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The Granite Freeman

The Granite Freeman image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
January
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

town oí GreeoJahd, lew uampsmre, jnnwny sime of Gen. Washlnfirtonat sent supported by the eounty'of lioc-kham. Hor name, nt the time of lir pement, was On Maria Judgc. iöt able to givo llio yonrofher escapej saysshe carne frum Phüadclphin, just it the clnso of Wtiáhingtoji'a í.econd m'óf the Presidoncy, uliich must lomewhero in 'he fnst prt of the 3 E)7. Bcing a wailing-nirxid of Mrs ashington, slie was not exppsèd io any :uliar hnrd-ships. ífáskcd dJ t remnin n his 8erv4ce, sbo gives two ïsons, first, she wnntcJ te ho fia ; secdly, thnt she understonï thnt nftcr ihö ccaso of her moetor nod rnilï ss, shO ta lo become the property of a p;randnghter of theirs, by ' of Custi$, J tliat she wus doterrni'.icd rovor lo ba r slavo. She camo on boa 1 a ti ship command by Captain John Bolles, and hor.nd to irtsmouth, New Hampshire. In ij1:ig it, she n;Mcd. ul tiever lold his nnins I after he died, a fnw y'eare sincc, lest ?y should punish Kim for bringing nio rsyS II nd sho disclosed t, he might vc nlmnultlio late cl' Jonathan Wallcer,' our own day. Snmn liiiift nfinr !irr nrriv"! at PortS-uth, she niarried a colorcd sailor, by ! nnme of Staines, and had a fiunily of reral childrcn, but ihey, tngethcr wi'.h r husband, have nll been dcad for scveryears. Washington made two altempts to rover her. First, ho sent a maji by the imé of Dnsseit lo persuado lier lo return; it she resisted all Iho argumenta he rrnoyed for this end. He told her thot thc-y ould set her freo when sho orrivcd at [öunt Vernon, to which slie replied, I m tree now, and choose to rcniain so." Findir.g all attënipts to seduce her to avery again in this manner useless, lï'is!tt was sent once inore by Washington, ith orders to bring lier and lier infant iild by force. Tho messenger, bcing ;quainTed with Gov. Langdnn, tHen of orlsmoulh, took up lodgings wilh h;m, nddisclosed to him thr oSjoct of his misión. The good old Governor, (to his onor be it spoken.) must havo possesscd )mething of the spirit of modern Antilavery. ile entert.iined Bossött very nndsomely, nnd in tho mean tima sent ord to Mrs. Staines, to leavc town beDre twelve o'clock nt night, which she lid} rctired to a place of concealmont, and iscaped the clutches of the oppresaor. - shorily after this, Washington died, nnd, aid she, "they nevor troubled mo any more alter he was gonc.'! Heing asked how al . she re)lied substantinlly, as fpl)ovv$: '-W'nüst hey wrr pac-kir.-g up to go to Virginia, was pacliing to go, I didrrt know where; br I knew thal f I went back ló igin a, I never should gt niy Überty. I lad friends atnong tho cölored peoblb of 'hiludelphia, had my tiiings csarriêd thero' icfore hand, and left while tlioy wero caingdinner."jut is probably not (ar [t. She is n Üght mulattö, solist tbat ehe might ?nsily pass for a white womnn, email of itnture, and, nlthoi!' iv, o uccessivc oltacks of pflUy, lonarknbly iroct nnd oleg-mt in her form. Tlie facts iiere rclated, fixB knovn liroug! this región, and mny bq tlii d ":i is substenlially corroct. Probr.iily they vere not for years glvon to lf:o public, for 'oar of her recapturs; bul tliis réasob no ongor exists, Finco sho is tco old nnd inirmVtó'Jbeofuífitíiept valué lo rojay tho ix pense of scarcli. Though n houso f;crv.int, rlio lad no ducation, nor nny valuablo relig'iptja iútruction; says slift nevor henrö Woshingon pray, nd does not belicvo howas acustoincd to. "Mrs. Washington uscd io end prayers, bui 1 doo't cali tlint: ng." Since her est-oñe sha hns lonrned o read, trusts thè -.viso into salvation," and is, J lliiiikj eonnected vilh a cburch in Porlsmotilh; Wben asked if she is not sorry slie lcft iVashington, as she has laboreó so muchSl inrder since than bcforc, lior reply i-, 'No, lam Creo, nnd liavo. Í trast, been nade a chiïd of God by tbc menns."