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to reveal their hiding-place . A tall man rose and said that he had gone to the English ambassador ' s with the proposal of the society that they had agreed upon . The ambassador refused to listen to him , ordering him into custody . He ran away from the house , but was chased by a man on horseback down to the well . If he had not made for the door he would have been caught , and he had some
valuable papers belonging to the society at that time m his possession , $ o that his capture would have overthrown the whole body . The deep tones of the president answered from his chair , " The member was indiscreet . _ Had he been seized , he could have destroyed the papers . He need not have feared capture or imprisonment , their ways of liberation he should have known of soon after . His punishment must be a light one . Let him strike the men who had penetrated here "
Then a short , stout man sprang up * " Members ! this society , founded to abolish the liberation of slaves and the interference with Brazilian commerce , has lately received a blow that must be avenged . By what right do the English seize our slaves ? by what right do they prevent our proceeding with the trade we choose ? And now , even their young men out in this land must come and keep the slaves
whom we have sentenced , and must prevent us having any power to quell their turbulence . Is Brazil to be ruled by blacks ? Are free men to be made the sport of the most detestable slaves , and to be domineered over by Africans and English ? If not , the society must strike some blow against this encroachment . We must establish a precedent in the land , that shall act for future generations . A
vigorous blow at once must be struck , and I will give you a subject fit for it . I denounce Edmund Waltham , clerk , in the employment of Senor Darkle , merchant of Bio Janeiro , for undue interference with the lawful property of a Brazilian . A slave was being sent to Fort Villegagnon to be punished , when this Englishman came up in a boat , and rescued him . I denounce this Englishman , and I call upon this society to bring him to the severest punishment—death . "
The member concluded this oration , which was delivered in the wildest manner , and sat down . The president then began : — " The member ' s motives in this denunciation are simply patriotic ? " " Yes . "* " He is actuated by no feeling of revenge or dislike ? "
" By none . " " Let him take the oath . " " I , Joachim Ereves , swear before this society , by the sacred oath of the skull , that in this matter I am moved only by the good of the
country of Brazil , and by the duties that I owe to this society ; and that I have no other motive whatsoever : and if , in this oath that I take , I have stated anything untrue , or perjured myself in a wilful and deliberate manner , may the punishment of the skull come down upon my head ; may I be denounced by negroes , and offered up to their gods , and be entirely given up to their power . May the food
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Untitled Article
to reveal their hiding-place . A tall man rose and said that he had gone to the English ambassador ' s with the proposal of the society that they had agreed upon . The ambassador refused to listen to him , ordering him into custody . He ran away from the house , but was chased by a man on horseback down to the well . If he had not made for the door he would have been caught , and he had some
valuable papers belonging to the society at that time m his possession , $ o that his capture would have overthrown the whole body . The deep tones of the president answered from his chair , " The member was indiscreet . _ Had he been seized , he could have destroyed the papers . He need not have feared capture or imprisonment , their ways of liberation he should have known of soon after . His punishment must be a light one . Let him strike the men who had penetrated here "
Then a short , stout man sprang up * " Members ! this society , founded to abolish the liberation of slaves and the interference with Brazilian commerce , has lately received a blow that must be avenged . By what right do the English seize our slaves ? by what right do they prevent our proceeding with the trade we choose ? And now , even their young men out in this land must come and keep the slaves
whom we have sentenced , and must prevent us having any power to quell their turbulence . Is Brazil to be ruled by blacks ? Are free men to be made the sport of the most detestable slaves , and to be domineered over by Africans and English ? If not , the society must strike some blow against this encroachment . We must establish a precedent in the land , that shall act for future generations . A
vigorous blow at once must be struck , and I will give you a subject fit for it . I denounce Edmund Waltham , clerk , in the employment of Senor Darkle , merchant of Bio Janeiro , for undue interference with the lawful property of a Brazilian . A slave was being sent to Fort Villegagnon to be punished , when this Englishman came up in a boat , and rescued him . I denounce this Englishman , and I call upon this society to bring him to the severest punishment—death . "
The member concluded this oration , which was delivered in the wildest manner , and sat down . The president then began : — " The member ' s motives in this denunciation are simply patriotic ? " " Yes . "* " He is actuated by no feeling of revenge or dislike ? "
" By none . " " Let him take the oath . " " I , Joachim Ereves , swear before this society , by the sacred oath of the skull , that in this matter I am moved only by the good of the
country of Brazil , and by the duties that I owe to this society ; and that I have no other motive whatsoever : and if , in this oath that I take , I have stated anything untrue , or perjured myself in a wilful and deliberate manner , may the punishment of the skull come down upon my head ; may I be denounced by negroes , and offered up to their gods , and be entirely given up to their power . May the food