I then proceeded to get up a
petition to the Legislature. It required
much hard labor and persuasion on my part to
start it; but after that, I readily obtained
the signatures of the principal men in the
place.—Then I went round to the members,
many of whom were known to me, calling upon
them at their rooms, and urging them for my
sake, for humanity's sake, for the sake of
my wife and little ones, whose hopes had
been excited by the idea that they were even
now free; I appealed to them as husbands,
fathers, brothers, sons, to vote in favor of
my petition, and allow me to remain in the
State long enough to purchase my family. I
was doing well in business, and it would be
but a short time before I could accomplish
the object. Then, if it was desired, I and
my wife and children, redeemed from bondage,
would together seek a more friendly home,
beyond the dominion of slavery. The
following is the petition presented,
endorsed as the reader will see:
To the Hon. General Assembly of the State of
North Carolina.
Gentlemen:—The petition of Lunsford Lane
humbly shews—That about five years ago, he
purchased his freedom from his mistress,
Mrs. Sherwood Haywood, and by great economy
and industry has paid the purchase money;
that he has a wife and seven children whom
he has agreed to purchase, and for whom he
has paid a part of the purchase money; but
not having paid in full, is not yet able to
leave the State, without parting with his
wife and children.
Your petitioner prays your Honorable Body to
pass a law, allowing him to remain a limited
time within the State, until he can remove
his family also. Your petitioner will give
bond and good security for his good behavior
while he remains. Your petitioner will ever
pray, &c.
Lunsford Lane
The undersigned are well
acquainted with Lunsford Lane, the
petitioner, and join in his petition to the
Assembly for relief.
Charles Manly,
Drury Lacy,
R.W. Haywood,
Will. Peck,
Eleanor Haywood,
W.A. Stith,
Wm. Hill,
A.B. Stith,
R. Smith,
J. Brown,
Wm. Peace,
William White,
Jos. Peace,
Geo. Simpson,
Wm. M'Pheeters,
Jno. I. Christophers,
Wm. Boylan,
John Primrose,
Fabius J. Haywood
Hugh M'Queen
D.W. Stone
Alex. J. Lawrence
T. Meredith
C.L. Hinton
A.J. Battle
Lunsford Lane, the petitioner herein, has
been servant to the Executive Office since
the 1st of January, 1837, and it gives me
pleasure to state that, during the whole
time, without exception, I have found him
faithful and obedient, in keeping every
thing committed to his care in good
condition. From what I have seen of his
conduct and demeanor, I cheerfully join in
the petition for his relief.
C.C. BATTLE,
P. Secretary to Gov. Dudley.
Raleigh, Nov. 20, 1840.
The foregoing petition was presented to the
Senate. It was there referred to a
committee. I knew when the committee was to
report, and watched about the State House
that I might receive the earliest news of
the fate of my petition. I should have gone
within the senate chamber, but no colored
man has that permission. I do not know why,
unless for fear, he may hear the name of
Liberty. By and by a member came out, and as
he passed me, said, "Well, Lunsford, they
have laid you out; the nigger bill is
killed." I need not tell the reader that my
feelings did not enter into the merriment of
this honorable senator. To me, the fate of
my petition was the last blow to my hopes. I
had done all I could do, had said all I
could say, laboring night and day, to obtain
a favorable reception to my petition; but
all in vain. Nothing appeared before me but
I must leave the State, and leave my wife
and my children never to see them more. My
friends had also done all they could for me.
And why must I be banished? Ever after I
entertained the first idea of being free, I
had endeavored so to conduct myself as not
to become obnoxious to the white
inhabitants, knowing as I did their power,
and their hostility to the colored people.
The two points necessary in such a case I
had kept constantly in mind. First, I had
made no display of the little property or
money I possessed, but in every way I wore
as much as possible the aspect of poverty.
Second, I had never appeared to be even so
intelligent as I really was. This all
colored people at the south, free and
slaves, find it peculiarly necessary to
their own comfort and safety to observe.
I should, perhaps, have mentioned that on
the same day I received the notice to leave
Raleigh, similar notices were presented to
two other free colored people, who had been
slaves; were trying to purchase their
families; and were otherwise in a like
situation to myself. And they took the same
course I did to endeavor to remain a limited
time. Isaac Hunter, who had a family with
five children, was one; and WALLER FREEMAN,
who had six children, was the other. Mr.
Hunter's petition went before mine; and a
bill of some sort passed the Senate, which
was so cut down in the Commons, as to allow
him only twenty days to remain in the State.
He has since, however, obtained the freedom
of his family, who are living with him in
Philadelphia.
Mr. Freeman's petition received no better
fate than mine. His family were the property
of Judge BADGER, who was afterwards made a
member of Mr. Harrison's cabinet. When Mr.
Badger removed to Washington, he took with
him among other slaves this family; and
Freeman removed also to that city. After
this, when Mr. B. resigned his office, with
the other members of the cabinet under
President Tyler, he entered into some sort
of contract with Freeman, to sell him this
family, which he left at Washington, while
he took the rest of his slaves back to
Raleigh. Freeman is now endeavoring to raise
money to make the purchase.
It was now between two and three months to
the next session of the court; and I knew
that before or at that time I must leave the
State. I was bound to appear before the
court; but it had been arranged between my
lawyer and the prosecuting attorney, that if
I would leave the State, and pay the costs
of court, the case should be dropped, so
that my bondsmen should not be involved. I
therefore concluded to stay as long as I
possibly could, and then leave. I also
determined to appeal to the kindness of the
friends of the colored man in the North, for
assistance, though I had but little hope of
succeeding in this way. Yet it was the only
course I could think of, by which I could
see any possible hope of accomplishing the
object.
I had paid Mr. Smith six hundred and twenty
dollars; and had a house and lot worth $500,
which he had promised to take when I should
raise the balance. He gave me also a bill of
sale of one of my children, Laura, in
consideration of two hundred and fifty
dollars of the money already paid; and her I
determined to take with me to the North. The
costs of court which I had to meet, amounted
to between thirty and forty dollars, besides
the fee of my lawyer.
The Narrative of Lunsford Lane, Formerly of Raleigh, N.C., 1842