The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-04-10
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mittec Of the House Of Representative.
for the District Of Columbia, reported
that in three years from the LIT Of Jan
1926, to the lst Of January, 1929, ono
hundred and seventy.nine persons il,
Washington and Georgetown were ar
rested and committed to prison as alb
sconding slaves. Of this number
twenty-six proved themselves to be free,
and, being fortunate enough to pay jail
fees, were discharged. Six Of these
persons were sentenced by the iailor
without trial, and sold rs slaves, and
the proceeds pocketed by the marshal
OF the United States. Mr.. Miner, oi
Pennsylvania, in a speech in the House
of Representatives, in 1929, states tha,
"a black man was taken up in August,
1921, and imprisoned as aInnaway four
hundred and five days. In this time.
vermin, disease, aud misery had de.
priyed him Of the use Of his limbs. he
was rendered cripple for life, and
finally discharged. as no one would buy
him" More than one thousand Of the
citizens Of the District Of Columbia, on
the oath Of March, 1923, il i memorial
to Congress, declared 9'that it was not
alone from the rapacity Of slave traders
that the colored race in the District
were doomed to suffer; that the laws
sanction and direct procedure un
para!leled in glaring injustice by any
thing among the Governments OF
Christendom They state that in tht
summer Of 1e27-
"a colored man, who stated that lie
was entitled to freedom, was taken up
as runaway slave, and lodged in the
Jail Of Washington city. lie was al
vcrtised but no one appearing to claim
him, he was, according to law. put ~
at public auction for The payment Of his
Jail fees, and sold as slave Tor life
lie was purchased BY slave trader
who was not required to give securit,
] for his remaining in the District, ane
he was soon after shipped at Alexandri:
for one of the Southern States. An at
tempt was made by some beneyolen,
individuals to have the sale postponed
until his claim Of freedom could be in
vestigated but their efforts were una
vailing; and thus was human being
sold into perpetual bondage, at tn.
capital Of the freest Government o.,
earth, without even rretense OF tria
or an allegation Of crime
The men Of New England, New York
and Pennsylvania Of that generation
were responsible before God for tha
deed Of inlumanity.
But, sir, We Of this age in Americ;
are not gniltlcss Of like enermitics
Senators will remember that when Con
gress assembled in December last, ",
found nearly sixty human beings i'm
INJURED in our jail, under the authori,,
Of our marshal and his officials, as fugi
tive slaves, and that OF this number on,
man, admitted by all to be free, ha'
been confined more than six months
! Colored men of the free States, VIII,
have come with northern regiments t
the defense Of the national capital, hav
been seized and imprisoned in our jai
as runaways by constables, and by tina
race Of man-stealers, the Legitimate of
spring Of this doctrine that color is pre-
sumtive evidence Of slavery. Men VIII
have escaped from the camps Of arme'
treason, who have given our militar,
commanders important Intelligence Q
the movements ofrebel forces, appcarin
inthe streets Of w ashington, arepounce
upon, seized, and thrust into Jail by tn
creatures who see ssayc' written o
the forehead of every man throug
whose veins courses drop Of Africa
blood. In this national capital turks
race Of official and unofficial man. hur
ters, greedy, active, vigilant, dexterou'
ever ready, by falsehood, trlckery, q
violence, to clutch the hapless blac
man who carries rot with him title
deed to freedom. Cnly few days ag
these harpies Of the land, more merc
less than the wreckera of the sea.
psuncsd upon and hurried to your ia
two men your officers in the field ha
sent to Washington to give importan
intelligence to your generals. For thcs
deeds Of inhumanity and injustice, til
intelligent, patriotic, and Christian free
men of America are responsible bcsor
, man and before God! And five, thci
representatives, who now for the firs
time have the power do not nd thes