UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

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but
STATE
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KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
The account,as published by the friends of the Legreestood by him
t jus the position he would naturallyfoilinto,had accused parties, cruelty.
e sunk from exhaustion. They wish it to appear The statements made by our correspondent prove
that he hung himself. Could this be proved(we that the truth has not been fullyrevealed, and
need hardly say that it is not), it would relieve that justicehas been baffled. The result of the
but slightly the dark pictureof theirguilt. The trial shows how irresponsible is the power of a
probability is that he sank,exhausted bysuffering, master over his slave ; and that whatever security
fatigue testimony of " surgeons,"
the latter has is to be soughtin the humanity of
founded upon
a post-mortemexamination the former,not in the guaranteesof law. Against
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of the brain and blood-vessels, that the subjectthe cruelty of an inhuman master he has really could not have fainted before strangulation," it is safeguard.
not worthy of consideration. We know something
Our conduct in relation to this case, deferring
of the fallaciesand fooleriesof such examinations.
all notice of it in our columns till a legal investigation
could be had, shows that we are not disposed
From all we can learn țhe onlyevidence relied
to be captioustowards our slave-holding
on by the prosecutionwas that white man employed
countrymen. In no unkind spirithave we examined
by the Castlemans. He was dependent this lamentable case
upon them for work. Other evidence ; but we must
might have
expose
the utter
repugnance of the slave system to the
been obtained ; why it was not is for the prosecuting
proper administration of justice.The newspapers
attorney to explain. To prove what we
say, of Virginia generally publishthe account from the
and to show that justicehas not been done in this Spiritof Jefferson, without comment. They are
horribleaffair, we publish the following communication
evidently justicewas done ;
from an old and highly-respectable citizen they doubtless will deny that the accused were
of this place, and who is very far from being an guiltyof homicide,legally ; but theywill not
Abolitionist. The slave-holderswhom he mentions
deny that theywere guilty of an atrocity which
are well known here, and would have should brand them forever, in a Christian country.
promptlyappearedin the case, had the prosecution,
which was aware of their readiness, summoned
them.
ofthe Era:
CHAPTER X.
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To the Editor
" I see that Castleman,who lately had a trial
for whipping a slave to death,in Virginia, PRINCIPLES ESTABLISHED. V. LE- GREE
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triumphantlyacquitted,'' as
many expected.
There are three
; A CASE NOT IN THE BOOKS.
persons in this city,with whom I
am acquainted, who staid at Castleman's the From a review of all the legalcases
same nightin which this awful tragedy was which have hitherto been
enacted.
presented, and of
They heard the dreadful lashing and the
the heart-rending screams and entreaties of the
principles establishedin the judicial
sufferer. Theyimplored the only white man they
decisions upon them,the followingfacts
could find on the premises,not engagedin the must be apparentto the reader :
bloodywork, to interpose ; but for a longtime he
First,That masters do,now and then,
refused,on the ground that he was a dependent, kill slaves
and was afraid to giveoffence ; and by the torture.
that,moreover,
theyhad been drinking, and he was in fear Second, That the fact of so killing a
for his own lifeșhould he say a word that would slave is not of itselfheld presumption of
be displeasing did,however,venture,
murder, in slave jurisprudence.
and returned and reportedthe cruel manner
in which the slaves were
Third,That the slave in the act of resistance
chained,and lashed,and
secured in a blacksmith's vice. In the to his master
morning,
may alwaysbe killed.
when theyascertained that one of the slaves was From these thingsit will be seen to follow,
dead,theywere so shocked and indignanthat that,if the facts of the death of Tom
theyrefused to eat in the house,and reproachedhad been
Castleman with his
fullyprovedby two white witnesses,
cruelty. He expressedhis
regre that the slave had in
died,and especially as
open court,Legree could not have
he had ascertained that he was innocent of the accusation
been held by any consistent interpreter of
fur which he had suffered. The idea was slave-law to be a murderer ; for Tom was
that he had fainted from exhaustion ; and,the in the act of resistance to the will of his
chain beinground his neck, he was strangled.
The persons I master.
referto are themselves
His master had laid a command
slave-holders,
their feelings were so harrowed and lacerated
on him, in the presence of other slaves.
that they could not sleep(two of them are Tom had deliberately refused to obeythe
ladies) ; and for many nightsafterwards their rest
command. The master commenced chastisement,
was disturbed,and their dreams made frightful,
by the to reduce him to obedience. And
appalling recollection.
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These persons would have been material -witnesses,
it is evident, at the first glance țo every
and would have willingly attended on the one, that, if the law does not sustain him in
part of the prosecution. knowledgethey had
of the case was
enforcing obedience in such a case, there is
communicated to the proper
authorities,
yet their attendance was not an end of the whole slave
required.
power. No
The onlywitness was that Southern court would dare to decide that
dependentwho considered
his own lifein danger.
Legreedid wrong to continue the punishment,
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Yours,"c, J. F."
as longas Tom continued the insubordination.
every