The daily union., 1852-08-15
Pardon for Abducting slaves.

Drayton and Sayres, two men who convicted in
ls4s Of abductng about eighty slaves from their
in this District and the neighborng counties of Mary
land and Virginia have been pardoned by the Executive
In paper OF Friday published communication
announcing the fact that these had been released
but The demands time were so great that we made
no inquiry the particulars of the offence they had
committed. The organs Of the admnistration-the Ma
tiona Inegencer and the Repubc-announced the same
fact in paragraphs worded be calculated TO
convey idea OF the grave character OF the offence,
TO recall memory the particular transaction which
caused the Imprisonment OF Drayton and Sayres
Many, if not ALL our readers will remember the
excitement which was occasioned in 1s4S by the
attempt OF a large number OF slaves from the Dis.
lrict, and from the neighborng counties OF Maryland
and Virginia, to make their escape TO a free State
on board OF a schooner called the Pearl Volun-
teers from this city pursued and captured the Pearl
somewhere in the Potomac, and brought back the
slaves along with Messs Drayon and Sayres who were
thus taken in the OF abduction In Virginia and most
OF the ssvehoding States stealing 10 felony and
is punished by Imprisonment in the penentary bat the
law in force in the District OF Columbia was enacted by
Maryland before the formation of abolition societies 10
scatter insubordnation among the slaves, and entce
them away from their owners. That law punished
the abduction OF slaves, under the technical name
OF transporting slaves, by imposing fine, and by
Imprisonment in default Of payment The punish.
ment is slight when compared with that prescribed
for the offence OF negrostealing in the other States
but Messrs. Draytou and Sayres committed so mssy
violations OF the law at once, and convicted
so many cases. that they could not pay the aggregate
amount OF the fines imposed and the President has now
tftad, ,ho iunr set nj
Sumner the senator from Massachusetts. was, we un.
dersand the chief instrument through whom the pardon
was obtained and il So an influence has obtained the
release OF Drayton and Ssyres which should never be
needed in cases Of the sort. Mr. Sumner is known as
an abotonis OF the worst school II is but recently
that he attempted bring in bill for The repeal OF the
fugitive slave law and the southern mind fail TO
be excited TO the highest pitch whenever il any who
belong 10 The same school Of opinion with Joshua Cid
dngs, Lloyd Garrison, and Theodore Parker, command
sufficient influence 10 obtain the reesss Of who have
after fair a been convicted of encng slaves from their
owners Il impossible that slaves be enced away
from their owners without presenting considerations,
persuasions and inducements which tend produce in
subordinaion and nsorection In OF abduction it
not the loss OF property alone which the southern peo
pie considers but j, is the dangerous and infamous pro
cess which the negro steaer resorts to in eectng his
objects which niamss the southern mind That malice
which is the essence OF murder does not spring from heart
more desperately wicked. fatally bent on mischief
than the heart OF him who would go into the bosom OF
savehoding community and present TO the slave popu
aon the appeals which are necessary in order make
them dissatisfied with their ot, and attempt TO throw of
the authority OF their owners No punishment too Sc
we're for such unspeakable and cowadly depaviy and
the mdness with which II is punished by the laws Of
this District constitutes anything but valid for
the interposion OF executive authority. Notwhstand
ing the previous commitments OF MIR. Fillmore, he sue
ceeded in winning the confidence OF large portion OF
the southern people by his since he became Pres
dent and by the character of the assaults made upon
him in the North because OF his attitude with regard to
the fugivesIave law. the President cannot expect
TO retain the confidence which he has won, IL he now
yields himself up those who have malgned him, and
turns from his to win the applause and renew the
hopes Of that class OF who rule the counses Of the