The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-04
MIrIEE.
[Correspondencs Of the Tribune1

MIrIEE.
Correspondence Of the Tribune1
BosToN, Thursday, Oct 81.
The slave hunters, Knights and Hughes, left the
city yesterday at o'clock p M, fully persuaded,
after weeks trial, that all attempts to arrest Ma.
ny and Ellen Gratis in the city of Boston, were
worse than useless. Yet not blow has been
struck, or an act of violence done
AS soon as II was known that they were about
TO take out warrant, the Vigilance Committee
was called together, and various sub-commit-
tees appointed. Among these was q committee
" legal gentleman, whose duty IL was to give
Crafts the benefit of every legal weapon of offence
or defence. His committee consisted OF 8. G.
Sewsll, Charles Sumner, X. III. Dana, jr +, John g.
Park, and George Minot. Ia addition to these gen.
tlemen, Charles @. Loring, Esq, one Of the most
distinguished lawyers of the State, volunteered his
services. After full deliberation, this committee
notified the Commissioners that If they acted under
the law, they would be sued, on the ground OF the
uDconsitutiOnality OF their appointment, and that
the same course would be taken with the Marshal
and his deputies, or any other persons whe should
act under the direction OF the Commissioners.
The ground was taken that the process under this
law rs civil process, and that the outer door of
house cannot be broken in for the purpose of
ing il, and The Marshal was notified accordingly.
Crafts moved his bed and clothing into his shop,
andmade il his domicil-his castle.
In the meantime Crafts, on his own responsible
iiy, without advice from any parties, determined on
resistance. He armed himself fully, and made up
his mind to sell his freedom with his lie. His shop
is in the midst of the negro population, who were
TO a state OF intense excitement armed, and deter
mined 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 ut a moments warning. The
MarshaPs assistants made reconnoisances, and are
perfectly satisfied that If the "outer door" doc
tflne prevailed the process could not be served at
ALL and II that doctrine was not adhered TO, the
process could only be served with bloodshed
IL must be distinctly understood, that this forci-
bic r. sistance was a matter with which the COM
mitee had no concern whatever. They confined
the mselves 10 legal measures solely.
As an offset To the Roman simplicity and gran
deur Of this poor man, seated calmly at work at
his saddler's bench, in an upper chumser, the
Spafiacus ct his race, there was ludicrous side
of the picture. knights and Hughes were them.
selves arrested, and held to bail in 900 EACH on
charge Of SANDER After some difficulty they
found BAIL The next day they were arrested on
charge OF conspiracy TO kdnep William Crafts, and
again IN the afternoon, a similar charge as TO
Llitn Gratis. Two arrests day was their smallest
allowance. After the last arrest, the excited
crowd 81 negroes followed Knights carriage, and
he took fight through Court and Leyereu streets,
over East Cambridge bridge, running tolls, to
East Cambridge, aud thence 10 PorteT's. The mob
overlook end threatened him, and IL was with diff.
Guilty hat some Of them were kept from violence,
but no actual violence was inflicted. Knights was
thoroughly alarmed. A portion Of the vigilance
committee waited upon hun and Hughes, and told
them ibat they had no intention to threaten them,
but that their presence Periled the peace Of the
ciiy, gs well as their own lives They promised TO
leave the city the next morning; bat when the
morning came they were not gone. Several COM
plants were made against them, and prepared TO be
sery,o-one for carrying concealed weapons,
another for "smohing IN the Streets" contrary TO
The city ordinance; another under the statute
against "profaBe cursipg and swearnb," Ia plenty
OF which they did, another for missing toll over
the bridge and s anoihsrfoi fast driving through
the town of Cambridge. Truly, the Bosioaans are
aw-ahiding people The combination of the
traRCal and the comica, the serious and the ludi-
cious, with the harassmert OF handbils, arrests,
and crowds AT their heels wherever they went, AMI
the certainty that their process could not be served
without boodshtd, overcame their obstinacy, and
they took The express train for the South, waited
upon by large and respectable committee.
knights and Hughes are said TO be men OF low
description. mere hirtlings or spectators, deserv-
Jog no better treatment than they received. These
various arrests, however, not made by the le-
cal oOmmiue. but were the voluntary 81 Igestions
oi parties, ekng the responsibility upon themselves
The committee we're prepared 10 serve writ ds
oniHe r,Tfigiardo upon tho Marshal, the moment
the sriest shouid be made and thus 10 raise y is-
sue between The Sta'e and national tribunals They
sso Proposed to hold Crafts TO bail tor debt, in or
Ger io ny the question whether the certificate of
me commissioner will override the civil processes
81 me state. made for other purposes. AS last
Itsot', Cfeits was to be arrested on criminal
cbaree, lot violent assaults, with dangerous wea-
pens. II he used Them, end thua raised the foaI
qutsuou 81 precedence between n criminal process
oi The state and the certificate of the Com oasn-
~. - no o'ner cIlmnal charge could bc raised IL
was proposed, with his own consent To arrest him
ior iuiLicaiion, (Which is criminal offence ia
Msssachuseits) on account ofthe inya!i5tv of bis
sisve ino tYiere.
Taese various technical ohsirucinaa aud c,,,,;.
yarcss were raised, not a.iaiDsj the consGtuiirn.
bpt against the odiuus and Unconstitutional stat,ue
Had The statute been no more than the coastui,o.
requires. no legsl res stance would have h.pn
rrde except on the real issues b. en- the p,riias
A. ter The sOrcible rssistaGce ~ The uefroes how
can they Distinguish between the constitution snd
= sistu'e The cuy receive the simlls id.i ;hai.
ei' h. VI iriol ur notice, istheI, mother hgsh no
wife q Clilj, BROTHER " sister. may be sna.ghsd