Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-01-20
ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
INDICTMENT OF THEODORE PARKER
AND WENDELL PHILLIPS.
II The Editor Of The NJ J. Tribune.

Sin; On the night Of Nay, %. 1854, an attack
was made on the Court House of Boston, in which
Mr.. Burns was confined on the charge of being
a slave, That night, Mcssrs, Phillips and Parker
With others, made speeches in Faneuil Hall, warn
Ing men Of the wckedress about to be rcrpctra
ted by sending an innocent man into Slayery.-
The speeches were published at the time.
Both of these gentlemen have lately been indie
ted for resisting an officer Of the United States
while ecrving the process of court for Judge
charged the grand jury that such speeches were
"mislemeanOr" under the statute Of 1890.
1t is not at all probable that the government
will bring them to Il trial, or dare to hazard the
exposure incident thereto; but as this is the first
instance of such an Indictment in Massachusetts,
for such an act, ii seems worth while to let the
public understand the facts Of the case
There is n family in Boston, which may be call
ed the Curtis Family. So far relates to this
matter in hand, it may be said 10 consist of six
persons, viz: Charles =. Curtis LAWYER and
Thomas b. Curtis, merchant, sons Of the late
Thomas Curtis; Benjamin Il. Cultis, by
birth II kinsman, and by marriage 4 son-in.law
of Charles p. Curtis, late practcing lawycr. now
aJudge of the Supreme Court of the United States
and his brother, George 7. Curtis, LAWYER and
United States Commissioner for the District of
Massachusetts, Edward G.. Lorng. a step-son Of
the late Thomas Curtis and accordingly stem
brother Of Charles =. and Thomas i. Curtis, Law
yer, Judge of Probate for Boston, United States
Commissioner, and Lecturer at the Cambridge
in-law of Charles p Curtis, merchant.
1--coSNECTIoN or THE CrETIsTs WITH THE RECENT
CASES OF KIDNAPPING Is BOSTON.
l. In 1886 Charles Z. Curtis and Benjamin r.
Curtis appeared as counsel for the slave hunters
in the famous case of the girl Med, originally II
slave in the West Indies and brought to Boston
by her mistress. Med claimed her freedom the
ground that Slavery was not recognized bv the
laws of Massachusetts, and could not exist there
,l,- ,
erat CJi3GttttJIr u fI sil,vcl from the slave
States CT ths Union. The Curtscs c0ntcuded
with all their mi m5ht-totis riyiitS, as lawyers say
that Slavery might 10y legal comfy, exist in
Massachusetts, that slaves were property by the
law OF nations; aud that ~ ownership which is
legal in the " est Indies continued IN Boston. NJ
least tar to leave the right to seize and carry
away. But the Supreme Court of Massachusetts
held otherwise,
9 After Mr.. Webster had made his speech Of
March I, lo5U, pledgiHg himself and his State to
the support ut The Fugitive Slave tll then before
Congress, TO the fullest cX. cnt," Thomas &, Cur
lis with the help OF Others goi up letter to Mr.
Webster dated Boston, March II. 1870, signed. ii
is said, 10y yoT persons, who say I'VE desire t.
express to YOU our deep obligations for what this
speech has done aud is d1ing;' You have point
ed out to the whole peoule the path Of duty have
yinced the understandings aud touched the con
science of Il nation" I'VE desire, therefore, to
express to you entire concurrence in the sent-
Inents of your speech"
9. a little later, Mr.. Webster returned to, Bos-
ton, and was raptuuusy received at the Revere
House April -, 1850, by great multitude, when
Benjamin r. Curtis made public address, and
expressed his abouudiug gratitude for his ability
and fidelity which Mr.. Webster had brought tc
tue defense Of the Constitution, and Of the Union,
and commended him as ''eminently viEllant, wst
and faithful to his country without shadow o
turning.
H. Presently, after the passage Of the Fugitive
Slave BILL at dinuerparty, at the house of n dis
tngushed counsellor Of Boston, Charles p. Curtis
declared that he hoped the first fugitive slave wh,
shoui.come to Boston would be seized and sem
back
g. Charles p. Curtis and his stop.brother, Ed
ward c. Luring. defended the Fugitive Slave bill
by writing articles published in The Boston DaH,
AdceTttSer.
G. In November, 1850 the slavc-hunters, thu,
invited and encouraged, came to Boston, seeking
to kidnap William and Ellen Craft; but they !!
vain applied to Commissioner Benz. 7. UalleL anC
to judges Woodbury. and Sprugue for warrnn
TO arrest their prey. Finally, they betuOk them
selves to Commissioner George i. Curtis, who II
once agreed to grant warrant but according t,
his own statement, in letter to Mr.. Webster, n
he anticipated resistance, and considered it very
Important that the Marshal should have more sup
port than it in his power Commissionc
to afford, he procured meeting OF the Comms
sioners, four in number, and with their aid sue
ceeded in pcrsuading the Circuit Court, then il
session to issue the warrant
I. The warrant having been issued for the sci
zure of Mr. Craft Marshal Devcns applcd to Bcni
r. Curtis for legal advice as to the degree of fore,
he might use in serving it, and whether it ougl
to be regarded as a civil or n criminal process
Geo. T. Curtis was employed by his brother t,
search for authorities ON these points. They two
together, as appears from the letter Of George y
Curtis to Mr. Webster induced Marshal Dcyans t
ask further question which rayc Benz L. Curtis m
opnortunity 10 c,me ont with an elaborate opinior
In favor Of the constitutionality of the FGgti,,
slave bill This was published in the newspapers
In order to maintain the constitutionality cf thi
act, Ben. II. Curtis was driven to assume as all it
defenders must. that the Commissioner m return