Page:The Under-Ground Railroad.djvu/41

21 The morality of this business may be questioned by some, but we will consider it in a practical view:

Suppose you were a Slave, and to secure your freedom you had escaped to Canada or elsewhere, leaving a wife and children in Slavery, loving them in that condition as you do in your present condition of freedom; without money to purchase them, or if you had it, perhaps the owner would not sell them. Would it be morally wrong, if in your power, to secure their freedom by stealing them and conducting them into a land where you could live an undivided family, with the privilege of educating and bringing up your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord? If morally right to steal one Slave, it is, therefore, morally right to steal an indefinite number. The word Steal is not a proper term to apply to this subject; I use it with the meaning only of conducting Slaves, with their voluntary consent, without the knowledge of their owners, into freedom. The above question must be decided, by the Reader, if decided at all, with this view.

This Slave brought to my house, in 19 months, 265 human beings, whom he had been instrumental in redeeming from Slavery; all of whom I had the privilege of forwarding to Canada by the under-ground Rail-road, as explained at the commencement.