The Fugitive Slave Law and Its Victims: Anti-Slavery Tracts No. 18May, Samuel
History
The Fugitive Slave Law and Its Victims: Anti-Slavery Tracts No. 18
May, Samuel
Fugitive slaves -- United States; United States -- Fugitive slave law (1850)
Extract from a sermon recently delivered in Cleveland, Ohio, by Rev.
H. BUSHNELL, from the following text: "And it was so, that all that
saw it, said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that
the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this
day: CONSIDER OF IT, TAKE ADVICE, AND SPEAK YOUR MINDS."--JUDGES
XIX: 30.
A few weeks ago, just at dawn of day, might be seen a company
of strangers crossing the winter bridge over the Ohio River,
from the State of Kentucky, into the great city of our own
State, whose hundred church-spires point to heaven, telling
the travellers that in this place the God of Abraham was
worshipped, and that here Jesus the Messiah was known, and
his religion of love taught and believed. And yet, no one
asked them in or offered them any hospitality, or sympathy,
or assistance. After wandering from street to street, a poor
laboring man gave them the shelter of his humble cabin, for
they were strangers and in distress. Soon it was known abroad
that this poor man had offered them the hospitalities of his
home, and a rude and ferocious rabble soon gathered around
his dwelling, demanding his guests. With loud clamor and
horrid threatening they broke down his doors, and rushed upon
the strangers. They were an old man and his wife, their
daughter and her husband with four children; and they were of
the tribe of slaves fleeing from a bondage which was worse
than death. There was now no escape--the tribes of Israel had
banded against them. On the side of the oppressor there is
power. And the young wife and mother, into whose very soul
the iron had entered, hearing the cry of the master: "Now
we'll have you all!" turning from the side of her husband and
father, with whom she had stood to repel the foe, seized a
knife, and with a single blow nearly severed the head from
the body of her darling daughter, and throwing its bloody
corpse at his feet, exclaimed, "Yes, you _shall_ have us all!
take that!" and with another blow inflicted a ghastly wound
upon the head of her beautiful son, repeating, "Yes, you
_shall_ have us all--take that!" meanwhile calling upon her
old mother to help her in the quick work of emancipation--for
there were two more. But the pious old grandmother could not
do it, and it was now too late--the rescuers had subdued and
bound them. They were on their way back to the house of their
bondage--a life more bitter than death! On their way through
that city of churches whose hundred spires told of Jesus and
the good Father above; on their way amid the throng of
Christian men, whose noble sires had said and sung, "Give me
_liberty_, or give me _death_."
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account