Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-11-03

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mentioned the fact upon the authority Of the news
papers of that dav. Indeed wnen men were indict-
ed, soon after. in your State Courts for shooting a
fugitive with intention to XII him, they were re +
sased under authority OF this act and still 60 nm
punished.
Such TOO has been the law in Ohio There men
charged with no offence except a love Of liberty
have been shot down in open daylight and in one in
stance the murderer being officer of the Federal
Government, is yet unhanged, protected by this act
Thus Is the soil of our State fattened with the blood
of innocence. The slave mother then has been dri-
ven to such agony under this enactment as to /
murder her child with her own hands rather than &
see it re-enslaved. Indeed, victims have fallen in
Indiana and Illinois by the hand of murderers pro-
fessedly under the sanction of this act. Our peo-
pie in Northern Ohio, knowing that act by which
men are thus murdered or robbed of their liberty
can be constitutional valid, have been excited to
a high degree of feeling On seeing man captured
and manacled in their presence and in the presence
of their wives and children, some noble spirits stood
forth. released the victim and babe him serve Sod
and his country. Looking upon the fugitive act as
void, but the mandate of despOs. the authoties of
the county in which the capture was made indicted
and arrested the saVecatchers and would have sent
them to the penitertiary had the officers of the
federal government discharged the rescuers who
had been indicted in the Federal Court 1t is wrong
to say there Is not high state of feeling among the
people of that region. hesitate TO say that our
potism at all times whenever it be safely done.
1 They honor those who stand IT. the trent ranks of
resistance 10 despotic power. They are placed IN
the same roll of honor with Sidney and Hanpden
and other patriots. They exeerate the coward who
4 knowing his rights, dare not maintain them, but
submits to usurped power.
EXCUSES GERRTTT SMITH.
And now, having stated the facts, I would say,
| that if Gerritt Smith and other men contributed
money and arms for Brown and his party, with the
full knowledge that his intentions were as Brown
states them TO have been that is the liberation OF
slaves, without the shedding of blood otherwise
than of those who endeavOred to hold the slave IN
bondage they certainly offended against no law Of
Ohio, or. 50 far as my knowledge extends, OF any
other Free State Mr. Smith is an intelligent Chris
tan gentleman, who knows his rights, and under
stands his duties to God and mankind; and if he
does not know them better than his assallants, he
ought to be sent South, and hanged when there.
have been panied at seeing the efforts of editors
and sensation committees representing Mr.. Smith as
guilty of crime and about to be sent for by Govern
or Wise of Virginia, to be taken to that State for
trial These things have exhibited an ignorance IN
| this Christian land that little dreamed Of Indeed,
the idea that man. if guilty of violation of law IN
New York must be sent to Virginia for trial, IS bat
an illustration of those minds who. though living IN
{ the Free States, look to the South for religious
moral and political direction They had better study
and know their own rights before assaing those OF
| their fellow-men To them L would say, the lovers
of liberty are informed on this subject. The time
for Frightening lnen has gone by forever Such men
are behind the age They may be compared to those
whom SwedenbOrg says he met IN the spirit world
who, although they had been there twenty. thirty
and some of them forty years, had not found out
they were dead t..--.
We extract from the New York Tribune the fol
lowing synopsis Of GrDpNGs' remarks with regard
to his own connection with BRowN:
e He said he invited Brown to Jefferson county
Ohio where he delivered a lecture one Sunday
after church, telling his trials in Kansas After th'
lecture, Mr.. Giddings prompted the audience to con
tribute relief TO Brown. Atterward Brown tool
ten at his residence, where they had conversation
e Though Brown never said he intended to visit the
slave States to free slaves Mr. Giddngs inferred h
would If opportunity offered, mainly from his hav
ing done SO in Missouri These were the only time
Mr. Giddings saw Brown and he asserts that neither
in his lecture nor in his conversat did Brown sa,
he had assistants associates No mention wa
made of Harper's Ferry or Virginia organization
or Al 70 isioaal Government He acknowledges con
tributng So to Browns son toward the necessitie
n of his father, after the rescuing of Day from tn
= ] kidnappers. matter in which Mr.. Giddings &C
Inowledged taking strong interest. In bestowin
; this gratuity, he had little idea that it was to
5 used in fitting expedition to capture Harper
Il Ferry, to effect the conquest of the Old Dominion
!, to strike terror to the Executive or imperil tn
Government
4 Mr.. Ciiddings concluded his remarks follows:
e These despOtc acts have aroused the spirit of tn
people. anu ulcfG IN SERIOUS LIulls LffCpEO
sible conflict now in progress. 1t is that irrepre'
e sibe conflict between Freedom and Slavery, whie
e has been progress for centuries Ii Is one OF thos
s. revolutions which never 20 backward Our state:
| men have misapprehended the philosophy of Ere
Governments. They have attempted TO rule fire
e people by brute force instead of just ADMINISTERS
+ ton of legitimate powers. They have preferred tn
/ crime of Slavery to the Godgiven rights of Liberty
| They have trampled upon the rights of our FIRE
70 States to obtain political favor with the Slav
/ Power.
They have stained the soil of our Free States wit
), innocent blood. Men captured in our NOrther
villages their limbs manacled and they are car
ried to Slavery, as though our territory lay upon tn
e African coast subjected to the pollution of slave
s. dealing pirates, while the stars and sripes-thos
< emblems of Libertv-are prOsttuted TO the protet
ton of an eXecrable commerce in human flesh.
" The Indignation of our people is awakened
ct some localities 1t is intense Lei no man mistake
belittle that feeling. Hhas long been foreseen. a
= rejecting men knew it must come In fifteen year
have constantly pointed it out to Southern men an
to Northern men. Recent events will increase an
strengthen it. Let those in power understand it ca
not be triied with. Let timid men keep silent LC
demagogues no longer sheer nor threaten.
The time for intimidation is gone by. All mus
- see that if the of the excitement cOntnu5
the excitement viii not cease. But of the future
e will no longer speak. 1t is written upon the table
If OF Heaven. 1t is read in every circumstance aroun
us. All must see that the men now in power al
incompetent to the duties Of their stations If the
continue to guide the snip OF STATE al must De los
Let them retire. Let the past policy OF the 20
eminent be abandoned. Let the despotc acts ALI
l. ded to be repealed. Let the Free States be place
u upon an equality with the Slave States.
sc Let our Territory be consecrated to FFeedor
Z" Let cease to maintain a piratlcal commerce
RS the bodies of men and women. Let our FEEDER
r Government be purified from the contagion
n Slavery. Let leave that institution where Il
n Constitution left il, with the States" in which
Y | exists.
IL l repeat, the people Of the Free States will n
10 support it. They will not be involved in its Grim
% or its disgrace. Our emancipation from the Sa'
y Power must come and, in the words of my llu
re trious and lamelted friend John Quincy Adams,
u me say it will come whether in peace or in bloc
e know not-but whether in peace or in blood, let
IN come"