New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-06

Would il not have been better, q thousand tine.
better to delay On hour, q day even, IN hearia,
such testimony, than to risk sending free ma.
into slavery Apparently not, according to Mr.
Morton. In his view freedom, especially Of
'nigsers,' is Of no consequence. The law "a
made for the exclusive benefit OF slave.osner..
and if freeman is now and then kidnapped and
doomed to bondage, what matter The owner.
get the profit of it, and the nggers are after al
better Off
But If the Commissioner condemns himself,
on his own showing, his case is in no visa
mended by the following card which bis state
ment has drawn forth from Mr.. RICHARD
6. ExNEr. the counsel spoken Of by NJ.
Morton:
"CARp-A card from Mr.. Commissioner Morton. a.
the subject Of this case, intended As an sAswsr e
the card Of Messrs. Culver and Jay appears 10 ne
Herald of this morning. As my name Is ueat,ons6
in cton with ,hs case, desire to state my re-
The f.st kno ledge had OF the case. was fro-
the Friday morning papers, and, AS spectator
gong on. there found Mr. Jay, who informed ma
that his associate counsel Mr.. Culver, vss spgassi
in another court, which lett him as the only sousss
for the fugitive. All my sympashies berg with nm
readily volunteered 10 remain with him. alihousA.
knowing nothing OF the facts. did NOT intend r.
take any active part in the case
AFTER Mr. Busted had ieft the'stand, Mr. Jaw
upon consultation, noved the discharge of the fnG1
tive, the ground OF the nsufciency OF the clan-
ants proof THIS motion was argued at lenf,k
And Mr.. Jay expressly stated thai in case the Ias-
ton Was denied he would be ready 10 produce W.T.
nesses. There was lao objection 90 this BY either
the Commissioner or the claimants counsel and
when the adjournment was had, consider cd thar A
perfectly understood BY ali parties that tue fask
kaa At fHsrlN tn lx.,es,
ton were decided against him. aed need not say
thst was ssiopshed and indignant a, the summary
disposition Of the case, IN the face o. an Offer 10
produce relevant testimony Ater the decision,
profs ssional business required my attendance b.
fore Mr.. Morton, and the conversation turned upoa
the recent proceedings I ives earnest In my de-
nuncation OF what considered the unjust execution
Of an unjust Law. Mr. Morton jGsuhcd himself By
SAYING, that no believed that the etec. Of opening
the would have been to detain him for days %
weeks
81 said that did no, know whether the fugitive
had any witnesses and insisted that was the duty
Of the Commissioner to entertain the oner OF proof,
and that IL probably would NOT have taken hau an
hour TO dispose OF IL. This was the substance Of
our conversation. certainly never DID assert posi-
lively, as Nh Mortons card would intimate, that
the fugitive had no witnesses. mad not eeen N
consultation With Mr., Jay or Mr.. Culver. and hs!
have since learned that there were witnesses b
attendance.
~ would have no objection to the publicstion Of
u !
did suppose IL to be private one, but do object b
the impression going abroad, that In any way ap-
proved Of the Commissioners course, or OF his de-
eision. RICHARD :. EaaEr"
"Nnc- York, Arrils 1852.
This seems to let some light in upon Mr.
Morton's administration Of justice. He was
haunted by the fear lest the case should take
too long That would be a losing business fol
him, considering that at any rate he could earn
but $40 by trying it. So he wasted no time in
listening to the defendants witnesses, but GU.
the proceedings short, and mads the trial what
Congress intended 1t should be, summary pro-
cess.
We suggest to Mr.. Merton that he might
have made il still more summary by declining
to hear any witnesses at ALL and giving the
claimant bis certificate as soon as the man was
grabbed This would have been no more dis
graceful than the course actually taken, while
it would have saved "vexatious delay" Of
above two days, in which the COMMISSIONS
might have made good deal Of money in the
practice of his more usual profession