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Morality Of Aiding Slaves To Escape: Speech Of Mr. Codding O...

Morality Of Aiding Slaves To Escape: Speech Of Mr. Codding O... image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
July
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The subject ofnidine fupitive sinves to esrnpe from bnnrinjrp, (invine occnioned (ns nll snch subjpcts mnst) porno deep fee1inr in thp Ooiwen'ion. nttendpd wiih some eli?lit ,-}.repnncy of opinión beiwppn the Kentnckv dele-enies andel hers: when it was h-npily diposeri oC Mr. Cpddjngiof Illinois, being ciü pil. como forwnrd and addressod tlio meeting nenrly b follows: Mr. Pre8flpnt - I tindprstnnd thnt therc ii now no question bpfore the hnus, yet I fee) mpelipd to detain the atfention of the audipnee a liltle lonjrer upon tho enbjrct just now lisposed of, viz: the niilinjr offléping fIovps. I know that he Fiibject is deücatf and d-flicult. I ('are not myselfpny thnt all poi-sibl" nWüng of fugitives is riorhi; and yct it s well inown that we are doinp n vpry fir btisinep n Illinoi, nnder the name of "The UivlerÉT round Rnilrond.'' Oiir Compnnv is doinor a tolerable fair carrvinp trade; or custm p constantly incroainp, and we are every way l)lense(] with onr prospect?. Yet, Sir, I will not deny that this Biibjcf has its difficiilties; and besides there nre collteral questions of moráis eonnecting ihemselvep wiili it, which increaee its coiplexity,ond embarrosa its decisión.Yet it is a question vvliich vnre compelled :o meet. We knovv that fugiiivea areaioed: md tliat aiding them clashes at a thoiisand points witli tle intcrests, the prejudice?, and ingry feelingsof men. Wc are arcused of i 'decoying and cxciting negroes to escape" - or of "sieuling negroes" of helping ttiem to run away - of even jusñfying their "stealing horses," and boat etealjng, in order to get awoy. - These are among the Charges prefrred against us by the "JYtio Yjik Observcr." and otlier like prints. Now, Sir, to pvit this subject beforeanaudience 'm íts true ligh', I have sometimes a ailed tnyself of an illii.-trntion of whicli all must acknowledge llie justice, seeing that it is butapplying the principie wbicb Cluist hu6 longht us, of judging what is right n tlie catse of Otir neigbor, by meking ií our own. I have some'.uncs asked an Illinois nudience to suppose that some of us (no iniposible or uitcomuion case) had gone out bevond the Misissippi fora hunting e.ctrsion,and a neigh bor of ours was taken capiive by a wanderintr troop of Indians, and kept by them in slavery None can preiend thal Indinn slavery is worst to bear than Anglo Smxoii fclavery. Tt is not sobad. The Indian has not learned the deriro of rnoking money ns the Atiglo-Anierican has. - Ue is ncarly on an equaliiy with liis slave, and us Mr. Giddinjs h is .hown,lhe Florida negroes would íight and die for the privilege of hong ulaves :o Indian9,accouu:inr tt Überty cumpared witlt bondage lo the wliilet!Weli, sr, our neiifhbor is tnken cnpiive by Indtan?, and we return in dejection, ul'ter unn vailing eearch, givin him up lor last'. Novv} oue day I a in out in the furest beyond, nfier the lapse of' monlhs, muíing as I go, 'whal jf I thould poseifrj; happen to f al! npnii onr lost noi.libor? ' and; jnst correclirrr thisv.ignnl fnncy bv a sober eecoiid ihouglit. I .-ee - no! - impossible!? - yes - thmugh llie dim brushwootl by the upcurl.ncr srnoke - the figure of a min! - our neig'hbor, lefi by lúa captors to watcli their fires and prrpare thcir food! In a moment I um at hls side, but ke s a slfivc - spirit broken - subducd. Hist," he says, "don'i for God's snke spe;ik above yonr breatb. The tnbe wilt bood be n. They may now lurk within hearing." But,1' s:tvs 1, 'don't ye want to see Miry and the childien?" (Tnal's his wi.'e and two dauphters at home.) "VVby man, ' says I, "don't yc wanl to see Mary and tlie babes?" Oh, oh!" frays he "don't name it.: "But I will, though. Siiy man! will yesee your wife nnd children or nol?" lle Idoks up and eees there is meaning in myejo. "Now," says I, pointing to yonder grove, "go. There' e a ffaet a hors as was ever backed. Be oft." (Much emoiion in the house JAnd, as the saying is, he put. (Laughter and emoiion.) ín Jess llian live minutes yon see tbat norse, th uur neighbor on hisback, dashing - rnther ñymg - tbrough brushwood and ibicket, like a crealure with wings. [Toe house, wbich was crovvded to a jnm with people of variuus sentiments on the slave qtiftítion, here broke out nto a murmur, or raiher on uproar of deJighlot the innn's escape. As soon ns it was a liltle Btill.'dj Mr. Codding cried out with an aöl-cted sneer: - ] Teach negro slealing, will ye? fan uproar of laughter foilctwodj which lusled sumo time.) Well, (cü ntinued Mr. C.) the noble bcast bears him at t)ie top of bis speed tu the banks of the Mi&issippi, but there is no ferry. And he hcars ihe cry of the blood hóudda and the yell of bis pursuers anti owners onhis track. Whot shmild hedo? He inoiione the Biiininlonwuid, and he plunjes u'o the b-oad cilrf strrnm; he reucheí the opposile sliore - drops down uu Ier the man he bad resc,inl - slretches Iiis liinbs in ngony,md- diea. VVeJJ, I cannot stop to proinnince a eulogy upon the horse. (A voicc: he deserves it.) Bul our neifilibtir, thut Ihotigli in a free Staite, he is not sut'e from his piirsiieis. undstrong stiH wilh Ifn thoughtá of hia wiffe and children, iearcs the noble brute, and trios his own speed at running. But wenry end bilt of breath, he Jiphie up a number of h'ni.horses on :he pr8rics, one of whicii, as f sent by Provitience to his oid, trots yemly up U liini and lays lus check upon the fugitive'b ihouider. What shsll he do? ShalJ ho back nim? [No one euid yes; y et ove ry ooe in the loysejoinod in an larolüota'? muricur Hïcti.ouglu of whai a hunted mail ought, 10 bücH e case, to do for life and liberty, wife and' chüd. Mr. Codiüng nnswored the emotion tt'the honse, as beloro, by ringinjj out thr N. Y. Observer's objüction to trbohiionistd.] "Teach slealwg, icill ye' ! (típroarioti8 npplauee.) Feeling saferns he flies (rlher, (continued Mr. C.) the fugitive reaclies thft of nnother strenm, dismount, turn? bck. the fftiihful horso, oud hopes he will find' lua way back to his owner. Now, jast as be is ihinkingr how he phall cross tliis swolled stream, he espíes a boat tied to the ehore.- He does nnt wish to sleal boats - bul lie not vet at home, nnd he knowe that h3 libar- tv, if not his Hfe, hangB upnn liis crossing ihat strenm. He unfastens the skiff - shootg ncro?8 the lashcs it to a ]og on1 ihe olher &we, tnd awny across the prairie toword his home! Did he do riglit in takinjr he se of the boat? (The audience ajrain piving1 a tnurmnr of approbation, Mr. C. agom sl)outed tbe objectioïi :)Teach hoaí straling, uill ye? (Loud ap- plausr.) Wel!, after I'pet hearing noihinp of our neighbor the fnsri'ive, I go over (o bis house to 6ee f indeed lie has found his way bark. Bnt liis home looks silent and deeerfed - a remaining sense of ïnspcurity has closed windnw nnd door, and the cottage is lonely anr! desolate. Lond and long at length rouses the inmates, and when they seeme tlirowgh ihe laitice, they rush upon me- the fat her seizes me by one arm - Ihe wifennd children cling to the other, they weep, hey knoei down and bless God, nnd bless m, that 1 have been - so - meun. (He would hnve continupd: "as to steal'a sláve;w"Hut hts voice was drowned in ariMiproarof appláuso which ölmost shonk the house.) "Ah!" continued the speaker: "I knewtfiat you would decide this qnestion fór me. ï know thnt the doctrine is mid universal that God han fonhioned men's hernia alike; and, ns :n water faco nnswereth to face, so the hpart of man to man." And whenever we invoke one of :he beautiful; and rtèrntl principies which God hns writtcn in one breast they cme to the oid and rescue of every other.I knnw my brnthren from. Kéntockf, (Messrs. Fee and Needham)' are Bincere in whnt thoy Imve snid here: I know th'e position which thfy occopy at home, TsympaibHe with them in íhrir honest plrusrlpe fortratl1 there, and cnnnot teil hnw much I' would dO to aid ihem. But, sir, we are bound to vindícate the eterna], immntabie principies of fiomnnily nt whatever cost. I' know thniv we may íeem to make progress for our cause, at present, by turhing t out of' the patfiwoy of rlflit: we mny nvoid prpjudices by trmer wül like us beUer, and for present' therer is n pnrp en in.Bu, oh! vvlien ve rise up and tnke hold of 'he Eternnl G d! rhen despiíe itipn's formidable prrjiidices, nnd ntprsfs lliwariing'our courseand pravinp us m particular cíihpb lo forpírn the truíh - while wé keep our cauH fifm npon llin grent nnd o-lorious nnd beamifui nrincil?s which Gods nwn finr haetiaaed in mnn's heart, every blow we strike drires a nnil in a sure place in the temple oft'Godí. Bv thee eternnl principies let us then nt- tnrh our cnuse to God's eternal and know thir he who sit thereon nnd inwhose1 hand are the hearfs ofall men, will make ev ery hnmnn and sympathy 4o 't" hom- agre, nnd ni thinsfs in earth and heavenwork logetlier frits succeSs. (Appliuee.)5

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News