Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-05-21

II nCfs y. IL IUllGl'
"a MEssRs. EDIroRs. As everything relating to Mr.
STorreys circumstances is interesting to the friends OF
Humanity forward you for publication the following
singular communication from the last Christian Advo
Ecae and Journal Its statements, coming as they dc
Hfom an advocate of slavery, and probably saye-ho
Eder presents the barbarty of the Governor of Mary
Gland and the Legislature of that State in more srk
Eing light than anything have seen.
sFROM OUR BALTIMORE CORRESPONDENT
am sorry to tell you that the Rev. Mr. Tomey, who
4was sent to the Pentcary for the abduction of certain
Ssaves is rapidly sinking to the grave His case has
Excited great deal Of sympathy here and elsewhere
Dunng the session Of the late Legislature Of this state
Gan earnest and respectful petition from number of
$the most influential gentlemen in Massachusetts, was
#pesented to Gov. Pratt asking the Liberation of Mr..
aTorrey not right to which he was in any wise en-
3tIed, but as an act of pure grace and humanity. The
9petoncrs also agreed to pay for the abducted slaves
Gin case the pardon SHOULD be granted.
The governor thought proper to refer the petition to
tho savehoding party in the legislature, determining
4to be governed by their action Some Of them, and
5some too, of the most violent, signed the petillon-
sIhe larger NUMBER however, obslinatey refused, and
sthe governor declined to pardon This was all done
3wth full knowledge Of the HOPELESS state Of the pris
oners health and the certainty of his speedy DEATH
flor the physicians of the Penentay gave positve
scertitcae to such effect
This case cannot fail to create excitement in the
North The Imprisonment Of clergyman for a VOL
9aon Of laws strictly local, and this rigorous enforced
Smont Of the punishment to the DEATH is well cacua-
tied to engcnder intense feeling, which, under thief
.bowppe of fauatical ZEAL may be famed into dan
igerous iameD It's, therefore, proper to present hof
whole facts OF the case to the public, in order that
lthey may fairly try the parties, upon whose conductf
they mustsitin Judgment
confess that am sorry the offender was not part
ldoned whether he deserved it or not Governor Pratt!
has conferred an invaluable boon upon the Abolition
lists He has given them what they much wanted yeti
could not make-a martwa2l one, too, exceedingly
available: clergyman, man well known IN thes
North, connected with highly respectable circle, and
universally believed to be honest Such prize hasi
never fallen to the lot Of the passion workers. Eyery8
Abolition lecturer has new subject every prcacher$
another text every crone anew horror every pettonel
+ personal ailront
Yet Mr. Tomey, and Mr. Torrey's friends, have lit
tile to complain Of while the peop pie of Maryland, es-
pecally the colored people of Maryland, and thoseI
who perlng much to preserve and protect them,S
have cause Of complaint, deep and abiding, agalnstI
MR. Torrey and those who sent him here As long ass
slavery is tolerated in Maryland, it must be proecedl
Iby law and the sanctions of the law must be in prof.
portion to the difficulty of such protection If heS
laws prohibiting abduction severe and oncrOus
h in order to protect whit the state agrees to consder
property the whole community black and white must.
submit to enactments little less than yranpous eyeryI
efort to abduct especially every such effort made byI
linen of respectable calling and character tends to rem
der those laws perpetual 1t shows that they are mott
too stringent because they do not more than protect
Nay, they excuse the enactment Of still harshcr laws
and more terrible penalties because they prove thcI
FORMER insufficient say, then, that independently oil
1.-THE insult offered to the sovereignty of the state by al
deliberate and determined effort to violate her laws,
Mr.. Tomey, and those for whom he acted, have done
great wrong to the people of Maryland To the slaves
because the masters enaged; to the free backs
because they are than subjects Of suspcion
land dskea3 to the shareholders, because their legal
rights have been invaded to the friends of the nego
because their task is made more arduous, and thcE
grand result more doubtful. Mr. Torrey chose his
and in full view of the consequences
HE declared against the state invaded her tcri-E
tory and plundcred her czensl4 In the contest he'll
Twas captured and subjected to the punishment award
led to such case lie cannot complain Of the laws!
iThey were not made for him. y vas purely optionalt
with linn to have remained alr reach. Ills,
lis not the case Of man ' violation Of law!
by sudden sympathetic imp .e came here on
purpose to break the law. HIS aoty,s cannot ALTAR
line LEGAL character Of his conduct. lie assumed toI
decide upon the conduct of this state toward largcI
part Of her people, and far as his would cn-
able him to do So he attempted to reverse that conf
duct: to undo the law OF property as here esablshed
land administer another, suited to his own notions. No,
government could brook an interference such this
1t would be vain to permit purity of feeling honest
ty of Intention to be plead i'll bar Of punishment nl
such cases. The law Of Maryland tolerates grog,
shops. This may be wrong. Many OF us think it is i
but certainly this would not Justify citizen of one off
those happy towns in the North where no acho isl
wendell to come stealthy into our state, and burn curl
averns(5 All such attempts are inya5ions Of soycr
cignty and the details of the case are merged and lost
i'm the high act of insubordination
Mr. Torrey's conduct subsequent to arrest, was notI
well calculated to incline the public in his favor lnl
he first place he solemnly plead, Not guilty" when.
HE guilty Lawyers say, this was only his Plea
i care not what they call it; it not honest, it wasi
mot true Paul would not have done it; no honest mani
would, the metaphysics Of the bar to the contrary not
The trial was perfectly fair llsE
counsel Reverdy Johnson, now senator from this state,
defended him as well as a case, utterly indeIensbc
could be defended. He convicted, and the sen-s
ence made light as the court could with any consis
tency make it.
When imprisoned in Jail, Mr. Touey united in ant
attempt made by of the most desperate men ink
our city, then awaiting trial for high and daring crimes,
to break out of prison The attempt failed, and wthE
it vanished respect and sympathy for Mr. Toweyl7)s
The act indeed, showed such want of principle ands
so total abandonment of clerical and personal dgE
nifty; it entirely unmartyrke, that until be- {
came better acquainted with the man believed him tos
be ruftian. The fact is, he was not Sanc(S Upons
the subject near his heart he monomanac and theS
abandonment of his mind to this one matter Of houg
embarrassed it is by many collateral issues andB
fraught with many causes of painful feeling andE
reflection, had unsettled and sourcd him.
He seemed to have lost the power to discriminate rgh
when surrounded and obscured by monstrous wrong,E
and to become lawess when he only wished to be gen
erous
Poor man he is going to a world where iudgementE
is given upon principles very different from those which
must be fundamental here where action is nothing,s
feeling and motive everything. 1t may not be unjusts
to have punished him here 1t may be just to reward
him hereafter(9 NEHEMIAH.
REMARKS.
a. GA dangerous fame" No wonder that mem
who are furnishing minister of Christ to the DEATH,
for acts which they admit that God will reward him.
for hereafter, should fear danger However they need
fear nothing from northern dough faces, and aboli-