Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-05-28
Speech of Charles Langston.

sending.
Speech of Charles Langston.
The following speech, alluded to in form
er number Of the Telegraph, was made in the
United States District Court at Cleveland,
on the 18th. LangSton had been convict
ed of resisting the fugitive slave law in the
Wellington rescue case, and in reply to the
question if he had anything to say why
sentence should not be passed upon him, he
replied . .... Il. ...-....
am for the first time in my life before a
court of Justice, charged with the violation
of law, and am now about to be sentenced.
But before receiving that sentence propose
to say one or two words in regard to the
mitigation Of that sentence, if it may be so
construed. | cannot of course, and do
not expect that which may say will in
any way change your predetermined line
of action. ask no such favor at your
hands.
| know that the courts of this country,
that the laws of this county, that the gov.
ernmental machinery of this country, are
| so constituted as to oppress and outrage
colored men, men of my complexion.
cannot of course, expect, judging from the
past history of the country, any mercy
from the laws, from the constitution, OF
from the courts of the country.
Some days prior to the 18th of Septem.
ber, lS48, happening to be in Oberlin on a
visit, | found the country round about
there, and the village itself, filed with a.
farming rumors as to the fact that slave
catchers, kidnappers, negro-stealers, were
lying hidden and skulking about, waiting
some opportunity to get their bloody hands
on some helpless creature to drag him back
or for the first time into helpless and
lifelong bondage These reports becoming
current all over that neighborhood. old men
and women and innocent children became
exceedingly alarmed for their safety. 1t
was not uncommon to hear mothers say
that they dare not send their children to
school, for fear they would be caught up
and carried off by the way. Some Of these
people had become free by long and patient
toll at night, after working the long, long
day for cruel masters, and thus at length
getting money enough to buy their liberty.
Others had become free by no means of
the good will of their masters. And there
were Others who had become free-to their
everlasting honor say it-by the intenSest
exercise of their own God given powers =
by escaping from the plantations of their
masters, eluding the blood-thirsty patr OILS
and sentinels so thickly scattered all along
their path, outrunning blood hounds and
horses, swimming rivers and fordng swamps,
and reaching at last, through incredible
difficulties, what they, in their delusion, sup
posed to he free soil. These three classes
were in Oberln, trembling alike for their
safety, because they well knew their fate
should those men-hunters get their hands
on them.
In the midst of such excitement, the
18th day of September was ushered in
day ever to be remembered in the history
of that place, and presume no less in the
history of this Court-on which those men
by lying devices, decoyed into place where
they could get their hands on him-I will
not say slave, for ! do not know that
but a nun brother, who had right to
his liberty under the laws of God, under
the laws of nature, and under the Declare
tion of American Independence.
In the midst Of all this excitement, the
news came to us like fash of lightning
that all actual seizure under and by means
Of fraudulent pretenses had been made
Being identified with that man by colcr,
by race, by manhood, by sympathieS, such
as God has implanted in us all, felt it my
duty 10 go and do what / could toward
liberating him. had been taught by my
Revolutionary father-and say this with all
due respect to him--dnd by his honored
associates, that the fundamental doctrine
of this government was that all men have
a right, to life aud liberty and coming from
the Old Dominion | brought INTO Ohio
these sentiments, deeply impressed upon
my heart went to Wellington, and hear
ing from the parties themselves by what
auGhority the boy was held in custody,
conceived from what little knowledge ]
had of law, that they had no right TO hold
him.
And as your Honor has repeatedly laid
down in this Court, Inau is free until he
is proven to be legally restrained OF his
liberty, aud believe that upon that princl-
pie Of law those men were bound TO take
their prisoner before the very hrst magls-
trate they found, and there establish the
facts set forth in their warrant, ana that
until they did this every man should presume
that their claim was unfounded, aud to in
stitute such proceedings for the purpose Of
securing an investigation as they might
find warranted by the laws Of this State.
Now, sir. if that is not the plain, common
sense and correct view OF the law, then
have been misled both by your Honor, and
by the prevalent received opinion.
II is said that they had warrant.--