Ohio to Frederick Douglass, September 22, 1858

FUGITVE SLAVE EXCITEMENT IN OBERLIN—DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL CANED—FUGITIVE SLAVE ARRESTED AND RESCUED

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ESQ: DEAR SIR:—On the 7th of this month our peaceable and quiet community was thrown into very great excitement by an occurrence which was an era in the history of Oberlin.

Strange to say, one man has been found in this place whose soul is so small, whose heart is so destitute of feeling, and so full of meanness, as to accept the honorable office of Deputy United States Marshal, and consent to do the dirty work of negro-hunting according to the Fugitive Slave Law.

This miscreant had no sooner entered upon the duties of his office than he gave abundant proof of possessing in a remarkable degree, that blood hound peculiarity which United States Marshals and their Deputies need in scenting out fugitive slaves. Indeed, all this tribe of officers have in their composition more or less of the canine. One might say and tell the truth, that they are all two legged dogs.—But the dog-kind will pardon me for this insult. My dog is a much more respectable man than the Deputy United States Marshal who lives in this place.

The occurrence to which I refer was the caning of this Deputy United States Marshal by a fugitive slave. The fugitive acted his part well exhibiting in all his behavior great magnaminity and courage. He had received a letter from a person in the South, in which he was advised that this Deputy Marshal was plotting against his liberty--that he had already written his master that he was here, and that he could be taken and sent back. The person thus writing here urged him to leave here at once and make his way to Canada; but when he received this communication, and its contents were made known to him, his whole soul was filled with a determination to administer in some suitable manner to the wants of this miserable wretch, who had manifested such cruel concern for him and his welfare. This feeling he put in execution in the use of a good hickory cane.

The caning was not so thorough as the fugitive intended to make it, because the Marshal, although he had a revolver in his pocket, on recovering somewhat from the stunning effect of the first blow he received, took to his heels, and in his desperate efforts to get beyond the reach of the noble cane of the fugitive, exhibited such a picture of the coward and the poltroon as mortal never saw before. He ran with great violence into the Palmer House, and did not make a stop until he had concealed himself in a black closet, where he was found

shortly afterwards, in a very dirty condition. This terrible affright had had an unusual effect upon him. It had proved an instantaneous cathartic.

Soon after this, he made his escape from the Hotel by some back passage, and immediately left town for Elyria, in company with a certain Democratic friend of his. In Elyria he expected to find a sympathy. But not so. The good people of that place, like the good people of Oberlin, were not disposed to give such a dastardly negro-catcher the least quarter.

It is said that he went to Elyria to sue out a legal process on which to bring the fugitive to justice for assaulting him; but this proceeding was all estopped by an action which was instituted in this place against the fugitive who, under the advice of his Attorney, plead guilty and paid his fine. After this he left here for parts unknown.

I have said that his conduct was magnanimous. So it was. He did not wait until the night season to demand an explanation of the Deputy Marshal, nor did he assail him from ambush, but where all could see his behavior, in broad daylight, and in the most public place he approached this creature of the Fugitive Slave Law; and not until he had been refused an explanation of the charges brought against this base officer, and he attempted to draw his revolver, did the fugitive make application of his cane.

There are none in this community, except a few Federal office-holders and aspirants of the same political kidney, who are disposed to mourn over this occurrence. Among the more respectable portion of this people there is but one voice. All say that the Deputy Marshal ought to have been thrashed, and that the fugitive did no more than he ought to have done in caning him.

Six days after this occurrence, another took place in or near our village, of kindred character. For several days reports were flying through the community in all directions, that "slave-holders are in town." It turned out to be a fact that they were here, and with them a Deputy United States Marshal from Columbus. On Monday, the 13th, a small boy, some twelve years old, the son of an old Hunker Democrat living near here, came into town inquiring for "little black John," a fugitive slave. After a little time he found him, and told him that his father wanted him to come out and dig potatoes for him. He said his father would pay John $1.25 per day. But "little black John" was sick and could not dig potatoes. Then this boy persuaded John to go with him a short distance down the road, and point out the residence of a person whom he said his father also wished to employ. Upon the promise that he should be brought back in the

buggy which the boy had, John consented to go. On the way, John's owner from Kentucky a certain ruffian from Columbus, Ohio, and the Deputy United States Marshal, also from Columbus coming up from behind, seized John, and throwing him into a wagon which they had prepared for the occasion, hurried off by an unusual route to Willington. The boy had betrayed John, and for it, so his father told me, he received the paltry sum of twenty dollars. Poor boy! I do pity him.

But these villains were making their way to Willington, where they were to meet several other persons who belong to their company and where they were to take the cars for Columbus, a man who knew John, and who had seen these men in close conference with the Deputy United States Marshal of Oberlin, met them on the road, and suspecting that all was not right, hurried into our village and gave the alarm. Large numbers of the people at once armed themselves and started for Willington determined to rescue the poor slave at all hazards. On reaching this place, they found him and his captors secreted in the garret of a Hotel. The number of his captors had now swollen to six or eight. The people demanded admission to the house in which the slave was detained. The landlord, the slave-catchers and their friends, however, objected, and with revolvers in their hands declared that no one should enter the house. But their conduct did not intimidate the multitude. They still demanded the release of the slave; and at length, when they found that his captors and their base confederates would not give him up, pushing aside all opposition regardless of the weapons brandished by the slaveholders and their fiendish tools, they marched into the Hotel and took John from the room in which he was secreted, and brought him back to Oberlin in triumph.

When the multitude returned, a large and enthusiastic meeting was held in the street in front of the Palmer House, at which several eloquent and powerful speeches were made, and the following resolutions passed by one thundering "aye:"

1. Resolved, That we have this day achieved a mighty and glorious triumph.

2. Resolved, That no Fugitive Slave shall be taken out of our midst; and to the support of this declaration, we pledge "our lives, our property, and our sacred honors."

3. Resolved, That any man who attempts to capture a fugitive slave, whether he be a United States Marshal, his deputy, or any other person, "is unfit for Heaven above; too vile for Hell beneath; fit only to be cast out upon the scorching shores of the latter place, where the vile worms which feed on corruption would turn loathing away from his polluted carcass.

The above facts need no comment. They speak for themselves. You will not infer from them that we are not a law abiding people

We most certainly are. We love law, and venerate it. The constitution we are always ready to support and defend. And we are ready to support all laws that harmonize with it; but the "fugitive slave law" is no law; it is a huge usurpation, unconstitutional and barbarous.

But from these facts you may infer that we will not allow a fugitive slave to be taken out of this place, and that we trample the fugitive slave law under out feet, and bid defiance to United States officials who undertake to execute it.

Before I close this communication, I must tell you that "little black John" is now safely and comfortably situated in Canada, beyond the reach of negro-hunters; and his captors cheated of their prey, have gone back South with feelings very much akin to those of the sneaking dog which was caught stealing sheep. Nor must I omit to inform you that the public indignation is so universal and so hot in this place, that the Deputy Marshal dare not show his face in our streets. Such servile creatures cannot breathe the air of Oberlin.

OHIO.

OBERLIN, Sept. 22nd, 1858.