CHAPTER XIX. THE CONSPIRATORS.

quest,itwasexplainedtohim,assumed,withwonderfuladroitness,astonishmentandsurprise.Hewasremarkablethroughouthistrialforcomposureandgreatpresenceofmind.Whenhewasinformedthathewasconvicted,andwasadvisedtopreparefordeath,heappearedperfectlyconfounded,butexhibitednosignsoffear. "InNed'sbehaviortherewasnothingremarkable.Hiscountenancewassternandimmovable,evenwhilehewasreceivingsentenceofdeath.Fromhislooksitwasimpossibletodiscoverorconjecturewhatwerehisfeelings.NotsowithPeterPoyes.Inhiscountenancewerestronglymarkeddisappointedambition,revenge,indignation,andananxietytoknowhowfarthediscoverieshadextended.Hedidnotappeartofearpersonalconsequences,forhiswholebehaviorindicatedthereverse,butexhibitedanevidentanxietyforthesuccessoftheirplan,inwhichhiswholesoulwasembarked.Hiscountenanceandbehaviorwerethesamewhenhereceivedhissentence,andhisonlywordswere,onretiring,'Isupposeyou'llletmeseemywifeandfamilybeforeIdie,'andthatinnosupplicatingtone.Whenhewasasked,adayortwoafter,'Ifitwaspossiblethathecouldseehismasterandfamilymurdered,whohadtreatedhimsokindly?'herepliedtothequestiononlybyasmile.Intheirprison,theconvictsresolutelyrefusedtomakeanyconfessionsorcommunicationswhichmightimplicateothersandPeterPoyessternlyenjoinedituponthemtomaintainthissilence,—'Donotopenyourlipsdiesilent,asyouwillseemedo!'andinthisresolutesilencetheymettheirfate.Twenty-twooftheconspiratorswereexecutedupononegallows." Theaccountsays,"ThatPeterPoyeswasoneofthemostactiveoftherecruitingagents.Alltheprincipalconspiratorskeptalistofthosewhohadconsentedtojointhem,andPeterwassaid,byoneofthewitnesses,tohavehadsixhundrednamesonhislistbut,soresolutelytothelastdidheobservehispledgeofsecrecytohisassociates,that,ofthewholenumberarrestedandtried,notoneofthembelongedtohiscompany.Infact,inaninsurrectioninwhichthousandsofpersonsweresupposedtohavebeenimplicated,onlythirty-sixwereconvicted." AmongthechildrenofDenmarkVeseywasaboybyaMandingoslave-woman,whowashisfather'sparticularfavorite.TheMandingosareoneofthefinestofAfricantribes,distinguishedforintelligence,beautyofform,andanindomitableprideandenergyofnature.Asslaves,theyareconsideredparticularlyvaluablebythosewhohavetactenoughtogovernthem,becauseoftheirgreatcapabilityandtheirproudfaithfulnessbuttheyresentagovernmentofbruteforce,andundersucharealwaysfractiousanddangerous. ThisboyreceivedfromhismotherthenameofDredanamenotunusualamongtheslaves,andgenerallygiventothoseofgreatphysicalforce. Thedevelopmentofthischild'smindwassouncommonastoexciteastonishmentamongthenegroes.Heearlyacquiredthepowerofreading,byanapparentinstinctivefaculty,andwouldoftenastonishthosearoundhimwiththingswhichhehaddiscoveredinbooks.Likeotherchildrenofadeepandferventnature,hedevelopedgreatreligiousardor,andoftensurprisedtheoldernegroesbyhisquestionsandrepliesonthissubject.AsonsoendowedcouldnotbutbeanobjectofgreatprideandinteresttoafatherlikeDenmarkVesey.TheimpressionseemedtoprevailuniversallyamongthenegroesthatthischildwasbornforextraordinarythingsandperhapsitwastheyearningtoacquirelibertyforthedevelopmentofsuchamindwhichfirstledDenmarkVeseytoreflectonthenatureofslavery,andtheterribleweightswhichitlaysonthehumanintellect,andtoconceivetheprojectofliberatingarace. TheBible,ofwhichVeseywasanincessantreader,stimulatedthisdesire.Helikenedhisownpositionofcomparativeeducation,competence,andgeneralesteemamongthewhites,tothatofMosesamongtheEgyptiansandnourishedtheideathat,likeMoses,hewassentasadeliverer.Duringtheprocessoftheconspiracy,thisson,thoughbuttenyearsofage,washisfather'sconfidantandheoftenchargedhim,thoughheshouldfailintheattempt,nevertobediscouraged.Heimpressedituponhismindthatheshouldneversubmittamelytotheyokeofslaveryandnourishedtheideaalreadyimpressed,thatsomemorethanordinarydestinywasreservedforhim.Afterthediscoveryoftheplot,andtheexecutionofitsleaders,thosemoreimmediatelyconnectedwiththemweresoldfromthestate,eventhoughnotprovedtohaveparticipated.Withthemostguardedcaution,Veseyhadexemptedthissonfromsuspicion.Ithadbeenanagreedpolicywiththemboth,thatinthepresenceofotherstheyshouldcounterfeitalienationanddisli