Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-09
THE PHILADELPHIA SLAVE CASE.

The Slave Case in Philadelphia, of which we
last week Published an imperfect account, has
since, in consequence of the extraordinary legal
proceedings instituted by the claimant, and the
decision of Judge Kane, become invested with
deep interest to the friends of Freedom. The
claimant, or owner, of the slaves, a woman by
the name of Jane johnson and her two little
boys, turns out to be Col. Wheeler, OF North
Carolina, the recently appointed U. s. Minister
to Nicaragua, who had purchased the woman and
her children in Virginia, had resided with them
in Washington, and was now on his way with
them, by steamboat, via Philadelphia, to New
York, from which he was to sail to his destina-
ton In Central America. After the woman had .
been apprised, by Mr.. Passmore William
son, the Secretary of. the old Anti-Slavery
Society of that city, with whom she of her own
accord, communicated, through the colored SER
wants of the hotel, that she could not be there
holden as slave, and after she and her children
had been conducted away and secreted by the
friendly blacks, Wheeler, it appears, applied for
redress to the notorious United States Judge,
Kane, who, prompt as usual to move in aid Of
SHAREHOLDERS, took upon himself to issue writ
Of Habess Corpus, as strange as was its applica-
ton, and ordered it to be served on Mr.. Will
hanson, to COMPEL him to produce the escaped
slaves Or pay tor them. To this summons, Mr..
Williamson made return that the slaves were
not in his possession, or within his power, SO
that he could produce them: whereupon Judge
Kane ordered MIR. Williamson into the custody
of the United States Marshall for alleged D" con-
tempt of Court in making such a return, and
committed him to prison, in the close cells of
which he now lies to await the sentence of this
modern JeGerles for contempt, ana to be held
answerable for the price Of the escaped slaves.
Wheeler, also, had several Of the blackmen who
conducted off the slaves, arrested for riot and
robbery, and brought before Judge Kelley, o
State Judge, who, at once, admitted them to
bail, and signifed bis intention to allow them
jury trial. .......
Such are briefly the facts, and such at present
is the situation, of this extraordinary case, in
which U. S. Judge has assumed the power to
imprson citizen of sovereign State, who has
violated no law of his State, or of the United
States; for he was guilty Of melting no riot,
committed no breach of the peace, and simply
announced to the Slave mother, what she had
asked to know, that, by the laws of the State
where she had been landed by the voluntary &C,
of her master, she was free woman. Yet, not
wthstanding all this, the Slave-catcher Kane,
acting under the guise Of q U. s. Judge, in de-
'tiance Of all law and precedent, has arraigned
this man, and thrown him in felon's dungeon
We say in defiance of all law and precedent
for there is nothing better settled in American
law, by Southern as we'll as Northern decisions
that when stakeholder voluntarily brings slaves
into State where Slavery does not exist, he
frees them by his own act. ,..-....
This case is chiefly important as exhibiting thu
progress of the Slave Power is making in it
cherished scheme of bringing over our National
Judiciary to the legalization of Slavery in al
the Free States ; and the developments of every
succeeding year shows how alarminglyl rapie
is that progress. Indeed, we believe that ma
jority Of the Supreme Court of the United
States are already prepared not only to affirm
such decisions as that of Judge Kane, but t.
overrule the decision Of Judge Paine, of New
York, as soon as that case shall reach them
together with all other decisions by which q
slave can possibly gain his Freedom in any part
the Union. And when the South have brought
the Supreme Court to this, we do not see wha
more they will want to make Slavery Nationa
Institution. -lst 4,.ts lis.- 4.. p ...t.