The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-04
nafyiaha and tssnnsyisaais.

people, evidently feel the necessity of vindcating
the outraged dignity of the State and the rights
of her citizens with regard to the Christiana
murders. Even those presses hitherto the
most forbearing in this matter, are assuming
sterner tone in relation TO it, as the facts are
more fully developed. The Attorney Generals
report shows how gross and monstrous the out
sion of the act down to the discharge of the
prisoners and must enkindle feeling of bitter
Indignation in the bosoms of those who live on
the border, and may hereafter be subjected to
suppose nobody imagines that any further ac
lion will be taken in the premises by the legis
lature than the passage of resolutions of cen
sure, or warning, or protest, which will produce
about the same effect that all similar resolu-
tons and warnings have done.
When any community is. bent on resisting
the faithful execution of q law; and after forc
BILE and bloody resistance the offenders go un
whipt of justice, to boast over their triumph,
how idle wonld it be to expect that repetition
of the same course would not occur on the first
favorable opportunity. We regard the posture
of affairs on that border as one Of the most
omnous signs of the times--for the exaspera
ton of the public mind in Maryland, We have
reason to know, is far greater than any one
would imagine
The Baltimore Clipper extracts from the At
torney Generals report the following interest
ing details, which prove what hollow mockery
of justice these treason trials were:
Report OF ATTORNEY GENERAL BRENT--
This report does not present in favorable light
the conduct pursued by the Judge and others in
the Christians trials and, from the statement Of
| Mr.. Brent, we should inler that there is little
chance of having justice administered in Phl!a
delphia in The case Of the owner OF slave
being killed in the effort to recover his property
| The whole of the persons concerned in the
murder Of Mr. Gorsucb, Of Baltimore county,
have escaped punishment, and there is no pros.
pect that any of them will ever be brought 10
imtice. We wish that every citizen Of Mary
land could tic pat in possession of Attorney
General Brent's report Of the ChristiaEa treason
trial for its perusal would assist in bringing
| the public mind to the conclusion that some ae-
| ton should be taken on the course pursued to-
wards owners in pursuit of fugitive slaves in
Pennsylvania.
| A large portion of the report consists in a
! legal argument in opposition to the ruling of
the court, in relation to what constituted trea-
son. But the following paragraph shows that
| two principal witnesses were designedly per-
| mitted to escape, whilst third was induced to
| perjure himself 1t also exhibits the disgusting
spectacle of white females associating with, and
encouraging the negro men charged with being
| concerned in the murder:
"In this connection will also state, that
few weeks before the trial Peter Washington
and John Clark, two important witnesses for
the prosecution, escaped from prison without
brl akng a lock or using any force, as proved on
the trial by witness and though cheerfully
acquit the marshall of all privity with their es-
cape, yet the fact remains, that there was treach.
/ cry on the part of some officer within the walls
of the prison. Another remarkab' e fact was the
corruption Of government witness, by the
name of Harvey Scott, a free negro, who had
thrice testifed-once at Christiana, once at Ian
caster, and once at PHILADELPHIA, to the fact of
being an eyewitness to the murder of Mr. Cor
SUCH and nov, on this trial, influenced by brides
| or some other corrupt consideration when
placed on the stand by the United States OPEN
yAeonfessed that he had thrice committed per-
| v,
present and knew nothing about the i flair, which
| perjury was received with open applause in The
| court room Again: the counsel for the defence
applied to the court for an order to bring out
some twenty-four Of the negroes, to see which
of them could be identified as participants in
the treason, by Henry II. Kline, a ma eral wit
ness for the prosecution.
At the opening of the court on the next day.
these negroes were seen sitting in a row, sup.
ported on each side by white females, who, to
the disgust ofa respectable citizens, gave them
open sympathy and countenance; each of the
negroes appeared with new comforts around
their necks-their hair carefully parted, and
their clothing in every respect alike; so as to
present one uniform appearance to the eye, as
far as possible---ail done, doubtless, for the
double purpose of giving I" aid and comfor, to
the accused murderers of white man, and OF
confusing and perplexing so important witness
as Kline, in respect to their identity And this
was manitestly done with the priyiiy sutferance
and consent of the officers having charge of the
prisoners, and passed unrebuked"
1t also appears that the marshal (Mr Rob
erts) not only summoned confirmed Abolition.
lists as Jurors but dined with the accused par.
ties on Thanksgiving day. How can justice be
expected, where Judge, marshal and jury are thus |
opposed to the impartial administration of the
law? 1t would seem, from the result Of this |
trial, that negroes may commit murder with i'm.
punity in particular sections of Pennsy lvania, |
provided the murdered individual is a slave
holder, or be- in pursuit of fugitive slave
Hereafter, when Southern men seek their slaves
in Pennsylvania, We hope that they will take |
with theue sufficient force 70 enforce the law |
against all opposition. If not, they had better
abandon tie effort to recover their property.
.789" The Boston Post gives the following
account of the proceedings of the
MASSACHUSETTS ANTI SLAVERY SOCIETY,"
The resolve aganst kessuth. introduced into |