my mind, showing that these men would persecute me to death, sooner
or later, if I remained. Only two nights before, a part of this same
gang had murdered a Mr. Crawford, who was a native of Sullivan
county, New York, but had lived in Arkansas sixteen years--a man
against whom no charge could justly be brought. A few days previous
to this murder a man named Washburne was whipped to death by four
ruffians, of whom Cavins was one. His only crime was that he was a
Northern man. His body was thrown into the St. Francis river, after
the diabolical deed was consummated. I had heard these horrible
recitals until my blood curdled, and I saw there was no hope but in
leaving this hell upon earth.

The simple knowledge that I had ever lived in New York would, I
think, have hung me without fail that night.

The causes of this mad lawlessness I may not fully understand. Some
of them lie upon the surface. Reckless men settled there originally,
and, living beyond the control of calmly and justly administered
law, they gradually resolved themselves into a court, the most
daring and active-minded becoming the self-elected leaders.

Then the system of slavery gives them almost unlimited power over
the persons and lives of large numbers of human beings, and this
fosters a spirit of despotism so natural to all men, even the most
civilized, when invested with supreme power.

And, still further, some fanatical men from the North, determined
violently to break the bonds of the poor slave, had been found in
recent years spreading incendiary works among the poor white
population and the negroes who could read, thus endangering the