The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-02-17
and E,al.ssyIva,,ia.

Maryland. saaad E'sialasylvania..
The authorities ofMarylaud, as well
rs her people, evidently feel the ncccs-
sity ofSindicating the outraged dignity
ofthc Static and the rights, of her citi-
2ens, withsregaed To the Christiana mur-
ders. Even those e.presses, hitherto the
most f0ibraring in this matter, are as
ssum;ngea stern, u E,nc in relate nto it,
rs the fhcts'nrc lnoic, fully dcvelopc'. '.
The Attorney Gene ais rcpo.t shows
Low gross and monstrous the outrage
has been in al p,rts, tIn m the commits
sion of the ;,ct down to the dis
chargs # the prisoners, and must en-
k;nalc feeling of bitter Indignation in
tho bosoms OF those who live on the
border and may hereafter be subject
ed to the same Losses and the same
useless pcrils.
We suppose nobody imagincs that
any further action will be taken. i, the
premises by the legislature, than the
passage cf resolutions of censurc, or
warning, or protest which will produce
about tlE. sumo effect that all similar
resolutions and warnings have done.
W hen any community is bent on
resisting the faithful execution of a law:
and after torciblc and bloody resist.
ance the offenders 60 unwlipt of i,s-
tice to boast oyer their triumph. low
idle would it be to expect that rope
titIon OF the same course would not oc,
cur q; tAsfg Grst favorable opporrmitS.
/ we regard the posture ofanairs OH that
border as one of the most, ominous
signs Of the times-for the cxasperati, II
Of tae public mind in Maryland, we
have reason to know, is far greater than
any one would imagine.
The Baltimore Clipper extracts from
the Attorney Gcncral's report the fol-
lowing interesting details which proves
what a hollow mockcry Of justice these
treason trials were:
REPORT o.. AironNEY GENERAL.
BRENr.-This report docs not present
i'll a favorable light the conduct pur-
ss3ea by the Judge and others in the
llirls'iana trials; and, from the state
mcnt OF Mr.. Brent, we should infer
that there is little chance Of having
Justice administered i'll Philadelphia.
in the case Of tho owner ofa slave be-
iEg killed in the effort to recover his
property. The whole Of the persons
G99PFsensSH 9PFt I'D il, he murder Of Mr. Cor
| allcls Gt,Bs.lumore county, have cscap-
ca punishment, and there is no prospect
that any of them will ever be brought
tolustice. We wish that every citizen
ct Maryland could be put in possession
OF Attorney Generals Brent's re, ort OF
the Christiana treason trial; for its pc
ruSal would assist in bringing the pub
tic mind to. the conclusion that some
action sh3pld: ne taken on the course
pursnnHHaa tnWarar owners in pursuit oi
fugitive slaHes in Pennsylvania,
A large rQrtion Of the report. con-
slfts III: a legal arSilnent, in opposition
to the ruling Qfthe court, in relation TO
What constituted treason. But tho fol
lowing paragraph shows that two prin-
ciPal witnesacs were dc<icn>dly per
mIttcd to escape, whilst a third was in
dnccd to ncinrc himself. 1t also cx-
hihits the disgusting sPls,t,.clc of.whitc
females associating with, and cncour
aging the negro men charged with be-
ing concerned in the murder.
sin this connection will also state.
that few weeks before the trial, Peter
Washington and John Clark, two i'm
portant witnesses for the prosecution.
escaped from prison without breaking
Il lock or using any force. as proved ON
the trial l,E, q witness; and though |
checrtilly ac1uit the mnrsIa Of MI
privity with their escape, vet the ipct
remains. that thee was trcachcry on the
part ofaomc officer within tbe walls OF
the prison. Another remarkable fact
was the corruption Of government
witness, by the name of Harvey Scott.
a free negro, who had thrice testified
| once ut Chri>tiana, once ut Lancaster.
and once at Phi!adcl; hia, to the fact OF
beng an eyewitness to the murder OF
Mr.. Gorsnch; and now, on this trial. III
ihlencel.b by brincs or some other cor
rupt consideration, when placed on the
stand hy the United States, openly con-
icSScd that he had thcc committed per.
jury, and then sworc on this trial that
ne was not present and knew nothing
abtNf t3e affair, which perjury wss re-
cclved with open applause in the court
room. Again the counsel for ttihe de-
fence applied to the court for an order
to bring out some twenty four Of the
negroes, to see which of them could l. Q
identified as participants in the treason.
by Henry ii. Kim, material witnc S
for the prosecution.
At the opening ofthc court the next
daY, t!,cse negroes were sccA setting
in row, SUPPORTED on, c;.ch side by
white females, who, to the disgust of
all respectable citizens, gave them open
sympathy and countcnancc; each oi'thc
negroes appeared with new comforts
around their ncc!is, their hair carefully
parted, and their clothing in every re-
spect alike: SO rs to present one uniform
appearance . the eye, as Cor as posi-.
ble--all done, doubtless, for the double
purpose OF giving 'aid and comfort to