The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-09-16
Judge Gholson.

! SuuSC NhVASOh'
! Tho Summit Beacon, after commenting
upon the manner in wlsch Marshal John
son, tho United States Marshal for the
Northern District of Ohio, procuros cor.
tihcates against Judge Gholson, proceeds
! thus
| We mako these observations with especial
reference to parade of afIihavits now ap-
pcaring in the democratic papers. charging
that William Y Ghulson. some fifteen years
ago. was n slavnholdcr IN Mississippi and in
December 1914. sold thron oi his slaves. he
fore his removal to Ohio. To prove this.
thcro is produced letter from Pontotoc,
Miss, written hv one T. W. RontCs to Nj
johnson. Esq. Cleveland and bills Of sale
ot two slaves. and the affidavit of Horny
DnkU to the salo of another. Those bills.
acknowledgements and certificates OF record
arc formal, and perhaps genuine aud au-
thrntic In addition to this wo have an
affidavit hy c. ii Martin. J. J. Hugh w. w.
Leland j. =. Carr and f. w Rootcs. to tn"
/ fact that Mr.. Gholson while citizen of
Mississippi was tho owner OF slaves and that
he sold his slaves before leaving this State
to remove to tho State of Ohio" Th"ee
documents arc procured by Marshal John
son. and published with great flourish in the
.NdHondt Democrat. II newspaper owned by
the Marshal aud the Cleveland Post Master.
and devoted especially to the glorfication o!
slavery and the administration.
/ Without pretending to deny.-for tho cvi.
dcnco before us if not lnrgcd.--scems snfIi
cient to establish tho fact that william Y
Gholson did in lS44 sell throc Of his slaves
~.
OF his accusors and 20 his own.
Mr.. Gholson is a native of Virginia born
and reared in tha midst Of slavery. In
early manhood 1894 himself tho posscssnr
of slaves by decent. he removed with them
to Mississippi. then tho very hot bed of
slavery and pro slareryism. AT that timo
even at tho North, public sentiment was
then neither so general or decided as now
upon that subject, while at tho South
slavery was by common consent regai doh as
unquestionaLy right. There were as thore
have always been some far seeing and re-
tirctng minds which prccuived its tenden.
clos. inHucncirs and inevitable results
Such was Mr. JrtfGrson's in his day. Sucn
was james G. Birncys. himself for long
/ years an Alabama slave holder. Such was
Stanley Matthews "A Tennessee slave holder.
who. to rid himself ana his posterity of the
/ institution. sold his slaves and for long
| period conducted ucccptahly tho leading
/ auii-slhvcry paper of the United States-thC
/ Cincinnati Hsrdld. II was not philanthropy
IN its highest manifestation with any OF
these. that first prompted them to action
but they clearly prcccived that tho whole
structure of society WAS corrupted. and that
to such n system, there could bo but one re
suit in the end. Mr. Gholson, lawyer ot
high rcpute at the Mississippi bar. dared
oven as early as 1914. in tho face of ur
unanimous public sentiment. to declare his
solemn convictions that slavery If not
peacefully done away with must terminate
in sorvilo insurrcction and bloodshod.
We do not know, and therefore will not
assert, that he emancipatod largo number
of slaves but wo do know that such has
long been tho reputcd fact in Cncinnati-
tho city of his residence. The charge is
that ho sold MrSe, aud the witnesses arc no
reluctant TO prove As much as possible -
Even they do not ventura to assert that h,
sold alt or that he did not remove II portion
to he emancipated. We believe he did -
He became obnoxious in Mississippi on nc
count of his opinions. and even now Miss
issippi paper charges him with seeking a.
an anti slavery man in Ohio. to fulfil tn,
predictions he made while living in Missis
sippi in 1914.
, MIR. Gholson possesses every legal qualifi
cation to discharge the duties of tho highes
judicial station. Hn is n pnro lawyer. IL
politician. Among those VIII" know him. n
imputation upon his charactrr MS man q
!; hlamolcs life. ard unspNtted integrity coul,
gain ono moments crehonce or hearing -
llo doubtless. regards it rs indicate an,
improper for IA candidate for the bench t.
reply to or rotate the calumnics of par
, rsan press which would find snhjrct for cavi
and removed invcctivrs. in any answer how
ever complete and conclusive.