П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

The Survivors of the "Waldeck"

           "WearesubjectsoftheStateofPennsylvania,andcitizensoffreeAmerica!"

           "Myfriends,"repliedCaptainHull,"believemethatyouhavenotcompromisedyourlibertyincomingonboardoftheAmericanbrig,the’Pilgrim.’"

           Infact,thefiveblackswhichthe"Waldeck"carriedbelongedtotheStateofPennsylvania.Theoldest,soldinAfricaasaslaveattheageofsixyears,thenbroughttotheUnitedStates,hadbeenfreedalreadymanyyearsagobytheEmancipationProclamation.Astohiscompanions,muchyoungerthanhe,sonsofslavesliberatedbeforetheirbirth,theywerebornfree;nowhitehadeverhadtherightofpropertyoverthem.Theydidnotevenspeakthat"negro"language,whichdoesnotusethearticle,andonlyknowstheinfinitiveoftheverbsalanguagewhichhasdisappearedlittlebylittle,indeed,sincetheanti-slaverywar.Theseblackshad,then,freelylefttheUnitedStates,andtheywerereturningtoitfreely.

           AstheytoldCaptainHull,theywereengagedaslaborersatan

           Englishman’swhoownedavastminenearMelbourne,inSouthern

           Australia.Theretheyhadpassedthreeyears,withgreatprofitto

           themselves;theirengagementended,theyhadwishedtoreturnto

           America.

           Theythenhadembarkedonthe"Waldeck,"payingtheirpassagelikeordinarypassengers.Onthe5thofDecembertheyleftMelbourne,andseventeendaysafter,duringaveryblacknight,the"Waldeck"hadbeenstruckbyalargesteamer.

           Theblackswereinbed.Afewsecondsafterthecollision,whichwasterrible,theyrushedonthedeck.

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Roboto Lora
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