The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-29
NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

The Cincinnati Enquirer notices some Dew
and curious features of the Fugitive Slave Law
which were developed in the recent examiDs.
ton before Commissioner Morton of New York
in the case of the alleged slave, Horace Preston
The Commissioner decided
LIST. That he had no power to compel
witness to answer questions if he refused to do
so voluntarily.
Z" ID That he had no power to compel the
attendance of witnesses
Sd. That he could not compel the Marshal
who refuses to serve subpoena, to serve the
same.
18th. That he sits merely to see if the test.
mony, which may come voluntarily before him,
is sufficient to satisfy him"
These decisions do not exhibit this branch of
the Compromise in a favorable light The En-.
q,ttrer adds:
"What mockcry of Court is that-what
a skeleton of a judicial tribunal, where the
Judge has no power to compel witnesses to tes
tify, or to compel their attendance! We sin
cerely hope that these decisions of Commission
er Morton are not sanctioned by any true con-
struction of the law. If they are to prevail, its
unpopularity in the free States will be infinite
| ly increased"
We do not doubt the fact stated in the last
sentence. That the Commissioner should have
the power to compel the attendance of witness
es cannot be doubted, although we would not
insist upon it. 1t may be as well to permit this
blot upon the statute book to exhibit its black
est phases without molestation, instead of seek
ing to preserve the semblance of Justice when
the reality has no existence
While on the subject of Horace Preston we
may mention that we notice in the Tribune a
letter from "B. M. Hall, Pastor of the Me
Church, Schenectady, New York" to William
Reese, of Baltimore, who claimed Preston as his
property" Mr.. Hall states that in the course
of his journey to attend Conference at Pitts
burg Pa. some years since, he enjoyed the hos
pltality of VIM Reese for few days During
his stay, the subject of slavery was introduced
Mr. Reese expressing his strong disapprobaton
OF the +" whole system and practice" He told
MIR. Hall, further, that he was legal, but in.
voluntary STAKEHOLDER" his slaves having fallen
to him through marriage. 1T was under
stood, )" he informed Mr.. Hall, q that the slaves
were to be emancpated as fast as they arrived
at the age of 81" He further said that two of
his negro men were gone, and he "was glad of
it ~ and although he knew of their where
abouts, yet he should never disturb them On
the strength of these declarations, Mr.. Hail.
after his return home, wrote letter to Mr.
Reese, warmly commencing his magnanimity
and sacrifice of selfish considerations. We have
room only for the concluding portions of Mr..
Halls last letter to MIR. Reese:
Judge, then, of my surprise, if you can,
when learned that you had sent your son to
New York to identify Preston as your property
that you had forgotten all your declarations to
me Of your views of humanity and rTght-that
you had disregarded the otf-repeated mil Of your
departed wife by whom those slaves came into
your possession; and had torn the man from
freedom-from the bosom of his earthly partner
and from his child
"On the strength of your professions and
promises, have often argued with nay North
ern brethren in behalf of class of Shareholders
who are made such by force of circumstances.
| have insisted that they are good men-hating
slavery, and doing all they can for the good of
the bondman But your action in the case of
Preston has sealed my lips y
turn in utter despair from de-
Tending any class of shareholders and as love
truth, even though it covers some men with in
fanny, | have here presented VIM. Reese, as he
protested to be in i848, and as he rs in 1852.
Let the public look on his picture; then on
that
But, sir, you profess to be a Christian man,
a worshipper of Him who hath made of one
blood all the nations of men "a follower Of
Him who condensed one-half of the great moral
law into this brief precept, Thou shalt love thy
neghbor as myself Moreover, you belong to
the M. +. Church. and profess to be follower
of that John Wesley who has recorded words
as hard as cannon balls against all SLAVE
holding, placing it exactly on level with
man-stealng' Still more, you are, or were, a
class-leader in that church. which says No
stakeholder shall be eligible to any official sta
tion, when the civil law will allow Of emanci-
patton, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy
freedom. Being a minister of that same
church, and possessing the facts recorded above,
| claim the right to speak"
Comment on this statement is unnecessary.