, 1860-01-05
TEE OTTAWA RESCUE CASE.


orrAwA, January :, 1859.
Editors Press ard Tribune:
To-day three Of the best men Of this county
we're taken to you. city in custody of deputy
Marshal Of the United States. Five more, we
learn, ore specified BY namein the published in-
dictment, md will: soon follow. Two hundred
more are crlninated in the indictment and not
named. When they are expected to be taken
from, US, we do not know. For what are they to
be taken? What heinous crime have theg CON-
mittcd: Have they seized aud blockaded with
cannon the largest nayigab'e river in the United
States, planting cannon to obstruct its tree
navigation, as the Missourians did at Le1ing-
ton? No. The Government Of The United
States takes no notice Of that. 1t never reached
the cars of the President or grand jury,
though published in every paper of the country
Hare they invaded one Of the Territories, mur-
dering citizens, as Barber and Phillips were
murdered, or rayishipg women or burning
houses. No! For Clurk and Emery, the mur-
derers of these meu, Government have public
appointments. So also for Titus, Woodson,
Jones, and such like. Have they associated to
seize, beat or tar and feather free white citizens
from other States who express sentiments IN
fayor of Freedoms No? No grand jury Of
this Union takes cognlzance Of such offences
against Freedom, though perpetrated contlnu-
ally in the Slave States. Well, what is it charged
that these men hare done: Why, it is said
that piece Of property which OUT Government
aud Courts says is only propcrty-a piece of
Efr propcrty-such us horse or COW, or an
ox-except that:it has hut two legs-that this
piece rpropsftywhich was ledinto thisclty with
a rope, as al OF or q horse 10 sometimes led,
whicl, was guarded by ten rufliAu1y looking fel-
lows with pistols and bowie knives; that this
piece Of property did,, on its own good
legs, escape from its so-ca1led owner,
REGARDLESS Of pistol and bowie knife,
and that these, our citizens-our best, most re-
spectcd and quietcst men-stood by, saw the
property run, aud perhaps said, swell done.
darkey," or furnished him road to travel up
on. II is not claimed that these ,neu, our clti-
zens hare stolen anything they are nonethe
richer TINT the or. or whatever it was, ran oil.
It is not pretended they are. They have not
stolen, nor robbed, nor ravished, nor murdered,
nor committed the treason Of obstructing the
great rivers with cannon; but it is said they
hare seen piece OF property run OF: on its
own legs, and in 3 conveyance, which it drove,
for itself, over road provided for all who wish
to travel it. This is the height Of their sin, as
charged. This Is the head and front Of their
offending. For this we are to give up, piece
meal, two hundred and eight Of our first and
noh1cst citizens,
: Now, Messrs. Editors, the undersigned, in
common with many others, are the owners Of
some valuable property, mounted, not on two
legs, it is true, but on four. We haye oxen, and
horses, aud swine, aud hive had sheep. We
hare had them to stray and have lost them. We
hare never henrd of the Government Of the
United States being eager to assist us IN their
recovery. What recovery has been made, has
been at our own expense. Had one of these
animals, our property, or the property Of any
Northern mnn, escaped from us, tuken refuge in
the city Of Charleston, S. c., or any other
Southern city, and had s;r. Keitt, or any other
Southern gentleman, cracked long whip at the
runaway and set him again scampering for his
freedom. do you think the Grand Jury Of Uni
ted States Circuit Court in South Carolina
would hare indicted two hundred and eight
of the best citizens Of that State for aid
ing and abetting in that fragrant acts
Would they, even if the property had been
i'll the custody of Sheriff or Deputy MARSHALL
You know it is nonsense to talk Of it. Well,
where is the diference1 Why is this great iu-
dignity to be be put upon our cttizensY Is lit
because we live north Of certain line called
Mason and pi1on's. Is it because we nre
known to be desirous to abide by tue laws Ct
our country. aud not likely to resist: To us it
i. uaaccouptab1c, Ono of our citizens (Phillips)
who emit.ated to Kapsas yas shot in cold
b,nod ncnorrat NJ In was her.use onno.ed tn