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Alanson Work

Alanson Work image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
May
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Most of our readers will remember that this is the name of one of ihe three Abolitionists wli o have been imprisoned in the Penilentiary of Missouri for three years pas!, for aidim.T ilnves to escape from Missouri to Illinois. An nffecting letter from Mrs. Work to her friends in the East, was publithed in the Signal eome months since. Mr. Work has been pordoned end ca lied on na witli Mrs. Work and two chilürcn. a few days since. He is on his way east, where he will retnan for the present. We were heartily glad to take liim by the hnnd, and lcnrn his lii-tory from himself. His two fellow-prisoners, Burr and Thomson, are nnmarried men, and at the time of their imprisonment were pnrsuing their studies at ihe Al is? ion Insiitule at Quincy, prpparatory to entering' on the ministry. - Tliey had both been members of the Piesbytenan Church previous to their conneciion with the church at Quii cv, which is not denominational in its charncter. They were t'ented with comparative mildness at the time Mr. Woik left, being allowed firc, lightp, and writing materials- privileges unknown 'o the other prisoners. There is a prespect that they may be released before Ion, as public spntiment in Missouri is suppoeed to be f-omcwiini fiverble to theni, inasmuch as ihey had conunitird no actual crime, tiieir onence hnving been only an atlanpt to help off sla ves, by which none eccaped. Admilting the act to be criminal , tictlve years impnsonment is a disproportionate punisfiment f'jr the act. - Mr. Work eays that "Üie tJbolitionists' have been pointed out to large numbers of the visilors of the prison of both sexes as great curiosities, but only on one or two occasions had they been msulted on account of their sonJiments. Their feilow prisoners regarded tliem raiher favnrnbly thnn otherwite, and some ofthein remarked, "if we had been put ir; here without having commilted any crime,as you have been, weehould Jeel bad. But with "the Aboiitionists" tiiis was n ground ot' rejoicing ralher tlion of sorrow. Mr. Work paye lie has become convinced of his impru. dence in doing as lic did, but hsnever been a! ÏO see that his coiir6e was wrong. The abor of the prisoners is eold to contractors, who have n!mo6l unlimited power over them, snd henee they worked more hous and were !e8s libera lly provided for than they proba ly vou.'d have been had tliey worked direct ly ror the State; but in other respects their confinetnent was less rigorous, and more social Teedom wasallowea. Air. Work was educated a mechauic, and was employed at makin cbairs. A large nnmber of prisoners had escaped during their residence thcre, but "the hree friends" had not availed thomelves of -everal favorable opportuniues thi.t had offered, lest the attempl should prejudice the nntislavery cause, and also because peculiar privileges had been granred thern on the express consideralion that they ivould not attempt to escape. To abu.ce the conh'dence repoaed in their integrity they coneidered would be wrong. We hope that Mpssrs. Thompson and Burr will toon be liberar cU, and cnnbled wiihoul restraint to preach, in all its ruines, the 3spel of Chrisl: and we are firmly perouded that if they slinll hold fast their Christian integnty, and we doubt not they will, they will be as well qualified for real vsrfulnegs in the vineyard of their Divine Master, by their three or four years residence in this Penitentbry, as they would have been by spending the same period of time within the walls of anv pro-slavery Thcological Scrainary in the land.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News