North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1850-11-09
BOSTON NuLLIEIcAr1oN.

bOSION sNULLIFlCAIION.
The Southern public mind is sufficiently excited
already by the late outages in Boston, and we have
no wish to add to the excitement but IS our duty
as public journalist, to lay facts before our feeoers
and keep them informed as to passing s'enss.' W.
therefore copy from the New Y rK lfouhe the io'-
lowing letter, showing the MANNER from nrst 70 'ast'
in which Messrs. Knight and hugnes' o. oeofg'a'
were treated in Boston Inc ioune says 'nis ielter
comes from respectable source ane may De IeNeo
upon as correct statement:
rCor,s.noDdence of the New York Tribune.1
| BosroN, Thursday, Oct 81.
| L.. hunters, knight and Hughes, left the
~ .ne ,os,erday at o'clock P. NJ, fully pursuaded,
10y weeks trial, that all attempts to arrest William
J Ellen Crafts in the City of Boston, were worse
a., useless Yet not blow has been struck, or an
act of violence done
Es soon as it was know that they were about to
take out a warrant, the Vigilance Committee was
called together and various subcommittee appoint
ed Among these was committee of legal gentle
men. whose duty it to give Crafts the benefit of
every legal weapon of offence and defence. This
committee consisted Of S. G. Sewall, Chas. SUMNER
r. H. Dana, jr., John G. Park and George Mnot.
In addition to these gentlemen, Charles q. Loring,
ESQ, one of the most distinguished lawyers in the
State volunteered his services. After full delibera
ton this committee notified the commissioners that
if they acted under the law they would be sued,
the ground of the unconsutonallty OF their appoint
,nenf, and that the same course would be taken with
the Marshal and his deputies, or any other persons
who should act under the direction of the commits
soners. The ground was taken that the process IN
der this law is civil process and that the outer door
of hose cannot be broken an for the purpose of
ing it, and the Marshal was notified accordingly.
Crafts moved his beds and clothing into his shop. and
made it his domice-hs castle.
In the meantime Crafts, his own responsibility,
without advice from any parties, determined on re-
sistance. He armed himself fully. and made up his
mind to self his freedom with his life. His shop is
in the midst of the negro population, who are in
state of intense excitement, armed and determined
upon resistance, No man could approach within
hundred yards of Crafts shop without being seen by
a hundred eyes, and signal would call powerful
body at moments warning. The Marshal's assist
ants made Reconnaissance and perfectly satisfied
that if the outer-door' doctrine prevailed the pro-
cess could be served at all, and if that doctrine
was adhered to, the process could only be served
with boodshed.
Il must be distinctly understood that this foreble
resistance was a matter with which the committees
had no concern whatever. They confined themselves
to legal measures solely.
AS an offset to the Roman simplicity and grandeur
of this poor man, seated calmly at work at his sad
dler's bench lin upper chamber, the SPartacus OF
his race, there was ludicrous side of the picture.
Knight and Hughes themselves arrested and
held to bail in O,O00 each, charge of SANDER
After some difficulty they found bail. The next day
they were arrested charge of conspiracy to kid
nap William Crafts, and again in the afternoon on
similar charge to Ellen Crafts.
Two arrests a day their smallest allowance.
After the last arrest the excited crowd OF negroes
followed Knights carriage, and he took flight through
Court and Leveret streets, over East Cambridge
BRIDGE running tolls to East Cambridge and thence
to Porter's. The mob overlook and threatened him,
and it with difficulty that some OF them were kept
from violence but no actual violence inflicted.
KNIGHT was thoroughly armed. A portion of the |
Vigilance Committee waited upon him and Hughes, |
and told them that they had no intention to threaten
them, but that their presence Perllled the peace OF
tl,, lIunS how ISod
to leave the city the next morning; but when the
morning came they were not gone. Several COM
plants were made against them. and prepared to be
for carrying concealed weapons; anoth-
ar for smoking in the Streets contrary to the City
another under the statute against pro-
ane cursing and swearing" Ga plenty of which they
lid y another for missing ton the bridge; and
till another for fast driving throug the town OF Cam
bridge. Truly the Bosionans are law-abldlng Peo-
Die! The combination of the traglcal and the conf
a the serious and the udicrous, with the harassment
IF hand-bills arrests, and crowds al their heels
wherever they went and the certainty that their pro-
Tess could be served without bloodsbed, overcame
heir obstnacy, and they took the express train tor
he South, waited upon by large and respectable
committee.
Knight and Hughes are said to be of low
description, mere hrelings spectators, deserving
10 better treatment than they received. These va
ious arrests, however, were not made by the legal
but were the voluntary suggestion OF par
les taking the responsibility upon themselves. The
were prepared to serve writ de hom'ne
epigiando, upon the Marshal, the moment the arrest
should be made, and thus to raise an issue between
he State and National tribunals. They also proposed
hold Crafts to bail for debt, in order to try the
question whether the certificate of the Commissioner
will override the civil processes of the State, made
or other purposes. AS last resort, Crafts was to be
rrested on criminal charge, for violent assaults
With dangerous weapons. if he used them, and thus
aise the final question of precedence between GRIM
nal process of the State and the certificate OF the
Commissioner. If no other Criminal charge could be
aised it was proposed, with his consent to ar
est him for fornication, (Which is criminal offence
Massachusets,) account OF the invalldlty OF his
slave marriage.
These various technical Instructions and contrlvan-
es were raised not against the Constitution, but
oainst the odious and Unconstitutional statute. Had
he statute been no more than the Constitution re-
uires no LEGAL resistance would have been made,
except on the real issue between the parties. As for
rcible resista of the negroes, how can they
distinguish between the Constitution ana statute
rhey only receive the simple idea that without trial
r. notice father. mother, husband, wife or child,
rother or sister, may be snatched from each other,
nd from home and hurried into captivity IN an IN
and hostile land.
There are rumors that the President has authorized
he Marshal to employ portion OF the stanoing ar
nv to enforce his precept and to punish offenders.
We do not believe he has done, intends to do any
uch thing. He knows that the whole standing ar
nv of the United States, which took Mexico and
Monterey, break down poor mans outer door
o civil process, or punish any citizen for
my crime whatever"
What Southern read the foregoing letter
without the deepest indignation? How mean and
were the tricks which were resorted to-
for the nurnose of evadinp the law and of furnishing