safety.
"He made good" and lived a respectable and useful life undisturbed by
any fear of Kentucky vengeance.[9]

The law as to such attempts was authoritatively stated in 1819 by John
Beverley Robinson, Attorney General of Upper Canada, afterwards Sir
John Beverley Robinson, Bart, Chief Justice of Upper Canada. The
opinion will be given in his own words:[10]

"In obedience to Your Excellency's comments I have perused the
accompanying letter from G. C. Antrobus Esquire, His Majesty's
charge d'affaires at the Court of Washington and have attentively
considered the question referred to me by Your Excellency
thereupon--namely--"Whether the owners of several Negro Slaves
who have fled from the United States of America and are now
resident in this Province can be permitted to come hither and
obtain possession of their property, and whether restitution of
such Negroes can be made by the interposition of the government
of this Province" and I beg to express most respectfully my
opinion to your Excellency that the Legislature of this Province
having adopted the Law of England as the rule of decision in all
questions relative to property and civil rights, and freedom of
the person being the most important civil right protected by
those laws, it follows that whatever may have been the condition
of these Negroes in the Country to which they formerly belonged,
here they are free--For the enjoyment of all civil rights
consequent to a mere residence in the country and among them the
right to personal freedom as acknowledged and protected by the
Laws of England in cases similar to that under consideration,
must notwithstanding any legislative enactment that may be
thought to affect it, with which I am acquainted, be extended to
these Negroes as well as to all others under His Majesty's
Government in this Province. The consequence is that should any
attempt be made by any person to infringe upon this right in the
persons of these Negroes, they would most probably call for, and
could compel the interference of those to whom the administration
of our Laws is committed and I submit with the greatest deference
to Your Excellency that it would not be in the power of the
Executive Government in any manner to restrain or direct the
Courts or Judges in the exercise of their duty upon such