In 1834, some years before the civil war, there was a slave named Jarm Logue that managed to escape his owner and reach freedom in New York. Although he managed to get to the North, his past troubles followed him in the form of threatening letters. Even with the changed name of Jermain Wesley Loguen and a new family of his own he was still in danger of being taken back to the south. Loguen had ridden away from his owner Sarah Logue in Tennessee, who found her mare worn out from Loguen’s rebellious escapade. Greatly angered and affected by this loss Logue writes Jermain letters demanding either money or his freedom once again. Loguen’s response to her demands is a clear no that drips in confidence. Although both letters use cause and effect and rhetorical questions I believe that Jermain Loguen’s letter was more persuasive and appealing because he kept his letter more reasonable and logical as to why he felt he owed his ex-owner nothing.
Sarah Logue begins her letter informing Lougen of the state of things back in Tennessee but also…show more content… She goes on to say, “If you do not comply with my request, I will sell you to someone else, and you may rest assured that the time is not far distant when things will be changed with you.”Her threat here isn’t all that intimidating because she doesn’t specify how and why she will make sure these things will happen. On the other hand, Jarmain goes on to talk about how human rights apply to her as well and that her threats and the whole reason why she was writing him letters was wrong. “If he and you infer that I forfeit all my rights to you, shall not I infer that you forfeit all your rights to me? Have you got to learn that human rights are mutual and reciprocal, and if you take my liberty, and life, you forfeit your own liberty and life?” His reasoning is easy to follow and makes sense. He uses her own logic against her and does it