Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-05-21


and that they had forsaken their cause as being
lost That they were justified in believing that
their entering into recoguisances OF giving bail
at this time would have been regarded 10 this
light, is proved by the dispatch which Marshal
johnson sent to the President Of the United
States on the afternoon OF the 9th, the sub
stance Of which was stated In the Washington
Constellation as follows:
The President last evening received tele.
graphic dispatch, dated at Cleveland from the
Marshal Of the Northern District Of Ohio, stat
ing that the Supreme Court of that State had
unanimously refused the writ Of habeas corpus
in the case Of the persons in bis custody, under
the fugitive slave law, and that three Of the most
respectable Of them had given bail for their ap-
pearaDce to stand their trial before the District
Court of the United States Everything was
quiet
The obvious implication Of this dispatch was
two-fold first that Northern repugnance to
the fugitive slave act had received decided
blow from the decision of the Supreme Court
and secondly, that the hearts of those who had
entertained this repuguance and had actively ex-
pressed it, were fainting under the blow. The
imprisoned felt that they could not, in honor or
in duty, justify the second intimation of this
singular dispatch, and that if they were ever to
yield it must be when the cause they loved was
not going backward, and when their yielding
would not accelerate its decline. So they wait
ed for better day, all the time longing to be
at home and about the business which sorely
needed their presence, and suffering under the
irksome constraint of prison life they eagerly
sought the place for honorable escape. They
thought they would perhaps find that place at
the close of the Langstun trial. They assured
themselves that the developments of that trial
would prove to the Court that if the testimony
for the Government was justly weighed and the
evidence for the defence was measured as it
should be, no one of the rescuers could fairly
be convicted, aud that the prosecution would
be dropped. But the end only showed judi
dicial bias stronger than before, aud a partizan
feeling on the part of the jury, which could not
rest short of verdict of guilty,
Thus was the prospect for making honorable
escape, which the imprisoned sought, made dark
er than it had yet been.
But that they might leave no stone unturned
the imprisoned presented, on Wednesday last
as from John Watson, one of their number, an
affidavit setting forth the facts respecting their
Imprisonment, and followed it with an appeal
from Mr.. Riddle, in which, reciting again their
story and asserting their rights, they demanded
either speedy trial. discharge from process, or
such correction Of, or entry upon the journal
as would permit them to occupy, without dis
credit to themselves, the position they formerly
held before the Court, But the appeal was in
vain. A bland ntimation that there was no
barrier to the liberty of the imprisoned but
"punctillio," and positive refusal to do what
was asked, was the only reply which the court
saw fit to give.
And so the incarcerated company 6nds itself
effectually shut out from all relief except such
at it cannot but scorn. To sum up the points
involved in the above history, the imprisoned
are here because an order of the court put them
here they stay here because a judicial wrong
under which they suffer is unredressed and be.
cause journal entry OF the court will not allow
them to go out without personal disgrace-the
disgrace they would suffer in virtually ac-
knOwledging that they had been guilty of
most foolish action and that they were ready to
sneak away from the dilemma in which that ac
tiOn had placed them. The selfrespect of the
imprisoned, the sense of honor which Heaven
planted in their souls, and which revered parents
carefully nuFsed, will not permit them to involve
themselves in such disgrace 1t could neusr
be with them matter Of mere "punctillio" to
avoid the dishonor to which their only chance
of escape exposes them, and notU the circum-
stances in which they are placed and the relation
which they sustain to good cause, beset and
imperilled by oppressive power, make what
might, in another case, be an inconsiderabe af.
fair, rise into duty of the greatest magnitude.
The imprisoned cannot allow it to be said that
when Freedom was assaied on her last field,
they ingloriously dropped their banner to save
themselves Inconvenience and suffering. They
are not willing to have even an appearance of
submission to tyrannical power on their part,
become pledge that the diabolica Fugitive
Slave Act is hereafter to work its own on the
| Western Reserve.
1t will be observed that in both the hstori-
cal sketch, and the summary above presented,
we for we will here drop the third person) have
laid special stress on the necessity for maintain.
ing protest against what we regard as judicial
tyranny and the point of honor which prevents
our libcrating ourselves by giving bail. Moth
ing has been said with respect to the policy oi
our course. This however is a matter which
has been constantly kept in view. We have
thought, and still think, that in various ways, a
manly and straightforward course on our part
would promote our cause. Precisely how the
maintaining of our determined protests against
what we have regarded as injustice and false
hood, would advance our interests 10 the defence
of our cases, it would not be polite for us to
say. In due time we shall give to the public a
full disclosure of the motives which have acted
on us in this direction, and we believe that such
disclosure will fully satisfy all who have doubt.
ed the prOpriety of our course that IL has heen