Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-03-31
A VOICE FROM THE q. STATES BAsTILE
To the People Of Wisconsin.

- Va LII 'tI-NSS, u!!Utt IiitltHcS VI IL
warrant. issued by the District Court
OF the United States for the District of
wisconsin, III virtue of 4 pretended
Judgment and sentence OF the same
Court, rendered or the 23d dav Of Jan
nary 1855. From this Judgment and
I decision was discharged, bv the unan
1moHs decision of the Supreme Court
OF this State, on the third dav of Feb
ruary, 1855, and that decision still
stands unreversed as the law of Wis
consln. This Court denied the appel
late jurisdiction of any other Court over
It's proceedings, and asserted its rirht.
as the judicial tribunal of a sovereign
State, to enforce the writ of habeas cor
Pus and protect the liberties of the cit
Izen against FL illegal and unconsti,u-
tlonal Judgment. 1t declared me dis
charged from Imprisonment, because.
first, the Fugitive Act, under which /
was convicted, was unconstitutional
and void; and, secondly. because the
Indictment under which I was convict
ed charged no offence under that Act.
So that, though | have been three
weeks imprisoned in the United States
Custom House, in Milwaukee, guarded
day and night by armed men, and de-
med the privilege of having legal coun-
sci to consult with me, | have as valid
a right to my liberty as any citizen of
Wisconsin.
Bat am not alone in prison. The
writ othdbe0s corpus, the RIGHT of trial
by jury, sovereignty of Wisconsin,
and all OF the Supreme Court Of the
State that is worth anything for the
protection of your liberties, are here in
prison with me. | am not here because
you, the righ,fnl law givers, haveare
pealed the law of Freedom, but because
Freedom has been betrayed in the
EouSc OF its friends. At three judicial
elections, by decisive maioriti"s, Won
have pronounced your tta,uthca,aa upon
the Fugitive Slave Act, and your de-
termination to protect every citizen
against Its infamous demands and cru
e! penalties. Bat your known will has
been dlsreGarded, and your purposes
been thwartcd by those to whom Won
have ,contided the highest trusts. The
Supreme Court Of this State has been
rcv"lutleniz; Il and made 4 slavery-s,,s
tanning Cart hy Republican ha,iids.-
AS Chiet Justice, vino denies the writ
OF hude0s corpus, is the creature of a
Republican Executive, pledged bv all
that is honorable and sacred amono
men, to support the law as expoundcd
by Justice Whiton. Smith and Cole
The Associate Justice, whose constitu-
ioha de!Icacy and professional courtc-
$" make strong my prison bars and en-
able slave eatchers and kidnappers to
trample your authority and honor un-
der their feet, was chosen to his pres
ent office because, from his bold and
able advocacy of State Rights against
the deSi'otisn Of the Fugitive Slave
Act, YOU believed he could be relied
on to act promptly, whenever liberty
was lmperiled and the guaranty of per
'onal rights sought to be overthrowu.
During my imprisonment, I have
carefully reviewed the history of this
ease for the last six years-a period
longer than the lifetime of the Repnb
iican party. / have read over, in the
bound volumes of the Free Denz0cyas.
the legal proceedings ofthe various tli
ais, the resolutions of your public meet
lngs piedGlng me Your sympathy and
support, and the brave words the Re
publican press have uttered, again and
again, in defense Of the doct Inc Of State
lights as enumerated by Judge Smith
and mnst frankly tell Won, that if, af:
ter all these high professions. Won Ell.
throne the Fugitive Slave Act in the
seat Of the Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court, shall consider it a thousand fold
more honorable to be imprisoned in be-
half Of Liberty, than to be ut large
among generation Of hypoerites and
shalns-
The denia! Of p writ of hubeas COR
pus, by one member Of the Supreme
Court, does not preclude the granting
OF the writ by any other Court. and
why it has not been applied for IN my
behalf, l have been unable to learn
l know that the Slave Power has con
quered Wisconsin, if this invasion of
her sovereignty and laws is permitted
to succeed, and that the liberty of eve
ry citizen will hencefortil be at the mer |
cy Of slave-catcherS and kidnappers.-I
For myself, though Imprisoned, am
not subd"ed. My captors and iailors
are kldnappers and the abettors Of kid |
napperS, by the law Of Wisconsin. tho
they are Judges, Attorneys and Mar
sha!ls OF the United States. Tam their
pflsoHer, not by lac, but by brute force
OF the same nature which, in the South.
holds four millions of human beings in
chains. | am not q petitioner for the
mercy of the Federal Government. Il
do not ask my discharge from impris-
onment as Il .taror, l demand it as
right.
Citizens Of Wisconsin! if by vour
apathy, Indifference and neglect, this
ont ratrp unOn NV r-itrhtS - ,,,r, l,o,,..1 |