Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1850-11-13
i BOSTON MULTIPLICATION.

% BOSTON NQLLIF1CATION. I
The Southern public mind is sufficiently excited
already by the late outrage. in Boston. and We have
no wish to add to the excitement but it is Duty
as public journalist, lay facts before readers
and keep them informed as 10 passing events. We
therefore copy from the New York Tribune the fol-
lowing letter, showing the manner. from first to last
in which Messrs. knight and Hughes, Of Georgia.
were treated in Boston. The Tribune says this letter
comes from respectable source, and may be relied
upon as correct statement:
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.
Bosros, Thursday, Oct 81.
The slave hunters, Knight and Hughes, left the !
CITY yesterday at o'clock P. NJ, fully pursuaded,
after weeks trial, that all attempts to arrest William
and Ellen Crafts in the City Of Boston. were worse
than useless. Yet not blow has been struck, or an
act of violence done!
As soon as it was know that they were about to !
take out warrant, the Vigilance COMMITTEES was
called together, and various subcommlttees appoint
ed. Among these was a 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. c. Sewall. Chas. Sumner,
r. H. Dana, jr., John C.. Park and George Minot. |
In addition to these gentlemen, Charles G.. Lorng,
Esq, Of the most distinguished lawyers in the
State, volunteered his services After full delibera-
ton, this committee notified the commissioners that
they acted under the law they would be sued, on
the ground of the Of their aPPoint
,nent, and that the same course would be taken with
the Marshal and his deputies, any other persons
who should act under the direction of the commits
sioners. The ground taken that the process un-
der this law is civil process and that the 6ter door
of house cannot be broken for the purpose of serv
ing it, and the Marshal was notified accordingly.
Crafts moved his beds and clothing into his shop, and
made it his domice-his castle. ....
In the meantime Crafts, on his own responsibility,
without advice from any parties, determined on re-
sstance. 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
hundred eyes, and signal would call a powerful
body at a moments warning. The MarshaPs assist
ants made reconnosances and were perfectly satisfied
that if the outerdoor" doctrine prevailed, the pro-
cess could not be served at ALL and If that doctrine
not adhered the process could only be served
with bloodshed.
1t must be distinctly understood that this forcible
resistance was 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 in upper chamber. the Spartacas OF
tnofe
Knight and Hughes were themselves arrested and
held to bail in $4,000 each a charge of siander.
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 as to Ellen Crafts
Two arrests a day was 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. portion Of the
Vigilance Committee waited upon him and Hughes,
and told them that they had intention to threaten
them hut that their presence periled the peace OF
the city as we'll their own lives. They promised
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
served-one for carrying concealed weapons; anoth-
er for smoking in the contrary to the City
Ordinance another under the statute against, pro-
fame cursng and swearing" "a plenty Of which they
did y another for missing toll over the ondge ano
bridge. Truly the Bostonians are law-abiding peo--
ple The combination of the tragical and the comi-
ca the serious and the udicrous. with the harassment
of hand-bills, arrests, and crowds at their heels
wherever they went and the certainty that their pro-
cess could not be served without bIoodshed, ovecame
their obstinacy. and they took the express train for
the South, waited upon by large and respectable
committee.
KNIGHT and Hughes are said to be men Of low
description, hirelings spectators, deserving
no better treatment than they received. These va.
rious arrests, however, were not made by the legal
committee but were the voluntary suggestion Of par
ties, taking the responsibility upon themselves The
committee were prepared to serve writ.de homsne
replgiando, upon the Marshall the moment the arrest
should be made, and thus to raise an issue between
R L. aloon ID
to 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
for other purposes. As last resort, Ctafts to be
arrested on criminal CHARGE for violent assaults,
with dangerous weapons. if he used them, and thus
raise the final question Of precedence between Grim
inai prooess of the State and the certificate Of tho
Commissioner. If no other cminal charge could be
nised 1t was proposed, with his own consent, to
rest him for fornication, (which is criminal offence
in Massachusets account Of the invaiidity OF his
| slave marriage. =. .-''@
These various technical distractions and contrivan-
ces were raised, not against the Constitution, but
against the odious and unconstitutional etatnte Had
the statute been no more than the Constitution re-
qnires, no legal resistance would have been made
except on the real issue between the parties. As fol
the forcibe resistance of the negroes, how can they
distinguish between the Constitution and statute
They only receive the simple Idea that, without tria
or notice, father, mother, husband, wife or child
brother OF sister, may bs snached from each other
and from home, and hurried into captivity in an un
known and hostile land. 80 - 80 :
There are rumors that the President has authorized
the Marshal to employ portion Of the standing ar
nv to enforce his precept and to punish " offenders
We do not believe he has done, intends to do any
such thing. He knows that the whole standing ar
Imy of the United States, which took Mexico ant
Monterey, can notbreak down poor mans oster doc
to serve civil process, OF Puaish Any citizen TO
]any crime whatever.''~ @s' ~
What Southern man can read the foregoing ietse