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While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
A Member Of The Society Of
Friends, In Chester County, Pennsylvania.
removal To New York becomes A Convert To
Religion becomes A Teacher.
On leaving W.W., I wended my way in deep
sorrow and melancholy, onward towards
Philadelphia, and after traveling two days
and a night, I found shelter and employ in
the family of J. K., another member of the
Society of Friends, a farmer.
The religious atmosphere in this family was
excellent. Mrs. K. gave me the first copy of
the Holy Scriptures I ever possessed, she
also gave me much excellent counsel. She was
a preacher in the Society of Friends; this
occasioned her with her husband to be much
of their time from home. This left the
charge of the farm upon me, and besides put
it out of their power to render me that aid
in my studies which my former friend had. I,
however, kept myself closely concealed, by
confining myself to the limits of the farm,
and using all my leisure time in study. This
place was more secluded, and I felt less of
dread and fear of discovery than I had
before, and although seriously embarrassed
for want of an instructor, I realized some
pleasure and profit in my studies. I often
employed myself in drawing rude maps of the
solar system, and diagrams illustrating the
theory of solar eclipses. I felt also a
fondness for reading the Bible, and
committing chapters, and verses of hymns to
memory. Often on the Sabbath when alone in
the barn, I would break the monotony of the
hours by endeavoring to speak, as if I was
addressing an audience. My mind was
constantly struggling for thoughts, and I
was still more grieved and alarmed at its
barrenness; I found it gradually freed from
the darkness entailed by slavery, but I was
deeply and anxiously concerned how I should
fill it with useful knowledge. I had a few
books, and no tutor.
In this way I spent seven months with J. K.,
and should have continued longer, agreeably
to his urgent solicitation, but I felt that
life was fast wearing, and that as I was now
free, I must adventure in search of
knowledge. On leaving J. K., he kindly gave
me the following certificate,
"East Nautmeal, Chester County,
Pennsylvania, Tenth Month 5th, 1828.
"I hereby certify, that the bearer, J. W.C.
Pennington, has been in my employ seven
months, during most of which time I have
been from home, leaving my entire business
in his trust, and that he has proved a
highly trustworthy and industrious young
man. He leaves with the sincere regret of
myself and family; but as he feels it to be
his duty to go where he can obtain
education, so as to fit him to be more
useful, I cordially commend him to the warm
sympathy of the friends of humanity wherever
a wise providence may appoint him a home.
Signed,
"J. K."
Passing through Philadelphia, I went to New
York, and in a short time found employ on
Long Island, near the city. At this time,
the state of things was extremely critical
in New York. It was just two years after the
general emancipation in that state. In the
city it was a daily occurrence for
slaveholders from the southern states to
catch their slaves, and by certificate from
Recorder Riker take them back. I often felt
serious apprehensions of danger, and yet I
felt also that I must begin the world
somewhere.
I was earning respectable wages, and by
means of evening schools and private
tuition, was making encouraging progress in
my studies.
Up to this time, it had never occurred to me
that I was a slave in another and a more
serious sense. All my serious impressions of
mind had been with reference to the slavery
from which I had escaped. Slavery had been
my theme of thought day and night.
In the spring of 1829, I found my mind
unusually perplexed about the state of the
slave. I was enjoying rare privileges in
attending a Sabbath school; the great value
of Christian knowledge began to be impressed
upon my mind to an extent I had not been
conscious of before. I began to contrast my
condition with that of ten brothers and
sisters I had left in slavery, and the
condition of children I saw sitting around
me on the Sabbath, with their pious
teachers, with that of 700,000, now 800,440
slave children, who had no means of
Christian instruction.
The theme was more powerful than any my mind
had ever encountered before. It entered into
the deep chambers of my soul, and stirred
the most agitating emotions I had ever felt.
The question was, what can I do for that
vast body of suffering brotherhood I have
left behind. To add to the weight and
magnitude of the theme, I learnt for the
first time, how many slaves there were. The
question completely staggered my mind; and
finding myself more and more borne down with
it, until I was in an agony; I thought I
would make it a subject of prayer to God,
although prayer had not been my habit,
having never attempted it but once.
I not only prayed, but also fasted. It was
while engaged thus, that my attention was
seriously drawn to the fact that I was a
lost sinner, and a slave to Satan; and soon
I saw that I must make another escape from
another tyrant. I did not by any means
forget my fellow-bondmen, of whom I had been
sorrowing so deeply, and travailing in
spirit so earnestly; but I now saw that
while man had been injuring me, I had been
offending God; and that unless I ceased to
offend him, I could not expect to have his
sympathy in my wrongs; and moreover, that I
could not be instrumental in eliciting his
powerful aid in behalf of those for whom I
mourned so deeply.
This may provoke a smile from some who
profess to be the friends of the slave, but
who have a lower estimate of experimental
Christianity than I believe is due to it;
but I am not the less confident that sincere
prayer to God, proceeding from a few hearts
deeply imbued with experimental Christianity
about that time, has had much to do with
subsequent happy results. At that time the
800,000 bondmen in the British Isles had not
seen the beginning of the end of their
sufferings at that time, 20,000 who are now
free in Canada, were in bonds at that time,
there was no Vigilance Committee to aid the
flying slave, at that time, the two powerful
Anti-Slavery Societies of America had no
being.
I distinctly remember that I felt the need
of enlisting the sympathy of God, in behalf
of my enslaved brethren; but when I
attempted it day after day, and night after
night, I was made to feel, that whatever
else I might do, I was not qualified to do
that, as I was myself alienated from him by
wicked works. In short, I felt that I needed
the powerful aid of some in my behalf with
God, just as much as I did that of my dear
friend in Pennsylvania, when flying from
man. "If one man sin against another, the
judge shall judge him, but if a man sin
against God, who shall entreat for him?"
Day after day, for about two weeks, I found
myself more deeply convicted of personal
guilt before God. My heart, soul and body
were in the greatest distress; I thought of
neither food, drink or rest, for days and
nights together. Burning with a recollection
of the wrongs man had done me, mourning for
the injuries my brethren were still
enduring, and deeply convicted of the guilt
of my own sins against God. One evening, in
the third week of the struggle, while alone
in my chamber, and after solemn reflection
for several hours, I concluded that I could
never be happy or useful in that state of
mind, and resolved that I would try to
become reconciled to God. I was then living
in the family of an Elder of the
Presbyterian Church. I had not made known my
feelings to any one, either in the family or
out of it; and I did not suppose that any
one had discovered my feelings. To my
surprise, however, I found that the family
had not only been aware of my state for
several days, but were deeply anxious on my
behalf. The following Sabbath, Dr. Cox was
on a visit in Brooklyn to preach, and was a
guest in the family; hearing of my case, he
expressed a wish to converse with me, and
without knowing the plan, I was invited into
a room and left alone with him. He entered
skillfully and kindly into my feelings, and
after considerable conversation he invited
me to attend his service that afternoon. I
did so, and was deeply interested.
Without detaining the reader with too many
particulars, I will only state that I heard
the doctor once or twice after this, at his
own place of worship in New York City, and
had several personal interviews with him, as
the result of which, I hope, I was brought
to a saving acquaintance with Him, of whom
Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write;
and soon connected myself with the church
under his pastoral care.
I now returned with all my renewed powers to
the great theme—slavery. It seemed now as I
looked at it, to be more hideous than ever.
I saw it now as an evil under the moral
government of God as a sin not only against
man, but also against God. The great and
engrossing thought with me was, how shall I
now employ my time and my talents so as to
tell most effectually upon this system of
wrong! As I have stated, there was no
Anti-Slavery Society then, there was no
Vigilance Committee. I had, therefore, to
select a course of action, without counsel
or advice from any one who professed to
sympathize with the slave. Many, many lonely
hours of deep meditation have I passed
during the years 1828 and 1829, before the
great anti-slavery movement. On the
questions, What shall I do for the slave?
How shall I act so that he will reap the
benefit of my time and talents? At one time
I had resolved to go to Africa, and to react
from there; but without bias or advice from
any mortal, I soon gave up that, as looking
too much like feeding a hungry man with a
long spoon.
At length, finding that the misery,
ignorance, and wretchedness of the free
colored people was by the whites tortured
into an argument for slavery; finding myself
now among the free people of color in New
York, where slavery was so recently
abolished; and finding much to do for their
elevation, I resolved to give my strength in
that direction. And well do I remember the
great movement which commenced among us
about this time, for the holding of General
Conventions, to devise ways and means for
their elevation, which continued with happy
influence up to 1834, when we gave way to
anti-slavery friends, who had then taken up
the laboring oar. And well do I remember
that the first time I ever saw those tried
friends, Garrison, Jocelyn, and Tappan, was
in one of those Conventions, where they came
to make our acquaintance, and to secure our
confidence in some of their preliminary
labors.
My particular mode of labor was still a
subject of deep reflection; and from time to
time I carried it to the Throne of Grace.
Eventually my mind fixed upon the ministry
as the desire of my whole heart. I had
mastered the preliminary branches of English
education, and was engaged in studying
logic, rhetoric, and the Greek Testament,
without a master. While thus struggling in
my laudable work, an opening presented
itself which was not less surprising than
gratifying. Walking on the street one day, I
met a friend, who said to me, "I have just
had an application to supply a teacher for a
school, and I have recommended you." I said,
"My dear friend, I am obliged to you for the
kindness; but I fear I cannot sustain an
examination for that station." "Oh," said
he, "try." I said, "I will," and we
separated. Two weeks afterwards, I met the
trustees of the school, was examined,
accepted, and agreed with them for a salary
of two hundred dollars per annum; commenced
my school, and succeeded. This was five
years, three months, and thirteen days after
I came from the South.
As the events of my life since that have
been of a public professional nature, I will
say no more about it. My object in writing
this tract is now completed. It has been to
shew the reader the hand of God with a
slave; and to elicit your sympathy in behalf
of the fugitive slave, by shewing some of
the untold dangers and hardships through
which he has to pass to gain liberty, and
how much he needs friends on free soil; and
that men who have felt the yoke of slavery,
even in its mildest form, cannot be expected
to speak of the system otherwise than in
terms of the most unqualified condemnation.
There is one sin that slavery committed
against me, which I never can forgive. It
robbed me of my education; the injury is
irreparable; I feel the embarrassment more
seriously now than I ever did before. It
cost me two years' hard labor, after I fled,
to unshackle my mind; it was three years
before I had purged my language of slavery's
idioms; it was four years before I had
thrown off the crouching aspect of slavery;
and now the evil that besets me is a great
lack of that general information, the
foundation of which is most effectually laid
in that part of life which I served as a
slave. When I consider how much now, more
than ever, depends upon sound and thorough
education among colored men, I am grievously
overwhelmed with a sense of my deficiency,
and more especially as I can never hope now
to make it up. If I know my own heart, I
have no ambition but to serve the cause of
suffering humanity; all that I have desired
or sought, has been to make me more
efficient for good. So far I have some
consciousness that I have done my utmost;
and should my future days be few or many, I
am reconciled to meet the last account,
hoping to be acquitted of any willful
neglect of duty; but I shall have to go to
my last account with this charge against the
system of slavery, "Vile monster! thou hast
hindered my usefulness, by robbing me of my
early education."
Oh! what might I have been now, but for this
robbery perpetrated upon me as soon as I saw
the light. When the monster heard that a man
child was born, he laughed, and said, "It is
mine." When I was laid in the cradle, he
came and looked on my face, and wrote down
my name upon his barbarous list of chattels
personal, on the same list where he
registered his horses, hogs, cows, sheep,
and even his dogs! Gracious Heaven, is there
no repentance for the misguided men who do
these things!
The only harm I wish to slaveholders is,
that they may be speedily delivered from the
guilt of a sin, which, if not repented of,
must bring down the judgment of Almighty God
upon their devoted heads. The least I desire
for the slave is, that he may be speedily
released from the pain of drinking a cup
whose bitterness I have sufficiently tasted,
to know that it is insufferable.
The Fugitive
Blacksmith; or Events in the History of
James W. C. Pennington, 1849
