The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-04-07
INTERESTING FROM VIRGINIA.
our Ri.nnond correspondence.


sa,rest;no Reror from Joint Special Commiee Of he
viroinia LEGISLATURE on the Action Of the Governors Of
Ohio and Ioaea Reference TO me Surrender Of C6ppb,
Miriam and Bro,ca Upo. the Requisiion Of Governor |
LeteAp
send you herewith copy Of report OF Joint Special
Committee OF the la stature cf h State, on the acton
Of The Governors of Ohio Iowa in refusing to surren
Ger Barclay Coppe, Francis Merriam and owen Brown
upon the rcqusiton Of Gov Letcher Il his State. This
report WAS presented both Houses to day and ordered
70 be printed The following is the report
Toe On ed Joint Committee of the General AsseA
bly, TO whom referred the special messages OF the
She Governors OF Iowa and Ohio for the er Of Bar
rlay Coppe Francis Merriam and Owen BrowG three Of
criminals engaged in the late raid at Har pers Ferry,
have according to order had the uaer considera
sion and make the following report
On the l(th day Of October last, three men (Coppie
Merriam and Brown) deliberately cons,ired with others
NOTE slaves to rebel and TO overthrow the nstu-
tons and government of State, in the attempt to
their eonious and reasonable purpose the pro-
perry OF citizens was carried away, their persons
foreoly detained and confined while others were ruth
iessly murdered. After having committed these grave
offences, they fed beyond the Jurisdiction of the Common
wealth The plain duty Of the Executive of the Common
wealth, charged as he is with the execution
demand Of the Governor OF any State, within the
Ams Of which they might be found, their surrender
Your committee dc not think necessary to refer part
cuafly the clause of the federal constitution and the
SCI Congress under which the Governor OF Virginia de-
.nsnded the surrender Of these criminals both
are familiar the whole country Under the clause Of
federal constitution AMI the act of Congress referred
TO- Governor proceeded demand of the Governor
of Iowa the surrender Of Barclay Coppie, and OF
the Governor Of Ohio the surrender Of Francis
Merriam and Owen Brown In both the
render refused In justification Of their conduct
they DO not pretend that the offences with which the cr
rinals charged have not been committed, nor that
they be found within the limits Of their Sates
they put their refusa solely the ground Of alleged
informaes in the papers accompanying the requisiton
These alleged nformaliues when examined not only
sechnical but utterly and wholly groundess and your
committee constrained to say furnsh evidence salts
factory that both the Governors of Iowa and
Ohio have wfuly and deliberately violated their sworn
duty, and plain provision Of the federal constitution
that the they assign in justification o! their
rather OF character to the with decency
foregoue conclusion than to satisfy the Governor and
people Of Virginia. Your committee deem 1t useless
Of time elaborate this branch of the subjects but
n order 70 demonstrate very briefly that the views ex
pressed by your committee warranted by the extra
ordinary conduct of these executives will for
en, adver; the assigned by Attorney General
wolcost of Ohio, upon whose opinion the Governor Of
predicaied his refusal to surrender Merriam and
Crown. Aud in order that there may no. be the |
slightest njusce done to the Attorney General will
the precisely he has done and his own Ian
guage He says speaking Of Meriam) frat he have
Geen charged in another state, by indictment afda
viz with the commission there OF treason felony other
crime second fled from that State 10 escape
justice; third demand for his surrender accompanied
by authentic copy Of the indictment affidavit on
which the demand was predicated must have been made
u he
fight was made. He then says, when these do con-
currently eappen the power to remove exists and must be
Let US see row whether the several matters OF fact In
voved in the preceding position of the Attorney General
shown to have existed IN the OF Merr In the
first place. the fugitive (Merram) the Sth day Of Feb
Iuary last indicted by Grand Jury OF Jefferson
county OF this State with having the 10th and 18th days
Of October 1862 advsed slaves to rebel and make nsu
rection and for conspug with certain persons induce
felony by the laws Of Virginia This indictment charges
that Merriam on tue 10th and 18th days OF October,
1869, committed the aforesaid offence in the county Of
Jefferson, AMI within the jurisdiction OF the
Circuit Court Of that county. copy of this
indictment with 30 much OF the record OF the proceedings
Of The court as showed that was regularly proved, was
certified 10 by the clerks Of the court and the seal OF his
office annexed The Judge OF Inc court next certified 10
the genuneness Of the certificate and zeal OF the clerk
and the whole was certified to by the Governor o; this
Commonwealth uuder the seal OF State This indictment,
thus authenticated, shows In the very language Of Aor
hey General Wocott tpa Merriam the prisoner demaud-
Cd was charged in Virginia another State, with the
mission Of crime and thai crime felony. Attorney
General Woco further that addition TO the fore
xonr must be shown tina, Merriam 1sd from ycina n
escape it's Justice The same evidence that eerned su
eent 10 show fiat Merriam as cb Win bavns an
n;tted ,he on 20 viii o snov ina he ia frnn
H. S,o,o Sa- ,ba coY,,;seor ~ .ia ofnna w. 80,
rnent 1sbsn once al ni,,e@ ~ avdence sho ,h1 AZ ~
un0e ' rehoe' eGvN shs' ou 'De
~ 80 ' " ~, 80 go. ~ lS c was IA
VI 1elei eoh, ~ ueH Sitlo y. irgnia'
'nel anu eie nm W .ne isIon! Nu",
OF Ohio, would ike 10 know how he happened to be
:. .@ Sste VI 'Aas eay uess he hea 'neIe RON we
ss VI sns,na IN 'ae o'nes ouheia, VI o.o,
HeI Nunti..ne La. III wig nlon.n vi ov'oper
s: h Sn as ~ my oi ~ g peops VI VIZ
es NV NC sos nto Oo VI ae - vi reo uar! iotAoh
ns 40 !. y. ei W sas9y u eIls Va e
W; az ,e ~. Vi s VIC u 'si Hot y.
~ e ~ , - ~ . lI; az .; " y .sn u,
" uemanu e SURRENDER VI MeIfa, we iucuia, node
usVc ny NnSh Tue lSs'se !sis 'ns sh,s or .e GO.
49, VIII mnon tS ie.s VI ano 0 c nus sensns
virginia whether II was fear, or hatred, or remorseY
" ne aevS,se upon te governor Oh Virginia .oe o