Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-01-12

winch he had fed. IL dispenser Will III
other process for the of the Fugitive, ano AZ oce
created The owner his agent attorney, the eonse
tiona! functioRGry 10 scize the slave ana 10 lA
before iuJ-e or magistrate. But, uniortunaleiy ior
the present time, and the supremacy Oh Tue So"S'u
inn il gave him no adequate prolectIon a1ler ne hau
h "a h;,, before the nudge, the recent deve-
lo,msn,s in Boston HI bcYond doubt demonstrated
I, is true that The act further declares, that anv
person who snll Knowingly and willingly oos'fuc' u
hinder such claimant, his agent or attorney IN SO 81
,r arres,;nr snch fugitive from labor, or sha 'es
,re snch fno,ye troG, such claman bis agent oi
attorney when so arrested pursuant TO ihe aulhoiy
herein given or declared or, shall haFoo' OF
such pcrson after notice that he or she was " 'ut,'
from labor as aforesaid SHALL for either oil tue sain o.
| - cre;, and nv the sum OF five hundred dollars
which uenay may be recovered by ana LOT 'he oe.
o6, NJ sucb claimant hy action oil debt IN any court
"a trv the same leaving moreover to the persons
,;mnr such labor or service, his right OF acuon LOT
" nm account Of the said injuries, or either oil them
decentralization these penalties, il is by means
,er,o;n that the individuals who from time tn time
assembled in Boston, with the agowed object OF over
awinr hr Gray, and, II necessary TO rescue ms Save
from his uossesson, however they may have dls.utoee
Tho peace and good order Of Massachusetts, and how.
reckless they may have been of the Constitution OF
their country, which emphacay declares that slave
;hus circumsanced she be dersyed up, violated inc
| provisions OF the act in question. For It may oe sao
that they did not thereby Construct or hinder snch
claimant, his agent attorney, III SEEING or arresh
that they did not literally rescue such fugitive from
| his owner, agent or attorney.
The duty, the imperative duty devolves upon Con
rress to remedy The evil complained of-an evil when,
If not remeded il requires no great intelligence 70 'orr
see will break asunder the bands OF this unon IL,
with oil the inducements which held out al Inc
North the slaves OF the South to desert Tie service
of their masters, when their abode is discovered ano
they actually arrested there be means OF holdns
and removing them TO their master residence, II 10 Cd
The must be presented TO tue
peope Of the slave holding States, whether they VIII
submit habtual violations of their rights, guaranteed
by the Constitution of the country, involving the ut.
most excitement OF feeling aud The frequent losses OF
1 valuable property, or will dissolve the Union
| This momentous issue your committee will MOL now
ever debate upon trusting that allwise Providence
will so enlghen the public mind and guide the deli
beralions of the National Legislature in the due en-
orcement of the constitutional provision IN question:
that such an alternative will never lie presented
The redress 10 be sought, at least for the present,
ought to be an appeal to Congress The constitutional
power Of that body 10 provide et!ecina enactlnehls'
That person held to service or labor IN one STATE
under the laws thereof escaping into another, shall be
delivered up claim Of the party TO whom such SER
vice labor may be due, cannot, is Presumed nc
doubted by any las it provided: The facts
stated in the report Of the subcommittee conclusvely
show HAT it has not; for clearer title 10 slave can
not be exhibited throughout the universe, and no.w'h
standing he was seized and arrested and carried before
Judge of the Federal Court, yet bis master could mol
hold him
In examining into the matters referred TO them, you
committee have thought that they would not comply
with the Just expectation Of The public, by merely re
porting 10 what manner and by what means MI Gray
had been prevented from regalnng his properly, ou
that they ought TO suggest some SPECIFIC legislation
on the subject. The simplest and most feasible enact
mcnt that Congress could make, it occurs TO your
committee would be to provide, in addition to the exist
ing law, that when fugitive slave shall escape 'nlt
another State or into Of the territories OF the Unee
States that the owner, his asen, or Attorney SHALL II
his opinion be necessary to recover the slave apply
any Judge of the circuit or district courts OF me onet
States residing or being within the State or territory
where such slave shall be, no shall thereupon be re
CURED to issue his precept, commanding tie marsha
of the court arrest, If already arrested by Inc
owner his agent attorney, 10 take INTO hls CUSTODY
such We and forthwith bring him before the scidudge
with authority 10 such marshal 10 appoint Temporarily
as many deputies he may think proper TO effect th'
object that the marshal or his deputies shall hold TN
slave until the Judge shall finally decide upon The clam
and that II the certificate for his removal should be gwen
the marshal in person or by deputy shoua oe require
10 accompany the owner bis agent or attorney, to thu
line or any other part of the Stale where ihe owner m
agent or Attorney may require, and there 10 de1rer
him his slave.
This would place the slave at The commencement o
his arrest throughout the whole proceedings before IN
Judge and whilst he necessarily remained IN the Stale
IN the rvytoGy of me lac: and by suitable enocn'ens
that custody well the subsequent custody OF liz
owner his 0gent attorney, until he reached his owl
State, could he eecuully protected, that scarcely
any individual, however evil disposed he might be
would have the hardihood to attempt TO disturb it
4 Congress might also at the time PROVIDE That !
tie marshal or his deputies should find any difficulty al
II safe place Cor the cus,ndy Of the slave the forts ar
senais custom houses, naval vessels and revenue cu
ers should respectively with the sanction Of the Judge
he appropriated for such custody. By such law
auxiliary Ia the present. the constitutional guarantee
would be enforced aud harmony upon this delicate ane
4 exciting subject restored 10 the country.
In conclusion the matter is Of intense interest tt
the whole Commoweath your committee recommend
that this report and that Of the subcommittee, with al
the documents appended TO it, be transmitted to his tx
ceency the Governor of Virginia, with request Ina
he lay the same before the Legislature, in whose WIS
dom and patriotism they have an abiding confidence
that the subject will be disposed ofin manner com
inensurate with its importance.
The committee appointed to investigate carefully
al! the facts connected will! the case Of the fugitive
slave George Latimer and report the same, together
with any other matters they may deem proper in the
premises, respectfully report that IN The performance
of the duty assigned TO them they examined carefully
all the statements relating TO this case which could De
procured, and after attentive comparison oil these
and patient and diligent inquiry into every source
information which was accessible 10 The committee they
embodied in the form Of narrative all The essentid
matters involved in this case, and now submit the same
10 the consideration Of their fellow citizens.
The committee, however, deem IL proper 10 say, TIA
they regarded their orders OF appointment as limiting
their inquiries into this that of fugitive slave
and although the subject of this controversy has beer
also regarded fugitive ieon-ln support OF which
charge evidence swou!d have been offered which
considered by Of competent ntell'gen "ful
and conclusive, and not only sufficient at primary
Examination 10 hold the party TO answer bat enough
have warranted jury in returning verdict OF gully
yet, this part Of the case has been acted upon by
the Governor Of the State, in the mode pointed out IN
the Federal Constitution, and there is obvious i'm
proprety in making upon the public mind, impression
Of the guilt innocence OF person whose case, 1t !;
hoped will be hereafter disposed of BY the proper C
minal Courts Of the Common wealth; the committee
most willingly restricted their enquiries to The point
referred to- and did not claim under the more compre
hensve clause OF the resolution under which they act
The right to extend their examination into the other
branch Of the case.
| George Latimer, the person in question, was born
the slave OF Edward Lamer. and after several changes
of owners became, in January, $780, the property Of
James B. Gray, by purchase at the price OF eight hun
bred dollars from his then owner, VIM Mallory The
Jo icp A In