The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-08-03
THE PHILADELPHIA SLAVE CASE

A somewhat novel case has SFnc NJ in
tho U. 8. Cour, a, Philadelphia. MIR. Jshn
H. Wheeler lei. Wa1iug,On oa tho ls'h
under an order from G6Iernmena to embark
a, New York from Nicaragua, to WHOA
country he is the accredited Minister OF lAds
Rcpublio. Ho had with him three coloEed
pcrsons, a woman and two boys, whom no
STYLED his servants. Tho party reached
Philadelphia and wen, on board a eNa'
which was just starting for Now fstR.--
While the boat was lying in tho river,
gentleman named Williamson went aoo%d'
and having been told that the co'orod peop''
desired 10 bo free, he approached mo wo-
man, asking her "if she knew her rish's--
II sho knew ,ha, by law she was ftca'"--
The diplomats, objected to these proceed
ings on the part OF Mr.. williamson and
,,ou,ly declared that tho colored lady dh
no, desire freedom, though she asserted tho
contrary. While tho dispute was sning ON,
several colorcd men camc aboard, took tho
woman and her two sons. and conveyed
them from tho boa, sinco which wo tc-
lieve they have no, been heard from. Ihe'o-
upon Mr.. Wheeler applied 10 Jadse hoso
for wri. OF habeas corpus, directing N.
Williamson TO bring in tho bodies OF mo
three rescued persons. Mr.. Williamgon
responded to tho writ, by ayerring 'hs, tSo
bodies mentioned therein had NOT been
in his custody a, any time, and wota nos
now. A, tho hearing before tho Judge,
Wheelcr's attorney moved that Mr.. VIII
hanson bo held for con,omp, in mokipg
false return, and also 10 answer TO chafgo
of wiiul perjury. Tho Judge passed over
tho maion for contempt, bu, required Ne.
Williamson 10 give bail on tho chaIqeo
perjury.
There is perhaps no great reason sos sor-
prise a, a stretch Of authority on tho par, o
Judge Kane. in case lGo this, whore tho
question Is between man claiming 70 ooa
other men Ike cattle, and another who hos
informed the chattels Of their rights and put.
them in tho way Of becoming In facf, %
they were in law, their own proprle,ors.-
Still, II is difficult 10 understand on whsi
principle no held Mr.. Williamson fos POI
jury, in swearing that no had no, tho cos
,ody Of these emancipaicd blacks. That
they wero legally cnnncipa,cd will, wo
presume, no, be dispue.i, sinco ,hey had
been brough, into Freo State voluntarily
by their former master. Nor will u bo do
MED ,ha, |, was tho privilege Of M: WI
hanson TO 80 inform thsm, II he chose 10 DO
il. Indeed. as 10 all tho Sharges ptcf1rod
against him, wo fail to discover q shadow
Of evidence whereon 10 baso them. Il does
not appear tina, tho people over Sose In h's
keeping; and II they wero not, thro has
been neither contempt nor perjury 10 Tho
case.
We do no, perceive bow !, Is 10 DO shown
,ha, any crime has been committed, cSscp
!, be cnmo 10 inform slaves who aniyc "a
The FREQ S,alos that they afe no lOngc
slaves. Tha, Mr.. Wheeler feels mo los
ho has sustained, Is very probable. Tho
old lady and the two boys wcre wc,p 10
him some hundreds OF dollars in Carolina.
lie Is entitled to sympathy in his mistOr-
tune from all persons similarly situa,ed.--
Bu, after all, he can blame no ono bu, hitn-
SELF lie should not have brought Dis "prop
oriy" into tho Free States. As q diploms,ist
learned in the laws Of nations, no should
have known that il ceased to bo ''propsfty'',
the instant il Sc, foo, on the soil Of Freedom.
lfSlaveholders will bring their Slaves whcp
they can no longer be, they must iaac tho
consequences. Neither accusations ofper.
jury nor cou'cmp, Of Cou'., b'oush, against
aboli:ionists, can restore tho is,icrsto tho
limbs Of those who have ,hus been endow-
ci with The supreme right TO tho csnifol of
their persons and tho "puruit Of happi'
ness" in thoir own way.-N. T. Tribune.
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