Attorney of the U.S. for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The abolitionists were leaving no stone unturned in order to
triumphantly meet the case in Court. During the interim many tokens of
kindness and marks of Christian benevolence were extended to the
prisoners by their friends and sympathizers; among these none deserve
more honorable mention than the noble act of Thomas L. Kane (son of
Judge Kane, and now General), in tendering all the prisoners a sumptuous
Thanksgiving dinner, consisting of turkey, etc., pound cake, etc., etc.
The dinner for the white prisoners, Messrs. Hanaway, Davis, and
Scarlett, was served in appropriate style in the room of Mr. Morrison,
one of the keepers. The U.S. Marshal, A.E. Roberts, Esq., several of the
keepers, and Mr. Hanes, one of the prison officers, dined with the
prisoners as their guests. Mayor Charles Gilpin was also present and
accepted an invitation to test the quality of the luxuries, thus
significantly indicating that he was not the enemy of Freedom.
Mrs. Martha Hanaway, the wife of the "traitor" of that name, and who had
spent most of her time with her husband since his incarceration, served
each of the twenty-seven colored "traitors" with a plate of the
delicacies, and the supply being greater than the demand, the balance
was served to outsiders in other cells on the same corridor.
The pro-slavery party were very indignant over the matter, and the Hon.
Mr. Brent thought it incumbent upon him to bring this high-handed
procedure to the notice of the Court, where he received a few crumbs of
sympathy, from the pro-slavery side, of course. But the dinner had been
so handsomely arranged, and coming from the source that it did, it had a
very telling effect. Long before this, however, Mr. T.L. Kane had given
abundant evidence that he approved of the Underground Rail Road, and was
a decided opponent of the Fugitive Slave Law; in short, that he believed
in freedom for all men, irrespective of race or color.
Castnor Hanaway was first to be tried; over him, therefore, the great
contest was to be made. For the defence of this particular case, the
abolitionists selected J.M. Read, Thaddeus Stevens, Joseph S. Lewis and
Theodore Cuyler, Esqs. On the side of the Fugitive Slave Law, and
against the "traitors," were U.S. District Attorney, John W. Ashmead,
Hon. James Cooper, James R. Ludlow, Esq., and Robert G. Brent, Attorney
General of Maryland. Mr. Brent was allowed to act as "overseer" in
conducting matters on the side of the Fugitive Slave Law. On this
infamous enactment, combined with a corrupted popular sentiment, the
pro-slavery side depended for success. The abolitionists viewed matters
in the light of freedom and humanity, and hopefully relied upon the
justice of their cause and the power of truth to overcome and swallow up
all the Pharaoh's rods of serpents as fast as they might be thrown down.
The prisoners having lain in their cells nearly three months, the time
for their trial arrived. Monday morning, November 24th, the contest
began. The first three days were occupied in procuring jurors. The
pro-slavery side desired none but such as believed in the Fugitive Slave
law and in "Treason" as expounded in the Judge's charge and the finding
of the Grand Jury.
The counsel for the "Traitors" carefully weighed the jurors, and when
found wanting challenged them; in so doing, they managed to get rid of
most all of that special class upon whom the prosecution depended for a
conviction. The jury having been sworn in, the battle commenced in good
earnest, and continued unabated for nearly two weeks. It is needless to
say, that the examinations and arguments would fill volumes, and were of
the most deeply interesting nature.
No attempt can here be made to recite the particulars of the trial other
than by a mere reference. It was, doubtless, the most important trial
that ever took place in this country relative to the Underground Rail
Road passengers, and in its results more good was brought out of evil
than can easily be estimated. The pro-slavery theories of treason were
utterly demolished, and not a particle of room was left the advocates of
the peculiar institution to hope, that slave-hunters in future, in quest
of fugitives, would be any more safe than Gorsuch. The tide of public
sentiment changed--Hanaway, and the other "traitors," began to be looked
upon as having been greatly injured, and justly entitled to public
sympathy and honor, while confusion of face, disappointment and chagrin
were plainly visible throughout the demoralized ranks of the enemy.
Hanaway was victorious.
An effort was next made to convict Thompson, one of the colored
"traitors." To defend the colored prisoners, the old Abolition Society
had retained Thaddeus Stevens, David Paul Brown, William S. Pierce, and
Robert P. Kane, Esqs., (son of Judge Kane). Stevens, Brown and Pierce
were well-known veterans, defenders of the slave wherever and whenever
called upon so to do. In the present case, they were prepared for a
gallant stand and a long siege against opposing forces. Likewise, R.P.
Kane, Esq., although a young volunteer in the anti-slavery war, brought
to the work great zeal, high attainments, large sympathy and true pluck,
while, in view of all the circumstances, the committee of arrangements
felt very much gratified to have him in their ranks.
By this time, however, the sandy foundations of "overseer" Brent and
Co., (on the part of slavery), had been so completely swept away by the
Hon. J.M. Read and Co., on the side of freedom, that there was but
little chance left to deal heavy blows upon the defeated advocates of
the Fugitive Slave Law. Thompson was pronounced "not guilty." The other
prisoners, of course, shared the same good luck. The victory was then
complete, equally as much so as at Christiana. Underground Rail Road
stock arose rapidly and a feeling of universal rejoicing pervaded the
friends of freedom from one end of the country to the other.
Especially were slave-holders taught the wholesome lesson, that the
Fugitive Slave Law was no guarantee against "red hot shot," nor the
charges of U.S. Judges and the findings of Grand Juries, together with
the superior learning of counsel from slave-holding Maryland, any
guarantee that "traitors" would be hung. In every respect, the
Underground Rail Road made capital by the treason. Slave-holders from
Maryland especially were far less disposed to hunt their runaway
property than they had hitherto been. The Deputy Marshal likewise
considered the business of catching slaves very unsafe.
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