The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-12-08
From correspondence of louisville Co,,riey.1
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THE REfORlED hENIUSh1 RESURRECTION.
BUBKsvILLE, XIV, Dec !, 1860.
Editors Louisville Courier: Our usually quiet
community was tOno small degree disturbed, few
days ago, by some revelations made by some ne
groes. Ben, slave, the property of Martin Alex
ander, and Rowen, the property of j. ID. Owsley,
communicated to their masters that one Aaron
Harlan, of this county, holding frequent meet
ings with the negroes, and endeavoring to incite
them to instruction; that the meetings were held
in the shop of Harlan, about three miles from
Burksvillc, and that a meeting was to be held that
night.
Dr. D. Il. Haggard, James NJ. Boles, NJ. II. Ows-
ley, aud John q. Owsey sent Rowen and Ander-
son, two Of the negroes mentioned by Harlan, to
the place designated for the meeting, and followed
after, cOncealing themselves around the house on
the outside of the shop. When they reached there,
they found Harlan in consultation with eight or
nine negro men, listened to his talk with them
about oDe-half hour, when they rushed in and ar
rested him, and brought him to town.. The next
day, he tried before two magistrates, who con-
stituted an inquving Court. He was prosecuted
by Judge Samuel II. Boles, j. II. G. Sandage, NJ.
II. OwSley, and the County Attorney, and defended
by Thomas G. Winfrey. The prosecution was based
upon an act of the Legislature, found in Stanton's
Revised Statutes, second volume, page 81, which
is in these words:
''If any person shall be convicted of the offence
Of attempting to incie slave to instruction, he
shall be confined in the penitentiary for not lees
than five nor more than twenty years"
The witnesses for the Commonwealth were the
same who concealed themselves overheard his CON
versation, and arrested him. They agreed subStan-
tally in their statement, which WIS in substance
that they heard Harlan say to the negroes that he
had some thing Of Importance to communicate; that
he had only communicated to two before; that last
summer he passed through Mr.. Alexander's tobac-
co patch; three negroes at work, Ben, jess
and Hicks; that he did not desire to entTust the
cret to Hicks, and took his hoe and worked along
with the other two. sending him away; that he
then communicated his secret to the other two; he
said he had lived in Indiana; that whilst he was in
Indiana he was an abolihonist; that he was an abO
litionist here, but was afraid to it publicly
that Fremont lacked but few votes of an election;
that he friend to the negro; that Abraham
Lincoln was now elected, and that he also an
abolitionist, and that his election was by a very
large majority in all the Northern States. That
Linon and all his party friendly to the negroes
and resolved upon their freedom.
lie said he was in the habit Of receiving letters
from his friends in the North, and kept posted to
what going on; that there to be a grand
Convention in Cincinnati on the Sth day of ,Janu-
airy next that it was to contain delegates from each
State in the Union, Of the objects of which was
to secure the freedom of the negroes that eve in
tend to effect that object peaceably if we can-if
not we will use force" was his language. At that
point witnesses stepped in and arrested him. The
was argued by Winfrey for the defence, who
took the ground that, although defendant had been
guilty of improper conduct, that nothing which he
said or did amounted to attempt to ncite an in
surrecti0n.
The Court sent him on for further trial in the
Circuit Court, and fixed his bail at 81 800, in de-
fult of which he was carried to Jail where he still
remains. Yours, &c, RUsuCUs.