Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-02-28

der of Arkansas, and he was then on his return
to Virginia to deliver the said Mr.. WATSON to
Mrs Hoppess, his wife Mr.. Hoppess was in
formed that he must take MIR. Watson before a
magistrate and prove his claim before he forced
him out of the State He was accordingly Ia
ken before a magistrate, but it being late in the
evening, the trial of the case was postponed, and
Watson lodged in jail A writ of habeas corpus
was afterwards served upon Mr. Hoppess to show
cause to his honor Judge Read why he detained
Mr. Watson prisoner. The case was ably O.
pened by Mr.. William Brney, ia son of James
g. Birney) on Wednesday of last week for Mr..
Watson, after which the court adjourned to Sat
urday morning. Mr. William f. johnson then
made an admirable and forciblo argument on the
same side after the examination of witnesses. In
the afternoon Mr.. Mclean, son of Judge Nc
Lean of the u S. Supreme Court, argued the case
for Mr. Hoppess. On Monday Mr. Mclean a
nephew Of the Judge, occupied the forenoon on
the same side with his cousin. In the afternoon
Mr., S. P. Chase spoke upwards of two hours for
Watson, with great ability, clearness and clo-
quence; and on Tuesday morning he continued
his argument from 9 10 to IL 10 O'clock
The Judge then pronounced his opinion upon the
various points, and in all concurred with the
counsel for Mr. Hoppess. He therefore did not
discharge the prisoner, Mr.. Hoppcss then seiz-
ed Mr. Watson by the collar and was taking him
out when Mr. Rand, the constable, refused to
open the door to let him out, inasmuch as the
cd 70 bo b,, 4l,o
trate At this moment some effort was made to
compel the opening of the door. 1t produced a
great uproar, but the volunteer constables opened
a way through the crowd to another door, and
conducted Watson, who was still in the clutches
of Hoppess, to the office of the magistrate The
magistrate was soon satisfied without much testi-
mony that Watson was slave, and he allowed
Hoppess to take him to Kentucky, beyond the
reach of ant-sIayery sympathy"
The Cincinnati Herald thus speaks of the clo-
sing scene:
At the close of Mr. Brney's speech, last Tues
day, in the case of Samuel Watson, before the
magistrate, Mark r. Taylor, when it was appa-
rent that the latter was resolved to give the VIC
tim up, the poor fellow turned to Mr. Birney, and
anxiously asked, q" Have you done every thing
can nothing more be done 2" Nothing more, -
was the reply. Good Almighty bless you, then,
Mr. Birney" he exclaimed, "Tll never forget
you" As he said this, he wrung the hand of his
counsel, and then meekly submitted to the pow
er of an irresponsible master, by whom he was
hurried off into slave State.
We would sooner have the simple blessing of
that helpless man, than all the gold with which
his master could reward counsel and constable for
fastening chains upon him. Was their sleep the
sweeer the night Of that cventul day, for the re-
Election that while they we're reposing in the en-
ioyment of God-given liberty, the victim of their
efforts was lying friendess, helpless, hopeless, in
Covington jail, under the despotic power of fell
low being, rendered infuriate by the obstacles
which had been thrown in the way of his unhal-
lowed claims!
Good Cod Suppose these assistants of the
stakeholder were called suddenly to stand before
the bar of Inexorable Justice? How could they
endure the eye Of the Judge, when he should de-
mand of them, " Where is thy brothcr" Fol
the wealth of worlds, we would not have the BLOOD
of an innocent man upon our souls. And is no
Slavery as bad as death? Is it not death---thC
death of all that is noble in man. the death of al
that is worth living for?