The southern press., 1850-11-07
For the So,riher7, Press

BosToN, November 4th, 1885,.
Messrs. Editors I'VE do not feel any particu
lar inclination in writing this, to assume to our.
selves the dignity nor the duties of the honorable
ONCE or censor, nor any peculiar promptings to
undertake the correction Of falsfed historical fac,
We are especially debarred from experiencing anv
such sensations by the consciousness that that re-
sponsIbe position is at present so ably occupied
by the Hon. Mr.. HALE, who, during the past
session, astonished the American Senate, no less
than he electrified the American people, by his re-
markable rise 'for the purpose of correcting his
tory. But we do feel philosophical desire for
the hedissemination oftruth by the comparison ofbis
toric facts of different periods. We therefore
wish to present the following statement of the oc-
currences of several days in Boston, in 1850. in
contra distinction to those of fourteen years ago
as narrated by the above named gentleman, during
which s'a most respectable and orderly mob'' tore
down several Abolition printing offices, and pa
raded MIR. William Lloyd Garrison through sew
eral streets, in the no less novel than uncomforta-
bic situation ofa battered donkey A change has
come over the spirit ofthe dream, and the captain
now leads triumphant his former cap,or bound bv
the strong chains OF public opinion
. A week ago, the Athens of America, was
thrown INTO great commotion by the arrival of
some citizens of Georgia, and the excitement
waXed violent, when it was announced that it was
their intention to carry off two Of their fellow
AthenIans, who had some time before left their
masters house in the South without permission.
and an had since been sojournng classic ground.
flacards were Immediately posted all through the
city, informing the public that two slave hunters.
Messrs. Hughes and Knight from Macon, Geor
sla, had arrived in pursuit of the fugitves, VIM.
and Ellen Crafts, and interrogating the said pub
lie, whether such villains should be suffered to re-
main In their city. The public answered through
the swarm Of Abolition, Free-soi. and Indenand.
ent papers, that they should not; and also ap
plauded the expressed determination Of the negro
Crafts and his fellows, to shoot down any officer
who attempted to arrest him. Warrants were is
sued by the proper authorities and placed in the
hanas OF the United States Marshal, while it was
publicly declared that the negro was waiting at his
house in Cambridge street, with an armed guard
OF his friends, while the whole black population
was constituted body of minute-men, ready at
moments warning to resist and defend The
Mashal, in this state Of the case, knowing the
"inablity" OF an unaided individual to accomplish
anything, with proper regard for his own life.
made no attempt, and let the matter rest Not so.
however, with the negro. On Saturday, Hughes
and Knight were arrested, at the suit of UIiiiam
Crafts, citizen Of Massachusetts, for slander-hav-
ing charged him with being slave, thereby insin-
uating that he had run away, and in so doing
had stolen his body and clothes. They were held
to bail for the sum of $4,000. ''''1 0'8 u.
on Sunday letter was forged, purportng to
come from Hughes to Crafts, asking him to call
at his hotel to see him before the departure of the
former for Georgia, and in postscript saving.
that if his wife had any messages to send she had
better come along too. '' 7'h '..''i.''S
On Monday, the two Southerners were again
arrested on the criminal charge, founded on this
forged letter, Of conspring to kidnap two citizens
Of Massachhppseta, They were beileI for $4,000
on the charge Of attempting to kidnap the man,
and bailed for $4,000 each and few hours
alter again taken into custody similar charge
as to the woman, and then, with proper gallantry,
bailed for $4,000 each-both charges being found
ed on this same forged letter. They were afier-
wards informed that il they would leave, every
thing would be stopped, &C., thus exposing the
most remarkable prostitution Of the law that has
probably ever been witnessed since the days Of
Jeffries. We can bear personal testimony Of the
respectability Of the mob which surrounded the
sheriff's Office on Monday, and declare that the
white men in it were well dressed as anv Of The
citizens, and, to all appearances, as responsible
persons, This same mob pursued the carriage in
which Hughes was, at the risk of his life. out of
the city, and we have no doubt, if they had killed
him, il would have been done in lawful and or
derly manner, for truly these are law and order
loving people. This is, we think, a dspuerreo-
type OF public sentiment in Boston, in October.
1850, IN which the prominent features are a quiet
and calm determination to nullify law of the
United States by personal violence and inversion
or the laws OF the State-whe the sketch drawn
by the senator from New Hampshire, exhibits n
loyalty TO the Constitution in 1896, wholly at va
rance with the present all pervading philanthropy
The deductions to be gathered from this compa,
rison are, we think, selEeyident, #... j.