The Alphabet - Slavery (Abednego) to End

Tonight and every Sunday night at this time the Columbia Broadcasting System presents Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater in a special series of broadcasts about the other Americans. The Americans is his Orson Welles. Last week our alphabet of the islands brought us to the letter S.

His slavery, the story of a bedny gold, the slave. Our scene is a fort, a ring of stone on a promontory of one of the islands. A powder magazine, gunpowder, and 400 desperate Negroes. A bed may go to slaves, stands before them.

My brothers, fellows in arms, my comrades, I do not like this thing you are to do. I do not like it. I wish I had the words to change your heart. Better than some of you, I know what it is to be free.

I was born free in Africa. Who here remembers Africa? They came for us by night, the slavers. Who here remembers such a night and burned our village? And when they captured us, they chained us together.

How many here remember the Balacoon? How many remember the slave ship? 90 days, a hundred days. We were the cargo, jammed in huddled packs like fish in buckets. From main deck to the bilge, choking lairs between decks.

How many remember? How many remember the auction block? It is unzaked for the province of your space. Entire carton a selesque. Marching time to the day at the Los Angeles.

Pervils advocates, all docile, tractable, amiable and healthy specimens. These 10 men weigh 2,000 pounds, gentlemen. What am I bid for these beautiful machines? 1,000 men. Gentlemen, this isn't meat pure cable. This place is living.