The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-25

Q white man. Let me stand in that Hall and
) tell United States Marshal that my father
4 was a Revolutionary soldier; that he served
under Lafayette, aud fought through the whole
war, and that he fought for my freedom as
i much as for his own, and he would sneer a;
Fme, ard clutch me with his bloody fingers. and
lsay he has right to make me slave And
when appeal TO Congress, they say be has a
fright TO make me slave; when appeal to
the people, they say he has right to make
me slave, aud when appeal to your Honor.
your Honor says he has right to make me
q slave. and if any man, white or black, seeks
an investigation of that clam, they make them
selves amenable TO the pains and penalties ot
the Fugitive Slave Act, for BLACK MEN HAVE
NO RIGHTS WHICH WHITE MEN ARE BOUND TO RE-
sPEcr. fGreat applause II, going toWellington
with the full knowledge of all this. knew that
if the man was taken to Columbus he was
1hopelessly gone no matter whether he bad
ever been in slavery before or not. kEew
that was in the same situation myself, and
that by the decision of your Honor if any man
whatever were to claim me as his slave and
seize me. and my brother being lawyer,
should seek to get out writ of h0beGs cor
pus to expose the fals:ty of the claim. he would
be thrust into prison under one provision OF
the Fugitive Slave law, for interfering with the
man claiming to be in pursuit of a fugitive.
and I, by the perjury of solitary wretch
would by another of its provisions be helpless
ly doomed to life long bondage, without the
possibility of escape. s.. /.
Some may eay that there is no danger OF
free persons being seized and carried off as
slaves. No one need labor under such de-
usion. Sin, four of the eight persons who
were first carried back under the act Of 1850,
were afterwards proved to be free men They
were free persons, but wholly at the mercy OF
the oath of one man. And but last Sabbath
afternoon letter came to me from gentle.
man in St. Loais, informing me that young
lady who was formerly under my instructions
at Columbus free person, is now lying in the
Jail at that place, claimed asthe slave of some
wretch who never saw her before. and waiting
for testimony from relatives 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 fonnd
upon the person of a ,counterfeiter when ar.
rested. addressed to him by some Southern
! gentleman. in which the writer says: :.
Go among the niggers; find out their marks
and scsrs; make good descriptions and send to
me, and I'll find masters for EN- -.. ......
That is the way men are carried back to
slavery. rs
j But in view of all the facts. I say. that, il
ever again q man is seized near me, and il
about to, be carried southward as slave be
fore any legal Investigation has been had.
shall bold it to be my duty, az held it tha
day, to secure for him if possible legal in
quiry into the character of the claim by which
he is held, And I go further; say that if i
is adjudged illegal to procure even such al
J, Investigation, then we are thrown. back upol
those last defences of our rights which canno
be taken from us, and which God gave Us tha
( We need not be slaves. L ask your Honor
while l say this, to place yourself in my situa
8 ton, and you, will say with me, that if you
: brother, if your friend, if your wife, if you
child, had been seized by men who elaine
them as fugitives, and the law of the land for
n bade to ask an investigation, and precludef
s the possibility of any legal protection or re
I dress, then you will say with me, that 20
. would not only demand the protection of tb
5 law, but you would call in your neighbors an
n your friends, and would ask them to say wit
|, you, that these your friends could not be take
Is into slavery.
l. And now thank you for this leniency, th
" indulgence, in giving man unjustly condemn
d ed, by tribunal before which he is declare
70 to have no legal rights, the privilege of speal
ing in his behalf. I know that it will do n
10 thing toward mitigating your sentence, but
'e is privilege to be allowed to speak, and
ly thank you for it. 1 shall submit to the pei
sr atty, be it what it may. But stand up here
y say, that if for doing what did do that ds
N at Wellington, am to go in jail six month
W and pay fine of thousand dollars accor
n ing to the Fugitive Slave Law, and such is Il
OF protection the laws of this country afford m
90 l must take upon myself the responsibility
to self protection; when come to be claimed
a some perjured wretch as his slave, | shall ne
- er be taken into slavery. And as in that tryi
ng hour would have others do to me, as wou
he call upon my friends to help me. as wou
NJ call upon you, your Honor, to help me; as
40 would call upon you. Ito the District Att
no neyl to help me; and upon you,, Ito Jud
no , Bliss] and upon you, Ito his counsel so he
III me, Con ! ] stand here to say that l will
I'LL all can, for any man thus seized and he
though the Inevitable penalty of six mont
AT imprisonment and one thousand dollars fine
each offence hangs over me /! We have all
sy common humanity. and you all would do tn
nc your manhood would require it; and no mat
=. what the laws might be, you would hon
= ne yourself for doing it, while your friends a
gu your children to all generations would hor
'' e'i' you for doing it,, and every good and hon
''e man would say, you had done right! tGr
and prolonged applause, in spite of the effo
60; of Court and Marshal, -oirl, r.i .-,
: ~ The Court replied: Mr.. Langston, you
10 the Court injustice in saying that nothing J
o'' could say would influence the Court in
ot' matter of sentence. have taken careful C
~ nizance Of the testimony in your case, an'
70 find many mitigating circumstances. You,
a"' quietly counseled resort to legal measu