Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-09-01
Correspondence IF the Tribune.
The Washington Slave Case.
W%AsniYoroN, Wednesday, Avg. Q.

ty. This jury, with the former one, was di.
vided, three for a%cquittal TO nine for convic-
ton. So they stood when the Court adjourn.
ed last night. Word was sent down soon
that there was no prospect Of agreement, but
in the course Of the night three advocates for
truth and decency were whipped in, and con-
scented tn a verdict of guilty. That verdict
must ever be sustained. The law on the
subject Of larceny, as laid down by the
Judge, was in total contradiction to every
book and every case on the subject and up
on the exceptions taken to his finding in this
case. he will be presented before the legal
world-for this case will be discussed wher-
ever the common law is known-in no en-
viable attitude. He will be presented as a
man who, out OF his love and admiration of
Slavery, was willing to reverse the law, and
overthrow principles established in all Com
mon Law Courts known in Europe or Ameri-
ca, by an uninterrupted practice Of centuries.
Indeed, it is the opinion of some legal gem
tlemen here, that this ruling will furnish
grounds for the impeachment of the Judge,
as evincing either corruption on his part, or
such a total Ignorance and disregard of the
simplest and bes, settled principles of the law,
as show him totally unfit for the office.
One thing is certain. These verdicts, and
the ruling of the Judge on which they were
found, will go a great way to precipitate the
abolition of Slavery in this District. 1t is
impossible that the people of the U. States
should consent 20 a longer continuance al tile
seat of Government OF an institution which
so influences and corrupts the people, that
mobs perambulate the streets, not merely TO
murder prisoners charged with an alleged Of
fence, but 10 pull down the printing-otfices,
and to burn the houses Of all those whom
the mob may suspect of sympathizing with
those prisoners /; and which so corrupts and
influences the courts Of criminal Justice that
the District Attorney is sustained in it by a
| practice which that same Court pronounces
wrong and bad, Of finding a vexltious and
inconsistent multiplicity Of indictments for
the same act, while the Court itself lays
down as law, doctrines as inconsistent with
the best established principles as they are
ahhorrent to humanity.
The Court this very morning has commit
ted another gross outrage on the rights oil
DraYton, by refusing to oblige the Distric,
Attorney TO 90 to trial on the remaining 100
indictments against him. Notwithstanding
the provision of the Constitution securing &c
every person a speedy trial, and the uniform
practice of the Court to try every prisoner il
Jail. at the first term, and a previous refusa
by this very Court Of a continuance whicl
the prisoners had moved for, leave is nov
given to the District Attorney to delay tn
remaisng trials as long as he pleases !
Here is additional ground for an imPeach
ment, and in the next Congress, if not il
this, men (it is to be hoped) will be- found
who will take measures for Kidding the Bepcl
of such an incumbrance, and the District it
self of such a source OF corruption.
Washington, Wednesday, Aug. II, l646
The second of the tedious trials sgains
Sayres has resulted in a second verdict Of &C
uuittal, after an absence of fifteen minutes oil
the part of the jury. When the counsel 70
the, prisoner closed their argument yesterday
morning, the District Attorney, finding TN
whole case knocked away from under him.
complained Of the ear-ache, and on that pre-
tence obtained from the Judge a delay I'll
this morning, when lie came into court. AM
delivered an harangue of three hours and
half. 1t was a tissue of misrepresentation o
law and fact from beginning to end, proving
the District Attorney to be either a block
head, and stupid beyond any hope of redemF
tlOlN vi ~ lO hhON NAV ~ Nao $50
| have charity enough to believe he did nc
resolved to Sickle at nothing to obtain
conviction. Whether he will 90 on to IT.
the remaining thirty-nine indictments, remain
10 be seen. He is the more piqued at losin
these cases, because they 90 to discredit hi
two verdicts against Drayton, which reste
substantially on the same evidence. One
= these verdicts he is in danger of losing.
/, .o,,. ,r;ol hoo Ioa, r,avol Cor IN tho nro,p
that one Hampton G. Williams, leader
the steamboat expedition, swore on the fir
trial that Drayton told him that if he had g
off safe with his cargo of slaves, he shouI
have been placed in Independent circumstal
: ces which statement on the second tria
e and before the jury had yet agreed upon the
verdict, this same Williams voluntarily toe
n back, saying that he could not tell wheth
it had been said to him by Drayton or |
somebody else. The fact was Drsyton h;
g charged him roundly with having swo
falsely in this matter, and with all his anxi
~ TO swear enough to convict the prisonG
d yet wishing 10 seem to have some conscienC
Q on the second trial he held back this ties
mony, saying that he could not recolle
/ whether Drayton or some one else said 1t.
Now it so happened that while Williar
was making this very retraction, the 9th
l. jury. then out for twenty-one hours, were
3 greeting to their verdict of guilty upon t
strength of this very piece Of evidence!
q new trial has been moved for on this groun
Finding how important this piece of testir
! ny is, this witness, Williams, has sudden
lost his conscience and recovered his mem
o ry, and now thinks he can almost certain
r%ecollect that Drayton did say it! A pref
witness truly.
~ This is not the only exhibition that Il
:. Mr.. Williams has made Of himself. He h
the impotence TO swear-a thing at viii
- all the other Government witnesses laugh
" that he believed the mob which attack
u the prisoners on their way to Jail, was got
out Of fear that the free negroes would resc
- the recaptuTed slaves.
It was he, too, who committed the I'M
d cent Engllsh to prison, not a Gsorgetc'