Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-02-06
PERSONAL SLAVERY BILLS.

PERSONAL SLAVERY BILLS.
| 1t is sixteen years since the Hon. Samuel
| Hoar, one of the most respectable, and also
one of the most conservative citizens of Mas
sachasetts, was expelled from South Carolina
| when sent there on a diplomatic agency as the
| representative of his own State. The circum-
stances of that case are probably not known to
| one in thousand of the young men of the
country under thirty years of age, and imper-
fectly remembered by many who are older.
In March, 1874, the Legislature of Massa-
chusettS passed resolution authorizing the
| Governor to appoint an agent to proceed to
South Carolina, for the purpose of collecting
| information as to the number and names of
| colored citizens of Massachusetts, who had been
| imprisoned in South Carolina-some of whom
! had been sold into Slavery-and also to bring
! suits in behalf Of any such citizens, that the
| question of the conStitutionality of the laws
under which they were imprisoned might be
tested before the Supreme Court of the United
States Mr.. Hoar, gentleman advanced in
life, and a lawyer of high standing, was ap-
pointed such agent. The laws complained of,
and which are still in full force, take out of
every ship arriving in Charleston from Nor
thern port every coored man who NAV be on
board, imprisons him during the stav of the
vessel, and, on her departure, unless the Jail
fees are paid and the man taken away, sells
him as a slave to defray the expenses of his de-
tention. The Massachusetts, Legislature held
these laws to be unconstitutional, their action
wrong to her colored citizens, and an onerous
charge to her ship owners, both Of which bad
become intolerable. She only asked. howey-
er, that the question might be referred by an
amicabls arrangement to the Federal Courts
for ad Indication.
Mr. Hoar arrived in Charleston in Novem-
her, 1874. and Immediately announced his ar
rival and his GRAND to the Governor Of the
State, j. II. Hammond, and the next morning
sought the Mayor tor the same purpose. From
the Governor he received no reply. and the
Mayor was absent from the city and for three
days no notice whatever was taken of his pres
ence. AT the end of that time he heard that
his letter had been communicated to the Le-
gislature by the Governor, and had created
some excitement. An hour or two afterward,
on entering his hotel, he accosted by one
of three persons, who announced that he was
the Sheriff of Charleston, adding. with great
warmth and earneStneSs, 81 have some buSi-
ness with you, SIR He then introduced his
companions as the acting Mayor and an Alder
man of the city, and a conversation ensued, in
the course of which the Sheriff informed Mr..
Hoar that "he was suspected of being an Abo-
litonist," and that the mission sswas supposed
to be hoax, as he had presented no creden-
tlals." The credentials were produced, and
he was then assured sthat it was considered
great insult to South Carolina TO send such an
agent;' and that he "waS in great danger and
had better leave the city as soon as possible
letter from the Attorney General of the
State was read to him, in which the writer
urged that lynching be avoided, and called up
on the Sheriff to prevent that process. The
Sheriff further urged the existence OF great
public excitement, and doubted if it would be
In his power TO protect the stranger. To all
which Mr.. Hoar replied that having been sent
there on legal errand, as the agent of SOW
ereign State, he should not leave without some
10 f,,tE n
view took place the following day with the
Sheriff, when Mr.. Hoar was again urged to
leave, and on the same plea. .sWha do you
expect ~ said the officer, siYou can never get
verdict, and if you should, the Marshal would
need all the troops OF the United States to en-
force a Judgment" Several gentlemen called
in the course of the day, and informed him of
various plans to rid the city of his presence,
the midest of which was to take him by force
on board a packet and ship him to New. York.
But Mr. Hoar was immovable. At length a
proposition was made to him, on the part of
the Sheriff, that a case should be made up to
be submitted to the Circuit Court, and then
carried to the Supreme Court for final decision,
provided he would go; and to this he assented.
In waiting the next day upon the Sheriff,
this proposition was Withdrawn, on The ground
that if adhered to, ssthe purposes of the State
mi ght be thwarted - that it was an ssinsult in
to send any person on such bust
ness" and that there was ga determination to
rid themselves of him by some means" On
to his hotel, Mr.. Hoar was accosted
by sdecentIy dressed man. who said "You
had better be travelling, and the sooner the bet
ter for you,. l can tell you; if you stay here
till tomorrow morning you will feel something
you will net like, I'm thinking" He was a.
gain urged by gentlemen, to whom he had
brought letters, to leave at once, but he resist
ed their persuasions. That night he expected
IN attack upon the hotel, which he afterward |
earned, was prevented by the promise of his
removal by steamboat the next day. The fol- /
lowing day was consumed in further negotia- |
ion, which led to no result. Mr.. Hoar kept |
10 his hotel, and avoided insult. The excite
nent outside, meantime, increased, but the |
fact that Mr.. Hoar had his daughter with him