Appendix

The following statement is from Amy Post, a member of the Society of Friends in the State of New York, well known and highly respected by friends of the poor and the oppressed. As has been already stated, in the preceding pages, the author of this volume spent some time under her hospitable roof.

The following statement is from Amy Post, a member of the Society of Friends in New York State. She is well known and highly respected by those who support the poor and oppressed. As mentioned earlier, the author of this book spent some time as a guest in Amy Post’s home.

L.M.C.

L.M.C.

“The author of this book is my highly-esteemed friend. If its readers knew her as I know her, they could not fail to be deeply interested in her story. She was a beloved inmate of our family nearly the whole of the year 1849. She was introduced to us by her affectionate and conscientious brother, who had previously related to us some of the almost incredible events in his sister’s life. I immediately became much interested in Linda; for her appearance was prepossessing, and her deportment indicated remarkable delicacy of feeling and purity of thought.

“The author of this book is a dear friend whom I hold in high regard. If readers knew her as I do, they could not fail to be deeply interested in her story. She was a beloved member of our household for nearly all of 1849. Her loving and conscientious brother introduced her to us. He had already told us about some of the almost unbelievable events in his sister’s life. I immediately became very interested in Linda. She had a pleasing appearance, and her manner showed remarkable sensitivity and purity of thought.

“As we became acquainted, she related to me, from time to time some of the incidents in her bitter experiences as a slave-woman. Though impelled by a natural craving for human sympathy, she passed through a baptism of suffering, even in recounting her trials to me, in private confidential conversations. The burden of these memories lay heavily upon her spirit—naturally virtuous and refined. I repeatedly urged her to consent to the publication of her narrative; for I felt that it would arouse people to a more earnest work for the disinthralment of millions still remaining in that soul-crushing condition, which was so unendurable to her. But her sensitive spirit shrank from publicity. She said, “You know a woman can whisper her cruel wrongs in the ear of a dear friend much easier than she can record them for the world to read.” Even in talking with me, she wept so much, and seemed to suffer such mental agony, that I felt her story was too sacred to be drawn from her by inquisitive questions, and I left her free to tell as much, or as little, as she chose. Still, I urged upon her the duty of publishing her experience, for the sake of the good it might do; and, at last, she undertook the task.

“As we got to know each other, she told me from time to time about her bitter experiences as an enslaved woman. She naturally longed for human sympathy. Yet even telling me about her trials in private, confidential conversations caused her deep suffering. These memories weighed heavily on her spirit, which was naturally virtuous and refined. I repeatedly urged her to agree to publish her story. I felt that it would inspire people to work harder to free the millions still living in that soul-crushing condition. She had found it so unbearable. But her sensitive spirit recoiled from public attention. She said, “You know a woman can whisper the cruel wrongs done to her to a dear friend much more easily than she can write them down for the world to read.” Even when she talked with me, she wept so much and seemed to suffer such mental agony. I felt her story was too sacred for me to draw it out of her with probing questions. So I left her free to tell as much or as little as she chose. Still, I urged her to publish her experience because I felt it was her duty, for the good it might do. At last, she undertook the task.

“Having been a slave so large a portion of her life, she is unlearned; she is obliged to earn her living by her own labor, and she has worked untiringly to procure education for her children; several times she has been obliged to leave her employments, in order to fly from the man-hunters and woman-hunters of our land; but she pressed through all these obstacles and overcame them. After the labors of the day were over, she traced secretly and wearily, by the midnight lamp, a truthful record of her eventful life.

“Because she was enslaved for so much of her life, she has little formal education. She must earn her living through her own work. She has worked tirelessly to secure an education for her children. Several times, she has had to leave her jobs to flee the men and women who hunt people in our land. But she pushed through all these obstacles and overcame them. After each day’s work, she secretly and wearily wrote a truthful account of her eventful life by lamplight at midnight.

“This Empire State is a shabby place of refuge for the oppressed; but here, through anxiety, turmoil, and despair, the freedom of Linda and her children was finally secured, by the exertions of a generous friend. She was grateful for the boon; but the idea of having been bought was always galling to a spirit that could never acknowledge itself to be a chattel. She wrote to us thus, soon after the event: ‘I thank you for your kind expressions in regard to my freedom; but the freedom I had before the money was paid was dearer to me. God gave me that freedom; but man put God’s image in the scales with the paltry sum of three hundred dollars. I served for my liberty as faithfully as Jacob served for Rachel. At the end, he had large possessions; but I was robbed of my victory; I was obliged to resign my crown, to rid myself of a tyrant.’

“This Empire State is a poor place of refuge for the oppressed. Yet here, amid anxiety, turmoil, and despair, a generous friend’s efforts finally secured freedom for Linda and her children. Linda was grateful for the gift. But the thought of having been bought always angered her. She could never accept that she was someone’s property. Soon afterward, she wrote to us: ‘Thank you for your kind words about my freedom. But the freedom I had before the money was paid was dearer to me. God gave me that freedom. But man weighed someone made in God’s image against the paltry sum of three hundred dollars. I worked for my liberty as faithfully as Jacob worked for Rachel. In the end, he had great possessions. But I was robbed of my victory. I had to give up my crown to rid myself of a tyrant.’

“Her story, as written by herself, cannot fail to interest the reader. It is a sad illustration of the condition of this country, which boasts of its civilization, while it sanctions laws and customs which make the experiences of the present more strange than any fictions of the past.

“Her story, written in her own words, is sure to interest readers. It is a sad picture of a country that boasts of its civilization. Yet this country permits laws and customs that make present-day experiences stranger than any fiction from the past.

Amy Post.

Amy Post.

“Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 30th, 1859.”

“Rochester, N.Y., October 30, 1859.”

The following testimonial is from a man who is now a highly respectable colored citizen of Boston.

The following testimony comes from a man who is now a highly respected Black citizen of Boston.

L.M.C.

L.M.C.

“This narrative contains some incidents so extraordinary, that, doubtless, many persons, under whose eyes it may chance to fall, will be ready to believe that it is colored highly, to serve a special purpose. But, however it may be regarded by the incredulous, I know that it is full of living truths. I have been well acquainted with the author from my boyhood. The circumstances recounted in her history are perfectly familiar to me. I knew of her treatment from her master; of the imprisonment of her children; of their sale and redemption; of her seven years’ concealment; and of her subsequent escape to the North. I am now a resident of Boston, and am a living witness to the truth of this interesting narrative.

“This narrative contains some incidents so extraordinary that many people who read it will doubtless believe they are exaggerated to serve a particular purpose. But however skeptical readers may view it, I know it is full of living truths. I have known the author well since I was a boy. The events described in her story are all familiar to me. I knew how her master treated her and that her children were imprisoned, sold, and redeemed. I knew that she spent seven years in hiding and later escaped to the North. I now live in Boston and am a living witness to the truth of this interesting narrative.

George W. Lowther.”

George W. Lowther.”