New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-14
For The Tribune
V,.,. md Reflections en- the Late Fugitive
slave Case.

After seventeen days nIBbsiOh' hoH NN-o
has been given to his Virginia claimant ana Is
now On his way to the Ancient DOMINION
The nublic will decide, in view of the testimony
the legal authorities adduced, the arguments o
counsel the opinion Of the Judge, and all the CIR
cumstances, how far It has been done upon SAT
,sr.crosY PROOF COMPETENT Is LAW Iney
will also decide whether the friends OF Law ana
Freedom acted wisely or not in defending the
alleged fugitive, and what good has been elected
bv the resolute defense msde-by the concessions
obtained from the administrators Of the law-ey
the exercise of the writ of Habeas Corpus, @c-
Bv the public is not meant the Union Commit
tee. or the Cotton merchants, or the Cotton
preschers Of this City and vicinity but the PeoPiS
Of the Free States. As a sequel to the proceed
ines and in calculation of them, it is my purpose
TO put upon record, briefly, in the columns oil tue
naper that has stood up manfully and nobly in be-
half Of the rights OF the accused for the benefit oil
all concerned. now and hereafter, some facts and
reflections that make part of the history OF TINS
case.
I. But for the prompt and energetic action Oh
the friends of Freedom, Henry Long would have
been delivered TO the shareholders attorney the
same dey he was arrested, Oy the RtH' NO"4'A4i9
sioner, Charles II. Hall
Ard had il not been for the writ Of Habeas
Cornns he would have been delivered up, alter
several days contest by said Hall, In despite Of
tbe Constitution and the Law-by an act OF BID
manning. under cover OF the Fugitive slave Dill
Had Judge Campbell, OF the Superior court
retained the custody OF Long, as ne ought 20
have done and as was intimsted that he should
have done by his learned associate, Judge Duer'
and rightly adiudicated the ease, Hall would nave
heen pronounced a usurper, Long would have
bsen discharged and the intention OF the writ OF
Habeas Corpus been fully honored and vindl'
Gated. Judge c. was applauded IN his Courtroom
while he was giving hs opinion, oy tue ponce
bodv.euard who had been detailed by the Mayor,
at the request Of the Marshal, to preserve the
peace RI, -. o.,
the terninatio Of this memorable contest. mani
tested a bearing wholly in sympathy with the
STAKEHOLDER, and in opposition to the rights oil tue
Free. thus reversing the common law maxim that
the prescriptions Of law are in favor OF Freedom,
and declaring By their conduct that in this COM
munity the prescriptions are in favor OF Slavery.
l. A large body of the City Police escorted
Henry Long to and from bis prison house daily
thew surrounded the Court room, and sometimes
half filed it; some OF them insulted the colored
friends of Long and the friends Of Liberty who
attended the trial from day 10 day. :. None OF
Longs colored friends were allowed to speak 10
him. Even his counsel were closely watched
and their communications with their client lis
tened 10 by the subordinates The Marshal
peremptorily refused allowing any colored man,
however respectable, to come into the Court
room Dr. Smith, an educated man and gentle
man, was thus rudely elected by the Marshal
and compelled to go into the crowded gallery.
2 The witnesses for Long were rudely treated,
so that some of them did not appear to testify.
g. Tho Polioo permitted tho rowdies grossly 10
insultrespecSable persona who manifested interest
on behalf Of the prisoner 8. On one occasion,
when portion OF the audience manifested appro-
baton OF a sentiment uttered by the counsel for
Long, Judge Judson angTily rebuked the cOored
people in the gallery, as If they alone had made
the manifestation and threatened to expel them
if any applause should be repeated. 8. The
judges manner TO the junior counsel, Mr.. Jay,
was throughout with one exception, overbearng
and rude.
5. The conduct of the counsel for the slave.
holder, as well as all the officers Of the Court, &c
treated the alleged Fugitive, from the beginning,
as if he were slave and felon, and his wit
nesses as if they were unworthy of confidence
Counsellor Wood said to one of his witnesses
" Look at that black fellow there, and say &c
Mr.. Western, in abiding to the prisoner, called
him niger" slave" etc. and manifested the
utmost subserviency TO the sayehoding interest
fulfilling declaration he made not long since; L"
am thorough pro Slavery Tammany Hall Demo
cret' Mr.. Wood also condescended to raise q
laugh at Henry's expense by saying gratuitousy
that after having bad two black wives in Nir
ginia, he came to the North and found white
one.
e. The Press, with few honorable exceptions,
preiudged the cause. Long was styled a "slave,"
instead Of an alleged slave. Counsel and their
employers were publicly censured for giving
poor man an opportunity to prove his freedom /;
and the case was preiudged out of doors long be-
fore it was determined by the Court.
= The "UniOn Committee" it is understood
retained and sent the President of the famous
Castle Garden Meeting, George Wood to assist
Mr.Western, and 10 reduce Henry Long TO bond
age. 1t is said that the Union Committee re-
solved to pay the claimants board bill, and all
the expenses of his litigation, and perhaps his
expenses to and from Virginia. The claimants
attorney and witness have been treated with dis
tinguished consideration every facility has been
afforded them, and some new friendships have
been formed between our Cotton merchants and
Cotton lawyers and Southern customers and
clients.
g. More than half of Mr.. Woods address 10 the
Court was devoted to vtuperRtions on Abolition
lists and Free Sellers and on sustaining the Union
by gratifying the South. The old vulgar slang of
sending incendiary pictures and books TO the
slaves, of being traitors, disunionists, &c. &c.
was poured forth. His address-it could not be
called an argument-was prolonged ad nause4p
"a disgrace to him, to the profession, to the
community and TO the country.
0. The meanness of iSlareyy was never por.
trayed more Extensively than in the testimony of
Drs. Wade and Parker Think of chivelrous
Virginian, an educated and gentlemanly physi-
clan, hiring slave man out by the week, month
or job and finding a situation for him as a
nurse and after the poor fellow had attended
upon the patient nine days and nights, collecting
the plttance he had earned and transmitting il TO
bis principal-the STAKEHOLDER Again, think of
Virginia Planter allowing his slave, because he
was weakly boy" to keep small shop, where
he could sell sqgarplums, gingerbread, doughnuts,
and now and then shave man, and then regu.
larry robbing him Of bis petty gains !
10. The phraseoogy Of these shareholders, and
t9eT New York hirelings, would appear ludicrous