Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-25
The following passage 10 a letter purport-


inc IN he written from Washington, by cor
respondent of the Boston 1Torefier, can need
mo express commendation to public atten-
tion:
have Just finished reading your account
of tie close of the Sanborn case and find that
can add q little TO il, az I hare just met one
of the actors "a the scene.
When Mr.. Sauborn was cited by babeas cor
ms TO appear before the Supreme Court Of
Massachusetts. II was determined By his fTie1ds,
whatever may have been bis own ideas, that
he should not be taken again by the officers,
mo matter ahaf the Occasion might be. To guard
against this thirty determined and WELL
ARMED men attended Court, and were con-
stantiy between Sanborn and the officers, and
it would have taken considerable force to
have broken through their ranks, so toeH had
they made their arrangements.
We are accustomed 10 see much in North
ern prints denunciatOry of what is termed
lawlessness on the part of the Southern
people. Every incident connected with al
fairs vioIative OF law is dwelt upon and dis
torted with view to create the impression
at home and abroad that in the Southern
States there is little, if any, respect for the
constituted authorities or the obligations of
citizens TO obey the law. We doubt whether
In any city of the Union this has been prac-
ticed, by certain classes, to more unlimited
extent than in Boston. Those who are so
alive to the foibles and faults of others ought
themselves to De above reproach. But here
we have admitted q conspiracy in Boston to
prevent by force of arms the enforcement
of a Judgment of Court, should that
judgment be contrary TO the wishes OF the
copspirators 1t il most damning adj
mission: and one which should not be
permitted to go without Investigation by
the proper authorities. If the facts stated
be really true, then, in the language Of the
Boston Courier, mo act of high-handed VIC
lence committed upon the soil of Massachu-
sets equals it in atrOcity Of purpose, or con-
siitutes SO deep an offence against the public
peace, or one SO truly DANCE Gus to public
safety and to every semblance Of popular
right
1.-The raid of JOHN BRowN is far from being
commensurate with il. Deeds OF violence
and blOodshed by hardened criminals, by men
of fierce and peryerse minds, in the pursuit
Of their evil objects, are not'uncOmmen. But
this is the first time in our history that a
band'of desperate fanatics, ready to execute
their work of assassination in the open day,
have ranged themselves in the presence OF
high tribunal Of justice, to resist, if the op-
portunity offered, the regular administration
of the law--to tramele upon the Sovereignty
of the popular will legitimately expressed,
and to turn their murderous weapons upon
such as might interfere with their designs.
Had the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, Ia
by them In Sanborn's case. as within the
range of reasonable possibility they might
have done, the floor of the court room might
have been deluged with blood, and the Chief
Justice with his associates, amid ssch scene
of murder ard confusion might have been
among the slaughtered victims of this horri-
bic conspiracy, either by accident or design.
1T is well, 1t is absolutely essential sor the
people OF Massachusetts, to contemplate the
probabilities of such frightful event. To
such poiat-and = nataral ene-bas Zero
cious and unheitsting fanaticism arrived
us udif uEAiHru OoubOtu WINS DtlOic tue
Supreme Court, at the hearing of a process
instituted on bis own behalf and one provi- |
ded b. e law to ascertain land protect his |
own aud every other mans personal rights. |
II that court had determined that be was
held by another process which did not in
fringe his personal rights. then resistance to
the law and the scene of outrage aud muir
der was to have begun! OF what avail is it
TO say, that il was q foolhardy and crazy
beaded thing to conceive, whether executed
or not: OF what avail. TO believe that the
blood, which might have been shed in that
temple Of justice, would have been visited
tenfold upon the heads OF the few desperate
men engaged in the infamous plot. Public
over snch a contemplated act Of horror.
Nor ought the officers Of justice to slumber.
The correspondent OF the Truueller processes
to h.vereceiEea bis account from one Of the |
actors m the scene Such transaction \
should be Investigated a once. The means
10 seems exist of ascertaining who one of the
persons engaged was. and how much Of hi
stsry l. true The facts should lie fully
kno~a- and u such account. actually iu-
credible Is il is, be found false OF exaggera-
ted, relief in this way cat 10 he aeordei to
he public mind"