The Underground Railroad
note of warning, which had saved the life of one of the keepers,
for whose destruction a bold plot had been arranged--the
officers felt disposed to show him such favors as the law would
allow. But their good intentions were soon frustrated. The
Inquisition (commonly called the Legislature), being in session
in Richmond, hearing that the Superintendent had been speaking
well of Smith, and circulating a petition for his pardon,
indignantly demanded to know if the rumor was well founded. Two
weeks were spent by the Inquisition, and many witnesses were
placed upon oath, to solemnly testify in the matter. One of the
keepers swore that his life had been saved by Smith. Col.
Morgan, the Superintendent, frequently testified in writing and
verbally to Smith's good deportment; acknowledging that he had
circulated petitions, &c.; and took the position, that he
sincerely believed, that it would be to the interest of the
institution to pardon him; calling the attention of the
Inquisition, at the same time, to the fact, that not
unfrequently pardons had been granted to criminals, under
sentence of death, for the most cold-blooded murder, to say
nothing of other gross crimes. The effort for pardon was soon
abandoned, for the following reason given by the Governor: "I
can't, and I won't pardon him!"
In view of the unparalleled injustice which Mr. S. had suffered,
as well as on account of the aid he had rendered to the slaves,
on his arrival in this city the colored citizens of Philadelphia
felt that he was entitled to sympathy and aid, and straightway
invited him to remain a few days, until arrangements could be
made for a mass meeting to receive him. Accordingly, on last
Monday evening, a mass meeting convened in the Israel church,
and the Rev. Wm. T. Catto was called to the chair, and Wm. Still
was appointed secretary. The chairman briefly stated the object
of the meeting. Having lived in the South, he claimed to know
something of the workings of the oppressive system of slavery
generally, and declared that, notwithstanding the many exposures
of the evil which came under his own observation, the most vivid
descriptions fell far short of the realities his own eyes had
witnessed. He then introduced Mr. Smith, who arose and in a
plain manner briefly told his story, assuring the audience that
he had always hated slavery, and had taken great pleasure in
helping many out of it, and though he had suffered much
physically and pecuniarily for the cause' sake, yet he murmured
not, but rejoiced in what he had done. After taking his seat,
addresses were made by the Rev. S. Smith, Messrs. Kinnard,
Brunner, Bradway, and others. The following preamble and
resolutions were adopted--
WHEREAS, We, the colored citizens of Philadelphia, have
among us Samuel A. Smith, who was incarcerated over
seven years in the Richmond Penitentiary, for doing an
act that was honorable to his feelings and his sense of
justice and humanity, therefore,
_Resolved_, That we welcome him to this city as a martyr
to the cause of Freedom.
_Resolved_, That we heartily tender him our gratitude
for the good he has done to our suffering race.
_Resolved_, That we sympathize with him in his losses
and sufferings in the cause of the poor, down-trodden
slave.
W.S.
During his stay in Philadelphia, on this occasion, he stopped for about
a fortnight with the writer, and it was most gratifying to learn from
him that he was no new worker on the U.G.R.R. But that he had long hated
slavery thoroughly, and although surrounded with perils on every side,
he had not failed to help a poor slave whenever the opportunity was
presented.
Pecuniary aid, to some extent, was rendered him in this city, for which
he was grateful, and after being united in marriage, by Wm. H. Furness,
D.D., to a lady who had remained faithful to him through all his sore
trials and sufferings, he took his departure for Western New York, with
a good conscience and an unshaken faith in the belief that in aiding his
fellow-man to freedom he had but simply obeyed the word of Him who
taught man to do unto others as he would be done by.
* * * * *
TRIAL OF THE EMANCIPATORS OF COL. J.H. WHEELER'S SLAVES, JANE JOHNSON
AND HER TWO LITTLE BOYS.
Among other duties devolving on the Vigilance Committee when hearing of
slaves brought into the State by their owners, was immediately to inform
such persons that as they were not fugitives, but were brought into the
State by their masters, they were entitled to their freedom without
another moment's service, and that they could have the assistance of the
Committee and the advice of counsel without charge, by simply availing
themselves of these proffered favors.
Many slave-holders fully understood the law in this particular, and were
also equally posted with regard to the vigilance of abolitionists.
Consequently they avoided bringing slaves beyond Mason and Dixon's Line
in traveling North. But some slave-holders were not thus mindful of the
laws, or were too arrogant to take heed, as may be seen in the case of
Colonel John H. Wheeler, of North Carolina, the United States Minister
to Nicaragua. In passing through Philadelphia from Washington, one very
warm July day in 1855, accompanied by three of his slaves, his high
official equilibrium, as well as his assumed rights under the
Constitution, received a terrible shock at the hands of the Committee.
Therefore, for the readers of these pages, and in order to completely
illustrate the various phases of the work of the Committee in the days
of Slavery, this case, selected from many others, is a fitting one.
However, for more than a brief recital of some of the more prominent
incidents, it will not be possible to find room in this volume. And,
indeed, the necessity of so doing is precluded by the fact that Mr.
Williamson in justice to himself and the cause of freedom, with great
pains and singular ability, gathered the most important facts bearing on
his memorable trial and imprisonment, and published them in a neat
volume for historical reference.
In order to bring fully before the reader the beginning of this
interesting and exciting case, it seems only necessary to publish the
subjoined letter, written by one of the actors in the drama, and
addressed to the New York Tribune, and an additional paragraph which may
be requisite to throw light on a special point, which Judge Kane decided
was concealed in the "obstinate" breast of Passmore Williamson, as said
Williamson persistently refused before the said Judge's court, to own
that he had a knowledge of the mystery in question. After which, a brief
glance at some of the more important points of the case must suffice.
LETTER COPIED FROM THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE.
[Correspondence of The N.Y. Tribune.]
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, July 30, 1855.
As the public have not been made acquainted with the facts and
particulars respecting the agency of Mr. Passmore Williamson and
others, in relation to the slave case now agitating this city,
and especially as the poor slave mother and her two sons have
been so grossly misrepresented, I deem it my duty to lay the
facts before you, for publication or otherwise, as you may think
proper.
On Wednesday afternoon, week, at 4-1/2 o'clock, the following
note was placed in my hands by a colored boy whom I had never
before seen, to my recollection:
"MR. STILL--_Sir_: Will you come down to Bloodgood's Hotel as
soon as possible--as there are three fugitive slaves here and
they want liberty. Their master is here with them, on his way to
New York."
The note was without date, and the signature so indistinctly
written as not to be understood by me, having evidently been
penned in a moment of haste.
Without delay I ran with the note to Mr. P. Williamson's office,
Seventh and Arch, found him at his desk, and gave it to him, and
after reading it, he remarked that he could not go down, as he
had to go to Harrisburg that night on business--but he advised
me to go, and to get the names of the slave-holder and the
slaves, in order to telegraph to New York to have them arrested
there, as no time remained to procure a writ of habeas corpus
here.
I could not have been two minutes in Mr. W.'s office before
starting in haste for the wharf. To my surprise, however, when I
reached the wharf, there I found Mr. W., his mind having
undergone a sudden change; he was soon on the spot.
I saw three or four colored persons in the hall at Bloodgood's,
none of whom I recognized except the boy who brought me the
note. Before having time for making inquiry some one said they
had gone on board the boat. "Get their description," said Mr. W.
I instantly inquired of one of the colored persons for the
desired description, and was told that she was "a tall, dark
woman, with two little boys."
Mr. W. and myself ran on board of the boat, looked among the
passengers on the first deck, but saw them not. "They are up on
the second deck," an unknown voice uttered. In a second we were
in their presence. We approached the anxious-looking
slave-mother with her two boys on her left-hand; close on her
right sat an ill-favored white man having a cane in his hand
which I took to be a sword-cane. (As to its being a sword-cane,
however, I might have been mistaken.)
The first words to the mother were: "Are you traveling?" "Yes,"
was the prompt answer. "With whom?" She nodded her head toward
the ill-favored man, signifying with him. Fidgeting on his seat,
he said something, exactly what I do not now recollect. In reply
I remarked: "Do they belong to you, Sir?" "Yes, they are in my
charge," was his answer. Turning from him to the mother and her
sons, in substance, and word for word, as near as I can
remember, the following remarks were earnestly though calmly
addressed by the individuals who rejoiced to meet them on free
soil, and who felt unmistakably assured that they were justified
by the laws of Pennsylvania as well as the Law of God, in
informing them of their rights:
"You are entitled to your freedom according to the laws of
Pennsylvania, having been brought into the State by your owner.
If you prefer freedom to slavery, as we suppose everybody does,
you have the chance to accept it now. Act calmly--don't be
frightened by your master--you are as much entitled to your
freedom as we are, or as he is--be determined and you need have
no fears but that you will be protected by the law. Judges have
time and again decided cases in this city and State similar to
yours in favor of freedom! Of course, if you want to remain a
slave with your master, we cannot force you to leave; we only
want to make you sensible of your rights. _Remember, if you lose
this chance you may never get such another," etc_.
This advice to the woman was made in the hearing of a number of
persons present, white and colored; and one elderly white
gentleman of genteel address, who seemed to take much interest
in what was going on, remarked that they would have the same
chance for their freedom in New Jersey and New York as they then
had--seeming to sympathize with the woman, etc.