petition. I should have gone within the senate chamber, but no colored man
has that permission. I do not know why, unless for fear, he may hear the
name of _Liberty_. By and by a member came out, and as he passed me,
said, "_Well, Lunsford, they have laid you out; the nigger bill is
killed._" I need not tell the reader that my feelings did not enter into
the merriment of this honorable senator. To me, the fate of my petition
was the last blow to my hopes. I had done all I could do, had said all I
could say, laboring night and day, to obtain a favorable reception to my
petition; but all in vain. Nothing appeared before me but I must leave the
State, and leave my wife and my children never to see them more. My
friends had also done all they could for me.

And why must I be banished? Ever after I entertained the first idea of
being free, I had endeavored so to conduct myself as not to become
obnoxious to the white inhabitants, knowing as I did their power, and
their hostility to the colored people. The two points necessary in such a
case I had kept constantly in mind. First, I had made no display of the
little property or money I possessed, but in every way I wore as much as
possible the aspect of poverty. Second, I had never appeared to be even so
intelligent as I really was. This all colored people at the south, free
and slaves, find it peculiarly necessary to their own comfort and safety
to observe.

I should, perhaps, have mentioned that on the same day I received the
notice to leave Raleigh, similar notices were presented to two other free
colored people, who had been slaves; were trying to purchase their
families; and were otherwise in a like situation to myself. And they took
the same course I did to endeavor to remain a limited time. ISAAC HUNTER,
who had a family with five children, was one; and WALLER FREEMAN, who had
six children, was the other. Mr. Hunter's petition went before mine; and a