The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-26
Mr.. Hughes Report OF his Mission 60
Boston, 'r.g u al j.

The special agent of DIR. COLLINS has re-
turned to Georgia, and published an account Of
the proceedings there, which fully confirms the
statements Of the Boston papers, and gives a
very different picture of that outrage from the
: subdued sketch Of Mr.. KNIGHT. With the nat
ura feeling Of q true-hearted Southerner, Mr..
h. HUGHES resents these indignities, and procaims
to his fellow.ctizens the duty they owe to him
and to themselves, not to countenance such IT.
suits and injuries by tame submission. The
closing paragraphs of his narrative rise even to
eloquence, in the stern utterances of reused and
indignant manhood. He calls upon his brother
Georgians to right these wrongs by sustaining
the men among them who are for resistance
, If they will not, then we will confess that the
! Bostonians understood them, better than our
selves.
From the (Geo.) Constituiionaiist
Our fellow citizen Mr.. Willis H. Hughes, has
just returned from his unsuccessful effort to re-
capture the fugitive slaves from this city; and
below will be found his statement of the attend
ing circumstances. We are assured by Mr..
: Hughes, that the difficulties and dangers which
attend all efforts Of this character are absolutely
incredible, and the Indignation, abuse and injus-
tice heaped upon him have no parallel in this
Government, and that he, a free born citizen, did
not receive either the courtesy or legal protec-
ton, extended to the poorest slave in Georgia.
But we have no time for comments. His state
: ment will speak for Itself. Read, ponder aud
digest it, citizens of Georgia.
Mr.. HUGHEs' SrArEMENr.-I arrived in Bos-
ton on Saturday, the 18th of October, and kept
concealed in my room, until Monday, the 2lst
During this time, ascertained that Bill and Ell
. len had not left Boston as had been reported
/ then called to see Mr.. Showers, Gan attorney
to whom had a letter from Mr.. Fay Of Sayan-
1ah) lie was absent from town and did not
see him. On the next day, | called on Judge
Levi Woodbury., and stated that | wanted a
warrant for the arrest of two fugitive slaves
tie stated that he was not the proper person to
: issue it. asked him TO tell me who was the
{ proper person to issue such warrants He sta
ted, he would recommend me to 90 to Mr.. Iunt,
. U. >. District Attorney. called on Mr. I.unt,
who stated that he had agreed to take case of
!, this kind before, and that it was an unpleasant
business and created great deal of excitement,
, and he would not take another case of the kind
am inclined to think, this statement of Mr.
l.unt mere pretext to evade responsibility.
9 was unable to learn that there was any such
{ case ever in existence | asked him to Inform
me who was the proper person to apply to-
lie recommended me to MIR. Benz. +. llallet, u
>. Commissioner. | called at Mr.. HIS office and
b, he was not at home. ] then called at | o'clock
at night, at his residence and stated to him nv
business, and asked him for warrant, saying
that if could get Il warrant could have the ne
groes arrested. He said The lao did not author
} lzc mar. ant 10 be iSsued-that it was nv duty
to go and arrest the negro without warrant,
and bring him before him. stated to him, that
this was requiring al impossibility under the
state OF things, and that that was not my con-
struction of the law, and showed him u copy of
the law
After looking at the law, he said he would con-
slider of 1t, and give me an answer next morning
, at o'clock. | applied next day at 8 o'clock
, He then stated he had considered of it, and thai
ii icas not his business to adriSe me what course
r to take.-But if would make out my charges
IN legal form and come before hm he would
hear me. | then went to Mr.. Thayer, Ga mer-
. chant, to whom had letter. told Mr.. Thayer
, went to SEQ Mr.. Seth J. Thomas, an attorney,
who agreed to take charge of the case Mr..
, Thomas was engaged and called on Judge
, Sprague for warrant. This Judge equvocated
f and shufiled like the others had done.
He then called on Mr.. Curtis United State.
}, Commissioner. He wanted time like the others
! to consider and requested US to call Mt clock
l L. ~, which we did, and he then stated that
! they had agreed TO have a meeting of the six
Commissioners and the two Judges, namely
Woodbury. and Sprague, that night They held
; that meeting and decided that the Judges should
hear my complaint next morning in Chambers.
| was then required to go into Court and make
my complaint, when they ordered the warrant
to be issued in open Court, which the Clerk did.
a BY this time it was known all over Boston, that
+ the warrant was issued, and who for, and who
applied for it. About the time the warrant /
issued, a man, apparently of responsibility and
influence, was on dry-goods box speaking tc
the crowd-advising the negroes and their friends
. to arm themselves with Bowie knives, pistols
and drks and resist the law unto death-that
fit was law of the United States it was in
direct violation Of the law of God and ought to
be resisted at all hazards, and advised them to
shoot downal slave catchers from the South.
The warrant was thcn placed in the Marshars
hands, told him | was ready to 90 and point
out the negroes to him. He said that there was
4 question whether he could break the door OF
Bills shop, where he understood he was locked
up lie took the balance of that day to settle
that question. | called the next morning, and
: told him | was again ready to CO. lie then said
Crafts,) had left town, and he had a man on the
look out, and we must wait for him to report.
also had man on the same business. lcaIled
on the Marshal again in the afternoon. He said
: his man reported that Bill was not there. | then
stated that my man reported that Bill was there
lie said my man was mistaken for his man was
reliable and could not be mistaken.
The next day my attorney went TO see the
Marshal, who stated to him that he was ready
to 90 with NE alone. / Immediately wcHt to
him. and prop scd to proceed at once lie then
said it was difficult matter, and he would have
to get large force, some twenty or thirty men,
He had made this same excuse before. At din
ncr time, this day, my eighth day in Boston, Mr..
; Knight and myself were both arrested, under n
bail writ, in the penalty of $4,000, for SANDER
ing Craft, alleging that we had charged him
with stealing his body and clothes. This con-
sumed the balance Of this day.
) On the Monday following, we were both again
> arrested under bail Of $4,000 each, for dam
aging one William Crafts in his business