Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-05-07


tke boy in September last. Aud, further
/ We do not believe that Emanuel knows any
6 thing Ofhis 'Ben's") whereabouts. And
further, please to take into consideration
the fact that Emanuel has been confined il
Jail a long time. to wit: more than fcrt,
t days since his trial and conviction. And
t finally, think. oh think of a fathers feel
$ 5 ings.
! (Signed) John W. Miller, Amos Hunt
W. S. Wright. Nicholas McCubben. S. c
: Bradley, Elias H. Eakle, I. Lowell
In 1928. over one thousand of the theI
. principle citizens of this District PetitioncC
Congress for the gradual abolition of slav
Z cry here, and the repeal Of the cruel code BY
the authority of which such expressions were
prscticel. LSee Document No. no, sec
. ond session Twenty Third Congress.
Among these petitioners were such names
as Jonathan Elliot, Henry Burdick, and
W. Cranch. l make a few extracts from
this petition:
We, the undersigned, citizens of the
counties of Washington and Alexandria. in
the District of Columbia. beg leave to call
the attention of your honorable body to an
evil of serious magnitude, which greatly
mpalrs the prosperity and happiness Of
this District and casts the reproach of in
consistency upon the free institutions estab-
llshed among US. While the laws of the
United States denounce the foreign slave
trade as piracy, and punish with death
those who are found engaged in its perpe-
%tration, there exists in this District, the
seat OF the national Government, a domes-
tic slave trade scarcely less disgraceful in
its character, and even more demoralizing
IN Its influence. For this is not, like the
former, carried on against a barbarous
nation its victims are reared up among the
people of this country. educated in the pre-
cepts of the same religion, and imbued with
similar domestic attachments. These peo-
pie are, without their consent, torn from
their homes husband and wife are frequent
ly separated and sold into distant parts /;
children are taken from their parents, with
out regard to the ties of nature; and the
most endearing bonds of affection are bro
ken forever.
Nor is this traffic confined to those who
are legally slaves for life. Some who are
entitled to freedom, and many who have a
limited time to serve, are sold into uHcon-
ditional slavery; and owing to the defect
iveness of u laws. they are generally car
ried out of the District before the necessa-
ry steps can be taken for their release
We behold these scenes continually taking
place among us, and lament our inability to
prevent item. The people of this District
have within themselves, no means of legis-
lative redress; and We therefore appeal to
your honorable body, as the only one invest
cd by the American Constitution with the
power to relieve US.
Nor is it only from the rapacity of
slave traders that the cOlored race in this
District are doomed to suffer; even the
laws which govern US, sanction and direct,
IN certain cases, a procedure that we be-
lieve is unparalleled in glaring injustice by
anything at present known among the Gov
ernments of Christendom. An instance of
the operation of these laws, which occurred
during the last summer, e will briefly re-
late. A colored man who stated that he
was entitled to freedom was taken up as a
runaway slave, and lodged in the Jail of
Washington city. He was advertised, but
no one appearing to claim him, he was, &C.
cording to law, put up at public auction
for the payment of his jail fees, and sold
as a slave for life He was purchased by
a slave trader, who was not required to give
security for his remaining in the District.
and he was soon after shipped at Alexan-
drla for one of the Southern States. An
attempt was made by some benevolent in
dlvlduals to have the sale postponed until
his claim to freedom could be investigated;
but their efforts were unavailing, and thus
was a human being sold into perpetual bon
dage at the capital of the frcest Govern
ment on earth without even a pretense of
trial, or allegation of crime.
1--WE blush for our country while we re-
late this disgraceful transaction, and we
would fain conceal it from the world did
not its enOrmity inspire US with the hope
it will rouse the philanthropist and
the patriot to exertion. We have no hest
tation in believing your honorable body
never intended that this odious law should
be enforced it was adopted with the old
code Of Maryland, from which, we believe,
it has been expunged since this District
was ceded to the General Government.
1.-The existence among us of a distinct
class Of people. who, by their condition as
slaves, are deprived of almost every incen-
tive to virtue and industry, and shut out
from many of the sources of light and
knowledge, has an evident tendency to cor 1
rupt the morals of the people and 10 damp
the spirit of enterprise, by accustoming 4
the rising generation to look with contempt !
upon the honest laborer, and to depend for :
too much upon the labor of others. =
Il prevents a useful and industrious peo- '
PIE from settling among US, by rendering I
he means of subsistence more precarious q
o the labOring class of whites. 1t dimin- q
the resources of the communi V, BY
hrowing the earnings of the poor into the
offers of the rich /; thus rendering the
Ormer dependent, @servile, and improvident,
While the latter are tempted to become, in
he same proportion, luxurious and prodi-
al That these disastrous results flow
rom the existence of slavery among us, is
efficiently CONSPICUOUS, when We contrast I
he languiShing condition Of this District il
nd the surrounding country with the pros (
Gritty of those parts of the Union which g g
less favored in point of climate and 10 ;
alton, but blessed with a free and indus
nous population" '
No more cogent reasons need be given
'r the passage Of the bill now under dis l
han the statements contained in 4
lis petition Shall Congress be longer
,sponsible for such barbarous cruelties as ?
lie described by the citizens of this Dis
,o40 - AL ese,,, of Ill v,Hiap1oc,' h =