Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-07-29
THE MINISTER HUNTING HIS SLAVE.
About * wears aro there came to Indian

Freeman. He brought with him some few
hundred dollars, part of which he invested
in real estate. He was a painter, whitewash-
er and man of all work. He married young
woman, a servantin our family. His deport-
ment won for him general respect and conf
dence. He rapidly increased in property and
is now worth about six thousand dollars, which
for that community, is a very handsome pro-
perty. No mans word was better than Free
mans. He was honest, punctual and reliable.
! He became an active member of the colored
Baptist Church, and conscientiously dischar-
ged his duty as a church member. He has a
family of three children. On the 23d Of
June. man named Pleasant Ellington, for
merly of Kentucky now of Missouri, Metho-
dist preacher, appeared in Indianapolis and
found miscreants base enough to assist him
in aresting Freeman, upon the claim that he
was his slave, Freeman claims he is free
man, and shows many papers recognizing
that fact. The Judge has granted nine weeks
for Freeman to procure further evidence Of
his freedom.
There are some facts which have come to
our knowledge which it will be edifying to
| know.
When Freeman's arrest was known the
whole community was moved. One hun
dred men of all parties, and OF the first stand
ing in the place, such as Judge Blackford,
Judge Wick, N. B. Palmer, Calvin Fletcher
and many other such, signed bond for bail
in the sum of $1,000. The amount in gold
was brought into Court, to be deposited for
the preacher Ellington, in case Freeman pro-
we'd a slave, should not appear or for his free
dom in any event. The bail was refused
Rev. Mr. Ellington refused to agree to take
any price should he get possession of him,
but determined to take him to Missouri.
Under pretence that he feared rescue, the
Marshall was about to remove Freeman to
Madison Jail on the Ohio River, but has con-
scented to leave him at indianapolis, on con-
dition that Freeman pays SO day for a
guard to watch over himself!
We have some good but dull men in New
York who have denied that christian men
and families were subject to separation and
! sale, under the system of slavery. 1t is said
| that to represent such scenes as Uncle Toms
separation from his family, and his wife is a
, SANDER.
Yet here is a minister of the Gospel max
ing pilgrimage of more than half thous
and miles, to find and arrest a member of a
Christian Church, in a Free State, and drag
| him into Slavery He finds him settled
down in home which his own industry has
secured, with his wife and three children, a
useful and greatly respected citizen. One
would think that man with a particle of
humanity, even if Freeman were his slave up
on seeing such state of facts, would refuse
to break up and desolate family, and blight
the prospects of man and fellow Christian.
But so deeply has this man drank Of the spi-
rit of patriotism that he determines to make
the mischief Bonds and security were offer
ed him the most ample, for any price he
might demand, in case Freeman might be
proved his slave. He refused eyerything.-
He demanded the Man, and declared he
would remove him to a Slave State and to
Slavery.
A man that can read such a state of facts
and not feel his heart rising with Indignation
against this scoundre clergyman, ought to
regard himself as having sinned away his day
of grace, and as sealed over to reprobation.
And yet, is this man any worse than the
law allows? Has he done any thing illegal
This American people have laws within which
men may violate every sentiment of humani
ty, smother every breath of Christianity, out
rage the feelings of whole community, crush
an innocent and helpless family, reduce CT
tizen of universal respect and proved integri-
ty to the level of brute, carry him to the
shambles, sell him forever away from his
church, his children, and wife; all this may
be done without violating the laws Of the land
nay, by the laws, and under the direction
Of magistrates!
And so deadening has been the influence
Of slavery the public mind, that religious
teachers and religious editors will not find
single word to say against this utter abomi
ton, and many pious words will they utterin
favor of this execrabe traffic.
Meanwhile, that same God who permits
the existence of tarantulas, scorpions, and 9th
er odious yermin, suffers also the existence of
such creatures of this Rev. Mr.. Ellington
1t may serve good purpose, in a CLOSING,
timid, shutting age, to exhibit before the sun
how utter villain man may be and yet
keep within the pale of the law, within the
perrnissions of the church, and within the re-
quirements Of the Christian ministry. TO
crush the human heart, to eat up a living |
household, to take a family into ones hands !
and crush it like a cluster of grapes, this is |
respectable, legal and Christian, and in the
estimation of cotton patriots and patriotic |
Christians, who regard law as greater than
Justice the Union as more important than
public virtue and practical Christianity.
Such law as that which permits these
scenes will destroy the conscience and human
ity Of the community, or be itself destroyed |
by them. A people that have learned TO see
such sights unnoved are not far from the |
level of Romans whose amusements were in
blood and death of beasts and gladiators.
As long as smooth prophets case down the
public conscience, and obsequious editors
count themselves worthy to bind up the san
dals of savags laws, whose very step perpe-
trates as many crimes as man can commit
against man, so long we need not wonder
that there are such monsters as this Ellington
a.