Letters of Lydia Maria Child, with a biographical introduction by John G. Whittier and an appendix by Wendell Phillips.

.20. LETTERS.
TO THE SAME.
SOUTH NATICI, September 4, 1836.
I have lately had a most interesting case brought
Lunder my observation. When in Boston I -was entreated to exert myself.concerning a little child, supposed to be a slave, brought from New Orleans, andl
kept shut up at No. 21 Pinckney Street. The object
was to persuade the child's mistress to leave her at
the colored asylum, and failing to effect this object,
to ascertain bevond doubt whether the child was a
slave, whether there was intention to carry her back
to New Orle.ans, and to obtain sight of her in order
to be able to prove her identity.... I will not
fill this sheet -ith particulars. Suffice it to say, thle
way was opened for us. - We obtained all the evidence we wanted, carried it to a, lawyer, who petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus; the judge granted
the petition; and the man wlho held little M.ed in
custody was brought up for trial. In consequence of
the amount of evidence ready to be proved by three
witnesses, the pro-slavery lawyers did not pretend to
deny that the intent was to carry the child baclk into
slavery; but they took the new and extraLoidinary
ground that Southern masters hacd a legal riht to
hold humln beings as slaves while they were visiting
here in New England. Judge Wild expressed a. wish
to consult with the other judges; and our abolition
friends, finding the case turn on such a verv important point, resolved to retain the services of W'Vebster,
for want of a better man. lIe twas willinog to serve
provided they would wait a few days. Rulus Chioate,
a man only second to him in abilities, and whose
heart is strongly favorable to anti-slavery, was em