A
HISTORY OF THE TRIAL
OF
CASTNER HANWAY AND OTHERS,
FOR
TREASON,
AT
PHILADELPHIA IN NOVEMBER, 1851.
WITH AN INTRODUCTION UPON
THE HISTORY OF THE SLAVE QUESTION.
BY
A MEMBER OF THE PHILADELPHIA BAR.
PHILADELPHIA:
URIAH HUNT & SONS, No. 44 NORTH FOURTH STREETS.
1852.
MERRIHEW AND THOMPSON, PRINTERS.
PREFACE.
The following pages contain a short history of the late ChristianaTreason Trials. During their progress a phonographic report of allthe proceedings was taken and printed, by order of the Court, for theuse of the Judges and Counsel employed in the cause. For this a copyright was secured, and proposals issued for publishing it in full. Thoughmore than six months have elapsed, this has not yet been done, and theonly account of the transactions to which the public have access, is containedin the daily papers of New York and Philadelphia. Thispamphlet has been prepared to supply the deficiency.
The sources of information used in compiling it, have been the phonographicreport already referred to; a transcript of the docket of AldermanReigart of Lancaster; a transcript of the docket of E. D. Ingraham,Esquire, Commissioner of the U. S., resident in Philadelphia; therecords of the Philadelphia County Prison; the records of the Circuitand District Courts; and the files of the Evening Bulletin. Wherethese have not furnished a connected story, the deficiency has been suppliedfrom the writer’s own recollection, or that of his friends, whoattended upon or participated in the trial.
Some of the most glaring absurdities and incongruities contained inMr. Brent’s pamphlet, which he calls “A Report to his ExcellencyGovernor Lowe in relation to the Christiana Treason Trials,” have beenpointed out. The very limited circulation of this work, confined, webelieve, to a few who received copies as a personal favor, would renderany notice of it unnecessary, had it not been published in a measure bythe authority of the State, whose imaginary wrongs its author has, bythese means, sought to vindicate. The almost scurrilous terms in whichit denounces the majority of the citizens of Philadelphia, the people ofPennsylvania, the officers of the Court in which the trials were held, theJudges who presided, and, in short, every one connected with the case,except counsel and the witnesses for the prosecution, are conclusive evidenceof more anxiety to emit spleen and mortification, than to subservethe purposes of truth and justice.
[Pg 4]A popular, not a professional view of the subject has been attempted.It is amongst the body of the people that false reports have been spread,and to the people this statement is addressed, in hopes that it may tendto correct the evil.
In accordance with the wish of the publishers, a brief introduction hasbeen prefixed, embracing a connected view of all the many attemptswhich have been made, at various periods to settle, by Congressionallegislation, the embarrassing question of slavery. The main object is toshow the views entertained upon the subject by the great statesmen whoframed the Constitution, and watched over its first developments; andaccordingly much more space has been devoted