running a thousand miles for freedom-第13章

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　knew　the　steamer　would　come　full　from　Boston；　and　therefore　we　had　〃bet…　ter　try　to　get　to　Liverpool　by　other　means。〃　Other　mean　Yankee　excuses　were　made；　and　it　was　not　till　an　influential　gentleman；　to　whom　Mr。　Francis　Jackson；　of　Boston；　kindly　gave　us　a　letter；　went　and　rebuked　them；　that　we　were　able　to　secure　our　tickets。　　So　when　we　went　on　board　my　wife　was　very　poorly；　and　was　also　so　ill　on　the　voyage　that　I　did　not　believe　she　could　live　to　see　Liverpool。

However；　I　am　thankful　to　say　she　arrived；　and；　after　laying　up　at　Liverpool　very　ill　for　two　or　three　weeks；　gradually　recovered。

It　was　not　until　we　stepped　upon　the　shore　at　Liverpool　that　we　were　free　from　every　slavish　fear。

We　raised　our　thankful　hearts　to　Heaven；　and　could　have　knelt　down；　like　the　Neapolitan　exiles；　and　kissed　the　soil；　for　we　felt　that　from　slavery


〃Heaven　sure　had　kept　this　spot　of　earth　uncurs'd；　　To　show　how　all　lthings　were　created　first。〃


In　a　few　days　after　we　landed；　the　Rev。　Francis　Bishop　and　his　lady　came　and　invited　us　to　be　their　guests；　to　whose　unlimited　kindness　and　watchful　care　my　wife　owes；　in　a　great　degree；　her　restoration　to　health。

We　enclosed　our　letter　from　the　Rev。　Mr。　May　to　Mr。　Estlin；　who　at　once　wrote　to　invite　us　to　his　house　at　Bristol。　　On　arriving　there；　both　Mr。　and　Miss　Estlin　received　us　as　cordially　as　did　our　first　good　Quaker　friends　in　Pennsylvania。　　It　grieves　me　much　to　have　to　mention　that　he　is　no　more。　Everyone　who　knew　him　can　truthfully　say



〃Peace　to　the　memory　of　a　man　of　worth；　A　man　of　letters；　and　of　manners　too！　Of　manners　sweet　as　Virtue　always　wears　When　gay　Good…nature　dresses　her　in　smiles。〃


It　was　principally　through　the　extreme　kindness　of　Mr。　Estlin；　the　Right　Hon。　Lady　Noel　Byron；　Miss　Harriet　Martineau；　Mrs。　Reid；　Miss　Sturch；　and　a　few　other　good　friends；　that　my　wife　and　myself　were　able　to　spend　a　short　time　at　a　school　in　this　country；　to　acquire　a　little　of　that　education　which　we　were　so　shamefully　deprived　of　while　in　the　house　of　bondage。　　The　school　is　under　the　super…　vision　of　the　Misses　Lushington；　D。C。L。　　During　our　stay　at　the　school　we　received　the　greatest　atten…　tion　from　every　one；　and　I　am　particularly　indebted　to　Thomas　Wilson；　Esq。；　of　Bradmore　House；　Chis…　wick；　（who　was　then　the　master；）　for　the　deep　interest　he　took　in　trying　to　get　me　on　in　my　studies。　　We　shall　ever　fondly　and　gratefully　cherish　the　memory　of　our　endeared　and　departed　friend；　Mr。　Estlin。　　We；　as　well　as　the　Anti…Slavery　cause；　lost　a　good　friend　in　him。　　However；　if　departed　spirits　in　Heaven　are　conscious　of　the　wickedness　of　this　world；　and　are　allowed　to　speak；　he　will　never　fail　to　plead　in　the　presence　of　the　angelic　host；　and　before　the　great　and　just　Judge；　for　down…　trodden　and　outraged　humanity。


〃Therefore　I　cannot　think　thee　wholly　gone；　　　The　better　part　of　thee　is　with　us　still；　　Thy　soul　its　hampering　clay　aside　hath　thrown；　　　And　only　freer　wrestles　with　the　ill。


〃Thou　livest　in　the　life　of　all　good　things；　　　What　words　thou　spak'st　for　Freedom　shall　not　die；　　Thou　sleepest　not；　for　now　thy　Love　hath　wings　　　To　soar　where　hence　thy　hope　could　hardly　fly。


〃And　often；　from　that　other　world；　on　this　　　Some　gleams　from　great　souls　gone　before　may　shine；　　To　shed　on　struggling　hearts　a　clearer　bliss；　　　And　clothe　the　Right　with　lustre　more　divine。


〃Farewell！　good　man；　good　angel　now！　this　hand　　　Soon；　like　thine　own；　shall　lose　its　cunning；　too；　　Soon　shall　this　soul；　like　thine；　bewildered　stand；　　　Then　leap　to　thread　the　free　unfathomed　blue。〃


JAMES　RUSSELL　LOWELL。





In　the　preceding　pages　I　have　not　dwelt　upon　the　great　barbarities　which　are　practised　upon　the　slaves；　because　I　wish　to　present　the　system　in　its　mildest　form；　and　to　show　that　the　〃tender　mercies　of　the　wicked　are　cruel。〃　　But　I　do　now；　however；　most　solemnly　declare；　that　a　very　large　majority　of　the　American　slaves　are　over…worked；　under…fed；　and　frequently　unmercifully　flogged。

I　have　often　seen　slaves　tortured　in　every　con…　ceivable　manner。　　I　have　seen　him　hunted　down　and　torn　by　bloodhounds。　　I　have　seen　them　shamefully　beaten；　and　branded　with　hot　irons。　　I　have　seen　them　hunted；　and　even　burned　alive　at　the　stake；　frequently　for　offences　that　would　be　applauded　if　committed　by　white　persons　for　similar　purposes。

In　short；　it　is　well　known　in　England；　if　not　all　over　the　world；　that　the　Americans；　as　a　people；　are　notoriously　mean　and　cruel　towards　all　coloured　persons；　whether　they　are　bond　or　free。



　　　　　〃Oh；　tyrant；　thou　who　sleepest　　On　a　volcano；　from　whose　pent…up　wrath；　　Already　some　red　flashes　bursting　up；　　Beware！〃






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