Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-05-23
4 REMINISCENCE or THIRTY
YEARS AGO.
The BOstOn slave nIot Over Antbon!
Hurna.

l4uIluky OulAbu DNhNbh OOuulhhlOuBIs lub
warrant rooited that Burns was fugitive from
labor, who had escaped from service in the
state Of Virginia that to Charles +. Suttle OF
Alexandria, in said state of Virginia, said
Burns owed, and still owes, service and labor
from which he had escaped to the state of
Massachusetts.
And the marshal, in the namo Of the Presi-
dent Of the United States (then being Frank
lin Pierce) was commanded to apprehend said
Burns.
On Thursday morning, the 25th, at o
o'clock, the marshal made return to the COM
missioner that he had arrested said Burns and
now had him before the commissioner
Edward G.. Parker and Seth Thomas ap-
peared as counsel for the claimant, and Rich
ard II. Dana, Jr., counsel for the alleged
slave. After one witness, William Brent, of
Richmond, had been partially examined Mr..
Dana asked for postponement on account of
the prisoner being 80 stupefed by the arrest
that he was incapable of saying whether he
wanted counsel.
Mr. Parker opposed the delay on the ground
that the prisoner did not wish for counsel, and
was willing to acknowledge the claim and 10
return to his master The object of delay
was to try to induce or force him to resist the
just claim which he was now ready to &C
knowledge.
After argument Commissioner Loring told
the prisoner that he was entitled to counsel,
and, il ho desired, time would be granted him.
Burns, who seemed amazed and speechless,
finally managed to say that he wished delay,
and the case was postponed till the 9Th.
Commissioner Loring was born in Boston
in 1902, had been lecturer on law at Harvard
College, and was afterward appointed Judge
OF the Court OF Claims at Washington.
Edward q. Parker was a brilliant young
Ian -. 4
Yale College, lSi7; was State Senator in
1853, was aide on General Buffers staff in
1861, and in 1862 on that of General Martin
dale, and died in New York In 1868. He
wrote life of Rufus Choate, of whom he
was a disciple, and published q volume enti-
tied Tho Golden Age Of American Oratory." ="
Richard il. Dana, Jr., was born in 1915, of
distinguished New England family. His ia.
ther, Richard II. Dana, was a distinguished
author and poet, who died in February last,
over 80 years of age. His grandfather was
Francis, and his great grandfather was Rich
| ard, and this latter Richard was the grandson
of Richard who settled in Cambridge in 1910.
| He is best known, perhaps, by his work
Two Years Before the Mast" He was after
ward, lSGl-G, United States Attorney for
| Massachusetts,.
The arrest OF Burns, made on the oath,
was kept secret till the morning of the 2jth,
but the news spread rapidly, and public ex-
citement was soon at fever heat.
The case being adjourned from the 2jth till
the 27th, the public we're summoned on Fi-
day evening the 2Gth, for au intermediate
denunciation of the Fugitive slave law, and as
Boston was excited, Faneuil hall was chosen
as the place where the excitement should con.
centrate.
| A card was published through the papers,
aud by hand-bills, calling upon all who would
secure justice to man claimed by Virginia
kidnapper to assemble, and asking the siguif.
cant question, Shall he be plunged into the
he'll Of Virginia slavery by Massachusetts
| Judge Of probate z"
The hall was crowded. Hon. Samuel E.
Sewell called the noisy throng to order
George II. Russell was chosen to preside, and
among the vice-presdents were Samuel G..
Howe, the friend of Greece Francis jackson,
president of anti-slavery society. F. w. Bird
and L. W. Higginson, who was distinguished
in the Kansas struggle, and was brigadier- gen
eral on jim Lanes staff
Judge Russell, on taking the chair, said he
had once thought that a Fugitive could never
be taken from Boston, but he had been mis-
taken one had been taken away, and anoth
er was in danger. The stakeholder will catcl
his slaves under the shadow of Bunker Hill
Compromise is concession, and concession il
degradation.
The judge became rather prophetic wheI
he said slavery shall pass away, and he hopeC
to die in land of liberty.
DR.. Howe presented a series Of resolutions
which proclaimed in the name of the livinI
God that henceforth and forever no comprom
ises should be made with slavery.
Mr.. Bird counseled Fight"
Mr.. John L. Swift said
'If we allow Marshal Freeman to carr
away that man the word coward should b.
stamped upon our foreheads. Hereafter lie
not the word compromise desecrate tn
tongue of any true American When we 2
from this cradle of liberty let us go the tom
of liberty, the court. rt.house, where Burns
Imprisoned. His release will be the resurreo
tion of liberty"
Wendell Phillips said there is now no lav
in Massachusetts, and when law ceases tn
people may act in their own sovereignty. Sc
to it that you ratify tomorrow, in the street
of Boston, the verdict of Faneuil hall, this
Anthony Burns has no master but his Goo
He had been talking TO no purpose sgaini
slavery for seventeen years, if this man ca
be carried away from Boston. When Burn
comes up for trial to. morrow let us get a sigt
of him, and never lose sight OF him Faneu
hall is the purlieus of the COURT house to-mol
row morning, where the children of Adam
and Hancock may prove that they are nC
bastards.
Theodore Parker, the celebrated New EnC
land preacher and author, commenced b
fiery speech by addressing the audienc,
'Fellow-subjects of Virginia" That epitht
, he would take back only when they accon
plished deeds worthy of freemen
He proposed that, when the meeting al
. journ, it adjourn to meet in Court Square Il
morrow morning at o'clock. Hundreds {
voices exclaimed mo, no tonight" 81
us 60 now and take him out !" Come on
Mr.. Parker asked those in favor of goir
tonight to raise their hands about one-ha
, of the audience raised their hands, while SON
. shouted, 'Let us visit the slave -catchers Il
night at the Revere House." "We'l tar an
feather them"
, Mr.. Phillips again came forward and o.
posed doing anything tonight. They cou
{ not vindicate the fair fame of Boston
0 groaning at the laVe-catchers at the Reve
+ House. II any one has an arm and hea
D ready to sacrifice anything for the freedo
e of an oppressed man, let him do it to- MORO,
If he thought it could be done tonight
would go first. To save slave from Il
i hands of those who are called officers of Il
3 law, he was roady to trample any statute
any man under his feet The zeal that woI
keep till tomorrow will never free q slave.
"
= ence with him, when a man in the lower el
= of the hall cried out that mob of color
4 people were attempting to rescue Burns fro
. the courthouse, upon which the audien
rapidly left the hall for Court House Squar
Having surrounded the courthouse, 4
!, mob, with long plank used as a batterin
u ram, and with axes, broke open the We
> side door, opposite the railroad exchange.
; The battering-ram was manned by about
= dozen of men, white and colored. BriokbI
L were thrown at the windows, and the glF
ratified in all directions.
Is II was now half past nine O'Clock, and
D. courthouse bell rang an alarm, pistols We
q fired and Chief of Police Taylor arrested 81
ii eral of the men engaged with axes breaki
g in the door
"a The entrance to the court house was gual
81 ed by men employed by United States office
among them James BatcheldeT, a truokma
al in the employ of Colonel Peter Dunbar W
10 was either stabbed or shot in the abdomt
% and almost instantly died.
BIT The announcement of the death caused @
10 sation of the attempt to enter the oOurt-hou
r, which was strongly guarded.
Ill A case had beon tried that day in the
preme court, and the jury we're deliberatii
rs Some of the jury put their heads out Of
70 window to see what was going on, and VI
- -