The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-13
DR.. COLES, THE PHYSIOLOGIST, IMPRISONED
IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
BALTIMORE, February 5, 1851

years, have visited nearly all the larger places
in all the thirty States, except Florida, in pro-
mulgjng subject which ! have considered ever
since entered the medical profession, and also
during the period of my labor in the ministry, Of
higher Importance as practical matter, than any
other which relates to the temporal welfare of hu-
manty. PRAcTIcAL PHYsIoLoGY-the natural
laws which govern human life, and the bearings
of violated physiological law upon physical and
moral characters--is subject on which every IN
dividual needs to be intelligent
Nearly ever since, from sense OF duty, en-
tered this field of labor as a Psychologist. have
preached discourse in some one of the churches
! ia different cities on Sabbath night ON the Di-
vinity of Physiological Law, and the bearing of
wrong physical habits upon moral and religious
character This discourse has generally been
followed, on other evenings, by further lectures
on the same general subject and my book, entitled
Philosophy of Health, offered to those who were
disposed to read it.
In every place have my efforts been kindly en-
tertained aud appreciated by intelligent men
| They have everywhere seemed to say God speed
| TO the undertaking. until had the misfortune to
! reach Columbia, the seat of Government for
South Carolina. left Augusta Georgia, on Sat
urday morning January 4, in order to reach CO.
lumbia in time to make my usual arrangements
for the Sabbath; but the cars run off the track,
ing, too late to accomplish the object. On Mon
day morning, | called on the bookstores and
few of the leading business men at their places of
business who took several copies Of the work
On Tuesday morning breaktasted at o'clock,
to take the cars for Charleston. AS came out
from breakfast, constable met me- saying, You
are summoned TO appear before the city authori-
ties to answer to the charge Of selling books man
ufactured out Of the State contrary TO our cor
hal thn
offence in the case: it was not because had sold
few books for the physical and moral well being
of men, but because was from the wicked State
of Massachusetts,; and especially the accursed
city of Boston, where, Notwithstanding all the le-
gal facilities which Satan can devise II is so hard
to drag man from his right Of selfpossession
and freedom, back into bondage; where there are
at least few men who dare not, under the flag of
boosted American freedom which God has raised
over this nation commit the darkest deeds OF the
| foulest despotism-who dare not, in Gods high
way, rob man of property vested in himself,
| which was bequeathei to him by the great AM.
| Ii was not because had uttered any sentiment,
or done anything else obnoxious to their views,
| but because happened to belong to bad section
| Of this glorious Union. thought it was now a
good time to test the peculiar privileges of citizen
of this Confederacy and to measure the length
of the DEVILS chain in this matter. ! therefore
yielded myself quietly to the protecting care oftwo
civil officers and soon found myself safely locked
in cell provided for horse thieves and murderers,
where the dense darkness would have shielded a
ghost from my vision, and the cold and dampness
required constant walking to keep me from shiv
ering | remained there from about A. M. till
TO- and then was escorted to the courtroom, be-
fore Mr. Maybin, the city warden, who issued
the summons told him who WAS, and what |
was doing; aud he appeared to think he had
| somewhat a different case from what he anticl-
pa,ed. He very politely asked whether would
| he willing to have my baggage examined told
! him to do so. He then released me rom the OFF,
cers' hands, to meet the mayor and others at u
o'clock, and sent a Mr. Sowden, the town marshal,
aud the constable to the hotel for the purpose OF
examining my baggage. opened my trunk, va
lise and carpet bag. The marshal looked over
their contents awhile, and then said he must have
them up to his Office and ordered servant TO
take them | objected that he had no right he
said, ! am bound to have them there any how
am going to make thorough search in this matter"
threw myself back upon my first resolution, to
see where Satan would lead, and let him 90 on.
At this moment went to two lawyers, stating the
case, to get their Interpretation of the law under
whose cloak they had arrested me But they were
so much engaged, they could not possibly attend 10
! H. saw my only defence was vested in myself
went TO the marshals office, and again exposed
my baggage.
Everything had with me was ransacked with
the most rigid, unwarranable, and insulting
scrutiny All my private family letters from my
wife and daughters were opened and read. OBJ
ected but he persisted-said he did not care TO
read them, but kept on opening every one Of
them and reading in each what he could afford
time and would often utter insulting remarks
he "never saw man have 30 many letters;
what can man be about to have so many letters
| so many letters too, Of introduction; man must
| be up to some mischief, to need 30 many letters
to help him onD | had two large pocket-books
| of papers in my valise. He wondered what a
man needed of so many pocket-books he took
out and examined all their contents, papers of
various kinds, and read them-even papers per-
tanning to my ordination. He found report Of
the doings Of Council called some twelve years
ago, to settle o matter between deacon and my.
self by which | was sustained, and the deacon
led to confess After reading this, Mr., Sowden
said, Oh, il seems this is not the first time you
have been tried for msdemeanor you have been
tried for bad conduct before" looked him in
dignantly in the face, and asked, Sir, what was
the result of that Council" "Oh,n said he,
"you were cleared, to be surep
He examined and commented on some small
drawings done by my wife, and given me to keep
in my absence; also likenesses of my daughters
IL
tom of my trunk "Ohn said he, +" dealing in
soap, are you9 Selling that about the country /;
where is it manufactured? How much a cake ~
had several pairs of woven long stockings.
What in the world does an honest man want
Of so many pairs Of stockings? What have you
got bundled up in them-anytbing private7' In
his long examination of my family letters, the
multitude Of which vexed him so much, he found
one written to q daughter, but not subscribed or
sent What is thsl A letter to daughter,
not sent But your name is not to it. I see
you do not always sign your name to things you
write-yery sly about mattersn
lie found had daughter teacher in n semi
nary in Tuscumbia Alabama. He wanted to
know whether had ever lived or tried to live
there. told him no; that had recently visited
my daughter there, had given lectures, &c He
replied, Yes you have tried to live there; and
they drove you off for bad conduct saw a paper
stating it it was you, know it was; and the
people finally agreed to allow you to return back
on your giving bonds for good behaviour" |
told him sternly that there was not single word
of truth in any part of that statement lie re-
peaed several times, with great postiveness, it
is true, and can prove it," insisted on his
getting the paper referred to, which he hal seen
only two or three days since lie finally prom
Used to look for IT, and bring it down to the hotel
that evening. lie fnally acknowledged he might
be mstaken-that it might have been another
man. lie did not produce the paper,
After about an hour and half in this search,
we met the mayor and wardens. The charge
being made, and the corporation law read, was
called upon to plead guilty or not guilty. |
then rose and stated that did not consider my.
self guilty of any misconduct among them, even
in the sight Of their law but that had done in
good faith what could to disseminate light on
the subject embraced in the work before them, of
which was the author, and had sold copies at
bookstores and 10 few persons at their places