Morning Star

For the Morning Star.
RECOLLECTIONS. NO. 5.
When residing in the town of F., Me., a fugitive slave, on his way to Canada, passed through that beautiful village. One morning, while I was engaged in domestic duties, a neighboring gentleman sent one of his sons, requesting me to come up to his house immediately. Thinking it very strange, but supposing that it had some connection with Anti-slavery, I immediately arose and went, and upon my arrival, I was introduced to a fine mulatto, who had just escaped from slavery, and was on his way to Canada. He had been a cook at Barnum's hotel, Baltimore. He had been from there about three weeks. He still wore his slave dress, and gave conclusive evidence that he was a true man, but had been owned as a chattel. I asked him to tell me his history, but he declined, saying, "have been deceived so much by white men, I know not whom to trust."
After being assured that I was his friend, he gave me the following narrative He belonged to Mr. Barnum of Baltimore--as cook. Many years before, B. sent him to Washington, to learn French cookery, telling him that if he would be a good boy, he should have the privilege of selling "the scrapings of the plate, (victuals that remained at meals after the company had retired), and when he could save $800 or $900 he should be free. Animated with the hope of liberty, he toiled on many a long and weary year, till at length he succeeded in raising the required sum; but when he demanded his liberty, his master kicked him down stairs, and refused to let him go. He then resolved to seek the free north. He ran away, but was pursued by the dogs, overtaken and carried back. He bore the mark of his capture, on his ankles where the dogs bit him, and on his wrists where he was bound. He received for this offence, 39 lashes upon his bare back, which was all the city law would allow. Not content with his lot, he determined to try again. For some time he attended to his kitchen duties with apparent contentment, but meditating his escape. From some cause his master became somewhat suspicious. that Pete might seek again to steal himself from his master, and although he was a valuable slave, he had serious thoughts of selling him to a slave driver, for a more southern market. One day, Pete, hearing a stranger say to his master, "I am collecting a drove for Georgia, and the best thing you can do with him is to sell him south, and I shall be ready in about a week and will call and take him," became alarmed, and resolved to make one more effort to be a man. Accordingly he obtained free papers from a broken down drunken lawyer, and went down to the shipping to find a passage north. After satisfying the captain that he was a free "boy," he engaged to come on board next morning. Previous to this he feigned himself sick, and his master had sent him to a hospital kept by a colored woman, charging him to let him see him every day, and get well as soon as possible.
He returned to his lodgings, and remained till morning. But O what a night. Hope and fear agitated his bosom, and he spent a sleepless night, anxiously waiting the dawn of that day that was to seal his hopes of freedom forever. At early dawn, he arose, and went on board of a vessel bound for Bath, Me., just as she was getting under-way. A pleasant breeze wafted them down the Chesapeake, and in the ecstasy of his joy, he clapped his hands and said (to himself) "catch me, if you can." "The dogs wont scent my track this time." In about a week, he arrived at Bath. But he did not feel safe there. He crossed the Kennebec, and pursued his journey, not knowing whither he went. Sometimes he slept in barns and begging to cross a toll bridge, he was arrested as a slave by a man whom he recollected of having seen at his old master's hotel, and who owned about 60 slaves in Maryland. But the slave-holder had neither legal nor physical power to arrest him, and he was permitted to pass on. He was, at another time, annoyed by a man who owned slaves in Georgia; and although in a free State, he did not feel safe. The blood-hounds of slavery might pursue him. Passing through the town of I., he called at a house and asked a piece of meat. The kind lady urged him to stop and have some dinner, assuring him that he had nothing to fear. they were abolitionists. But this was no comfort to him, for he had been taught that abolitionists stole negroes from their masters and sold them to Georgia. They gave him some meat, and he went his way.
Before he arrived at F., a gentleman, riding in a wagon, overtook him, of whom he begged the privilege of riding in the wagon behind him, assuring him that he always rather ride behind a gentleman. When Mr. M., the gentleman with whom he was riding, talked with him about religion, he took satisfaction and was comforted; but when Mr. M. told him he was an abolitionist, he was frightened, and wished to ride no farther. He felt that his troubles would never have an end. At F. he found a colored man and wished to stay with him; but, alas, he had no home for himself. He went to a tavern, but he soon saw the landlord and another man in close and private conversation, occasionally glancing their eyes toward him, and his fears were greatly excited and he left the house. At another house he sought rest for the night, and was conducted to an upper apartment, where he endeavored to forget his troubles in sleep. But soon he heard the sound of footsteps approaching his door. The friends of the slave had heard of his arrival, and, like the good Samaritan, had come to congratulate him on his happy escape. But he knew not that it was a friend. He thought that the hour of his capture had come. There was no way for an escape. But he was soon assured that he was safe, and among friends, and that nothing should in any way hurt or harm him. The next morning I was introduced to him, as related at the beginning of this article. He remained with us at F. a few days, and after clothing him for a winter tramp, we gave him money and sent him on his way to a land where whips and chains are not used to torture the image of God, to a land where the slaveholder has no power.
He was an intelligent slave, and gave me many interesting facts concerning slavery, spoke of Nat Turner's insurrection correctly. He said, however, that slaves had not spirit enough to rise; they were kept down and humbled, and there was no hope for them.
This story shows that the slaves are not contented with their lot. It is an insult to our common humanity to say they are. And if it were true, it is the worst thing charged upon the accursed system. It degrades one made in the image of God, until he is contented to be bought and sold in the market, and treated in every respect as a thing. O slavery, what hast thou done? It shows that gross deception is practiced upon the slaves. They are promised their freedom on hard conditions, and when these are performed denied the boon for which they have toiled.
W.