A Brief Miscellaneous Narrative - Levin Tilmon - Bog

NOTE TO THE READER. THIS IS THE LARGE PRINT EDITION of the title: A Brief Miscellaneous Narrative..... The brief narrative I have introduced to the public, has been hastily thrown together. In view of some of the events of the more earlier part of my life, the thoughts of which has always given me a detested hatred to the system of American Slavery. Having thus formed an early impression from what I have suffered, that Slavery was wrong, against which I have felt it to be an imperative duty, to make an expression of my feelings. This I have attempted several times, but have become discouraged, for the want of a liberal education, but of which I have been robbed by the evil genius of American Slavery. In reviewing my past life, I feel that I have been the child of misfortune, being deprived of all early advantages. I have been thrown upon my own resources, upon which I have had to depend. Having quite a zest for learning, and to acquire information, I have been driven to burn the midnight lamp, until my health has become much impaired. For this and the neglect of my youthful training, I lay to the charge of the American people; whose soil of the sunny South my father and mother had to till and cultivate. This has not been their condition alone, but it has been, and still is, the condition of more than three millions of Africa's sons and daughters, that now live upon the soil of the American continent. There are two positions which the colored people occupy in this country: First, as slaves, and Second, as nominal freemen. We ask, what is the condition of the slaves in a land of whips and chains? The apologist for slavery says, "that they are better off than the latter." We admit that the condition of the latter is bad enough; but not to be equalled with the suffering of the slaves, for they are subjected to a condition below that of the brute: denied of all that man holds dear to himself upon earth. They dare not say that their souls are their own, or speak in their own defence. Poor, helpless people! Their manhood is crushed--their rights are trampled in the dust--the female virtue is disregarded--mothers and fathers have their children torn away from their embraces--wives and husbands are separated--brothers and sisters are parted, and yet the apologist for slavery says, "that the slaves are better off than the free blacks of the north." This is not true, for the slave is in every way deprived of his God-given rights, which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. While the nominally free colored man of the north has the right to speak, think, and act for himself, in this respect his situation is widely different, yet he is denied the right of suffrage in common with his white fellow citizens. It is a fact that cannot be denied, that the children, to a greater or lesser extent, inherit the principles of their parents.