The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-05-19
DsScovKRTs OF 4 FUGITIVE SLAVE
AMONG TME NEW ENGLAND
DOCGARACES


u
We print elsewhere, the thrilling story, BY
eager. Of the Post, Of the discovery Of .
negro, supposed to be fugitive slave, on
board the steamer S. r. Spauldins, on hez
return trip from Charleston, and Of the
prompt measures taken to restore the IN
grateful chatsel to slavery. Wei are not sur
prised q: this erens. Our readers viii no.
be surprised. We predicted i, about the
time the Spaulding sailed. We called At
tention to the character Of some of her pas
sengers, and warned the people Of Charleston
that they must not relax the vigilance oi
their police regulations. The representa-
tive Of the Posi-, .. in duty bound, tries to
make il appear that none of the passengers
are responsible for this outrageous attemp,
to interfere with Southern rights. This
story will do very well for the greenhorns,
the suckling infants Of politics but it will
not do to tell to grown people. Let Us ana
lyzs "Ager's" own account Of the affair.
Il seems that Capt. Howes, Of the Spaul-
ding, had bis attention directed to this very
subject, on the outward passage. We pre-
sumo he had read The article in the Alias
and Bee, and his vigilance was quickensd BY
the knowledge there impaired to him, that
among his passengers were some Of the old
coalitionized, freesoilized Democrats. par
tieipants in the election Of Charles Sum
ner, Shadrack rescuers, and 50 on. OF
course he had his eye on these men, and OF
them he was thinking when be told eager"
that "hs should feel it bis b unden duty to
return, under any and all circumstances, .
fugitive discovered aboard q vessel under
bis command" "Under any and all cir
cumstances." By this he meant Of course,
however many Of the delegates might be
implicated in the attempted escape, and
however much resistance they might make
to the restoration of the fugitive. He threw
out this hint none too soon. If he had said
nothing, the Spaulding might have brought
home dozen fugitives instead Of one.
Capt. Howes followed up this hint by
prompt action. He used "constant care"
that ssno person owing service at the South"
(polite term for fugitive slave) should sur
repsiou,ly secure accommodations on board
the Spsulding, (round- about way of saving,
secrete himself in the coal bunk J and o
watch was kept at the gangway both day
and night, to prevent the occurrence Of an
event SO greatly feared" Now the question
is, who bribed the watch Was it Whit
ney, or Lovejoy, or Wright, or Tucker. or
Butler, or Stephens, or Churchill? Who
was it The public wants to know. The
owner Of William Blocker wants to know.
Blu, to proceed. The precaution was fruit
less. At three O'Clock on Sunday morning,
the negro was found in the coal bunk. The
news instantly spread. Capt. Howes fol-
lowing out the policy previously indicated,
determined that the negro should be sent
back to slavery sat oil hazards" lie evil
IDENTIFY feared resistance on the part of some
Of the abolition passengers, and was pre-
pared for them.
The only question with him was whether
to put back to Norfolk, or to intercept the
Benjamin Deford, the name of whose cap
tain (Ilallet) evidently gave him assurance
that the negro would find safe quarters there.
He chose the latter alternate, probably be-
cause he feared revolt among passengers
if he put back. The intelligence seems to
have been judciously kept from them
"Ager" says it was circulated at the break
fast table, and that ''many were the ely and
knowing winks." OF course but the
most important information is not given
Who gave the"sly and knowing winks -
Ii we knew this, We might perhaps come to
rough guess at tho guilty parties. "One
was not to be fooled and another knew all
about it," Knew oil about it did he? Well
We beg to know why he was not called upon
to tell what he knew. Why don't we have
the name of the man who .'knew all about
~ "The idea that it was a joke, gene
rally prevailed" Of course it did No
body supposes that the majority were i'm
plicated in the affair, and those who were
really involved, probably supposed that
discovery was improbable. Many thought
it joke; and others treated it as SUCH
Only one man seems to have acknowledged
that he '.knew all about it,"
To continue the narrative: Doubts were
all very speedily removed. The Deford
was soon made, and while the Spaulding
was hearing down upon her, "Ager" held
an interview with the negro, for the details
of which We refer to his report. The con-
versation resembles most of those which
have been held with supposed runaways by
gentlemen of the Democratic persuasion.
Blocker must have been astonished at
"Ager's" profound ignorance Of Slavery.
Blocker declared that he was born free, and
that he had never been slave. Whereupon
"Ager" led him why he had not got free
papers lie seems to suppose that every
free negro is bound to have free papers
and that if negro is found without them,
be is, Of course, q fugitive from justice.
"AgGr's" politeness is akin to his astute-
ness. How delicately iooose is this "Did
you expect TO tiud your master in the coal
holeg" This was Just after the negro denied
having q master. He replied with Z" sig
nfcans grin.' Significant of what? Pro-
baby of contempt for the interrogater, who
was thus endeay oriDg to pump confession
out of him. II is a pity that eager" does
not give the whole Of the conversation
Wha, he does give, is straightforward Oh
the negro's part. and the story is not alto
gether improbable. But eager" says he
appeared to great disadvantage in seeming
wholly unacquainted with the most promi-
nent places where be had lived. These places
were Madison, Ohio, and Paduca, Kentucky.
"Ager's" knowledge of these localities must
have been remarkably minute, to enable him
to detect inaccuracies in the negro's story.
But we must not dwell upon this part Of
the narrative. When the Spaulding found
herself within hailing distance of the Deford
a signal of distress was hoisted and guns
were fred. Capt. Hallett hove 10. He
readily guessed our trouble," says eager"
Ali be knew the character of the passen-
gers. lie had read the Atlas and Bee. He
knew there were Shadrack rescuers and
Sumner sympathizers and Douglas delegates
on board. lie might have been excused for
supposing that the colors a, halfmass,
union down, signifed the disruption Of the
Democratic party, but he knew there was
worse than that. The Spaulding
had the fate OF the Union on its deck az hat
moment. If Blocker had been brought into
Boston, and within the reach of the long
f.elers Of the Ho5eGs Corpus, then long
farewell to the integrity OF the Democratic
party. and Of course to the perpetuity of
our glorious Republic. Capt. Hallsit was
Up to the occasion. He gladly received the
fugitive, who, according to eager" vas
equally glad to embark with him: the vessels
parted; Gi!more's Band played "old Hun
dred,a AMERICA" add other airs not
inappropriate" and the Spaulding hurried
on to Boston. The vessel vas detained FIVE