Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/600

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��HLSTOKY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��especially for one coming from a warm climate. Mr. Roe urged him to remain until warmer weather. He did so, and told his story. He was raised in Kentucky ; had been sold eleven times — several times l)ecause he could read. It was thought, for this reason, he would not make a safe and reliable servant. Mr. Roe became interested in him, and determined to have him make a public statement of his connection with slavery. The meeting was held at the United Presbyterian Church in Ontario, and before a good audience, the darke}- was introduced and told his story. It made a good impression, a purse was raised for him, and he went on toward the north star rejoicing. Thus rapidly were the people being educated to the great work that began in earnest in 1861.

In 1860, three colored boys came to Iberia for the purpose of getting an education. They had been there a year or two, and had pro- gressed very well, but the liloodhounds were upon their track. As the train neared Iberia one evening, the bell-rope was pulled, the train slackened, and a party of slave-hunters with a Deputy jMarshal at their head, sprang off. The boys were at different places, and one or two of them were captured. This caused intense excitement, as a great many more people than formerly were opposed to the execution of the fugitive-slave law. They collected rapidly, caught the Marshal and his slave-hunters, and after a consultation, allowed the darkies to " cut their hair and use l)eech sprouts on them," to such an extent as was deemed necessary. The citizens engaged in this affair expected trouble, and sent two of their number after Mr. Roe to go to Cleveland for an eminent lawyer to en- gage in their defense. He secured the services of Mr. Parsons, a man who had the year before been elected to Congress. \Yhen told that he would be expected to manage the case for a small compensation, he promised to do all in his power, and, if necessary, would employ an attorne}' in Northern Ohio to assist him. He

��not only agreed to do the work gi'atuitously. but said if they were fined, he would help pay it. Rev. George Gordon, President of the col- lege at Iberia, was the man the slave-power de- termined to humble. He was indicted, tried, convicted and sentenced to pa}^ a fine of $300, and to suffer imprisonment for six months. His name will go down as one of the martjTS in the cause of human freedom. Mr. Roe mentions as a coincidence, that while Mr. Gordon was in jail, a man of the same name was hung in Bos- ton, Mass. for being engaged in the slaA'e trade. As to Mr. Roe's politics, he says he threw up his hat, when a boy of fourteen, at the election of Andrew Jackson as President. In 1836, when Van Buren and Harrison ran, he was entitled to vote, but, owing to the former casting a vote to prcs^ent the circulation of antislavery documents, he could not support him. and believing Harrison to be incompetent, he did not vote at all. In 1840, being better posted, as he thought, he concluded to support Tyler, but afterward discovered that he was a slave- holder. Slavery, in his mind, became of more importance than all other matters of legisla- tion ; 200.000 slaveholders in the South ruled the nation, and he, for' one, would not partici- pate in such wickedness. In 1852, he voted for John P. Hale, the candidate of the " Liberty party ;" in 1856, for John C. Fremont ; in 1860 and 1864, for A. Lincoln ; in 1868 and 1872, for IT. S. Grant ; after which he became dissatis- fied with the Republican part}', for the reasons, among others, that Jeff Davis and the other arch traitors were not hung, that treason might be " made odious," and as a warning to other evil-doers ; and because the right of suffrage was extended to rebel colonels and other higher officers, by which they have gained control of Congress, and are making laws for the nation they tried to destroy. He, therefore, withdrew from the party, and joined the new Reform party headed by James P. Walker for President in 1876. It is opposed to all secret societies.

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