Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-02-05
INTERESTING REMINISCENCE.

suit.
INTERESTING REMINISCENCE.
In the discussion of the Parsons bill in the House
OF Delegates on Saturday Mr.. HoGE Of berkeley re-
lerrci TO the action OF State OF Maryland in si9, i'll
regard 10 one OF s citizens, Jonathan Little who was
arrested end imprisoned in Pennsylvania, upon II
charge Of Kidnapping when, in fact, he was recap IL
ring fugitive slave.
The facts of this case. OF interest now from IL sim
arty To that OF Mr.. Parsons, sufficiently set forth
in the letter Of Mr.. Faulkner OF Berkeley to the Gov.
ernor OF Maryland, which, NJ the request Of scvera!
members ot the House Of Delegates, we repubiiah
this morning:
1t may be proper 10 add, thu, the formal action Of
the State ut Maryand, wns not without effect. We
believe a n0i'c pr0scYH' was entered By the prosccu
ting aitorncy-at all events, Little was discharged
from custody wirhou; delay:
MARYLAND LEGlSLATl'RE.
On the lltn day o! January 1870, Gov. THoNAs
transmitted Special AcSSGs {" ;hc General Assem-
blv of MARYLAND accompanied by the following letter
rr6m CHARLES JAMES FAuIK>IK. Esq. ri Berkeley
County, Virginia.
MARriysBuRG, Berkeley County, Va.
Dcceinbe- 10th, lSi2. :
To Hs ETcsESncy
t;Or Thomas ot Maypiand:
SIK;-I have tho honor herewith of enclosing to
You TWO aiidnvits taken undcr my direction to-day,
touching n matter that cannot fail. think. IA arrest
Your attention. rs the Executive organ %! tho State
of Maryland.
1t is proper Tor me to explain 10 ynu how it has
Cured that !, citizen Ul Virginia, should bc the
Il.dium of Inviting your attention 10 this cas".-
About ten davs AGO. u letter from jonathan Little
addressed To his wife NJ Clcar,pring, Washington
county, Maryland, detailing tie attractions "rcumsnn.
ccs ui his imprisonment in the Jail of Huntingdon
county. Pennsylvania. Wa l!accd IN my hands 10y
her friends citizens ui State tndj WAS consult.
c us 10 The proper course 10 be pursued for h- relief!
wns informed that lit;e had been arrested IN De-
:n!rcr 1919. upon the false charge al k'iH0pPH". and
thrown INTO jail. when IN fact and III TRUTH hc wa~
lawfully rccapturn. fugitive slnv" from the State
Of Mnry!nni thu. since his arrest. he has been
fined "a Il iiarrow CELL lian-cuii:d and heavily IRON
ed, subccir! I" great lndgi"s, and treated III al
respects with the severity I" one {" III" r!!cs; "i e'-
ons and Inalcac;"rs. That when The witnesses v"Inn-
t,crcd at gr.a; Inconvenience and cost to Themselves,
20 attend his tria, a the N0"cmber Court last ("
tnbisl hi- innocence under the !nw by proof :" the
facts the trial postponed upon III" inna nlsrra:
blc shifts and cvu-ve prct-Nt- that Little Is poor ani
rnnhl.. 10 employ counsel; that IN the section ui
Pennsylvania where he is incarcracd, it i extreme
" difficult 10 obtain the services "f counsel III such
,ases and then only upon cXprbhnt compensation,
and that such is IN. brutal crOclty and nacisn at
the population, displayed upon ali occasions where
sloyrs nre concerned, that rcsid" counsel there are
overayed md paraizcd in their efforts for their c!l-
cu,s that the witnesses upon whom the prisoner re-
lies To prove his innocence, are poor men, unable to
Lrnr the expenses nf 80 long II journey without com
,.usa,iun and that unless protection. public nr
nrjyat, beyond the limits al the State al PrnnSyiVa-
na is extended to him i'll his present d"p"rabe con-
dt!on that the prisoner will, for the simple oztrcl-"
Of an owledsed constitutional right. through the
chicanery md cUutrlvances "f his tanh'lca, opprS
sors in all probability, for the bnnncc vi his iIi" be
CONSIGNED to the pcnitcutary ot Pennsylvania |
told them that ii ;hns" facts were satisfactorily sS-
tanned by aiiidavs, thought it case proper for the
action of the Executive of the State OF MarylnnI; not
of course in making any demand tor hIs release from
Jail, for he must abide his trial under the Laws and
Constitution Of his country but that yonr Excclency
wos|d appropriatc from the Contingent Fdnd. always
t,r uropcr purposes nj the disposal "i every EX"cu-
five so much as might be found necessary, to engage
able and intrepid counsel to appear III his defence
md to efray lie necessary EXPENSES ni WitncSse
,ybnsc prescuce might be important at the trial. Ii
occurred e: me- that in addition to this pcCunary MD,
there was an importance vt no !IGh. character I" be
attached To- the active Intcrposition hi the STATE pi
Maryland in such case. nave assumed IN my
course that the government of Maryland, having an
identify of interest and feeling would regtr! the case
ms feel well assured it would he regarded by lie
government of Nircnin, if citizen "i this common
wealth were now in the SITUATION of Jonathan Little:
hnznrd nothing in saying that we would cXpcnd
the last dollar in our Treasury before would suffer
n citizen of Virginia TO lie incarccratcd i'll "h;h-
some celia victim of brutal fanaticirm, when tine
attack upon that citizen il purp"sey and deliberately
DESIGNED io e al attack upon our vital nSiitnion-
rather thnn fail extend 10 him NIL the legitimate
and constitutional MD in orr power.
This is not Il case for individual action, nor for
priyae Iberality. II Is cmphatlcay State affair.
rhe judicial power oil the commonwealth Of Pcnnsy!.
yania is invoked by blind and reckless fanatics and
abolitious;s to crush n citizen OF Maryland for lend
na his aid and assistance to maintain and preserve
n vital institution of your State. 1t is under the
hieM Of her sovereignty, that this injustice and op-
nression are practiscd. 1t is essential 10 the safety
If the prisoner lit is material 10 the preservation OF
the institution Of Slavery, that some power, hiGher
than tba, of mere ndvdual should be seen TO sym
nathize in his wrongs and to step forward III hrs
ief.nce. The cause of Jonathan LittIe is the com
mon cause of every Shareholder in the Cnion;-t Is
more especially the common cause ot every slave
holder in Maryland from your continual exposure 10
similar outraces aud, because he is citizen oi Mary
land and las right v look to yo" S!aeior pTotcctoh
and defence. c,.... ,,o,,..s .,
nc tho rslrt to seize nnd recapture our liSiiifc
Slaves in every State and Territory over WINCH Us
nnwer extends. 1t is provision, without; the ad"p-
i;nr NJ which, not one Southern State would ever
ho,,, hocome party TO the existing Federal compact.
Tha LEGISLATION and action of the non slavchniding
s,ut,s undcr this sacred and fundamental guaranty
| b Constitution, exhibit perhaps the mosi striking
ond o,rocious example of violation ot pubic ialtE,
bot is to be found in the annals o' modern history
I've can expect nothing from them. lhe Whole
cours.. Of their legislation is conirived as to en-
borr,ss defent and destroy our rights. Congress
hs. so far, failed 70 perform the hlgh duilcs "hch
h. CONSTITUTION has devoved upon it, and such IS the
rocress of ianacism in that body, that would exhi-
t sr insane creduity to suppose that any adequate
'rov;son W, will ever be adopted by them to protect
and enforce our rights. We are consequently;
,hrown back upon ourselves to repel agSreSsion anu
:" Cusrd our rights from invasion. And if the South
10 .s States do not prove faithful and true to their
, interests and to the rights oil their own citizens
desperate and degraded must our condition become,
This pending prosecution in Huntingdon county +
o,a nf tbos. rabid abolitionarv movements, wnich
~ not limited in its results 10 the individual fa'e'
hard as that may be- Of Jonathan Little. II phr
I nin,. in this act fatal stab ut the lIis''fu-
Ion Of slavery. lis purpose TO deter all per:"Ess
hereafter from going 10 Pennsy'vnna IN h,"t ,ba "s
nus,;,nionol rights OF the STAKEHOLDER, and 10 null