The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-14
the Slave Case - Manumisslen o. Eight
Slaves.

The very important case Of the eigh. slaves, own
ed by parties in fransifu from Virginia to Texas,
and brought before the Superior Court on habeas
60, yus, has been decided By Judge Paine who has,
in pursuance Of the &C. of 1871, ordered their dis
charge from bondage The proceedings, including
the very elaborate and careful opinion of the Judge,
we give in extenso, rs they win doubtless be read
with much interest by all classes OF the community
There has been IN this case decided abolitiouist
triumph victory coerced by law, no. governed
by Justice for it ia not justice to take from cit
zers Of e}evoholdipg State their property, and
thus to send 4hem adrift upon the world, deprived
of that whch they inherited and had held FOR years.
II appears that Mr.. and Mrs. Lennon owned those
eight slaves-two women, one mana nd five child
ren-and we're on their way with them from Viz
ginia to Texas, where they proposed to settle On
arriving in New York, the abolitionists, who had
been tslegraphed the fact, went, armed with
babeas ccrp,4s, and brought them before the Court,
whore they demanded their discharge on the
grounds that, being in free State they could not be
held in bondage Their manunission was received
with great JOY by the colored people and the asoli-
tionists The CASE will, hosever, create more than
an epheueral excitement
Here is new and startling question sprung upon
question involves the most momentous considers
tions of good f4 between the North and the South
1t has heretofore been considered that both sections
of the Union are under tho sa me general govern
nen, and that according to the constitution of the
United States the citizens of each State shall b.
entitled to all privileges and immunities Of citizens
in the several States y This would clearly imply
that the privilege to citizen Of Virginia TO carry
his slaves through that State would also apply to
the State of New York or any other State Of the
Union.
II citizens of the South are thus to be excluded
from passing through the non slaveho ding States
with their property, the spirit and intent Of the
constitution are subverted and at "a erd, and the
work of separating the two sections is practically
commenced. In fact, this remarkable decision in
this extraordinary case is step taken tc wards
the division OF the Union into two nationslities.
1t is, perhaps, fortunate at this junctgre, when
the abolition movement Of the North is on the eve
of assuming new and more formidable shape tn an
ever-it is, perhaps, fortunate that in the ne ad
ministration decresd by the people we have an abb
ding guarantee that the letter and spirit of the
constitution will be enforced Were it o.her.
wise, might well regard this case as the
re opening Of the slavery agitation in the most
alarming form, end upon an issue wholly unantiei-
pated by the public. As it is, we shall soon hear
whether the South are willing that the compromises
of the constitution shall be superseded by tho
laws Of any State, by the decisions Of any tribu-
nal upon them, short of appeal, at least, to the
Supreme Court. We have not yet had the end of
tins case,