The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-22
AN IMPORTANT DECISION.

1t would seem, from the following account in
a Virginia paper, that by a judicial decision,
slave has been declared free, on the ground
that she is whie person, and could not there
fore be slave This is certainly the principle,
and, if admitted, may produce valuable results
"Ihe Circuit Court for this county was last
week occupied with case of considerable in
terest-the case Of Amanda Jane a white
woman, who has been held as slave ever since
her birth, some twenty-sx years We call her
white woman, for such the intelligent and
high-minded jury in the case have made her,
although, as far as we heard, her origin was
directly and clearly traced to the loins of a
negress who was a slave. Yet Amanda's APP
pearance, the color of her skin, her eyes, her
whole physical exterior, would prove her to be
what the jury have made her--a white woman
The testimony proving her to be of negro ex-
traction was, as we have said, of the strongest
and clearest kind, and yet the appearance of
the woman seemed to contradict it all. Aman-
da Jane has been held as slave successfully
by Messrs. Michael Kiser Whose negro slave
Sally was proved to be her mother) T. Me-
Gaheo, and was held in bondage at the time
of the trial by Mr.. A. f. Heneberger. She
DWS utRTAucQ htISSif III utT stTNltuue anu has
become the mother of two ine-loOkng little H.
legitimate children, perfectly white, who were
handled in her arms during the course of the
trial. more mysterious case we have never
tried and it excited from its commencement TO
It's close, the most intense interest Exceptions
have been taken to the decision of the case by
the counsel for the defendants. Counsel for
plaintiff Messrs. Joseph Samuels John Letcber
Herring Chrsman, and J. c. C. Bretel for the
defendants, Coils. kenney and Baldwin A. c.
Bryan, and David Fults Rock Reg.
The first movement for the release of Kos
suth was made by John NJ. Clayton, while Sec.
rotary of State. More than year." SAYS the
North american, "before Mr. Webster wrote ON
the subject Mr.. Clayton addressed letter to
Mr.. Marsh the resident Minister at Constan.
tlnoplc, directing him to urge the release of
kossuth and his fellow exiles while. at the
same time, Commodore Morgan, commanding
the naval force in the Mediterranean was Or
dered to proceed to the Bosphorus and receive
them, should they be liberated. and bring them
TO the United States. This was as early as De.
cember, ls49. At that time Kossuth was criti-
cally situated his life was threatened; indeed,
his blood was demanded by the Austrian and
Russian Governments. The interposition Of
the United States at that moment was of inf
nitely more service to the prosecuted patriot
than it could possibly prove at later period.
And it should be remarked, in honor of Gen.
Taylor's Administration, whose conduct of for
eign affairs was equally sagacious and ener-
getic, always bold, brilliant and thoroughly
American, rs begins now TO bs understood,
that in this it did not wait for, but anticipated
the action of Congress doing all, and more tnan
all, that the latter specially required to be done
fourteen months later by the joint resoiuoo" "
March 8, 1881. In obedence 10 his '"s'su'-
tons Mr. Marsh-to continue tho ssory-uSeo