Well, when the hammer fell and this slave knew that he belonged to
an owner whose cruelty was common talk, he exclaimed, "You have lost
your money." This slave was sent down with others to the steamer on the
Mississippi (which is only some ten minutes' walk from the hotel), for
shipment to this owner's plantations. The poor fellow was not even
allowed to say good-bye to his people, but was sent on board. When he
arrived there, he repeated to the man in charge of the slaves, "Mr. Rumo
will lose his money," and shortly after he took advantage of a
favourable moment, and, folding his arms, he threw himself backward into
the river, and was drowned.
A few minutes' walk from my hotel is the Henry Clay monument, where the
mob was addressed last month by Mr. Parkerson, who incited them to
proceed to the prison and force an entrance, and then to take the lives
of a number of Italian murderers by lynch law. On this monument some
memorable words are inscribed which Mr. Clay uttered, and which T
copied. They are as follows:--"If I could be instrumental in eradicating
this deep stain, slavery, from the character of our country, I would not
exchange the proud satisfaction which I should enjoy for the honour of
all the triumphs ever decreed to the most successful conqueror." That
deep stain was removed in 1862, and slaves were raised from the
condition of cattle to that of men, who could thenceforward rejoice in
the freedom of being masters of their own bodies.
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