The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-19
The Boston .'InsurYcn ts,' and the Fugitive
SlaVes. tf-t .r

Our readers will find in another column
letter from Mr., KNIGHT, Of Macon, giving al
account of his adventures in Boston, while il
pursuit of the fugitiyes, Crafts From the let
ter it will be seen how preposterons would have
been any action on the part of the Executive
contemplating the existence of similar state
of things in Boston 10 that which, in 1894 in
Pennsylvania, required the interposition of the
military arm. The highly-colored and eXag-
gerated statements Of the Aboltionists them
selves, transferred from the columns Of the
Clponotype and the New York Tribune, which
have created 50 much unnecessary excitement,
are expressly repudiated by Mr. KNIGHT, who
says that they are gross misrepresentation, and
utterly unworthy of confidence.
The statement of Mr.. KNIGHT makes out a
oaso sufficiently bod, but il is nothing the
fancy sketches that have fiourished in the CO
umns of some of our contemporaries. Nothing
is said the earning" Of the negroes; of "notif-
cations" to the marshal not to execute the war
rants; of negroes on horseback parading the
streets and threatening to shoot the Southern
kidnappers;" Of the marshal's being told that
the negroes had EARNED and barricaded their
houses" of the Georgia gentlemen's being
''thrown into prison." Of their rooms being
'fraudulently entered by gangs Of rioters" or
of the thousand and one embellishments with
which the story has been recorded by the jour
nails which have called for a proclamation"
and concentration Of the army and navy" in
Boston harbor.
Ii appears that the commissioners were In
the first instance reluctant TO issue the war
rant. The commissioners are officers appointed
by the court, in this case by Mr. Justice WooD-
BURY.
The marshal 'seemed tmid and inclined 10
back out" This is the first specific and direct
charge that we have seen against the marshal.
The arrests were outrages which no officer
of the law could prevent; but they were the
cause Of no serious difficulty, as there were al
ways citizens of Boston ready to give the ne
cessary bonds.
The mob which pursued the gentlemen was
composed, il seems, Of some one thousand five
hundred negroes and five hundred "whites Of
the lowest order" They Kissed, and called
names, and pulled at Mr.. KreHT's coat tail,
bat they offered no personal ham---they used
no weapons-they did nothing which would
have justified the municipal authorities in or
dering out the military.
As TO the committees, they seem, on the
whole, TO have behaved rather worse than the
mob. The call upon the proprietors TO turn
these gentlemen out of their house by com
mittee Of one hundred "whte men," was
gross piece or imPudence-but il was hardly
case for martial law. They caused nospecial dis
turbance-were many Of the non rcsistent school
and might have been dispersed, no doubt, if
necessary, without reading the riot act. Messrs.
KNIGHT and HUGHEs suffered no Inconvenience
from their visit, nor from that Of the "white"
ladies, nor of tho committee of sixteen. Mr..
TnEopoRE PARKER seems 10 be the only white
man who INDUCED in threats, and his silly
menaces were treated with the contempt they
deserved. Mr. KNIGHT and his companion
conducted themselves throughout the affair
with great propriety, and exhibited all the
aacrity and energy of which the oircum
slanCts aulhltteo. ~ was INC haiSHdi aiohes
if any one, who was in fault; and we
doubt not that the conduct Of the marshal
admits Of satisfactory explanation. If the
parties have suffered through his neglect of
duty. they have their remedy by action and
if such neglect should be made to appear to the
Executive by competent testimony, and with
something in the nature at least of Judicial
proof, we have no doubt that prompt correc-
tive would be applied. But by this time it
must be obvious to our friends in this quarter
that Executive action must be based upon
something more substantial than anonymous
telegraphic dispatches, Chronotgpe reports, or
abolition correspondence in the Tribune.
The Ga-sff, of Alexandra. says there il an in