The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-08-03
A CLERICAL WOMAN THIEF.

Rev. J. Blanchard, Of Cincinnati, Ohio,
bad addressed a letter to the Old School
Presbyterian General Assembly, Inform,
ing that body that one of lis members had,
on his way TO the meeting of the Assem-.
bly,, at Philadelphia, kidnapped and re.
tained In slavery, a woman who was free
by the laws Of Ohio; and very ptrtinently
asks that reverend body of spiritual faith
ers and elders whether open, avowed kid.
nappers, instead of finding a cell in the
Penitpntiary, shall be admitted 10 seats 10
our church courts, and sit as spiritual
judges?
1t seems that the Rev. Mr.. Smith, of
Sumpter County, Alabama, native of CO.
lumbiana County, OHIO, became the own
err, by marriage, of some fifteen or twenty
slaves, one of whom, a female, accompa-
MED him, as the servant of his daughter,
on his way to Philadelphia. Ga board
the steamboat, between Cincinnati and
Wheeling, it was ascertained that the wo-
man desired 10 be free, and remain in O.,
into which State she had been taken by
her master, in which by virtue Ct law, she
became free. Rev. Mr.. Blanchard re-
quested her maste: to suffer her to cone
forward, and permit him to converse with
her on the subject. We give the result
in Mr.. BIanchard's own words:
"fle replied, that l might converse
with her, IF l chose 10 rist all the con
sequeaces; thai he aerer suffered 0ay one
10 interfere milh q person umder his care,
WIT IMMUNITY that he considered The
woman's condition, as slave TO him, to be
preferable to freedom in Ohio; he there
fore did moi think it his duty to allow her
10 remain. Ard as be left the boat at
Wheeling, Virginia, instead of proceed
Jag to Wellsville, the residence of his
father, he doubtless has lef. his slave in
the care of some STAKEHOLDER, on the Vir-
ginia side of the Ohio, for safe keeping,
and perhaps 10 earn him a few dollars,
while he is in attendance on the sittingS
of your body.
The question which wish to PROFOUND
TO your reverend body, is this. 'Ought
a brother, under the circumstances above
detailed, to be allowed his seat, ms a com
missioner TO your General Assembly, and
no notice taken OF the flct that he holds,
and intends 10 hold, as a slave, a woman
who is free by the law Of God, and the
civil law of this country I?
Would you admit to a seat on your
floor, a minister, who shall commit a like
an equal outrage upon a woman who
had never been enslaved If not, since
woman is free by the decision of the
Supreme Court of Ohio, declaring that
: slaves within that State, by aud with the
consent Of their masters, are free by the
operation of Ohio lava decision sus-
tained by the whole course of English
common law decisions, since 1887; and
by law and practice Of several Of The u.
States = why should the former e~nsIave-
ment of this unfurtunate woman operate
in your breasts, to excuse this clergymen
for re-enslaving her now that she is free?
The moment she landed upon the Cincin-
natl wharf, she stood on soil where the
ordinance of l787-an ordinance lying
deeper in the code of Ohio than the Con-
stitulion itself of the State--1eclares, that
{ there shall be neither siaOery nor inrol-
uatary serritude,' except for crime. She
was that instant free. His legal right to
her as a slave, which was before nothing
by the law of God, then persisted, even as
by the law of the land. Taking that wo-
man back into slavery against her will,
is then, kidnapping, according to the
meaning and intent of the law. And is
it come to this2 Shall open, avowed kid
nappers OF women, instead of finding a
cell in our penitentiary, be admitted to
seats in our church courts, to sit as our
spiritual judges? If such things are toll