The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-04-14
Letter from tho Philadelphia
ReScuers.

editors, and correspondents OF the press OF
this city, as we'll as elsewhere, upon the
subject of our Imprisonment, we deem it
but justice to ourselves, our friends, and
the public to make statement of the feel
ings or motives by which we were actuated
and impelled to the commission of this rash
act of felonious villainy and injustice in
resisting a righteous, virtuous, and just
statute of law-so righteous, virtuous, and
just that any one who attempts to resist its
enforcement, (either with or without the
process of law required by its provisions
being complied with by its executives
shall be fined and imprisoned forresistance
to and obstruction of the laws of the Unit
ed States, though the person so resisted
may be no other than bloodhound or a
nigger-catcher, dependent upon his sue
cess in providing and niger catching and
stealing through the mountains and swamps
of Virginia, and the more peaceful rural
districts of Pennsylvania. Such was pro-
ven to be the occupation of the first and
principal witness offered at the trial of Mo-
ses Horner. These facts were obtained
from the witness himself on being exam
ined; yet to resist such man, attempting
to arrest person well known to us, wheth-
er he be acting with or without due pro-
cess as aforesaid, the law declares may be
so construed as to subject the one SO resist
ing to fine and imprisonment.
We would say, sir, that we are we'll
aware of the penalty to be inflicted on con-
viction of so high crime as we are charged
with. We are also aware of the necessity
of so constituting our act by intent as to
secure our conviction on this charge. The
fealty of the North to the South at this
crisis demands it-a fealty which is never
acknowledged by the South toward the
North, and is only rewarded by them when
a Northern man dares to utter his senti-
ments in the spirit of true Democracy by
Imprisonment and coat of tar and feath-
ers. Yet we are aware that while the
South threatens and shakes the rod, the
North will obey; and this act will be SO
magnifed and so construed as to insure, if
possible, punishment to the fullest extent
of the law Allow us to state, therefore,
that we were denied, after the first days
proceedings, admission to the court during
the progress of the trial, while white men
were allowed to enter indiscriminately no
questions being asked; but not colored
man who was recognized as such was al
lowed by the door-keeper to enter the
room during the entire proceedings We
therefore had no opportunity of knowing
the result of the trial only as persons COM
ing out chose to convey it to US. Under
these circumstances we were subject to
great imposition by mischievous persons.
Many reports came out to us-one that
the prisoner was declared free, but that
the officers were determined to hold him
till the claimant had better opportunities
of proving the time of his escape; another
that he was remanded back to the claim
ant, to be conveyed to Virginia; and, as
the courtroom was cleared, word came out
that the prisoner was fully and fairly &C
quilted, and general "hurrah" for free
dom was made by parties still in the hall
of the courthouse. In short time we
learned from prisoners counsel that writ
had been served on the marshal to bring
the man into court next day at 10 o'clock,
but it was doubted whether he would obey
the writ or run the man off during the
night.
In less than half an hour the claimant
started for the Baltimore depot, and car
riage was engaged for the purpose of con-
veying the prisoner to the same place.
Under these very critical circumstances,
involving, as we conceived, SO much to us,
protesting to be men worthy of your respect,
at the risk of our lives we resisted what we
believed to be determination on the part
of the persons having the man in custody
to disregard any and all authority that
seemed to favor or offer chance of free
dom for the prisoner. We now stand
committed to await the decision of the
Quarter Sessions and District Courts for
this district, on the charges of obstructing
the law and riot. Whatever may be their
decision, we await it, and will abide its
consequences with the utmost respect for
truth, justice, and humanity. If these
principles are adhered to, we have no fears
as to the result of our trial before an I'M
partial jury Of our peers, which we know
the law guarantees to us, and which we
have right to expect will be granted to
US.