(SEAL.)

Secretary of State."

Thus, the whole family after being twice fairly entitled to their
liberty, even by the laws of two slave states, had the mortification of
finding themselves again, not only recorded as slaves for life, but also a
premium paid upon them, professedly to aid in establishing others of their
fellow-beings in a free republic on the coast of Africa; but the hand of
God seems to have been heavy upon the man who could plan such a stratagem
to wrong his fellows.

The immense fortune he possessed when I left him, (bating one thousand
dollars I brought with me in my own body,) and which he seems to have
retained till that time, began to fly, and in a few years he was
insolvent, so that he was unable to hold the family, and was compelled to
think of selling them again. About this time I heard of their state by an
underground railroad passenger, who came from that neighbourhood, and
resolved to make an effort to obtain the freedom of my parents, and to
relieve myself from liability. For this purpose, after arranging for the
means to purchase, I employed counsel to make a definite offer for my
parents and myself. To his proposal, the following evasive and offensive
answer was returned.

_January 12th_, 1846. J. H----, Esq.

"Sir,--Your letter is before me. The ungrateful servant in whose behalf
you write, merits no clemency from me. He was guilty of theft when he
departed, for which I hope he has made due amends. I have heard he was a