Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-12-02
DcMESilC.

EyoA5 "a. .;,,l. Jhrr!lJ
TnC CASE OF TIRE Saw LATiMEE.
The feelings or on. co.tnnuily have been greatly +
exasperaied b. the result Of this affair, winch reads
them lesson, language not 10 he misunderstood,
ia; the Constitution Of the u s. no longer affords SC
cuy.y for their slave property, within the Jurisdiction
of The State OF Massachusetts,; and the next enqary IS,
how or from what they 10 obtain that security
which was originally guaranteed 10 the s!arehoidlng
States before leY would consent TO become CO partners
IN this Federal UH!on;fhc question at issue has nc"
reached the sticking point and Ike little etu!i'tons o!
feeling caused by ndsitua: rstanoes oil violations OF
tie rights OF Southern Citizens soon snos'Ge mo
.alm determined spt:it OF resistance, winch VII. ho1
spend Itself m lr"JdS We shall not eno hand TO excite
this feeling FOR i is already strong enough Bat is
apparent 10 every comprehension, THAT The Stale OF
Virginia could no: have committed greater l'espasS
On the right; OF Massachusetts,, II she bad, by The strac
ture OF her laws OF the un.es,atned violence OF her
citizens lo5cbly detained The property or repud'ated
deb, of ci.izsn OF Massachusetts, han that winch
Massachusetts has committed on The rights ct Ntgaa
in despoing James y Gray of his slave. We !ook 70
the Legislature CT Virginia ar such measures as ~ 's
wisdom and delJeraon il may csecl necessary 10 pro-
teet the property and rights of its ci''2ens.
Mr. cEAy:S STATEMENT.
The following statement relative TO the fnai 1'o'
cead,nus in t;c ai s slave Geor-c Latmer, pre-
sons 10 his r;iec;c ram prt4cn IN i'osion we nave
taken down. isary word for word, related 10 ns by
Dir. Gray:
III, Coolidae. the aii,-, called Oh me THURSDAY,
and told me he ilsd made proposa! TO Eis, se"t!
ard Merrill, Attorneys or atner, that unless YOU"
,ake $500 10y i-aaef, Ie would usa hni GU, o! lai!
Told han. fCl | sad refused 81 2J0-i had refused
81 0C0-I SAID in short, mcaey cugid not buy hi"l-
did not come there for ConeY: came ior my slave,
which was ny property. sir. Coolidge se;naiAfe'
,ha. The friends Of i.aiincr wouid :sc Il all The
better, if they Gould gel .:i.a Gu, Of JAIL Without pay
ing any tnrg. then applied To- Mir Au9'in ny ~
,oTney 10 know g:.e,he: there 10 way OF keeping
ls!;,er in cuslody III; Court day, (Nonday, 2istJ~
he ted rue there no1c x crpenueG ent'feiy on
,.e sheriff He. The sheriff could Keep h'In or 'u!a
hun gu, az he ,..eGs,d li. i.sn and Coolidge thp'.
advised ne lei Coolidge "ha' money he e"uiG
from HE agsut of i.ai,aer 81 hs, { o"a account,
"a as no, L. inpi,ca;e ~! :" IL isnIf7n as
tic receiver q e Uo3"p. '@e5 dI=c'iy or incorrectly
20 this ass7ntcd, and Air Coolidge wra iii to negn-
tiale with iGt.aey ritnGs IL: the :9 iha haG ,en
offered for .a;iaeT; bat tie: refused 70 give IT, lie
;aen camc bac. AID sailed the SAC, TO me tie !cr'hef
,a:orncd ne HAT hc Ind, days before, been OIL
.s,s5 ga:Br at screen hundred do,lers By Doc!oT
Dowditch 10 set la;imar at liberty; and asked ne
whether he had mol tc:;er 60 and take II! told lin,
sbai no compelled to turn ia Out hy lie ec!':
orders kc might uic wai he could get fer hS Orr
IeRtEt lis reply VAS, that he anew had been run In
great EXPENSE an, That he could 90 wha. he pleased
win .ae ,no:ev ii L. got IL could give 1t TO me. or any
bod, Csc. replied mat did rot want nlaac: lie
then went al;ef Lr G0w tc 10 get from ham .he SIoo
which ne had offered, found DIR with has b!oiher
The e refused 10 gaze the oo his brother telling
HIM that / IL gave To monty wogla not secure the
.rpedon Of L,imcr although, lie might he Turned oni
of ail: for that would have good right TO him 4.
ever They told Mr.. Coolidge, however, that 1t he
would produce TO h';n iioe papers for !atmtr, they
would ,,;ee $3.50. his h. stated thei. in:
determination: Int refused to accrp, The oar. tie
then SAID c, lie would be Inc only sufferer N The
cage would 90 of 20 ,I:g;nla-b2; That air Austin
[ihe attorney himself, and Si7 Wilson, IA shertis
otlicer) who had ttrn instrumental in serving me,
would be marked out for persecution 3: i!o9e wac nae
been acting in bebai; 81 iat.mcr told hin ;'g sn man
had suffered on ny account" and none ever 1i'Gi
and then enqured II :aorey could compensate hln:
He said No lie u.inh be deprived o! living i"f h's
family: but If woud sign ,us,rn,nen: Of @ri;ir g.
stating that would never claim l.atImes az s.aFs
arain he wcud then have another Drawn up 10 tree
himself MIR. AUSTIN Mr.. Wilson and myself, Iom all
.ns vriis and c;e.v other law proceeding BY Latmer
and his friends. reflected Same time On tas PROPOSE
sion and iinaily concluded, that, could mt under
any circumstances prevent ,he discharge ct LallneF
before the day OF ta would clear him and the other
two individuals have natsG from all The res ponsie
;y in which they had become involved on my account
lie then sud that he would Try Ia obtain the Sooo
which t;cy had promised Ter Ike Tree papers bat
when he laid the documents before Bowc'ich AID TIE
other friends Of La,mer, who had met by appointment
IN Jail, they refused 10 give tie $500 Finally they
offered S40a. and foil rtsose from al farther i'ab'
lty - litigation, which accepted hy my agents,
aud the instrument for The release CT laiimer was
thereupon execrtrd. Having .uil power from me To
make The best arrangement they oGa'd ny agents cosed
the matter this way rs for myself, had personally
10 hand in it.
After the above written, we received the Boston
Bee, containing Tie following statement. given, no
doubt, with the approval OF MIR. Gray's counsel. II
does not conflict, any particular, with MIR. Grays
statement though it oms Of the details stated BY
Mr.. Gray. We regret, that Mr.. Gray has cut himself
of from IN appeal The Supreme Court OF the United
States, (Which would, Goubtrss, have awarded him
restitution against the State Of IassGchuseits) By
Inqushng, Uroug bis agents,l Mi clrn To his slave
for The consideration Of S!Ue not c-r, of which has
enured to his benefit This, however does not change
the principles involved in The transaction.
(tfa7R Boston Eee, us; inst.J
How L,TiMER WAS rRELD AS VARIOUS statements
have appeared in the public journals relative 10 the
circumstances under which Latmer released ircGi
custodp and declared free man, We have learnt the
truth Of the tier from The Attorney of Mr. Gray, and
The following recapIiulaon may be relied upon as cor
rec, 10 The letter few days PRIOR 10 that appointed
by Judge Story, for 8 hearing upon Mr. Gray petition
for certificate with power to remove Latmer, al
negro called npon L G Austin, Esq, and requested
10 know for VIVA, sum Mr.. Gtay would sell George
The next day, Mr.. Gray, through his Attorney,
offered to sell George for Sl5oa and not less
stating that his original cost vas SSCa and that like
amount would scace cover the expenses incurred IN
prosecuting his Claim. The price mGs deemed too ex
orb,ant, and Ill gooia,on dropped. Next an lnd'v
dual offered sir John Wilson, check for $3.50, II he
would smuggle La,ner oct. AID not o:se Cray any %
The mcnpy. s.r T,l.on refusing, Mr. Coolidge vas
.,.iei 20 ara he toe, Gec,::c5 the D. pc. In me