New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-10-23
The Fugitive Slave Case in Philadelphia
Statements Corrected.
PHILADELPHIA, Sunday, Oct p,


To tie Editor Of The Tribune;
Your correspondent has fallen into the common
error in regard to the collision between the police
and the negroes, during the recent Fugitive Slave
excitement in this city 1t is great mistake
that the coored people were the aggrsssors, or
that any demonstrations Of violence were made,
notwithstanding the gratuitous proyocatlon offer
ed by the Judge in his remark that lie would
enforce the new law if he had to require 1000
men from the President and wade through the
blood of every black man in the city 2 by which
official broyado the police seemed to feel justified
i'll unusual exhibitions of authority
vast concourse of coored people of both
sexes, assembled in the State House ard, await
ing the issue of the trial with intense interest, but
without the least show OF an outbreak On one
occasion, when there was prospect Of the pris
oners release, persons in the court room Indicated
it to the crowd, who responded by cheers, and
when he was discharged the same Indications
from the court room windows announced 1t to the
assembled thousands, who united in the most
citerous cheering, which became absolutely deaf
ening rs the fugitive bounded down the stairs and
into the arms of his friends At this uncture n
number OF policemen attempted to silence the re-
ioicng negroes, assailing them right and lett with
oaths and lmprccatons, commanding silence,
which unwise and understandable interference
suggested the fear of reawest which was commu-
nicated to the fugitive, who started across the
square at Incredible speed, leaping the Enclosure
into Sixth St followed by thousands of his friends
bearing the Police with them. In the street they
were met BY anOtlicer, who, supposing the man to
be fleeing from justice, attempted to arrest him,
bat was defeated and beaten by the fugitive and
his friends The Police arrested few OF the col
ored men. who were severely bruised and were
subsequently bound over to answer the charge OF
resisting the officers.
Tie liberated man escaped and left the city,
but was followed by the authorities as far as Me-
nyunk where they lost sight of him. lie having
gene to Germantown, where he was secreted and
started to Canada the next morning. The pretext
for pursuing him was assault upon the officer, but
the object was probably to commit him to prison
until his claimants could amend the error IN their
proceedings. The Law OF Pemsy lvana not allowing
the ais to be used to detan fugitive slaves, 1t
was necessary to commit him under some other
charge.
Animmense concourse ofcolored people fingered
about the vicinity Of Sixth and South SITS. n0twlh
standing the efforts of Robert Puryis and Others
suggested that they should go in body to the
residence of their long tried and eloquent friend
and advocate, David Paul Brown and thank him
f(t his essential service in this and many similar
cases They met Mr.. Brown at his door, when
Nj, Purvis, NJ behalf of the colored people OF the
CITY and County of Philadelphia, In a speech OF
great eloquence and power. expressed the sense
Of their obligation, to which Mr.. Brown responded
with evident emotion. The assembly then quietly
dispersed B: Il. r.