into it’s dungeons, disclosing the wreck of buried intellect—­of hearts broken—­of human affections outraged—­of souls ruined.  The world will see it as God has always seen it; and when He shall at length make inquisition for blood, and His vengeance kindle over the habitations of cruelty, with a destruction more terrible than that of Sodom and Gomorrah, His righteous dealing will be justified of man, and His name glorified among the nations, and there will be a voice of rejoicing in Earth and in Heaven.  ALLELUIA!—­THE PROMISE IS FULFILLED!—­FOR THE SIGHING OF THE POOR AND THE OPPRESSION OF THE NEEDY, GOD HATH RISEN!

It is the earnest desire of the Editor, that this narrative may be the means, under God, of awakening in the hearts of all who read it, a sympathy for the oppressed which shall manifest itself in immediate, active, self-sacrificing exertion for their deliverance; and, while it excites abhorrence of his crimes, call forth pity for the oppressor.  May it have the effect to prevent the avowed and associated friends of the slave, from giving such an undue importance to their own trials and grievances, as to forget in a great measure the sorrows of the slave.  Let its cry of wo, coming up from the plantations of the South, suppress every feeling of selfishness in our hearts.  Let our regret and indignation at the denial of the right of petition, be felt only because we are thereby prevented from pleading in the Halls of Congress for the “suffering and the dumb.”  And let the fact, that we are shut out from half the territory of our country, be lamented only because it prevents us from bearing personally to the land of Slavery, the messages of hope for the slave, and of rebuke and warning for the oppressor.

New-York, 24th 1st mo., 1838.

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NARRATIVE

I was born in Powhatan County, Virginia, on the plantation of George Larrimore.  Sen., at a place called Mount Pleasant, on the 16th of May 1805.  May father was the slave of an orphan family whose name I have forgotten, and was under the care of a Mr. Brooks, guardian of the family.  He was a native of Africa, and was brought over when a mere child, with his mother.  My mother was the slave of George Larrimore, Sen.  She was nearly white, and is well known to have been the daughter of Mr. Larrimore himself.  She died when myself and my twin brother Meshech were five years of age—­I can scarcely remember her.  She had in all eight children, of whom only five are now living.  One, a brother, belongs to the heirs of the late Mr. Brockenbrough of Charlottesville; of whom he hires his time, and pays annually $120 for it.  He is a member of the Baptist church, and used to preach occasionally.  His wife is a free woman from Philadelphia, and being able to read and write, taught her husband.  The whites do not know that he can write, and have often wondered that he could preach so well without learning.