The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1851-09-25
From the Baltimore Sun.
THE CHRISTIANA TRAGEDY.
Letter from the Rev. MIR. Gorsuch to
Gov. Johnston.

iohoU iuS fCtCi Oih shc
Gorsuch 10 Gov. Johnston. in which he re-
plies to the letter OF the Governor, has been
handed 10 us for publication -
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1s, 1851.
Hon VIM. F. Johnston, Governor Of Penn'a.:
The undersigned, a son of the late Edward
Gorsuch, the victim of aboli,ionist enthusi-
asm and high-handed rebellion, is sorry that
so painful a duty is imposed Upon him as
that TO which he now addresses himself. He
writes 10 you, sir, with no vindictive feel
ings, But only 10 assure you, what he de-
sires every one TO know, that he thinks The
lack of official promptness on your part has
resulted in the escape, hitherto, of the
slaves, and some of the principal murderers
of his father. 1t would have tended in some
degree 10 relieve the anxiety of the family
and friends of the deceased TO nave known
that the Governor of the State in which this
foul murder was committed had acted as
promptly and efficiently as the circumstan-
ces demanded.
| know that you passed within a few
yards of where the body of my father lay,
the afternoon of the same day on which he
was murdered. The cars stopped at the
door of the house. Some of the passengers
went in to look at the ghastly spectacle. But,
sir, you did not. You, who ought, because
of your responsible station, 10 have been
most interested, showed the least concern.
Aud this is not 10 be wondered at. 1t would
seem natural that then you should have been
rejoicing at this, the first fruits of your Off
cial and personal hostility to the rendition Of
fugitive slaves. Did we not well know
what you have done to render imperative
the law under whose protection my father
entered your State, to secure his property, in
a manner strictly legal, some excuse might
be found in our minds for your strange in.
activity. But we knew your course. We
had watched it with pain, and we did not
expect you would be induced 10 change it
even at this extraordinary crisis.
Allow me TO call your attention to- fact
which, perhaps, you will remember. Those
slaves, for which my father was searching,
were 10 be free at the age of twenty eight.
They were detected IN selling stolen wheat
10 a free negro. Before the writ which was
gotten out against him could be served, he
escaped TO Pennsylvania. This brother of
mine, now so near 10 death, was sent TO
you with a requisition from the Governor
of Maryland for that free negro, "Abe John
son." But you would not deliver him up,
and sent my brother home convinced that
further effort in that respect was unnecessa'
ry. That "Abe Johnson" it is said, was
present among the rebels on last Thursday
morning.
have read some letters which you wrote
10 some gentlemen of Philadelphia, who
were urging you 10 action. l marked the
strong contrast between your words and ac-
lions. Now, sir, if you were so anxious TO
vindicate the honor of your State, SO proud
10 have those offenders arrested, why did
you not initiate the noble example of the
Executive of the United States? Why did
you not issue your proclamation as soon as
you reached Philadelphia? If it ought to
have been lone at all, were there not stron-
| 5tE IcuSUuo " udNC IL OuO VII INC Hot ud1,
when the murderers were at hand, than on
the fifth, when most OF them had escaped?
You cannot plead ignorance of the riot, for
it was we'll known to you. You will not
when several prominent actors in that ira
gedy were arrested, and the whole neigh
borhood secured by vigorous young gentle
men from Maryland, by a host of your owa
citizens and United States military, than
when every one that desired the punish
ment of these murderers was afraid 10
when The rioters-still wet with the blood
of innocent and peaceable men-were TIL
umphins in their victory, and their confed.
crates congratulatins themselves upon sue
cessful treason! Why, sir, did you not show
your promptness then You applauded the
decision, energy and promptness of The Lam
caster county officers, and in this most
heartily concur, but in proportion az you
praise them, you condemn yourself. You
knew of the insurrectionary movement be-
fore they did. If they had waited. as you
did, until the fifth day, TO do what ought 10
have been done on the first, you could not
have applauded them. You must, therefore,
sir, be self condemned.
Do you know that ihirty.six hours had pas
sed before one writ was taken out against
these men? Do you know thai Mr.. Thomp-
BON, the States Attorney, and Mr.. Reigart,
10 protect their own lives and quell the spir-
it of resistance which fortified the traitors
and terrified the loyal. had 10 collect a pos
Sc of men from iron works aud diggings on
the railroad? Do You know that not a ma
gistrate or constable would act until COM
PEELED; that the sheriff refused to act that
your attorney general, trne 10 his superior,
would not aid those men whose activity You
so zealously commend
With these facts, sir, before us, we can
not be charged with calumny in saying that
we do honestly believe tina! your p~.oclama-
lion would never have seen the light, had
you pot feared that the activity of others
would censure your own Indifference.
We believe that the majority of Pennsyl-
vania is right. We have been pleased al
the zeal, and gratrfed with the sympathies
OF many We have met. But, sir, if the laws
shall now be sustained if the country shall
be satisfied that Pennsylvania is right if The
South is to find that this law will not be in
efficient; be assured that no: one particle OF
Al. $50 . ,.,1 H.. ..,na a. IL. nu.-.- m