Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-07

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Serrsfsry Of Slate Addison +. Rnssell'
Pabac Worts-Johu n Gregory.
school Copimissoacr-- Anson Smyth.
A Noble eAct.--Emancipation Of two Daugh-
ters by their knther
In the summer Of 1857, James Oldham,a free
white citizen" Of Cpahoma county, Mississippi
left his plantation near Fhar's Point, with his
two beautiful daughters, one Of whom is now
70 and the other l6 years of age, for Oberin,
Ohio, whittier he came for the double pur ose
Of emancipatng and educating the girls, for
they were his slaves. He was accompanied by
Miss Hattie Oldham, near relative, who came
to assist in locating the daughters in their new
condition.
At Memphis, the younger daughter, Cyreua,
having been the pet Of the family, and preierring
the known ease Of her sunny home to the fam
cied trials and the dreaded restraints of school,
could not be persuaded to come any further on
the journey. and her kind father was induced to
permit her to return to the plantation, while the
balance of the party came on and arrived at
Oberln in August.
The next day after their arrival, Mr.. oldham
was at acked with typhoid dysentery, and was
soon reduced to a critical condition, 10 which
he fingered for some three weeks, and died --
Having formed an acquai ltance with DR.. r.
L. Roa, Of OXfor, Butler county, Ohio, and
having great confidence in his skill as a physi-
clan, at Mr.. Oldham's request the Doctor came
to his bedside, watched over him until death
ended his sufTerings, and then accompanied bis
moral remains back to his desolate home in
Mississippi.
When Mr.. oldham became convinced that he
must die, his concern for the freedom of his
youngest daughter was iptense The eldest,
Emcline, was with him in Ohio, and was there
fore free but the younger by lingering amid the
loved scenes of her childhood, was exposed to
be inventoried among the other cbattels of the
estate, and sold at a high price because Of her
light complexion, her beautiful ringlets, AMI her
graceful form, and the dying father knew it.,
and bitter anguish stung his soul
He knew too that the laws of Mississippi for
bid emancipation within her borders, and fur
ther, that he could not by his will make her free
to be sent out of the State, nor could he will
her in trust to another for the purpose Of max
ing her free, neither yet could he sell her to
any one for that purpose Thus was the dying
parent beleaguered on every hand by the mons
trous cruelty of the law, hedging up as it does
evorv way by which he might secure freedom
to his child and thus save her from a dreadful
fate In this strait he applied to Hon. Phile-
mon Bliss, of Elyria, for counsel, whose cleai
head and warm heart were soon enlisted in
what would seem hopeless task of enabling q
wealthy father to free his own child from eter
nal slavery.
A will was soon executed, in which the facts
of the parents earnest wish were clearly sci
forth, and by the terms of which the daughters
wero made free, and the sum of four thousand
dollars bequeathed for their support and yduca.
ton, and the noble Doctor Rea was appointed
Executor of the will.
above suon should he expended. II n@9cdssafy,t Ia
secure the freedom of the youngest girl should
an attempt be made to prevent it by the heirs
under the laws of Mississippi, which wise pro-
vision, with the energy and frmness of DR. Rea,
proved more than a match for slaveholding Gu
pidity AMI slaveholding law, as is shown in the
fact that both Emeline and Cyrena are now safe
in Oberlin, where their wants will be supplied
and their education provided for under the de
TectiOn ofDr. Rea
But all this has not been accomplished with
o,Yt aavara struo1Ia aynry roint baip,, .,,,,
ly contested by greedy heirs with wicked laws
on one side, and the determined Doctor and
righteousness on the other. For a time it
seemed almost certain that the cormorants
would succeed, and that the money as well as
the liberty of CYrena would be lost; indeed so
sure were they of success, that the heirs bid
Doctor Rea a bold defiance
At length a point was decided by the Su-
prsme Court of Mississippi in a case involving
some important ones in this, and the cpntrover
sy was brought to a close by a compromise, in
which the Doctor r. secured the freedom of the
girl, and three thousand dollars of the money.
few days ago Doctor Rea might have been
seen leaving the plantation OF the late James
Oldham in large canoe freighted with his pre-
cious charge, the tender Cyrena, an unwilling
exile from her childhood's home, and making
his devious way for nine miles through recent
ly cut gOrges and eddyiug currents made by the
turbid waters of the Mississippi, back to Fnar's
Point, where he embarked for the purpose of
reinslating these sisters in Oberlin, the very
place chosen for them by the dying honest
stakeholder where they can become free, vir-
tuOus, and intelligent women.
siRves---AnOther supreme Court Decision.
Chief Justice Taney mas decided in the Rich
mOnd case, that slaves are 30 far persons as to
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