The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-09-15

by another of ITS provisions be helplessly
doomed to life long bondage, without the
possibility Of escape. ~
Some may say that there is no danger of
free persons being seized and carried off as
slaves. No one iieed labor under such a de-
lusion. Sir, four of the eight persons who
were first carried back under the act of 1850,
were afterward proved to be free men. They
were free persons, but wholly at the mercy
of the oath of one man. But last Sabbath
afternoon letter came to me from gentle
man in st. Louis, informing me that young
lady who was formerly under my instruc-
tons at Columbus free person, is now ly-
ing in the Jail at that place, claimed as the
slave of some wretch who never saw her be-
fore, and waiting for testimony from rela-
tives at Columbus to establish her freedom.
could stand here by the hour and relate
such instances. In the very nature of the
case they must be constantly occurring. A
letter was not long since found upon the per-
son ola counterfeiter when arrested, address,
ed to him by some Southern gentleman in
which the writer says: ..uE..2 e... ..s.. -....E g
"Go among the niggers; find out their
marks and scars ; make good descriptions
and send to me, and I'll find masters for
| 'em." .ss ,.-s. usf --lraa -..-..... ....
That is the way men are carried shack" to
slavery. ar sr.r r.rsa'a.rgsna
But in view 0! all the facts, say, that, if
ever again man is seized near me, and is
about to be carried southwark as slave be-
fore any legal investigation has been had,
shall hold it to be my duty as held it that
day, to secure for him if possible legal in
quiry into the character of the claim by which
he is held. And go further; say that If
it is adjudged illegal to procure even such an
investigation, then we are thrown back upon
those last defenses Of our rights which can
not be taken from US, and which God gave
us that we need not be slaves. ask your
Honor, while say this, to place yourself in
my situation, and you will say with me, that
if your brother, if your friend, if your wife,
if your child, had been seized by men who
claimed them as fugitives, and the law of the
land forbade you to ask any investigation,
and precluded the possibility of any legal
protection or redress,-then you will say
with me, that you would not only demand
the protection of the law, but you would call
in your neighbors and your friends, and
would ask them to say with you, that these
your friends could not be taken into slavery.
And now thank you for this leniency,
this indulgence, in giving a man unjustly
condemned by tribunal before whom he is
declared to have no rights, the privilege of
speaking in his own behalf. know that it
will do nothing toward mitigating your SEN
tence, but it is privilege to be allowed to
speak, and thank you for it. I shall sub
NIT to the penalty, be it what it may. But
| stand up here to say, that if for doing what
I did do on that day at Wellington, am to
go in Jail six months, anda fine of thousand
dollars, according to the Fugitive Slave Law,
and such is the protection the laws of this
country afford me, must take upon myself
the responsibility of selfprotection; when
come to be claimed by some perjured wretch
as his slave, shall never be taken into sla-
very. And as in that trying hour would
have others do to me, as | would call upon
my friends to help me; as would call upon
your Honor, to help me; and upon you Ito
the District Attorney and upon you, Ito
Judge Bliss, and upon you, Ito his COUNSEL
so help me COP! stand here to say that
win do all can, for any man thus seized
and held, though the inevitable penalty of
six months imprisonment and one thousand
dollars fine hangs over mel We have all a
common humanity, and you all would do
that; your manhood would require it; and
no matter what the laws might be, you would
honor yourself for doing it, while your friends
and your children to all generations would
honor you for doing it, and every good and
honest man would say you had done right.
(Great and prolonged applause, in spite of
the efforts Of Court and Marshal.)
ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF IowA.--The St.
Louis Democrat firds in an old newspaper,
the following explanation of the name of our
State.
Toolsborough is situated just above the
mouth of the Iowa River. By the way do
you know the Specification of the word Iowa?
Presuming that at least some fyour readers
do not, will tell you. Many years ago,
perhaps, kind reader, before YOU or I were
born, and before the pale faces had taken
possession of the fertile lands west of the
Mississippi, and converted them to his COM
fort and profit, a tribe Of Indians en-
camped on the Bluffs ove,hanging the Iowa
River, where now stands the town of Tools
borough. The chief of the tribe, coming in
view of the River unexpectedly was struck
with rapture at the surrounding grand and
picturesque beauty and in his native dialect,
--"Iowa-Iowa"- beautiful