account of the departure of a portion of these victims for the southern
market was given in a letter which appeared at the time in several
northern newspapers:

"_Washington, April_ 22, 1848.

"Last evening, as I was passing the railroad depot, I
saw a large number of colored people gathered round one
of the cars, and, from manifestations of grief among
some of them, I was induced to draw near and ascertain
the cause of it. I found in the car towards which they
were so eagerly gazing about fifty colored people, some
of whom were nearly as white as myself. A majority of
them were of the number who attempted to gain their
liberty last week. About half of them were females, a
few of whom had but a slight tinge of African blood in
their veins, and were finely formed and beautiful. The
men were ironed together, and the whole group looked sad
and dejected. At each end of the car stood two
ruffianly-looking personages, with large canes in their
hands, and, if their countenances were an index of their
hearts, they were the very impersonation of hardened
villany itself.

"In the middle of the car stood the notorious
slave-dealer of Baltimore, Slatter, who, I learn, is a
member of the Methodist church, 'in good and regular
standing.' He had purchased the men and women around
him, and was taking his departure for Georgia. While
observing this old, gray-headed villain,--this dealer in
the bodies and souls of men,--the chaplain of the Senate
entered the car,--a Methodist brother,--and took his
brother Slatter by the hand, chatted with him for some
time, and seemed to view the heart-rending scene before
him with as little concern as we should look upon
cattle. I know not whether he came with a view to
sanctify the act, and pronounce a parting blessing; but
this I do know, that he justifies slavery, and denounces
anti-slavery efforts as bitterly as do the most hardened
slave-dealers.

"A Presbyterian minister, who owned one of the
fugitives, was the first to strike a bargain with
Slatter, and make merchandise of God's image; and many
of these poor victims, thus manacled and destined for
the southern market, are regular members of the African
Methodist church of this city. I did not hear whether
they were permitted to get letters of dismission from
the churc