Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-06-14

released from the cold walls OF prison,
and from the horrors of SLAVERY; and to
be restored to my wife and child, which
are all hold dear on earth in my old days,
being now 63 years of age. About five
weeks ago, | was arrested as slave,
claimed by Mr.. Heniy Herman, of Nor
folk, Va; and knowing by the laws of
the country | was Mr.. Herman's prop
ertv, could not in the face of Heaven
tell falsehood. Therefore acknowledged
the truth, and was ordered by the Judge
to be given upto MIR. Herman, to be taken
back to slavery. The price he set on me
is $500, end Jail fees, amounting to about
1920. Some ofmy colored brethren have
tried in vain to raise the amount MY
time was up on the 9th May, but Mr.. Her.
mans agent has given me until the 22d,
which is next Monday. He says that he
cannot give longer, as Mr.. Herman has
written three letters to send me on.
MY dear Christian friends must l re-
turn 10 slavery, and leave my wife and
child which is worse than death? Do do
something for me- The amount is small.
| am willing to work my life time for my
liberty, with only the privilege of seeing
my wife and child once month. My
wife was a free woman, and was obliged
10 come away from Virginia almost seven
years ago, bringing my child with her.
| could not conquer my atfectlons-con-
sequently | took the first opportunity and
followed her. [ have been a member of
the Bethel Baptist church for years, and
hope will be found Christian.
Yours, devotedly in Christ,
JACOB DAVIS.
N. B. will not the congregation make
a collection ?"
The Baptist churches contributed S195
the Tabernacle 1868 56-Chatham-st
Chapel, S43 86-4th Free church, RI so
and Wilder, one of the persons concern
ed in taking him up, agreed to settle the
Recorders fees. The amount claimed
for Davis soul and body, was $500; Jail
and Recorders fees, S3I II. This left
a balance of 500 40, which, by general
consent, was paid over 20 Davis.
The documents connected with this
transaction are in our possession-and we
regret that we have not room to publish
them entire-as they furnish very salts
factory answer to the question so often re-
lterated, What have we at the north to
do with slavery?" The first is a certifi-
cate of the proceedings before the Recor-
der, setting forth that Davis was brought
before him, charged with being "a fugi-
tive from the service of Henry Herman
and that it does satisfactorily appear that
the said Jacob Davis does owe service to
the said Henry Herman" Mark The
terms cove service" According to the
common law, Indebtedness impliss value
receved-and a good defence can be set
ulp' even against written obligation, on
the ground of no value received. We
should like to know what value Davis had
received, upon which this Indebtedness
was Predicated. In all matters Of ordinary
Indebtedness, a citizen of this state has a
rig Mt to call a jury to determine the facts
but in case where liberty is involved,
the colored citizen has no such privilege.
The next document is a deed Of con-
veyance from Boudinot, as agent of Her.
man, to Davis. of his own BODY and soul,
"llI'uS duu ueCldrlnS th9t the
Sald Davis shall and may, at all times
hereafter, exercise, hold, and enjoy, all
and singular, the liberties, rights, priv-
ieges and lmmunities of free man-and
do hereby absolutely relinquisn and re-
lease all his and their right, title, and
property whatsoever, in and to the said
Jacob Davis Then follows the certif-
Gates of acknowledgment and recording
OF this MAN-DEED-from which it appears
that we have regular set of books in our
registers office, for such instruments of
conVeyasnce-and that we have already
reached our second volume of these Shy-
lock deeds. Thus we have, in the me-
troPoIls Of this free-state, all the legal ap-
Pa1ratus OF man-trading community
WHAT HAVE VIZ TO DO WITH SLAyERv2