Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-03
The SYrncusc Treason

| ken MS seat on The Bench, the prisoners
Ira III. Cobb, Moses Summers, Stephen
Porter, James Davis. VIM. l.. Salmon
Harrison Allen, Wm. Thompson and jack
son being present, read his decision, prem
sing thus:
The specific charge on which the pri-
soners have scverally been arrested and
brought before me for examination, is that
Of having unlawfully aided in the escape
Of an alleged fugitive from labor, after he
ad been apprehended, and while he was
yet in custody, in virtue Of a warrant issu-
ed in proceeding for his restoration 10
the possession Of the person, citizen OF
the State of Missouri, to whom it was al
legged his labor was due.
His Honor then said there was no evil
dence to sustain charge Of higher ma
ture, there being no proof Of previous
combination for the purpose Of "lcvyng
war against the United States.
But quoting Sec. Of the Act of Sept.
s. 1851, which subjects any person aiding
in the rescue Of a slave to 81 eco fine and
SIX months imprisonment, he said that the
prisoners Were charged with aiding and a.
betting and assisting slave to escape, and
that IN this preliminary stage, prima facic
evidence was sufficient to hold the prison
ers TO hail Or commit them, in the abseLce
Of bail, to prison. The evidence was
clear, conclusive and imperative as to all
the prisoners except Porter; and on con
sideration, his Honor concluded that as to
him also the testimony was sufficient.
Having alluded to the character of the
scenes at Syracuse, he laid down some
general principles, of mems obligation to
obey law Of which their conscicnccs do
not approve. He said &:
1t often happens that laws are enacted
contrary to the judgments, and sometimes
10 the moral sense ofthousands Of our cit
lzcns: and tins must unavoidably continue
to be ihe'cesc. But no sane man imagines
that he Is therefore absolvcd from the obi
CATION to obey them, still less that he has
il right forcibly to prevent others from do
ing so. Ii Re cannot submit to them con-
sistently with the dictates of lis conscience,
he may seek residence in some other
country, if he can find one whore he thinks
he would suffer less from misrule; but so
long as he continues to lie an inlialitant
of the United States, he mnst submit to the
laws or payihc penalty ofhis disobcdiencc
When this ceases to be true-when
every man may transgress a law with i'm
punity, because he dislil1cs it, our Govern
mcnt will have become mockery, not
worth preserving, for it will have ceased
to afford protection either to the right Of
property or life.
Contrasting the "(ana icism" tina. would
resist the law at all hazards whit equal
yunlounded belief that expected the ready
compliance Of every Judge with de-
mand by master Of his slave, no matter
what the circumstances or the proof, he
said: j..
at may not be amiss TO remind the well
meaning people, that the law in the appli-
cation Of its provisions is no respector Of
persons, and that Judges are bound to adj
minister tas they find it, firmly, and i'm
partially The day, trust, is far distant
when the rights vouchsafcd by law even
to fugitive slaves, will be less secure under
the guardianship Of American Judges than
of bis master"
The Judge having concluded, bond in
$4,000 for the appearance of Ira II. Cobb,
was prepared, and signed by Alfred Cobb
and William III. Seward
A bond in $4,000 each for the four other
Write men was prepared and signed as
follows: William H. Seward. Lyman Cla-
nv, Oliver L. Burt, Henry Grif'ord, Il. w.
Washburn, George Barnes, William +.
Abbott, Abner, Bates, John Amcs, Hiram
Putnam, L. w. Leavenworth, Charles b.
Sedgwick, Samuel Mead, Miriam Hoyt,
Daniel McDougall, Charles A. Wheaton,
Il, A. VOC, Charles Leonard, Alanson
Thorp.
A similar bond was executed for the
three colored men, in the sum of $500 each
Governor Seward signing all three Of
the bonds. As he signed the second one
he remarked to the friends abort him, that
he did not suppose such an act could be
regarded as a recognition Of the moral OBJ
legation of the Fugitive Slave Law, and
turning to the District Attorney, playfully
inquired whether signings such bond would
come under the head Of constructive Urea
SON."
The Court adjourned sine dic.-N u
Tribvac.