ed it. The sudden action of a
small body of men, unexpected, and only successful because unexpected,
accomplished it. He is out of the reach of the officers in a moment, and
there's the end of the whole business. No premeditation! No plan!
Counsel knowing nothing about it! Nobody suspecting it, and the whole
thing over in one minute!

But, may it please the Commissioner, the law is violated--the outrage is
done. This is a case of great political importance, and the deputy
Marshal thinks it his duty, (I think in rather an extraordinary manner,)
instantly, before any charge is made against him, before any official
inquiry is started, to issue a long affidavit, sent post haste to every
newspaper, and hurried on to Washington,--Congress in session,--a
delicate question there,--Northern and Southern men arrayed against each
other. Then comes an alarm. Then the Executive shrieks out a
proclamation.

A standing army is to be ordered to Boston. All good citizens are to be
commanded to sustain the laws. The country thinks that mob law is
rioting in Boston--that we all go armed to the teeth. The Chief
Magistrate of fifteen millions of people must launch against us the
thunders from his mighty hand.

In the meantime, we poor, innocent citizens are just as quiet, just as
peaceable, just as confident in our own laws, just as capable of taking
care of ourselves on Saturday evening as on Friday morning. Only some
frightened innocents, like the goose, the duck and the turkey in the
fable, say the sky is falling, and they must go and tell the king!

But we can all see now that there was too much alarm. We begin already
to feel the reaction. A state of things has been created over this
country entirely unwarranted by the circumstances. And I trust that the
Commissioner will be able to say to the country, say to His Excellency
the President of the United States, say to the world, that nothing of
this sort has occurred; that there has been no preconcerted action; that
the Marshal cleared his room, and every body went out peaceably; that
nobody expected the rescue; that there was no crowd in the court-room;
but the blacks, feeling themselves oppressed and periled by this law,
standing at that door, behind which their friend and companion is held a
prisoner, rush in, almost without resistance, carry off their prisoner,
and not a blow is struck, not a weapon drawn, not a man injured. That is
the end of it. There is no need of standing arm