Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-01-08

convention, and were on the point, more than once, OF
cur condemnation oft" Permit me to ask,
in all Kindness, why you suffered that matter to pass
without meeting it on the spot? IF the explanation
was faulty, Or calculated to have a false impression, as
you affirm, why did you not meet Il at the time, and
not suffer that false impression to 60 forth to the world
without yourexprossion of condemnation to accompany
it? Then and there the parties were face to face land
| had with me a friend, sent there by my father, whom
| think you would have found abundantly qualified to
defend his position. Did you think, sir, it would be
easier to agsail a weak, inexperienced female, unac-
customed to writing for the public, than to grapple
with one of your equal? l am hardly prepared to at
tribute to YOU such a motive; still | must confess there
are some things that look like it. At any rate, the
withholding of your condemnation at the time and
place where it ought to have been expressed, if ex-
y.,ssol t AZ, ana t2on throwing it beS9? another
class of minds, which never heard the explanation, l
think is doing inc an act of great injustice.
You remark, awe pass over all that might be said
about the letters to friends. We fix only upon her
denial ofhaying aided the escape Of slaves. She ad-
mits, in Boston, by her friend, that she did it. In her
book, and in Kentucky, she denies it Nor will we
admit, for a moment, that any play upon the term 'se-
duce," is to relieve her of the charge and the guilt of
falsehood, in the case. 1t is not true, as the explana-
ton affirmed, that all Miss Webster did, in her book
and in Kentucky, was to deny the mere act Of seduc-
ing slaves. She denied more, as the extracts will
show" Your charge, in the above extract sir, to say
the least of it, is somewha Of a serious one. And I'M
less you are prepared to make out clear and undoubt-
ed case of it, you are under the highest obligation to
r~etract and confess your wrong, as publicly and as e1-
|tensively as you have published me to the world as a
liar. And if you are a gentleman, a true-hearted
christian; or if you possess the spirit of an honorable
abolitionist, (Which | doubt not you will do so with
great pleasure. Please keep in view, sir, that you
should not only make out a probable case, to justify you
in the strong ground you have taken, but you should
prove your charge beyond gainsaying or successful
contradiction. You doubtless imagine that the refer
r ences you have made to my book abundantly sustain
your position. | will examine these passages some
2 what in detail, after a moments attention 70 another
t point in the same extract, which should not be wholly
g passed by in silence. This is your language. "Nor
e will we admit, for a moment, that any play upon the
term NSeduee," is to relieve her of the Chdrge and the
t guH Of falsehood in the case" Again: a little above.
e you say, Con the other point, the explanation was a
t play upon the word tSeduce'-that she did not seduce
c slaves to run away, to be sure, but only counselled and
t aided such as were disposed of themselves to go."-
: "Play upon The trOrd Scduce!n' May | be permitted to
inquire here, sir, what you mean by that phraseology2
d Did you intend to carry to the mind OF your readers
, ur .r - . t-.. l4-zz
d Leaue their masters, and aiding them in their escdpe?-
If so, | must differ with you materially. | believe
there ~ a manifest distinction between the two acts,
t and that that distinction was clearly made by my friend
+ at Boston, and, as a general thing, fully apprehended
by those who heard him. | will try to illustrate this
: distinction by s~upposing a case.
slave escapes from Kentucky and is in pursuit of
n Canada. On his way thither, he passes through Eour
h city, and calls upon you for counsel and assistance
d You replenish his pockets with change, get up your
is horse and take hin forward quite a little distance, and
D.; then give lin his direction, bid him God-speed and
send him on. Now, could you not affirm, in truth,
that you never seduced that slave to leave his master?
Would the fact that you denied seducing him to leave,
amount to u denial that you aided him in his escape?
Would there not be an obvious distinction between
sc2,cing, and aiding, in the case supposed. If you
should admit that you aided hin in his escape, and
still deny that you seduced him to leave his master,
i, what play would there be upon the word SeduNe, in such
10 an instance? | affirm that there would be Just none at
ii all. The distinction is a ~palpablc one, and one that
,e in Justice might be made; and if it could be made
e in your city, it could be made, with equal ~propriety, in
at Kentucky, where the slave commenced his escape
And here | rcaffrm and endorse over the explanation
" given to the convention. And | say it is true, strictly
n true, and there is no fllsehood about it. l never did
re Sciuce d Slaae 10 leaue his master, while ! admit l have
X coun8ejed and aided more than one in their flight 10
IL Canada.
it l will now examine, very briefly, the quotations you
| make from my book, for the purpose of making good
SIX your charge Of ~falsehood, which, | am sorry to say, you
Y seem so intent upon proving against me. You say, in
t. the extract above quoted, "We fix only upon her deni-
al of having aided the escape of slaves. She admits,
y, in Boston, by her friend, that she did it. IN her book,
and IN KcntaclN, she denies H." Your last assertion,
sir, permit me to say, is not true. | never denied,
IN while in Kentucky, have nowhere denied IN the book,
K and ] have not, at any time, nor in any place, denied
Sc that had aide3 slaves in their escape. For this | Of
t; ten did before | went south; | did it while there, and
e. have done the same since my return. Furthermore,
your quotations from my book utterly fail to make good
O. that charge against me, as | will now proceed to show.
to will consider these quotations in the order l find
III them in your communication.
- First, then, comes my letter to Judge Buckner. The
in paragraph upon which you rely, reads as follows
1 81 have never, in any way, shape, Or manner, seduced,
We or endcarored to seduce any servant whatever to leave
I'd his or her master or mistress, &c" Is your denial to
n be found here, sir? The thing, and only thing, denied,
or is, the act of sedacing, and not of aiding. AS that mat
ter has been somewhat fully discussed above, it is not
necessary for me to prolong my remarks here. will
re however, subjoin Mr.. Webstor's definition ofthe word
ny Seduce, and then leave the reader to Judge whether il
~ makes good your charge or not. "Se6uee, Isl. to draw