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ASHTABULA COUNTY has gained
for itself a just renown by reason of its position upon the
anti-slavery question. At an early day the citizens were
agitated upon the fugitive slave law, and their attitude upon
the rendition of slaves gained for them some degree of
notoriety. No county in the State took higher grounds upon
these subjects than did this. It is probable that the
early religious influences will, in part, furnish a reason for
this fact. The old Puritans were celebrated for their love
of liberty. No people ever accomplished more in the way of
resistance to oppression than did they. England to-day
owes very much for its constitutional freedom to this once
despised people. Hune, in his "History of England," says,
"The Catholic religion had ranged itself upon the side of
monarchy, the Protestant on the side of liberty.
"The precious spark of liberty had been kindled, and
was preserved by the Puritans alone; and it was to this sect,
whose principles appear so frivolous and habits so ridiculous,
that the English owe the whole freedom of their constitution.
Nothing but a pious zeal which disregards all motives of human
prudence could have made them entertain hopes of preserving any
longer these privileges." In speaking of King James I,
he says, "The more he knew the Puritanical clergy the less favor
he bore to them.” “He had remarked in their Scottish brethren a
violent turn towards republicanism and a zealous attachment to
civil liberty, - principles nearly allied to that religious
enthusiasm with which they were actuated.” This radical
character their descendants have inherited. After their
settlement in New England the colonies prayed “for the
continuance of civil and religious liberties.” During the
times of Cromwell the sympathies of the Puritans were
with the struggle against oppression. After the
restoration of Charles II., Connecticut was especially
successful in securing chartered liberties. There never
was any betrayal of the cause on the part of that commonwealth.
The descendants of the Connecticut colony brought the same love
of liberty to their new homes in the wilderness of Ohio.
Bancroft says of the Independents in England, “They
gradually became the advocates of religious liberty and the
power of the people. This tendency cropped out at last
when oppression in a new form came to be apprehended in all its
evils. The Puritans of New England and of the west were
the first to abhor the atrocities of American slavery.
They were ready to put themselves as a bulwark of defense for
the rights of the oppressed, as before they were willing to make
sacrifices for their own rights of conscience. Human
liberty was as dear to them as religious liberty.”
We have already spoken of two vessels - the “ Griffin”
and the Mayflower"- as representing different civilizations.
Protestantism and liberty landed from the Mayflower" upon the
New England coast; propery and monarchy were represented by the
French explorers.
In the same year of the landing of the "Mayflower" a
Dutch vessel entered Jamestown harbor. That vessel
contained a cargo of slaves. Thus three different systems
were introduced by three different nationalities. America
inherited the institutions of Europe, and partook of its
different forms of civilization. All along through the
ages it became a question which should prevail upon this
continent, - Puritan liberty, papal despotism, African slavery.
It is singular that the tides which began to beat all along the
sea-shore should meet here upon the borders of this lake.
Fortunately, the contest between the French and English was
decided before the settlement of this county. The
influences which cam in through the mouth of the St. Lawrence
never reached the south shore of Lake Erie. they expended
themselves upon the northern coasts. Not so with those
which found lodgment at the south. They spread themselves
over the whole southern territory, and at last set up their tide
to meet the Puritan influences which had landed upon the New
England shores. This was the place where these two great
forms of civilization met. Here Puritanism and slavery
contended. "There is a divinity that shapes our ends,
rough-hew them how we will." It was inevitable; the two
systems could not exist together. When fugitives came
panting from the house of bondage to this asylum, those who had
in the person of their fathers escaped from the oppression of
the Old World were in readiness to receive them.
The citizens of Ashtabula County were worthy sons of
the New England fathers. When the fugitive slaves came to
their doors they found shelter and protection. They seemed
to remember that their fathers had also been fugitives from
oppression, and that America had become their asylum.
Their offspring could take no backward steps.
The same language which had been used by the colony of
Massachusetts after
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*Mainly contributed by Rev. S. D. Peet.
Page 34 -
the return of Charles II. was the language of their
hearts. "The civil liberties of New England are part of
the inheritance of their fathers; and shall we give that
inheritance away? It is objected that we shall be exposed
to great suffering? Better suffer than sin. It is
better to trust the God of our fathers than to put confidence in
princes. If we suffer because we dare not comply with the
wills of men against the will of God, we suffer in a good cause,
and shall be accounted martyrs in the next generation and at the
great day." They felt that the fugitive slave law was the
violation of the rights of humanity. Long before it was
accepted in the halls of congress the citizens of this county
adopted the doctrine of the higher law. They felt that it
was better to obey God than man. They were early called
upon to put into practice the very principles which they had
unconsciously adopted. For some reason this county became
the resort of fugitive slaves. As early ad 1834 they began
to escape from their oppressors and to seek a refuge in this
vicinity. The proximity of the Ohio river to the lake made
this route the nearest. It was lamentable that nowhere
within the bounds of the United Sates the poor black man was
safe from his oppressors. England had declared an
emancipation. The spirit of Wilberforce stood upon the
banks of Lake Erie inviting the refugees to escape to its
shores, but liberty was beyond waters. Only by the aid of
the friends of humanity could the oppressed escape the clutches
of their masters. Fortunately, there were true, brave
hearts who were willing to meet the vengeance of the law and the
wrath of the oppressors if they might same some of these
trembling captives who came to their doors. Narratives
have been told of the scenes of those days which carry us back
to the dark times of the struggle of American freedom. We
almost breathe again the stifled air, feel the oppressor's lash,
hear the opprobrious epithets and the bitter words which in
those days so stirred our sensibilities and caused our bitter
feelings to arise within us. It is well for us to remember
from what a nightmare dream we have awakened. Thank God,
we are free!
The various cases of fugitive slaves which made their
resort in this region awakened the attention in their behalf.
There were many friends in different parts of the county who
made it a point to harbor them. There was a regular line,
or "underground railroad," extending from Wheeling, on the Ohio
river, to the harbor at Ashtabula. There were regular
depots at which fugitives stopped and were carried on their way
by the friends of the slaves. Whenever it was known any of
them had arrived, it was expected as a matter of course that the
citizens would feed them. No one knew who fed them, but
they were cared for and sent on their way. A certain
vessel, too, was relied upon to take them. If slaves
reached Ashtabula County, they always escaped.
The Anti-Slavery society of Ashtabula County was formed
June, 1832: Amos Fisk, president; O. K. Hawley,
vice-president; A. E. Austin, recording secretary.
There were also local anti-slavery societies established in
various parts of the county. One was formed in Ashtabula
in January, 1837. These different societies continued
through the whole period of the anti-slavery contest. The
Colonization society was the more conservative, but was itself
strongly opposed to the system. The subject must have
engrossed public attention, for in the year 1837, the Fourth of
July was celebrated by meetings of the two anti-slavery
societies, one in Kingsville, and the other in Ashtabula.
Ashtabula County had a noble record during the whole
anti-slavery conflict. She chose one of her own sons, a
man who had endured the hardships of pioneer life, who had been
trained up under the influences and became involved with the
spirit which prevailed here; one who, if not born in the
county, was from the stock which constituted her true citizens,
and who had received his entire education and promotion here,
and put him forward to fill one of the highest and most
responsible positions in the gift of the nation.
The choice of Joshua R. Giddings as a
representative to congress at this trying time reflected great
honor upon the judgment and sentiment of the people. But
the sustaining of the man through all the trying emergencies of
his eventful career was one of the grandest things in the
history of the nation. Never will it be forgotten that old
Ashtabula was so true to the right when the right was unpopular
and the wrong was in the ascendency. No storm of faction,
no rage of his enemies, no imprecations which were hurled at his
defenseless head disturbed the confidence which they had placed
in the man of their choice. While the tide of unpopularity
rolled over him threatening to engulf him while the storm of
passion and prejudice was aroused from every side, they stood
true, and like a rock presented themselves a bulwark to liberty.
There is no doubt but that the strength of Mr.
Giddings was in his constituency. He knew on whom he
relied. His heart beat in sympathy with their hearts, and
he expressed sentiments which he knew to be dear to them as
their own life. We do not wonder that the man was bold and
daring in the fierce conflict, for he knew the hearts of the
people whom he was representing.
There were three parties in Ashtabula County during the
latter part of the anti-slavery struggle. They were old
Democratic, the Whig and the Free-Soil party. These
divided the sentiment of the people somewhat, but it may be said
that the Free-Soil party at last gave tone to the sentiments of
the people. There may have been some extreme measures
proposed and the expressions were oftentimes decidedly radical,
but it was this very determined spirit which gained the victory.
There was a conviction lying back of these expressions which
cold not fail to have force. If the advocates of
anti-slavery lost all patience, it was because they realized the
evils of the system as few others did. The very fact that
fugitive slaves made this their asylum awakened minds to the
subject and stirred the sensibilities of the people. In
order to show the intense feeling that prevailed in some
localities, we take the following extracts from the Ashtabula
Sentinel, published in Ashtabula, Dec. 21, 1850. This
was in the height of the anti-slavery excitement under the
administration of President Fillmore. A public
meeting of the citizens of Hartsgrove was held for the purpose
of taking action relative to the fugitive slave law. Out
of fifteen resolutions passed we quote the four following.
We doubt whether any public meeting of the present time could
frame such resolutions, for their language is the result of the
intensity of the thought and feeling which prevailed only then.
They are as follows:
"Resolved, That we hold the fugitive slave law
in utter contempt, as being no law, and pledge ourselves to
despise the conduct of the makers of it for their utter
destitution of principle, as well as for their reckless
violation of the constitution of these States, which they were
sworn to support.
"Resolved, That sooner than submit to such
odious laws we will see the Union dissolved; sooner than see
slavery perpetual we would see war; and sooner than be slaves we
will fight!
"Resolved, That Herod made a law in
regard to male children; King Darius made a law in regard
to Daniel; Duke George made a law in reference to
Luther; John Bull made a law in reference to the
American colonies; and, meanest of all, congress made a law in
reference to fugitive slaves; a law to strip us of our humanity,
to divest us of all claim to Christianity and self-respect, and
herd us with blood-hounds and men-stealers, upon penalty of
reducing our children to starvation and nakedness. Cursed
be said law!
"Resolved, That we will not aid in catching the
fugitive, but will feed and protect him with all the means
within our power; and that we pledge our sympathy and property
for the relief of any person in our midst who may suffer any
penalties for an honorable opposition or a failure to comply
with the requirements of this law."
An editorial in the same paper says, "The underground
railroad through this section of the State is doing a fair
business nowadays. Two fine-looking 'chattels,' fresh from
'Old Virginia,' passed up the fourth range of this township,
last week en route for Canada. We learn that they
met with no difficulty in finding food, shelter, and necessary
assistance in their course . . . . The voice of our people is,
'Constitution or no constitution, law or no law, no fugitive
slave can be taken from the soil of Ashtabula County back to
slavery.' If any one doubts that this is the real
sentiment, they can easily test it."
There is an account also in the same paper of the
escape of a mulatto, a slave. Being straight-haired and
light complexioned, he represented himself successfully as a
white man.
There is no doubt but that the sympathy for the
fugitives and the abhorrence of the evils of slavery made these
sentiments palatable.
There was a great deal of prejudice against Ashtabula
county during those days, but it was a prejudice which was
founded in wrong and sprang form the passions which would
sustain that wrong. If there were those who were extreme
in their views, yet the diversities of party held the balance
well poised. The radical element had some force, but there
was conservatism mingled with it. When Abby Kelley
and Foster and Parker Pillsbury came into the
county, they were listened to with respect, but their sentiments
did not obtain. There were those who sympathized with
them, but, unlike other counties, there was no actual disruption
and division made by them. In many places churches were
divided, friends were torn asunder, and society was disturbed.
When they said the constitution was a covenant with death and a
league with hell; when they denounced the church and the clergy
for their position; when they sowed broadcast the seeds of
discord and infidelity, the religious sentiment of the people
here revolted. there is no doubt the people were anchored
by their faith, so that the storm of passion did not derive them
to sea or leave them wrecked amid the breakers. They were
anchored to a rock. If there were those who made a wreck
of faith in their devotion of freedom, the majority of the
people were held firm. It was this very conviction, so
deep, so abiding, and so true, that prevailed. It was
fastened to the eternal principle of right, and anchored to God
himself. Commonly and steadily this conviction made its
way. It entered deeper into the hearts of the people; it
had force with the nation; it ruled the councils; it controlled
the parties; and at last was triumphant.
Page 35 -
When
the madness of the oppressors became so unbounded that they
would submit to no constitutional vote and yield no authority,
but resolved to make slavery a corner-stone for a new
confederacy, the people realized what spirit had ruled them.
In this connection we publish the following, written by
a member of the Blackstring band, a resident now of Andover.
It is an interesting
CHAPTER IN HISTORY.
Among
the many instances showing the devotion of the citizens of
Ashtabula County to the cause of the slave, I venture to narrate
some of the events preceding and following the memorable attack
on Harper's Ferry by John Brown and his handful of
followers, as illustrative of the fact that no part of the
United States was more devoted to human liberty. and I do
so for another reason, - to perpetuate a scrap of unwritten
history.
It will be remembered that a secret convention was
called by Brown at Chatham, Canada West, May 8, 1858, at
which convention a provisional constitution and ordinances for
the people of the United States were adopted. During the
following winter Brown crossed the border from Kansas
into Missouri, liberated seven slaves, and deliberately
accompanied them through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan
to Canada. Between March 20 and 30 Brown was in
Cleveland, where he advertised and sold the horses he took with
the slaves in Missouri, giving everybody notice that the title
to the horses might be defective. Early in April, Brown
Kagi, who was Brown's secretary of war, Captain
Stevens, and others arrived in West Andover. Brown's
Sharp's rifles and other warlike material were shipped to this
place, and stored at King & Brother's
cabinet-manufactory, on the Creek road, in Cherry Valley.
Thence from about the 1st of April, 1859, West Andover became,
so to speak, for a time the headquarters for the immoral
undertaking of revolutionizing this government by means so out
of proportion to the magnitude of the enterprise that most men
not acquainted with John Brown believed him to be insane;
but to those who knew him, - who knew the depth and fervor of
his religious sentiments; his unwavering trust in the Infinite;
his strong conviction that he had been selected by God as an
instrument in His hands to hasten the overthrow of American
slavery, - to such he seemed inspired rather than insane.
In a conversation I had with him the day he started for Harper's
Ferry, I tried to convince him that his enterprise was hopeless,
and that he would only rashly throw away his life. Among
other things, he said, "I believe I have been raised up to work
for the liberation of the slave, and while the cause will be
best advanced by my life I shall be preserved; but when that
cause will be best served by my death I shall then be removed."
The result proved that his sublime faith and trust in
God enabled him to see what others could not see. He had
so lived that, though dead, "his soul went marching on."
I do not purpose writing a history of the attack on
Harper's Ferry, but something seemed necessary as an
introduction to the action of our citizens in relation to the
immediate results of that historic enterprise. The forces
with which Brown made his attack consisted of seventeen
white and five colored men. In addition to these a few
were stationed outside of the town, and two I believe were left
at the Kenneda farm. A few of theses escaped,
Owen Brown being one of the number. Merriam, a
young man from Boston, one of the fugitives, made his way to
West Andover, and was received and cared for by the writer.
A few more were in the vicinity; and Owen Brown, after
resting for a short time in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, came
to West Andover, and went to his brother's, John Brown, Jr.,
who had moved from his residence on the Creek road, in Cherry
Valley, to Dorset, with whom he remained for some time.
The narration of these events after eighteen years have
elapsed seems tame and spiritless. The young can have no
conception of the terrible excitement that was produced all over
the country. But a large portion of the readers of this
will well remember, and remembering will know that no words of
mine could depict the reality.
The United States senate ordered John Brown, Jr.,
to appear before a committee of their body and give evidence.
He refused to obey, and their sergeant-at-arms was instructed to
take him to Washington. Grave apprehensions were felt by
the citizens that an armed force was to be sent not only to
arrest John Brown, Jr., but to take Merriam, Owen
Brown, and other fugitives who were in the vicinity.
If taken it was believed their speedy trial, convention, and
execution would follow as a matter of course. Under these
circumstances a number of the citizens of West Andover met for
consultation, and resolved that they would attempt to defend
these men with their lives if need be. Signals, signs,
passwords, and a badge were agreed upon, by means of which
members of the association could know each other. A place
of rendezvous was agreed upon the arms procured, and all
solemnly pledged themselves to be in readiness at the slightest
warning. Pensions from surrounding townships came forward
to join this association, and as knowledge of its existence
extended new associations or lodges were organized; and as this
went on, to insure uniformity of work and harmony of action, an
affiliated secret society was formed. A State lodge was
organized, and finally a United States lodge.
this order increased with great rapidity. Its
object was the overthrow of slavery, and designed to act
politically and in a revolutionary manner, if necessary, for the
attainment of that object.
In the initiatory ceremonies of our lodge was West
Andover a pistol was used that was presented by the Marquis de
Lafayette to Washington. This pistol was brought by one of
Brown's men, who escaped from Harper's Ferry. It
will be remembered that Brown sent a squad of men who
arrested Colonel Washington, and took his arms, the night
of the assault on Harper's Ferry. This pistol was
afterwards sent to the owner.
It is difficult to say what the result would have been
if the War of the Rebellion had not put an end to slavery, and
with it all necessity for the longer continuance of the order of
the Independent Sons of Liberty.
Members of this order were called "Blackstrings," from
the badge which they wore, which was a black string or ribbon
tied into the button -hole of the shirt-collar.
The records of the war are known, but from the time
that the agitation began, and in fact thirty and even fifty
years before the outbreak of civil war, the county was loyal;
but it was a loyalty to humanity, to principles, and to God,
rather than to any party or partisan leader. The
constitution was upheld so long as it was properly interpreted,
and its spirit was carried out. But when the spirit of
slavery undertook to make it an instrument of oppression and a
rod for the oppressed, the sentiment of the people revolted
against it. It was never held by the majority of the
people of this county that the constitution should be
overthrown, the Union dissolved, or even the slaves by force set
free. All through the Mexican war, the discussions in
reference to the annexation of Texas, the admission of Oregon,
the forming of new States, the sympathies of this people were
with the north. During the Kansas struggles also, and the
discussions of the squatter-sovereignty doctrine and the Dred
Scott decision, and in all the cases that came up in the
anti-slavery conflict, the county was consistent with itself.
Joshua R. Giddings and John Quince Adams stood
side by side, and so, we may say old Massachusetts and old
Ashtabula were together in this conflict. there were no
extreme measures advocated, or at least indorsed. There
was no fanaticism cherished, but the people were true to their
convictions. It was known in congress that the county and
the district would sustain their representative, no matter what
storm of faction should be raised against him or obloquy thrust
upon him. Even Ben Wade, the old warhorse of
anti-slavery, was sure of defense at home. And through the
conflict, while Joshua R. Giddings was battling for
freedom in the house, he stood up manfully for its defense in
the senate. Few counties ever had such a record. two
heroes from the same county - yes, from the same place - in the
two halls of congress, both contending for the same cause, and
both conscious that they were sustained by the people at home!
It was more like the days of Grecian daring, when Ajax and
Achilles were contending before the walls of Troy. No
blandishments of Priam, no corruption of gold, no fear of
suffering, no dread of conflict, shook the heroes in the strife.
They were sustained by an army of voters, who, with weapons more
deadly than steel, and with shields more enduring than brass,
were ready to stand up and meet danger and death. It was a
banner of duty that led them in the conflict. It was the shield
of integrity, it was the armor of right, that defended them.
No bulwark could resist them. the citadel of slavery was
bound to be destroyed, and her walls do lie prostrate, never
again, we trust, to be rebuilt. |
