Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-09-20
The Fugitive Slave Law Makers, and one
Of their Victims.

The Fugitive Slave LAW Makers, and one
OF their Victims.
On the twentieth day Of June last, the members
of the Wing National Convention At Baltimore
were busiy engaged drafting resolutions, making
speeches, balIo'ng for nominees to the Presidency
and Vice Presidency, and reading Interesting let.
ters."
Those resolutions were aflirmatory of the Ma
tional negro-huntmg law, the speeches were conf
posed Of inflated ropes and periods brimfu Of
laudations of liberty in the ABSTRACT the ballongs
were ostensibly the ful6lment Of great Democratic
duty, and the letters written by men satisfied
with everything in our country except their own
personal obscurty and want of Office.
At that Convention, Massachusetts man, Rufus
Choaie, thanked God for the Fugitive Slave Law
thanked God that that question was settled and
threatened, like some imperial Russian, 10 prevent
the freemen of this republic from uttering word
at any time, any where, on the subject Of slavery.
On the day that these free Wings were
mounting their cant of liberty in grave Convention,
and disappearing the justice and goodness of God
by attributing to him law which the devil might
be ashamed Of, an honest American, named James
Phillips, who was forciby dragged from his wife
and children at Harrisburg, Pa, few days ago,
wrote letter from a public establishment in Rich
mond Va, to the partner Of his sorrows; and as
this letter forms an admirable counterpart to Gen.
SCOTS letter to J. NJ Bots, we advise the pro-
Fugitive Slave Law Wings to read it:
RICHMOND, June 20, 1852.
DEAR Wife, will now write to you TO inform
you where / am and my health. am well, and /
am in hopes when you receive this 1t may find you
well also. | am now in traders hands, by the
name of Mr.. Branton, and he is agoing to start
South with lot OF negroes IN August. l do not
like this country at all, and had almost rather die
than to go South Tell all Of the people that if heg
can do anything for me, now is the time to do it. /
can be bought for 5000. Do, pray, try and get
Blant and Mr.. Byers and MIR. Weaver to send or
come to buy me, and if they will only buy me
back, | will be faithful mau to them SO long as
live. Show Mr. Brant and Mr.. Weaver this letter,
and tell them TO soon as they possibly
TO buy me. My master is willing TO sell me TO
any gentleman who will be so kind as come on to
buy me. They have got poor James Phillips here
with leg irons on, to keep him from getting away;
and do pray, gentlemen, do not feel any hesitation
al all, but come you can and buy me.
Fcelfor me now or never. If any Of you will be
so kind TO come to buy me, inquire for Coch-
ron's Jail. can be found there, and my master ia
always at the Jail himself. Nv master gave full
consent to have this letter written, do not feel
any hesitation 10 come and see about poor James
Phillips. Dear wife, show 1t to these men as soon
as you get it,, and let them write back Immediately
what they intend to do. Direct your letter 10 my
master, William A. Branton, Richmond, Va. Try
and do something for me you can, for |
want to get back very bad indeed. Do not think
anything at all Of the price, for | am worth twice
that amount. can make it for any person who
will buv me- in short time. / have nothing more
10 w"ite, only wish may he bought and carried
back to Harrisburg in short time. My best love
to you, my wife. You may depend | am almost
diving 10 see You and my children. You must do all
you can for your husband. Your husband,
JAMES PHILLIPS.
To Mrs. Mary Phillips, in Of Mr.. John H.
Brant
We appeal to every man with heart in his
bosom, or sense of justice in his moral nature, to
consider this simple heart-rending cry of despair
from the prison house Of American bondage, and
TO ask himself il legal fclions called Fugitive laws
invented by such men as Daniel Webster and Mil
lard Fillmore are sufficient to induce him to ignore
the Constitution, become conserving party to the
naturalization Of slavery, and participant in this
business Of slaye-catching, which tears the husband
from his wife, and the father from his childrea, and
leaves desolaion and amentation where there lately
were peace, industry and contentment.
1t must be borne in mind that the misery and
agony which are revealed in that poor negros letter.
not matters of regret to the leading parties.
Both Gen. Scott and Frank Pierce consider them
blessed bonds of our national Union. The groans
and unavang signs Of James Phillips and his wife
are the music of the Union. The violent disruption
of that marital Union enjoined by God, and in
cordance with his eternal law of love, is only
sweet sacrifice laid upon the holy altar of the
American Union. No man who hates such sys.
TEN of iniamy, and loves liberty and justice, can
vote for the men pledged to consummate such hor-
rors, and to perpeluate them forever.