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Selections: Manstealing

Selections: Manstealing image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
December
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

F'ive j-enrsago, 1 was al the South, tnd as irivited to prcacli. My brethren trend me with all kindn'ess and hospilality, 'ter the first shock was over; for they id heard that I was an abolitionist, and ley expecled to see some horrid crcature. ho would eat them up alive, slaves md 11. One day I was invited to dihe '.vith number of clergymen. AHef dinner, ley attacked me on the subject of aboliion. "Yery well," said I, ':wherever I :m, 1 am ready to give my opinión, if :alled upon to do so; but 1 am a blunt naii. I do not minee matters. I let the ruth go, hit where it will. That is tny ivay, and now, if-you wish to hear me l im ready to talk on abolition." "O yes," said they, "we like that - go on. Yuu, northern men,' they continued, 'talk véry hard against slavery and slavohóldors. - You cali us robbers and manstealers-ani ow, we want y ou to niake il out, that were menstealers! You say that evcry íañ that holds slaves s a nnn stealer. - ríow do yon inake that out ?" "Well,1 aid t, 'I will tell you; but you must alow me to do it in the Yankee fashion by isking questions. There h a slave ship' on tlie óoast of África. Her creV go up into íhé interior nnd' ftná a. man, wHöfri' they catch, and bií.d him hand and foot, and take him on board with ihcin'.ention of bringmg liinifo" America, and selling him, in your market, inlo perpetual bondage. They aro men stealers, are they not1?" 'Yes." "They stole a man, did'nt they?" "Yes." "And whomdid they stoal him from?" "VV-h-} " "They stole aman, did'nt they?" "Yes." "And from whom did they steal him? Tell me tlm!.-" "5?tole him from W-li-v ""Well, l'll teil you who iliev' stole him from. They slole him fiom God, who was his rightful owner. They stole him from bimself, to whcm God liad committed, in tiusl, his soul nnd body. The man stéaiéA bring their victim to yourshores and sell him to a Virginia planter. ATiJ now by what title doos thia Virginia planter hold liis slaveï 11 e has bought him, and paid for him; but what is his tule!" They did not core to answer. They stule the man from God, of course, they cóuld3 get no title froni him. All the title they have got is a mansteaier's title. And that is what thny have sold to the Virginia planter. He has bought a manstcaler's title, and thcrefore, he is a manslealpr, is he not?" "Well, Í suppose ho is," aid Doctor , "but that is not our case. We did not goto África to get our slaves, neiiher did we buy them of kidnappers. We inherited them, and you have no righttocall us manstealers." "But I must cali yoü mnn-stealers. Ilow can I help it ? You hoïd your slaves under a man-slealer.s title. Your title loa stolen horse is none the botter for having passed.through a dozen hands before iL feil iiito yours." "Cut thfn," said :hcy, "we treal our slaven kmdly." :'It at'ters not," I replied, "hów kind ycu aro to your slaves, and I am not going to dispute you on' that point. I presume yon treat them as wcll as yoi; can- as welf as you'darc; but that' is not thé q'uestion. Yoü'nro mën-stealërs, thbugh' you treai vour slafes ever" so kindly. Tho man'ivlio buys a home, knówing h'nn 16 bé stolen, s none the Igks a horso tliiel', though ie iVcd hinv oñ the best hay his barn nfoiV.s." Tliev could not gainsay ir - and' hey had the candor to confrss that, alhough the charge of man-stealcr vas a heuvy ono; vet there wns too rnnch erround for it. I did not fnil to warn tliem cóhcói'ning tlie sin off-lnver'y. ilh an nchiiig licart 1 warned thera of thr jugiiiculs of insultad lunven, wluch 'ero hauging over ihcir hcads.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News