THE MOB.
Hardly unlooked for by myself was this mob, especially after I had
learned of the direction which "the subject" had taken in the family of
Mr. King.
On Sabbath afternoon, January 30th, while Mr. and Mrs. Porter, Mrs.
Porter's sister, Miss King, and myself, were enjoying ourselves in
social conversation, a gentleman from the village of Fulton called at
the residence of Mr. Porter, to give an account of events as they were
transpiring in the village. This gentleman was decidedly opposed to
"amalgamation," expressed the utmost surprise that Mr. Porter should for
a moment suppose that God ever designed the inter-marriage of white and
colored persons,--but he was, nevertheless, a man of friendly
disposition,--and as a friend he came to Mr. Porter. _We were to be
mobbed_,--so this gentleman informed us. He advised escape on the part
of Mr. Porter and myself, otherwise the house would be demolished! All
Fulton, since Saturday night, he informed us, had been in arms. Crowds
of men could be seen in the streets, at every point, discussing the
subject of our marriage, and with feelings of the most extraordinary
excitement; and similar discussions, he added, had been held during the
live-long night preceding, in all the grog shops and taverns of the
village.
All sorts of oaths had been uttered, and execrations vented. Tar,
feathers, poles, and an empty barrel spiked with shingle nails had been
prepared for my especial benefit; and, so far as I was concerned, it
must be escape or death. Mr. Porter was to be mobbed, he said, for
offering me entertainment, and for being supposed friendly to our union.
This friend did not understand the whole plan of the onslaught, but he
gave sufficient information to justify us in surmising that no harm was
intended to be inflicted upon Miss King, or any lady of the house.
Knowing the brutal character of prejudice against color, and knowing
also that I was supposed to be about to commit the unpardonable sin, I
confess, that though surprised to learn that the mob intended murder,
yet I was not surprised to learn many of the details which this friend
so kindly gave us.
Mr. Porter suggested that after supper, he and I should retire to a
neighbour's house, he supposing that if the mob should be foiled in
their attempt to get us into their hands, they would, after all, pass
away, and thus the matter blow quietly over. The suggestion, however,
was not carried into effect; for we had scarcely finished tea ere they
(the mob) were down upon us like wild beasts out of a den.
We first observed some twenty men turning a corner in the direction of
the house; then about thirty or forty more, and soon the streets were
filled with men--some four or five hundred. In the rear of this
multitude there was driven a sleigh in which, we rightly conjectured,
Miss King was to be taken home.
From the statements of the leader of the mob--statements afterwards
given to the public--it seems that a Committee, composed of members of
the mob, and constituted by the mob, suggested before reaching the house
that if we were still unmarried there should be no violence done, as
they intended to carry off the lady. A portion of this Committee also
made it their duty to gain access to the apartment where our company
were sitting, and to inform us of the intentions of the assembled
multitude below, while the remainder of the Committee endeavoured by
speeches and reasoning to quiet the mob spirit, which soon after the
assembling, began to reach its climax.
This Committee was composed of some of the most "respectable" men of
Fulton--lawyers, merchants, and others of like position. The reader will
doubtless think it strange that such men should be members of a mob; and
so it would be, if prejudice against color were not the saddest of all
comments upon the meanness of human depravity. In this, more than in
anything else did the malignant character of this American feeling
evince itself--that to drive me off or kill me, if need be, the
"respectable" and the base were commingled, like--
"Kindred elements into one."
Men who, under other circumstances, would have been regarded as beneath
contempt, the vulgar minded and vulgar hearted--with these, even
Christians (so called) did not hesitate to affiliate themselves in order
to crush a man who was guilty of no crime save that, having a colored
skin, he was supposed to be about to marry a lady a few shades lighter
than himself. O, the length and breadth, the height and depth, the
cruelty and the irony of a prejudice which can so belittle human nature.
But to the Committee again. This Committee declared themselves to us to
be a self-constituted body. But whether self-constituted or otherwise,
it matters not, since they were to all intents and purposes members of
the mob--if not in _deed_, still in spirit and in heart. They meant no
more than to save the honor of their village by preventing, if possible,
bloodshed and death. They were not men of better principles than the
rabble--they were only men of better breeding. I do them no injustice.
The tenor of their discourse to us at the house of Mr. Porter, the
spirit of an article published by one of their number a few days after
in the "_Oswego Daily Times_," and the statements of the mob-leader,
clearly satisfy me that had we been married, they (the Committee)
deeming that our marriage would have been a greater disgrace to their
village than even bloodshed or death, would have left us to our
fate--Miss King to be carried off, or perchance grossly insulted, and
myself left, as the spiked barrel especially evinced, to torture and to
death. That this Committee saved my life, I have no doubt; and I have
publicly thanked them for the act. So I would be grateful even to the
man who took deadly aim at me with his revolver, and only missed his
mark.
Previous to the death which I was to suffer in the spiked barrel, I was
to undergo various torturings and mutilations of person, aside from the
tarring and feathering--some of these mutilations too shocking to be
named in the pages of this book.
Mr. Porter, as I have already said, was also to be mobbed; but, as we
afterwards ascertained, only to be coated with tar and feathers and
ridden on a rail.
The leader of the mob subsequently averred that so decided was the
feeling in Fulton, that in addition to the hundreds who, in person, made
the onslaught, there were hundreds more in waiting in the village, who,
it was understood between the two companies, were ready to join the
onslaughting party at but a moment's warning. Indeed, Mrs. Allen now
assures me that on her way home that evening, conducted by a portion of
the Committee, she twice met crowds of men still coming on to join the
multitudes already congregated at Mr. Porter's. One of the Committee,
fearing that if all Fulton should get together, excited as the people
were, there would be bloodshed in spite of all that could be said or
done, entreated one of these crowds to go back. But, heeding him not; on
the villains went, some of them uttering oaths and imprecations, some of
them hurrahing, and many of them proceeding with great solemnity of
step--these last doubtless being church-members; for the mob was not
only on Sabbath evening, but it is a notorious fact which came out early
afterwards, that the churches on that evening were, every one of them,
quite deserted.
Reader, the life of a colored man in America, save as a slave, is
regarded as far less sacred than that of a dog. There is no exaggeration
in this statement--I am not writing of exceptions. It is true there are
white people in America who, while the colored man will keep in what
they call "his place," will treat him with a show of respect even. But
even this kind of people have their offset in the multitudes and
majorities--the populace at large who would go out of their way to
inflict the most demon-like outrages upon those whose skins are not
colored like their own!
I have before me at this moment recent American papers which contain
accounts of the throttling of respectably-dressed colored men and women
for venturing no further even than into the cabins of ferry boats plying
between opposite cities; of colored ladies made to get out of the cars
in which they had found seats--in cars in which the vilest loafer,
provided his skin be white might sit unmolested; of respectable
clergymen having their clothes torn from their backs, because they
presumed to ask in a quiet manner that they might have berths in the
cabins of steamers on which they were travelling, and not be compelled
to lodge on deck; and lastly, of a colored man who was not long since
picked up and thrown over-board from a steam boat, on one of the Western
rivers, because of some affray with a white man--while all the
bye-standers stood looking on, regarding the drowning of the man with
less consideration than they would have done the drowning of a brute.
Knowing all these things, and knowing also the peculiarity of the
circumstances which surrounded me on that Sabbath evening, the reader
will not be surprised, that when I saw the dense multitude surrounding
the house of Mr. Porter, I at once came to the conclusion that I should
not be permitted to live an hour longer. I was not frightened--was never
calmer--prepared for the worst, disposed of my watch and such other
articles of value as I had about my person.
Mr. Porter was below stairs at the time the mob approached. Soon he came
running up, introducing the Committee to whom reference has already been
made. They at once addressed us. I do not remember their words,--the
purport of the whole, however, was that death was intended for me,
provided we had been married; and as it was, I could only escape it, by
Miss King consenting to go with them, and by myself consenting to leave
the village; and further, that there must be no delay by either party.
One of the Committee, in order to assure me of the terrible danger by
which I was surrounded, drew back the window curtains and bade me look
out. I did not do so, however, since it was not necessary that I should
look out in order to feel fully convinced that there were men below, who
had determined to degrade themselves below the level of the brutes that
perish. Such cursings, such imprecations, such cries of "nigger," "bring
him out," "d----n him," "kill him," "down with the house," were never
heard before, I hardly think, even in America.
Of course, to have attempted to resist this armed mob of hundreds of men
would have been preposterous. It would have been, so far as I was
concerned, at least, to have committed myself to instant death.
Compelled, therefore, to make the best of our unfortunate situation,
Miss King consented to go with the Committee, and I to leave the
village--she, however, taking care to assure me in a whisper, that she
would meet me on the following day in Syracuse. The lady was now
conducted by the Committee through the mob to the sleigh. Not a word was
spoken by a single ruffian in the crowd. All were silent until the
driver put whip to his horse, when a general shout was sent up, as of
complete and perfect triumph.
"Mistaken souls!"
Having reached her father's house, one of the Committee addressed a
speech to her, hoped that for the sake of her family, and the community,
Miss King would relinquish all partiality for Professor Allen, advised
her also to go around among the ladies of the village, and consult with
them, and assured her that he would be glad to see her at his house; and
at any time when she felt disposed to come, he would send a sleigh to
bring her.
Nothing remarkable about this speech. But the tone in which it was
delivered!--that cannot be put upon paper. The speaker evidently thought
the young lady would receive it all as a mark of gracious favor, and as
assuring her that though she had been "hand and glove" with a coloured
man, he would nevertheless condescend to overlook it. He was dealing
with the wrong woman, however; and he received such a reply to his
harangue as only a virtuous indignation could have prompted.
The reader must also be informed that a double-sleigh load of
able-bodied men followed close behind the one in which Miss King was
taken home. What this movement meant, I am not able very satisfactorily
to conjecture. I venture the opinion, however, that the good folks
supposed their victim would jump out of the sleigh in which she was
riding, if a good opportunity should offer, and run back to the
Professor; and so this last load, no doubt, was put on as the rear-guard
of the posse.
Now for myself. Miss King having left, and the mob having been informed
that I was about to leave, they were somewhat quieted, but were far from
being appeased. That portion of the Committee that remained with me,
thought there was danger yet; and so, indeed, there was, judging hideous
noises, bitter curses and ruffianly demonstrations, to be any proper
criterion. They still cried, "bring him out" and "kill him." The
Committee thought the safety of the house required that I should be
removed at once; so I having gotten together my hat, valise and other
effects, they took me under their protection and conducted me to the
village hotel.
While I was being conducted out of the door, all manner of speech was
hurled at me--a bountiful supply of that sort of dialectics which
America can beat all the world at handling. However, the main desire of
the mob at this point seemed to have been to get a sight of me; so they
arraigned themselves in a double file, while I was conducted through the
centre thereof, somewhat after the fashion of a military hero--a
committee man at each side, one in front and another behind. Having
passed completely through the file, the scoundrels then closed in upon
me; some of them kicking me, some striking me in the side, once on the
head, some pulling at my clothes and bruising my hat, and all of them
hooting and hallooing after a manner similar to that which they
practised when they first surrounded the house of Mr. Porter.
At length we reached the hotel--a quarter of a mile distant. The
Committee were about to conduct me into the front parlour, when one
fellow patriotically cried out, "God d----n it, don't carry that nigger
into the front door." A true Yankee that! I have a penny laid up for
that fellow, if I should ever chance to meet him.
I was conducted into the back parlour of the hotel, as being the most
secure. Still the mob were not appeased, and besides, their numbers had
increased. They hung around the house. Some of them opened the windows
half-way and tried to clamber through them into the parlour where I was;
and at last they way-laid the outer doors.
The sort of curses they indulged in meanwhile, I need not describe
again. They were essentially the same as they had hitherto vented, save
that one or two of them growing a little humorous, cried out
occasionally "a speech from Professor Allen"--putting a peculiar
emphasis on the professor.
The Committee busied themselves in furnishing two sleighs in which I was
to be conveyed away, and also in appeasing the more ruffianly part of
the multitude with cigars and such other articles as they choose to call
for at the bar of the hotel. One of the sleighs was stationed at the
back door of the hotel, and the other about two miles from Fulton. The
plan was that I should get into the former and be driven to the latter,
in which I was to be taken post haste to Syracuse--a distance of about
twenty-five miles. The mob, however, suspected some of the details of
the plan, and consequently every time I appeared at the back door, they
made a rush at me seeking to wreak their vengeance. I escaped their
violence, however, by stepping adroitly out of the way. And, as the
tavern keeper had assured them that if they attempted violence upon me
while I was under his roof, they would do it at their peril, many of
them left, and I, at last, succeeded in reaching the sleigh at the back
door and was driven off in safety. The mob unable to overtake me, still
shouted a last imprecation.
For this said Sleigh ride, I paid Six dollars, about £1. 4s.; so I was
robbed, if not murdered.
I will now describe the leader of the mob--Henry C. Hibbard. I will do
it in short. This man is a clumsy-fisted, double jointed, burly-headed
personage, about six feet in height, with a countenance commingling in
expression the utmost ferocity and cunning. Hibbard is not a fool--but a
knave. He is essentially a low bred man, and vulgar to the heart's core.
Some idea of the calibre of the man may be had in the fact that in his
published Article in defense of the mob, he makes use of such
expressions as "g'hals," "g'halhood" and the like.
He has great perseverance of character as is evinced in the fact that
though I was several days behind the time at which I was expected to
arrive in Fulton, he or his deputies never failed to be daily at the
Cars so as to watch my arrival, and thus be in season with the
onslaught.
This man set himself up, and was indeed so received by the Elder and
Mrs. King as their friend, counsellor, and adviser. A confirmation this,
of what I have already said about the commingling of the "respectable"
and the base. His mobocratic movements, however, it is but just to say,
were unknown to the Elder and his wife until after the onslaught had
been made. Mrs. King however did not deprecate the mob until its history
had become somewhat unpopular, by reason of many of the "respectable"
men becoming ashamed at last that they had been found in such company as
Hibbard's. And even the Elder himself, though he deprecated the mob,
still characterized it as the "just indignation of the public."
Hibbard, I have already said, published a written defence of the mob.
The article was headed "_The Mary Rescue._"--and a most remarkable
document it was--remarkable, however, only for its intense vulgarity,
its absurd contradictions, and its ridiculous attempts at piety and
poetry.
Me, he describes as the "Professor of Charms" and "Charming Professor,"
once--the "tawney charmer."
Hibbard's article is not by me; and, if it were, its defilement is such
that I could not be tempted to give it at length. Laughable and
lamentable as the article is in the main, I still thank Hibbard for some
portions of it, and especially for that one which substantiates the
charge which I have brought against the "respectable men of Fulton."
Thus ends the mob.