The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-09
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.

Reu. H. W. Beeeher ia defence of Mrs. Sto,ce's
motives and PrPoes.-Mr Hale and En-
9uirer's SrictureS-The Clinton Statue
Mr.. EVeret's Lecture.
NEW YORK, June 3, 1853
The readers OF the Era will naturally be
anxious to learn the result of the "slaye case y
of whose pending trial notified them in nv
last letter. allude to the hearing before Judge
Duer, on the return of the responding claim
ant of the colored girl, Jane Trainer, lior such
she was in purpose, however. disguised for
technical eifect) to the writ of habeds corpus
issued at the instance of her father As those
who have had many saddening opportunities
for observing the subseryiency of the courts of
the free States to the interests of slavery and it's
multifarious forms Of despotism, they will not
be surprised at the decision which has been
given-which was rant Of jurisdiction. y
Judge Duer accompanied his decision with the
statement that the question before him was
not that of the disposition of the chld's person,
but merely that of the legal right of restraint
on the part of the respondent. He signifed
that the question of the natural right of the
father to the custody of his child, if she con-
tinued with another party, would have to be
settled by an equity suit o 1t is true, he re.
peated, that the child was free, upon the adj
mitted facts, to 90 with whomsoever it pleased ;
but, then, he made no provision whereby the
real option OF the ignorant little creature could
be ascertained. AS consequence, which was
to have been anticipated, she was taken by the
hand and led away from the courtroom, TO the
haunt of infamy which the testimony proved
her to have been deposited in previously, to be
carried from which, nOlenS eotenS, whitherso-
ever her protectress ~ shall be impeled to
carry her, by cupidity, or other motives. From
the court room the fair respondent to that so
sadly burlesqued writ Of right, the habeds cor
pus, was escorted TO her retreat by the same
notorious body guard that 80 generously at
tended upon her during the trial Now, il
only remains to ask would Judge Duer have
been 1T so great a loss for law to cover the
case of white child, if thus retained actually
in the custody of person other than its par
ents, even though pretending to have no legal
claim whatever upon its person The answer
will have been readily suggested by the most
ordinary observation of the course OF justice in
this country, as applied to the black and white
races, respectively.
Most timely and appropriately there comes
under notice another legal agency, or the want
of it rather, in which may be all too clearly
deserted the probability of reversed result
speculated on above, in the supposed interchange
OF races. 1t is the utter failure of party to
procure the services of commissioner in this
city to test his right to the services of his ap.
prentice, who had escaped from another State
a white boy Why say you, was not the Flu.
gtive Slave Bill enacted according to its friends
to carry out an "erpresS provision Of the Con-
stit,ltio,l )" and does not that clause put ali
persons sowing service or labor" on the same
footinga Certainly but it lcas'nt made to car
ry out an express provision Of the Constitu
tion," as pretended, but to carry home, at the
expense of nOn-slaveholders, runaway chattels
That is the express provision it was design
ed to carry out and the commissioners have
learned its intention too well from virtual in
structions to be caught doing anything so un
patriotic as that sought at their hands in thi
instance! How truly are the force and effec
of laws as well as Constitutions in the inter
probation thereof; and how assuredly, also
may we expect their interpretations to favo
the MolOch interest of slavery
Meanwhile the poor child will not be givel
up to the cupidity of her present custodian
Already an injunction has been granted, b,
which her removal from the city will hav,
been restrained, so far as law can reach sucl
malefactors as this fair Cyprian and her un
principled abettors.
The INDEPENDENT of this week will conve,
you an article of very timely import, with ref
erence to Mrs. Stoves motives and purposes
in accepting the contributions Of Europeans
&c. 1t will be re@d with the more interest
and regarded with the more reliance, because
coming from the pen of her natural, as we'll al
very able and vigilant defender, Rev. Henri,
Ward Beechor.
The article referred to contradcts, in tn
most unequivocal terms, the tattle of the pro
slavery press about Mrs. Stowe having spur
chased homestead" with the profits of he
wondrous book, assuring US that she owns n
homestead whatever, by purchase or otherwise
not even house Of any kind. The pro-slave
ry version of the story afoat respecting the al
legged ownership of mansion at Andovcr, by
Professor Stowe is explained by circumstan
tial statement Of the facts of the case, the pitt
of which is, that the Professor loaned the trus
tees of the Seminary portion of the fund.-
wherewith they fitted up the house occupied b,
him, for which he holds ample, though nothing
beyond ordinary securty-the ownership being
exclusively and absolutely the property of thu
Institution. Her purpose of disposition as tC
the English offerings, is stated to be the estab.
lishrnent of seminary for the thorough edu.
cation of persons of African descent, not only
in literature and science, but in the practical
arts also.
Such scheme, looking as it does to the due
elevation of trampled and outraged race, or
rather the adording of assistance to their sell
elevation, which is all they really need, in the
opinion of your correspondent This is wise
and liberal in conception, and its realization
will be anticipated with lveliest hope by the
friends Of the colored race az well as them
selves
The article in the Independent will also have
furnished an outline of the views of Mr. Beecher
on the whole subject Of the prospects and true
interest of the nominally free of our African
population, which will not fail to commend it
to that calm consideration, on their part, which
the well-understood motives of its distinguished
author entite it to-to say nothing of ITS par
ticular nculcations Ii gives me pleasure to
call their attention through the wide channel
of the Era, somewhat in advance, specially
to it.
At the close of Dr. Bailey's comments, in
last weeks paper, on the article Of his CORES
pondent Inquirer" touching one Of John p
Hales speeches, he appeals to Mr.. Hale, 10 say
whether or not he had correctly indicated, in
his behalf, the full meaning of the patriotic
opinions to which enquirer" had taken ex-
ception. Feeling some curiosity myself on the
same point, as ! do in everything concerning
the career of that distinguished leader of the
hosts of freedom, called on him, and put the
same question He answered me that he wds
satisfied with Dr. Bailey's explanation, and he
authorized me to 80 state in his behalf, as !
now take pleasure in doing.
The statue of De Witt Clinton, which was
temporarily placed in the Park, in front Of the
City Hall, last week, and where it still stands,
is an impressive object Of public interest, around
which thousands collect daily. This statue,
which is of colossal size, being ten and half
feet high, is of bronze, and stands on an orna'
mental base of the same material, eight and a
half feet high. 1t is placed in front of the City
Hall, looking towards the Battery and DE Witt
Clinton is represented facing the spectator,