Historical Romance of the American Negro Part 18

"When you come to sea blessed with splendid health, and strength, and vigorous life, with high-beating hope, and all things before your imagination of the seven colors of the rainbow; when 'all hearts are light, all eyes are bright, and nature's face is gay'-then, indeed, you are going to have a first-cla.s.s time upon the rolling deep in the merry month of May. Life on the ocean wave has really ten times more charms than I am able to define. You must come to sea yourself to experience it, for it is indeed far too much for my pen.

"The sea! the sea! The broad, blue sea! What a glorious thing it is to look away as far as ever the eye can reach, and behold nothing but the big, blue waves of the North Atlantic heaving up and down, while our bold and plucky steamboat rushes fearlessly over those watery hills, and the bright and beautiful sun pours his warm rays down upon the rolling deep, and a fascinating and bewitching feeling floods upon your own heart, and there begets a feeling of enthusiasm that no language can describe!

"The porpoise is a lively fish, often seen from the deck of an Atlantic steamboat, and we saw plenty of them rushing through the waves like winged lightning. It was indeed a fine sight; but the best companions we had all the way to the British Isles were the bold, brave sea-gulls, that left the coast of America with us, and came all the way to Liverpool. The sea-gull acts more like a human being than anything else to which I can describe him; cavorting about all over the main, and then coming down almost to the deck itself, to let you know that he is there, and trying to make you feel at home on the ocean.

"There seemed to be no end of sweet, peaceful enjoyment; the weather continued so fine all the way across the sea, our health was so good, and we had such pleasant companions on all sides around, and nothing happened to the ship to mar the general joy. It was, indeed, a downright holiday, most thoroughly enjoyed by us all.

"The Sabbath-day came around, and there were two church services in the Grand Saloon. We all went both times, which proved, as I thought at the time, the greatest treat in our whole life. The singing, the prayers, the sermons, and everything else combined to form a novelty that I am again quite at a loss to explain.

"And yet there were many on board who never went to a church service at sea, although it was the very joy of our lives, and a treat that turned our gallant ship into a floating heaven on the deep. It is just the same on sh.o.r.e. There are people who live next door to the church who never enter its portals once in their lives.

"We spent a good deal of time watching for vessels on the ocean, and saw plenty of them. We pa.s.sed quite close to several, and spoke to a few.

Some of them came so near that we saw everything on deck, and that was something when far from home.

"What a glorious sight it was to behold the red, red sun rising out of the waves in the East every morning, like a great, big, round, red cheese, and again to watch him at night going down in all his glory in the West, like a red and fiery wheel, flooding all the main with the splendor of his glory, as he sank down into his water bed! We used to stand on the open deck, and watch the 'glorious G.o.d of day' sink, sink, sinking, till at last he quite disappeared from view. Then the fair-faced silver moon, fair Luna, Queen of Night, arose in the East, and flooded all the ocean with her silver shining that was laid so entrancingly upon the rolling waves, whilst the thousand stars came out in ones, and twos, and hundreds, and bestudded all the skies. Thus again we would gather out upon the deck at night, and watch the starry heavens, and the moon, and listen to the wild waves of the North Atlantic rolling away, far and near; and when night came on, we found ourselves pretty well worn out after another long and busy day. But we slept well, as indeed we well might, for the good Lord and the sailors were ever taking good care of us all and the brave Sarmatian was battling her rapid way cross the North Atlantic.

"As I used to stand and muse upon the deck, it often occurred to my mind how all the ancestors of the colored race in America had been borne over the waves of the self-same North Atlantic over which we were now sailing, though farther to the South. Over these waves, also, the great Fred. Dougla.s.s had pa.s.sed several times on his journeys to and from the British Isles; for he is one of the great pillars of history, and has filled the whole world with his fame. His renown is bright all over the earth!

"Thus time pa.s.sed on, day and night, and we all enjoyed ourselves to the top of our bent; at the grand piano in the saloon, watching the play of the wild waves of the rolling deep, etc., etc. The excitement in every bosom began to rise as we drew near to the land, and when the old head of Kinsale rose from the main in the southwest of Ireland, there was truly a most tremendous flurry in every heart. And as the Sarmatian pa.s.sed rapidly along, one lofty, frowning headland after another rose from the waves, reminding one of grand lofty church steeples placed at intervals here and there; then the bold, precipitous coasts ran far away back into some estuary or firth, at the head of which a river came pouring down from the interior of the land. A heavy summer shower of rain came up all of a sudden, after which the sun burst out with indescribable splendor, and a mighty rainbow stood over the entire convex of heaven, with its great feet like elephant's legs, deep down in the ocean. Our American sea-gulls came bravely on, and in Irish waters were met by Irish sea-gulls, and countless wild sea-mews.

"The excitement that began when we pa.s.sed the Old Head at Kinsale did not subside. It went on, grew and increased hour after hour, as we called at Queenstown, and then moved on to Liverpool. Nothing was now thought of nor talked about but John Bull and his Island-Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean, the home of the brave and the free! We noticed that we were no longer upon the big, blue waves of the North Atlantic, but ploughing our rapid way across the shallower green seas of the British Isles-quite a pleasant change in its way, after so much blue, because nature's green is a beautiful color.

"It was time for us to go to bed, as we approached St. George's Channel, that divides Ireland from Wales; but we were all up and fresh, and bright as b.u.t.tons in the morning, when Holyhead, the Isle of Anglesea, and the bold mountains of North Wales arose almost perpendicular out of the Irish Sea, and dipped their feet, deep, deep into the waves.

"The excitement on board now among us all was simply dreadful! We were so near home, and yet not quite there! Hundreds of ships in all directions were moving about over all the sea; and no wonder, because we were close to the doors of one of the most famous queen seaports that this world has ever seen. At last we came up in front of the City of Liverpool, and having a tremendous traffic in full view, and here we had to lie till two o'clock in the afternoon, when the tide would be full, and we could cross the bar of the Mersey. We crossed the bar in due time, and got into that famous river, came up to the Great Landing Stage where we landed in great excitement, for here at last was John Bull and his Island!

"Having landed and pa.s.sed the custom-house officers, we procured cabs and drove to our appointed quarters in the city, where we received a most hearty welcome upon our arrival, and were ushered into our rooms, and we never felt more thoroughly at home in our lives. The good people seemed determined to make us feel all right, and to make a good impression on the Americans. The English tea time, 5 P. M., drew nigh, and we had toast and tea, with jams, etc., in the regular English fashion. It was delightful to have all things so nice in a foreign way.

The fire was also delightful in the open grate, and that also looked most cheerful. Pictures of Queen Victoria and the royal family hung from the walls, and battle scenes by land and sea, and landscape pictures powerfully reminded us that we were now under the British flag, and in another part of the world.

"After tea, we walked out to view the city, the river, the mighty traffic of this modern Tyre, and 10,000 seamen talking far more languages than we knew anything about. Thus several days and nights pa.s.sed away, and we found the people one of the most delightful in the world-frank, free, open-hearted and generous and hospitable to a fault.

I am told that there is not a heartier people on the face of the earth than the half million inhabitants of Liverpool, and so far as my experience goes that is quite true. We accepted several invitations, and had glorious times among these people; we ran the whole town and saw many places of great interest and beauty. But from fifteen to twenty miles of dock, the busy river and the Great Landing Stage almost took our breath away. It is worth crossing the Atlantic to see the far-famed city of Liverpool!

"Everybody saw and knew that we had a wedding party along with us, and, indeed, my two daughters and their husbands were just like so many birds set free, when once they got ash.o.r.e. Like the spirited singing birds of the British Isles, there was no end to their hilarity; and it was delightful to see them. Our entire party were very favorably impressed with all that we both heard and saw, and everybody was so very polite to us, and agreeable in all their ways. We now began to make excursions to see some of the fine sights of 'Old England,' and some of the grand castles and palaces of fame and renown. What seemed to impress us all most was the smooth, lawn-like appearance of the whole fair-faced country, which is the most polished upon the face of the earth.

Beautiful England, indeed, reminds me of a well-cultivated garden, and it looks like a great garden, and nothing else. The houses and grounds of some of the n.o.bility are flung open for the inspection of foreign visitors, and truly they are a delight to behold, with all their flower gardens, conservatories of plants, playing fountains, and other attractions too numerous to mention. Go where we might, nothing seemed more gratifying to our feelings than the polite attention and fine manners of all those with whom we came in contact. The sights and scenes round about us, and so much to charm the senses in a foreign land, in the delightful month of May, delighted us to the core, and made us think of the Garden of Eden, and the fabled, golden regions of the blessed.

The stately homes of England-how beautiful they stand!-amidst the tall, ancestral trees, o'er all the pleasant land! Such is England, that has been polished for 1,000 years, till polishing can do no more!

"All the world has heard of 'Beautiful Wales,' and we determined to pa.s.s a few weeks among her enchanting scenery. We visited the Vale of Llangollen, the Vale of Clwyd, the Vale of Conway, saw Bettws-y-Coed, the Pa.s.s of Llanberis, and, indeed, the best things in all North Wales, including lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and glorious romance without end.

The warm-hearted, impulsive Welsh people almost carried us all off our feet with their unbounded enthusiasm, and the tremendous warmth of their welcome. They are the greatest singers in the world. Indeed, all Wales is one sea of song, and they sing well, and they even dearly love to sing. They are a G.o.d-fearing race, and we never heard a Welshman swear-no, not even once. Here was something for our young people to learn, for it was so sweet to hear the name of the Lord mentioned only in terms of praise. Wales always reminded our entire party of the 'Delectable Mountains' of the Pilgrim's Progress, for the Welsh mountains were delightful to us.

"After we got through with all we cared about seeing in 'Beautiful Wales,' and among its warm-hearted people, we next moved away to the North to become somewhat acquainted with what is truly called 'Bonnie Scotland.' We pa.s.sed around the highlands and the islands of that romantic country, and beheld the famous lakes and the lofty mountains, her deep waterfalls and historic straits and glens. We visited the land of Burns, in the South, or Lowlands, saw Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the home of Sir Walter Scott, on the Lower Tweed. Of a truth, Scotland is a beautiful, enchanting and enchanted land, and her warm-hearted, enthusiastic people stamp their impress on the hearts of all those who visit them, for all coming time.

We found the whole of the British Isles overrun with tourists in the summer time; but few failed to see Scotland, which has filled the whole world with its fame. There is something so peculiarly romantic about the 'Scotch Borders,' that our heads were almost turned, and where all the land seemed to be enchanted ground. Sweet Moffat and its grand surroundings can never be forgotten, nor the impression that they made on all our hearts. We also descended the beautiful Esk river, from Langholm, till we came to headwaters upon Eskdalemoor, where the intelligent and hospitable people are mostly shepherds, and, like all the rest of the Scotch, most exemplary in their attendance at church.

The parish minister is the Rev. John C. d.i.c.k, and we were royally entertained by him to tea at the manse, and we had a good time generally.

"After leaving Scotland, we made our way over to Ireland, saw Belfast, Dublin, Cork, the Lakes of Killarney, and, indeed, the best of all that was to be seen in the Emerald Isle. I don't know whether a people can be too enthusiastic and warm-hearted, but if they can, these are the Irish at home.

"My good friend and brother, I began this long letter upon landing at Liverpool, in May. It is now September, 1876. We have all come back to Liverpool-to our first quarters here. We have had a glorious time roving over the British Isles these four eventful months. We intend to embark to-morrow on the 'Scotia' for New York. I intend to keep a journal on our voyage, and yourself and lady shall have a reading of it at once. We are all quite well, and, indeed, the trans-Atlantic trip has had the most salutary influence upon the health of our entire party. My next greatest desire is to return home to Buffalo, and we all hope to visit the British Isles at some future day, if G.o.d our lives shall spare. With our united love to yourself, lady and all other friends, I am yours in all Christian affection.

"BEULAH LINCOLN."

CHAPTER XIX.

_Eminent Colored Men and Women-Bishop Daniel E. Payne-Frederick Dougla.s.s-His Life and Times-Mrs. Frances Ellen Harper-Miss Louise de Mortie._

One of the hardest things in the world is to keep down a man who is determined to rise. He comes up like a plant of spontaneous growth, and the more we try to keep him down, the more he will persevere in his determination to stand upon his own feet like other men. This was often shown in the days before the war, when the bold, intrepid slave, who clearly saw that the whole system was wrong, made up his mind at least to be free, and the next thing we hear of him is a daring and successful attempt to shake off the chains of slavery, through his successful escape to the free States of the North, or to Canada, or even to Europe.

But this determined spirit to at least be free, did not confine itself merely to such adventurous and successful escapes, but a.s.sumed the form of acquiring an education also; and no better ill.u.s.tration of this can be given than that of the late Bishop Daniel E. Payne, of the A. M. E.

Church, who was born in South Carolina, in the year 1811. The heinous system of slavery in that rebellious State treated as a crime the teaching of any slave or free colored person whatsoever. But Daniel E.

Payne had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and in order to flank the evil system that then prevailed, and to gain that knowledge to which he was as much ent.i.tled as the President of the United States himself, he procured the a.s.sistance of a friendly white man, who taught him in a cellar, where neither friend nor foe could see what they were doing.

Daniel was an apt and clever student, and above all things, as the Bible says, "He had a mind to work," and an enthusiastic mind at that. It did not take this young hero long to take in the entire situation regarding slave lands and slavery when once his mind had begun to expand. Like Moses and many other famous leaders, the Lord had work for him to do, and he was preparing him for it at this time.

Young Payne saw that South Carolina was no place for him, and that the first duty he owed to himself was to get away as best he could, to the Northern States, where he could enjoy his own manly and manful rights.

As fortune favors the brave, he succeeded in making his escape, and his freedom being now secure, he made all due haste to become that eminent scholar, who was destined by the will of G.o.d, to become a leader and an instructor of his people. He connected himself with the A. M. E. Church, and through and by means of that powerful body he did mighty things for the education of his own people, both before the war and after it. He has justly been called "The Apostle of Education," and what the great Fred. Dougla.s.s was in the political world, Daniel E. Payne was in the educational and intellectual world. Such a man as Bishop Payne should be revered as a philanthropist for all coming time. The colored race will never be able to say that they are out of his debt. At last he was made a bishop of his own church, and became the head of Wilberforce University, in Ohio-a glorious inst.i.tution that had made itself felt by its influence over all this nation. Bishop Payne was sent to Europe for a time in the interest of his church, and his high qualities were everywhere honored by the Christian and scholars across the Atlantic.

Thus we see in Daniel Payne a diamond in the rough, in the slave State of South Carolina, but by the predetermined will of G.o.d, brought to the free North and polished, as it were, by the hand of the jeweler. We see all the work that the great Creator had given him to do, and how well he did it, too. And what we have said of Payne could as well be said of thousands of others-men in whom the spirit of right and ambition dwells; men who ever forge to the front: men whom G.o.d helps, because He sees that they are also willing to help themselves.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _SOUTHERN CHIVALRY-ARGUMENT VERSUS CLUB'S._]

We next come to the far-famed and highly-celebrated Frederick Dougla.s.s, renowned over all the earth wherever honest worth is appreciated and valued by the civilized sons and daughters of Adam. The name of "Fred.

Dougla.s.s," as he is affectionately called, stands out in alto-relief with that of John Bunyan, George Washington, and some few others who carry fame and goodness with them at one and the same time. n.o.body seems to be jealous of them nor envy them, for their fame is far beyond the reach of jealousy or envy. It would be a difficult thing to find a village, valley or an isle of any ocean on the face of the globe where the familiar endearing name of Fred. Dougla.s.s has not been heard. The children growing up at their mothers' knees have learned to lisp it as a name to be revered; and when they grow up to man's estate, nothing will content them until they have read the life of the famous Fred. Dougla.s.s.

The opinion, or rather the belief, has prevailed in America that Fred.

Dougla.s.s was the son of a white father and colored mother, and that white father has been supposed to have been his owner. But in the history of his own life and times, published a few years ago, Dougla.s.s positively affirms that both his parents were colored, and for my own part I believe that to be the truth. As men like Fred. Dougla.s.s are very few and far between, the wish among many of the anti-slavery school, at least, seems to have been father to the thought that so clever a man could never have been the offspring of colored parents, but that his father, at least, must have been white. Not so, by any means! Fred.

himself makes it quite plain that his father and mother were both colored, and he tells us all about it in his usual modest way.

Fred. Dougla.s.s was born in the region called Tuckahoe Neck, in Talbot county, on the Eastern Sh.o.r.e of Maryland, in the year 1817. There is something unusually sad and plaintive about the way in which the poor child was separated from his own father and mother, and how he came up on the rough side of the mountain of slavery. The poor lad was subjected not only to the purest barbarities, but had to undergo treatment that may be called sheer cowardice on the part of his tormentors. Well might the Prophet exclaim, "How long, O Lord, how long?" Whilst he was a boy, growing up at Baltimore, his mistress kindly taught him his letters, and went some way in giving him further instructions, till at last his master advised her to stop teaching him, as such things and slavery did not work well together. No, indeed! They did not work well together, especially in the heart and soul of a boy like Fred., who already began to look into the workings of the curse of slavery. To stop Fred. from learning was now impossible. One might as well dam up a mountain rill with one's hands-it would simply flow over the top of them, or round about them. Nature will have her way, and the great Creator had implanted the germ of liberty in the boy's heart, whose growth was not to be kept down. After many ups and downs on the Eastern and Western Sh.o.r.es of Maryland, when our hero had arrived at about the age of twenty-one, in the year 1838, he resolved to make a bold stroke for liberty; and accordingly, being dressed up like a sailor, he took the train at Baltimore for Philadelphia, luckily escaping detection, and having successfully run the gauntlet by the way, he landed upon the platform of the Quaker City all right. But he did not consider himself safe even here; so he left Philadelphia, still dressed in his sailor's suit, and came on to the city of New York.

"Arise! Shine forth; for thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee!" Thus said the Prophet, and Fred. Dougla.s.s, in his last book-the history of his life and times-almost sets up a perfect yell of delight at having escaped from the horrors of slavery and being a free man. The few days he spent in New York City among the friends of the free must have been a perfect spring-time of life to him-free, free, free, as the wild waves of the deep! Free to go where he pleased, and to read and study what he liked. Our glorious youthful Fred.-this splendid, well-built, stout-bodied young man of twenty-one, did a very sensible thing whilst in New York. He had a lady-love at Baltimore, a free young woman of color named Anna: but before he moved a step further he sent for her to come on to New York City. So to New York she came, and here the interesting young couple were married. This, indeed, was a very lively stroke of business on the part of Frederick, but he was now at the golden age of twenty-one; it was best for him to marry now, because it would give him something to live and toil for, and also "give ballast to his ship of life." The Great Creator and his daughter "Nature" made no mistakes. My own marriage with my own beloved Tom has been no failure. We have never repented of it, either of us. We could have done no better. And so it was with Fred. Dougla.s.s and his beloved Anna, from Baltimore. There never was a more manly bridegroom than he. Above all things he was a Christian and a gentleman, in the very essence of his nature; a man of lofty honor and principle, and with such a man as that a young woman is forever in safety.

All this time, 1838, the Abolitionists were under full swing, led on by William Lloyd Garrison, of Ma.s.sachusetts, and backed up by all those who beheld the dawn of freedom on the Eastern horizon. Garrison's paper, "The Liberator," sent forth its blasts all over the Northern States; but the North at that time abode in thick darkness as to the rights of colored men to freedom on the self-same footing with themselves. And not only did thick darkness cover the land, but entire legions and hosts of the people were almost as much prejudiced upon the slave question as the slave-holders of the South. They had no more idea of the grand, self-elevating capabilities of the colored race than the child that was unborn; and the ignorant ma.s.ses of white people were certainly unwilling to give them a chance. And our poor, dear Fred., now a married man, had just to stand his chances, and run his risks with the rest, while the untutored North was in such a crude and chaotic state. Therefore, on account of the presence of so much ignorance and prejudice against men of color in New York City, the friends of freedom considered it unsafe for Frederick Dougla.s.s to remain there any longer, and advised him to move on to New Bedford, in Ma.s.sachusetts, where he would at least be out of danger. We can never forget the honored name of Mr. David Ruggles, a colored gentleman of New York City, in connection with these events. It was he who mainly took charge of our hero and his wife in New York City, and sent them on to New Bedford. And when they arrived in New Bedford, they were met by one Mr. Nathan Johnson, a very intelligent and industrious colored man, a warm friend of theirs, who advanced them a sum of money to redeem their baggage, which was held for fare. He advised Fred. to drop the name of Fred. Lloyd, and to call himself "Fred. Dougla.s.s," as he (Nathan Johnson) had lately been reading of Dougla.s.s, in Sir Walter Scott's novels, relating to Scotland and the Scotch.

Being now in possession of his freedom, having a sweet young wife and a home of his own, he had something to live for! Dougla.s.s had learned the trade of the ship-builder, at Baltimore, but was unable to work at that trade at New Bedford, on account of the prejudices of the white workmen there against color, for had he taken his tools in among them and gone to work, they would all at once have stopped work and left the yard.

Such was the character of even Northern men in the year 1838, but Dougla.s.s was not the man to flinch. He was strong, hardy and handy at almost everything. If he could not do one thing he could do another; and therefore he picked up a living at anything that presented itself to him.

The whole colored race are preeminently inquiring, and possess a thirst and love for knowledge in the very highest degree. Fred. Dougla.s.s was a splendid specimen of this n.o.ble trait of character. Being now his own master, he literally devoured knowledge, and his splendid intellect expanded, flourished and grew on apace like the growth of vegetation in the tropics. He was no longer watched, or almost murdered, if he was found with a book in his hand! He was no longer the so-called "property"

of a fellow calling himself his "owner," who robbed him of his week's wages, and then pretended to make him a present of a quarter of his own money to treat himself with! Oh, dear me, no! No more of that for him!

When this brave young man, this hero of twenty-one had done his day's work, he came home to his beloved Anna at his cosy home in New Bedford, and after he had his supper, the way was clear for a grand time reading "The Liberator," which William Lloyd Garrison sent out every week, and that fired the warm, receptive mind and heart of young Fred., so that his fame as a brilliant conversationalist and a well-read man, spread rapidly throughout the town. He had been often listened to as an exhorter and unusually fervid speaker at the colored Methodist Church in the town, and all men with sharp eyes perceived that another star had risen in the intellectual heavens, and that some circ.u.mstance or other would bring him to the front some day. And it came to pa.s.s as they had prophesied!

In New Bedford Mr. Dougla.s.s had attended several meetings in defence of the poor, oppressed slave; and there he had heard the most unmitigated denunciation of the whole infamous system of slavery. The eloquent, burning language of the speakers went home to his heart. In the summer of 1841, when Dougla.s.s was twenty-four years old, an anti-slavery convention was to be held at Nantucket, Ma.s.sachusetts, a place not far from New Bedford, and the convention would be under the management of the famous William Lloyd Garrison, whose weekly paper, "The Liberator,"

Dougla.s.s had been devouring week by week with such unwonted avidity. He determined to take a little respite from his hard work in the bra.s.s foundry, and attend this gathering of anti-slavery people. There was a great a.s.semblage of people at Nantucket. The fires of enthusiasm on behalf of the oppressed slave burned hot and high. In the midst of the vast audience here a.s.sembled, there was one Mr. Wm. C. Coffin, who had heard the eloquent and burning words of Frederick Dougla.s.s as he harangued the little audiences of the colored Methodist Church in New Bedford. Mr. Coffin sought out our unknown hero, and gave him such a vigorous invitation to speak that his hesitancy, and bashfulness, and backwardness were all entirely overcome, and Fred. Dougla.s.s, nothing daunted, now mounted the platform, and made such an oration as filled every thinking man and woman with astonishment. His simple, burning tale of his own wrongs and experiences completely swept his audience away, and like the Queen of Sheba, there seemed to be no more spirit left in them. Fred. Dougla.s.s had come to stay!

The name and fame of Fred. Dougla.s.s arose like a brilliant and new star in the heavens. He began to travel and lecture in different parts of the New England States, and paid visits to other sections of the North. His n.o.ble presence and splendid eloquence drew the eyes and ears of the whole country. His great name crossed the Atlantic, and spread throughout the British Isles. His powerful pen, in the columns of "The Liberator," and elsewhere, added still further to his fame. Everybody who hated and detested slavery desired to see him and to hear him speak.

He was a power in the anti-slavery party, and he himself laid the axe most willingly with all his might and main. The question arose, "If one colored man can do so much, what can the whole race do, if they were set at liberty?" On account of the rising excitement all over the land on the slavery question, in the year 1845, the friends of Mr. Dougla.s.s sent him to England. In crossing the North Atlantic the pa.s.sengers called upon him to make a speech on the question of slavery, and he complied.