disre¬
garded—mothers and fathers have their children torn
away from their embraces—wives and husbands are
separated—brothers and sisters are parted, and yet
the apologist for slavery says, "that the slaves are bet¬
ter off than the free blacks of the north. This is not
true, for the slave is in every way deprived of his
God-given rights, which are life, liberty, a><d the pur¬
suit of happiness.
While the nominally free colored man of the north
has the right to speak, think, and act for himself, in
this respect his situation is widely different, yet he is
denied the right of suffrage in common with his white
fellow citizens. It is a fact that cannot be denied,
that the children, to a greater or lesser extent, inherit
the principles of their parents. We offer this as an
argument in the defence of the colored people of the
north, for they are the descendants of slave parents,,
to a greater or lesser extent, and their condition
would be vastly different if the right of suffrage was
to them extended. The Hon. Henry Clay, the genius
and pride of the American people, said in a late
speech, that the condition of the blacks of the north
was infinitely worse than that of the slaves in the
go^th. lie says when visiting the north, the blacks
&re excluded from the workshops, and the free blacksj
content themselves in performing menial labor, such]
3
as coachmen, waiters, cartmen, etc. This is true, and
why is it that they are excluded from the northern
mechanical workshops? I answer, because of Amer¬
ican prejudices. Hence, the colored freeman is com¬
pelled to take up with such employments as are
thrown in his way. And when we look for him,
where do we find him? Upon -the gallant ship,
amid the humming cords, or behind the striped pole,
and yet there is scarcely a depot in America upon
which the sun shines, but what receives the products
of the toil of the poor American slave. We also see
it in the delicate rice dish, and in the flowing bowl,
and no less so in the glowing silks that adorn the del¬
icate American females. In view of the above, the
enjoyments and independence of the American peo¬
ple on the one hand, and the condition of the colored
people upon the other hand, then let us ask, where
is the colored man that has a tongue, and dare not
speak out the sentiments of his soul? and where is
the hand that can use the pen, and refuses to do it ?
Let every colored man adopt the sentiment of the
noble patriot Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or
give me death."
y This narrative is written by one whose body and mind
have felt the blighting and withering effects of Sla¬
very, and who is anxious to do what he can for the
liberation of those of his race, who are still suffering
im bondage.
I It may be asked, why do you attempt to write up¬
on a subject upon which such floods of light are al¬
ready poured ? I answer—because I wi^h to ex-
pxess indelibly, mv opposition and hatred to Slavery,
a:nd to reveal some facts which have not yet been pre¬
sented to the public—and to reveal them in such a
farmer, that they may speak when I am dead.
Facts lie at the foundation of all true reasoning,, and
4
tho author contents himself with being able to pre¬
sent the foundation from which others may reason.
The reader will not look for finished style, nor for
strictly correct sentences, from one whose time for
mental improvement was spent in Slavery.
The author thinks the above a sufficient apology
for presenting his humble effort to the public, and
hopes that it may, in some measure, subserve the cause
of freedom.
NARRATIVE.
CHAPTER I,
I was born in the State of Maryland, Caroline Co.,
in the year 1807. As near as I can recollect, my
father and mother were both slaves. They had eight
children, three boys and five girls, who were all
slaves. My mother and her four younger children were
manumitted and set free when we were quite small,
(myself and three younger sisters.) My two elder
brothers and sisters were still held in bondage. My
brother Charles died in the year 1827. Though a
slave, thank God, he died a Freeman in Christ Jesus.
In his dying moments he called his mistress to his
bed-side, and told her that he was going to Heaven.
He then bid the world adieu, and expired, with a full
assurance of a blessed immortality. My father, elder
Mother, and two sisters, were left behind to endure
t^e ills of a cruel bondage. My two sisters, in con-
Pfection with all other female slaves in the South,
\ fere deprived of the protection of their virtue, which
is' disregarded and trampled in the dust by the amor¬
ous aspirant, who delights in seducing the character
of the helpless female. The elder of my two sisters
became a mother by the son of her own master. This
asj a matter of course created a very unpleasant state
of feeling in her master's family, for which plans
wjere soon devised for her removal to the far South.
Accordingly, she was sent some distance from the
house one evening, to milk, as is usually done in the
6
South; and while in the act of milking, several ruffians
who were concealed in the standing corn, jumped over
the fence, seized, gagged, and dragged her away, dis¬
regarding her shrieks or cries.
The next was my sister Yiolette, who was the fa¬
vorite of my youth. My affections were more strong*
ly drawn towards her than any one of the others of
my brothers or sisters. A month had scarcely passed
away before another nefarious scheme was plotted
for the purpose of reducing her to a more cruel state
of chattled slavery. I have never seen nor heard of
either of them since. This was in the year 1823, as
I have been informed since.
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform ;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev'ry hour;
l"he bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Shortly after this the judgments of God were brought
to bear upon that man and his family. His farrMof
five hundred acres of land, and all that he had, we)re
swept away, and that cruel son, who had caused * a
slave mother's heart to bleed, died a miserable deal h,
and his father was driven by famine with his sadqle-
bags to beg his bread from door to door, and at llast
died a vagrant. I now have a father and one brothj.er,
if living, who are still held in bondage.
7
CHAPTER II.
At tlie age of eight years, my mother bound me
out to learn the farming business, with a man by the
name of D. D n, who was the son of a Hieksite
Quaker preacher. He married in a Quaker family,
and settled in the upper part of the State of Delaware,
near the place called 3 sborn and James'Limestone
Quarries. I was to have six month's schooling, and
at the age of twenty-one, two suits of clothing. With
this understanding between him and my mother, I
was removed from the state of Maryland to his place
of residence, in the State of Delaware. After I had
been there some time, (as is usual for a child,) the
thoughts of my mother, my little brothers and sisters,
my native land, and childhood scenes, rushed upon
my mind. O ! I shall never forget that day, when
I stood as I thought with my face towards the land
of my birth, my bosom heaved with sighs of sor¬
row, my heart throbbed with violent ertiotions, and
the scalding tears coursed down my cheeks. My cry
was, O ! my mother! my mother!
My employment was to take care of the children,
and to perform such other duties as I was capable of
performing. As soon as I was large enough I was
p}at to the team and on the farm.
\ And now a new era in the history of my life com¬
menced. I was half fed, half clothed, and worked
lake and early. And now I began to realize the bit¬
terness and the cruel workings of American slavery,
in| a land of strangers, with no kind mother to care
for my wants, or to relieve my woes. His wife was
off the Quaker origin, she was a very kind and ten¬
der hearted woman ; but he was a demon in human
sliape. There were three servants in the family, my-
seflf, and another colored boy by the name of Irvin
8
Steel, and a white girl by the name of Sally Agin,
who on many occasions snared in sufferings with us.
I remember on one occasion, she got her feet badly
frosted, so much so, that she was unable to attend to
her usual employment. Poor girl! While in this
state of suffering, he took umbrage at her for some
trivial cause or other, and beat her unmercifully, from
which, she never recovered, but died shortly after¬
ward. Soon after this, his wife died also, leaving be¬
hind two children, a boy and girl. Poor woman !
she died heart-broken on account of his cruel treat¬
ment ; for he was cruel, both to man and brute. Now
a sad change took place in the affairs. The farm
was rented out. My fellow-servant's time, was sold
to a man by the name of John Irvin, who lived on
a place near Stanton, in the State of Delaware, called
Bread and Cheese Island j he was said to be a very
kind man. I remained on the farm, (with the man
who rented it,) for the term of one year. At the ex¬
piration of which, it was rented to another man by
the name of John Wiser, who was a noted character,
for horse racing and trading. He drank very freely!,
and was away a great deal from home, spending his
time at taverns. He also, was a very cruel man ; ancl
used to beat me shamefully, when he would indulge
in his drunken sprees! He used to make me
desecrate the sabbath's by grazing the horses in the
locks of the fences. I remember on one sabbath, hie
came home, and sent me to the stable with the horse,
and while I was there, he came, and for no causle
whatever, he seized a large white oak club, and conji.-
menced beating me unmercifully, and I believe, woul i
have killed me, had I not have got out of his reach.
He used to call himself a great bully, and was very
annoying to his neighbors. I remember one day, hie
went to Wilmington, Delaware, and while there h!a
9
became very much, intoxicated, and on his return
home, lie fell in company with a man against whom
he had an old grudge ; an altercation ensued between
them, in which he was severely beaten, which curb¬
ed his quarrelsome disposition, for some time after.
CHAPTER III.
At the expiration of the year the farm underwent
another change, and I was put to live with a man by
the name of James Covington, who lived a mile ancl
a half distance from my former place of residence.
He and his wife were of poor origin, and lived very
disagreeably together. This as a matter of course,
increased my sufferings, for both of them were very
unkind to me, and he was a man that drank very
freely. He used to follow the lime-burning busi¬
ness; and one day while at the lime-kiln, a colored
man was passing by, when he accosted him, and soon
discovered that he was a fugitive. He now set to
work to devise a plan for his detection. He (the
said Covington) said he wanted to hire a man, and
immediately entered into arrangements, for so much,
per month, to husk corn. I was absent, at the quar¬
ries with the team, for a load of stone, and was not
aware of what was going on. Poor fellow, it was but
a' trap set to ensnare him. Upon my returning home
in the evening, to my surprise, I saw a colored man
in the lot husking corn. I had no opportunity of
learning from him the facts of the case, but on my go-
iifg to bed in the evening, the wife of said Covington
t61d me not to sleep in the same room with that man,
for they intended to take him away that night. This
alarmed me very much. Accordingly, early in the
10
morning, the said Covington, with, a band of ruffians,
all mounted upon horses, took the poor fellow in
confinement, and started off for the purpose of con¬
veying him back to his owners. I learned after¬
wards, upon their arrival, that his master seized a
large bludgeon and split his skull open, and then
placed him in the smoke house in confinement.
During my stay in that wretched family, my mise¬
ries and sufferings were augmented. Mrs. Coving¬
ton sent me one day to the spring for water; and
upon my return, for some trivial cause unknown to
me, she seized the butt end of an old whip stock, and
struck me over the head, which caused the blood to
flow profusely. At this moment I threw off all re¬
straint, and a serious altercation ensued. I then
made up my mind to remain no longer, but to return
home to my old master.
On my arrival at his place, my old master was ab¬
sent ; and upon his return in the evening, I related
to him, what had occurred between Mrs. Covington^
and myself; and told him that I could not live with
such people; but he made little or no reply, and thati
was just what I expected. This was on a Saturday
night, and the next morning, to my surprise, whq
should I discover coming across the field, but Cov-.'
ington. He came up, and he and my old master had.
some private conversation together. He then said to
me, come, you must go home with me! and I refused
to go; he then laid hold of me, and we had quite b
struggle; however, he succeeded in getting the bette r
of me, and I was compelled to submit.
Shortly after, my old master married, and I wa?1.
taken back again on the farm. He married in a very
respectable family by the name of H. M., (formerly
residents of Bucks Co., Pa.) who are residents of theji
state of Delaware, and were members of the Churclii
11
of England. His wife was a very fine woman, but
his treatment towards her was similar to that of his
first wife's. About this time he was expelled from
the Society of Friends, on account of bad conduct.
I was now between the age of 16 and 17 years, and
had determined to run away, as I did not feel
willing to endure the cruelties and hardships of a
chattled slavery any longer. But no favorable op¬
portunity had, as yet, presented itself; and one day,
while at work in the lime stone quarries, he took
umbrage at one of the team horses, (for he was a very
passionate and hasty man,) he seized a bludgeon
about seven feet long, and knocked the shaft horse
in the head. This was on a Thursday afternoon,
and about the same hour on the following Thursday
he was at work near the same spot, when the whole
bank caved in upon him, and broke his leg. He was
then conveyed home, and the Doctor sent for. I
now thought that this was my time to escape. Ac¬
cordingly, on the following Saturday morning, I got
u|J) quite early, gathered my clothes together, and tied
them up in a bundle, and started off in search of a
laijid of freedom. Just as I left the yard, going
towards the woods, his wife's sister came out at the
garden door. I kept my bundle concealed, in front
oft me, thinking that she would suppose that I was
go/ne for oven wood; as that was my usual employ¬
ment on Saturday morning. But not returning with-
inT^he usual time, they supposed that all was not
riglit, and immediately went in pursuit of my clothes,
an<i not finding them, they concluded that I had ran
away.
12
CHAPTER IV.
I arrived at Wilmington, Delaware, about eleven
o'clock, a distance of some ten miles on my journey.
In passing up tlie street towards the main street that
led out to Brandywine, I spied the man that lived
next neighbor to my old boss. He was there for the
purpose of attending market: however he did not
happen to see me; and I soon turned the corner and
took another street, and went on. Just as I got to
the bridge, leading over the Brandywine creek, I met
a colored woman, and enquired of her, if that was the
straight road to Philadelphia, and she asked me if I
was going there, when I told her I was. She then
asked me if I was not a runaway. I said no, I had
a mother there and I was going to see her. She then
told me that I had better not go on foot, that if I did,
I would be taken up ; and that I had better go by
water, and that there was a man, by the name . q>f
Capt. Jackes, that was going to sail for Philadelphia
that afternoon; and that he would take me, for He
was a very fine man. I took her to be a friend; anjd
with the advice she had given me, I started off In
search .of Capt. Jackes, and his vessel. I went into
a mill to enquire, where there were two men loadinW
a vessel. I asked them if that was Capt. Jackes' ves¬
sel ; they stopped and looked at me. I soon begqin
to think that I was in the wrong pew; and one of
them asked me where I was from, and I told him I
was from the country. He asked me where I was go¬
ing. I told him I was going to Philadelphia, to slee
my mother. He then wanted to know with whomi I
had lived. I told him that I had lived with a man l>yr
the name of Dorsey, in the suburbs of WilmingtonJ
He said that I was a runaway; I told him I was not J.
13
He then said that lie would see about it; and then
commenced putting on his shoes, and told me to stay
until he should return. I soon began to think that
this state of things would not do for me, and as soon
as he was gone, whipped out lrom the mill, and ran
down the bank, and seeing a vessel which I suppos¬
ed was Capt. Jackes's, I made an attempt to jump
on board, but losing my balance, I fell into the creek,
and came near being drowned. I scrabbled and suc¬
ceeded in getting hold of the rigging of a vessel, and
thus I saved myself from a watery grave. Reader,
you may judge, what must have been my present state
of feelings. Before me was the boon of Freedom,
and behind me was the demon of American Slavery
braying upon my track. I hastened into another
mill, and inquired of a gentleman, for Capt. Jackes.
He pointed him out to me, whom I approached, and
asked him if he was going to Philadelphia that after¬
noon ? He said he was. I told him I had a mother
there, whom I wanted to see, and asked him, would
he take me; he said he would. I then went over
the creek with him to his place of residence, and
spent the afternoon. In the evening I went aboard
of the vessel, and went to bed, being weary and fa¬
tigued, soon fell asleep, and knew nothing more until
the morning, when I found myself upon the broad
waters of the Delaware. This was a source of grati¬
fication and astonishment to me, I now felt that I
Was beyond the reach of my pursuers. I was highly
delighted in viewing the scenes, such as I had never
seen before. The gallant vessel moved onward to
lier place of destination, bearing upon her decks a
panting fugitive, sighing for liberty.
T Just as the sun was setting, we hove in sight of
tfLG city of Philadelphia, but were detained several
tyrars, (owing to a calm.) I retired to bed, and in
14
the morning came on deck, and found tlie vessel
lying alongside the dock. I stood gazing, my mind
being filled with wonder and astonishment. Partly
bewildered at beholding the strange scenes, and lis¬
tening to the buz of a crowded city. The drays were
dashing along the wharves, and the masts of the gal¬
lant ships, to me, looked like a forest. However, I
soon felt a peculiar anxiety to go ashore, to satisfy
my mind in observing the curiosities of a large me¬
tropolis. Thus amusing myself for the day, I return¬
ed in the evening to the vessel again. The following
morning I again went ashore, in pursuit of employ¬
ment, and fell in company with several boys, with
whom I spent the forenoon, until it was finally agreed
that we should go in search of something to eat. I
asked the boy who made the proposal, " "Where are
you going to get it ?" The reply was, " Never mind,
come and go with me." In going up into the city,
we went into an alley called Black Horse Alley.
The said boy went up to a door and rang the bell,
when a lady answered the call. The boy pulled off
his hat, made a polite bow, and assuming a most piti¬
ful face, said, " Please ma'am, give me some cold vic¬
tuals ?" She went away, and soon returned with a
dish full; all of which he received in his hat, to share
among his comrades. And I in turning from the
door, in casting my eye upward, I spied a sign, with
a horse upon it; the thought at once occurred to
me, that perhaps I might get employment there.
And upon my arrival at the door, I saw a gentleman,
whom I asked if he wanted to hire a boy ? He saicj
that he did not, but asked me if I was not a runa^i
way. I told him no, but that I had a mother here
somewhere, and I wanted a situation, until sucW
time that I could find her. He then asked me wherci
I was from, when I told him that I was from thcr
15
country; and as I turned away from tlie door, lie
called his mother and said here is a boy, do yon
want to hire one ? She answered 1 no,' and on coming
to the door, asked me what my name was ? I told
her it was Joseph Hutchinson. " And what can you
do?" asked the lady. I told her that I could take
care of horses, act as waiter, &c. " What wages do
you ask?" I answered two dollars per month, when
she said, " I guess I'll take you." At this moment
my heart leaped for joy, with the prospects of a home,
and of making money.
CHAPTER y.
I entered upon the duties of my new home with
renewed vigor and cheerfulness, and was yery active
for the purpose of making money. One day while
there, a gentleman gave me a twenty-five cent piece,
and I thought that I was rich, but it did not seem
bulky enough for me, so I went to the hostler, and
aslied him to change it for me, for which he gave
twenty-five coppers. 0 ! I thought that I was now
rich, to be sure ; and that I must now have something
to carry my money in, so away I went and bought
me a Buckskin money purse. By this time the
family had become quite attached to me; and took
quite an interest in my welfare. The week rolled
away pleasantly, and the sabbath came on. The land"
lady told me to sweep up the yard &c.; and while I
was sweeping, the bells began to ring. I dropped
the broom, and away I went, to see if I could see
them, and after spending some time in looking upon
the church-going crowd, I returned again to my em1
ployment without seeing them4
16
Never shall I forget that morning. It will be &
period in the history of my life. I had returned but
a short time, when I was called by the landlady to
do an errand at the shop, to procure two eggs to make
a pudding for dinner. On doing my errand, just as
I stepped out of the shop door I spied the gang of
boys, whose company I had abandoned a few days
previous. I hailed them, for the purpose of relating
my success &c. as boys usually do. Just at that mo¬
ment I heard a voice calling me by my right name.
This startled me. I turned around suddenly and
who should I see on the opposite side of the street,
but a man by the name of Joshua Wiser, a brother to
the man that had lived upon my old master's farm.
He was a carpenter by trade, and was then a resident
of the city of Philadelphia. He was sitting at the
window of a tavern, called Bulls-head, He got up
and came to the door, and called me to him. 1 went,
and upon my entering the bar-room, all eyes were
upon me ; he asked me what I was doing there, and
what caused me to run-away. I told him that I was
not a run-away, and neither was my name Lev. as
they used to call me in the country. Neither had I
any master, I felt a disposition to conceal the truth
under all existing circumstances. He told me I need
not deny the truth, for he knew me; just at that mo¬
ment I heard the landlord say," we had better secure
him." And at that suggestion, I gave a hawk, as
though I wanted to spit, and stepped towards the door.
I made one leap, and a dead foot race endued, with
eggs in hand. I made down towards Chestnut street
intending to make for my home. His, (Wiser's) hat
fell off, he not stopping to pick it up, pursued close
after me, and the cry was, "stop thief, stop thief."
Having missed my longitude, I partly halted to b<*-
•think my way, and as I wheeled, I shot him in the
17
face with one of the eggs. By this time I was sur¬
rounded by a crowd, and I looked to see if there was
any one who had come to my rescue. I saw none
but a few helpless colored females, and their forces
were too weak. I was taken back to the tavern, and
placed in -a room above stairs. At this crisis, my
feelings of agony were intense. I thought my heart
would break. They offered me brandy to assuage
my grief. They next offered me some dinner; truly
it was a delicious dish, which I was not in the habit
of seeing, much less eating. It was cold slaugh,
roast beef, and sweet potatoes. My appetite had
left me, and my mind was fraught with grief.
About two o'clock, the said Wiser, in company
with another very large man, entered my room, each
of them about six feet high. My agony increased.
Not yet understanding where my destiny would be,
though my thoughts were, that it would be nothing
short of Georgia. He told me that I must now come,
and go with them. I immediately went down stairs,
and upon reaching the door, I saw a horse and gig-
in readiness for me. I was seated, one upon each
side of me, (with pistols in hand,) and we started off,
I not knowing where they were going to carry me.
However as they proceeded out of the city, I looked
ahead and saw a woods, and thought when I got there,
I would make another attempt for my freedom ; but
to my surprise before they got there, they drove up
to a large building, and alighted. The big iron bolts
and locks, were thrown back for my reception, and I
■#as conducted to a cell, and the iron locks and bolts
^rere turned upon me. In the centre of the floor of
my cell, was a large iron ring bolt, and one small
window, grated with iron bars, in which lay an old
tyopy of the New Testament. In one corner lay one
or two old woolen blankets out of which Imade a bed,
18
and laid myself down to sleep. I was awakened by
a knocking at tlie door of my cell; and I arose and
saw a gentleman standing in front of tlie iron gate.
He called to me and asked, " What I was doing
there ?" I was now willing for the first time to con¬
fess the truth. I told him I was there for the cause
of running away. After interrogating me, he left.
In this situation, I remained for nearly a week. My
allowance, once in twenty-four hours, was a half
pound of rye bread, and a quart of cold water. With
this treatment I was taken sick, and the family phy¬
sician was sent to visit me in my cell; during which
time many of the prisoners were released.
At times when I would hear the roll called
for dismission, 0! how I would wish that it was
my case : however on the following Friday I was call¬
ed for; for a moment joy and gladness sprung up,
and the next moment my mind was changed to sad¬
ness, not knowing what the result would "be: however,
upon leaving my cell, I spied a crowd of gentlemen
in the hall, one of whom was the man (by the name
of John Shipley,) who lived on the farm with my old
boss. He asked me if I would go home with him
without putting him to any trouble, as he had been
sent for me, to which I readily replied, I would. I
was then taken before a magistrate, where I had a
summary hearing; he had brought my indentures
with him which the magistrate examined, and pro¬
nounced incorrect, but said nevertheless I would
have to go home. If I had had then a counsellor
my case would have been righted. We th^n
started off, to return to the land of whips aild
chains, where we arrived about seven o'clock in
the evening. Upon my arrival, I was sent for
to make my appearance in the room of n^y
old master who was still confined to his bed; wherf I
19
approached liim "He said, well sir, you have got
back have you?" I told him I had. "What did
you runaway for sir?" because I wanted to be free.
"Well sir, I will attend to you when I get up." I
thought to myself if you do you will have to be
smarter than I am. The time seemed to roll away
for a few days pleasantly; as I felt that I was now my
own master, for the time being; but this state of things
did not last long, before the clouds of darkness again
covered my horizon. For as soon as he was able to
hobble about upon his crutches, and ride upon horse¬
back, he had determined to put me into his pocket.
He went from home one day, (I being ignorant of his
intention) to an old colored woman called Elcy Wil¬
liams, who lived at a place called " Hare's Corner,"
near Christina, Delaware. This old woman lived
upon the road side and sold beer and cakes. He had
made arrangements with her, as I was subsequently
informed, and had sold me to a man in the city of
Baltimore, Md., by the name ofWoodfork, a noto¬
rious Negro-trader. I was sent to the said Elcy Wil¬
liams, whose house was to be the trap for me. Dur¬
ing the day, she was to secrete me in the woods, and
at night I was to be concealed in the house until such
time as he should come and take me away. The ob¬
ject of my being secreted, was to prevent my being
seen by the adjoining neighbors, who should per¬
chance pass by that way to Court. About this time,
he had become very much reduced in circumstances;
Ms farm, and all that he owned was in a few days to
plass out of his possession, by a public vendue. The
liw of the State of Delaware, was at that time, that
adl colored people, whether slaves or apprentices, fared
alike ; apprentices at the age of 16 or 17, becoming
dissatisfied with one master, had a right to choose
Another. In a day or two after, he had plotted his
20
nefarious scheme for my destruction—lie sent me to
the mill, and also to do an errand at a place called
Stanton, where his first wife's relatives resided, and
to see his two children who were then living with an
aunt of theirs, by the name of Molly Pierce ; she was
an excellent woman, it was from her I learnt of what
was going on.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for' his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
Mrs. Pierce being fully apprised of the danger to
which I was exposed, persuaded me not to return
home, but to hasten my escape. I told her no, that
the animal I had was blind and could not find its
way back. Upon my return home I went to the sta¬
ble, and while there, the moon shone with magnifi¬
cent splendor ; I looked and saw him upon his crutch,
es, advancing towards me; and when he approached
me, he commenced detailing what he wanted me to do,
not being aware that I had on that afternoon learned
the whole secret. He commenced by saying, "Thee
knows that to-morrow is my vendue, and thy time
will be sold ?—thee knows that James Covington and
James Holingsworth, both wants thee, and I have de¬
termined that they shall not have thee, because they
will not treat thee well: but there is a man in Balti¬
more that wants thee for a waiter? (at that sugges¬
tion my mind began to waver; the idea of living
in a city, was very desirable to me,) and I want thee
to get up to morrow morning early, and go down t.o
Elcy Williams; thee knows where she lives; and she
will take thee. I don't want thee to stay about the
house in the daytime, but stay in the woods, and m
the evening thee can come up to the house, because
21
if thee stays about in the day time, some of the neigh¬
bors will see thee ; for they will be passing that way
to court; and I will come down to night or to-mor¬
row night upon old Lock, and slip thee off." Upon
this understanding, I went to the house and went to
bed, not letting him know but what I would do as
he had requested. But I did not awake in the morn¬
ing, until he called me ; the sun was now up, and it
was too late for me to go to Elcy Williams, for I
should have been discovered by the neighbors, and
he said, " now if thee will go down here to Jinny
Grub's huckleberry swamp, and lay there till even¬
ing, and then get up, and go on, for it is very plea¬
sant moonlight nights, and if thee will do as I tell
thee, I will give thee my gold watch, and the price
of thy freedom clothes." Upon this he started up
stairs to get his watch, but soon returned, saying that
he could not find it; but that he would look it up and
bring it with him. I started off, and went on till I
passed by the swamp, and arrived to a high hill, call¬
ed Quaker Hill; here the roads forked. I stopped
with my arms folded, to determine which of these
roads to take. The road to the right, would have-
placed me in hopeless bondage, while the road to the
left beyond the reach of the dark demon of Ameri¬
can Slavery—beyond' the land of whips and chains and
blood-thirsty slave holders. I finally determined
to pursue the road to the left. In passing by the
house where said "Wiser lived, (he being from home,)
his wife who was standing on the piazza, hailed
and told me to hasten my escape.
This gave me to believe that she was fully appris¬
ed of the circumstances surrounding my case, and
upon my arrival at Stanton, where I had been the
previous evening, I called upon Mrs. Pierce, and she
tol^l me that I had better hasten on, (with a letter of
22
introduction, she had procured from Squire Craig,)
to Judge Richardson who lived upon Quaker Hill,
back of Wilmington, Del., where I arrived about
twelve o'clock. The Judge was not at home, and I
presented the letter to his lady, and upon his return
the letter was presented to him, which he read, and
wrote me another letter of introduction, to several
other gentlemen in Wilmington, by the names of
Ziby Ferris, Joseph Bringas, Joseph Grubbs, and
others. They were all members of the Society of
Friends, and were thorough abolitionists. The in¬
formation was soon communicated from one to the
other, and in the evening they held a meeting of con¬
sultation, at the shop of Mr. Ferris, where I was call¬
ed upon to narrate the whole circumstance; after
which, they told me I was not to leave the city, un¬
til they had taken action upon my case. They then
sent for my own master to meet them in Stanton, and
to appear before Squire Craig, which he refused to do.
They made another appointment, and sent an offi¬
cer for him summoning him to appear before the
civil authorities. He made his appearance, and was
then compelled to relinquish all further claims to my
services. The above named gentlemen interfered in
my behalf and restored to me my rights according to
the laws of the State of Delaware. It was then agreed
upon that I should have the right of choosing a mas¬
ter for myself, with whom I was to serve the remain¬
der of my term, which was four years.
I next went to live with a man by the name of M^r.
H. Mitchell, in whose family my old master had mar¬
ried his second wife. Mrs. Mitchell was a very fine,
kind-hearted woman. They fed and clothed well,
and were very strict and precise in their manners, but
very striving and industrious in their habits. To
them I am indebted for my religious training: foi? it
23
was while there, that I felt the first impressions of
the need of a Saviour. It was also while with this
family, that I received six months schooling.
This is the only advantage that I have ever had of
an early education. About this time I had a great
zest for learning. On the afternoon of the last day
of my going to school, while gathering up my books,
the Teacher manifested a degree of sorrow, and said
that he was very loth to part with me, (I being the
only colored boy in the school.) I made rapid pro¬
gress, and took great delight in reading and writing.
Mr. Mitchell, was very strict with my youthful train¬
ing, and used to make me read to him one or more
chapters in the Bible every Sabbath evening. He
also used to have prayers in the family, morning and
evening. Thus the four years passed away far more
agreeab]y and pleasantly than the previous nine years.
At the expiration of which, I demanded my free pa¬
pers, feeling that I was now a Freeman".
chapter vi.
And now a new era" commenced in the history of
my life. I soon, subsequently left that section of
country, and went to live in the city of "Wilmington,
Delaware, with Mr. Bringas, a Druggist; he was one
of the gentlemen who had previously taken an active
part in my liberation. With him I lived some eight
months or more; during which time my religious
impressions increased, and I availed myself of every
opportunity of going to Church.
The many promises that I had made in the earlier
part of my life, often occurred to my mind—one of
which was, that if I ever lived to be a man, I would
24
serve the Lord. I used to think, when I read that part
of the Scriptures which says, " That a man cannot
serve two masters," I so understood it, that it meant
earthly and divine, and on going to Church one Sun¬
day afternoon, the weather being very pleasant, I
stood without the door, listening to the discourse of
the Minister, who in the course of his remarks upon
the General Judgment, quoted the language of Dr.
Watts, which was as follows :
" Look back ray soul, look back and wonder!
And see the wicked left behind."
At that moment, my soul became enraptured, and
I exclaimed, 0 ! I won't be left behind! and became
insensible ; on my recovery, I found myself in the
sanctuary, amidst the congregation, who were shout¬
ing the high praises of God. From that hour I re¬
solved never to stop until I had found the Saviour to
be precious to my soul. Shortly after this, I left Wil¬
mington for Philadelphia, where I arrived upon the
first Sabbath in August, 1829. Being a stranger, I
stopped with a family by the name of Jones, for a
few days. After which, I boarded with a family by
the name of Herrington, who at that time belonged
to the Brick Wesley Church, located in Lombard
Street, where I statedly attended religious service ;
not having as yet experienced pardon of my sins. I
left the city and went to Princeton to reside in a
Boarding School. There I was taken sick, and soon
left. I then journeyed to Trenton, N". J., where I staid
the remainder of the winter and engaged in teaching
a night school. While there, I joined the churchy in
1830, under the pastoral charge of the Rev. John
Boggs, that sainted father, who has long since ljiid
aside his trumpet in Zion, and has gone home to
25
reap his reward. For more than twenty years have
I been a member of the A. M. E. Church—around
which, my early affections were thrown, and for its
prosperity I have traveled, labored, and endured
many privations. My mother before me, sheltered,
and fed many of the Fathers, who first entered the
field, and cut down the forest, to lay broad its foun¬
dation, upon which 1 have always desired to live and
die ; but by oppression, and cruel treatment, I have
been driven from within its pales. Nevertheless I
love the connection, and shall always pray for its pros¬
perity ; because in it I have a great many friends,
both Ministers and Laymen, and perhaps a few in
whose salvation I have been the humble instrument
in the hands of Jesus, of winning over to the king¬
dom of Grace and Glory.
In the spring of 1881, I left Trenton, New Jersey,
for the city of Philadelphia, where for the first time I
heard of my mother, whom I had thought was dead,
Eighteen years having elapsed since I had either seen
or heard of her: this as a matter of course, afforded
me unspeakable joy. I immediately sat down and
addressed her with a letter. The following is a copy
of her letter in reply :
Carolina Co. Feb. 3d, 1832.
My Dear Son,
I received your letter on the first day of Feb¬
ruary, and am very glad to find that you have not
forgotten me, and that you think enough of me to
write, my dearly beloved son, and I hope that you
will continue to do so. I feel very thankful to you,
for paying the postage of the letter for me.
My dear Son, I want you to send me something to
remember you by. And if you do, send it by Perry
Downs, when he comes down, if you please, You.
26
say that yon are afraid to come—I dont think there
will be any danger in your coming now, yet I would
be very glad to see you, if you would come down
this spring with Perry Downs.
However you can act your pleasure. I some¬
times think that I never shall see you again. I feel
in hope that I shall; but if I never do, I hope I shall
meet you in heaven. There is not a day that I bow
before my Maker, but what I bear you up in my pe¬
tition, that you may hold faithful, till you reach hea¬
ven. You wrote me that brother William Ptichard-
son is dead; (who was one of the Fathers, who first
entered the field, cut down the forest, to lay the foun¬
dation of the A. M. E. Church, in the State of Mary¬
land.) I am very sorry for him but the Lord's will be
done. I saw your brother about three weeks ago;
he was well—I think if he holds out faithful, he will
get to heaven. For every time he comes to see me,
he sings and prays with me, and for me.
The following is a verse or two of the hymn he
usually sang:
And must I be to judgment brought,
And answer in that day,
For every vain and idle thought,
And every word I say.
Yes every secret of my heart,
Shall shortly be made known,
ind I receive my just deserts
For all that I have done.
"We are all well—I want you to write to me soon.
Dont let this be the last. Whenever you write pay
the postage, as it is difficult for me to get money to
pay it. You must write me, if you are married.
Adieu, my dear son, and God bless you, are the pray¬
ers of Your affectionate Mother, t
SIDNEY ROTT^'B.
27
My religions impressions had not left me, but had
greatly increased. About this time I tied the nup¬
tial knot with Miss Isabella Lee ; she was of a very
respectable family. She lived but five weeks and one
day, after our celebrating the nupital feast. She
was the object of my earthly regard. The ruthless
hand of Death, disregarding my affections, soon
snatched her from my embraces—severing the tender
chord of our affections. I now felt that I was bereav¬
ed of all that I held sacred and dear to me upon
earth. She had previously made no profession to re¬
ligion, but it pleased the Lord to impart unto her the
pardon of her sins, in view of which she sank in the
arms of death, with peaceful smiles upon her brow,
bidding the world adieu. Some few weeks after
her death, I broke up housekeeping, and went to
board. With the loss of my dear companion, and the
conviction of sin, I was weighed down with sorrow
like a cart beneath its shafts. On my way to class,
on a Monday evening, I called to see the family who
still resided where I removed from, in Elizabeth
street, Philadelphia. That family was very pious;
the old ladyand her daughter were devoted Christians;
they were members of the same church and class
with myself. While sitting with them conversing
upon the subject of religion, I for the first time in
my life, secured the evidence of my acceptance with
the Saviour. 0 ! that was the happiest hour that I
have ever experienced in all the days of my life;
from that day until this, I have been striving for the
kingdom. I felt I was a sinner saved by Grace.
APPENDIX
Of several Letters, written during my association with
the A. M. E. Church upon various subjects touching
the social and religious elevation of the Colored People,
for whose welfare I have always felt a deep interest
To the Editor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Magazine.
Philadelphia, Feb. 4, 184-1.
Rev. Geo. Hogarth,
Dear Sir—In looking over the tenth number of
your valuable Magazine, I tliere find communica¬
tions of our beloved brethren, from various parts of
our wide spreading connection, touching various sub¬
jects, with which I am highly gratified, under page
256 of the last number; also under page 211, that
brother D. A. Payne in giving his views in relation
to the subject of inspiration, has met with a warm,
candid, and scriptural opposition by the Eev. Wil¬
liam Moore and Charles Burch. Though I believe
brother Payne's motives are for the general good of
the present ministry, his post of labor in this city has
been of deep interest to some, while it has been op¬
posed by others. Some for the truth of his assertions
are searching the Scriptures to know whether the re¬
marks made by him in proof of his doctrines ad¬
vanced, are scriptural, and also enquiring what did
our Lord mean when he told his disciples that it was
expedient for them that he should go away, and if
he went not away the comforter would not come.
Also in John 14: 26, "But the comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to
29
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
In this text we see and have reason to believe that
inspiration means an infusing of supernatural ideas.
If this is not the spirit by which men are influ¬
enced, I am somewhat at a stand to know. I would
ask, is it revelation, or by what spirit is it ? "We find
that revelation is a communication of sacred truths, by
a teacher from heaven; and this was given to John
on the island of Patmos. Now I wish that some good
brother would reconcile those two great points, and
let the Church know, so that she maybe able to steer
a correct course. Eomans 8: 1, 26, 27; Gal. 4: 6,
" And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the
spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba Fa¬
ther." Ephesians 1: 9, 10, and 14. " Which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Mark 16 : 20, " And they went forth and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them, and con¬
firming the word with signs following. Amen."
Thus it becomes us who are laborers in the vineyard
of the Lord; unto whom precious souls are looking
for instructions to thoroughly understand such impor¬
tant points of doctrine. And, in conclusion, I would
say that it is by the influence and light of the Holy
Comforter, who was promised to the apostles, that the
present ministry is assisted in carrying the sacred
truths of the Gospel, to the hearts of poor, guilty of¬
fending sinners.
Yours for an enlightened ministry,
Levin Tilmoit.
Prom the African Methodist Episcopal Church Magazine.
A* SERMON. ,
II. Corinth, iv. 17.—For our light affliction, which is but for a moment
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. * * *,
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
hare a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the ha¬
vens ; ***** and for me to live is Christ; and to die is gain.
If there were neither punishment nor torment af¬
ter this life to be feared, the wicked and unbelievers
who prosper in the world might esteem themselves
the happiest of men ; and if there were neither glory
nor rewards to be expected after death, the righteous
and the faithful, who drink cups fall of bitterness and
sorrow here below, would be miserable. But if we
search and examine the sacred records we shall find
more difference between heaven and earth, between
light and darkness; and if we look at the ultimate
fate of the wicked and unbelievers, we shall find that
death deprives them not only of their honors, riches,
treasures and carnal enjoyments in this life, but are
become forever lost in a vast sea of bitterness and sor¬
row. If death relieves their bodies from temporary
afflictions, under which all the children of Adam are
more or less circumstanced, yet it casts their souls into
eternal torments of spiritual wretchedness. To the
virtuous and believing Christian, death is a great
friend, it delivers them from>many evils and miseries
in this life, and opens to them the gate that leads to
endless glory and happiness. Our Saviour endeavor¬
ed to persuade us of this truth in that remarkable
parable of the 15th chapter of St. Luke. On one
hand he shows a rich miser clothed in purple and
fine linen, feeding upon dainties and living in splen¬
dor, and on the other hand he discovers to us a poor
man covered with sores, lying at the rich man's gate,
31
entreating that lie might share with the dogs in the
crumbs that fell from his table, but without success.
At length the poor man died and was carried by An¬
gels into Abraham's bosom. O, wonderful change!
he that lately was scarce good enough for the compa¬
ny of dogs is now in the bosom of Abraham, where
he can enjoy himself in angels embraces, and is fed
with the bread of the living God. The rich man
died also, but whilst his body was laid in the earth
with great honor, the devils dragged his soul into hell
and cast it into a fire that burns continually—a fire
that nothing is able to extinguish. The poor man
that was a beggar at his gate, is now required to dip
the tip of his finger in water and cool the gentleman's
tongue while suffering the vengeance of heaven in
burning torments. St. Paul informs us that as many
have sinned without law shall perish without law,
but they that profess to know the law shall be judged
by the law. Such as have already heard the thun¬
ders of Mount Sinai and will not humble themselves,
shall one day feel the thunderbolts of majestic wrath,
which will cause them to know, by dreadful experi¬
ence, what it is to rebel against God. They will
draw down upon their guilty heads the terrible curses
of his law, for cursed be he that confirmeth not all
the words of this law to do them. There are no
people in the world who have cause to expect a more
rigorous sentence and dreadful punishment, than
wicked Christians. Those who profess to know God
and believe in Jesus Christ, yet deny him by their
works and trample under foot the riches of his grace!
can such imagine that after having had the gospel
preached to them, and seen Jesus Christ crucified as
it were, before their eyes, and yet have profited
nothing thereby, expect to be ultimately happy?
Surely not. I here sincerely advise those, who with
32
so much ease, often arrange many essential passages
of Scriptures, in order to bend tliem to suit their pur¬
poses, to beware and desist, lest they be fouud fight¬
ing against God: for cursed be he that shall add or
diminish aught to or from the sacred Scriptures. . A
passage in Luke, 12th ch. 47—48, deserves particular
consideration. Here that servant which knows his
Lord's will, and prepared not himself, nor did accord¬
ing to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but
he that knows not and did commit things worthy of
stripes, shall be beaten with few; for unto whomso¬
ever much is given, of him shall much be required,
and to whom men have committed much, of him
they will ask the more. Some from this text con¬
clude that if they keep themselves ignorant of the
will of their Maker, or of his command, and live a
mere moral life, that their stripes will be so few that
their punishment will be but trifling, and that it will
be immaterial whether they get to heaven or not.
This negligent disposition in man is exemplified by
thousands in our day. They live as if they thought
there was no benefit to be derived by living a reli¬
gious life. Our Saviour was directing his discourse to
his ministers in the passage of Scripture we have just
noticed, urging them to pay attention to their charge,
and if they did not they should be beaten with many
stripes. I think he meant that they should experi¬
ence a smitten countenance in this life, according to
the talent given. He that is faithful to improve his-
talent., whether great or small, shall have a full re¬
ward in the other world. We read farther, that he
who breaks one of the least of the commandments,
shall be guilty of the whole. "We must infer from
this text that the punishment will be for the violation
of the whole of the commandments. Some also in¬
quire, whether in paradise there shall be an equality
S3
or inequality of glory and happiness ? This question
is more curious than necessary; for without puz¬
zling our heads whether they shall be any more or
less happy than ourselves, it is sufficient for our com¬
fort to know, that if we truly believe, and are peni¬
tent, if we fear God as we ought, and serve Him re¬
ligiously to the end of our lives, we shall certainly
attain to the glory of the children of God, and pos¬
sess with them a perfect and eternal happiness. Some
believe that in paradise there shall be but one glory
and happiness, which shall be equal and uniform in
all believers, and that as our Divine Saviour hath pur¬
chased this glory and happiness for all the elect
equally, so they shall all enjoy it in the highest de¬
gree of perfection. Secondly, our Saviour saith ex¬
pressly, without any exceptions, that the righteous
shall shine forth, as the sun, in the kingdom of their
Father. Thirdly, Jesus Christ represents to us the
transactions that shall take place at the end of the
world, by the parable of a house-holder who went out
early in the morning to hire laborers into his vine¬
yard, who, when even was come, gave the same hire
unto every one that labored in his vineyard, though
some of them had labored but one hour; some com¬
plained, and he said unto them, is it not lawful for
me to do what I will with mine own; is thine eye
evil because I am good ? So the last shall be first
and the first last, for many be called, but few chosen.
—Matt. 20th ch. Others think, on the contrary, that
in heaven there shall be an inequality of glory and
divers degrees of happiness. Thus they chiefly rest
their faith upon that passage of the Holy Scripture
which we find in John 14 ch. 2 v., where Christ said
to his apostles, in my Father's house are many man¬
sions. He doth not say or add, that some of them
are richer and more glorious than others, but only,
34
" in my Father's house are many mansions." Now
. those who cannot reconcile themselves with the be¬
lief of an equality of glory and happiness, because
they think they are entitled to something more than
common, let such be careful, lest they should seem
to envy poor Lazarus, who is now in Abraham's bos¬
om. As for my part, I shall think myself sufficiently
happy, if I am admitted to be his companion in para¬
dise. Some inquire whether the souls of the right¬
eous, when they leave this earthly tabernacle, doth
ascend into heaven as soon as it hath left the body.
According to what our Saviour promised to the cru¬
cified thief, it will enter into a blissful state: " Yer-
ily I say unto thee, this day thou shalt be with me in
Paradise." Luke 28 ch. Our blessed Saviour en¬
tered into heaven both in soul and body after his re¬
surrection. St. Stephen declared, when he cried out,
"I seethe heavens open, and Jesus Christ sitting at
the right hand of God." Acts 7th ch. It is also in¬
quired whether the souls of the damned go down im¬
mediately after their exit from the body, and are tor¬
mented in an unquenchable flame, as we learn by the
Christian religion, particularly by the parable of the
rich glutton. We understand, through that passage
of Scripture, that these wretches are already judged.
How is it, then, that the Son of God will judge them
again at the last day, and condemn them to an ever¬
lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. I
answer, when the souls of the wicked depart out of
their wretched bodies, God pronounces to them the
sentence of their condemnation. Before the resurrec¬
tion the soul alone feels the_ effect of that sentence.
But when Jesus Christ shall "sit upon the throne of
his glory, then shall both soul and body be cast into
everlasting fire. From this we may understand that
there are three degrees of punishment or torments to
85
the wicked. In this life they have a kind of hell
that racks their guilty consciences. At their going
out of the world their souls are plunged into eternal
flames; their bodies, in the meantime, are as insensi¬
ble in their graves as the bodies of the righteous.
But at this last and dreadful day of judgment, their
souls shall be again united to their miserable bodies
to suffer the pangs of an eternal death. Some inquire,
what shall become of this elemental world ? whether
the heavens and the earth, which sustain us, shall per¬
ish, or whether they shall remain after the great day
of the coming of our Lord. I answer, the Scriptures
assure us, that the world shall totally perish, as God
hath made the heavens and the earth out of nothing,
He will reduce them all again into their primitive
state, and intends to create others more beautiful,
more holy, and far more glorious. There are several
expressions that favor this opinion: St. Peter in his
2d epistle, 8d chap., gives us the most clear account
of this. He says the heavens shall pass away with a
noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the
earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt
up. Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look
for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness. St. John adds, Seeing then that all
these things shall be dissolved, what manner of per •
sons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and god¬
liness? There is no man, who is a real Christian,
can doubt that wonderful change which shall happen
to* the world at the last day. The heavens and the
earth are not pure in the sight of God, who requires
a resurrection of the dead bodies of mankind. This
being so generally acknowledged, it will not be neces¬
sary to say much on that subject. To maintain that
the resurrection of the body is impossible, or will not
take place, is the most extravagant atheism; it is im-
86
pudently denying the infinite power of God and tlie
sacred history of the creation of the world. F or if we be¬
lieve that God fashioned Eve out of one of Adam's ribs;
that he made Adam of the dust, and that he created
that dust out of nothing, canst' thou not as readily be¬
lieve that God is able, in the day of the resurrection, to
rebuild the body out of the dust into which it is re¬
duced by death. If thou believest that God breathed
into Adam's nostrils the breath of life, that He crea¬
ted the soul and placed it into the body, where it
never was before, how canst thou question His power
of returning, in one day, the same soul into the same
body, where it formerly abode ? It may be asked,
with what stature of body shall the dead arise? I
answer, the righteous shall arise again in what may
be called a perfect stature of body, without deficiency
or infirmity. Some may be disposed farther to en¬
quire, what bodies the wicked shall have at and af¬
ter the resurrection. If we consider the smoke of
the bottomless pit, the fury of the infernal flames,
with the violent torments which the wicked shall suf¬
fer, perhaps we might conclude, they shall appear ill-
favored, deformed, and dreadful to behold; that there
will appear in their guilty looks and ghastly counte¬
nances, the image of Satan and the furies of hell.
But be this as it will, the bodies of the wicked will
be immortal, and their immortality a miserable one;
and that it had been better for them had they never
been born, rather than thus live to die eternally—to
be ever dying, yet never dead. We know, that what¬
ever God hath appointed in His eternal counsel, must
be fulfilled in time, and all things in the world attain
those ends for which He made them, and since he
created our souls not to be alone, but to exist with
the body, it follows that this body which is cast down?
by death, must needs be renewed and raised again at
37
tlie resurrection, tliat the soul may return to it and
dwell with it forever. The digestive powers of man.
and beast, and the decay of nature seem to preclude
the idea that God will give himself the trouble to raise
the same body at the last day, when he can make its
kindred dust answer the same purpose, that he.will
sift a great part of the earth, in order to collect all
the particles that had formed the several bodies of
the human family, and also pass, as through a strain¬
er, the whole waters of the sea for the above purpose ;
and then, after separating them, unite their kindred
particles, so as to be able to form the self-same body.
I do not dispute His power to do this, for I believe
that Jesus Christ is able to speak into life the bodies
of all the human family which are crumbled into
dust, as readily as he did that of Lazarus, which had
been four days dead and buried.—John, chap. 11.
But I hardly think he will take this round-about way,
to collect the ruins of our corrupt bodies and restore
them to their former condition. It is well known
that the bodies of men are often devoured by fish
and other animals, which are eaten by man, and there
are nations which feed upon human flesh. Now all
these bodies undergo a fermentation, are digested, and
assist in forming other bodies ; and were we (v. 2) to
receive again the old bodies thus crumbled into the
dust, at the resurrection, as they must first be made
up new bodies, it would be a contradiction in itself
to call them old. To collect the shattered pieces of
an old building and put them up in the form of a
building, would be putting up a new house, although
the materials were from an old one. Are. we not
told that we must put off the old man and put on the
new man, which, after God, is created in righteous¬
ness and true holiness ? Eph. chap. 4. The best
thing we can say of this house of earth is, that it is a,
38
ruinous building, and will not be long before it tum¬
bles into dust; that it is not our home, we look for
another house eternal in the heavens. As our bodies
shall return to their mother earth, it cannot possibly
make any difference to us whether the bodies which
we shall be clothed with on the last day, are made
of the same old materials, or of its kindred earth, or
of*the new earth, which shall be made at that time,
as it cannot add any thing to the glory and happi¬
ness of our souls or bodies. Neither has it been re¬
vealed to us whether the resurrection is to take
place before the earth is burnt up, or at the time, or
at the forming of the new earth. I therefore think it
labor lost, for ministers ot the Gospel to occupy too
much of their time, as some do, in describing the abil¬
ity of God to search out and collect those millions of
millions of old shattered bodies, and restore them
again to their several owners. This difficulty must
only tend to puzzle the minds of their hearers, and
raise doubts in their minds, and thereby shake their
faith respecting the truth of other passages of Scrip¬
ture which would be far better for them to under¬
stand. "We know that there are many passages of
Scripture which cannot be well understood in their
literal meaning, and are only typical, and intended
to rouse our minds up to understand that something
extraordinary will take place, or must be done. Our
blessed Lord has ordered that the souls of men, at
the last day, shall again be clothed with bodies as at
first, for a wise purpose. For what can that be ? Why,
undoubtedly, to increase the glory and happiness of
the saints, and also to swell the torments of the damn¬
ed. St, Peter in his 2d epistle, 3d chap., tells us that
we are to look lor new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness. May we not then
conclude from this, that this new earth will become a
89
Hew garden of Eden, and will be peopled with saints ?
Such men, for instance, as Adam was before his fall ;
and, as in that case, they will need bodies as at first,
and perhaps can as fully enjoy themselves in this new
garden, as Adam did in the old one. 0! would it
not be the heigth of wisdom for us to secure to our¬
selves this happiness? Certainly our salvation is a
matter of too much importance to be neglected ; our
life too uncertain to admit of delay; aud our souls too
precious to run the hazard of losing them. Had we
many souls we might venture the loss of one, but see¬
ing that we have but one only, and that if it be lost,
all the riches and treasures of the world cannot re¬
deem it, we should watch day and night for its pre¬
servation. "We should be seized with a holy dread,
and carefully avoid whatsoever might cast our pre¬
cious soul into the second death and everlasting dam¬
nation. This is what our blessed Saviour invites and
exhorts us to. "Watch:" saith he, "For ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come." Matt. ch. 24
v. 42. ""Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temp¬
tation." ch. 26 v. 41. This exhortation is so necessa¬
ry that he often repeats it. Take ye heed, watch and
pray, for ye know not when the time is; for as a snare
shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the
whole earth; watch ye therefore, and pray always
that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and stand before the
Son of God, there to be happy forever.
Soon as from earth I go,
"What will become of me?
Eternal happiness or woe,
Must then my portion he.
Thou art thyself the way,
Thyself in me reveal,
So shall I spend my life's short day,
Obedient to thy will. L. T,
40
Port Jefferson, N. Y., Nov. 22d, 1844.
Rev. George Hogarth :—Dear Sir; I now forward
this communication to you, hoping you will give it a
notice in your valuable Magazine.
Since I have been in this section of the country, so
far as my mission is concerned, I find the colored
population very scattering and very much unculti¬
vated for the want of the light of the Gospel and its
influence. Though scattering, I find they manifest a
great desire to have the Bible and its declarations
made manifest unto them by their colored brethren.
There are some who belong among the white Metho¬
dists and Presbyterians, but they would rather unite
with their own people. It becomes our duty to cast
our lot with them, that we may be the better able to
prove a blessing to them. A few days ago, I receiv¬
ed an invitation to preach for my white brethren, at
a place called Stony Brook, and on my way thither,
I was invited to call at the cottage of a lonely Indian
squaw, with one little female child. The cottage
stands amid a lonesome wilderness, and while the
dreary winds howl through the forest, the aspect
throws a deep solemnity on the mind of a weary
traveller. And when I entered, I introduced the sub¬
ject of religion, and strove to impress upon her mind
the shortness of time and the great need there was of
moral reform. I was informed, that from the early
period of her life, she had dragged out a miserable ex¬
istence, but from the exhortation and prayer, and the
small pittance that I was able to leave with her, she
manifested a great desire to cast her lot with the peo¬
ple of God. I bade her adieu, and left her, hoping
that she, with all connected with her, would meet me
in the kingdom of God. Having as I trust, been of
some blessing to my fellow-men in those remote parts
of L. I., I then left for lands more distant, as I felt it
41
duty enjoined tipoa me. As I assure you, my be¬
loved brother, that my desire is, that if I can be of
any good to my church and people, liiy will is to do
so.
For the accomplishing of this noble enterprise, I ask
the prayers of all them that love Zion, that the great
'Cause of the Redeemer's kingdom may go forward,
through my feeble efforts, in distant places where our
church has not yet been established, until all those
places where our people are enveloped in darkness,
may shine forth as a lamp that burneth, and that the
'^ime may come when divisions among us may be done
away, and the Gospel of the Son of God may rest on
'•the shoulder of his ministers in purity/ and they
.preach it in spirit, might and power. Since I have
left my home, I have through the providence of God,
travelled more than three hundred miles in less than
•one month, and labored more than twelve times. On
the 23d inst., I left my lodging at one o'clock in the
morning, in company with brother J —, Abra¬
ham Tobias and others, and went more than forty
miles; the most part of our journey was through the
wilderness. Just as we got to a place called the Sta¬
tion, we made a kind of a halt, to think on our way,
and while standing, we discovered a man running to¬
ward us, having on neither hat or coat; we hailed
him, and soon found his motives were to put us out
of our way that we might fall a prey to himself and
his band; but, finding there were six of us in num¬
ber, he was disappointed in his design. I called to
the driver to go forward, he did so, and I am happy
to say that we were enabled to escape the device "of
the villain who might have had a trap laid to ensnare
us. We made the place of our destiny a little after
sunrise, and there we met with friends and brethren
.who received us with open arms; among whom, was
42
Rev. E. N. Hall, and brother Edward C. Africanus-:
we spent the morning with them, and then bid them
adieu, and reached our home about 11 o'clock that
night. At the above-mentioned place, on our return
back, we met six more ruffians, but we past them un¬
molested, for which we were truly thankful.
Yours, with the highest respect in the bonds of a
peaceful gospel,
Levin Tilmon,
Stonington, February 25th, 1845.
Rev. George Hogarth : Dear Brother,—This is to
inform you that I am well at present, and I hope
yourself and family enjoy the same blessing. The
work of the Lord is. going on with us in Stonington
and Greenport. There are nearly thirty members
here, and nearly twenty in Greenport, and we are now
making great preparation to build a church. We
have something like three hundred and thirty dollars
subscribed, and the white citizens say that they will
stand by us : and I can truly say that the Lord is
with us.
Remember me to brother Robinson and brother E.
N. Hall.
Yours in Christ,
L. Tilmon.
Norwich, Aug. 6th, 1815.
Rev. Geo. Hogarth:
Dear Sir,—I now write to inform you of the pre¬
sent state of our society. We have been getting
along very prosperously, and the people are becom¬
ing considerably united. We held our Bush-meeting
■on the first Sabbath in August, and had a very peace¬
able time, and sinners wept bitterly. As it regards
43;
th;e house for worship, I have teen using all my in¬
fluence in order to unite the people. I am striving
for the general good of the people of this place.
On the part of the Methodists, I can truly say, their
influence is encouraging. And as the church
was closed from Sunday night until Sunday night
again, we now have services three times a day.
In the afternoons and at nights, we have large
congregations. As the house has never been
finished, we are trying to do something towards
it, and we have succeeded in getting .a pulpit
up. We however, had scarcely got it finished, before
it was taken down by the opposite party; but it was
an unprofitable job to them; the steward entered a
suit against them, which was taken up in behalf of the
State, and postponed until the following Monday.
They had to give bonds to the amount of fifty dol¬
lars, twenty-five each, in order to get a gentleman to
enter bonds for them until the sitting of the court. I
think we shall have better days after this, for those
are the two men who have always kept up a bad
state of feeling among the colored people in this place,
and have always done pretty much as they pleased,
and have now got into trouble.
Yours, in behalf of the connection,
L. Tilmon.
From the A. M. E. Church Magazine.
Providence. R. I., July 21,1847.
Rev. Geo. IIoGARTH-Ztear Brother: I avail myself of
this opportunity to inform you that my health is rea¬
sonable at this time, and I hope that this favor may
find you safe and sound, enjoying the same blessing
of God. I have had quite a vacation since I left con¬
ference, owing to the church here undergoing an en--
44i
Jargement and remodelling.. It is nearly finislied, and
will be dedicated on the first Sabbath in August, God
willing, at which time and place I would be pleased
to see you. The church looks well, and will exceed
in dimension any colored church in the city. I wish
you to give my best respects to the Bey. J. Matthews,,
and inform him that a word or two from his pen
would be cordially received. You will please inform
me when and where your next camp-meeting will be
held. Xours. in Christ,
L. Tilmon.
From the Roman Citizen.
At. Eulogy from the pen of Rev. N. W. Knox, Pastor of the first Pre-'-,,
fyyterian Church of Rome, M-iv York, March, 1849, on Laying the Conner
Stone qf the A. M. E. Church.
Agreeably to the usages-of the African M.. E.
Church, the ceremony of' laying the corner stone of
the new Church for the colored people of this place,
is to take place on Tuesday, the 9th inst., at 2 o'clock,
P. M.
One design of this ceremony is to interest the citi¬
zens of this village in this, attempt to promote the good
of our colored population, by affording them a proof
that the new enterprise is in progress, and likely to
succeed.
The writer of this notice feels that it is but an act
of justice to our neglected colored population, that a
proper sympathy with them in this attempt should be
manifested by the citizens at large. The Rev. Mr.
Tilmon, their pastor, is a man of decided energy of
character, whose motto, is, " never to fail" in anything
he undertakes. He has already succeeded beyond the
expectation of all his friends, an,d if life and health is
45'
spared, there is now no reasonable doubt of a trium¬
phant result.
Too great value cannot be attached to the efforts he is
making among us in behalf of his own people, not on¬
ly by his labors in preaching the Gospel, but by af¬
fording them the example of one of their own num¬
ber, who by earnest industry, and steady persever¬
ance, has risen to a highly respectable standing as a
man of intelligence; to the accumulation of a pecuni¬
ary competence and to a useful position as a Minister'
of Christ.
Let the people of this place be willing to encour¬
age him in his self-denying and arduous efforts, and
rest assured he will- not disappoint' the trust reposed
in him.
This hasty notice is written, it may be proper to
state, without the solicitation of Mr. Tilmon.
From the Christian Herald.
New Bedford, Mass. Oct. 27, 1848.
Rev. A. E. Green :
Dear Brother,—I have just received the first,
second and third numbers of the " Christian Herald,"
which I hail with pleasure, as a welcome messenger
to the shores of New England, bearing as it does, good
news to all; the dead are alive, and the lost are found.
And may we not say as one of old, " Bejoice not O
mine enemy, though I fall, yet will I arise." I had
almost despaired of your success, but I feel that the
clouds are breaking, it is passing over: the light is
appearing, and the day begins to dawn.
I have made some efforts to obtain subscribers, but
46
I have met with very little success -as yet.. One rea¬
son is, 'that our people here, are generally poor, and
haying a large debt to contend with,. they have been
much straightened, during the summer and fall, in
order to make a payment of one hundred dollars which
was promptly met, on the 16th of this month. Hay¬
ing accomplished that, I shall turn my attention more
fully to the Book Concern, in order to obtain subscri¬
bers and to raise" the two cent money.
L. Tilmon. .
Prom the Roman Citizen.
New Yoke, May, 1850.
Third Report of the Agent of A. M. E. Church of Rome,
in Canal Village.
The undersigned, who has, since the 14th of Janu¬
ary last, acted as Agent in collecting funds for the
purpose of erecting a house for Eeligious "Worship,
for the colored people of this place, takes this method
of returning his sincere thanks to the benevolent citi¬
zens for their timely assistance and encouragement in
the undertaking. The edifice is now up, and nearly
finished, and will be a neat and comfortable house
when completed. The progress of the enterprise,
thus far, seems to have given general satisfaction, and
its completion will doubtless prove a great benefit to
the colored people of Rome. We feel much indebted
to the clergymen of this place for their kindness in
aiding us by their liberal subscriptions and influence.
We feel no less grateful to the Hon. S. B. Roberts, E.
Huntington, Dr. J. Y. Cobb, L. Abell, Hon. H. A.
Foster, and many others, who have been friends to
■us in time of need.
47'
In justice to our' feelings, we cannot close these re1
marks without noticing the untiring efforts that some"
of the ladies are making in visiting from house to
house, distributing their charities among the poor
children and preparing them for the Sabbath School
room—the nurser y of the Christian Churches.
The amount that has been received from the citi¬
zens of Rome and the Ridge, in cash and materials, is
$187. Leaving a balance on subscription, unpaid, of
$38.
The total amount received from citizens residing
in other places, was $118 11.
L. Tilmoist.
From the Roman Citizen.
New Yoek, Oct. 20, 1849.
The Settlers on Smith's Land in Oneida County.
At a Meeting of the Colored Emigrants held upon
the Smith lands in Florence, Oneida Co., N. Y., at
the Emigrant House, on Saturday, October 20th,
1849, Rev. D. Peterson, General Agent, was present,
and made a statement of the amount of money receiv¬
ed by him as donations for the Association, and of the
following named articles:—
First, a box of very useful Books, suitable for a
Sabbath School Library, together with other useful
articles, presented by C. Whipple, Esq., of Newbu-
ryport, Mass. Second, a Plow and Pitchfork, pre¬
sented by E. Bartlet, Esq., of the same place. Third,
one Shovel and Pitchfork, presented by Mr. Brown,
of Gardiner, Maine.—Fourth, a bag of very useful
articles, presented by Mr. P Wads worth, of Bath,
Maine, (a gift in part from the Ladies.) After re¬
ceiving the above named donations, it was on mo¬
tion
Resolved, That we, the Emigrants of the Florence
Settlement, tender our sincere thanks to the above
named gentlemen, and citizens, generally, and also
to the General Agent, for his efforts to render assis¬
tance to the Settlement, until we shall have passed
the first winter in our newly acquired homes, having
arrived so late at the settlement, that we could not
realize a sufficient crop to sustain us during the ap¬
proaching winter.
We also take pleasure in saying that we found
the white citizens of Florence to be a kind and gen¬
erous hearted people, who bid us welcome upon our
arrival in their midst, and extended to us the hand of
brotherly love: and we can enjoy our individual
rights in the midst of such a people, which are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We take plea¬
sure in saying that the anti-slavery spirit is develop¬
ing in the bosoms of many of the citizens of Florence
and its vicinity, and we give with pleasure the names
of some with whom we have become acquainted.
ReV. Mr. Garland, Rev. Benj. Fuller, Mr. Trimbal, Mr.
Richards, Mr. Smith, Mr. Sparrow and family, and
many others.
Florence village is 22 miles from the village of
Rome, by way of Taberg, and we have always found
it very pleasant and agreeable in travelling that road,
and we take pleasure in recommending the respectable
portion of the travelling public, irrespective of color,
to favor Mr. Hyde, of Taberg, with their patronage.
They will find his accommodations good, the House
large, neat, and well regulated, and himself and lady
very agreeable. And as they proceed on to Florence
village they will find Mr. Fairbanks, also very much'
of a gentleman, who keeps a good House, and pays
every attention to the travelling. public. • We can¬
not close without making mention of thie citizens of-
49'
Eome. "We have found them to Be an enters
prising and benevolent community, and we feel
grateful to tliem for past favors. "We are also indebt¬
ed to the proprietors of the Roman Citizen, for favors
received..
The Settlement is also particularly indebted to D.
Gr. Dorrance,. Esq;,, of Florence, for his kindness to
the settlers, and his exertions to promote the interests
of the Association.
"We would say that the prospects of the Settlements
are favorable,, and that we intend to give a general1
statement of its: affairs through the columns of the
public Newspapers as soon as practicable.
D. MACCOY, President..
"W Hawkins, Secretary.
L. Tilmon",. in behalf of the Society.,
B-ew Bedford,. March 22-,. 1848..
Frederick Douglass :—I became a subscriber to
the North Star when it was first established.. I was
induced to do so, because its prospectus met my views..
I shall continue to take it. as long as it continues to
attack slavery in all its forms, and aims to hasten the
d^y of emancipation.
I believe there are various means by which the
bondman's liberation may be brought about, and the
condition of the nominally free colored people mate¬
rially bettered. It becomes you and me, and all
others who feel for the oppressed, with whom we are
identified,, to use all moral energies to wipe out the
foul stain of American" slavery. Though our means
are various,, let our aims be the same. Let us not
fall out by the way,, as did the Israelites in the des-
50"
eits, lest our selfish, dissensions bring down upon us
like sufferings.
In looking over the North Star of Dec. 22d, I saw
a comipunication, headed " New Settlement." I read
it with deep interest, and at once entered into the
spirit of the communication. I was glad to see such
an: enterprise as the Florence Association started as
announced in the communication. I was also glad to
see your name, with the names of many other lead¬
ing colored men of this country, associated with the
enterprise,, as approvers of it. I was not acquainted
with s-everal of these gentlemen, except by reputa¬
tion. Their names were sufficient to secure for the
Florence enterprise my confidence..
In the North Star of March 16th, I was surprised
and sorry to see a letter of yours, in which you re¬
quest your name to be erased as one of the inspectors
of public works, as desiring to have nothing more to
do with the enterprise, and this in consequence of re¬
ports that have been put in circulation. I wish you
had. told us- what those reporls were.
Now, friend' Douglass, I believe the Florence en¬
terprise to be sound,- inside and out—thoroughly an¬
ti-slavery in its spirit and tendency.- And so I be¬
lieve the gift ©1 three thousand deeds to the eolored
inhabitants of the State of New York, is a great an¬
ti-slavery act, characteristic of that noble man, Gerrit
Smith. It will be long cherished in the hearts of the
colored people of this country, and particularly by
those living in the State of New York. You will see
that persons living in other States could not partici¬
pate in that rich gift, though they rejoiced at it.
"When the Florence enterprise was started by our
friend, Stephen Myers, and others, put before the
public under such favorable auspices, many very re¬
spectable colored people, living in the surrounding
n
'States, were induced to make purchases. They
knew that if they went to the Smith lands they must
purchase them.
I do not pretend to be well acquainted with the
•geography of the State of New York: but in looking
•over the map of that State, I see that Florence and
Oneida county are situated in the central part of the
State, while Franklin and Essex are in the North-east¬
ern part—Franklin extending to Canada on the
North. Franklin and Essex counties appear to be
comparatively isolated, thinly populated, and out of
the great highways and facilities for transporting pro¬
ducts or persons to and from the State difficult. Ac¬
cording to the map before me of the State of New
York in 1840, Franklin county contained 16,580 in¬
habitants, and Essex county contained 23,634. Sinee
1840, the number has no doubt increased; nor is
there any doubt that the same is true of Oneida coun-
t7- .
According to the same map, Oneida county is near
the centre of the State. Both the Erie Canal and
Railroad pass through this county. Facilities for the
transportation of produce or persons are superior. It
is a populous county. In 1840, it contained a pop¬
ulation of 85,310, more than double the number con¬
tained both in Franklin and Essex counties. Then
look at its large and flourishing towns, such as Utica,
Rome, Clinton, Whitesboro, &c. Florence, the pro¬
posed settlement, is in this county. In view of the
considerations presented, it seems to me that the
lands in Florence, Oneida county, are the most valu¬
able—that they are preferable to those who wish to
purchase.
Our friend Stephen Myers informed us that Gerrit
Smith had given to several colored people lands in
Florence;; that he was one of those persons. He felt
$2
desirous of doing something to better the condition
of his people. Accordingly, himself and several oth¬
er gentlemen, Grantees of the Smith land in Flor¬
ence agreed to put 'their lands together. Other lands
were purchased from Gerrit Smith's agent, by Mr.
Myers, in behalfof this company of gentlemen. This
company now propose to establish a settlement at
Florence, for the purpose'of farming, dealing in lum¬
ber, manufacturing .potash, and ^practising the various
trades, and thus raising themselves in ;public estima¬
tion.
If Mr Myers has purchased ;tihese lands, and met
•his contracts, and I believe he -has, '(in testimony of
which, Mr. Gerrit Smith informed me in a note, that
he had received a letter-from Mr. Myers, stating that
he [Mr. Myers] had deposited in bank $73,00 to the
credit of the Florence land purchased of his [Mr.
Smith's] agent,) why should those who are not dis¬
posed to 'favor the Florence enterprise, throw obsta¬
cles in its way? It seems to me something more
:than mere suspicion. Unauthenticated reports are
required to justify such a course-; and yet these are
all. that (ifc would seem) can be put forth by those who
■are unfriendly to the Florence enterprise.
It is said that the country is a wilderness; that its
•settlement will be attended with difficulties-; that
colored people ate not accustomed to hardships, &c.,
<&c. Our forefathers, have made this country, once
■a wilderness, a delightful home for their oppressors,
the Anglo-Saxon race. We, their offspring, to this day
-are " hewers of wood and drawers of water," degrad¬
ed, crushed beneath public sentiment and popular re¬
ligion.
Henry Clay and his coadjutors, who are looked up
to as the giants in this nation, are still using their pow¬
er to keep us down, still determined to drive us out of
53
this country—still determined to colonize us to Afri¬
ca. But this is our country, the soil on which we
were born. Here are our homes. Let us build our¬
selves up by all righteous means. Let us cherish no
divisions among ourselves. United we stand, divid¬
ed we fall.
Yours for the good cause of the Elevation and Im¬
provement of our people. Levin Tilmon.
To Captain Thomas Aald, formerly my Master.
No. 4 Alexander-st., Rochester, )
September 3d, 184& j
Dear Sir :—I propose to celebrate this, the 11th
anniversary of my escape from your dominion, by
addressing to you a friendly epistle on the subject of
slavery.
I do this partly with a view to the fulfilment of a
promise I made you on this day one year ago, and
partly to neutralize certain charges which I then
brought against you,
Ungrateful and unjust as you, perhaps, deem me, I
should despise myself if I could wilfully malign the
character even of a slaveholder; and if, at any time,
I have appeared to yow. guilty of such conduct, you
have greatly misapprehended me. I can say, with a
clear conscience, in all that I have ever written or
spoken respecting yourself I have tried to remember
that, though I am beyond your power and control, I
am still accountable to our common Father and Judge,
in the sight of whom I believe that I stand ac¬
quitted of all intentional misrepresentation against
you. Of course, I have said many hard things res¬
pecting yourself; but all has been based upon what I
knew of you at the time I was a slave in your family.
Of the past, therefore, I have nothing to take back;
u
tut information concerning jou and your household,
lately received, makes it unjust and unkind for me to
continue the style of remark, in regard to your char-
' acter, which I primarily adopted. I have been told
by a person intimately acquainted with your affaire,
and upon whose word I can rely, that you have ceased
" to be a slaveholder, and have emancipated all your
slaves, except my poor old grandmother, who is now
too old to sustain herself in freedom; and that you
have taken her from the desolate hut in which she for¬
merly lived, into your own kitchen, and are now pro¬
viding for her in a manner becoming a man and a
Christian.
This, sir, is indeed good news; and is all the more
gratifying to me, since it deprives the pro-slavery
public'of the North of what they deem a powerful
argument against me, and the abolitionists generally.
It proves that the agitation of the subject of slavery
does not hinder, if it does not help, the emancipation
of slaves at the South. I have been frequently told
that my course would have an unfavorable influence
upon the condition of my friends and relatives in your
fjossession; and the common argument against abo-
itionists may be stated as follows-: Let slaveholders
alone, and they will emancipate their slaves; and that
agitation only retards the progress of the slave's liber¬
ation. It is alleged that the slaveholder is induced
to clutch more firmly what is attempted to be wrested
from him. To this argument your case is a plain con¬
tradiction. If the effect of anti-slavery agitation
were such as is thus alleged, you would have been
among the first to have experienced it: for few slave¬
holders in this land have had a larger share of public
exposure and denunciation than yourself; and this,
too, from a quarter most calculated to annoy, and to
provoke resentment. All this, however, has not pre-
55
vented you from nobly discharging the high duty you
owed alike to God and to the slaves in your posses¬
sion. I congratulate you warmly, and I rejoice most
sincerely, that you have been able, against all the sug¬
gestions of self-interest, of pride, and of love of power,
to perform this act of pure justice and humanity. It
has greatly increased my faith in man, and in the la¬
tent virtue even of slaveholders. I say latent virtue.
not because I think slaveholders are worse than all
other men, but because, such are the power and in¬
fluence of education and habit upon even the best
constituted minds, that they paralize and disorder, if
not destroy their moral energy: and of all persons in
the world, slaveholders are in the most unfavorable po¬
sition for retaining their power. It would be easy lor
me to give you the reason of this, but you may be
presumed to know it already.
Born and brought up in the presence and under the
influence of a system which at once strikes at the very
foundation of morals bj^ denying—if not the existence
of God—the equal brotherhood of mankind, by de¬
grading one part of the human family to,the condi¬
tion of brutes., and by reversing all right ideas of jus¬
tice and of brotherly kindness, it is almost impossible
that one so environed can greatly grow in virtuous
rectitude.
You, however, sir, have risen superior to these un¬
hallowed influences, and have added another striking
proof to those already existing, that the heart of the
slaveholder is still within the reach of the truth, and
that to preach to him the duty of letting " the op¬
pressed go free," is not in vain.
I shall no longer regard you as an enemy to free¬
dom, nor to myself—but shall hail you as a friend to
both. Before doing so, however, I have one reason¬
able request to make of you, with which you will, .1
56
hope, comply. It is this: That you make your con¬
version to anti-slavery known to the world, by pre¬
cept as well as by example. A publication of the
facts relating to the emancipation of your slaves, with
the reasons that have led you to this humane act,
would doubtless prove highly beneficial to the cause
of freedom generally—at the same time that it would
place yourself in that high estimation of the public
mind to which your generous conduct justly entitles
you. I think you have no right to put your candle
under a bushel. Your case is different in many res¬
pects from that of most repentant slaveholders. You
have been publicly and peculiarly exposed before the
world for being a slaveholder; and since you have
ceased to be such, a just regard for your own stand¬
ing among men, as well as a desire to promote the hap¬
piness of a deeply injured people, require you to make
jtiiown your sentiments on this important subject.—
It would be truly an interesting and a glorious specta •
cle to see master and slave, hand in hand, laboring to¬
gether for the overthrow of American slavery. I am
sure that such an example would tell with thrilling ef¬
fect upon the public mind of this section. "We have
already had the example of slaves and slaveholders,
side by side, battling for freedom; but we yet lack a
master working by the side of his former slave on the
anti-slavery platform. You have it in your power to
supply this deficiency; and if you can bring your¬
self to do so, you will attain a larger degree of hap¬
piness for yourself, and will confer a greater blessing
on the cause of freedom than that you have already
done by the generous act of emancipating your own
slaves. With the example before me, I shall not des-
air of yet having the pleasure of giving you the right
and of fellowship on the anti-slavery platform.
Before closing the present letter, I wish to set you
57
riglit about a matter which is, perhaps, of small im¬
portance to yourself, but is of considerable conse¬
quence to me.
In your letter, written three years ago, to Mr. A.
C. C. Thompson, of Wilmington, respecting the valid¬
ity of my narrative, you complained that I failed to
mention your intention to emancipate me at the age
of twenty-five. The reason of this failure is as fol¬
lows : You will remember that your promise to
emancipate me preceded my first attempt to escape;
and that you thentojd me that you would have emanci¬
pated me, had I not made the attempt in question,
If you ask me why I distrusted your promise in the
first instance, I could give you many, reasons; but
the one that weighed most with me was the pas¬
sage of a law in Maryland, throwing obstructions in
the way of emancipation; and I had heard you refer
to that law as an excuse for continuing your slaves in
bondage : and, supposing the obstructions alluded to
might prove insuperable barriers to my freedom, I re¬
solved upon flight, as the only alternative left me
short of a life of slavery. I hope that this explana¬
tion will be satisfactory. I do not regret what I
have done—but rather rejoice in it, as well for your
sake as mine. Nevertheless, I wish to be fairly un¬
derstood, and have, therefore, made the explanation.
I shall here conclude this letter by again expressing
my sincere gratitude at the magnanimous deed with
which your nailie is now associated—and by repeating
the ardent hope that you will publicly identify your-
self with the holy cause of freedom, to which, since I
left your service, I have been most unremittingly de¬
voting myself, IanTDear Sir,
Very respectfully yours,
Frederick Douglass.
MYMW.
0, if poor sinners did but know
How much for them I undergo,
They would not treat me with contempt,
Nor curse me when I say repent.
Give credit now to what I say,
And mind it till the judgment day:
Of God I'm sent, constrained to go,
To call upon both high and low :
And wo is. me if I refrain
From going forth in God's great name.
A dispensation I've received,
And my kind friends, I now must leave,
My father's house I bid adieu,
And on my journey now pursue:
To distant climes I now repair,
To call poor sinners far and near:
But O! the trials of my heart
To think I must with parents part;
In tears I leave them all in grief,
I cannot give to them relief:
They brought me up with tender care,
And for my health no pains they'd spare—
Expos'd themselves by night and day,
Whilst fevers wore my flesh away".
My loving brethren think it strange
That I do not return again:
Through beating winds of rain and snow,
Both wet and cold, I have to go
To 'tend the appointments I have made,
And find a place to lay my weary head.
I draw no pension here below
59
To pay my charges as I go ::
I go forth, on my own expense,
And trust in God for my defence-
Oft times with hunger I grow faint,
And travel on till almost spent:
I find no friend nor helper nigh,
But him who hears the ravens cry:
Oft times I with false "brethren meet,
"Whose hearts are fill'd with vain deceit:;
Their clothing is much like the saints,
But God abhors their false pretence.
Of God I feel constrained to go
And fill the station where I'm sent.
Farewell, dear friend, O think of me
When I am gone to come no more.
60
The Crisis and its Consequences.
We are in the revolutionary times. Blood has al¬
ready been shed in the streets of Philadelphia^ grow¬
ing out of the conflict between the African and An¬
glo-Saxon races on this continent; and God only
knows when the streets of all our other cities, from
the Potomac to the borders of Canada, will be crim¬
soned from the same cause. It is about twenty years
since the agitation and conflict between those races
commenced in the city of Boston, and it has now
reached a point that affects our churches, our parties,
our politicians, our statesmen, and the great and vi¬
tal interests of the republic. The whole country—
North and South, East and West—is now about to
enter upon a re-agitation of 1his subject—an agitation
of a most fearful revolutionary and blood-thirsty
character, in reference to the African race of the
South, and the Anglo Saxons of the whole Union.
Previous to the meeting of the last Congress, the agi¬
tation of this sentiment was felt to such an extent
as to harrass political circles at Washington, and
throughout the country, as the events which subse¬
quently transpired in that city fully justify. In the
lamentable condition of things which ensued, and the
danger in which the Union was placed,, the great
patriots and statesmen of both parties—friends of
the Union and of the constitution—united their ef¬
forts in favor of conciliation, and went to work with
the energy which characterized the revolutionary pe¬
riod of our history, and accomplished their patriotic
purpose, by the passage of the bills known asthe Com¬
promise measures. But these very bills contain in
them the germ of a new agitation, of a more horrible
aspect and of a more bloody character than any that
has taken place in this country within the last half
century.
61
When the original Abolitionists commenced the
agitation of the slavery question, twenty years ago,
at the North, churches of every denomination were
connected, and joined in the bonds of brotherhood—
political parties were organized on general principles,
and on a broad platform, throughout the United
States—the democrats were united on certain gene*
ral principles, and so were the whigs. In the course
of time, however, and through the instrumentality of
the Abolitionists, that agitation operated to such an
extent as to break up the union which previously ex¬
isted between Northern and Southern churches, of
every denomination except the Catholics. It has al¬
so broken up political parties, and severed the so¬
cial and friendly ties which existed between the
Northern and Southern States. The same cause is,
we fear, about to destroy the commercial relations
which exist between those sections of the republic;
and the final consummation will, we fear, be the dis¬
ruption of the Constitution and the Union, which
have made this country what it is, and our people
feared and respected throughout the whole civilized
world. The compromise measures recently passed
by both houses of Congress, have been seized upon
by the Garrisons, Sewar'ds, Weeds, Greeleys, and
other Abolition fanatics of the North, and they are
making them the subject of fresh agitation and ex¬
citement in New England and in New York, and
particularly on the Fugitive Slave bill. That mea¬
sure is to form the principal plank of the new plat¬
form of the Abolitionists, of every character.
What is the fugitive slave law, and its character ?
Under" the Constitution there can be no doubt of the
perfect right of the masters of slaves to reclaim those
who run away, and seek refuge in the Northern and
62
non-slaveholding States. Objections "have been made
to the mode of recovery and reclamation provided in
that bill, and a great deal of vituperation has been in¬
dulged in towards Congress, and towards the Presi¬
dent, in consequence of the habeas corpus being sus¬
pended, and the fugitives being denied the right of a
trial by jury. Let us examine this point a little. If,
fo" instance, a person in New York is robbed of pro¬
perty to the amount of five hundred dollars, or any
other sum, and the thief escapes to some Southern
State, all we have to do is to send an officer after him,
and bring him back to New York for trial and pun¬
ishment. This is of common occurrence. Well,
slaves, according to the laws of the Southern States
as well as the Constitution of the United States, are
property, and the fugitive slave bill operates precisely
in the same way, by authorizing and demanding ths
reclamation of such property. If the Southern States
choose to look upon slaves as property, it is a ques¬
tion with which the Northern States have nothing to
do. At one time, we in New York, regarded them
as property ourselves ; and it was not until we found
them unprofitable property, that we consented to the
abolition of slavery.
Apart from the Fugitive Slave bill, the Southern
people have, under the Constitution, a perfect right
to demand reclamation of their fugitives ; and yet, in
the face of that contract between the States of this con¬
federacy—in violation of»that Constitution which was
solemnly entered into by the thirteen original States,
and which was signed by the immortal Washington
and his compatriots, and which never would have been
agreed to without the provision relative to Fugitive
Slaves—we see the Abolitionists of the North, and a
portion of the Whig party, opposing that law and
63
that very provision of the Constitution, making their
opposition to be the corner-stone of this new move¬
ment, and agitating the public mind to such an ex¬
tent in connection with it, as perhaps to carry the next
Congress under that rallying cry. The ultra senti¬
ments of Garrison and the original Abolitionists are
precisely similar to those recently avowed by the Sew¬
ard portion of the Whig party at their convention in
Syracuse ; so that, as far as the Slavery question is
concerned, there is, to all intents and purposes, a union
with them.
What, then, is . the prospect before us ? According
to all appearances, the Slavery excitement is increas¬
ing every day, in every possible form and shape. Even
some of the organs of the democratic party—the Eve¬
ning Post in New York, and the Atlas in Albany—■
are favoring the destructive movement, and playing
into the hands of the Seward Abolitionists, and may
possibly draw into their ranks Democratic Free Soilers
enough to secure the success of the Syracuse ticket at
the ensuing election. This renewed agitation is not
confined to New York. Meetings are held in oppo¬
sition to the Fugitive Slave bill in New England, al¬
so. The excitement is spreading and increasing, and
out of the large cities there seems to be but one ground
assumed on the question, and that is, opposition to the
measures of compromise recently passed by Congress,
without which this Union is not worth a straw, and
would be shattered into a thousand fragments within
five years. And according to all appearances, we
would not be surprised to see the Seward abolition
nominations put forward by the Syracuse convention,
carried triumphantly at the next election, in conse¬
quence of the new Abolition effervescence, and the
new movement undertaken by Seward and his asso-
64
ciates, and this fresh, outburst of anti-slavery senti¬
ment. If such should be the case, and the next Con¬
gress should be elected under the cry of abolition,
what would be the result? What is the prospect of
a continuance of this Union for even two, three, or
five years? The South is excited as much as the
North, on this question, but in a different manner, and
will not submit to the repeal of the Fugitive Slave
bill, without one of the most terrible convulsions that
has been witnessed in this country since the founda¬
tion of the government.
The | >rospect is indeed gloomy. The people of this
city, and the friends of the Union, are sleeping on a
mine of gunpowder that may explode at any moment^
without the slightest warning. Apathy, inexcusable
apathy, prevails amongst our merchanis, our bankers,
mechanics and business men of all kinds, whose inter¬
ests depend upon the perpetuity of the Union. No
o»e seems to perceive the importance of the terrible
crisis, more terrible than any that we have yet expe¬
rienced. We may as well prepare now, as at any
time, and endeavor to ward off the dangers that assail
us. If this abolition agitation go on, and the next
elections shall be carried under the cry of abolition,
we may make up our minds that a dissolution of the
Union will take place in less than five years. This
result is positive—certain—unchangable as the laws
of Nature. Look out for a social convulsion—pre¬
pare for revolution and blood.
From the National Era
The Prospects of Slavery.
What will be the condition of the slave holding States
at the end of the present century, should they main*
65
tain the system of slavery ? In the year 1800, the
free population of those States, counting New York,
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, as non-slaveliolding,
was 1,772,000; the slaves, 860,000. In 1850, the
white population in the slave States is 6,410,000; the
slaves, 3,075,000. We use round numbers. The
increase of the free population during half a century
has been at the rate of 260 per cent; of the slave, 243
per cent Should the same ratio prevail for the next
half century, the free population will amount to 23,-
072,000; the slave to, 10,513,000. This calculation
assumes that all the States now holding slaves, will
continue slaveholding till the year 1900; but this is
not to be supposed. Already the free population is
gaining rapidly on the slaves in Virginia, Maryland,
Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri; while the re¬
verse operation is going on in South Carolina, Geor¬
gia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The fol¬
io-wing table shows the tendency of things striking¬
ly enough in Virginia:
1850. 1840* Increase.
Whites 894,000. 791,000 103,000,
Slaves, 475,972. 448,988 26,984.
.Free-colored, 53,757, 49,941 3,816.
In Maryland the total population is as follows:
412,803 whites; 89,178 slaves; and 73,158 free ne¬
groes. Thetotal increase in the State since 1840 is
107,573. The free negro population is now 73,158,
in 18^0 it was 61,937, showing an increase of 11,221.
The total slave population in 1840 was 89,719 ; it is
now only 89,178 1 being an actual decrease of 541 in
ten years!
On the other hand, in South Carolina and Missis¬
sippi the slaves have far outstripped the freemen. In
the former in 1840 the free population was 266,305 ;
in 1850, 283,737, showing an increase of 17,232;
66
while in 1840 the slaves numbered 327,934, in 1850
384,720, showing an increase of 56,786. The ratio
of increase for the free is but 6, 1 per cent; that for
the slaves 17. 6 per cent. In Mississippi the slaves
numbered 20,000 more than the freemen. In Ar¬
kansas the ratio of slave increase for the last ten
years has been 125 per cent; free, 83 per cent.
In view of these facts, it is not to be supposed
that Maryland, Yirginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
Missouri will be slaveholding States much longer
than twenty-five years to come; and it is probable
that States which now contain one half the slave pop¬
ulation will be free before the year 1900. The whole
of the slave population at that time, unless Slavery
be sooner abolished, will be concentrated to the
amount of ten or eleven millions within States which
now contain a free population of only three millions;
the increase of which is destined to proceed in a di¬
minished ratio, while the ratio of the slave increase
cannot be expected to fall off in any considerable de¬
gree. Indeed, we may fairly presume from the facts
above stated, and' from the tendency of slave labor
to drive out the free laborer, that by the close of the
present century, if Slavery continue, a slave popula¬
tion of ten millions will be collected within a section
of country containing a numerically inferior free pop¬
ulation.
Within the last century, slaves have steadily im¬
proved in intelligence. Have the causes of this im¬
provement exhausted themselves, or are they not
working with increased power and through addition¬
al channels?
The next fifty years will witness changes in their
character which, considered in connection with their
great numerical force, must awaken our gloomiest ap-
67
prehensions, should the hand of power continue heavy
upon them. But, should the South pass safely through
the increasing perils of the next fifty years, can it then
dream of the possibility of ten millions of men, who
have had the benefit of white instruction and free ex¬
ample so many generations, submitting much longer
to the domination of a less physical force than their
own ?
And what then will be the condition of the slave-
holding section in other respects ? Becollect, Vir¬
ginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, will not be em¬
braced within it. Cursed with a redundant slave
population, its soil exhausted by thriftless culture, its
staple rivalled in the markets of the world by a pro¬
duction now coming into notice, and which can be
grown every where by free labor, with diminished
returns from its crops, to be preyed upon by an in¬
creasing surplus of laborers, who must eat or be de¬
cimated, with no more slave territory to bring tem¬
porary reprieve, the slaveholders would be compelled
to emancipate their slaves, or expatriate themselves.
Let the alarmist paint the gloomiest pictures of the
consequences of Emancipation his fancy can draw, a
far deeper gloom hangs about the tremendous reali¬
ties of the slavery that shall exist in the year 1900;
if it be continued so long.
From the New Tork Tribune.
Michigan Politics—The State Election—Negro Suffrage, &c.
Paw Paw, Mich. Monday, Opt. 28.
Our general Election comes off the 5th of next
month, and will be an important one. By an amend¬
ment in our Constitution, the following State officers
68
are to be elected by the People (instead of being ap¬
pointed, as before), viz: Secretary of State, Auditor
General, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Superin¬
tendent of Public Instruction, and three Judges of the
Supreme Court. We also elect Congressmen, State
Legislature, and County officers generally. Among
the latter a Prosecuting Attorney for each. County,
which office has been heretofore held by appointment.
We are also to vote on the adoption of the new State
Constitution, and on the question of extending the
right of suffrage to the descendants of Africa. So
you see we shall have voting enough, for once. What
possible valid objection can be raised, in a country
which recognizes the principle that ' the right to gov¬
ern comes from the consent of the governed,' to allow¬
ing a man to vote because his skin happens to be a
few shades darker and his hair to possess more and
shorter kinks than another man's, is entirely beyond
the comprehension of your correspondent. What
man of common sense, who values his logical reputa¬
tion is prepared to say that it would not be as just
and reasonable to deny a man the common rights of
citizenship because he may be red-haiied, squint-eyed
or wry-necked ?—Yet much I fear that the people of
this State will deny to the colored population the
poor privilege of a voice in saying who shall tax, im¬
prison or hang them—beg pardon, I was forgetting
that we don't break necks judicially in this State now.
I predict that the great mass of that party which la¬
bels itself' Democratic'—which claims to be the exclu¬
sive friend of the poor man, the protector of the op¬
pressed and lowly, and flaunts in every body's face,
its banners inscribed with ' Equal Rights,' and all
that sort of thing—will oppose this measure of jus¬
tice. No, Sir, the patent Democracy of this State
69
will not vote for universal suffrage. That party think
' niggers are very well in their place,' but it would be
dangerous to trust them with the elective franchise,
because they may not always vote the 'Democratic
ticket.'
The Fugitive Slave Law is beginning to create
some excitement, and will doubtless have some effect
upon the Election, but the Locos will undoubtedly
succeed in their State Ticket. We have nominated
a strong Free Soil Whig (Joseph R. Williams) for
Congress in this (2d) District. The opposition can¬
didate is Hon. Charles E. Stewart, who was effectually
and handsomely ' laid out' by Eider Sprague in 1818.
I think that Williams will flog him as surely as did
the Elder, but perhaps by a decreased majority.
In this County (Van Buren) the rival candidates
for the Legislature are Lyman A. Fitch, Whig, and
Mokgan L. Fitch, Loco, brothers. As there is a
Loco majority of about 100 in the County, it will be
hard pulling for us ; but, go as it will, " it's all in the
family." Yours,
Wolverine.
70
NARRATIVE CONTINUED.
CHAPTER VII.
In the latter part of the last Chapter of the first
edition of my Narrative, I omitted a very interesting
fact, in relation to my obtaining the evidence of my
acceptance with the Saviour.
On the Saturday (previous to the Monday spoken
of), I left the city of'Philadelphia, for tlje purpose of
attending a Quarterly Meeting, some eighteen miles
distance at a place called Dutch Town, in the State
of New Jersey, under the supervision of the Rev.
John Cornish, who was at that time Elder in charge
of the New Jersey Circuit. My mind, as I have pre¬
viously stated, was powerfully exercised. I felt that
there was a work for me to do, and I went to the
meeting, hoping that I might meet with an opportu¬
nity of saying something by way of exhortation, and
to warn poor sinners to flee the wrath to come. I
arrived there in the evening in time for meeting, which
L attended. But there was no opportunity afforded
me. I went home with a friend, with whom I spent
the night. The next morning, being the Sabbath, I
w'as taken with a very strange feeling—my mind be¬
came filled with doubts and despair. A state of tre¬
mor and horror seized my frame, and the heavens
seemed as brass to me. I felt as though I was undone
for ever, and that God was angry with me. I spent
the day in deep distress of mind, walking with my
arms folded, lor it seemed that I could find no
rest or ease. I tried to pray, but it seemed that my
prayers went no higher than my head. I at one time
thought that I would be damned before the sun set,
and when setting, it looked to me like a ball of fire.
71
The following day, Monday, I started for home where
I arrived late in the afternoon. I was at that time
boarding in the family of my father-in-law, Leander
Lee, who resided in Prune-street, near Fourth. By
this time, I felt somewhat relieved from my former
state of feelings, and felt as though I should like to
attend a religious meeting. Accordingly I started for
Class, and on the way called to see a family by the
name of Black, in Elizabeth-street, where I had pre¬
viously kept house. "While there, I was talking
with the old lady and her daughter llatty, on the
subject of religion.
They exhorted me to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, as did Paul, the jailer. Acts xvi. 81, and all
at once faith sprang up and laid hold on the ricli
promises of the Saviour, and as quick as thought I
felt the change, and was enabled to cry out in the
language of the Psalmist, David, " The Lord is my
Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still
waters." That was the happiest hour that I had ever
experienced in all the days of my life. I resided in *
the city of Philadelphia some fifteen years—during;
that time, I continued my membership in the A. Mr
E. Bethel Church, which is located on the corner of
Sixth and Lombard-streets. During my residence
there, I followed various kinds of employment, sucH
as keeping a Clothing-cellar, Waiting, and public Por-
tering, attending Store, &c. During that time I mar¬
ried again, and soon became surrounded with do-(
mestic cares, which gave me the impulse of mindi
that it was a duty enjoined upon me to engage in pro-*
curing property for the comfort of myself and family.
Accordingly I purchased in 1834, a small estate in
the city of Camden, New Jersey, where I resided for
'n
& few months. In the autumn of the same year, 1
removed back to the city of Philadelphia. Having for
a long time felt it to be my duty to travel, and labor
for the good of souls, I accordingly i n the Spring of1836,
made application for Preacher's License, which I receiv¬
ed from the hands of the Ut. Rev. Bishop Brown, who
was at that time preacher in charge of the said A.
M. B. Bethel Church.
CHAPTER VIII.
My appointment to the Jersey Oircuit under the Super-
vis ion of the Rev. JVm. Moore.
Early in the month of July, 1886, I entered upon
the discharge of my duties as a subordinate, where I
traveled the remainder of the year. While upon that
Circuit, we experienced a degree of suffering. The
Circuit was quite extensive, and the people generally
poor, and unable in very many instances to afford us
a comfortable living. We found it extremely un¬
pleasant in the winter season, the traveling being bad,
&c.; yet, in the midst of this, myself and senior had
the pleasure of Seeing the work of the Lord prospering
in our hands, and many souls I trust were happily
converted to Grod.
There were some incidents which occurred during
the year, which were somewhat trying in their na¬
ture. The state of New Jersey was milch infested
with " Kidnappers," who were prowling about in
several of the communities through which we had to
pass. On one occasion they made an arrest of a
young colored man at a place called Sand-town. The
nature of the case is as follows: they secured the ser-
73
"Vices of a white man, (who must have been of a i±&
far ions character, and lived in the vicinity, where this
colored man's family resided,-) who went in company
"with the band of *manjstealers, and at a late hour of
the night, rapped at the door of this colored family's
house, when the lady from within asked who was
there? the reply was 'a friend,' He continued by ask¬
ing, 'is your husband at home?' when she (the lady)
wished to know what he wanted with him ; his re¬
ply was, to see him about going to work to-mor-*
row. He asked the lady if she would not rise and let
him in, as he was cold and wanted to warm himself.
Supposing him to be a neighbor, after hesitating a
"While, she arose and opened the door, when he en¬
tered, and made bis way to the fire place with a can->
die in hand. The fire being covered over for the
night, he stuck the candle in the embers and lighted
it* This was no sooner done than the whole gang
rttshed in. This young man, before mentioned, in
company with two others, were up stairs in bed, when
upon hearing tv'hat was going on below, supposing
that all was not right, prepared themselves to make
battle ; bnt two of them becoming frightened, jump*
ed out from a window and made their escape. The
other seized a loaded gun, that was in their room, and
aimed at his antagonist, but for the want of moral
courage, he failed in the attempt, when his adversary
seized him and catried him off in fetters, to a place
called Sweetsborotighj sofne eight or ten miles dis¬
tant j where they placed him in the garret of a tavern
to await the arrival of others, whom they designed
to capture. This was on a Friday evening. There
was a settlement of colored people at a place called
Dutchtown, some half mile distance, who on hearing
of the circumstances, were determined to go to the
rescue of their fellow man. Accordingly, on the fol-
74
lowing sabbath, at night after maturing their plans,
they went to the scene of action, and surrounded the
tavern. The captivators were all drinking, carous¬
ing and sporting over their victim, when th& color¬
ed people without were armed with guns, pistols, and
missiles of various kinds, let go a volley of stones,
shots, &c. through the doors and windows; the lights
within were immediately blown out, and shots were
fired from within. There was a pedlar who had put
up there for the night, and upon hearing the rupture
below which broke upon his nightly vision, and
starting from his slurrber, in passing down stairs,
they, supposing him to be their captive, one of the
party immediately shot him, but fortunately the
wound was not mortal.
This as a matter of course created a great excite¬
ment, nevertheless, all was kept perfectly quiet until
the following Tuesday, when they had mustered up
their volunteers, and started for the colored settle¬
ment, to route and capture their opposing party.
Their presence in the settlement was like the " Black
plague" in Europe, or the seven headed hydra. Men,
women and children, absconding, and leaving their
domicils unoccupied, fleeing before their pursuers in
various directions. Upon the night of the outbreak I
was at an appointment at a place called Hagerstown,
near Salem, a distance of some ten or fifteen miles.
My colleague, Rev. W. Moore, was in the settlement
atBthe time the occurrence took place, lie had for some
days previous complained of not being well, and was
on his way returning to Philadelphia.
I was upon my. upward tour, and had to pass
through Sweedsborough to get to my next appoint¬
ment, where I arrived about eleven or twelve o'clock
in the day, and as I drew near the tavern, I cast my
eye that way and saw the broken doors and windows,
75-
and the bottles of King Alcohol exposed to public
viewat that moment I heard them laughing and
talking in a jolly manner, but as soon as they saw me
I heard them say "there goes a nigger now." Just
at that moment, I saw a tavern loafer come out and
started off on a run towards the village, as this
tavern stood upon the outskirts of the town. On
seeing this,, my mind became somewhat alarmed, be¬
lieving that his designs were to do mean injury, and
accordingly upon my arrival in the village I discov¬
ered' a large crowd rushing from another tavern with
guns, pistol's,., bludgeons, hounds, &c. I supposed the
furiated mob intended to rush upon.me;, but instead
of doing so, it seems to me that fear suddenly came
upon them, which appeared to quell their maddened
rage. God be praised for this deliverance, for our
enemies,, we see them to-day, and to-morrow they are
no more. In'passing on I had a small bridge to cross
beyond the end of which the roads forked. I met two
or three gangs returning from their exploring expe¬
ditions, and as they met, I heard one party say
to the other, " Ave have got Murray the Class Leader."
They had already captured several whom they had
incarcerated in Woodbury jaii. When I arrived at
the settlement, there was not a vestige to be seen.—~
The place looked forlorn, the houses that had but a
lew days before been occupied by their inmates, were
now forsaken and looked desolate. After viewing
this state of things I left for the upper part of the Cir¬
cuit where I remained until such time that thingi
became quiet in that vicinity. There were several,
arrests made during the year in various portions of
the State, some of which were of a very serious na¬
ture ; the brother and his wife, at whose house I fre¬
quently staid when at my appointment in that place,
"wene very kind and hospitable. Soon after I left the
n
Circuit, lie was decoyed by a nefarious white man,
who lived neighbor to him. The scheme of operation
Was as follows: The white man pretended that he
had lost some of his cattle, and wished to secure his
services in hunting them; this was early in the morn¬
ing, as he was weeding his garden, his wife at this
time was preparing breakfast within doors. lie not
having the slightest suspicion of any thing wrong,
promised to comply with his wishes in securing his
cattle. Accordingly after breakfast he started off with
his supposed friend—they had not proceeded far be¬
fore he was delivered into the hands of his captiva¬
lors, who were concealed in the woods some three
hundred yards from the house. Oh ! the blighting and
withering curse of American Slavery which regards
not the situations, circumstances or condition of the
poor colored people or the descendants of Africa,
but spreads devastation and destruction more or
less throughout the American continent.
Having travelled the year out under adverse cir¬
cumstances in the spring of 1837, I met the Annual
Conference in the city of Philadelphia, as I was a
candidate upon trial for the Itinerant service, accord¬
ing to the usage of the A, M. E. Church, During the
year, I became much reduced in pecuniary circum¬
stances. My little property that I had purchased
'►previous to my going upon the Circuit, was neither
finished or paid for. In view of the above, I deemed
it proper and expedient to resume a located capacity
tin til such times as I could redeem myself from the
ipaany responsibilities resting upon me.
77
CHAPTER IX.
The last seven years of ray residence in Philadelphia".
Late in the summer of 1837,1 engaged in the beer
business; finding it to be a lucrative pursuit, I made
it a business during the spring and summer seasons,
and in the winter I followed teaming, together with
other pursuits, and it was not long before I had ac¬
cumulated a considerable stock in the wav of horses,
wagons, carts, &c., and was compelled to keep several
hands in my employ. During the seven years, I was
enabled'to redeem myself from many of my personal
responsibilities, also Fo realize a comfortable living,
and to procure some additional property, but not with¬
out much perseverance and industry, working late
and early; being surrounded with peculiar circum¬
stances, I had my troubles in common as other men,
and yet during that time I often felt that God had a
more noble work for me, and that a city business life
was not the sphere of action for me. Accordingly in
the autumn of 1844,1 wound up my business at a sac¬
rifice, and on the 28th day of October, I left the busy
scenes of a crowded metropolis and started for New
York.
Nothing worthy of note occurred on my passage.
I arrived at New York in the Empire City, where I,
spent some two or three days in visiting my friends,1
during which time I associated' myself with the Rev.
E.SN. Hall, who at that time had the supervision of
the A. M. E. Church, in High street, Brooklyn,!
Long Island. Late on a Saturday afternoon, I tookf
my leave of him and started on my mission, takingj.
the cars at South ferry, and proceeded down the.
Island, and soon found myself among strangers. The'l
night fall was fast approaching, when my mind be-
7a
gan to feel sad, not knowing where I should find ar
friend or a home for the night. However after arriv*
ing at a place called "Farmingdale" some thirty miles
distant, down on the island ; I there left the cars and
went on foot in pursuit of a home for the night when
I fell in company with a man, who, iL the course of
conversation, directed me to a colored gentleman by
the name of Thompson ; alter wandering in the night
some one or two miles, I found the house standing in
' a lonely country place. Upon rapping at' the door,
I found that the good man and his family had re¬
tired to bed. lie arose and invited me in. I inform¬
ed him that I was a stranger, and' my errand was that
of a Misionary; that I had'been reccommended'to Him
by a gentleman, who thought that I- would be likely
to be accommodated for that night. I found him
and his lady to be very fine people. The next morn¬
ing being the Sabbath they invited me to accompany
them to church, a distance of some three miles, to a
place called Huntingdon, which invitation I readily
accepted. Upon our arrival at church I soon found
myself in the midst of the people of God, who very
fldndly invited me to preach for them, which J tried
10 do, and it pleased the Lord to make bare his arm
in the midst of the congregation. J ust before enter¬
ing the pulpit, I discovered a very ancient, venerable
1 ooking gentleman. He looked as though he might
Ipe of the "Indian origin." His locks were much
silvered, his head bespoke the frost of many winters,by
rjeason of age he was quite bowed down towards the
earth. I discovered that he paid muc'h attention to
tlfie discourse, and seemed to get quite bappy, so much
Si,p that before the meeting closed, he arose and said
tl'iathe had not been to meeting for a long time by
reason of age and infirmity. But said he the Lord
tr^ld me that a stranger was to preach here this morn*
79
iftg1, and 1 was bound to find myway to this place. At
the close of the services the congregation dispers*
ed, and went to their respective homes, and in the
evening they came up for worship, and I was invited
to address them again. I endeavored to do so, and in
the course of my remarks I stated that there
Was some one present or in that neighborhood who
Would die before three weeks* Accordingly it
was so. This remark was regarded by many, and
iias often been the subject of conversation since, as I
have been informeds On the following Tuesday, I
left therefor a place called " Setaucket," where I stop1
ped with a family by the name of Tobias. I found
his lady to be an excellent woman, with them I spent
several days. While there I was informed that their
house was once the scene of fiddling and dancing,
until a Very serious circumstance occurred, which was
as followsOn one occasion they had fiddling and
dancing, when one of the party who had over exerted
himself upon the floor, retired to one side of the room,
and seated himself upon a chain While the merry
crowd were amusing themselves, one'of the guests1^
Btepped up and invited him to take another seat—-i
but lo ! the man was dead!—from the balhroom, hei
Went to the judgment seat of Christ. While in that)
Vicinity, I visited and preached in several places, toj
both white and colored, viz: Port Jefferson, Stony
Brook, Drowned Meadows, so called from the inunj
dation of the freshet which overflowed the flats]
Mount Misery^ which name took its origin frorcj.
a poor sailor, who was cast away in a great stormj,
while his comrades all perished. He was washeql
tipon the shore; while there his dying groans brough t
to his rescue some one, who by chance passed that
way .Also at a place called Old Man; from there I wenjfc
to Hiverhead, where I preached to a white congrei
8S>
gationr from these words, " And Moses said unto Mo-
bab, the son of Raguel, the Midianite, Moses' father-
in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which
the Lord said, I will give it you : come thou with us,
and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken
good concerning Israel."—Numbers x. 29. There
was an elderly gentleman quite corpulent, who seem¬
ed much pleased with the discourse, and said he had
been upon his journey a long while. The next place
I visited was called Flanders, where I held meeting
in. a country school house. While addressing the con¬
gregation, I was interrupted by a low bred person,
who was a pest to the community. On the following
morning I lelt for a place called Good-ground, where
I arrived about noon, and called upon a gentleman
by the name- of Allmon Squires, with whoca I took
dinner. Himself and lady were very kind, and urged
me to spend the night with them, but hearing of an
Indian settlement some mile and a half distant, I
preferred going there for the night. On my way
thither, in passing through a skirt of woods, I saw
,from the road side, two graves, one enclosed
/ while the other lay without, side by side; the one en¬
closed had a large marble tomb stone at the head,
(with this inscription upon it. " Here lies the remains
W the Rev. Paul Cutfee, who was educated by the
pew York Missionary Society and was sent as a mis¬
sionary to civilize this illmannered people called the
tChinecock tribe." This tribe owns some five hun¬
dred acres of land and have their own internal, laws-
inherent from their ancestors. The following is one
jof their laws in relation to marriage :
i No person is allowed to settle among them unless
(t>ne of the party, he or she, be wedded to a member of
Che tribe. In that case they are allowed to settle. They
follow for. a livelihood, fishing, gunning, &.c. The country
81
abounds with wild fowl. They seem to liaye no
disposition to cultivate the soil; hence thej derive
little or nothing but what grows spontaneously. The
tribe is quite civilized, and a^re very friendly and
hospitable. They had a missionary among them at
that time, by the name of Priest Benjamin. Among
this friendly people I staid some one or two weeks,
during which time I held several religious meetings
with them, and on the sabbath I was to take my
leave from them. I preached for them in the morn¬
ing, during which there was scarcely a dry eye in
the whole congregation. Since then I was inform¬
ed it produced abundant good. In the afternoon I
left.for a place called Southampton, where I preach¬
ed to a white Methodist congregation. The next
day, Monday, I left for " Sag Ilarbor." There I
found a colored church and congregation (who were
of the Zion connection,) foT whom I preached several
times, and then left for Greenport, which is the ex¬
treme end of Long Island, some ninety-five miles dis¬
tant from the city of New York. Greenport is loca¬
ted at the head of navigable waters where there is
every facility for the travelling public, between Bos¬
ton and New York. The town was in quite a flour¬
ishing condition, and bid fair to monopolize, and do
a considerable business. While at this place I stop¬
ped with a family named Boothe. I found himself
and lady to be very fine people. They lived very
comfortably, and had by their industry accumulated
quite a handsome little property.
82
CHAPTER X.
My Tour in the State of Connecticut-,
I arrived in New London Ct. on Christmas day,
184-i. This I found to be quite a large and flourish¬
ing town, located on the Quinebaug river, with some
five or six thousand inhabitants who were chiefly
engaged in farming and mechanical pursuits, and
to some extent in the Whale Fishery. While there,
I stopped with a colored family by the name of An¬
derson, There afe quite a number of colored peo¬
ple in that place who are living without any regular
established organized system of religion among them*
selves. During my stay I held meetings for them
several times, and then I left for the city of Norwich,
Ct. Ilere I found a still larger number of colored
people, who were more desirous of improvement in
social, moral and religious habits, for the accomplish¬
ment of which they had associated themselves in
times past, and built for themselves a meeting house,
but being of different opinions in relation to the mode
of religious worship dissensions, and divisions'had
crept in their midst, which finally resulted in serious
altercations, so much so that the house was closed^
and seldom ever opened for religious meetings except
when a stranger would pass along. On the eve of
my departure from them they urged me to visit them
again, which I promised to do within three weeks,
but was unable to do so, being more successful in
other places. From there I went to Stonington, Ct.
This is a town on the South-east coast on the L. I.
Sound. Its commercial interest is principally de¬
pendant upon the whale fishery, and its location also
affords very favorable facilities for the transportation
of merchandise and the traveling public. The col-
n
ttfed people of this place, number between one and
two hundred, and there having been no religious or*
ganization among them, for their social and moral
elevation, I called a meeting, and at the close of which
1 made known to them my mission. They at once
entered into the spirit of having a religious organiza¬
tion for their present and future happiness upon the
promise that I would return in the course of a few
days. I left for lands that I had not yet seen, and
Ivent to Providence, R. I. This I found to be a large
and flourishing city, with some thirty or forty thou¬
sand inhabitants. Its location is on Haraganset Bay,
and the inhabitants are chiefly employed in manu*
facturing pursuits. Here I spent several days, forming
acquaintances with friends whom I had not heretofore
seen. I found the colored people possessing much
intelligence and Very enterprising. There are very
inany of them who by their industry have amassed
a considerable amount of property.
Here I found the Rev. Jacob Matthews who had
the supervision of the A. M. E. Society for whom I
preached once or twice. While there I stopped with 1
a family by the name of Ilenson. I found this to be
an excellent family. I also formed a slight acquaint
tance With several other respectable families. This
ending my visit I left on a Saturday afternoon for
the purpose of returning to Stonington.
I went to the depot. The cars started and I sup¬
posed they were gone. I ran the length of the plat*
form for the purpose of jumping on board, reaching
the end before I was aware. I fell with my head
within a few inches of the rail, over which forty cars
\vere then passing and the bystanding crowd suppos¬
ing that -I was killed, rushed to see. Having the
presence of mind (as I fell) I rolled from the track.
Thus by the mercy of God I escaped premature death.
u
After recovering a little from my fright, I soon learn*
ed that the cars were not gone, but were running up
for the purpose of hitching to other cars. I seated
myself in the cars, and soon arrived at Stonington,
where I spent the Sabbath; and in the evening I
formed a Society of some sixteen members, unto whom
I preached occasionally through the winter, during
which time the Society increased to some thirty
members. "While absent from Stonington, I visited
a place called 11 Charlestown" (an Indian settlement
of the Naraganset tribe,) in the state of Rhode
Island, This tribe is quite civilized, and more in*-
habituated to agricultural pursuits, and were very
friendly and hospitable. They were engaged in hold¬
ing a series of religious meetings, which I found
productive of a good state of feeling in their midst
with several conversions. During my stay, I attend¬
ed many of their meetings and visited them in theif
families. I also was induced to visit their place of
burial, which was in the woods, and was not a little
amused while walking among the graves of their dead
in noticing their form of burial. Their graves were
(covered with brush, rubbish &c. Their tomb stones
'twere rough flagg. Beneath them lay the chieftain and
the man of war. During my stay I received an invi¬
tation to preach at a country farm house some three
miles distant. The night was extremely cold, being
|.n the middle of winter. The earth was clad in its
white garment of snow, upon which the hoary frost
was fast falling; while the moon shone with mag¬
nificent splendor and sparkling upon the bosom of"
the snow like the twinkling stars that guide the way¬
ward traveller upon his exploring expeditions in dis¬
tributing benevolence to his fellow-men-.
I From this place I returned to Stonington to visit
ihe infant Society that I had previously formed. After
85
Spending a day or two there I took a tour to Boston,
Massachusetts, where I spent a few days with kind
friends. I stopped with the family of the Rev. H. J.
Johnson. "While there I was taken sick, and receiv¬
ed the kindest treatment from himself and lady. On
recovering I left Boston, for Worcester, Ms. Here I
found the character of the colored people much degrad¬
ed with some few exceptions. I arrived in Worces¬
ter on a Friday evening, and stopped with a family
by the name of Hemanway, and while there they
gave me a full statement of the colored people of
that place, which was truly humiliating. However
I was anxious to get a meeting among them. Ac¬
cordingly on a Saturday morning I started out for
the purpose of giving notice that I would preach for
them on the sabbath, providing they would furnish a
place. In order to become satisfied with their con¬
dition, I went from house to house, and gave notice
to some ten or fifteen families, that I would hold' a
religious meeting for them on the following day (Sun¬
day,)
Finally it was agreed upon that the meeting should
"be held at the school house, that was occupied by a
colored school. An individual was sent to the school-l
mistress, to enquire whether the house could be sej*
cured. She informed the person that it could be sej
cured, and afterward took the key and placed it in
the hands of the school committee. Hence we were
disappointed in obtaining the house; the meeting
was therefore held at the house of Mrs. Banselea,
where we had some half dozen in attendance, one oJ[
whom had been very active in hunting for a placeJ,
and I was going to say, that he was so drunk
that he could not sit upon a chair, without falling.
With this state of things I became disgusted, and
despatched a man with a note to the pastor oi"
86
the Methodist Church, to know of him, if I could
have the use of his Rostrum, for the purpose of
holding a religious meeting. Upon his return, after
being some time absent, I asked him if he saw the
clergyman, to which he replied "he did" and that I
must go with him and see the gentleman; at this
suggestion I started off in company with him. But
not feeling in my own mind, that all things were
right, I asked him if he had seen the clergyman, and
what he said. " He said no, but I guess he wants to
see you."
At this moment I felt tried in my mind, and told
him to take the note and see that the gentleman read
it, and bring me a correct answer. "With this he
started off and did not return until late in the after¬
noon, when he stated that I was to meet the gentle¬
man at the vestry of his church about six o'clock in
the evening. Accordingly I met him there and he
asked what I wished. I asked him if he had not re¬
ceived a note from me that afternoon and if the note did
not state my wishes. At this he hemmed and hossed,
and said that he did not understand it. I then told
him that I was a stranger, and my errand was that
of a missionary, and I wished to secure his vestry,
Ifor the purpose of holding a religious meeting. He
asked me when. I stated whenever it would meet his
convenience, when it was finally agreed that I should
have it upon the following evening (Monday,) and
Stated he would give notice to his congregation, but
lie would not be present. Accordingly 011 Monday
evening I went to the vestry, where I found a group
of despicable colored people. Upon my entering the
pulpit they burst out into a roar of contemptible
laughter. After concluding the opening hymn, I
went to prayers, and asked God to have mercy upon,
and save those poor miserable wretched beings. Up-
87
on rising from my knees, and looking oyer the
room, I suppose that there were about a dozen persons
altogether, both white and colored, and in that num¬
ber there was but two respectable looking ones in the
company, and they were white ladies, and looked as
though they might be members of said church. I
stated that I did not think that there would be any
congregation there that night, and therefore I should
decline preaching and took up my hat and left. The
next day Fleft, and returned to Stonington, where I
spent some time in regulating the Society. And on
the first day of March, 1845, I started for Philadel¬
phia where I spent a few weeks with an intention to
return, after securing competent credentials from un¬
der the hands of Rev. Bishop Brown. While I was
at Philadelphia an individual by the name of T. James,
hearing of the Society at Stonington, and of my ab¬
sence he went there and succeeded iri Scattering the
people. I received a letter to that effect, anal
upon my return, I found that he had got one half ojf
the people disaffected, so much so that the entire pros*
pect was blasted. After remaining there a few days,
I left, and again visited Providence, II. I., and from
there to Boston, Mass. and then returned to Norwich,
Conn. I remained there until the annual conference iry.
New York city, where I met and joined the IniteranV-
cy and was sent to Norwich. During that year j[
purchased a lot of ground and built a church, getting?
quite a large congregation and established a sabbatE i
school, all of which was in a flourishing conditioiji
when I left at the end of the yearfor conference. Thi 5
following year, 1846,1 was sent to the city of Provil
dence, R. I., where I staid two years, during whicl(_
time I found that the Society had been established)
some nine years, and were still worshipping in a school
house that had been built by a company to whom it
88
belonged. Finding this to be the condition of the
people, I went to work and persuade them to buy the
house which they did. We then went to work and
remodelled and enlarged, and when finished, they
found themselves in possession of a handsome pro¬
perty.
^ During my two years in Providence, I found the
citizens, both white and colored, a very kind and in¬
teresting set of people.
I close by saying that I have been prompted by
the purest motives to write this brief Narrative. I
have written, hoping it may be a benefit to some in
whose hands it may perchance to fall. God's name
be glorified, and the aathor saved in the covenant of
His grace.
CHRISTMAS ADDRESS,
^Delivered before the Congregation of the First Colored Ameri¬
can Congregational Methodist Church, by the Pastor, Rev.
L. Tilmon, Dec. 25, 1853.
Dear Brethren and Sisters,
By the mercy cf Grod, many of us have been spared
to see another Christmas. While many since the
last, with whom we have often associated, are no
more—they have gone the way of all the earth. Dur¬
ing the past, we have experienced troubles too nu¬
merous to mention ; in the midst of which, we have
been compelled t< > break off our social relation from
the mother church. In consequence of which, many
[unpleasant things have been said about us, which
we have had to endure. Though we have been
persecuted, we have not been destroyed—cast down
but not forsaken—but we have been preserved in the
liour of temptation. Many with whom we have asso-
89
ciated in times past, and have walked together to
the house of Grod, have also become our enemies, for
some trivial cause or other. These things ought not
so to be, for they strew our pathway with sorrows
to the grave : while our pleasures are mingled with
grief. All this ariseth upon the ground of our cher¬
ishing those dissentions as did ancient Israel in the
wilderness, which greatly retarded their onward
Erogress to the land of their heavenly Canaan. This
as been our situation during the past year. In the
mean time when present, I have visited many of your
families and with you have mingled in the social
family circle.
And I have stood by the bed side of your sick
and dying—I have christened your children—I have
attended the funerals of your dead—I have walked
with you to the field of graves—I have married
your sons and your daughters. We are now upon
the eve of another year; and in view of the past,
we should let a different course of conduct mark:
the future. For we too, like our friends and acquaint^
ances are passing awayr and perhaps this may be our
last. Time will blot out our existence, and we shall
be as though we never were. "We should therefore
labor to cherish the highest regard one for the other.i
The peculiar circumstances with which we are sur-f
rounded, as a church demands our most serious at¬
tention for its future prosperity. The enemy of alfi
righteousness is upon the alert, therefore we need a
great deal of patience. As the Apostle says " Breth¬
ren ye have need of patience; after ye have donej
the will of God, that ye might receive the promise,.'*'
for these are the days that tries men's souls. Disap¬
pointments and diseases walk abroad in the land,
and in common with our fellow men we may expect
to share a portion. In our midst are the aged poor,
90
and the lonely widow—they too demand our care
and regard; for the Scripture tells us, " He that giv-
eth to the poor lendeth to the Lord." There are also
attached to our congregation many young people,
who need much instruction, both by way of precept
and example, to aid them on in the path of life, and
to induce others to seek an interest in the Saviour.
And there too is the Sabbath School room, which is
considered by some to be the minor department of
tfre church, upon which we cannot place too high
a regard, for it is the nursery, from which the church
among other sources must be perpetuated. This de¬
partment affords a field sufficiently large in which all
may find room to labor. This department also im¬
poses a duty upon parents, fathers, motheis, brothers
and sisters. To train up their children in their social
family circles around the hearth stone. Brethren
and Sisters, the above are some of the most serious
duties that demand our attention. We must there¬
fore look to the future as well as the present, for
both civil, political and religious institutions, have all
Aiad their rise and fall, and during their state of pros-
i perity, they have had to contend with all that were
\opposed to their rise and elevation. And we too,
may expect to share the same like afflictions, for we
have not yet reached the place of our destination,
out are in the wilderness.
When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies,
I'll bid farewell to every fear,
And wipe my weeping eyes.
There is a rest remaining for
The people of God.
91
TltE DESTINY OP MAN.
Man is formed for action, as well as for contempla»
tion. For this purpose there are interwoven in his
constitution, powers, principles, instincts, feelings, and
affections, which have a reference to his improvement
in virtue, and which excite him to promote the hap*
piness of others—these powers and active principles
like the intellectual, are susceptible of vast improve¬
ment, by attention, exercise, trials and difficulties, and
by an expansion of the intellectual views. Such are
filial and fraternal affection, fortitude, temperance,
justice, gratitude, generosity, love of friends and
country, philanthropy and general benevolence. De¬
generate as our world has always been, many striking
examples of such virtues have been displayed both
in ancient and modern times, which demonstrate the
Vigor, expansion and sublimity of the moral powers
of man.
When we behold men animated by noble senti¬
ments, exhibiting sublime virtues and performing il¬
lustrious actions—displaying generosity and benefi¬
cence in seasons of calamity and tranquillity, and for¬
titude in the midst of difficulties and dangers—-desir-j
ing riches only for the sake of distributing them—esf
timating places of po wer and honor, only for the sakle
of suppressing vice, rewarding virtue, and promoting
the prosperity of their country—suffering injuries ana
affronts with patience and serenity—stifling resent¬
ment when they have it in their power to inflict ven¬
geance—displaying kindness and generosity towardp
enemies and slanderers—vanquishing irascible pas¬
sions and licentious desires in the midst of the strong¬
est temptations—submitting to pain and disgrace in.
order to promote the prosperity of friends and rela-.
tives—and sacrificing repose, honors, wealth, and even
life itself, for the good of their country or for prof.
92
moting the best interests of the human race, we per¬
ceive in such examples features of the human mind
which mark its dignity and grandeur, and indeed its
destination to a higher scene of action and enjoy¬
ment.
Even in the annals of the pagan world, we find
many examples of such illustrious virtues—there we
read of Kegulus exposing himself to the most cruel
torments and to death itself, rather than suffer his ve¬
racity to be called in question—Of Phocion, who ex¬
posed himself to the fury of an enraged assembly, by
inveighing against the vices, and endeavoring to pro¬
mote the best interests of his countrymen—and gave
it as his last command to his son, when he was going
to execution, "that he should forget how ill the
Athenians had treated his father"—Of Cyrus, who
was possessed of wisdom, moderation, courage, mag¬
nanimity and noble sentiments, and who employed
them all to promote the happiness of his people—Of
Scipio, in whose actions the virtues of generosity and
liberality, goodness, gentleness, justice, magnanimity
and chastity shone with distinguished lustre—and
'of Damon and Pythias, who were knit together in the
bonds of friendship, which all the terrors of an igno¬
minious death could not dissolve. But of all the
characters of the heathen world, illustrious for virtue,
Aristrides appears to stand in the foremost rank, an
(Extraordinary greatness of soul, (says Rollin) made
iim superior to every passion, interest, pleasure, am-
pition, resentment, jealousy, were extinguished in
]him by the love of virtue and his country. The
inerit of others, instead of offending him, became his
iwn by the approbation he gave it. He rendered the
'^government of the Athenians amiable to their allies,
tfyy his mildness, goodness, humanity and justice. The
^disinterestedness he showed in the management of
93
the public treasure, and the love of poverty which,
he carried almost to an excess, are virtues so far su¬
perior to the practice of our age, that they scarce
seem credible to us. His conduct and principles were
always uniform, steadfast in the pursuit of whatever
he thought just—and incapable of the least falsehood
or shadow of flattery, disguise, or fraud, even in jest.
He had such a control over his passions that he uni¬
formly sacrificed his private interests and his private
resentments to the good of the public.
Themistocles was one of the principal actors who
procured his banishment from Athens, but after being
recalled, he assisted him on every occasion with his
advice and credit joyfully, taking pains to promote
the glory of his enemy through the motive of advan¬
cing the public good, and when afterwards the dis¬
grace of Themistocles gave him a proper opportunity
for revenge, instead of resenting the ill treatment he
had received from him, he constantly refused to joi4
with his enemies, being as far from secretly rejoicingt
over the misfortune of his adversary as he had been
before from being afflicted at his good success. Such
virtues reflect a dignity and grandeur on every mind)
in which they reside, which appear incompatible with,
the idea that it is destined to retire forever from the
scene of action at the hour of death.
But the noblest examples of exalted virtue, are to
be found among those who have enlisted themselves!
in the cause of Christianity. The Apostle-Paul was
an illustrious example of every thing that is noble ,
heroic, generous and benevolent in human conduct.
His soul was inspired with a holy ardor in promoting;
the best interest of mankind. To accomplish this ob -
ject, he parted with his friends and relatives—relin¬
quished his native country and every thing that wasj
dear to himself either as a Jew or as a Roman citizen,
04
and exposed himself to persecution and dangers of
every description.
Daring the prosecution of his benevolent career,
lie was " in journeying, often in perils of waters; in
perils of robbers 5 in perils by his own countrymen,
in perils by the heathen; in perils in the city; in
perils in the wilderness; in perils in the sea; in perils
among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness,
in watchings, often in hunger and thirst, in fasting,
often in stripes above measure, in cold and naked1
ness,"—yet none of these things moved him, nor did
he count his life dear to him, provided he. might fin*
ish his course with joy, and be instrumental in ac
complishing the present and eternal happiness of his
fellow-men. In every period of the Christian era,
similar characters have arisen to demonstrate the
power of virtue and to bless mankind. Our own age
and country have produced numerous philanthropic
characters, who have shone as lights in the moral
world, and have acted as benefactors to the human
race. The names of Alfred, Penn, Barnard, Eaikes,
Neilde, Clarkson, Sharpe, Buxton, Wilberforce,
[Venning, and many others, are familiar to every one
who is in the least acquainted with the annals of be*
:pevolence. The exertions which some of these in¬
dividuals have made in the cause of liberty—in
promoting the education of the young, in alleviat¬
ing the distresses of the poor, in meliorating the con-
i'dition of the prisoner, and in counteracting the abom¬
inable traffic in Slaves, will be felt as blessings con¬
ferred on mankind throughout succeeding genera¬
tions, and will doubtlass be held in everlasting remem¬
brance.
1 But among all the philanthropic characters of the
jpast or present age, the labors of the late Mr. Howard,
,btand pre-eminent. This illustrious man, from a prin-
fciple of pure benevolence, devoted the greater part
of his life to active beneficence, and to the alleviation
of human wretchedness in every country where he
travelled—diving into the depth of dungeons, and ex¬
posing himself to the infected atmosphere of hospitals
and jails, in order to meliorate the condition of the
unfortunate, and to allay the sufferings of the mourn¬
ful prisoner. In prosecuting the labors of love, he
travelled three times through France, four times
through Italy, once through Spain and Portugal, and
also through Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Poland and
part of the Turkish empire, surveying the haunts of
misery, and distributing benefits to mankind wherever
he appeared.
From realm to realm with cross or crescent crowned,
O'er burning sands, deep waves, or wilds of snow,
Mild Howard journeying, seeks for haunts of wo
Down many a winding step to dungeon dark—
Where anguish wails aloud and fetters clank.
To caves bestrewed with many a mouldering bone,
And cells whose echoes only learn to groan ;
"Where no kind ears a whispering friend disclose^*-
No sun-beam enters, and no zephyr blows*
lie treads, unconscious of fame or wealth,
Profuse of toil and prodigal of health ;
Leads stern-ey'd justice to the dark domains,
If not to sever, to relax the chains.
Gives to her babes the self-devoted wife
To her fond husband liberty and life.
Onward he goes; disease and death retire
And murmuring demons hate and admire.
Dakicb,
96
The African Chief, Brogart,
" Chained in the market place he stood
A man of giant frame
Amid the gathering multitude
That shrunk to hear his name.
All stern of look and strong of limb,
His dark eye on the ground,
And silently they gazed on him
As on a lion bound.
Yainly, but well that chief had fought,
He was a captive now,
Yet pride that fortune humbles not
Was written on his brow.
The scars his dark, broad bosom wore
Showed warrior true and brave,
A prince among his tribe before;
He could not be a slave.
Then to his conqueror he spake,
" My brother is a king;
Undo this necklace from my neck,
And take this bracelet ring,
And send them where my brother reigns,
And I will fill thy hand
With stores of ivory from the land"
And gold dust from the sands.
Not for thy ivory nor thy gold
Will I unbind thy chain ;
That bloody hand shall never hold
The battle spear again.
A price thy nation never gave
Shall yet be paid for thee,
For thou shalt be the Christian's slave
In lands beyond the sea.
97
Then wept the warrior chief and bade
To shred his locks away;
And one by one each heavy braid
Before the victor lay.
Thick were the plaited locks, and long
And deeply hidden there,
Shone many a ridge of gold, among
The dark and crispen hair.
Look, feast thy greedy eye with gold,
Long kept for direst need •
Take it—(thou askest sums untold)—»
And say that I am freed.
Take it—my wife, the long long day
"W"eeps by the cocoa tree,
And my young children leave their play,
And ask in vain for me.
I take thy gold—but I have made
Thy fetters fast and strong,
And mean that by the cocoa shade
Thy wife shall wait thee long.
Strong was the agony that shook
The captive's frame to hear,
And the proud meaning of his look
"Was changed to mortal fear.
His heart was broken, crazed his brain,
At once his eye grew wild.
He struggled fiercely with his chain,
"Whispered, and wept and smiled;
Yet wore not long those fatal bands
For once, at shut of day,
They drew him forth upon the sands
The foul hyena's prey.