ther,
owned by the man from whom I fled. It will be seen at once then how the
fear of implicating them embarrassed me in the outset. They suffered
nothing, however, but a strong suspicion, until about six months after I
had left; when the following circumstance took place:--

When I left my friend W.W. in Pennsylvania to go on north, I ventured to
write a letter back to one of my brothers, informing him how I was; and
this letter was directed to the care of a white man who was hired on the
plantation, who worked in the garden with my father, and who professed a
warm friendship to our family; but instead of acting in good faith, he
handed the letter to my master. I am sorry that truth compels me to say
that that man was an Englishman.

From that day the family were handled most strangely. The history begins
thus: they were all sold into Virginia, the adjoining state. This was done
lest I should have some plan to get them off; but God so ordered that they
fell into kinder hands. After a few years, however, their master became
much embarrassed, so that he was obliged to pass them into other hands,
at least for a term of years. By this change the family was divided, and
my parents, with the greater part of their children, were taken to New
Orleans. After remaining there several years at hard labour,--my father
being in a situation of considerable trust, they were again taken back to
Virginia; and by this means became entitled by the laws of that state to
their freedom. Before justice, however, could take its course, their old
master in Maryland, as if intent to doom them for ever to bondage,
repurchased them; and in order to defeat a similar law in Maryland, by
which they would have been entitled to liberty, he obtained from the
General Assembly of that state the following special act. This will show
not only something of his character as a slaveholder, but also his
political influence in the state. It is often urged in the behalf of
slaveholders, that the law interposes an obstacle in the way of
emancipating their slaves when they wish to do so, but here is an instance
which lays open the real philosophy of the whole case. They make the law
themselves, and when they find the laws operate more in favour of the
slaves than themselves, they can easily evade or change it. Maryland being
a slave-exporting state, you will see why they need a law to prohibit the
importation of slaves; it is a protection to that sort of trade. Thi