St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-06-16
The Colcred Emmet.

There is striking likeness between
the speech given below, and that of the
Irish patriot, Emmet, which has SO often
thrilled the hearts Of all lovers Of human
So ssil.. *ssss&s- 4' @'sS "
A1eSoon. IL, ~ v,..$ - -ts ..r:1. .
The speech was made at the Trials,
which have BEEN going on in Cleveland
before the United States Court, in which
about fifty persons were charged with aid
ing boy to escape ffoma set Of biped
blood hounds who had caught, and were
taking him to KENTUCKY to sell his body
and soul in the Man Market which is the
one damning blot on our National es-
cutcheon. - :~s,.,-..... -. g.. -.
This speech will be read as memento
of American injustice, when the names of
the judges before whom it was delivered
shall have passed from the memory of
MANI Ed: :DEal.l :.>@>-.. = IT, ::.t: ,;.::s.:
Mr.. Langston rose. '':>; '.*.'
The Court-You also have been tried
MIR: 14angston, by a jury, and convicted Of
q violation Of the crinlinal laws OF the United
States. Have you or your counsel any
thing to say why the sentence Of the law
should not be pronounced upon you !?
Mr.. Langston- I am for the first time
in life hetpre Court Of j ustice, charged
with the Violation of law, and am now a.
bout to be sentenced. But before. receiv-
ing that scntence-so unjust-I propose
to say one or two words in regard to the
mitigation of that sentence, if it may be
so construed: I cannot Of course, and do
not expect that which may say will in
any way change your predetermined line
OF action. I ask no such favor at your
hands.
know that the Courts of this country,
that the laws Of this country, that the gov
ernnlental machinery OF this country, are
so constituted as to oppress and outrage
coloced men, men Of my complexion. I
cannot then, Of course, expect, judging
from the history Of the country, any mer-
cy iron the laws, from the constitution, or
from the courts Of this country.
Some days prior to the 18th OF septcm-
Der, 1858, happening to be in Oberlin on
a visit, found the country about there,
and the village itself, filed with alarming
rumors as to the fact that slave-catchers,
kidnappers, negro-stealecs were lying and
skulking about, waiting some opportunity
to get sAeir bloody hands upon some help
less creature to drag him back-or ior the
the first time into helpless and lifelong
bondage. These reports becoming current
all over the neighborhood, old men and
women and innocent children became ex-
cecdingy alarmed for their safety. 1t
Was not uncommon to hear mothers say
that r;4ey dare not send their children to
school, Tor fear they would be caught up
and carried of 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
means of the good will Of their masters
And there were others who had become
free--to their everlasting honor I say it
by the intensest exercise Of their own
God-giyen powers;-by escaping from the
plantations OF their masters, eluuing the
blood thirsty patrols and sentincis so thick
" scattered along their path, outrunning
bloouhounds and horses, swimming rivers
anu tording swanps,' and reaching at last
through incredible difficulties, what they
in their delusion, supposed to be free soil.
These three classes were in Oberlin, ,tremb-
bling alike for their safety, because they
well knew their fate should those. men.
hunters get their hands on them. 80. ~ !
!! In the midst Of such, excitement the
18th. dayGof September was zushered 2 in,
u day ever to be remembered in the histo,
ny ofthat place, and { presume no less in
the history Of this Court--on which those
men by lying devices, decoyed into a place
where they could Jay their hands on him-I
WI not say q, slave. 1or. do: not know
thate-but q man, = brother, who had,
right to his liberty under the laws of God,
under the laws Of Nature and upderu the
Declaration Of American independence; j.. |:
I: In the midst Of all this excitemen ut, the
news came to US like 9 flash, 81 lightning
that an actual seizure under1and by means
Of fraudulent pretensess had been made.
Icing identified. with that smans by CO.
lor, by race,tby manhood; by sympathics,
such; as God has implanted in ussIial; +
8 telt It my duty to- go.and do whatsI could,
toward Aberating him. i had BEEN Taught
by 1nJy y fe Yolutio iohary fathe s----andu 4 say
TINS With l,aue respectto him and by
his honMores5 M associates, that thefu1daiuen.i
! tai ldpetFshe OF this, government wasiE that
all men men have a right life rand Liberty
and coming from sthe,r Old Dominion: I
brought into Ohio, these sentiments, deep,
~ impressed upon my heart. II went, tol
" ellington, and hearing from thet parties
themselves by what authority 1.-The boy was
held In custody, conceived, ffftom what lit.
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