What Slaves Are Taught About the North

Slaveholders pride themselves upon being honorable men; but if you were to hear the enormous lies they tell their slaves, you would have small respect for their veracity. I have spoken plain English. Pardon me. I cannot use a milder term. When they visit the north, and return home, they tell their slaves of the runaways they have seen, and describe them to be in the most deplorable condition. A slaveholder once told me that he had seen a runaway friend of mine in New York, and that she besought him to take her back to her master, for she was literally dying of starvation; that many days she had only one cold potato to eat, and at other times could get nothing at all. He said he refused to take her, because he knew her master would not thank him for bringing such a miserable wretch to his house. He ended by saying to me, “This is the punishment she brought on herself for running away from a kind master.”

Slaveholders pride themselves on being honorable men. But if you heard the enormous lies they tell their slaves, you would have little respect for their honesty. I have spoken plainly. Pardon me. I cannot use a milder word. When slaveholders visit the North and return home, they tell their slaves about the runaways they have seen. They describe the runaways as being in the most miserable condition. Once, a slaveholder told me he had seen a runaway friend of mine in New York. He said she begged him to take her back to her master because she was literally dying of starvation. He said she often had only one cold potato to eat all day, and sometimes could get nothing at all. He said he refused to take her back because he knew her master would not thank him for bringing such a miserable wretch into his house. He ended by saying to me, “This is the punishment she brought on herself for running away from a kind master.”

This whole story was false. I afterwards staid with that friend in New York, and found her in comfortable circumstances. She had never thought of such a thing as wishing to go back to slavery. Many of the slaves believe such stories, and think it is not worth while to exchange slavery for such a hard kind of freedom. It is difficult to persuade such that freedom could make them useful men, and enable them to protect their wives and children. If those heathen in our Christian land had as much teaching as some Hindoos, they would think otherwise. They would know that liberty is more valuable than life. They would begin to understand their own capabilities, and exert themselves to become men and women.

The whole story was false. Later, I stayed with that friend in New York and found her living comfortably. She had never even thought of wanting to return to slavery. Many enslaved people believe such stories. They think it is not worth exchanging slavery for such a hard kind of freedom. It is difficult to persuade them that freedom could make them useful men. It could also enable them to protect their wives and children. If those heathens in our Christian land had as much education as some Hindus, they would think differently. They would know that liberty is more valuable than life. They would begin to understand their own abilities and strive to become men and women.

But while the Free States sustain a law which hurls fugitives back into slavery, how can the slaves resolve to become men? There are some who strive to protect wives and daughters from the insults of their masters; but those who have such sentiments have had advantages above the general mass of slaves. They have been partially civilized and Christianized by favorable circumstances. Some are bold enough to utter such sentiments to their masters. O, that there were more of them!

But as long as the Free States uphold a law that sends fugitives back into slavery, how can enslaved people resolve to become men? Some try to protect their wives and daughters from their masters’ insults. But those who feel this way have had advantages that most enslaved people have not. Favorable circumstances have partly civilized and Christianized them. Some are bold enough to express these feelings to their masters. Oh, if only there were more of them!

Some poor creatures have been so brutalized by the lash that they will sneak out of the way to give their masters free access to their wives and daughters. Do you think this proves the black man to belong to an inferior order of beings? What would you be, if you had been born and brought up a slave, with generations of slaves for ancestors? I admit that the black man is inferior. But what is it that makes him so? It is the ignorance in which white men compel him to live; it is the torturing whip that lashes manhood out of him; it is the fierce bloodhounds of the South, and the scarcely less cruel human bloodhounds of the north, who enforce the Fugitive Slave Law. They do the work.

Some poor people have been so brutalized by the whip that they sneak away, leaving their masters free to approach their wives and daughters. Do you think this proves that Black men belong to an inferior order of beings? What would you be if you had been born and raised a slave, with generations of slaves as ancestors? I admit that the Black man is inferior. But what makes him so? It is the ignorance that white men force him to live in. It is the torturing whip that lashes manhood out of him. It is the fierce bloodhounds of the South, and the scarcely less cruel human bloodhounds of the north who enforce the Fugitive Slave Law. They do the work.

Southern gentlemen indulge in the most contemptuous expressions about the Yankees, while they, on their part, consent to do the vilest work for them, such as the ferocious bloodhounds and the despised negro-hunters are employed to do at home. When southerners go to the north, they are proud to do them honor; but the northern man is not welcome south of Mason and Dixon’s line, unless he suppresses every thought and feeling at variance with their “peculiar institution.” Nor is it enough to be silent. The masters are not pleased, unless they obtain a greater degree of subservience than that; and they are generally accommodated. Do they respect the northerner for this? I trow not. Even the slaves despise “a northern man with southern principles;” and that is the class they generally see. When northerners go to the south to reside, they prove very apt scholars. They soon imbibe the sentiments and disposition of their neighbors, and generally go beyond their teachers. Of the two, they are proverbially the hardest masters.

Southern gentlemen speak of Yankees with the greatest contempt. Yet northerners agree to do the vilest work for them, the kind of work that vicious bloodhounds and despised slave hunters do for them at home. When southerners go north, northerners are proud to honor them. But a northern man is not welcome south of Mason and Dixon’s line unless he suppresses every thought and feeling that conflicts with their “peculiar institution.” And silence is not enough. Slaveholders are not satisfied unless northerners show even greater submission, and they generally get it. Do they respect northerners for this? I think not. Even enslaved people despise “a northern man with southern principles,” and that is the kind of northerner they generally see. When northerners move south, they prove to be quick learners. They soon adopt their neighbors’ views and attitudes, and generally go further than their teachers. Of the two, northerners are known to be the harsher masters.

They seem to satisfy their consciences with the doctrine that God created the Africans to be slaves. What a libel upon the heavenly Father, who “made of one blood all nations of men!” And then who are Africans? Who can measure the amount of Anglo-Saxon blood coursing in the veins of American slaves?

They seem to quiet their consciences with the belief that God created Africans to be slaves. What a slander against the heavenly Father, who “made of one blood all nations of men!” And who are Africans? Who can measure how much Anglo-Saxon blood runs through the veins of American slaves?

I have spoken of the pains slaveholders take to give their slaves a bad opinion of the north; but, notwithstanding this, intelligent slaves are aware that they have many friends in the Free States. Even the most ignorant have some confused notions about it. They knew that I could read; and I was often asked if I had seen any thing in the newspapers about white folks over in the big north, who were trying to get their freedom for them. Some believe that the abolitionists have already made them free, and that it is established by law, but that their masters prevent the law from going into effect. One woman begged me to get a newspaper and read it over. She said her husband told her that the black people had sent word to the queen of ’Merica that they were all slaves; that she didn’t believe it, and went to Washington city to see the president about it. They quarrelled; she drew her sword upon him, and swore that he should help her to make them all free.

I have spoken about how hard slaveholders try to give enslaved people a bad opinion of the North. But intelligent enslaved people know they have many friends in the Free States. Even those who know the least have some confused ideas about it. They knew I could read, and they often asked me about the newspapers. They wanted to know if I had read about white people in the big North who were trying to win their freedom. Some believe that abolitionists have already made them free and that their freedom is established by law. But they believe their masters prevent the law from taking effect. One woman begged me to get a newspaper and read it through. She said her husband had told her that Black people had sent word to the queen of ’Merica that they were all slaves. The queen did not believe it, so she went to Washington city to speak to the president. They quarreled, and she drew her sword on him. She swore that he would help her make them all free.

That poor, ignorant woman thought that America was governed by a Queen, to whom the President was subordinate. I wish the President was subordinate to Queen Justice.

That poor, uninformed woman thought a Queen ruled America and that the President answered to her. I wish the President answered to Queen Justice.