New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-27
The Case of Adam Gibson.

The fact that free citizen Of Ncw-Jer-
sey was last week arrested ON false pre-
tense and without legal warrant in Phila-
delpha, dragged before a U. S. Commits
sioner, his liberty sworn away, and he hur
ried off into Slayery-all not merely with
out any credible testimony but in defiance
of positive evidence of his freedoms
making deep impression. Even the noisi-
est champions of the Fugitive Slave Law
are touched by it, while the more moderate
and candid supporters of that act are deep
" moved. The Commercial Advertiser,
after recapitulating the leading facts, OBJ
serves:
1--WE beg to say that Mr. Commissioner Ingra-
ham, of Philadelphia, has struck a deader blow
at the Fugitive Slave Law, as II as, than all it's
opponents put together. He has proved that it
can be perverted to injustice He has made its
enemies to rejoice and has convinced US OF the
propriety of a reservation we have repeatedly
made when speaking OF this epactment-made by
Washington Hunt in his letter to Mr.. Granger,
and made by many others who have desired that
the act should be entitled to the respect OF law
of the land and be universally recognized as oh,
ligatory, and entitled to popular obedience and
support-to wit: that it was capable OF amend
ment, and might safely be made less rigorous
TIE Express, however, is determined
not to see anything wrong in the law, nor
any reason for allowing an alleged fugitive
Trial by Jury, in the facts of this case,
It closes an article on the subject as follows:
"By the wey, it may as well be added in re-
gard to the slave case we are audlns to, that che
negro Gibson was committed TO safe hands by
Commissioner Ingraham, and that there was no
chance of his being delivered over to any one, I'M
less he should be the actual owner OF Gibson
The alleged slave was not handed over to the
claimants of Gibson By Mr.. IDgraham, but was
sent IN MARYLAND by faithful and trustworthy Oil
GERS of Philadelphia and well known by Mr. In
graham to be worthy OF the trust opposed 10 them
We have the authority of the PennsgIrania9 Tor
this statement
Was there ever SO contemplate
dodge, so barefaced no such thing, before !
Commissioner Ingraham adjudged the man
before him to be not Adam Gibson, the
freeman he declared himself, but Emery
Rice, the slave of VIM. Knight Of Elkton,
Md He gave him in charge Of U. S.
officer, to be conveyed at Government ex-
pense to his adjudged owner He was &C
cordingly conveyed to Mr.. Knight, but that
gentleman, seeing at a glance that he was
not his slave, refused to take him. He
had simply to receive him, and the man
would have been a slave for life. The
United States sent the man into Slaveryb
virtue of the Fugitive Act; the adjudged
owner set him at liberty by disavowing the
ownership affirmed by the Commissioner
The law had nothing to do with his rescue
from bondage; the Commissioner had IF
possible) still less; the honesty of Nh
Knight was his only shield. Now consider
that many, if not most Of the Fugitives
from Slavery are sold running to Slave
traders Whose character and standing at
the South were so truthfully portrayed last
year by Mr.. Clay and any one may Judge
whether the rescue of Mr.. Gibson was not
sheer accident. Ought the liberty or
slavery of freemen to turn on the chance
Of their falling into the hands Of such
masters as Mr.. Knight