Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-05
~ -. a.oi,. i..nnnr M

aa Nhe 1tight Nnlk lsshenr NJ
The editor Of the Ashtabula Telegraph called
upon the Federal Court prisoners about The
time Of the conviction Of Bushnell by apolid-
caiiy packed Jury aud che fierce Government
bdFsuers, a selfoonstituted Committee he says
from Ashtabula, to tender them the sympathes
and encouragements Of the freemen Of that
sterling county. The Telegraph contrasts the
conduct Of the prisoners with that Of their
perseontors, and thus speaks out the feelings of
every man whose back is not bent and scanned
with the whip Of the slave-drivers US.
In the first place, what a mockery Of Justice,
| Is Il, 10 put man on trial, in case where his
liberty is at stake, where every soul on the part
of the prosecution, from judge TO jury, are po-
litical, partizan opponents, and where the Jury
is selected with particular reference to their
political bases and what is worse in this case,
where one Of that jury is dependent for his
daily bread upon his suppleness and obsequious-
ness TO his MASTER the prosecutor; and where a
second member Of that jury, has distinguished
imself by schooling his own son In peril
dy, to accomplish the arrest of The fugitive
where, too the court is led by the indulgence
Of it's political prediction to make nearly
every act Of its ruling an invasion of the COM
mon usage and practice of courts; to step so far
from the line of right and propriety, as to be
compelled to cross, and thwart ts own decisions
and purposes, as is seen in the attempts TO force
a trial by jury that had prejudged and decided
the questions at issue; where the injustice ofthe
proceedings were so bald and apparent, that the
effort TO falsify the record was at first denied,
aud the attempt made TO sustain the irregulari-
ty. What an outrage upon the rights e an
American citizen, to put him to trial before a
civil tribunal thus constituted! Political rancor,
however, nor the prostitution of law, nor the vi
olalion OF political and natural rights, can avert
the inevitable result. A fine, OF Imprisonment,
| TO be sure, may be imposed upon the prisoners;
but what becomes of public respect for the tri-
bunals of the land, and their decisonsl With
what consideration will the people look upon
the medium, through which our political and
civil rights and impurities are to be vndcatedl
| The moral effect is FILTERED away, and the pris-
oner in his integrity, looks down upon the pros
| titutiOn of the palladium of his rights. The
! Oberlin prisoners, at this moment occupy
position of moral dgnity-of moral grandeur
| in comparison with the court before which they
are being tried, that challenges admiration
The unrighteous and inhum IN provisions of
the fugitive slave law, and more especially this
| administration of it, has suffered heavier blow
10 this instance, than anything that has hereto
fore been dealt out to it. 1t is working its own
overthrow more certainly and effectualy by
these efforts, on the part of its friends to give
\ it special effect, than its enemies could have
brought about by any means in their power
The whole thing is reaping richer harvest of
contempt and infamy from the overweaning ex-
travaganee corruption and imbeciity of these
friends, than all Oberlin combined could posi-.
bly, bring upon it.