alleged fugitives were in the street. Then one
of the claimants said to Mr. Sloane, "I own these slaves; they are my
property, and I shall hold you individually liable for their escape."
_These were the first and only words he spoke to Mr. Sloane, and then
not until the black men were in the street._

In due time Mr. Sloane was arrested for resisting the execution of the
fugitive slave bill, though he had _only acted as legal counsel for
the alleged slaves and had offered no resistance to the law, by deed,
or word, or sign_.

He was brought to trial at Columbus. Before the jurors were sworn they
were all asked "whether they had any conscientious scruples against
the fugitive slave law, and would hesitate to convict under it." If
they said "Yes," they were rejected. Thus a jury was packed for the
purpose, and the trial went on. Thirteen unimpeached witnesses deposed
to the facts stated before, while the slave claimant had no evidence
but the _city marshal_ of Sandusky--the Tukey of that place--and _two
of the three slave-catchers_--who swore that they had with them
_powers of attorney for the seizure of twenty-four slaves_.

Gentlemen, such was the action of the court, and such the complexion
of the packed jury, that Mr. Sloane was found "guilty." The Judge,
Hon. Mr. Leavitt, refused to sign a bill of exceptions, enabling him
to bring the matter before the Supreme Court. Mr. Sloane was sentenced
to pay a fine of $3,000, and $930 _as costs of court_! Such was the
penalty for a lawyer telling his clients that he saw no authority to
detain them,--after having three times demanded the authority, and
none had been shown!

* * * * *

4. Gentlemen of the Jury, I now come to cases which have happened in
our own State,--in this city. Some alarm was felt as soon as Mr.
Mason's fugitive slave bill was proposed in the Senate. But men said,
"No northern man will support it. There is much smoke and no fire."
But when on the 7th of March, 1850, Mr. Webster adopted the bill, and
promised to defend it and the amendments to it, "with all its
provisions to the fullest extent;" when he declared that Massachusetts
would execute the infamous measure "with alacrity"--then not only
alarm but indignation took possession of northern breasts. The friends
of Slavery at Boston must do all in their power to secure the passage
of the bill, the prosperity of its adoptive father, and its ultimate
enforcement--the ki