Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-03-21
DELLA A. WEBSTER.

upon their arrival mere, tnoy poC""'0
acquainted, they say, for the first tme'
with the account of her trial, as gwen ny
some correspondent of the LoulsvlIie Jour
nal from Lexington-which Mr.. WEBSTER
and his daughter say is erroneous IN many
particulars, and especially IN that part OF
the testimony of Mr.. Musick, the landlord
al Washington, who is there represented
ne stating that Fairbanks and Miss Web
ster locked themselves up in room, and re-
manned so licked up for several hours
They have laid before us copy OF the
testimony taken in the case certified to by
Mr.. Shy, her attorney, and, as they say,
admitted by the prosecutor and the Court
TO be correct in which Mr., Musick says
nothing about any locking of doors, but on
the contrary says that he sat in the same
room with them while they remained
and there is nothing in any part of the
evidence limiting at the slightest indelica-
cy in any of the intercourse between
Fairbanks and Miss Webster.
We will further add, that we have at the
request of Mr.. Webster, carefully exam
ined all the evidence introduced upon the
trial. and that which has since been obtain
ed, and find nothing inconsistent with the
entire innocence of Miss Webster. In
fact. the only evidence which seems at all
TO implicate her, Independent of the fact
that she accompanied Fairbanks TO Ohio,
at the time of the abduction, was derived
from the letter written by Fairbank, and
found in his possession, to friend in the
North part of Ohio, in which he speaks Of
the intended abduction of the slave, Lew
is, and his wife, and of a Miss WIS ac-
complaining him, as though she was privy
to the whole plan. This Miss Webster
has always denied, and still most solemnly
declares to be false.
Her story is that Fairbank invited her to
attend the wedding of Mr.. George Allen,
a friend of his, who was about TO be mar
ried to a Miss Emma Smith, then in the
neighborhood of Paris, Ky.-that after
declining the invitation several times, she
at last consented to go-that near Paris
Mr.. Allen and Miss Smith got into the
hack with them, and drove on to Maysville
and crossed the Ohio-that, finding her.
self deceived in the distance, she refused
10 go any farther-that Fairbank returned
in few hours after leaving her, and re-
ported that they were married by the Rev.
Mr.. John Rankin, Of Ohio, and that they
then returned to Lexington-that no
slaves rode with them in the hack, that she
saw no slaves, and had no knowledge o
amy abduction-that she is not, and neve
was an aboitionist, and never had any
sympathy with their principles. Fairbanl
himself, has also given his testimony unde
oath, of the entire innocence Of Mis-
Webster, in an affidavit, from which WI
abstract the following
f' Il do know TO positive certainty, tina
Miss Webster is innocent of assisting Lew
is, wife and child, TO escape, and hav,
every reason to believe, she knew nothing
Of them, and never saw them in her life.
This was sworn to before the Clerk of thu
Court.
In short, taking all the facts and circum
stances together, we cannot but come II
the conclusion that she was the innocen
and unfortunate victim of the secret ant
ianatical scheme of Fairbank in the alb
duction Of these slaves, and that the Cour
were carried away by the strong excite
ment which exists against abolitionism il
every form, and transcribed their duty b.
admitting the letter found Oh Fairbank
which was not addressed to her, of whic
she had no knowledge, and with whic
she was in no way connected, TO go t
the jury as evidence against her. 1t wa
on this letter alone, that she was convict
ed, and sentenced 10 disgraceful punish
ment. A young lady of irreproachabl
character-of good ducation-lady-lik
manners,-and high intellectual endow
ments-and guilty of no offence, has, W
believe, through the base conduct of ia
matte, and the excited prejudices of a
otherwise high-minded people, been sui
Iected to the ignominious punishment {
the Penitentiary We rejoice that Go
Owsley, of whose kindness they speak
high terms, has thus early released her fro
= Imprisonment.
On her return to Vermont, she intcn,
to publish a full account of the who
transaction, and, at the same time, to c
press her views upon slavery, and point o
the folly and injurious course of the alb
lltionists.-C Cincinnati .Allas, lSt inst.
PRESIDENT POLK A HUMORIS'
Presidents Messages, Addresses, 81,
are apt to be dull, but they are occasio
ally lighted up with passages of genui
humor The following is the latest spec
men we have seen, and is in an admirab
VEIN
Foreign powers" Mexico especial
"do not seem to appreciate the true cha
acter of our government. Our Union
confederation of independent Stat,
whose policy is peace with each other al
all the world. TO enlarge its limits, is
extend the dominion of peace over ado
1lllnal =