Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-11-24
NGma ut tbR Dun.


The case of the eight colored persons from
Virginia, which, for several days, had excited
very general interest in New York city, was
decided on Saturday morning by Judge Payne,
in Chambers, ordering them to be discharged.
The case is one Of the mostimportant, both as to
legal principle and personal rights, that has
lately come up for determination. The prece-
dents which had been cited in this case were
reviewed at ONE length. 1t appears that the
provision of the revised statutes of New York,
under which the persons in this case could
have been held. was abolished BY an act Of the
Legislature in that State in 1841, and that as
regards the rights of these slaves and of their
master, they we're thereby made absolutely
free. Whether this is in keeping with the
spirit and intent Of the original compact be-
tween the several States, is another question.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 1852.
Judge Payne's decision in the slave case
which lately arose in New York, will deeply
interest the Southern States. The circum-
stances ofthe case were somewhatnew, though
it belongs to a class Of cases heretofore deci-
ded against the owners Of slaves. Heretofore
it was held that a slave voluntarily brought
by an owner into a free State was entitled to
freedom, but the opinion was reserved BY
NIilC oNSOlNC bIldhs III 81 UCClS1OiI IItduC DN
him, as to the point whether a slave brought,
by necessity, into q free State, was also cntit-
led to freedom.
In case a vessel with slaves on board bound
from Virginia to Texas, has been forced by
stress of weather to put into the port of a free
State, they would not be, under any proven
decision, entitled to freedom; but I suppose
they would be under that of Judge PAYNE.
In the present case, the owner took the slaves
from Virginia to New York, enroute to Texas,
and by all considerations of amity between
one State and another. of this Union, were en-
titled to tranship their property, at the port
Of New York, to q vessel bound for Texas,
without hindrGnCe or molcstation. 1t was
not the purpose ofthe owners to hold the slaves
as property In the State of New York inviola,
ton Gifts laws, but merely to pass with them
from one vessel to another.
To seize upon the slaves and rob the own.
ers of them, on the pretext Of a violation O
laws of New York, is a mere pretext for plum.
der, and the qualification Of sectional almost
ty. Ii the States were foreign and alien
and hostile to each other; if they were en-
gagged in actual hostilities, there might BIZ
some excuse for this seizure and confscatior
of private property.
If the New Workers are mindful even O
their own interests, they had better make re
p~aration for this robbery by remunerating
Mr.. and Mrs. Lennon for their slaves-th(
loss of which is said to be very embarrassin.
to them.
The New York city papers, in commenting
on this affair, while they admit its prophet,
under the law, yet deprecate it as unjust ant
Numerically opposedto the Constitution ant
the principle recognized in the passage of tn,
/ ,-.4S1o eJoIo low TT 4I,a uIrai, - H.
case is recognized, they fear trouble ahead.
A statement is published, going to shov
that a plan had been formed to rob Mr.. S
ofhis property. The n. Y. papers expires
the hope that a subscription will be raise,
to pay him $4,000 for the loss of his pror
erty; and that the next Legislature will re
peal the statute on which the liberation G
the slaves was based.
The latest advices from Peru state that til
threatened difficulty between that Governmer
and the United States, has subsidized, and a
matters have been settled relative to the Lobe
, islands and the Guano trade.
Hoes. HoGs!!-"Ol Kentuck'' is begir
ming to exhibit her grunters along the read
: several droves have already passed, and til
: number increases. So grease your whistles. a
E that can.-AshUiUe Messenger.
The Washington National Monument h;
f attained a height of one hundred and eightee
2 feet, and may reach one hundred and thiri
Q before the close of the season.
Couldn't COME IT,'-The rumocracy
Rhode Island have made a bold push to g
through the Legislature of Rhode Island, a b
o to repeal the liquor law Of last session. but the
have been defeated. The House of Represe
t~atives has rejected the bill by a vote Of 40
IA!
A memorial is in circulation for signatur
in Washington, to be presented to Congress
asking such an amendment of the city cha
ter as will empower the corporate authoriti
sto p~rohtnitthe manufacture and sale of i
toxicating liquors, except for mechanical al
medicinal purposes, within the limits of t
corporation
70 70 CINCINNATI, Nov. 15.-The compile
I Congressional returns from illinois ha
not vet been received, but the followil
= persons are supposed to be elected in t
at districts named; 1st district, Campbe
re dem I'd district, Wentworth, dem;3d d
i 7 trict, Morton, Wing 9th district, Yatt
he whig; It'll district, Constable, wing; S
lg district, Gillespie, wing.
a MISSISSIPPI REPUDIATIoN.-The vote
I'D of Mississippi, at the recent election, de
:. rs ded in favor of special tax to pay the 90
lie, Planters Bank Bonds" The payment
authorised by the constitution, and t
n rg people have only determined the mode
It'll paying them. The "Union Bank Bonds
were the bonds repudiated some years az
and are still unpaid.
pr The Richmond (Va.) Despatch pr
fishes a letter from Camden, n. H., viii
| says Gen. Pierce does not contempt
y spending the winter in the South, as |
been stated.