New-York daily tribune., 1859-05-25
THE OBERLIN- WELLINGTON RESCUE
PRISONERS.
WHY THEY ARE IN JAIi.-HOW THEY ARE
STU UNTED, AND HOW THEY FARE.

SIR: The frequency with which the inquiry, why
are you in iail and how do You fare comes to us
from all parts of the country leads me to think that
an answer 10 the question would be acceptable to
vour many readers. Venturng, therefore, upon your
liberatv offer to them the following statement;
The "Re>cuc' trials commenced on the 9TH ol
April All OF the indicted who had been arrested,
except three or four who were excused by the Ds-
trict-Attorney, kept Themselves in daily attendance
upon the Court during the Bushnell trial, as Their
personal recOgnzances required. While dlscharing
II cir duties TO the Court 10 the letter they were,
soon after the opening OF the Langston trial., con-
rary to legal rules and to justice and for ofense
except that of refusing they had perfect right to
do TO make any defense before the jury, which in
conyicing Bushnell, had virtually prejudged their
eases but which the Court directed TO proceed to the
trial of hc other cases, ordered into custody. Thus
sbamcuy put into duress they refused TO accept oi
liberty on any terms short of righting by the Court
of the indignty and wrong which they had suffered
at its hands
ON the Monday following the commitment, the Court
did recede from it, ruling respecting the jury, but 1t
confirmed the insult it had offered TO the prisoners in
wronefaly putting them into custody, by recording
journal entry which declared that the defendants
ordered into durcss because ng surrendered hcm"irs
in discharge of their recognzances; while the fact was
that the recognizances were Cancelled by the Court
itself utter the commitment had been ordered.
From the time that the Court Tins redressed one
wrong while it intensified another 10 the present hour,
the prisoners have seen no opportunity Tor e,capug
custody by renewing their renognzances which did
not bring With it necessity for acknowledging, in the
act of entering the rccOgnzances that the fault Of the
commitment lay With themselves; that the going into
custody was selfimposed, for mere effect that what
hey had done for effect had failed of ts purpose, and
that they were conscious of present. and expected final
defeat. m
Thee things the prisoners have not been willing to
cknowlege. For III the first place, selt-r,spcct has
required them to show that they could understand iu
suits i they Were not at liberty to resent them. The
same motive which made Christ repe indgnities by
bearing which drew from his prosecutors the rcbuke,
% answerest thou the high priest so,' and which
prompted Paul to express his sense 1T Outrages which
/ h. had suffered by saying, " They have beaten
/ openly. uncoudemned, being Romans and have cast
NJ into PRISON; and do they thrust us out priyiy
nay veriy but lt them come thens Ives and fetch M
ont has moved them To be steadias III refusing terms
{ Which made sctdeTadal0n the pnce OF liberty.
Besides the conviction that selthumiation would
only proract their troubles at the bar OF the Court
and aid to tie weight with which il threatens 10 crush
them has Joined sercspec' in requiring the prisoners
20 t fuse the terms OF release offered 10 them Cav
ing n," a. the Government prints have descripuvely
called the act Of such Of the imprisoned a. have gone
out on bail could only compromise the standing OF the
indicted with the public, and strengthen the purposes
I Of the prosecution. The eaeerness With which the
Government has sought means to induce the prisoners
10 enter into new recognZances and the triumph with
which has recorded its success IN Two or three m
stances prove conclu.ivey what aid and comfort il
xpect- dery" from concessions on the part oi those
WHO are in il clutches. The imprisoned have had
only sgus to gee where their only road
/ io safety lies.
And again. an urgent sense of duty to the cause Of
| Freedom has helped 10 keep the imprisoned where
I they are, They have seen clearly that the great
| object Of the Government in the pending trials las
been to humble the spirit OF opposition to unnghteou'
aw- and 70 Federal tyranny for which the Rcservc las
long been celebrated. With thi7 intention every day
illustrated before them they haye been constrslned To
prove by their conduct, that while the prosecution can
suIIyf tint living DrlnClD,s
which 1t has chosen to pit itself Hence, what bis
Honor Judge Nelson saw fl to characterize AS uHr-
t9s ticy regard "a deiy, aLd rs du'y male impera-
tive by circuns ance. Of more than common moment
Such are the ac and such the motives 4nfer the op
Grafton Of which fourteen nen, who meanSo obey All
righteous laws 10 the lasJ letter, made tO suffer
tedious and wearir 2 confinement 10 ial.
Btn leaving thi, subject, We close our article with
lew paragraph upon miscellaneous topics connected
with the Imprisonment, which viii DC likely To Interest
tie reader.
When the alleged rescuers' were first imprisoned,
they numbered twenty. OF these, sixteen were from
Oberlin, anu four from Wellington and its vicinity.
From the be ginning Of the confinement, strong outside
Influences, many Of them obviously prompted by the
Count ofieers, we're brought to bear tie Wellington
delegation TO induce il 10 detach itself rom is el
lows from Ober.ln. The motive Whcn stimrla ii 81
!eass some OF these influences probably confessed
by m officer when he laid 10 a party which he mad
under tuition, w c mean to make point Of ObeTin.
"A motive, by the way, which D.strct-.ailoDey Bel
den and hs ss-stant, Judge BIZ, had previously be-
trayed in tie malignant invectIe which they con
'taLtly eye.ed al Oberlin d0J a. s0D' The Outside
Influence, well piled. al length accomplished thei
purpose. All the Wellington prisoners, eXcep
Matthew Gillette, veteran 0i year. lei the prison
"a bal anu soon after, Fix Of ten indicted from Wei
In .;on and iis vicinity Withdrew the plea Of "not
Zuiiy, and put IN that Of ' io, coAcafcre' upon
which plea they were sentenced To- merely nominal
punishment. The reprosch which the prosecution suf
lered in OBTAINING Nr. Gillette presently forced il To
send him home, receiving from him bail, and no
promise, except one in which be pledged himself to
return i k,s orR attorneys should sepd for him.
The imprisoned now number IA. all Of them haling
Avn Qbsjlin, The way is therefore clear for the