the narrative of the life-第2章

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his　own　Narrative；　in　his　own　style；　and　according

to　the　best　of　his　ability；　rather　than　to　employ　some

one　else。　　It　is；　therefore；　entirely　his　own　produc…

tion；　and；　considering　how　long　and　dark　was　the　ca…

reer　he　had　to　run　as　a　slave；how　few　have　been　his

opportunities　to　improve　his　mind　since　he　broke　his

iron　fetters；it　is；　in　my　judgment；　highly　creditable

to　his　head　and　heart。　　He　who　can　peruse　it　without

a　tearful　eye；　a　heaving　breast；　an　afflicted　spirit；

without　being　filled　with　an　unutterable　abhorrence

of　slavery　and　all　its　abettors；　and　animated　with　a

determination　to　seek　the　immediate　overthrow　of

that　execrable　system；without　trembling　for　the

fate　of　this　country　in　the　hands　of　a　righteous　God；

who　is　ever　on　the　side　of　the　oppressed；　and　whose

arm　is　not　shortened　that　it　cannot　save；must　have

a　flinty　heart；　and　be　qualified　to　act　the　part　of　a

trafficker　〃in　slaves　and　the　souls　of　men。〃　　I　am　con…

fident　that　it　is　essentially　true　in　all　its　statements；

that　nothing　has　been　set　down　in　malice；　nothing

exaggerated；　nothing　drawn　from　the　imagination；

that　it　comes　short　of　the　reality；　rather　than　over…

states　a　single　fact　in　regard　to　SLAVERY　AS　IT　IS。

The　experience　of　FREDERICK　DOUGLASS；　as　a　slave；

was　not　a　peculiar　one；　his　lot　was　not　especially

a　hard　one；　his　case　may　be　regarded　as　a　very　fair

specimen　of　the　treatment　of　slaves　in　Maryland；　in

which　State　it　is　conceded　that　they　are　better　fed

and　less　cruelly　treated　than　in　Georgia；　Alabama；

or　Louisiana。　　Many　have　suffered　incomparably

more；　while　very　few　on　the　plantations　have　suf…

fered　less；　than　himself。　　Yet　how　deplorable　was　his

situation！　what　terrible　chastisements　were　inflicted

upon　his　person！　what　still　more　shocking　outrages

were　perpetrated　upon　his　mind！　with　all　his　noble

powers　and　sublime　aspirations；　how　like　a　brute

was　he　treated；　even　by　those　professing　to　have　the

same　mind　in　them　that　was　in　Christ　Jesus！　to　what

dreadful　liabilities　was　he　continually　subjected！　how

destitute　of　friendly　counsel　and　aid；　even　in　his

greatest　extremities！　how　heavy　was　the　midnight　of

woe　which　shrouded　in　blackness　the　last　ray　of　hope；

and　filled　the　future　with　terror　and　gloom！　what

longings　after　freedom　took　possession　of　his　breast；

and　how　his　misery　augmented；　in　proportion　as　he

grew　reflective　and　intelligent；thus　demonstrating

that　a　happy　slave　is　an　extinct　man！　how　he

thought；　reasoned；　felt；　under　the　lash　of　the　driver；

with　the　chains　upon　his　limbs！　what　perils　he　en…

countered　in　his　endeavors　to　escape　from　his　hor…

rible　doom！　and　how　signal　have　been　his　deliverance

and　preservation　in　the　midst　of　a　nation　of　pitiless

enemies！

　

　　This　Narrative　contains　many　affecting　incidents；

many　passages　of　great　eloquence　and　power；　but　I

think　the　most　thrilling　one　of　them　all　is　the　de…

scription　DOUGLASS　gives　of　his　feelings；　as　he　stood

soliloquizing　respecting　his　fate；　and　the　chances　of

his　one　day　being　a　freeman；　on　the　banks　of　the

Chesapeake　Bayviewing　the　receding　vessels　as　they

flew　with　their　white　wings　before　the　breeze；　and

apostrophizing　them　as　animated　by　the　living　spirit

of　freedom。　　Who　can　read　that　passage；　and　be　in…

sensible　to　its　pathos　and　sublimity？　　Compressed

into　it　is　a　whole　Alexandrian　library　of　thought；

feeling；　and　sentimentall　that　can；　all　that　need　be

urged；　in　the　form　of　expostulation；　entreaty；　rebuke；

against　that　crime　of　crimes；making　man　the　prop…

erty　of　his　fellow…man！　　O；　how　accursed　is　that

system；　which　entombs　the　godlike　mind　of　man；

defaces　the　divine　image；　reduces　those　who　by　crea…

tion　were　crowned　with　glory　and　honor　to　a　level

with　four…footed　beasts；　and　exalts　the　dealer　in　hu…

man　flesh　above　all　that　is　called　God！　　Why　should

its　existence　be　prolonged　one　hour？　　Is　it　not　evil；

only　evil；　and　that　continually？　　What　does　its　pres…

ence　imply　but　the　absence　of　all　fear　of　God；　all

regard　for　man；　on　the　part　of　the　people　of　the

United　States？　　Heaven　speed　its　eternal　overthrow！

　

　　So　profoundly　ignorant　of　the　nature　of　slavery

are　many　persons；　that　they　are　stubbornly　incredu…

lous　whenever　they　read　or　listen　to　any　recital　of

the　cruelties　which　are　daily　inflicted　on　its　victims。

They　do　not　deny　that　the　slaves　are　held　as　prop…

erty；　but　that　terrible　fact　seems　to　convey　to　their

minds　no　idea　of　injustice；　exposure　to　outrage；　or

savage　barbarity。　　Tell　them　of　cruel　scourgings；　of

mutilations　and　brandings；　of　scenes　of　pollution

and　blood；　of　the　banishment　of　all　light　and　knowl…

edge；　and　they　affect　to　be　greatly　indignant　at　such

enormous　exaggerations；　such　wholesale　misstate…

ments；　such　abominable　libels　on　the　character　of

the　southern　planters！　　As　if　all　these　direful　outrages

were　not　the　natural　results　of　slavery！　　As　if　it　were

less　cruel　to　reduce　a　human　being　to　the　condition

of　a　thing；　than　to　give　him　a　severe　flagellation；

or　to　deprive　him　of　necessary　food　and　clothing！

As　if　whips；　chains；　thumb…screws；　paddles；　blood…

hounds；　overseers；　drivers；　patrols；　were　not　all　in…

dispensable　to　keep　the　slaves　down；　and　to　give

protection　to　their　ruthless　oppressors！　　As　if；　when

the　marriage　institution　is　abolished；　concubinage；

adultery；　and　incest；　must　not　necessarily　abound；

when　all　the　rights　of　humanity　are　annihilated；　any

barrier　remains　to　protect　the　victim　from　the　fury

of　the　spoiler；　when　absolute　power　is　assumed　over

life　and　liberty；　it　will　not　be　wielded　with　destruc…

tive　sway！　　Skeptics　of　this　character　abound　in　so…

ciety。　　In　some　few　instances；　their　incredulity　arises

from　a　want　of　reflection；　but；　generally；　it　indicates

a　hatred　of　the　light；　a　desire　to　shield　slavery　from

the　assaults　of　its　foes；　a　contempt　of　the　colored

race；　whether　bond　or　free。　　Such　will　try　to　discredit

the　shocking　tales　of　slaveholding　cruelty　which　are

recorded　in　this　truthful　Narrative；　but　they　will

labor　in　vain。　　Mr。　DOUGLASS　has　frankly　disclosed

the　place　of　his　birth；　the　names　of　those　who

claimed　ownership　in　his　body　and　soul；　and　the

names　also　of　those　who　committed　the　crimes　which

he　has　alleged　against　them。　　His　statements；　there…

fore；　may　easily　be　disproved；　if　they　are　untrue。

　

　　In　the　course　of　his　Narrative；　he　relates　two　in…

stances　of　murderous　cruelty；in　one　of　which　a

planter　deliberately　shot　a　slave　belonging　to　a　neigh…

boring　plantation；　who　had　unintentionally　gotten

within　his　lordly　domain　in　quest　of　fish；　and　in　the

other；　an　overseer　blew　out　the　brains　of　a　slave　who

had　fled　to　a　stream　of　water　to　escape　a　bloody

scourging。　　Mr。　DOUGLASS　states　that　in　neither　of

these　instances　was　any　thing　done　by　way　of　legal

arrest　or　judicial　investigation。　　The　Baltimore　Amer…

ican；　of　March　17；　1845；　relates　a　similar　case　of

atrocity；　perpetrated　with　similar　impunityas　fol…

lows：〃~Shooting　a　slave。~We　learn；　upon　the　au…

thority　of　a　letter　from　Charles　county；　Maryland；

received　by　a　gentleman　of　this　city；　that　a　young

man；　named　Matthews；　a　nephew　of　General　Mat…

thews；　and　whose　father；　it　is　believed；　holds　an　of…

fice　at　Washington；　killed　one　of　the　slaves　upon　his

father's　farm　by　shooting　him。　　The　letter　states　that

young　Matthews　had　been　left　in　charge　of　the　farm；

that　he　gave　an　order　to　the　servant；　which　was　dis…

obeyed；　when　he　proceeded　to　the　house；　~obtained

a　gun；　and；　returning；　shot　the　servant。~　　He　immedi…

ately；　the　letter　continues；　fled　to　his　father's　resi…

dence；　where　he　still　remains　unmolested。〃Let　it

never　be　forgotten；　that　no　slaveholder　or　overseer

can　be　convicted　of　any　outrage　perpetrated　on　the

person　of　a　slave；　however　diabolical　it　may　be；　on

the　testimony　of　colored　witnesses；　whether　bond

or　free。　　By　the　slave　code；　they　are　adjudged　to　be

as　incompetent　to　testify　against　a　white　man；　as

though　they　were　indeed　a　part　of　the　brute　creation。

Hence；　there　is　no　legal　protection　in　fact；　whatever

there　may　be　in　form；　for　the　slave　population；　and

any　amount　of　cruelty　may　be　inflicted　on　them

with　impunity。　　Is　it　possible　for　the　human　mind

to　conceive　of　a　more　horrible　state　of　society？

　

　　The　effect　of　a　religious　profession　on　the　conduct

of　southern　masters　is　vividly　described　in　the　fol…

lowing　Narrative；　and　shown　to　be　any　thing　but

salutary。　　In　the　nature　of　the　case；　it　must　be　in

the　highest　degree　pernicious。　　The　testimony　of　Mr。

DOUGLASS；　on　this　point；　is　sustained　by　a　cloud　of

witnesses；　whose　veracity　is　unimpeachable。　　〃A　slave…

holder's　profession　of　Christianity　is　a　palpable　im…

posture。　　He　is　a　felon　of　the　highest　grade。　　He　is　a

man…stealer。　　It　is　of　no　importance　what　you　put　in

the　other　scale。〃

　

　　Reader！　are　you　with　the　man…stealers　in　sympathy

and　purpose；　or　on　the　side　of　their　down…trodden

victims？　　If　with　the　former；　then　are　you　the　foe　of

God　and　man。　　If　with　the　latter；　what　are　you　pre…

pared　to　do　and　dare　in　their　behalf？　　Be　faithful；

be　vigilant；　be　untiring　in　your　efforts　to　break　every

yoke；　and　let　the　oppressed　go　free。　　Come　what　may

cost　what　it　mayinscribe　on　the　banner　which

you　unfurl　to　the　breeze；　as　your　religious　and　po…

litical　motto〃NO　COMPROMISE　WITH　SLAVERY！　　NO

UNION　WITH　SLAVEHOLDERS！〃

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WM。　LLOYD　GARRISON

BOSTON；　~May~　1；　1845。

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LETTER

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FROM　WENDELL　PHILLIPS；　ESQ。

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOSTON；　APRIL　22；　1845。

　

　　My　Dear　Friend：

　

　　You　remember　the　old　fable　of　〃The　Man　and

the　Lion；〃　where　the　lion　complained　that　he　should

not　be　so　misrepresented　〃when　the　lions　wrote　his…

tory。〃

　

　　I　am　glad　the　time　has　come　when　the　〃lions

write　history。〃　　We　have　been　left　long　enough　to

gather　the　character　of　slavery　from　the　involuntary

evidence　of　the　masters。　　One　might；　indeed；　rest

sufficiently　satisfied　with　what；　it　is　evident；　must

be；　in　general；　the　results　of　such　a　relation；　with…

out　seeking　farther　to　find　whether　they　have　fol…

lowed　in　every　instance。　　Indeed；　those　who　stare　at

the　half…peck　of　corn　a　week；　and　love　to　count　the

lashes　on　the　slave's　back；　are　seldom　the　〃stuff〃　out

of　which　reformers　and　abolitionists　are　to　be　made。

I　remember　that；　in　1838；　many　were　waiting　for

the　results　of　the　West　India　experiment；　before

they　could　come　into　our　ranks。　　Those　〃results〃　have

come　long　ago；　but；　alas！　few　of　that　number　have

come　with　them；　as　converts。　　A　man　must　be　dis…

posed　to　judge　of　emancipation　by　other　tests　than

whether　it　has　increased　the　produce　of　sugar；and

to　hate　slavery　for　other　reasons　than　because　it

starves　men　and　whips　women；before　he　is　ready

to　lay　the　first　stone　of　his　anti…slavery　l