The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-12
Anti Slavery Agitation ut the North,


Nova EBoRAcINsIs.
Anti Slavery Agitation ut the North,
BY The Newspapers Of all Factions.--V Violence
Against The Fugitive Stare Law.
| From the Albany Euenng Journal Wing, Th,uloat
Weed, editor,) .4prit3.
NEW YORK MARKET, APRIL ,.
NEcRoEs--prime quality, $500 $1,000
holders firm.
You will find on reference to Il record drawn
up on July the 4th, l776, that one Horace
Preston was born free and equal with his fellow
men, and was endowed at his birth with an in.
aienabe right of life, liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness 1t seems that ne must have had some
inkling of this fact himself, for about five years
ago he settled in Williamsburg, on Long Island,
and commenced pursuing his own happiness, en-
joying his own liberty, and living his own life.
1t was pcaceable, honest, Christian life, by all
accounts, spent in earning maintenance for
himself and his wife, helping his neighbors, and
dealing fairly with the world at large. They
were poor people, and they made no great noise
in the world; but, Notwithstanding, we have
reason TO believe that they had in their quiet
way as strong an appreciation Of happiness and
rs keen sense of misery, as The best of us
One fine morning this week, policeman Mar
tin, of the sixth ward, in New York, walked in
and informed Preston that he was charged with
stealing. Stealing? There must be some mis-
take. What, or from whom? But upon these
points he got no information, and knowing his
innocence, and not doubling that it would ap-
pear on the trial, he submitted to be arrested,
and was marched off to the police office.
Antiquarans relate that curious old dOcu-
ment, which they have discovered, was once held
in high repute in these parts, especially by police
men and United States commissioners. In 1889
| il went by the name of the Constitution of the
United States. Doubtless, by way of joke,
the policemen and United States commissioner
who had charge of this stealing case, pretended
that they would be guided by it now. 1t pro.
vides that no person shall be deprived of liberty
without due process of law. This they carried
out by cheating this person into an unlawful ar
rest for an imaginary offence, with no other pro-
cess than the lie by which they did it. 1t pro
vides that in all criminal prosecutions the &C.
cused shall enjoy the right to speedy and public
| trial, by an impartial jury This they carried
out by hiding him away out of sight, and bring
| ing him privately before a single judge 1t
provides that such persons shall have the assist
ance of counsel for his defence. This was
carried out by refusing to let counsel see him,
and turning them away from the door of his
prison. 1t provides that they shall be entitled
to reasonable ball. and this the factious function
aries were likewise guided by, so far as to refuse
him any bail at all.
| On the trial, it came out that the crime with
which Preston was charged was that of being
an honest citizen of Williamsburg, that the
theft for which he was arrested was that of his
own body and soul. The issue was therefore
made up, and is now under trial, at the CON-
missioner's Office, whether the life, liberty, and
happiness Of Horace Preston belong to Horace
Preston, or to William Reese, Of Baltimore
! If the suit shall terminate in Reese's favor, there
will doubtless be another guarantee of the final.
ity of the fugitive slave law, and another piece
of merchandise in the Southern market; there
will DO vacant house and desolate woman in
Williamsburg, and an unhappy wretch in the
brickyard at Baltimore. But of such is the
foundation of our glorious Union.
p. S-Preston has been declared to belong
not to himself, nor to his wife, nor to his child
rem, but to VIM Reese, of Baltimore, and has
been ataken off" accordingly
From Tie .Nsp York Evening Post (FieesoH Dem.
| Nm. Cullen Bryant, poet cditor,) .dprit 5.
THE LAST FUGITIVE SLAVE CASE.
The case of Henry Preston, who was sent bach
to the South as fugitive slave on Saturday, is
very hard one, rs, in fact are most of the cases
which arise under the present law.
| Preston escaped from the service of his mas
ter four years ago. In this city he had formed
domestic ties: here he married woman who
appears to have been devotedly fond Of him,
lightcolored mu!atto woman, whose it'll,
daughter, by former husband had been adopted
by him, and cherished towards him all the fond
ness Of child for parent He was suddenly
pounced upon by q pettifogger and police off
Ger, who seized him and dragged him to prison, or
some pretence of larceny for it seems that thu
law in most cases, cannot be executed without thu
help of falschood. A brief examination followed
t during which he was constantly attended b,
, his wife, who gave the strongest tokens of the
strength of her attachment to him, and of tn,
f suffering she must endure at separation. On
, Saturday he was torn from his family, VIII,
cung to him with despairng fondness, ant
| carried back TO his alleged owner in MARYLAND
/. The circumstances OF their parting, which wer
I truly affecting, are related elsewhere in thi
9 sheet.
e Great terror is expressed at the African slav
9 trade even by shareholders. We remembe
9 that President Tyler, in one Of his messages
3, spoke of it as cruel, atrocious, and accurse
udtuC, iiVlSulUU uPoH ~ SPithclo VI lic IuVo
a vehement denunciation. The cruelty and afro
city of the slave trade consists mainly in tearing
f men and women from their families and homes
}. in separating those whom God has joined, ant
s sending its victims to hopeless servitude. Tn
It fugitive slave law brings the barbarities of tina
h trade TO our doors. Instead of being perpetra
}. ted by pirates, armed with pistols and cutlasses
! they are committed by lawyers, policemen, ant
), deputy marshals, who plead the law as thci
e warrants, and instead of taking place on coas
e inhabited by savage tribes, they are inflicted il
# country claiming to stand in the first rank o
+ civilization, and to be the freest in the world.
8 This is the principal difference in the cases.
+ The same Congress which passed the fugitive
q slave law, enacted law banishing slave trad,
n from the District Of Columbia They wer
: squeamish on the subject of the slave pens
9 where men and women were bought and solt
like oxen, in sight Of the capitol but they felt NJ