The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-11

comparatively excusable purpose of obtaining
money. In this war more than twentyzthousand
human victims are annually sacrificed.
This slave enactment under which our friends
are. imprisoned, was passed in order to involve
the people of the free States in this guilt for
the purpose of making them accessories to such
crimes. 1t was passed by a Locofoco Congress.
A Locofoeo Marshal selects a Locofoeo Grand
jury to find an Indictment drawn by a Locofo-
co Attorney, to be tried by Locofoco traverse
jury, packed for the very purpose of eonvic-
ton, before a Locofoco Judge, appointed by a
Locofoco President, confirmed by a Locoioeo
Senate, for the purpose of enforcing obedience
to this law.
IN. disregarding this hac, the prisoners did
right. THEIR ERROR CONSISTED IN
ySPARING THE LIVES OF THE SLAVE
HAVE BEEN DELIVERED OVER TO
THE COLORED MAN AND CONSIGNED
TO THE DOOM OF PIRATES, WHICH
SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPEEDILY EX-
ECUTED. You are aware that this is the doc
trine which proclaimed in Congress. ] adhere
to it. HAD THE PRISONERS EXECU-
TED THE SLAVE-CATCHERS PROMPT
LY, IT WOULD HAVE TAUGHT THE
ADMINISTRATION A LESSON NOT
SOON TO BE FORGOTTEN. We should
hare been no more troubled acih that class Of
rs ~ Stty Out HIOS CSttfUc0 Octtc
than to shoU themselves among an intelligent
people rho know their rights and dare maintain
them. But in rescuing their fellow man from
the fangs Of these blood hounds, the prisoners
did right. Present and coming generations
will bless them for it. 1t was a high moral
duty, the exercise of a virtue which sheds a
halo of glory around the memories of our re-
publican fathers. When arrested for snoh an
act they did well in refusing to give bail. When
1-o,oIt ,,to Ho-rt Ill., III r;-bf ~ af,cinr
to give bail and in my opinion they cannot
now recede from the manly position which they
have assumed. By these noble acts they have
their names upon a most important
page of our history. They no longer act for
themselves in this business, but for justice, for
liberty, for the cause of freedom. The eyeso of
the nation are upon them. They should bear
in mind the character of the people of this
portion of our gallant State. They should re-
the pilgrim fathers from whom they
have descended. Cleveland is now the Boston
Of 1775, and I trust her sons will meet the re-
sponsibilities thrown upon them with becoming
frmness.
As to the future, I see no other course for
the prisoners than patiently to await events
Their counsel will apply to the Supreme Court
Of our State for a ha6eas corpus whenever SEN
tence shall be pronounced upon any of their
I have great confidence in the Judges COM
posing hat Court, but should they prove une-
quail to the occasion, the case will then be fully
made up, and the appeal must then be taken to
that highest of earthly tribunals, the source of
all POLITICAL power. The people finding this
to have become destructive Of
the livcs the liberties and the Happiness Of its
citizens, will ALTER OR ABOLISH 1T, and organ
ize its po,cers an such a form as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their SAFETY AND
This duty, SO solemnly enjoined on us by
the founders of our government, in that i'm
mortal charter of American liberty to which for
almost a century we have been accustomed to
look for instruction and direction in regard to
our rights, WILL NOT BE NEGLECTED.
Yours for liberty and the Constitution.
j. r. GIDDINGs.