New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-19

of Judge Kane as their candidate for Vice Pred.
dent The ticket would then be complete.
-
PASSWORDS WILLIAMSON still lies in prison, viii
no prospect of restoration to liberty until public
indignation shall be aroused which will cause the
knees of the oppressor and his fellow-conypirston
to smito together. Publ, justice though sure, is
slow and, in the hope of quickening it, we ca1
atte ntion once more TO the leading facts in the
case:
Mr. Williamson told a colored woman in Pbsr
phia-what ever 80 many slayeholdlng judges had
decided through the last fifty years-that she and
her children were legally free from her former
master, having been voluntarily brought by hin
into Free State Hereupon the late slaves went
where they chose to go, and Mr.. Williamson went
about bis business, which took him that same night
to Harrisburg; and on his return, the second day
afterward, he was arrested and taken before Judge
Kane on writ Of habeas corpus, granted on tho
affidavit of the late stakeholder Wheeler. who
complained that Jane johnson and her children
had been forcibly taken away from him and were
still detained by said Williamson.
Mr. williamson made a perfectly respectful
direct and pertinent answer to this charge-namely.
that he had not taken away said persons, never
had them in his possession or custody, and did not
know here they were. This return, Judge Kane
pronounced false and evasive, therefore contempt
of Court and thereupOn sent Williamson to prison.
where he still les with no limit to his period OF
incarceration and no prospect of its termination.
The basis of this sentence is Judge kanes infer
ence that williamson return is untrue. But In
opposition to this inference, we have Williamson's
express affidavit (and nobody questions his gen
eral integrity and veracity), the circumstantd
statement of his father, fully cOrroboratiDg his
own, with the testimony Of Jane johnson In open
court on the trial of the negroes by Judge Kelly
for assault on Wheeler, and her express affidavit
in her late application on Mr. Williamson's behalf.
Unless all these perfectly consistent statements Of
unmpeached witnesses are false, then Williamsons
imprisonment is a fiagitiOus wrong, ard the asssr
ton of both Kane and Black that "he holds tho
"key of his cell in his own pocket and may como
"out whenever he sees fit" aggrayates the cruel
wrong to which he has already been subjected.
The writ of habeas corpus is writ of deliver.
ance- process for recovering liberty. 1t sM
sumed by Wheeler's application and KaDe's action
that Jane johnson is unlawfuly held in dureH
by Williamson, 90 that she cannot return 70
Wheeler. Now Jane JohnsOns testimony at Phil
adelphia and her application by affidavit to Kane
are conclusive at least on this point. She Is not
detained by williamson She Is In nowlse 10 Ills
power; she is in Boston, trying to earn an honest
living while he is mmured in Philadelphia jail
Ill
dispute as to these facts.
"But she has no status in Court" says Jadge
Kane. Why not Wheeler applies to have her
liberated from Williamson, so that she may return
to him. He in effect applies as her Champion
attorney. Why, then, has she no status
But. suppose she has not-this il not question
Of status but of fact If she never was In VII
lannon's custody nor under bis CONTROL as she
testifes, then his return was true, Judge kanes
sentence was uniounded, and it is not within VIII
LANNON'S power to liberate himself except by per-
iury Would Just Judge cavil as to the status o.
a witness who proved that he had made great
mistake and thereupon remanded an innocent man
to PRISON.
"But let Jane johnson come into court says
Kane. For WHAT Her first testimony "aa s',-
in open court, subject to crosseIsmina1on ~ y
able lawyers. Her application but repe'" ~
Why should she be required to travel once n0.s
from Boston to Philadelphia to veriy e,,''"''
which she has already given in Phllsaeipn'
But consider that Judge Kane has juaic'Ah' p~
nounced her still slave, liable TO seizure a.'.
where by Wheeler, and then say what Jug
deserves who requires her to put her ne'a INV
tigers mouth in order to be permitted s"s
testimony in behalf of an innocent man "''
he is depressing Il not this outrageous n
"A thousand illustrations Of the iaoyi"
confusion and injustice into which Judge ns1e
plunged might be given. Here Is one o. ''e
from the Lancaster (Pa.) Ind>pesdsH' way
IMPRISONMENT, soT PUsIsaMEsr-ya.SsHSydi sm,
in spes king of the Imprisonment OF Pass9o' s pas
soD, rays: He IS nor undergoing res''"'
ishmenk + -. .,ssgedi In
az such be the case, is not Judge Kane eu n DEM
an illegal procedure The courts have sIIsaed
ssh for contempt, but have never nes tam coz
that they have power to restrain any ~ thsa tho
tempt BY incarceration or any other me ws,sr.o,
fear of punishment. And II Psssmofe mi msrely
not being punished for alleged contempt, ~ leed
under going restraint we think there mn 9.,s
vay Of bringing him out Of prison immediss'y.
Williamson u not mp