The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-10

Mr. Corwin commented sharply upon the in.
equality of such Law, which placed the whole
U. s. army, navy, aud treasury, at the disposal
of slave owner, to reeapture his property. BE
thought it monstrous, although necessary, be-
cause, when men sought power which God Al.
mighty had never given, they had to maintain
il by means He had never sanctioned.
The law was to be obeyed; but if anything
more was to be conceded by the North, he didn't
know what it was to be. BE contended for the
strict Interpretation of the Law, and reasoned
from the plain meaning of the clause referred
to above, that it was the same as, " so that he
shall preoent,n DC. 1t is conceded, he said, by
the prosecutor and by the Judge, that you may
give food to the hungry, and shelter to those
who need it. Here Mr.. Corwin paused to
take up his glass Of water, but immediately put
it down, and, lifting up his voice till it rang
through the room, be said, with his eyes fash
ing, and his form erect don't care what
may be the opinion Of the prosecutor. No
matter what II may be. There is no law that
shall prevent me from doing ss the Great
Father commands, give bresd TO him who needs
it, and to the weary man shelter from the storm
[Clapping Of hands, which was promptly check.
ed by the Court. This you may do, and not
aid and abet him to escape. IF slave crawl
up to You, if he have wife-slaves have wives !:
it is said that slaves have hearts and affec-
tions-Judge Mclean says they have souls,
but that is not clear under the laws of Kentucky,
laughter If such an animal creeps up to the
poorest man in Ohio, Who supports himself BY
his daily labor, or to the residenoe of the rich
est man, and rays, 81 am fleeing from my
master have been without food for days |;
hunger has reached out its skinny finger and
clutehed my throat; give me food, and let me
rnako- fharo 20 L. :.1 10 <xo.
it, unless he hurries him away from his master
| may take the vilest thief that haunts the gut.
ters of your city, when he has broken from the
penitentiary, and feed him till he is fat and
there is no law to punish me.
Shall it be said that man aids the fugitive
to escape, because he does not suffer him to
starve? Shall twelve honest men of high mo-
rality, imbued, with the spirit of Christianity
punish man who has obeyed the direct pre-
cepts Of j sus of Nazareth ? There is no such
lawl There never wasl No STAKEHOLDER could
enact such law. 1t is impossible
In the 18th or 9th chapter of Matthew,
you will find that when we come to stand before
the great Judge, He will say to the good: Be.
cause ye have given me bread and water, and
shelter, have done just what Connolly did, 20
to my right hand among my sheep-to the
others, Depart, because ye have not done it.
This doctrine has been taught in your Sunday
schools; there is not girl IL years old in the
city who has not read it; it has become moor
porated in your community. And shall it be
pretended that there is law to forbid this?
Why, what strange anomaly would church
be, founded on the other principle The par.
son would say, because you have starved q
man, ye shall 60 away into everlasting life. By
this shall ye know that ye have passed from
death unto life, because you have killed mig
ger Shall it be pretended that Law can be
made, commanding us to violate, not Christian.
ty only, but the common feelings of humanity
Let it not be believed till the gentleman Mr..
Matthews has gone to his grave, with solemn
ties which he never could have had, if he propa.
gated such Internal doctrine.
Mr.. Corwin explained the letters and Con-
nelly's conduct on the hypothesis that be was
the victim OF a conspiracy amongst some of the
Marshals, whose populations in the Gaines case
he bad been instrumental in exposing. One of
these men having decoyed away the slaves, asks
Connolly to let them 60 to his room. With that
generous, reckless confidence which he gives
every one, he answered, Yes. Then this per.
fdious rascal, this scoundrel, goes to COL With
ers-there's a Teller by the name of Connolly,
who reports for newspaper, that's got your
niggers. But you mustn't tell who told you
and COL Withers promises never to reveal it.
Why does that villain skulk from public obser-
walton, if he only revealed the whereabouts OF
some fugitves? You lawyers understand why.
Does innocence shun light? 1t is willing to
be known. All this the U. s. Government
knew; the District Attorney knew; the Mar.
shals knew. l ask you whether the Govern.
ment of the United States is likely to add to
its lustre by employing liars, spies, common
informers, to execute its great purposes of pre-
| serving the entirety, unity, and harmony of the
Republic?
Here Mr.. Corwin took sip of something in
tumbler, and was watched by the jury, who
were very thirsty, quite intently. As he set
down the glass with that indescrihable look OF
his, ne said That's not bad. l saw you cast
a wishful eye on it'll
| What's the next step? Let's take a general
view. Seven Marshals being told by one oil
their number that some one who wrote out notes
somebody who cut down the fees of the Mar.
shals Sll 900, was in fix Now was the time
to nab him, and then we'd see he didn't Gu,
down any more $ll 900.
Commissioner Newhall, filled With patriotic
desire to prevent q dissolution of the Union
thereupon issues q warrant for the arrest Of
two negroes, believing those two negroes TO be
the chosen instruments of the Devil to break
up the Union, and spread misery ali over the
| world. He con6des the warrant to these worthy
instruments, the Marshsls, and at 10 O'Clock the
consecrated host moves forth. They are devoted
to the preservation of the Union and the main
tenance of universal freedom. The banner Of
the United States waves over them they are
paid from the United States Treasury they
have at their command the forces at the bar
racks; they can call out the zoe, 900 militia Of
Ohio, to catch niger or break q window. 81
| 90 IN 10 off L.
guard of this chosen band leads on, and We
next have him, shaking himself, like q raccoor
into hen roost, through the transom window
Meanwhile the other wings of the forces &c
about the building. Some guard the lower
entrances-others go upon the roof.
In the Indian Notifications, they had high
towers, where they could watch the enemy from
afar. l imagine one of the videttes on the
roof, looking around, casting his anxious eyei
beneath, above, and far away in the direction
of Ashtabula county, in expectation of seeing
the broad face of Joshua r. Giddings. The
laughter, which had been loud enough all along
here reached its climax, and for some minutes
the court, the marshals. and the spectators, wers
unable to keep their faces sober Why els,
did they go on the house2 They didn't expec
to find niggers, like the Pharisees, saying thei1
prayers on the house tops If the command
ant of these forces took any military view o
the matter, this must have been his intention
He had a commission in his pocket from Com
missioner Newhall, stamped with the broad
seal, the radiant lustre of the Republic, in BIZ
jacket pocket. That banner in which you *
delight was with him. Yes, we see that ban
ner which has carried defiance and death to al
its foes, which has Redeemed the sea with The
blood of its enemies, that emblem of the msj
esty of the United States, spread ont over them
and snaked into transom window Whist die
the niger doP Hadn't he right to fear kid