[Correspondence of The N.Y. Tribune.]
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, July 30, 1855.
As the public have not been made acquainted with the facts and
particulars respecting the agency of Mr. Passmore Williamson and
others, in relation to the slave case now agitating this city,
and especially as the poor slave mother and her two sons have
been so grossly misrepresented, I deem it my duty to lay the
facts before you, for publication or otherwise, as you may think
proper.
On Wednesday afternoon, week, at 4-1/2 o'clock, the following
note was placed in my hands by a colored boy whom I had never
before seen, to my recollection:
"MR. STILL--_Sir_: Will you come down to Bloodgood's Hotel as
soon as possible--as there are three fugitive slaves here and
they want liberty. Their master is here with them, on his way to
New York."
The note was without date, and the signature so indistinctly
written as not to be understood by me, having evidently been
penned in a moment of haste.
Without delay I ran with the note to Mr. P. Williamson's office,
Seventh and Arch, found him at his desk, and gave it to him, and
after reading it, he remarked that he could not go down, as he
had to go to Harrisburg that night on business--but he advised
me to go, and to get the names of the slave-holder and the
slaves, in order to telegraph to New York to have them arrested
there, as no time remained to procure a writ of habeas corpus
here.
I could not have been two minutes in Mr. W.'s office before
starting in haste for the wharf. To my surprise, however, when I
reached the wharf, there I found Mr. W., his mind having
undergone a sudden change; he was soon on the spot.
I saw three or four colored persons in the hall at Bloodgood's,
none of whom I recognized except the boy who brought me the
note. Before having time for making inquiry some one said they
had gone on board the boat. "Get their description," said Mr. W.
I instantly inquired of one of the colored persons for the
desired description, and was told that she was "a tall, dark
woman, with two little boys."
Mr. W. and myself ran on board of the boat, looked among the
passengers on the first deck, but saw them not. "They are up on
the second deck," an unknown voice uttered. In a second we were
in their presence. We approached the anxious-looking
slave-mother with her two boys on her left-hand; close on her
right sat an ill-favored white man having a cane in his hand
which I took to be a sword-cane. (As to its being a sword-cane,
however, I might have been mistaken.)
The first words to the mother were: "Are you traveling?" "Yes,"
was the prompt answer. "With whom?" She nodded her head toward
the ill-favored man, signifying with him. Fidgeting on his seat,
he said something, exactly what I do not now recollect. In reply
I remarked: "Do they belong to you, Sir?" "Yes, they are in my
charge," was his answer. Turning from him to the mother and her
sons, in substance, and word for word, as near as I can
remember, the following remarks were earnestly though calmly
addressed by the individuals who rejoiced to meet them on free
soil, and who felt unmistakably assured that they were justified
by the laws of Pennsylvania as well as the Law of God, in
informing them of their rights:
"You are entitled to your freedom according to the laws of
Pennsylvania, having been brought into the State by your owner.
If you prefer freedom to slavery, as we suppose everybody does,
you have the chance to accept it now. Act calmly--don't be
frightened by your master--you are as much entitled to your
freedom as we are, or as he is--be determined and you need have
no fears but that you will be protected by the law. Judges have
time and again decided cases in this city and State similar to
yours in favor of freedom! Of course, if you want to remain a
slave with your master, we cannot force you to leave; we only
want to make you sensible of your rights. _Remember, if you lose
this chance you may never get such another," etc_.
[Illustration: RESCUE OF JANE JOHNSON AND HER CHILDREN.]
This advice to the woman was made in the hearing of a number of
persons present, white and colored; and one elderly white
gentleman of genteel address, who seemed to take much interest
in what was going on, remarked that they would have the same
chance for their freedom in New Jersey and New York as they then
had--seeming to sympathize with the woman, etc.
During the few moments in which the above remarks were made, the
slaveholder frequently interrupted--said she understood all
about the laws making her free, and her right to leave if she
wanted to; but contended that she did not want to leave--that
she was on a visit to New York to see her friends--afterward
_wished to return to her three children whom she left in
Virginia, from whom it would be_ HARD _to separate her_.
Furthermore, he diligently tried to constrain her to say that
she did not want to be interfered with--that she wanted to go
with him--that she was on a visit to New York--had children in
the South, etc.; but the woman's desire to be free was
altogether too strong to allow her to make a single
acknowledgment favorable to his wishes in the matter. On the
contrary, she repeatedly said, distinctly and firmly, "_I am not
free, but I want my freedom_--ALWAYS _wanted to be free!! but he
holds me_."
While the slaveholder claimed that she belonged to him, he said
_that she was free_! Again he said that he was _going to give
her her freedom_, etc. When his eyes would be off of hers, such
eagerness as her looks expressed, indicative of her entreaty
that we would not forsake her and her little ones in their
weakness, it had never been my lot to witness before, under any
circumstances.
The last bell tolled! The last moment for further delay passed!
The arm of the woman being slightly touched, accompanied with
the word, "Come!" she instantly arose. "Go along--go along!"
said some, who sympathized, to the boys, at the same time taking
hold of their arms. By this time the parties were fairly moving
toward the stairway leading to the deck below. Instantly on
their starting, the slave-holder rushed at the woman and her
children, to prevent their leaving; and, if I am not mistaken,
he simultaneously took hold of the woman and Mr. Williamson,
which resistance on his part caused Mr. W. to take hold of him
and set him aside quickly.
The passengers were looking on all around, but none interfered
in behalf of the slaveholder except one man, whom I took to be
another slaveholder. He said harshly, "Let them alone; they are
his _property_!'" The youngest boy, about 7 years of age--too
young to know what these things meant--cried "Massa John! Massa
John!" The elder boy, 11 years of age, took the matter more
dispassionately, and the mother _quite calmly_. The mother and
her sympathizers all moved down the stairs together in the
presence of quite a number of spectators on the first deck and
on the wharf, all of whom, as far as I was able to discern,
seemed to look upon the whole affair with the greatest
indifference. The woman and children were assisted, but not
forced to leave. Nor were there any violence or threatenings as
I saw or heard. The only words that I heard from any one of an
objectionable character, were: "Knock him down; knock him down!"
but who uttered it or who was meant I knew not, nor have I since
been informed. However, if it was uttered by a colored man, I
regret it, as there was not the slightest cause for such
language, especially as the sympathies of the spectators and
citizens seemed to justify the course pursued.
While passing off of the wharf and down Delaware-avenue to Dock
st., and up Dock to Front, where a carriage was procured, the
slaveholder and one police officer were of the party, if no
more.
The youngest boy on being put in the carriage was told that he
was "a fool for crying so after 'Massa John,' who would sell him
if he ever caught him." Not another whine was heard on the
subject.
The carriage drove down town slowly, the horses being fatigued
and the weather intensely hot; the inmates were put out on Tenth
street--not at any house--after which they soon found hospitable
friends and quietude. The excitement of the moment having passed
by, the mother _seemed very cheerful, and rejoiced greatly that
herself and boys had been, as she thought, so "providentially
delivered from the house of bondage_!" For the first time in her
life she could look upon herself and children and feel free!
Having felt the iron in her heart for the best half of her
days--having been sold with her children on the auction
block--having had one of her children sold far away from her
without hope of her seeing him again--she very naturally and
wisely concluded to go to Canada, fearing if she remained in
this city--as some assured her she could do with entire
safety--that she might again find herself in the clutches of the
tyrant from whom she had fled.
A few items of what she related concerning the character of her
master may be interesting to the reader--
Within the last two years he had sold all his slaves--between
thirty and forty in number--having purchased the present ones in
that space of time. She said that before leaving Washington,
coming on the cars, and at his father-in-law's in this city, a
number of persons had told him that in bringing his slaves into
Pennsylvania they would be free. When told at his
father-in-law's, as she overheard it, that he "could not have
done a worse thing," &c., he replied that "Jane would not leave
him."
As much, however, as he affected to have such implicit
confidence in Jane, he scarcely allowed her to be out of his
presence a moment while in this city. To use Jane's own
language, he was "on her heels every minute," fearing that some
one might get to her ears the sweet music of freedom. By the
way, Jane had it deep in her heart before leaving the South, and
was bent on succeeding in New York, if disappointed in
Philadelphia.
At Bloodgood's, after having been belated and left by the 2
o'clock train, while waiting for the 5 o'clock line, his
appetite tempted her "master" to take a hasty dinner. So after
placing Jane where he thought she would be pretty secure from
"evil communications" from the colored waiters, and after giving
her a double counselling, he made his way to the table; remained
but a little while, however, before leaving to look after Jane;
finding her composed, looking over a bannister near where he
left her, he returned to the table again and finished his meal.
But, alas, for the slave-holder! Jane had her "top eye open,"
and in that brief space had appealed to the sympathies of a
person whom she ventured to trust, saying, "I and my children
are slaves, and we want liberty!" I am not certain, but suppose
that person, in the goodness of his heart, was the cause of the
note being sent to the Anti-Slavery office, and hence the
result.
As to her going on to New York to see her friends, and wishing
to return to her three children in the South, and his going to
free her, &c., Jane declared repeatedly and very positively,
that there was not a particle of truth in what her master said
on these points. The truth is she had not the slightest hope of
freedom through any act of his. She had only left one boy in the
South, who had been sold far away, where she scarcely ever heard
from him, indeed never expected to see him any more.
In appearance Jane is tall and well formed, high and large
forehead, of genteel manners, chestnut color, and seems to
possess, naturally, uncommon good sense, though of course she
has never been allowed to read.
Thus I have given as truthful a report as I am capable of doing,
of Jane and the circumstances connected with her deliverance.