The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-19
LAW vs.. EQUITY-A HARD CASE.

A colored man at Madison, Indiana, named
John Simmons, was distinguished some years
ago for his active sympathy with his oppressed
brethren o. the southern side of the Ohio.
His reputation as phianthropist pervaded the
whole country for miles, and, as it seems, from
subsequent judicial Investigations, he was re-
sorted to for aid and comfort" by all fleeing
victims of patriarchal tenderness, in their eff
forts to escape the halcyon influences of the
peculiar institution. To the Christian grace
of charity, honest John superadded the worldly
advantage of sleek and comely person, which
he was studious to adorn with gay apparel and
gaady trinkets. In word. our hero found
himself elevated to that dangerous position in
which :" all men spoke well" of him. The god
ly, the gay, and the philanthopic, united in
| sounding his praises and no one could have
predicted, with any chance of being attend
ed to, that one so marked as fortunes favor
tie could be subject to the vicissitudes and
dangers Of ordinary men.
But the ancients had a MAXIM that " no man
can be reckoned happy until he is dead;" and
we fear that friend John has no very brilliant
prospects, even in the land of departed spirits );
tor, like Judas, in evil hour, he was tempt
ed to betray the innocent blood-nay, he is
said to have driven a thriving trade in the law
full and Union-saving business of catching fugi
tive slaves, by Turing them to his house as
place of refuge, and then betraying them to
their chivalrous pursuers, for thirty pieces of
silver, more or less. This was the secret of
Johns thiit, and the ill-gotten revenue, out of
which he clothed himself in fine apparel, and
Jared sumptuously every day.
Unlike Judas, he had not the grace, selfcon-
victed, to go and hang himself for the first Of
fence, but persisted in the diabolical work, for
We know not how long, until he was fairly
caught. OF course, detection was sufficient to
ruin the business in which he was engaged,
since the fugitives were thereby warned to
avoid his treacherous roof John was "a con-
idence man lived and thrived on "conf-
fence and when that was DESTROYED his
q occupation was gone. But that was not all.
and not the worst. John was seized at mid
night by some of his colored brethren, who vim
dicated the higher law" by violating the low
betrayer of their kind, they inflicted upon him
such drubbing as he will long remember, &C.
companied by the wholesome warning, that if
he should ever repeat his heartless villany upon
another fugitive, his life would be the forfeit.
Though not himself believer in the "higher
law John began to feel the necessity of obey
| ing the behests of its Instruments and, so far
as is known, he has strictly refrained from their
violation in the matter of betraying fugitives.
But John has not been left wholly without
l consolation. He is friend of the Union, and
| of the compromises of the Constitution" He
IS backed by the conservative portion of socie-
| ty-by the men of property and Standing
who felt bound, by their allegiance to the laws.
to assist in bringing to condign punishment
| the reckless indicators of the "higher law. -
Black traitor though he was to his race, John
| was true to the great national panacea, the
Fugitive Slave Law, and one of the necessary
instruments of its enforcement. His case was
| calculated to awaken sympathy in conservative
l breaSts-to touch the tender consciences of the
| doughfaces-and he was with their aid and
| counsel induced to bring suit against the mid.
| night executioners of summary justice. He in.
stituted an action for damages in the Circuit
Court Of Jefferson county, in ls47, against
Elijah Anderson, colored man, resident in
Madison person, it seems, of good character
and possessed of little property. OF course
| judgment went against him. He appealed, and
protracted the case down to October, 1854; but
to no effect, except great accumulation o.
costs. A colored person named Chapman Har
ris was prosecuted in company with Anderson
but it seems that the latter has had to sustain
the pecuniary burden, amounting to some
seven hundred dollars, as we are informed on
credible authority. His house and lot in Madi
son has been sold to satisfy the Judgment, and
only small balance of his little all 4" is left
in the hands of the sheriff, as the overplus
He is a ruined man, and makes an appeal te
| the benevolent for aid in restoring him and hi,