New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-16

THE Independent contains the following,
which we trust Rev. DR.. Spencer or Dr.
Adams will undertake TO answer

THE independent contains the following
which we trust Rev. DR.. Spencer or Dr.
Adams will undertake TO answer
A CASE OF CONSCIENCE.
MEssRs. EDITORS: have lately listened with
much interest to the able and eloquent sermon OF
Rev. DR.. A, on obedience to the Law and the
Constitution. AS am at this time in peculiar
and perplexing situation, and as the principles OF
that discourse may throw some light upon the
path of duty, beg leave to state my situation to
that reverend gentleman, and ask his advice and
direction.
About three months ago my son and daughter
were on board the brig Liberty on her. Voy as =
from Boston to Smyrna. w bile on the coast Oh
Tunis the vessels was wrecked In sudden storm,
and it was with great difficulty that the passen-
gers and crew escaped to the shore with the loss
of all their property. They were Immediately
seized and enslaved by the Bedouins. My chill
dren became the property of wealthy Turk, who
was previously the owner of more than a hundred
slaves My SOD, who is about twenty-five years
of age, was employed as assistant gardener, and
though not excessively overworked, was yet In
an extremely painful situation, being poorly led
and subject to severe beatings at the caprice OF
harsh master His chief trouble and anxiety,
however, were about his sister, who was three
wears Younger than himself and who, he was
told Immediately after they had been purchased
in the market and brought to their new home,
would in ten days be taken into the harem OF their
master, and made his ninth wife. This fate
seemed to him worse than death. He was told
that the latc, which had been in force from time
immemoTial, made all white persons who were
shipwrecked on the coast slaves, and permitted
the owner to take such females as were young
and active to his h@rena
The new residence of my children was only a
mile from the sea, and the situation very natu-
rally led my son to endeavOr to contrlve some
way of escape. He found among his fellow slaves
an American sailor who had been in that situa-
ton many years. and who had accidentally learn
ed that their masters guns and ammunition were
in a room accessible from the outside, and who
knew that q sail boat was kept in convenient
place, and was not guarded. They decided to
arm themselves aud try to escape at little alter
midnight that night. With extreme difficulty my
son contrived to see his sister and engaged her
TO try to accompany them. Everything seemed
to favor them until they found themselves within
a few rods of the boat. They then saw they
were pursued by their master and another man,
who were only armed with swords and clubs
They called to them to stop, and told them that
they were lawfully their slaves, and must return
with them. My son, who was armed with gun,
fired at his master and killed him, when the other
man, discouraged gave up the attempt to recap
ture them. They soon got on board the boat
and in a few hours were on board an American
vessel bound for New-I ork
Now / must confess that, until heard Dr. A.
sermon, / had not even thought that my son had
done wrong in thus escaping from slavery, and
rescuiDg his sister from situation worse tnan
death But my views are changed. now real,
ize that my children were lawfully slaves ana
were bound to Submit themselves TO their mas
ters7 The reasoning of that able discourse is
convincing and imperative. My poor children
were guilty of resistance to laws and what al
first viewed as iustifable self defense, l am now
compelled to regard as murder. Instead OF being
grateful to the Captain of the vessel who took
them on board and brought them home, must
now regard him as an accomplice.
What shall my children dol l do not see now
they can make any atonement to the law they
have broken, except by returning to Tunis ana
surrendering themselves to Justice My heat IS
sgonized at the thought of the bastinado and the
torture which by Tunisian law await my son.
and the horrible fate of my poor daughter. there
fore beg the reverend and learned Doctor to tell
me what they ought do. CONSCIENCE