The Liberator

THE RALEIGH INDICTMENT.

For the edification of southern kidnappers, slave-holders and grand juries, we publish the following spirited strictures upon the already famous and never-to-be-equalled Indictment of the editor and publisher of the Liberator.

Mr GARRISON, Editor of the 'Liberator,' is now, literally, the Lion of the Day, at the South, and a hunted Lion, too. People in the districts where there have been slave insurrections, and in those where they are afraid of them, (this class, by the way, comprehends every part of the land where slaves are held,) seem to be as highly incensed against him, as if he were the man who first imported the poor blacks into the country to be miserable themselves, and to make their masters as miserable as they are. A writer in the National Intelligencer recommended to one of the slaveholding States, to have his paper tried as a seditious libel, and send to Boston to demand him from the Governor of Massachusetts. No sooner said than done. A Grand Jury in North Carolina have found a true bill against Garrison and Knapp, the Publishers of the Liberator—and we suppose they will be demanded forthwith. Whether the Governor of Massachusetts will deliver them, is quite another thing. Garrison is a citizen of that State, and knows enough about the laws to claim their protection when there is any need of it. And as to silencing him by any blustering in the newspapers or elsewhere, it is as idle an attempt as that to turn the wind by blowing against it. He has vowed to fight for the entire and immediate emancipation of the blacks, and we know him well enough to believe that he will not cease while his life lasts.

We cannot but think that his object might have been pursued with more judgment though it could not be with more zeal. Yet we do not believe (and we have read his paper carefully) that he ever excited the blacks half so much as he has the whites—nor do we believe that he ever intended to excite rebellion. He is opposed to war and bloodshed in all its forms, and though we cannot at all admire the wisdom of some parts of his course,— we do not doubt his good intentions.—Portsmouth Journal
The extravagances to which our Southern brethren are proceeding is quite amusing, as well as reprehensible. We are told, by a North Carolina paper, that Garrison and Knapp, the two indiscreet Editors of the Liberator, printed in Boston, have been indicted by a North Carolina Jury, for sending that paper to the sovereign state of North Carolina, and that the Governor will demand Garrison & Knapp to be delivered up by Gov. Lincoln, for them to ' fine, whip, and hang,' the punishment which North Carolina imposes for circulating the Liberator.— The next step will be to pass a law to hang all the Editors north of the Potomac, who do not advocate Slavery and Free Trade, and our Governors will be civilly requested to deliver up the offenders. Whenever Garrison and Knapp offend against the laws of Massachusetts, they will be punished; and when the Southern Governors will hang all their citizens who send us free blacks, we may hang ours for writing against slavery.—Prov. American.
Be it known, that we have this day found 'true bills' of indictment against Skrzynecki and the Polish Diet for having, as we say, risen in opposition to the tyrannical control of Nicholas, the Emperor of Russia. Now we think there is as much sense and legal proceeding in our bill as there is in the bill found by the North Carolina jury against Messrs Garrison & Knapp; and as we intend to apply the cable tow to these rebels, if they do not immediately lay down their arms, and submit to the oppression of Nicholas ; we suppose that in our greatness we shall awe them into obedience with as much ease as these indictments will affect the above named gentlemen, concerning whom this sapient attorney general has passed through all the forms of law, at least within his reach ! Why does not the gentleman present to the grand jury and obtain true bills of indictment against the hurricane that laid waste so many fields of cotton and coffee, in the southern regions, during the summer past? We think he might as well—it certainly would not be more ridiculous, or more significant of nonsense ! Besides, it would stop the recurrence of the like inundation, just as soon as this indictment will stop the bold and fearless energies of Garrison and Knapp, in the cause of universal emancipation.
And now, supposing we were in earnest in our indictment against the Poles, as though we had real authority to issue such legal proceedings, what would be thought of our understanding, especially in the science of jurisprudence? We will make just such comments as any rational man would. In the first place, we should be very foolish, and in the second place, it would be against the liberties of that oppressed people. They have a national and an unalienable right to be free ; and they have a right to strive for their freedom. All men are born free, saith the preamble of our excellent Declaration ! The Poles are striving to be free. The Africans, enslaved in our land of liberty, and their FRIENDS, are doing no more than an endeavor, in a lawful way, to unrivet their most cruel chains, and let the captive go free !—Boston Ch. Herald.
We feel a little inclined to give advice now and then ; and in no instance have we ever been more so than in the case of the Raleigh, N. C. indictment. As lunatics frequently do mischief, we fear there may be serious business with the wise attorney general of North Carolina, and the sapient grand jury who indicted a newspaper, or the author of it, because it points out the extreme unction of their evil deeds. Now our advice is, that this attorney general, in order to prove his entire sanity, cause, by this same grand jury, that true bills of indictment be rendered against the mail bags that brought this noxious paper into their hallowed territories.— —Ibid.
We recommend the citizens of Raleigh, for their safety, to send their Attorney General and that Grand Jury to the Lunatic Asylum, without delay.
Which way will the kidnappers seize the Liberator, that they may murder him, as they do their slaves?—Protestant.
A writer in the National Intelligencer, from Virginia, talks of prosecuting Mr Garrison, editor of the Boston Liberator, for inciting southern slaves to insurrection in his paper. He would try Garrison in Virginia, and on his conviction demand him of the Governor of Massachusetts. Modest demand! The southern writer says if this cannot be done, let the people of the South offer an adequate reward to any person who will deliver him, dead or alive, into the hands of the authorities of any State south of the Potomac.' If all the slaveholders of Virginia were as vindictive as this writer, no great sympathy would be felt for them if they should have a Southampton tragedy every month.
Mr Garrison has several times received anonymous letters from the South, threatening him with assassination. Mr G. is an enthusiast, but his enthusiasm is in the cause of universal liberty, and will command the respect of benevolent men. To our apprehension, however, he wants prudence. His opposition to the colonization of the blacks seems to us injudicious.—Augusta Journal.
Liberty of the Press among Negro Stealers.

The Vigilance Association of Columbia, S. C. have offered a reward of fifteen hundred dollars for the apprehension and prosecution to conviction, of any white person who may be detected in distributing or circulating within that state, the Boston ' Liberator,' or any other publication which defends the liberty of all free-born Americans. Query. As the Holy Bible is the strongest proclaimer of emancipation and freedom which can be possibly promulged, do this Association of Satan's servants include the distributors of the sacred Scriptures? We tell those miserable transgressors, that their attempt to stop the light which is dawning towards the millenial day, will be utterly in vain, and only aggravate their condemnation, ' who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil !'—Protestant.