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The Almighty's free bridge of ice across the Ohio river seems to afford great facilities for the escape of slaves from a state of bondage into a state of freedom. A recent stampede of slaves from Kentucky was followed by a most horrible tragedy, in enforcing the fugitive slave law, at Cincinnati--some account of which will be found in another column; from the reading of which no one can arise without expressing his surprise that the more we legislate in behalf of the "moral" right of slavery, the more its subjects endeavor to escape from it.--It is pretty evident that there is an instinct of freedom possessed by every descendant of Adam, the outworkings of which no legislation, no reasoning, however metaphysical or practical, can either thwart or suppress. As to the bridge of ice referred to we should not be surprised if some Southern Hotspur in Congress should rise up in his place and pronounce it unconstitutional!
THE CINCINNATI SLAVE STAMPEDE.--The last accounts of this affair represent the negroes as being safely in the custody of the U.S. Marshal at Cincinnati, though there was much excitement among the Abolitionists, and it was feared a collision between the U.S. and State authorities was probable.
[From the Cincinnati Enquirer.]
STAMPEDE OF SLAVES.
A TALE OF HORROR.
An Arrest by the United States Marshall!
A DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL SHOT.
A Negro Child's Throat Cut from Ear to Ear
by its Father or Mother and Others Wounded!
CORONER'S INQUEST!
Writ of Habeas Corpus Taken Out
GREAT EXCITEMENT!
The Cincinnati Commercial of Monday reports another stampede of six slaves, belonging to Mr. Bowen, who lives in Boone county, a short distance from Mr. Gaines, who were taken with a sudden leaving during Friday night. It i[s] supposed that they crossed the icy bridge above California, but no trace of their whereabouts, up to last night, had been had.
The Cincinnati Enquirer of Saturday last says early yesterday morning Mr. McGuire, of the White Hall, in Kentucky, opposite the Fifth street ferry discovered at his door a valuable horse attached to a sleigh, the horse in a profuse sweat and dreadfully blown, showing, clearly that he had been driven at terrible speed. He learned that another stampede of slaves had occurred. The fugitives numbered seven in all, and consisted of two men, two women, and three children, belonging to Mr. Gaines, of Boone county, brother to the Mr. Gaines, who claims the slave Garner, now on trial before Commissioner Pendery. We learn that the latter gentleman has suffered another loss, four more of his slaves having absconded. So far no clue has been obtained of the fugitives.
ANOTHER SLAVE STAMPEDE---
GREAT EXCITEMENT!
They had an exciting time in Cincinnati a few days ago. A stampede of slaves from the border counties of Kentucky took place, and they were pursued by their owners and others and traced to that city.
Officers were procured, who, with a large posse, proceeded to arrest the fugitives. On approaching the house where they were secreted, the slaves fired upon the party, killing one man instantly and severely wounding two others.
One of the slave women had four innocent little children with her, and finding escape impossible, she cut the throat of the youngest and endeavored to kill the other three, wounding one of them very badly, rather than see them carried back into slavery.
NEGRO STAMPEDE.--We understand that one of our citizens received a despatch from Natchez yesterday, giving an account of the escape from that city of forty negroes. It is conjectured that they were carried off by some up-river boat, in the hands of Abolitionists of negro thieves.--Memphis Appeal, Dec. 21.
Another Escape of Slaves.
Six slaves belonging to Mr. Levi Dougherty, who lives on Fourth street, between Madison and Russell, Covington, Ky., together with two belonging to Mr. Gade, residing in the same neighborhood, made their escape from bondage on Sunday night. They crossed the river about eleven o'clock, and ere this are far on their way towards Canada. Their aggregate value to their owners was about eight thousand dollars.
--An exciting stampede of slaves occurred at Frederick, Maryland, Christmas day.--Four men and two women escaped with two spring wagons and four horses. They were come up with the same day by a party of eight or ten whites, who attempted their arrest, but the negroes, drawing their revolvers and bowie-knives, kept their assailants at bay until five of the party succeeded in escaping one of the wagons, and as the last one jumped on a horse to flee he was fired at, and the load took effect in the small of the back. After going a few rods he was pounced upon and secured. How he was used by his captors we know not; but humanity shudders at the probable result.
Slave Excitement at Cincinnati
We take from an exchange the following account of a most horrible tragedy which occurred a few weeks ago at Cincinnati. This is another addition to the number of bloody occurrences that have, within a few years, sprung from a reckless interference with the institution of slavery, by the most damnable fanaticism. When will a proper remedy be applied? Our exchange says:
SLAVE STAMPEDE--DREADFUL TRAGEDY.--A shocking affair occurred at Cincinnati on Monday. Eight slaves, consisting of father, mother, son, son's wife, and four children, the property of A.K. Gaines and John Marshall, of Boone county, Ky., had escaped from their masters on Sunday and fled to Cincinnati, where they took refuge for the night with a negro living in the edge of the city. Their escape becoming known, they were pursued, and their retreat, discovered. The U.S. Marshal was summoned, and proceeded to arrest them, but upon attempting to break open the house, the slaves fired upon the Marshal and his posse, wounding the Assistant Marshal and several suspicions. The door was then broken open, when it was found that the mother of the children had cut their throats, killing one instantly and dangerously wounding two others. The rest of the slaves were apprehended, and are kept in prison pending legal proceedings.
LAWS OF NATURE GETTING SECTIONAL.--A Cincinnati correspondent of the Boston Transcript says the ice in the Ohio river is fourteen inches thick, and the Slaves in Kentucky, who are fully aware that the laws of the State make it a penal offence for the toll man to allow them a passage over any bridge within the limits of the State, and probably supposing that the proprietor of the great natural bridge, now existing between Ohio and Kentuck, is under no particular obligation to the Slaveholding interest, have seized upon the occasion for a grand stampede.
It is estimated that nearly 200 Slaves have escaped from bondage by crossing the Ohio river during the past month. Through the activity and vigilance of the directors of the "under-ground railroad," they have,with an unfortunate exception, all been "put through."
LAWS OF NATURE GETTING SECTIONAL.--A Cincinnati correspondent of the Boston Transcript says the ice in the Ohio river is fourteen inches thick, and the Slaves in Kentucky, who are fully aware that the laws of the State make it a penal offence for the toll man to allow them a passage over any bridge within the limits of the State, and probably supposing that the proprietor of the great natural bridge, now existing between Ohio and Kentucky, is under no particular obligation to the Slvaeholding interest, have seized upon the occasion for a grand stampede.
It is estimated that nearly 200 Slaves have escaped from bondage by crossing the Ohio river during the past month. Through the activity and vigilance of the directors of the "under-ground railroad," they have,with an unfortunate exception, all been "put through."
Slave Stampede--Cutting their Throats!--Shooting at Officers.--Cincinnati Jan. 28.--At a regular stampede of slaves having taken place in the border counties of Kentucky last night, and the whereabouts of several who were secreted in this city having been discovered, the officers proceeded at noon to day to arrest them.--When the officers approached the house where the slaves were, the latter fired, slightly wounding two or three of the spectators. One slave woman, on finding escape impossible, cut the throat of one of her children, killing it instantly, and afterwards severely wounded two others.
Six of the fugitives were apprehended, and it is said six others escaped.
We published, last week, a fearfully thrilling account of a slave stampede from Kentucky, the recapture of the fugitives in Cincinnati, and of the murder of a child by its own mother, rather than have the child sent back to the hell of Southern Slavery. This shocking incident of a system that Franklin Pierce is seeking, by every means in his power, to plant in the free territory of Kansas, is the occasion of the following eloquent article from the Painsville, Ohio, Telegraph. We ask all free men to read it:––
"Give me Liberty! or Give me Death!"
Great Stampede of Slaves!
Arrest of a Portion of the Fugitives--Dreadful tragedy--A Slave Child Killed by its Mother, and Three Others Wounded--Conflict between the Fugitives and the Officers--A Deputy United States Marshal Shot--Coroner's Inquest!
[From the Cincinnati Commercial of the 29th Jan.]
About ten o'clock on Sunday, a party of eight slaves, two men, two women, and four children, belonging to Archibald K. Gaines and John Marshall of Richwood Station, Boone county, Kentucky, about sixteen miles from Covington, escaped from their owners. Three of the party are father, mother and son, and whose names are Simon, Mary and Robert, the others are Margaret, wife of Robert, and her four children. The three first are the property of Marshall, and the others of Gaines.
ESCAPE OF FUGITIVES––EXCITING CHASE––UNFORTUNATE CAPTURE OF ONE.––A paper, published in the town of Frederick, Md., called The Examiner, gives a description of a late stampede of slaves from that vicinity. It appears that six of them––four men and two women––having two spring waggons and four horses, came to Hood's Mill, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, near the dividing line between Frederick and Carroll Counties, on Christmas Day. After feeding their animals, one of them told Mr. Dixon whence they came. Believing them to be fugitives, he spread the alarm, and some eight or ten persons gathered around to arrest them; but the negroes, drawing revolvers and bowie-knives, kept their assailants at bay, until five of the party succeeded in escaping in one of the waggons, and as the last one jumped on a horse to flee, he was fired at, and the land took effect in the small of the back.
STAMPEDE AND ARRESTS.––Three negro men belonging to Adam Trumbo, near Wyoming, Bath county, Ky., made their escape on Thursday night, each mounted on a horse. Arriving at a toll-gate beyond Flemingsburgh, which they could not pass, they abandoned their horses, and made their way to within four miles of the Ohio river, near Fee's Chapel, where they were arrested and secured about 9 o'clock yesterday morning. Five negroes from the lower end of Mason county took a sleigh ride a short time since and crossed the Ohio river. Neither the sleigh, horses, or blacks have been heard of since.––Maysville Eagle.
SLAVE STAMPEDE. The Cincinnati Commercial of Monday, reports another stampede of six slaves, belonging to Mr. Bowen, who lives in Boone County, a short distance from Mr. Gaines, who were taken with a sudden leaving during Friday night. It is supposed that they crossed the icy bridge above California, but no trace of their whereabouts, up to last night, had been had.
Ohio News.
The following letter to the Boston Transcript, will interest every reader:
CINCINNATI, Feb. 5th, 1856.
Flight of Fugitive Slaves
A stampede of slaves from the border counties of Kentucky took place Sunday night. The whereabouts of several of them having been discovered in Cincinnati, officers proceeded to make arrests. Upon approaching the house where the slaves were secreted, the latter fired, wounding two or three spectators, but not seriously. One slave woman finding escape impossible, cut the throats of her children, killing one instantly and severely wounding two others. Six of the fugitives were apprehended, but eight are said to have escaped.
NEGRO STAMPEDE.--We noticed yesterday a string of six furniture cars full of negroes, amounting to 120 large and small, all destined for New Orleans on the Ben Franklin. They were from one of the border counties of this State.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1856.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
The House met at 10 o'clock.
SENATE BILLS PASSED.
The following Senate bills, communicated from the Senate this morning, were read a third time and passed:
A bill to incorporate the Law Library Association.
A bill providing for the payment of dividend of joint stock companies into the public treasury.
The SPEAKER appointed the following committee to take into consideration that portion of the Governor's message received yesterday, in relation to vaccination:––Messrs. CLAIBORNE, FLOYD , BUSH, MALLORY, CRAMMAR, BROWN, REFNER, CRADDOCK, B[illegible] and TAYLOR.
There has been an immense stampede of the negroes in the upper part of the State. The Rev. Mr. Fee and the other Abolitionists in that region must be acting upon the opinions laid down by Prentice some years since, that "all men have a right to liberty, no matter what color"--and are carrying out the wish expressed by him in 1849, that he "hoped to see the day when there would not be a slave in Kentucky."
His Abolition brethren in Northern Kentucky and Ohio are doing a great deal to carry his sentiments into effect. Their underground railroad is in very active operation. We do not know that Prentice is the agent for the sale of tickets in this city, but we do know that negroes are very often missing.--Lou. Times.
Here is an item from the Louisville Courier of March 1st, which shows how Kentucky negroes are going:
NEGRO STAMPEDE.--We noticed yesterday a string of six furniture cars full of negroes, amounting to 120 large and small, all destined for New Orleans on the Ben Franklin. They were from one of the border counties of this State.
The Slave Exodus--The future of Kentucky and Virginia.
STAMPEDE.--It is stated that thirty likely negroes belonging to Samuel S. Simmons, of this State, left for parts unknown last week. This is "running away" by the wholesale.
The friends of slavery in this country are truly unfortunate in all their attempts to protect and bolster up their favorite institution. The Fugitive Slave Law, instead of protecting their runaway property, has only accelerated the slave stampede to Canada.
Stampede––Eight slaves, 2 women and 6 men, belonging to individuals living in Hampshire county, broke out of jail at Romney on Friday night last, and made for a free State. There was a reward of $2,200 offered for their apprehension. The whole of them were arrested near Frankfort, on Sunday, after a desperate fight. It appears that the slaves were armed, and when an attempt was made to arrest them they fired upon the party.––The shots were returned and two of the slaves were badly wounded.
NEGRO STAMPEDE.–– Eight slaves, two women and six men, belonging to individuals living in Hampshire county, Va., broke out of jail at Romney on Friday night last, and made for a free State. There was a reward of $2,200 offered for their apprehension. The whole of them were arrested near Frankfort, on Sunday, after a desperate fight. It appears that the slaves were armed, and when an attempt was made to arrest them they fired upon the party. The shots were returned and two of the slaves were badly wounded.
SLAVE STAMPEDE.––A reward of $1,500 was offered yesterday for the apprehension of eight negroes––a man and wife, three sons, two daughters and the wife's sister, who disappeared on Monday night. They are the property of Messrs. R. Wash and John O'Fallon, Jr. Several other slaves are supposed to be in their company on the underground track.
EXODUS OF SLAVES.––On Monday night last nine negroes owned by Maj. West of this city departed for parts unknown. A few nights previous three slaves left the bed and board of Col. John O'Fallon. Underground railroad agents are said to have assisted.
Nebraska to be Made a Slave State Also.
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.
TOPEKA, Monday, July 7.
The important communication subjoined was handed to me this morning by a gentleman direct from Nebraska City. I will go there immediately and investigate its statements:
NEBRASKA CITY, Saturday, June 28.
Slave Stampede at St. Louis.––The St. Louis Republican, of Wednesday last, says:
A reward of $1,500 was offered yesterday for the apprehension of eight negroes––a man and wife, three sons, two daughters and the wife's sister, who disappeared on Monday night. They are the property of Messrs. R. Wash and John O'Fallon, Jr. Several other slaves are supposed to be in their company on the underground track.
Nebraska and Slavery.
JAMES REDPATH, of Kansas, writes from Topeka, under date of the 7th, and sends an important communication to the Chicago Tribune. He says:
The important communication subjoined was handed to me this morning by a gentleman direct from Nebraska City. I will go there immediately and investigate its statements:
NEBRASKA CITY, June 28.
RUNNAWAY SLAVES.––Mr. John Muellberger gave notice at the police office yesterday morning, that on Friday night last, two of his slaves, a man and a woman, ran away from his plantation, and have escaped into Illinois.
SLAVE STAMPEDE.––A reward of $1,500 is offered this morning for the apprehension of eight negroes, a man and wife, three sons, two daughters and the wife's sister, who disappeared during last night. They are the property of Messrs. R. Walsh and John O'Fallou, Jun; Several other slaves are supposed to be in their company, on the underground track.––St. Louis Leader.
American State Convention,
At Toure Hall, Hartford.
The American Party of Connecticut, and all others opposed to the election of the nominees of the Cincinnati Convention, and to the principles as expressed in their platform, are requested to meet in Convention at HARTFORD, on the 6th day of August, A.D. 1856, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, to nominate Electors for President and Vice President of the United States. The several towns are entitled to elect delegates to said Convention equal to three times the number of their Representatives.
WAIT N. HAWLEY,
For the Coos Republican.
"FREEDOM NATIONAL, SLAVERY SECTIONAL."
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD––On Friday night, a girl belonging to Mr. W.T. Christy was decoyed from home, and came near making her escape. She was missed in a few hours, and Mr. Fisher, of the night police, started in pursued. He crossed the river about one o'clock yesterday morning on the ferry that went over to bring the railroad passengers, and overtook the girl, who was along with a white man, about four miles this side of Alton. Both were brought to this city yesterday morning. The white man says his name is Wm. Smith, and he is doubtless the tool of some abolitionists we have in our midst, and who, it is to be hoped, will be ferreted out.
THE NEGRO PARTY - - SOME PROOFS.
We have said that the Black Republican party is the party of the negroes--that all its sympathies and energies are devoted to the task of elevating the negro race to a condition of entire political and social equality with the white race of this country. To do that we contend, and many of them admit, that practical amalgamation is necessary. We proceed now to give some proofs that such is the one aim of the so-called "Republican" party--the party that supports John C. Fremont. True, the greater portion of the party consists of Know Nothings who hate the "Dutch and Irish." But the one absorbing idea with them now is the negroes; and to prove that the negroes are as good as the whites in every respect, and to place them in an exactly equal, social and political condition is their one aim. Our proofs consist of extracts well authenticated.
SLAVE STAMPEDE.––On Sunday night, 10th instant, seven slaves, the property of Messrs. Thomas Tavenner, D.C. Lovett and Albert Logan, made their escape from the vicinity of Parkersburg, VA., on the "underground railroad."
Slave Stampede.––On Sunday night, 10th inst., seven slaves, the property of Messrs. Thomas Tavernner, E.C. Lovett and Albert Logan, made their escape from the vicinity of Parkersburg, Va., on the 'underground railroad.'
NEGRO STAMPEDES IN KENTUCKY.––Five slaves made their escape into Ohio, from Jamestown, Ky., Monday night.
The Louisville Courier of Monday, says: "On Sunday night, Aug. 31st, there was a stampede of negroes in Hopkins county. Eight of Col. Wm. Bradley's negroes, one of Mr. C. Earl's, a widow lady named Mitchell lost several, and it is reported that Gen. White also lost several. They had not been captured at latest dates. A negro belonging to Joel Fort, of Tennessee, who belonged to this gang, or was attempting to join it, was captured."
It seems that the underground railroad is doing a great business in Hopkins and Henderson counties.
Escape of Slaves from Loudon.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH.
LEESBURG, Loudon, Sept. 15th.
A stampede of negroes took place in this county Saturday night or Sunday. General Rust loses three, Gabriel Vanderventer three, Charles Douglas one woman and her children. Eight grown persons, and I believe three children. More may be gone, but it is too early in the day to ascertain the fact.
Novel Negro Stampede.
The Memphis Evening News gives the following:
From the N.Y. Times.
How the Deed is to Be Done.
Five slaves made their escape into Ohio from Jamestown, Ky., on Sunday night. On the same night there was a stampede of negroes in Hopkins county. Eight of Col. Wm. Bradley's negroes, one of Mr. C. Earl's, a widow lady named Mitchell lost several, and it is reported that Gen. White also lost several. They had not been captured at latest dates.
Buffalo (NY) Morning Express and Illustrated Buffalo Express, "Servile Stampede," September 23, 1856
SERVILE STAMPEDE.––Last Sunday night, 11 slaves escaped from Loudon county, Va., three of whom belonged to Gen. Rust.
A slave stampede took place in Loudon county, Va., on Saturday night last. Eight grown persons and three children are known to have disappeared.
A stampede of Negroes, as stated by the Richmond Enquirer, took place in Loudon county Saturday night or Sunday, 14th. Gen. Rust loses three, Gabriel Vanderventer three, Charles Douglass one woman and her children. Eight grown persons, and we believe three children. More may be gone but all the facts are not ascertained.