New-York daily tribune., 1849-10-27
The Law OF Hard Case,

The Sasssx County Court he'd ia session In
GEORGETOWN last week. The criminal business wss
H.ht TIE only civil case OF I'm portsncs wss that Of
Collins Blccfbacx, which we consider one Of sre
hardship. such l,~ 10 cissraco 70 our State
Ccuns " Bldrb0cs.-Action sgsinst steamboat
Cspts'n for carrying slave ont Oi ths ctsse. De
2-Ltas wife went iron Le~es to PailsdelPhia "a de
'-ndsnts stsambosf carrying with her daughter and
iitle negro girl s00ut siS years old. IL sp-
yeared hat Csptain knew ths girl slave but
being with misfsss he took her out OF ne state,
sae sre escaped IL turned out that the sie WAS esv
% her husband, and carried ne grl of without her
nn.o bands consent
TAe Court said the s~ rss exceedingly strict sssinsi
psrsons carrying slaves Jut OF ihe State by water and
must uecesssrily oe 80 TO srord sny protecuon IL
makes the Csptsin liable 20 psuAty Of $500 whether
knows the negro % De slave or rot or whether ne
xnOws him 10 be = rupz@ay OF not II he t-kes ne
gro cut Of the State. he runs all rsss n the negro
iurns OLt 10 be slsyr-n0saiDg will excuse nn but au
lhoty Of the master either expressed or implied snd
-uch authority may BE- Implied, frufn the presence o
toe master or IN Of itte servsnt girl even from
presence OF the mlstress, uDs" th- Captain knew
IL sgsinst the viii Of the master. witness proved
mat Capt B.ldsrbsck said he knew all the cifcun
o. The c.se and the Jury gave verdict for
We extract the shove barbsrous decision from
the Wilmington Blue HsH's Chicksg' and lay
Il before the people Of thi. country IS msttsr
deeply affecting the interests Of one Of the mos;
upright AZ our citizens. Surely the neghbJf.ng
sat. Of DELAwARg seems destined o. rsnk her.
ss with Austria ard hussis. tot only by the pos
session Of 81 equally bsrbS-o9s code bat by the
manner by vhich 10 II enforced. The facts of the
cAse we learn, are Substantially az follows .--
several wears since $40 We believed Captsin
Charles BlderDsck was in command OF me steam
boat " Portsmouth, on the line between Pnhsdrl-
phia aud LewistOw IL was customary a. the
lsttor place b receive passengers on bOs,d by
means Of small boat plying 10 aad from tue
shore, the owner Of vhicn charging ter cents per
he al FOR bis trouble One morning the boat came
of with respectable looking white woman ac-
cOmpanled by small negro sirl, who she pro.
iassed vas her servant. After the steamer hal
been some time underway the Captains stten.
tion was crEvn % the child, and proper inquiry
he learued thst she was slave. His Intention
Tas nc y 10 put her ashore. but Upou taking the
aisice Of gentleman of the bsr on board, and Of
4 judge Of the Court, 10 learned that under the
circumstances be bad nothing 81 fesr-,hat the
gir wss brought Of by her Mistress without hi.
knowledge or consent, and ihst no harm could
ensle. After tie lapse Of long period and
probably not until the dscitioN In similar csse
against Capt Vandergrift was knoxr,l tho hUs.
band Of ibc vs1isn and owner OF the slave com.
msnced 4 suit a. sinst Capt. B for damages. The
= visl. 10 Sussex CouAty. a. al expense Of ESQ.
be uas Informed BY bis Attorney that he need
trouble himself 10 farther about H. the charges
could not be sustained. Capt. b. however sp-
pea ed, and II ia hoped tha. the higher Court will
So consider the honor Of the state and the ends
Of justice a. 10 reverse the decision. Capt. B is
entirely unable 70 meet the demands imposed BY
the feuengejgi sentence, and II IL Is not reversed,
re can hereafter visit the State Ol Delaware only
a. tho risk Of Incarceration in her jsis.
Salem N. j. Standard