Civil War Washington

Letter from Washington.

The 4th of July passed off very
pleasantly indeed for Washington City. We
had quite a military parade. The Declaration
of Independence was read, and an oration deliv-
ered​ by one of your citizens, Gen. Hiram Wal-
bridge​. I had not the pleasure of hearing the
oration, but learned that it was a masterly effort.
It would have given me much pleasure to have
heard the general, but I was engaged with the
Sunday-School Union. It was a magnificent
sight to see from 1,600 to 2,000 colored children,
with full band of music, marching down Penn-
sylvania​ avenue, with banners and appropriate
mottoes thereon, and also large American flags
with the folds tossed to the breeze. The pro-
slavery​ citizens could hardly believe their own
eyes. Well, in fact, your humble servant, Bob
Logic, who had the pleasure of having a posi-
tion​ assigned to him in the procession, could
hardly believe his eyes. I exclaimed within
myself, O shade of Jeff. Davis—but before I
could connect the balance of the sentence that
was within me, some little, poor white boys ex-
claimed​, "why them niggers; damn the niggers."
I said to myself, I won't speak of the shade of
Jeff. Davis any more. So on we marched to
the music of Capt. Hays' most excellent colored
band; and about the time we commenced ascend-
ing​ Capitol Hill, a low set of white roughs cried
out, "Look at the damn niggers." Why, said I
to myself, How is this? I did not say, Shade of
Jeff. Davis: these rough remarks, like the rank,
poisonous weeds of a garden, were spontaneous.
We arrived on the green, on the south side of
the capitol, and after marching and counter
marching, we all got in position to hear the
speaking, which was admirable. The Rev. Mr.
Reid, Messrs. Pettijohn (white), Walker, Tutilon,
and John Thomas Johnson, the President
of the Sunday-School Union, all made most ex-
cellent​ speeches. Too much praise cannot be
awarded to Mr. Johnson for the very excellent
manner in which he conducted the procession;
everything was done decently and in order, but
I was sorry to see some of the teachers of the
schools skulk from the procession. Such was
the example of some of the teachers of the 15th
st. Presbyterian church. It seemed to me that
they were either ashamed or afraid, neither of
which is very laudable. Ashamed to walk with
those dear little children—that cannot be; but I
am sorry to feel that they were afraid. Afraid
of what? of battling against prejudice? never
let us be afraid of that. Let us battle against
that until we get the monster by the throat; as
for myself, I shall battle against it at the hazard
of my life, and if I lose my life in the cause, let
this be my epitaph—

TO THE MEMORY OF

* * * * * * *

who lost his life battling with prejudice against color.

As I promised you and your readers a detailed
account of the manner in which the infamous
Fugitive Slave Law is carried on in this District
the public after reading the following will be
perfectly satisfied as to its infamy.

THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.

I have procured from various authentic sources
the facts relating to the great controversy now
going on in this District, as to whether this law
is applicable to this District. From the mass of
testimony sent in to us, we glean the following
facts.

During more than a year the question has
has been under discussion. In April, 1862, the old
Circuit Court of the District appointed Fugitive
Slave Law Commissioners under the law passed
September 18th, 1850, commonly called the
Fugitive Slave Law. They immediately went
into a large business in issuing warrants and in
returning fugitive slaves escaping here to their
masters. The contest commenced before them,
but little good could be done for the poor fugitive,
as the proceedings were summary and no defense
allowable. At length Dennis Duval of Prince
George's Co., Maryland, obtained a warrant for
the arrest of his slave Wilson Copeland. The
warrant was issued by Walter S. Cox, one of the
commissioners. A writ of habeas corpus was
sued out, returnable before the Circuit Court.
The question was elaborately argued by Mr.
Joseph Bradley for the claimant and Mr. John
Dean for the fugitive. The court decided the
law applicable to the District and returned the
boy Copeland to Duval. The old court was
abolished March 3rd, 1863, and the present Su-
preme​ Court organized with four justices. In
April, two of the justices, Fisher and Wylie,
commenced issuing warrants on the application
of claimants for the recovery of fugitive slaves.
Of the number was one issued by Justice Wylie
on the application of George W. Duval of Prince
George's Co., Maryland, for the arrest of Andrew
Hall. After his arrest, a writ of habeas corpus
was obtained, returnable before the Supreme
Court. At the May term the question was
argued during four days by Messrs. Joseph
Bradley and Walter S. Cox for the claimant, and
by Messrs. John Dean and John Joliffe​ for the
fugitive. Each of the judges gave [illegible] opinion,
but they were equally divided. Justices Otis
and Wylie deciding that the Fugitive Slave
Law was not applicable to this District, and Jus-
tices​ Carter and Fisher contra. The boy Hall
was consequently returned to the jurisdiction of
Justice Wylie, who issued the warrant for his
arrest. The motion for his discharge was soon
thereafter made by Messrs. Dean and Joliffe​.
Justice Wylie immediately discharged him.
As soon as the boy went out of the door of the
court-room into the hall, he was surrounded and
seized by the collar by George W. Duval. Mr.
Dean immediately also seized the boy by the
collar and pulled him into the room before Jus-
tice​ Wylie, and demanded that the boy be pro-
tected​ from assault and arrest. Justice Wylie
said he would not allow the boy to be seized in
the court-room, and thereupon left the room.
Placing two policemen in care of the boy, Mr.
Dean proceeded to the headquarters of the Mili-
tary​ Governor of the District and procured a
guard, and the boy was placed under military
protection until next morning. On that morn-
ing​ Mr. Dean appeared before Major Sherburne,
and before the boy was liberated, Marshal Lamon​
and a special Deputy appeared. The Marshal
stated Justices Carter, Fisher and Wylie had
appointed Mr. Walter S. Cox a Commissioner,
&c., and produced a warrant for the arrest of
Andrew Hall, issued by Mr. Cox on the applica-
tion​ of Mr. George W. Duval. The military
refused to deliver up the boy; and he has since,
at his own request, been mustered into the ser-
vice​ of the United States. An application was
forthwith made, founded on affidavit and notice
of motion by Mr. Dean to the Supreme Court
to revoke the appointment of Mr. Cox as Com-
missioner​, &c. That application is still pending,
and its argument would seem to again cover the
main points in this controversy.

The National Intelligencer, from which we
gather most of the above facts, says the above
motion is to be submitted on written arguments.

Mr. Duval and his friends went before the
Grand Jury of the District and procured an in-
dictment​ against Messrs. Dean & Jolliffe, under
the 7th Sec. of the Fugitive Slave Law, which
is as follows:

"That any person who shall knowingly and
willingly obstruct, hinder or prevent such claim-
ant​, his agent or attorney, or any person or per-
sons​ lawfully assisting him, her or them from
arresting such a fugitive from service or labor,
either with or without process aforesaid, or shall
rescue or attempt to rescue such fugitive from
service or labor from the custody of such claim-
ant​, his or her agent or attorney, or other person
or persons lawfully assisting as aforesaid, pur-
suant​ to the authority herein given and declared:
or shall aid, abet or assist such person so owing
service or labor as aforesaid directly or indirectly
to escape from such claimant, his agent or attor-
ney​, or other person or persons legally authorized
is aforesaid: or shall harbor or conceal such fu-
gitive​ so as to prevent the discovery and arrest
of such person after notice or knowledge of the
act that such person was a fugitive from service,
or labor as aforesaid shall for either of said of-
fences​ be subject to a fine of not exceeding one
thousand dollars and imprisonment not exceed-
ing​ six months by indictment and conviction be-
fore​ the District Court of the U.S. for the district
in which such offense may have been committed,
or before the proper Court of criminal jurisdic-
tion​ if committed in any one of the organized ter-
ritories​ of the U.S., and shall moreover forfeit
and pay by way of civil damages to the party
njured​ by such illegal conduct the sum of one
housand​ dollars for each fugitive so lost as
aforesaid, to be recovered by action of debt in
any of the district or territorial Courts aforesaid,
within whose jurisdiction the said offense may
have been committed."

The parties indicted voluntarily appeared in
Court, and gave bail for their appearance each
in the sum of one thousand dollars.

Hon. John C. Underwood was bail for Mr.
Jolliffe, and Mr. Walker Lewis (colored) was
bail for Mr. Dean.

The time of trial has not been fixed. It will
probably be postponed until autumn.