Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-05-30
TIE FUGITIVE SLAVE CASE IN BOSTON

THE FUGITIVE SLAVE CASE IN BOSTON
Advices have been received by letter. in
this city to-day, from Boston, which rep
resent everything safe and quiet inside
the courthouse in Boston. The United
States troops are still on duty in the
building to prevent rescue of the fugi-
tive, and to protect the Federal officers
IN the execution of the law. Outside OF
the building there is still large crowd
many of them worthy citizens attracted
by curiosity, but most OF them rioters
and sssassins, collected and summoned
bY Parker and Phillips, acting under the
suggestions of Charles Sumner, and his
satellite in Congress, MIR. Banks. Cir
culars have been addressed by the Adolf
ton Vigilance Committee of Boston to
the surrounding towns, urging the "faith-
full" to come to the city by the early
trains. The following is copy of the
document. 1t bears the earmarks of be-
ing the offspring of Sumner and Chase:
Boston, May 81, 1s54-To the Yeomanry
of New England, Countrymen and Brothers !,
The vigilance committee Of Boston have to in
form you that the mock trial of the poor fugi-
tive slave has been further postponed to Mon
day next, at III o'clock, A. M. You are re-.
quested, therefore, to come down and lend the
moral weight of your presence and the aid Of
your counsel to the friends of justice and hu.
manity in the city. Come down, then, sons of
the Puritans, for even if the poor victim is to
be carried off by the brute force of arms, and
delivered over to slavery, you should at least
be present to witness the sacrifice, and you
should follow him in sad procession, with your
tears and your prayers, and then go home and
take such action as your manhood and patriot
ism may suggest. Come, then, by the early
trains on Monday, and rally in Court square
Come with courage and resolution in YOU r
hearts, but, this time, with only such arms as
God gave to you ...l sr..-..r
Notwithstanding all this preparation
and effort, we are satisfied that the forms
of law will be carried out, and that the
slave will be returned to his owner. The
troops of the United States are sufficient
thereto, even without the aid Of the citi-
zen soldiery, or of the city government,
which, with the exception of the Com
mon Council, is in the hands of the Free
Sellers. 1t will be seen by our tele-
graphic dispatches that, yesterday, the
Board of Aldermen passed an order that
the citizen troops be dismissed, but that
the Mayor refused.
The United States, as is the case in
New York and Philadelphia, have no
courthouse of their own, nor have they
any Jail. Consequently, the fugitive is
confined in one of the jury-rooms in the
third story of the courthouse used by
the United States Court. The city and
State force, therefore, in Boston, is called
upon, not to protect the federal officers in
executing the law, but to protect the
courthouse from injury by the mob, and
to maintain the quiet Of the city. Were
it not for the United States troops, no one
could answer for the results. Fortunate
ly, they are competent for all emergen-
cies, under the direction of Watson Free
man, the United States Marshal, and the
District Attorney, Hon. B. F. Hallett, to
both of whom too much nor too high
praise cannot be awarded.
We understand that Giddings of Ohio
left this city last evening for Boston. He
is undoubtedly the bearer of dispatches
from Sumner and Chase and Banks
Why does not Sumner take the field in
person, and lead the mob, whose passions
he has infamed by his recent speeches
and letters! Why does he not expose
himself to danger along side Of the delu-
ded men whom he has designedly led
astray! Is he not deficient in courage
and common manhood Men everywhere
draw that conclusion. He prefers to
affect the airs and grimaces of a Broad
way flop upon the avenues and in the
Senate Chamber, to leading his fanatical
confederates to the accomplishment of the
ends, for the attainment of which he has
so often pronounced himself ready to
sacrifice everything.
Public sentiment in Alexandria, we
learn, is intensely excited in condemua-
ton of Sumner and his allies. We know
that it increases in this city every hour
The masses look upon Sumner as respon-
sible for the death of Batchelder. They
attribute, and justly, the action of the
murderers to the counsel of Sumner. We
hope that public sentiment against these
Abolition miscreants who infest Congress,
and our fair city, and fill the atmosphere
in which they move with the odor of a
brothel, will not descend to acts of per-
sonal violence. Such conduct can find no
justification. But let public opinion con
denim these men every where, in the street,
in the Capitol, in every place where men
meet. Let Sumner and his infamous
gang feel that he cannot outrage the fame
of his country-counsel treason to it,
laws-incite the ignorant to bloodshed