The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-09-14

Coey," and "Tobias Boudnot" to boot, and so
they are discharged from their unjust imprson-
ment. Whether any measures will be taken by
the sailors to obtain redress or whether the pros
ecuting officers, the grand jury, or the governor,
will attempt to vndcate The majesty of the laws
against the atrocious piracy, (Which 1t seems was
committed in our harbor g near the navy yard
remains to be seem The New Era OF August l.
(auspicous day y contains the fullest statement
we have seen ofthe issue thus lar.
~oneial Kidnapping.
CEASE BEFORE THE RECoRDER.-HalS of jas
tice.-The three black sailors charged with emit
cling the slave Peter 10 run away from his mas
Iterat Norfolk Va, in the schooner Robert Center
were yesterday brought before the Recorder on a
writ Of haJeas corpus. Mr. Nash appeared as
counsel for the prisoners, and moved for their dis.
charge, on the grounds 6Est, that they were not
fugtives from justice, being regularly shipped as
part of the'crew of the Robert Center and were
compelled TO leave Norfolk in the vessel second
ly, that no crime as charged against them had
been committed, inasmuch as it would have been
impossible for any of the crew TO have carried a.
way the slave without his will; and, thirdly, be-
cause the prisoners had been commM,ed by JUS
tice Hopson without an examination required by
law.
"The prisoners made affidavit that they had
shipped in n Orleans for port in South Ameri-
ca, where they agreed, at the request of the cap
tain, to come in The vessel to N. York. That having
experienced a gale of wind off Cape Henry,
which damaged the vessel so much as to require
immediate repairs, they made a harbor at
Norfolk for that purpose, which being accomplish
ed, they again proceeded to sea for their port O
destination. That they were entirely ignorant Of
the fact Of the slave being on board at the time
of sailing or having any agency, direct or Indirect,
of enticng him or conceaEng him on board the
schooner.
"They also made affidavit of another fact which
materially alters the aspect of the case, and, il
true, will make the parties implicated by them,
answerasle for very serious offence against the
laws of the United States. They set forth, in
their affidavit that after the arrival of the schoon-
err at New DIRK, and while she was lying at an
Choir in the East river, near the Navy Yard, the
vessel was boarded by Elias Guy, and another
officer belonging to the State Of Virginia, accom-
panied by Tobias Boudino all three Of them be.
ing, armed with pistols and dirks, who immediate
| ly upon coming on deck ordered all hands below
in the forecnse, when they fastened them in, and
then proceeded to search the ueSSel without any
process or, authority whatsoever from this State OF
even alleging that they were acting upon the au-
thorty of Virginia or any other government. In
the course Of this search they found a black man
concealed in. the hold, whom they claimed as the
slave of Mr.. Colley of Virginia and forcibly took
him ONT Of the vessel and put him on board of an
other, which vessel immediate y afterwards sailed
for Norfolk
"The affidavit made by the officers before JUS
lice Hopson, stated that the slave was taken out
of the vessel while at sea, a day or two out from
Norfolk, and that he had resumed his work at the
ship yard within two DAYS after his absc ending.
1.-The Gov. OF New York, in answer to the re-
QUESTION from the Executive of Va, declined ma
king any order for the surrender Of the alleged 'fu-
gitives from JUSTICE facts being legally before
him, either that the parties complained Of were
guilty Of the aggression, or that the offence had
been committed OF all.
"The Recorder, after hearing the case fully,
decided that the sailors had been illegally and r-
regularly restrained of their liberty, and ordered
them To- be discharged forthwith"
Not one of the city papers, as far as we have
seen, notices the transaction in any editorial re-
marks. Even those who were loud in denoun-
cling Gov. Marcy for the surrender Of the Bambers
QriShmen have votcs) and those who have whole
columns of argument TO offer against the surren-
der of Holmes, an atrocious murderer, BY the Gov
of Vermont, see nothing in this open piracy. and
bloody attempt to bring three citizens of New
ork TO suffer perpetual imprisonment or death
for that which is no crime, for a single remark
The times may yet change
Letters of Mcssrs. Morris, ana Sedgwick