The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-04-29
EaeI,smesl a, wa.niu.len.

mobs to sappTeSs liberty Of speech, 10 q Res'tb-
lie, take precedence.
Could Southern men invent method to rouse
aTti-slaveIy sentIment-to extend ito aboli-
toRize, If wemay coin word, all the free States,
the very best, the sirest course would be 10 mHz-
zIe the press, and TO do it too, by brute force Is
opinion so powerks that il cannot resist wrongs
of tins characte, j. the law of right 50 loosely
established thai pay be rudely assiailed with
out rousing the people in its defence? Are COM
mon privileges, the dearest and highest, so poor
ly regarded that they may be tTampled upon reck-
lessly, and with impunity? Depend upon it,
they are not. Depend upon it, that no admitted
right, no acknowledged principle, can be assail-
el in this land with mpunity Depend upon it,
that public opinion is strong enough, and pure
enough, ID resist successfully any aud all at
tempts, wherever, or by whoever made, to deny
liberty Of speech TO any man or party.
Besides, what cause had the mob at Washing
ton 10 assai the Erai No man has borne himself
more nobly in trying and difficult position, than
its editor DIR. BAILEY. He has been fearless,
and free. But not a particle of narrowness, not
a spec Of bigotIy, not an uncouTteous wopd, not
an unkind speech, can be found in his paper, OF
in any article in Il, since it started. True, he is
in minority. But that very fact should make
brave men shelteghim as if he were tfeiT best
friend. True, also, that he is honestly opposed
TO Both the great parties of thecOuntry. Butt
consideration, the very character of his opposi-
ton should have made them, or their representa-
tiyes, the most nsOute IN his defence. No! mol
Examine the Era from the start, examine il gen
orally, OF in detail, and there is nothing, not a
line not word, upon which any Southern man,
however Ultra, could ground any violent action
against IT,
Trace the causes Of this excitement at Wash
ington, reader, and let your own Judgment an
swer in this matter The National E4telligenoer
gives the following statement of the cause of the
disturbance:
"Dunng the whole of Sunday, Monday, and
yesterday very great excitement has prevailed in
this city and Georgetown, ansIDg out Of the fact
that many citizens of the two places had been
deprived of their servants, and its being asceT-
tanned that they had been taken on board sus-
picious vessel which had brought wood to this
city, and left the wharf at the foot of Seventh
street on Saturday night, and set sail down the
rveT. Although among the missing slaves were
about eighteen oTtwenty from Georgetown, il was
also asceItained there were more than thirty be
longing TO citizens Of Washington.
''The citizens Of Georgetown determined on
Sunday To give chase 10 the pTatical schooner;
and having procuIed the steamboat Salem, Capt
Baker, the puHueTs, about thirty in number
AIMED with muskets and other weapons, left
Georgetown at one O'Clock, and as quickly as
possible followed the schooner down the POto-
mac. There weIe yarious reports in the city on
Monday night that the runaway slaves had been
captured after adesperate struggle in which seven
of Their number were killed; but none Of these
; reports were true. Nothing was known of either
the fugitlves or their pursuer until about seven
% clock yesterday morning, when the Salem ar
nyel at our steamboat whan, bringing with hel
the schooner and all the slaves prisoners, togeth
er with EdnIrd Sayrss, a white man, who was
J captain o. the schooner, and a person nameC
, Daniel DrdytoH, Of Philadelphia, who had char
tered her
alt appears that the Salem discovered IN,
schooner lcslled the PearD lying in ComfelC
f; harbOr, az the mouth of the Potomac, about tW,
, O'Clock on Monday morning The fugitives
seventy-seven IN number, were fast asleep be
low, and EdWani SayTes, the captain CheSte
: were also below. The Salem being mmediatel,
run alongside the Pearl the Georgetown party
almost instantaneously bOarded her. fastene,
down the matches, and secured the fugitiyes ana
the white men on bOan1. The movement was
rapid and successful one, and all on board th'
A Pearl were thus made prisoners without blood
shed, although Il was evident the slaves woult
have resisted if there had been any chance o
. escape.
ssp,, ia a,r;,..l Of the S,lop, o,,1 Az, sob,l,,
= CT at the steamboat whah yesterday large mum
bero persons were assembled, some OF whom
used very threatening Languages towards the whit
men who were brought up prisoners; and if H.
latter escaped without serious personal injury,
was owing 10 the prudence and fmness Of III
Y guard by whom they were attended, and thei
being quickly conveyed to jail in a hack, whic
e was pressed INTO Immediate requisition.
a eve called at the jail yesterday, after the SAT
o Judgment Of the prisoners and the fugitives, an
!. we learned from the commitment of Justice Wi
+ liams, who went down the Potomac in the Saler
= with the pursuing party, that Edward Sayres
d Chester English, and Daniel DTayton hav
: been committed for further examination on th
charge Of aiding slaves TO escape from their owl
ers.
"The fugitives consist OF thirty eight mer
n twenty-six women, and thirteen children. The
q are now all in pnSon.
"ltls certainly very much, as we conceive, I
: the credit Of the pursuing party that they SUI
ceeded in capturing the fugitives and their aide
n and abettors without blOodshed, and in so exp,
m litiOus and eilectual a manner.
awe Learn that final examination OF the pa
ties now in confinement will take place tO-da
+ at one o clock, at the JAIL before Justices Wi
ii hams and Goddard, at which time all the owl
l. ers of the servants are requested TO come an
q identify iheiTproperty."
II What had the Era office, what had DR.. Bale
II 10 do with this What did he knOp Of the tral
II saction1 He had nothing to do with il;
e knew nothing about it. We copy his card frol
i the National Intelligencer:
. To the Citizen. Of Washington.
A rumor having been circulated that the o
flee Of the National Era concerned, direc
ly or Indirectly, in the recent attempt Of a nun
/. Der of slaves TO escape on the schooner Pearl,
is due TO the respectable citizens Of this plac,
and TO myself, to give plain. full, unequivocl
Genial to the report. While determined TO yiel
no right 10 menace or viOlence-s concessio
which no true.hearted American will be ungeH
erous enough TO demand--I feel il to be my du
ty 20 do all can 10 remove a serious misapprl
hension, calculated to provoke unpleasant eA