that unrighteous bill, they and their pro-slavery accomplices at the
North became more bold.
One day, while Mr. Crafts was busy in his shop, he received a visit from
a man by the name of Knight, who used to work in the same shop with him
in Georgia. He professed to be much pleased to see William again, and
invited him to walk round the streets and show him the curiosities of
Boston. Mr. Crafts told him he had work to do, and was very busy. The
next day he tried again; but finding Mr. Crafts still too busy to walk
with him, he said: "I wish you would come to see me at the United States
Hotel, and bring your wife with you. She would like to hear from her
mother. If you want to send letters to Georgia, I will take them for
you." This was followed by a badly spelled note to Mr. Crafts, informing
him that he was going to leave Boston early the next morning, and if he
wanted to send a letter to Georgia he must bring it to him at the hotel
after tea. Mr. Crafts smiled that he should think him silly enough to
walk into such an open trap. Mr. Knight had told him that he came to
Boston alone; but when he questioned the hotel-servant who brought the
note, he was told that a Mr. Hughes from Georgia accompanied him. Mr.
Hughes was a notorious slave-catcher, and the jailer of Macon. Mr.
Crafts continued to work at his shop; but he kept the door locked, and a
loaded pistol beside him.
Finding that his intended victim was too much on his guard to be caught
by trickery, Mr. Hughes applied to the United States Court in Boston and
obtained a warrant to arrest William and Ellen Crafts as fugitive
slaves. This produced tremendous excitement. The Abolitionists were
determined that they should not be carried back into Slavery. They had
people everywhere on the watch, and employed lawyers to throw all manner
of difficulties in the way of the slave-hunters, whose persons and
manners were described in the newspapers in a way by no means agreeable
to them. The colored people held large meetings, and passed various
spirited resolutions, among which was the following: "_Resolved_, Man
wills us slaves, but God wills us free. We will as God wills. God's will
be done." Two hundred of them armed themselves and vowed that they would
defend William and Ellen Crafts to the death. Mr. Crafts said very
calmly, but very resolutely, that they should never take him alive.
Hughes the slave-catcher swore: "I'll have 'em if I stay in Boston to
all eternity. If there a'n't men enough in Massachusetts to take 'em,
I'll bring men from Georgia." Merchants in Boston, thinking only of
their trade with the South, sympathized with those men engaged in such a
base calling; and the United States officials did all they could to help
them. But though they received countenance and aid from many influential
men in Boston, those hirelings of Slavery could not help feeling ashamed
of their business. They complained that the boys in the streets hooted
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account