Fiat Justitia Ruat Cælum.

er's box, and undertake the collecting of rags, he would be sure to find it a very lucrative concern. After consulting with some of his friends, who were lawyers and merchants, Reuben made up his mind, and did as the Quaker advised him; and God, whose child he had before this time become, blessed him, so that he made money very fast.

Reuben would in all probability, have continued in the hopeless condition of a slave to the day of his death, had not the odium cast upon his masAbout 400 dollars were laid by, when Reuben's ter, as the story became known, caused him at mistress, who knew how anxious he was to be last to retract his cruel threat: though still he refree, one day told him that his master had at last fused to release his bondsman, unless he should consented to treat with him respecting his free-receive from him, instead of the 350 dollars, his dom, and that if he would go to him while he house, well, and garden, which had perhaps cost was in the humor, he would most likely obtain 1000. favorable terms.

Fiat Justitia Ruat Cælum.

they assembled together, in their own house, or in that of some of their christian friends, for religious worship, they could have no peace at all from the annoyances of the white men.

Be it understood, too, that the law stipulates for the exemption of no age nor sex. It merely prescribes the number of stripes, and provides that no second punishment shall take place in the same day, nor until the effects of the first are recovered from. Nay, the pregnant female is not by law exempted. One would have thought that our legislators, moved by the common feelings of our common nature, would have interposed the protecting arm of the law to shield the female when thus situated, from the brutal power of feBut no even she can be laid down rocious man.

It was chiefly in the hope of enjoying religious liberty in a free State that they resolved upon removing to New York. Reuben engaged two berths on board a vessel bound there, commanded by a Capt. Russell, and having paid 70 dollars for them, he, with his wife, and Maria, soon bid adieu to the land of slavery; but not, as they soon found, to the sorrow which the wicked pride of the white man makes so frequent an attendant on a colored-exposed, and flogged, in the presence of the asskin. sembled population of the estate! It is true that public feeling, in this case more humane and merciful in its restrictions than the law—has, in a great measure, shielded the pregnant woman, known to be such, from so shocking an outrage; but still, instances of such barbarity we believe too often occur; ruining the unfortunate woman's health, and destroying her unborn child.

When Reuben, after enjoying the fine day on deck, rose to go to his berth in the steerage, the Captain, with oaths and curses, told him that a black fellow should never be allowed to go near the white people's berth in his ship: and to all Reuben's remonstrances, he only replied that they might push aside the wood in the long boat, and get room among the pigs to sleep, if they liked.

At the entreaty of some ladies on board, the blankets which Reuben had provided for his berths, were fetched from them; and, wrapped in these, the oppressed family sheltered as well as they could each night in the long boat. But the voyage proved a tempestuous one, cold, and with almost constant heavy rain; so that they reached New York in a most pitiable condition, though they had all been in good health at the commencement of the voyage.

Maria in time recovered, but the illness of poor Reuben's wife ended in her death.

Captain Russell was put on his trial in New York, for his injustice and cruelty; but though he was found guilty, and fined 40 dollars, yet he never chose to pay the fine imposed, saying he had no objection to go to prison, if any one should choose to take the trouble to send him there. After the death of Reuben's wife, Maria went into service-and when Capt. Stuart was last in New York, in 1828, Reuben was in very favora. ble circumstances, laboring diligently, and evi. dently blessed of God.

Extract from the Christian Record of Jamaica, published in that Island, Oct. 1830, in further illustration of the wretched condition of the slaves in the British Colonies.

One principal object of our publication is to draw the attention of our fellow colonists themselves to the debasing nature of these evils, to the end, that seeing them in their true light, they may be induced to adopt measures for their removal. We allude to the right, which the owner of a slave has, to inflict corporal punishment upon him, at his own sovereign will and pleasure: a right held upon the Consolidated Slave Law, passed in 1816, still in force, and which would have been confirmed by the slave enactments of the legislature in 1826 and 1829, had they received the royal sanction. That this cruel and unjust right is generally, nay, almost universally, exercised, no one, well acquainted with the state of society in our Island, will venture to deny. For our part, we firmly believe that there are very few estates, on which the slave is not in daily dread of the lash, and that in many families, corporal punishment is commonly inflicted. The power of punishing is vested in the slave-owner, or his representative, who, by the same law, is constituted the judge of what offences require corporal punishment, not exeeding thirty-nine lashes.

The evil of corporal punishment is also shewn in a way truly painful to every friend to the spread of christianity. We allude to the effect it produces, in respect to the ordinance of marriage. It consists with our knowledge, that slaves have preferred concubinage to marriage, on the ground, that their wives might be indecently exposed and cruelly flogged. And here it is to be observed, in explanation and support of this statement, that slaves, however licentious they may be, regard the marriage tie with a reverence and respect approaching to superstition. With whatever indif. ference they regard the degradation of a concu. bine, we know that they look with horror on the degradation of a wife! Again, what kind of feeling can be expected to exist in the mind of a child, who witnesses the shameless punishment of a parent? Filial respect must be weakened, if not altogether destroyed.

And must not the feelings of the parent, who is constrained to witness the miserable sufferings of a child, if not hardened in criminal indiffer. ence, be exquisitely painful. While we are upon this part of the subject, we cannot avoid recounting, as a proof that these things are not the chimeras of a distempered imagination, but sad realities of truth and experience, the particulars of an instance of corporal punishment, recently inflicted in one of our workhouses by order of the magistrates. It has been communicated to us by an eye-witness, on whose veracity we can stake our own credit, and truly, it reflects indelible disgrace upon the community. Be it understood, however, that we introduce this state, ment, not in illustration of the main subject of the present article, viz. the dangerous power of inflicting corporal punishment entrusted by the law to private individuals, but in proof that the shameless, the unnatural exposure of the pa rent's nakedness to the child, and vice versa, are no uncommon occurrences in our Island. A nemorandum was taken by our informant, soon after witnessing the scene which he described, of which the following is nearly a verbatim copy. We omit names, but our inform ant has authorised us to supply them if requir ed. ***, a female, apparently about twentytwo years of age, was then laid down, with her face downwards; her wrists were secured by cords, run into nooses; her ancles were brought together, and placed in another noose; the cord composing this last one, passed through a block, connected with a post. The cord was tighten

Fiat Justitia Ruat Cælum.

39

ed, and the young woman was thus stretched, to her utmost length. A female then advanced, and raised her clothes towards her head, leaving the person indecently exposed. The boatswain of the workhouse, a tall athletic man, flour-large numbers of slaves, de facto, who have unished his whip four or five times round his head, and proceeded with the punishment. The instrument of punishment was a cat, formed of knotted cords. The blood sprang from the wounds it inflicted. The poor creature shrieked in agony, and exclaimed, 'I don't deserve this!' She became hysterical, and continued so until the punishment was completed. Four other delinquents were successively treated in the same way. One was a woman about thirty-six years of age-another, a girl of fifteen-another, a boy of the same age; and lastly, an old woman about sixty, who really appeared scarcely to have strength to express her agonies by cries. The boy of fifteen, as our informant subsequently ascertained, was the son of the woman of thirty-six! She was indecently exposed, and cruelly flogged, in the presence of her son! and then had the additional pain, to see him also exposed, and made to writhe under the lash!

It is to be observed, to complete the hideous, but faithful picture, of the system of Slave Government, presented to us by the narrative of this transaction, that these unfortunates received this punishment, for an offence which their owner, it was strongly suspected, had compelled them to commit; and that too, under the terror of the lash-a circumstance accounting for the cry-'I don't deserve this.'

Painful and melancholy as is the above detail, we know it to be but too faithful a picture of what is transacted, from week to week, by order of the magistrates, within those abodes of misery and degradation-the workhouses of our Island.

But let us revert to the especial subject of the present article. The most appalling evil, resulting from the power, entrusted by the law to individuals, of inflicting the severest corporal punishment upon the slave, is unquestionably the extensive and systematic destruction of unborn children! The helpless pregnant woman, as we have said, may, under the sanction of the law, be subjected to the lash! We are enabled to state, from respectable medical testimony, that in nine cases out of ten, such inflictions are followed by the destruction of the unborn child."

Extract from the Evening Mail, August 19, 1831. House of Commons, Wednesday, August 17, 1831.

SLAVERY.

"MR. BURGE asked the noble Under Secretary for the Colonies, whether Government had taken proper measures for the regulation and maintenance of the Crown Slaves, who had been emancipated in the West India Islands."

"LORD HOWICK said, that Government had not issued orders for the emancipation of Crown Slaves, until they had taken all necessary precautions, to guard against unfortunate consequences. It was, however, gratifying to find that these precautions were unnecessary. He had received a despatch from the Governor of Antigua, which stated, that during the five months which had elapsed since the emancipation of the Crown Slaves, they had been occupied industriously in providing for their own support, and that although

their number was three hundred and seventy-one,
no case of crime had occurred amongst them,
nor were there any complaints of poverty.
Here, then, we have irrefragable proof, that
dergone no previous process of preparation, may
be liberated at once, without detriment either to
the public or themselves. After this, it is to be
hoped the Codrington Trustees will no longer
persist in believing, that to enfranchise their
bondsmen at once "would be followed by more
suffering and crime than have ever yet been wit-
nessed under the most galling bondage."
If to
make assurance double sure, they would wish,
before they liberate their three hundred captives
to take the same precautions which Government
took before they emancipated the three hundred
and seventy-one Crown Slaves in Antigua, no
doubt Lord Howick would be most happy to in-
form them what those precautions were, though
in the event they proved unnecessary. It is hard-
ly to be supposed, that the negroes under the
care of the Society for the Propagation of the Gos-
pel are in a more unprepared state for the enjoy.
ment of freedom than were the negrocs who
were held to belong to the Crown. If, therefore,
the latter could safely and beneficially be put in
possession of the rights they had so long been rob-
bed of, no reasonable man will say, that any inju
rious consequences could be apprehended from
the Society's doing the same act of justice to those
unhappy beings, whom, by the law of the strong-
est, they have held, from the hour of their birth
to this very day, in a miserable, unchristian, and
degrading bondage.

Shall it be said now in the broad blaze of Gos

pel light, what the prophet Micah said so long
ago, "They build up Zion with blood and Jeru-
salem with iniquity. Let the apostle James also
address them, "Behold, the hire of the laborers
who have reaped down your fields, which is of
you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of
them which reaped are entered into the ears of
the Lord of Sabaoth." James v. 4. But our
Lord's words are the most remarkable, and are
best adapted to the case of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.—“ If
thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remem-
berest that thy brother hath aught against thee,
leave there thy gift before the altar and
go thy
way; FIRST be reconciled to thy brother, and then
come and offer thy gift." Matt. v. 23, 24.

In conclusion, the following interesting lines are presented to the readers of Reuben Maddison, from the "Genius of Universal Emancipation," edited and published by Benjamin Lundy, Baltimore, the 4th No. of the 1st Vol. of the 3d Series, July, 1839, and shew, together with the practice of the primitive Presbyterian Churches, that right views on the subject of slavery are spreading in America. May they be increased in Great Britain, especially among those who should be ensamples to the flock!

Fiat Justitia Ruat Cœlum.

That dearest name! ay even thou, poor Slave, mayst lift thine eye,

Nor dread a chilling glance of scorn will meet thee from the sky:

Go bend the knee, and raise the soul, and lift thy hopes above,

The God of Heaven is even to thee, a Father in his love,

The earth-worn man, may crush thee down to slavery and shame,

And in his puny pride, usurp a Master's haughty

name,

But He, Lord God, Omnipotent! disdaineth not to bear,

A parent's cherished name to thee, to yield a pa

rent's care.

And thou, with child-like confidence, may'st spring to his embrace,

Nor shrink in shame before the glance of that paternal face;

Thou art not yet an ingrate vile—thou hast not in thy pride

Returned him falschood for his love, his holiest laws defied.

We adverted to the Will of this philanthropist, in the last number of the Genius of Universal Emancipation. Below, we give an extract, which shows the benevolence and purity of his object. Such noble examples as this are deserving of imitation by every true christian patriot. May we not, indeed, hope that the time is approaching, when those who are blessed with an "abundance" of this world's treasures, will be more and more disposed to appropriate them to objects of this nature?

From the "Friend." Extract from the Last Will of Richard Humphreys, deceased-

be, or hereafter may be established, having for its object the benevolent design of instructing the descendants of the African race in school learning, in the various branches of the mechanic arts and trade, and in agriculture, in order to prepare and fit and qualify them to act as teachers in such of those branches of useful business as in the judgment of the said society they may appear best qualified for; the said institution to be located not far distant from the city of Philadelphia, and to be under the care, management, and control of such persons only as are, or may be, members of the yearly meeting of the religious Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, which has for many years past held, and still continues to hold its meetings, and transact its business in the Friends' Meeting-house, on Mulberry street, between Third and Fourth streets, in the said city; and I hereby direct the said Trustees to pay over the said legacy to the Treasurer for the time being of such society as aforesaid to be by such society applied to, and for the objects, uses, and purposes herein before specified: provided always nevertheless, and upon this further trust and special confidence, that if no such society or institution as aforesaid under such care, management, and control as aforesaid, be established at the time of my deceasc, then I will and direct that the said trustees, or the survivors or survivor of them shall hold the said legacy in trust, and from time to time place the same out on interest, or invest the whole thereof in such productive stock, as they may think proper, for such term or terms as may appear to them best, during the period of seven years from the day of my decease, and if at the expiration of the said period of seven years from the day of my decease, no such society or institu. tion as aforesaid under such care, management, and control as aforesaid be established, then it is my will and earnest desire that they, the said trustees, or the survivors, or survivor of them, shall expend from time to time, or at one time, the whole of the aforesaid legacy, together with the interest that may have accrued thereon, (their said trust being first deducted,) and in such way reasonable charges attending the execution of the and manner as they in their discretion shall judge

to be most beneficial and useful to the aforesaid description of persons, namely, the descendants of the African race, keeping in view my fervent wish and desire that so far as the said legacy and interest will go to attain those objects, such of that race as my said trustees may think proper may be so trained and educated, as to become fitted and qualified to become teachers and instructors in school learning, in the various branches of the mechanic arts and trades, and in agriculture, any thing herein before contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.

The donor, Richard Humphreys, was for many Item-I give and bequeath unto my friends, years an elder in the Friends' Society, in PhilaEllis Yarnall, Thomas Wistar, Thomas Steward delphia. The legacy, for the education of color. son, Philip Garrett, Roberts Vaux, Thomas Ship-ed people, is left in good hands, who will apply ley, Daniel B. Smith, Lindsey Nicholson, Thomas Evans, Jasper Cope, John Paul, Charles Roberts, and Samuel Mason, Jr. all of the city of Philadelphia, the survivors, and survivor of them, and the executors and administrators of such sur. vivor, the sum of ten thousand dollars, lawful money of the United States of America, in trust, nevertheless, that they or he shall pay over the same to such benevolent society or institution, by whatsoever name it may be called, as shall then

it judiciously, according to the intentions of the testator; and we have no doubt but it will lead to the establishment of a Seminary for Colored Youth, in the vicinity of Philadelphia. May others, who have large estates to dispose of by will," do likewise," and much good to the color, ed people, and to society at large, will grow out of it. We think that the neighborhood of Philadel.

Fiat Justitia Ruat Calum.

phia would be a very eligible location for a Semi- || nary for Colored Youth, on the Manual Labor System, and cannot but hope the liberal donation of Richard Humphreys will be the foundation of such an institution.

HIGHLY IMPORTANT FROM ENGLAND!

the United States of the north, mostly with full freights-and the produce of the neighboring plantations has generally been sufficient to lade them on their return. Cotton, hides, and peltries, form, as yet, our staple articles of export-but we trust the day is not far distant, when sugar, beef, pork, corn and timber, will be added to the list. Our soil and climate are such as to favor the cultivation of grain of every description.-Corn pro|| duces from forty to sixty bushels to the acre with very moderate tillage.-Cotton yields about five hundred pounds of clean per acre-and one hand will easily tend ten acres. And as for cattle, no other country on the face of the globe is so well adapted to their natures-our extensive prairies,

We have the most gratifying news from Great Britain. EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND WEST INDIA SLAVES are upon the eve of UNCONDITIONAL EMANCIPATION!!! The vox populi demands it. The fiat has, in effect, gone forth. "Glory to God in the highest-in summer, and sheltering woods and brakes in

on earth peace-and good will to ALL men"of whatever kindred, nation, or color.

We have barely room to state, that the latest arrivals from England bring the interesting information that the British Ministry have resolved to introduce a proposition in the new Parliament (now in session) for the total and unconditional abolition of slavery throughout the colonies of the empire, to be completed in three years. Next month we hope to have something further upon this very important subject.

The migration of colored people to Pennsylvania, it is believed, will not be prohibited. A committee in the Legislature have made a Report, touching that subject, which we shall notice in our next number.

TOWN OF BRAZORIA, IN TEXAS.

winter, teeming with the most luxurious pasture, seem expressly fitted by the Creator for their great and rapid increase. In this country, stock is to the farmer a mine of wealth! growing in value, even while he sleeps, without care and without expense.

This is a hasty, but a faithful sketch of the present situation of our town and the adjacent country-and surely we have reason to congratu late ourselves on the view which it presents."

For the Genius of Universal Emancipation.
RICHARD BROOKE.

Richard Brooke left the land of his fathers, and
came to America in the early period of manhood.
After he had arrived at this destined home of na-
tions, he experienced the same tender sensations
of regret that others feel on leaving their native
ments that once were consciously his own.
land, and often remembered the little local endear.

When placed among scenes and objects that are altogether new, the mind has no resting place till it re-modifies itself, and institutes something like a new state of being, subject to different feelings, adapting itself to different circumstances, This town is situated on the Brassos river, and engaging in new, and untried pursuits. But which runs through the centre of Austin's Colo- misfortunes had interrupted this pliancy of mind ny, not far from its mouth. in Richard: they overtook him in his own counIt is a port of entry; and has now a good deal of trade with New Or. try, and attended his sojourneying here. A severe destiny seemed to spread a dark shade over leans, and other northern ports. Believing that a his brightest prospects, which neither prudence view of the present condition and future prospects nor fortitude could dissipate. These misfortunes of this village and the circumjacent country, would resulted, not from the falling out of adventibe acceptable to the reader, we insert the follow-nation of events, arising from a special cause : and tious circumstances, but from a regular concate ing extract from the "Texas Gazette and Brazoria Commercial Advertiser,” a paper established there in April last, by G. B. M. Cotton. After a suitable introduction, the editor remarks:

"In January, 1829, this town was surveyed and laid off in forty-six squares, containing three hundred and ninety-six building lots, besides a number of out-lots, containing from three to ten acres each, nearly all of which are now cleared and fenced. There are now erected in different parts of the town, upwards of fifty dwelling houses and stores, and preparations are making, we believe, for adding very considerably to the number. A comfortable school-house has also been recently built, and is now under the charge of a gentleman, every way qualified by education and disposition to fill, with advantage, a situation so responsible and important. The number of permanent inhabitants now amount to about two hundred, and is steadily augmenting. Our commerce continues, also, to increase in a proportionable ratio with the growing prosperity of the country. Within the last six months fourteen vessels have arrived from

as this cause is centred in the peculiar situation in which he left his country, it will ultimately unfold itself in the tissue of the narrative. It is enough at present, to remark, that it was not for crime, not for treason, that he left his home, but for what virtue can highly commiserate.

After some time spent upon the seaboard, he engaged in the service of a merchant, in one of our inland towns. His duties were performed with fidelity, though he experienced all the disadvantages that result from being placed in a sphere of society different from that which he had been accustomed to, as well as from engaging in an employment that was altogether new. He lived retired, sought but little acquaintance with the world, and spent his vacant hours, either in a thoughtful secluded speculation, or in an occasional visit to the family of a friend, a countryman of his, who lived a few paces distant. His heart had not yet grown quite insensible to the sentiments of nature. As his intimacy increased, the eldest daughter of the family became an object of special interest. His visits increased, and the connexion was eventually cemented by the matrimonial