c. 1840-1850s, Exceptional Black History Manuscript Eleven Stanzas Poem titled, "FREEDOM TO THE SLAVE.", Initialed "L.A.B.", no place, date or writer, Choice Very Fine.
This historic Slavery related Manuscript preserves a complete Abolitionist Poem of Eleven Stanzas and titled, "Freedom to the Slave" and is initialed "L.A.B." at the close, 2 pages, measuring 12 x 7.5 inches, written on both sides of one light blue lined wove period paper sheet. This Poem is a passionate evangelical Antislavery appeal, opening with an image of the Enslaved crying out in despair and moving through vivid denunciations of Slavery as, "the country's bane, the church's disgrace" and calling upon Christian believers to act in the cause of Liberation. The closing stanza envisions the day when "America's bright happy land / Release three million slaves."

The initials "L.A.B." do not immediately correspond to a known Abolitionist poet. The reference to "three million slaves" suggests a date in the late 1840s or early 1850s, consistent with United States census figures of the period. This poem is beautifully handwritten in fine dark brown pen that is easily readable and very clear on evenly aged paper for the estimated timeframe.
The Full Text of the Poem reads, in full:

Freedom to the Slave.

Hear ye those accents of disdain,

Crying "Save, save, save, Oh save!"

List ye! 'tis the dying prayer

Of the poor bleeding slave.

See you that flowing purple stream

In one unbroken wave,

Over the land, no sheltered dream,

The life blood of the slave.

In vengeance sure, that blood will cry;

Then haste, Oh haste to save!

Cry loud, cease not, for God on high

Will hear the mourning slave.

See you that dreadful, dismal place;

That living moral grave,

The country's ban, the Church's disgrace,

The land that holds the slave.

Where mother's groans, and children's tears

Their mother's pity crave;

Whose degradation, grief and fear

Are pardoned to the slave.

Where freedom's voice is never heard

In favour of the slave;

While Liberty's sons are called in scorn

Because they love the slave.

Say, oh say! are not we to blame?

Must we not haste to save

Our brother man? Oh shame! Oh shame!

To crush the fettered slave.

Do we possess the Saviour's love?

Do we His teachings crave?

Are our treasures laid up above?

Then we must love the slave.

If we are faithful Christians true,

The noble, and the brave,

We'll give our hearts, our lives, our all,

To liberate the slave.

Hail welcome day! when God's own hand

Shall close their yawning graves,

And America's bright, shaking land

Release three million slaves.

L. A. B.