Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-02-23
THE CINCINNATI SLAVE CASE.

Terminated last week so far as the examination
Of testimony and the argument of counsel was
concerned, Margaret, the mother, gave testimony
in favor ofthe children, that when herself a young
girl she was brought to Cincinnati as a nurse
The argument was that her children Subsequently
born were therefore free.
Colonel Chambers, tue counsel fo- the kidnnp-
per charged in his closing speech that Mrs. Lucy
Stone Blackwell had asked permission of the De.
putty Marshal to give Margaret a knife with which
to kill her remaining children and herself in case
they were ordered back to Slavery by the Com
missioner. Mr. Jolliffe requested OK the Commits
sioner that Mrs. Blackwell might be heard in reply
to this accusation. The request was granted
But Mrs. b. expressed a preference for speaking
Immediately after tho adjournment of the court.
Which sho accordingly did.
The Gazette reports her remarks as follows:
l am sorry thatI was not in when Col. Chambers
SAID what he did say about me, and about my
giving "A knife to the poor woman who has just
gone out. / returned to town only Yesterday or
l sDoulu have been here during every day Of this
trial. When | came here and saw that poor fugi-
tive, took her toll hardened hand, and read in her
lace deep suffering, and an ardent longing for
freedom | could not help bid her be of coed cheer.
i told her that a thousand hearts were aching for
her, and they we're glad that one child of hers was
safe with the angels. Her only reply was a look
OF deep despalr-of anguish such as no word can
speak.
l thought then that the spirit she manifested
was The same with that Of our ancestors to whom
we had erected the monument at Bunker Hill
the spirit would rather let us all go back to God
than back to slavery.
Tie faded faces of the negro children tell too
plainly to what degradation female slaves submit.
RuI IN a han yTrn I.r- III. l. ~ lrl
Killed 1T. If in her deep maternal love she felt
the impulse to send her child back to God, to save
II from coming woe, who shall say she had no
right to do so? That desire had its root in the
deepest and hottest teeliags of our nature-implan-
ted alike In black and white by our common Faith
er. VITA my own teeth would | tear open nv
veins and LEI the earth drink my blood, rather than
wear the chains of slavery. How then could l
blame her for wishing her child to find freedom
with God and the angels, where no chains are.
know nor whether this commissioner has little
children, else would appeal TO him 20 know how
ne would Ike to have them torn from him; but |
leel that he will not disregard the book which
says, "Thou shall not deliver unto his master the
servant which has escaped from his master unto
thee-he shall dwell with thee even among you, in
that place which he shall choose in one of thy
gates, where it liketh him best"
After talking with the slave woman talked with
her master, mo, | cannot say her master. for one
is your master, even CHRISTI ] told him that
these were heroic times, and that this heroic
acnon of his slave might send his namo to poste-
rity as her oppressor--or if he chose-as the
donor CT freedom. He said "if !
her back to Kentucky, l mean to make her
After she had concluded, Col. Chambers rose
and said that he was authorized by his client
to deny the statement made by Mrs. Blackwell that
he woulS free Margaret. lie said when lie got
her back to Kentucky, he would consider wether
he would free her or not.
Mrs. Blackwell repeated that he had promised
her to free Margaret, and said that this was
IN evasion. lie had told her just what she had
stated.
The Commissioner has postponed his decision
until the 18th of March. Not a very Summary"