Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-12-19

This day Mr.. James Buchanan will %conmuui-
cate to Congress n very long Message, designed to
commend the princip Plies Of his party and the poll.
oy Ut his Administration, and to convince foreign
nations that we arc the freess and ~happiest and
greatest people on earth. But, lust five weeks ago
to-day, a trial was had before the County Court OF
Prince William County, W., the result Of which
concurs with many kindred, But hardly 50 glaring
incidents in giving tAe lie to these vaults. While
we are waiting for the Message, we will very brief.
ly set forth the iacts
Prince Wllliam is an agricultural county in east
ern ' virginia. strongly Democratic" IN p%,litico,
having given Pierce 53i votes to 100 for Scott, and
Buchanan 1O9 to 233 for Fillmore. At Occoquani
IN this county lives John Undcrwood--(no relative
of John G. Underwood, oxiled from Clarke County
for attending the Republican National Convention
butt a substantial citizen and whcelwright who,
though not agreeing with the the mass Of his neigh.
o9rs IN politics, is so much respected and cOnided
in that be has been for some ears n Justice Of the
Peaee. lie votes with the American party, and
supported Fillmore last year, hut, being an invct-
crate subscriber to TUE TRIpyNg, was strongly sus,
pected of 'Black RcIublicanism." Hence his
neighbors managed, during the high political OK.
citement of last season, to draw him into various
discussions, in the course Of which this native Nir-
Slnian was impelled to say that he would sooner
vote for Fremont than for Buchanan. The evi.
uence addused on the trial proceeds:
Dawson then said, You must he an Abolition.
lst / lie said, i am! The defendant during the
conversation said be considered a negre inst as
good as he was, and ought to have the same privil
eyes. In the conversation. defendant said we sail
descended from Adam and Eve that they were
tue father and mother of usall.
q The defendant ON another occasi sion in said store
when he and others were talking on politics and
other subjects, in January, 1857. said tina. Slavery
was an evil to the country and to the State, and
that 1t would put more ueople on an oqualityi if the
slaves were free = and during the conversation he
said that if he was a slave, and killing his master
would free him, he would do it. The last CONVEX
sation wac in the presence of four or five whitJ
persons, who were acquaintances Of defendant
that ut both OF thess conversations much was said
which witness does not remember. There were
no negroes present at any of the conversations"
Such was the substance of the evidence ad-
duced rgainst him on fair trial five weeks ago to-day
For the defense, it was shown that he lastJanuary
after the alleged conversations, and before be
was prosecuted for his share in the m--sat as one
of the Justices on the Trial of FIVE slaves of G.. L
Green for the murder OF their master, and united
in finding the prisoners guilty and c~ordemning
them to death. This was the whole case.
The chargeon which Mr.. Underwood was indict.
ed and tried was that of "uttering and maintain
ing that owners have no right of property in
slaves. A very old aud seldom quoted statute OF
Virginia IN aking his indictable ofenso. Mr.
Underwood was convicted Of having violated it,
and feOd $3.50 A motion for new trial was
overruied, and n motion for arrest of judgement
ont he ground Of the unconstitutionality of the &C
aforesaid was denied by the Court. To this deci
sion his counsel have taken a bill of exceptions
but there is little doubt thatithe verdic> will be sus
tanned, and the defendant nearly or quite eaten u
by the fine and costs.
s1s Reader when you read in the forthcoming Mes
sage that this is land of matchless freedom and sect
rity for the rights of persons-niggers excepted, {
c~ourse-just think Of the case of the white matt
Virginian and Justice Of the Peace, John Undeo
wood