Frederick Douglass to William Lloyd GarrisonDUBLIN, Sept. 1, 1845
DEAR FRIEND GARRISON:
Thanks to a kind Providence, I am now safe in old Ireland, in the beautiful city of Dublin, surrounded by the kind family, and seated at the table of our mutual friend, JAMES H. WEBB, brother of the well-known RICHARD D. WEBB. I landed at Liverpool on Thursday morning, 28th August, and took lodgings at the Union hotel, Clayton Squire, [sic] in company with friend Buffum and our warm-hearted singers, the Hutchinson family. Here we all continued until Saturday evening, the 30th instant, when friend Buffum and myself (with no little reluctance) separated from them, and took ship for this place, and on our arrival here, were kindly invited by James, in the temporary absence of Richard D. Webb and family, to make his house our home.
There are a number of things which I should like to write, aside from those immediately connected with our cause; but of this I must deny myself, - at least under present circumstances. Sentimental letter-writing must give way, when its claims are urged against facts necessary to the advancement of our cause, and the destruction of slavery. I know it will gladden your heart to hear, that from the moment we lost sight of the American shore, till we landed at Liverpool, our gallant steam-ship was the theatre of an almost constant discussion of the subject of slavery - commencing cool, but growing hotter every moment as it advanced. It was a great time for anti-slavery, and a hard time for slavery; - the one delighting in the sunshine of free discussion, and the other horror-stricken at its God-like approach. The discussion was general. If suppressed in the saloon, it broke out in the steerage; and if it ceased in the steerage, it was renewed in the saloon; and if suppressed in both, it broke out with redoubled energy, high upon the saloon deck, in the open, refreshing, free ocean air. I was happy. Every thing went on nobly. The truth was being told, and having its legitimate effect upon the hearts of those who heard it. At last, the evening previous to our arrival at Liverpool, the slaveholders, convinced that reason, morality, common honesty, humanity, and Christianity, were all against them, and that argument was no longer any means of defence, or at least but a poor means, abandoned their post in debate, and resorted to their old and natural mode of defending their morality by brute force.
Yes, they actually got up a MOB - a real American, republican, democratic, Christian mob, - and that, too, on the deck of a British steamer, and in sight of the beautiful high lands of Dungarvan! I declare, it is enough to make a slave ashamed of the country that enslaved him, to think of it. Without the slightest pretensions to patriotism, as the phrase goes, the conduct of the mobocratic Americans on board the Cambria almost made me ashamed to say I had run away from such a country. It was decidedly the most daring and disgraceful, as well as wicked exhibition of depravity, I have ever witnessed, North or South; and the actors in it showed themselves to be as hard in heart, as venomous in spirit, and as bloody in design, as the infuriated men who bathed their hands in the warm blood of the noble Lovejoy.
The facts connected with, and the circumstances leading to, this most disgraceful transaction, I will now give, with some minuteness, though I may border, at times, on the ludicrous.
In the first place, our passengers were made up of nearly all sorts of people, from different countries, of the most opposite modes of thinking on all subjects. We had nearly all sorts or parties in morals, religion, and politics, as well as trades and callings, and professions. The doctor and the lawyer, the soldier and the sailor, where there. The scheming Connecticut wooden clock-maker, the large, surly, New-York lion-tamer, the solemn Roman Catholic bishop, and the Orthodox Quaker were there. A minister of the Free Church of Scotland, and a minister of the Church of England - the established Christian and the wandering Jew, the Whig and the Democrat, the white and the black - were there. There was the dark-visaged Spaniard, and the light-visaged Englishman - the man from Montreal, and the man from Mexico. There were slaveholders from Cuba, and slaveholders from Georgia. We had anti-slavery singing and pro-slavery grumbling; and at the same time that Governor Hammond's Letters were being read, my Narrative was being circulated.
In the midst of the debate going on, there sprang up quite a desire, on the part of a number on board, to have me lecture them on slavery. I was first requested to do so by one of the passengers, who had become quite interested. I, of course, declined, well knowing that that was a privilege which the captain alone had a right to give, and intimated as much to the friend who invited me. I told him I should not feel at liberty to lecture, unless the captain should personally invited me to speak. Things went on as usual till between five and six o'clock in the afternoon of Wednesday, when I received an invitation from the captain to deliver an address upon the saloon deck. I signified my willingness to do so, and he at once ordered the bell to be rung and the meeting cried. This was the signal for a general excitement. Some swore I should not speak, and others said I should. Bloody threats were being made against me, if I attempted it. At the hour appointed, I went upon the saloon deck, where I was expected to speak. There was much noise going on among the passengers, evidently intended to make it impossible for me to proceed. At length, our Hutchinson friends broke forth in one of their unrivalled songs, which like the angel of old, closed the lions' mouths, so that, for a time, silence prevailed. The captain, taking advantage of this silence, now introduced me, and expressed the hope that the audience would hear me with attention. I then commenced speaking; and, after expressing my gratitude to a kind Providence that had brought us safely across the sea, I proceeded to portray the condition of my brethren in bonds. I had not uttered five words, when a Mr. Hazzard, from Connecticut, called out, in a loud voice, 'That's a lie!' I went on, taking no notice of him, though he was murmuring nearly all the while, backed up by a man from New-Jersey. I continued till I said something which seemed to cut to the quick, when out bawled Hazzard, 'That's a lie!' and appeared anxious to strike me. I then said to the audience that I would explain to them the reason of Hazzard's conduct. The colored man, in our country, was treated as a being without rights. 'That's a lie!' said Hazzard. I then told the audience that as almost every thing I said was pronounced lies, I would endeavor to substantiate them by reading a few extracts from slave laws. The slavocrats, finding they were now to be fully exposed, rushed up about me, with hands clenched, and swore I should not speak. They were ashamed to have American laws read before an English audience. Silence was restored by the interference of the captain, who took a noble stand in regard to my speaking. He said he had tried to please all of his passengers - and a part of them had expressed to him a desire to hear me lecture to them, and in obedience to their wishes he had invited me to speak; and those who did not wish to hear, might go to some other part of the ship. He then turned, and requested me to proceed. I again commenced, but was again interrupted - more violently than before. One slaveholder from Cuba shook his fist in my face, and said, 'O, I wish I had you in Cuba!' 'Ah!' said another, 'I wish I had him in Savannah! We would use him up!' Said another, 'I will be one of a number to throw him overboard!'
We were now fully divided into two distinct parties - those in favor of me speaking, and those against me. A noble-spirited Irish gentleman assured the man who proposed to throw me overboard, that two could play at that game, and that, in the end, he might be thrown overboard himself. The clamor went on, waxing hotter and hotter, till it was quite impossible for me to proceed. I was stopped, but the cause went on. Anti-slavery was uppermost, and the mob was never of more service to the cause against which it was directed. The clamor went on long after I ceased speaking, and was only silenced by the captain, who told the mobocrats if they did not cease their clamor, he would have them put in irons; and he actually sent for the irons, and doubtless would have made use of them, had not the rioters become orderly.
Such is but a faint outline of an AMERICAN MOB ON BOARD OF A BRITISH STEAM PACKET.
Yours, to the end of the race,
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
Liberator, Vol XV, No XXXIX (26 September, 1845).
Frederick DouglassA pro-slavery American, in London, writes to the editor of the Boston Times, respecting the pro-slavery row on board the steamer Cambria as follows:
The steamer Cambria, on her last homeward trip, brought over a large number of passengers, and, as is usual, they represented the four quarters of the globe, Englishmen and Americans, however, forming the majority - and a very agreeable party they would have been, if a colored person named DOUGLASS, had not interfered to disturb the good feeling which at first prevailed on board the CAMBRIA. I have been informed that this Douglass was a steerage passenger, and yet he was allowed to visit the quarter deck and mingle with first class cabin passengers, to the great annoyance of some of them. He conversed in a very loud tone, every day, upon his favorite topic, slavery, and finally he so far prevailed over the good nature of the popular commander, Capt. Judkins, as to obtain his consent to announce that a lecture would be delivered by Douglass on the quarter deck. The steward rung the bell, which was the signal for the lecture to commence. Ladies and gentlemen were promenading, as usual, on the quarter deck, when they were much annoyed by the harangue of Douglass. He heaped the most outrageous abuse on the Americans, calling America the home for blackguards, and said that Americans occupied that home. His abuse became so violent, that two or three gentlemen took the subject up - a singular scene ensued - there was sharp shooting on both sides. Some low Scotchmen took the negro's part, and told him to give it to the Yankees; while the ladies and several Englishmen turned their backs upon this ignorant calumniator and left the deck, fearful that hard words would end in hard blows. One Englishman, who had owned two hundred slaves in Jamaica, stood forward and stated that his whole property had been swept away by the laws of his country - that his estates were valueless since his slaves were liberated by the British government; but that he was strongly opposed to slavery and the slave trade; he could not, however, listen to such low abuse as Douglass had been permitted to utter in a mixed company, and he proceeded to talk down the negro. Other gentlemen expressed great disgust at Douglass's conduct, and a row being soon likely to take place, Capt. Judkins was appealed to, and the negro was not permitted to vomit his foul stuff any longer on the quarter-deck. He was very annoying to most of the passengers during the whole voyage, and if there had been a Southerner on board, his carcass would no doubt have been food for sharks. It is certainly to be regretted that such fellows are ever permitted to annoy cabin passengers in this way, merely because two or three of their comrades wish to get up an excitement, and hear their leaders abuse America and Americans. Capt. Judkins should not have permitted this fellow to open his lips on the quarter deck.
Liberator, Vol XV, No XL (3 October 1845)
Abolition Riot on the AtlanticWe understand that Capt. Judkins, of the steamship Cambria, one of the Boston and Liverpool mail packets, on her last trip to England, had a negro named Douglass, among the passengers. When half way over the Atlantic, Captain J. brought Douglass forward on the quarter-deck, and called the passengers together in order to have an abolition meeting. This step, of course, lead to difficulty, and as the negro abused America, and the Americans, there arose a general uproar. The ladies were much alarmed, and had the Captain persisted in his abolition efforts, there would have been a serious riot in the middle of the ocean's roar, and the negro tossed to the sharks. If the Cunard steamers are to take negro passengers and have riots in the middle of the Atlantic, very few whites will go in them. - New York Herald.
Liberator, Vol XV, No XL (3 October 1845)
The Pro-Slavery Row on the AtlanticThe following is Judson Hutchinson's account in The Pioneer of the row on board of the Cambria:
The captain, with many other gentlemen, (and some ladies,) learning that Douglass was a good speaker, were excited to hear him. He was accordingly invited to speak on the promenade deck, and consented. Due notice was given, and lo! when the time came, the 'American slave' came forward, and after making a few introductory remarks, opened a small book, and began to read the code of slave laws in South Carolina. This was more than the Americans could bear. The disturbance was commenced by a Connecticut Yankee, a MEMBER OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH, and who meant, as he said, to carry out his Christian principles! He interrupted by disputing every sentence that was read. Frederick stopped, after a while, and asked the audience whether he should go on. Then came the 'tug of war.' This Yankee Baptist was backed up by the slave-mongers, while Douglass was sustained by the Englishmen. And all that the cool heads could do, was hardly sufficient to prevent a scene of bloodshed. The captain was very cool at first, but finding himself grossly insulted by a slaveholder from New-Orleans, (who made his boast that he 'owned a hundred and thirty 'niggers,') he (the captain) ordered the boatswain to 'call the watch,' and have three pair of irons ready at a moment's warning. He then addressed himself to the audience about as follows:
'Gentlemen, - I was once the owner of two hundred slaves. If I had them now, I should not be obliged to follow the sea. But they were liberated, and it was right. Frederick Douglass may speak. I am captain of this ship.'
Frederick, however, saw fit not to go on, but retired to the steerage; for there was a terrible commotion among the passengers, some crying, 'Throw the d__d nigger overboard,' one saying, 'I wish I had that nigger in Cuba, I'd show him what belongs to niggers,' and the man from New-Orleans about ready to go into fits. And I think he would have done something of the kind, had not the command from the captain, 'have the irons ready,' cooled him off some. We thus had, what some of us had never had before, a fair 'developement' [sic] of Southern blood when stirred up by the sword of truth.
Liberator, Vol XV, No XLI (10 October 1845).
The Abolition Riot on the AtlanticMy attention has recently been called to an article published in a Massachusetts paper, which contains an extract from a letter written by 'one of the Hutchinson family,' in relation to the disturbances on board the English steamer Cambria, on her return trip to England, in August last. The Hutchinsons were passengers, and any statement published by them must be recognised as correct until contradicted, and then, of course, a difference of opinion must exist in the minds of those who may read the two statements, one of which I propose to give, and which can be substantiated by a reference to the passengers on board at the time.
We left Boston on Saturday, the 16th of August, with 95 cabin passengers, including the 'Hutchinson family.' In the second cabin, or steerage, were about a dozen passengers, including a fugitive slave, by the name of 'Frederick Douglass,' and a celebrated Massachusetts abolitionist, by the name of 'Buffam' [sic]. I shall pass over various incidents which transpired on the voyage, which might, and which ought to, excite the strongest ndignation against the Commander, (Judkins,) believing the one will be sufficient to condemn him in the minds of every American. It is a custom (known by all who have ever crossed in these steamers,) for the Captain to give, the day before arrival into port, a champagne dinner; I say it is a custom known to all. I have often crossed, and as it has always been practised, I conclude it is as much of an established rule, as it is for the Captain to say grace at the table one moment, and curse some poor steward or sailor the next. The day before our arrival in Liverpool, the party was given, as usual. Among the number who enjoyed this party was Capt. Chas H E Judkins. When he came on deck, Mr 'Jesse Hutchinson,' by the request of this 'Mr Buffam,' his three brothers, perhaps half a dozen Englishmen, and probably the negro himself, asked the Captain if he would allow Mr Douglass to make some remarks on the subject of slavery, and occupy the promenade deck for that purpose. He, the Captain, immediately gave his asent, and ordered one of his stewards to ring the hand bell in different parts of the ship, and request all the passengers to retire to the deck. It was done, and when they had all met, probably not twenty of the hundred passengers knew for what purpose they had been called together. The Captain then came forward and said, 'Some of the passengers had expressed a desire to hear Mr Douglass speak on the subject of slavery. Mr Douglass was a fugitive slave, and could speak from experience of this institution. He was a man, how, although black, could put many of us to the blush,' &c &c, and closed his address by a dding, 'Those who do not like or wish to hear him can go below.' A portion of the American passengers retired to the saloon, myself among the number, to take into consideration the propriety of expressing our feelings in some proper way, that the public might know the respect, or want of respect, paid to Americans on board this steamer. While we were consulting we were disturbed by a noise on deck. We went up and found all in a state of great excitement. It origina[t]ed, I learned, as follows, and that these are the facts there can be no doubt. Douglass commenced by referring to philanthropic England, and the example she had shown us by freeing her slaves. - He then proposed to read some of the slave laws in the different States, and commenced with Georgia. He then proceeded but a few moments when a gentleman, a citizen of Connecticut, interrupted him, and said, 'It was enough to be compelled to hear him as a mouth-piece of the Captain, insult Americans with his remarks; but if he had any state laws to read, to read them, and not attempt to palm off any of his abolition tracts as the laws of Georgia or any other State. He had lived many years in Georgia, and was well acquainted with her laws, and knew he was not reading any of them.' The insulting reply was - 'He was not aware before that there was any American blackguards on board, but' - He had said enough, and there was not an American on board ship who would have submitted to a further insult from negro, captain, or crew. The captain, who was in the mess-room, came aft and interfered. He said, 'he was commander of the Cambria - he was an Englishman - he had given Mr Douglass permission to speak, and if he was disposed, he might go on, and he would protect him; but if he (Douglass) would take his advice, he would leave the deck and his hearers, with contempt.' He, of course, went. The Captain then said and repeated 'that he did not care a damn for his passengers. Gentlemen, you have drank my health; you have drank success to my ship, for which I thanked you; but I wish you to understand that I don't care a d__n for you.' The Captain is unable to plead the excuse that he did not know there was any objection among the passengers to hear Douglass speak. Before he commenced, I went to him and reminded him of the probability of its ending in a disturbance, telling him the subject of slavery was one upon which Americans were very sensitive; and without questioning his privileges as commander, he ought to consult the feelings of his passengers, a good portion of whom were Americans. His reply to me was what I did not expect. I will refrain from mentioning it, believing enough has been said to show the feelings entertained by Captain Charles H E Judkins towards Americans. Your correspondent returned to America in the same steamer, and under the same person's command. He more than once told some of his passengers 'that he did not care a d__n for them. He was independent and above them all - they could be pleased or not; it mattered not a d__n to him.'
One hint with regard to the mission of Douglass and Buffam to England. A few days before I left Liverpool, I saw in a Dublin paper an advertisement announcing that Mr Douglass, a fugitive American slave, would lecture on the horrors of American slavery. Is there to be a movement by the abolitionists to secure, directly or indiretly, the assistance of Dan O'Connell and the Irish to further their hypocritical movements! It is too bad that Americans can be found who will attempt to villify [sic] our country as these wandering abolition lecturers do, both at home and abroad.
TRAVELLER
PS - If I recollect, Mr Hutchinson referred to a gentleman from New Orleans who took an active part in the disturbance. There was no passenger south of Philadelphia, which will account for the quiet manner in which it was passed over.
New York Herald (1 December 1845)
Frederick Douglass to Thurlow WeedDUBLIN, 1st December, 1845
Dear Sir:
Allow me to thank you for your noble and timely defence of my conduct on board the British steamship Cambria, during her passage, 27th Aug., from Boston, U.S. to Liverpool, England; and also to thank you for the friendly manner with which you regard and treat every movement tending to improve and elevate my long enslaved and deeply injured race.
In attempting to speak on board the Cambria, I acted in accordance with a sense of duty, and with no desire to wound or injure the feelings of any one on board. My object was to enlighten such of our passengers as wished to be enlightened, and to remove the objections to empancipation and false impressions concerning slavery, which I had heard urged during our passage.
No should I have done this, but that our popular and gentlemanly commander, as well as a most respectable number of our passengers gave me a pressing invitation to do so. It is clear that slavery in our country can only be abolished by creating a public opinion favorable to its abolition, and this can only be done by enlightening the public mind – by exposing the character of slavery and enforcing the great principles of Justice and Humanity against it. To do this with what ability I may possess, is plainly my duty. To shrink from doing so, on any fitting occasion,f rom a mere fear of giving offence to those implicated in the wickedness, would be to betray the sacred trust committed to me, and to act the part of a coward.
The question to be answered is: Had the passengers, though the Captain, a right to ask me to give them my views on slavery? To ask the question is to answer it. They had as much right to ask me my views on that subject, as those on any other subject. To deny that they had such a right, would be to deny that they had the right to exchange views at all. If they had the right to ask, I had the right to answer, and to answer so as to be understood by those who wished to hear. But then, it will be said, the subject of slavery is not open to discussion. Who say [sic] so? The very men who are continually speaking and writing in its favor. But who has a right to say what subject shall or shall not be discussed on board of a British steamer? Certainly not the slaveholders of South Carolina, nor their slaveholding abettors in New-York or elsewhere. If any one has such a right, the ship’s commander has. Now, all I did on the occasion in question, was in perfect agreement with the wishes of the Captain and a large number of our most respectable passengers.
The English papers have had much to say respecting the affair, and of course have in all cases taken a view favorable to myself. I say of course, not because I regard English journalists more disposed to pursue an honorable course in general than those of America; but because they are all committed against Negro slavery within their own dominions and elsewhere; and in this, whatever may be said of them in other respects, they hold a decided advantage over those of America.
The whole conduct of the Americans who took part in the mob on board the Cambria, was in keeping with the base and cowardly spirit that animated the mob in Lexington, Kentucky, which murderously undertook to extinguish the light of Cassius M. Clay’s noble paper, because his denunciations of slavery were offensive to their slaveholding ears. Not being able to defend their “peculiar institution” with words, they meanly – and I may add foolishly – resort to blows, vainly thinking thus to cover up their infamy. When will they learn that all such attempts only defeat the end which they are intended to promote, as it only calls attention to an institution which can passwithout condemnation, only as it passes without observation. The selfishness of the slaveholder and the horrible practices of slavery must ever excite in the true heart the deepest indignation and most absolute disgust.
“To be hated, it needs but to be seen.”
Again, accept my thanks, and believe me to be most gratefully,
Yours,
Frederick Douglass
Liberator (16 January, 1846).
James Warburton - from Hochelega, or England in the New World (1847)It was announced to us that the next morning we should be at Liverpool. On the concluding day of the voyage it is usual to prolong the dinner hour beyond the ordinary time; a quantity of wine is put upon the table, and the gifted in song and eloquence edify the company by the exercise of their powers. The sea, by this time, has lost its horrors to even the most tender susceptibilities; every one is in high good-humour and excitement at the prospect of a speedy release from their confinement, and it is generally made the occasion of great rejoicing. Very flattering things are said of the qualities of the ship and the skill and virtues of the captain, of the vast advantages of such speedy communication between the two greatest nations in the world - which is always a highly popular observation. Then the captain 'is quate at a loss for words to express the deep sense he entertains of the honour conferred on himself and his ship by the gentleman who has just now so eloquently spoken.' As soon as these agreeable subjects are exhausted, the passengers find it agreeable to walk on the deck a little and cool their heads, heated with champagne and eloquence.
At this unfortunate time, on the occasion I speak of, the negro abolition preacher made his appearance on the quarter-deck and commenced a lecture on the evils of slavery, and the stain fixed by it on the character of the United States, using no measured terms of condemnation of the free and enlightened community. A large circle of his supporters gathered round him to hear his speech, those who differed from him also listened with great patience for some time, when I must say, he became very abusive to Americans in general, trusting to being countenanced by a majority of the audience. A New Orleans man, the master of a ship in the China trade adn who had been, during the greater part of the voyage, and was more particularly on this occasion, very much intoxicated, poked himself into the circle, walked up to the speaker with his hands in his pockets and a 'quid' of tobacco in his mouth, looked at him steadily for a minute, and then said, 'I guess you're a liar.' The negro replied with something equlaly complimentary, and a loud altercation ensued between them. Two of the gentlemen in the circle stood forth at the same time to restore order, both beginning very mildly, but unfortunately suggesting different means of accomplishing the desired object.
After a few words had passed between them, they became a little heated, matters quickly grew worse, and in two minutes they were applying terms to each other quite as equivocal as those used by the Chinaman and Negro. Mutual friends interfered, who immediately got up quarrels on their own account; and, in a shorter time than I have taken to describe it, the whole party - who had but half an hour before been drinking mutual good healths, and making all sorts of complimentary speeches, were scattered into a dozen stormy groups on the deck. IN the centre of each, stood two or three enraged disputants, with their fists almost in each other's faces; while threats and curses were poured forth in all directions - 'Im an Englishman, I won't stand this.' 'I'm an American, I won't stand that!' - the English siding with the Negro, the Americans with the Chinaman. In the mean time, this demon of discored had vanished, and we saw or heard no more of him or his lectures. For at least an hour the dire tumult lasted; luckily, the better class of the passengers of both countries, and the military officers on board, kept clear of the squabble, and finally their good offices lulled the tempest, and separated the contending parties.
All the rest of the night was however passed in explanations and excitement. One very short man, of an immense rotundity of person, kept vehemently 'guessing' that, if it had not been for some untimely interference of two of his friends, he would certainly have knocked down a broad-shouldered, good-humoured Englishman, about six feet high, who was standing by with his hands in his pockets,chuckling with the most unfeigned delight.
We landed early the next morning, and all the men of angry passions were scattered about in an hour, perhaps never to meet again. This was altogether a disgraceful affair; the quarter-deck of a public packet-ship should never have been used for the purpose of attacking the institutions of a country to which so many of the pasengers belonged, no matter what opinion, as to these institutions of a country to which so many of the passengers belonged, no matter what opinion, as to these institutions, people may entertain. I am convinced that, but for the certainty of being immediately amenable to English law, it would have been the occasion of great violence, if not loss of life. The affair was a good deal remarked upon in the American papers subsequently, and, as far as it went, had an injurious and exasperating effect. It never, to my knowledge, was noticed by the English press. I understand that strict orders have been issued by the steam-packet company to prevent the possible recurrence of such an affair.
James Warburton, Hochelega, or England in the New World (London: Henry Colburn, 1847), Vol II, pp358-61.
James E Alexander - from L'AcadieWe had ninety-five passengers in the Cambria; among others were the Bishops of Oregon and Massachusetts, Mr Widder, the Chief-Commissioner of the Canada Land Company, and his family, Mr Ruggles of New York and his family, Dr Robbins of Boston, CAptain Warburton, R A, the author of that very excellent work on the New World, Hochelaga, Captains Chester, 23rd, and R W F Gough, 33rd; Lietueants Bowie, 52nd, L I maxwell, and Stewart, 93rd Highlanders; Ensign Selby, 24th rEgiment, M de Blaquieč &c. I shared a cabin with an intellient gentleman of Philadelphia, Dr Scott. The Hutchinson family of New England singers were on board; also Mr Frederick Douglas, a man of colour, who has since created a considerable sensation by his lectures on Slavery; and General Welsh, proprietor of menageries, director of circuses, &c.
We had a most pleasant passage: there was fine weather, our voyage was diversified with the sight of several ships, and of magnificent icebergs, - some like huge sphinxes resting on the blue sea, and others resembling enormous cathedrals, with belfry towers attached; we had agreeable conversation and singing every evening. After supper one night, an American passenger made this characteristic speech:-
'Well, I swear I'm as happy as a clam! Gentlemen, on the present glorious occasion, sailing as we are on the boundless ocean, in a most splendid vessel, commanded by a most gallant Captain, and with the noble representatives of people from all parts of the world on board: I expect I am perfectly content and happy. It is true I was very sick; but I think I will do now, and no mistake; and what with good fellowship and good suppers, I guess we will get on famously. Gentlemen, I am so full, I cannot say any more.'
We touched at Halifax; the whole voyage occupied from the 16th to the end of August, and we were only six days out of sight of land - Cape Race to Cape Clear. Till the day before our arrival at Liverpool, the passengers were 'a band of brothers,' when at once the apple of discord was thrown among them, by two or three wishing to hear Mr Douglas, the late slave, speak; he accordingly began an oration on deck, describing slavery in the Southern States. There being many planters on board, they naturally were greatly annoyed, and a serious disturbance commenced, which was with difficulty quelled.
The planters had stood emancipation songs such as this:
There is a country far away,
Friend Hopper says 'tis Canaday,
And if we reach Victoria's shore,
He tells us we are slaves no more.
Then haste all bondsmen let us go,
And leave this christian country, oh!
Haste to the land of the British Queen,
Where whips for negroes ne'er are seen. But when the laws regarding slaves, (which by the way were smiliar to those formerly in force in our own West Indian islands), were cast in their teeth by a runaway slave, and on board a vessel too, where they did not pay for or expect to receive such treatment; they were greatly excited; fortunatley, however, there was no boodshed, though it looked very like it at one time.
James E Alexander, L'Acadie; or, Seven Years' Exploration in British America (London: Henry Colburn, 1849), Vol II, pp259-62.
Frederick Douglass - from My Bondage and My Freedom (1855)A rude, uncultivated fugitive slave was driven, by stern necessity, to that country to which young American gentlemen go to increase their stock of knowledge, to seek pleasure, to have their rough, democratic manners softened by contact with English aristocratic refinement.
On applying for a passage to England, on board the Cambria, of the Cunard line, my friend, James N Buffum, of Lynn, Massachusetts, was informed that I could not be received on board as a cabin passenger. American prejudice against color triumphed over British liberality and civilization, and erected a color test and condition for crossing the sea in the cabin of a British vessel. The insult was keenly felt by my white friends, but to me, it was common, expected, and therefore, a thing of no great consequence, whether I went in the cabin or in the steerage. Moreover, I felt that if I could not go into the first cabin, first cabin passengers could come into the second cabin, and the result justified my anticipations to the fullest extent.
Indeed, I soon found myself an object of more general interest than I wished to be; and so far from being degraded by being placed in the second cabin, that part of the ship became the scene of as much pleasure and refinement, during the voyage, as the cabin itself. The Hutchinson Family, celebrated vocalists - fellow-passengers - often came to my rude forecastle deck, and sung their sweetest songs, enlivening the place with eloquent music, as well as spirited conversation, during the voyage. In two days after leaving Boston, one part of the ship was about as free to me as another. My fellow-passengers not only visited me, but invited me to visit them, on the saloon deck. My visits there, however, were but seldom. I preferred to live within my privileges, and keep upon my own premises. I found this quite as much in accordance with good policy, as with my own feelings.
The effect was, that with the majority of the passengers, all color distinctions were flung to the winds, and I found myself treated with every mark of respect, from the beginning to the end of the voyage, except in a single instance; and in that, I came near being mobbed, for complying with an invitation given me by the passengers, and the captain of the Cambria, to deliver a lecture on slavery. Our New Orleans and Georgia passengers were pleased to regard my lecture as an insult offered to them, and swore I should not speak. They went so far as to threaten to throw me overboard, and but for the firmness of Captain Judkins, probably would have (under the inspiration of slavery and brandy) attempted to put their threats into execution.
I have no space to describe this scene, although its tragic and comic peculiarities are well worth describing. An end was put to the melee, by the captain's calling the ship's company to put the salt water mobocrats in irons. At this determined order, the gentlemen of the lash scampered, and for the rest of the voyage conducted themselves very decorously.
Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) |
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