The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-24

| right TO abolish Slavery, even without compen-
sation to the masters. But we must conclude
our extracts with the following passage, which
he emphatically adopts from Mr.. Jefferson:
" You must approach it-you must bear it
you must adopt some plan Of emancipation, or
worse will follow" .
/ Such was the sentiment prevalent among the
enlightened minds of Virginia twenty-seven
years ago. Who will have the courage to
break the long silence of the public conscience ?
We should have hopes of Governor Wise, but
for his vain expectation of Presidential
nomination. Perhaps the great work is left
for younger men, whose minds are less sophisti-
Gated by following the crooked policy of the old
and corrupt parties of the day.
LAW AND LIBERTY IN THE SOUTH.
We have often called attention to the fact
that there can be no real liberty for white men
where Slavery, even black Slavery, exists.
That institution is not only a deadly foe to
freedom of speech and of the press, but even
! life and personal liberty of the dominant class
are not safe where it exists. A Southern born
STAKEHOLDER enjoys not his lordly prerogative of
| free motion beyond contingency. 1t is only
necessary for an enemy to whisper that he is
an abolitionist in disguise, and all his proud
pretensions are gone forever He has no secu-
rity,' even in the courts of law, which in times
of excitement are as much the organs Of the
mob as the Lynch courts themselves.
A striking illustration of this truth is fur
nishcd in the case Of DR.. w. Russell Palmer,
of West Tennessee. This gentleman is a ma
tive of North Carolina He resided some years
in one of the Northwestern States, and after
wards returned to the South, married widow
lady owning large number of slaves, and set.
tied near Memphis. II seems that domestic
difficulties arose, and that he separated from
his wife. A suit was instituted before the Ten
nessee courts in regard to the property, inclu-
ding the slaves and was decided in his favor
The family and friends of bis wife conceived
bitter hatred of him, as might be expected.
Such was the state of his domestic relations
when the affair at Harper's Ferry occurred.
A few days after that event became known
over the country, an anonymous person, sign
ing himself "a Traveller" wrote to Governor
Wise, enclosing him letter addressed to Cap
tain John Brown, and purporting to be writ
ten by one Lawrence Thatcher, of whom no.
body seems to know anything. The Travel
Ter stated in note to the Governor of Vir-
ginia that he came into possession of the letter
to Brown under the following circumstances
As he was travelling by railroad from Phila-
delphia to New York, he saw young man
drop letter just as he was in the act Of getting
out of the cars at way station. The " Trav-
eller" states that the unknown loser of the letter
got out SO hurriedly, and the cars moved off so
instantly, that he had not time to pick up and
return the letter. He accordingly examined it
at leisure, and found it addressed to Captain
John Brown, at Harper's Ferry and suspect
ing that it was of reasonable nature he at
once forwarded it to the Governor of Virginia
The latter opened and read it. 1t contained
a statement of long interview between the
writer Thatcher, and Palmer The latter, ac-
cording to this epistle, is one of the most disn-
terested Williams of whom we have ever read.
He is represented as stating to the author of
the letter that the great object of his life is to
foment spirit of instruction among the slave
population, and drill them in the arts of war;
To this end, he married the rich widow with
the plantation stocked with fat negroes. what
a pity John Mitchers unlueky stars carried
him to Knoxville instead of Memphis He
would not have betrayed his trust.) Palmer
was base enough to make this mercenary
match, not for the purpose of selling the
widows fifty negroes for fifty thousand dollars
in New Orleans, as any sensible khave would
have done, but with the object of setting them
free, after instructing them in the most ingeni
GUS methods of numbering his neighbors.
Governor Wise was impressed with the i'm
portance of this development, and forwarded it
post haste to the Governor of Tennessee. The
latter forwarded it without delay by trusted
and responsible agent, Col Burch, to the local
authorities of Memphis, who at once conceived
most ingenious device for entrapping Palmer
into confession Of his guilt. Accordingly,
shrewd fellow named Meacham was instructed in
the part he was to play a detective. He repair
ed to the lodgings of Palmer at one of the hotels,
and represented himself as an abolition emissary
from Indiana. Palmer received him civilly, but
told him that he was no abolitonist; that he had
no sympathy with Brown, and advised Meach
am to return home. He appealed to Palmer's
magninimity not to expose him, since he had
put himself in his power. The latter told him,
that although a Southern man, he was a friend
of Northern men, and that he had nothing to
fear; but advised him to leave Immediately.
Meacham approached him second time, but
Palmer refused to hold further communication
with him.
Such is the story, as told in the Memphis
Arulanche. The snare entirely failed of its OBJ
iect, but the confidence reposed by the Mem
phis authorities and the agent Of the Governor
in the anonymous letter was mistaken, and
Palmer was arrested. To effect this end, Col
Burch took the required oath that he had rea-
son to believe Palmer guilty, thus doing justice
to the sagacity of Governor Harris in selecting
him for the important Office.
The sheriff, whose name is Bird, very proba-
bly, General Bird, certainly nothing less than
Colonel Bird, made the arrest of Palmer about
twelve o'clock at night, and lodged him in Jail.
A day or two afterwards, the case was exam
ined before the court Col Burch was intro
duced, on the part of the State, as witness.
He could only prove that he was sent down to
Memphis by the Governor, armed with the
anonymous letter duplicating Palmer. Mea