Daviess County, Indiana - Chapter 9: The "rnilekguounl) Kaii.uoal)" in Daviess County, 1915

Chapter 9: The "rnilekguounl) Kaii.uoal)" in Daviess County

One of tlic intercstiu.t.; tM|)ics <il" tliu early histury of Uaviess county, and other counties adjoiniiii^, i.s tliat of an ori;ani/.atioii known as the "underground railroad." This was a secret system hy which slaves, endeavorinj^ to esca]>e from their masters in the .^lave states, were alfonled i)rolecti<in and _ transportation on their way to Canada. There wa- a line of "stations," extending^ frtjm .se\eral points on the ( )hio river, and the escapin.i; slave was tran.sported from one station to an<ither. under the protection of friends enlisteil in the cause. Those who en,L;a,i;ed in this husinos incurred great risks, and many narrow hrushes with death, in their desire to assist and jjrotect the escaping bondman. .\ot only from the slaveholders, in pursuit, did the "station masters," and those assisting the runaways, ha\e cause to fear: hut there were men ]\\ all the horder counties ready and w illing to aid the cause of the slaveowner in the apprehension of his "property," for the liheral reward that was offered. 1 hese men acted as s|)ies ant! were of great serxice in gi\'- ing information to the slaveowner, being ever reatly tcj assist in the apjirehension of the rimaway.

The fugiti\'e-sla\e law, that was enacted hv Congress, in 181^0, ga\'e the slaveowners, or those hunting their runaway sla\es, the power to organise a jiosse in any jilace in the Cnited States to aiil them in the reclamation of their sljives. Under this law, a great impetu.i was gi\eii to the lumting (jf fugitive sla\es in .all the free stales hordermg on the sla\c-s states, and in Uvj section was there greater activity in this line ol industr\' than in the counties of southwestern Indiana. This law was taken ath"antage of by man\- men who never owned a sla\'e, or who had ne\er li\'ed in a sla\e state. The kidnapping of free negroes was a common occurrence in those days. It was no trouhle for a m;m. well adx'rmced in moral degeneracy, .and inclined to take another step in that direction, to seixe upon a free negro, take him before a comitliant iustice of the jicace, present a description of the alleged runaway - a de cription that had been previously obtained by co-cons])irators - and the rights of tlie alleged sl;i\'e owner were fullv established. l'.\ a decision oi the highest court, ;i negro had no rights that a white man was bound to respect.

In IJaxiess county, a- in the other counties in this ])art of the state, the tjreater ]iorton oi the ea.rly settlers canie from sla\e states. Some had come ^ in order to i;et away from slavery and its lilij^litin^ inlluence. and thev had stroiii; con\-ictions as to the e\ils of that in^tUution. Others, who fomul a home in this conntw hroui^ht with them the \ie\\s of the coninninit\- from which the)' came, as to the sla\ery (piestion. The- pre\alent opinion was that sla\er_\- was ri>;ht, and that the >la\ eow ner'> ri^jlit tci his sla\e was as le,L;itimate as was his ris^ht to an\' other of hi-, chattels. Sla\er\' had existed in all the settled sections of the .Xorlhwest Terrilorx' for several vears after Indiana Teriatorv was organized, ami at the time of the passage of the fugiti\e sla\e hiw, in 1S50, there was hut little o|ien opposition to sla\-er\'. This was true of Daxiess county, especially. lUit when the ahnoxious fugiti\e-sla\'e law came in force so many hrutal an<l uniusi acts wei"e comnn'tted hy conscienceless kidnappers, that a great change in sentiment resulted. There was a rapid growth of anli-sl,a\ery sentiment in na\'iess county, and the activities of the "underground railroad" system were greatly enlarged.

r>eiore entering upon .a lurlher review of the undergronnd railro.ad. and some ot the exciting iucideiUs connected therewith, it will he of interest to give some of the experiences of early settlers who hrough.t their slaves with them to Haviess countv, and for some time held them in slaverv. An old historv of the county is authority for the following statements:

So far as it c;m he estahlished. h.li Ilawkins, who came fmm South Carolina, in iSot), was the tirst to hring slaves to what is now Daviess C(_)untv. lie had two slaves, Jake and Ann. James C '. \'eale had one slave, named Sam; and William I'.allow hronght four to the countv, namclv : lUick, Isaac, l\ali)h and .Mary. John Coleman luul one, known as L'ornelius Simins. William Hawkins had four: I'eeg\' and her three children, l)a\'id. Henry and

Airs. Catherine llawkins, widow of I'di, married a Mr. Merril, who liad some diHiciiltv with Isaac and lake, a part of his matrimonial inheritance, and Jake and Isaac proceeded to "start .something" tliat was ]ir(jlial)ly in the nature of a surprise. 1 hey instituted ]iroceediiiL;s to determine the lethality of their heiiii; helil as sla\es in a free territorv. rhe\' had for their attorney Amorv L'. Kiniie\, one of the I'lr.st law\'ers in the coiiiit\, and the case was tried hefore the associate jud,L;es of the coiint\-, I'hiliri lUirton and l''])hraini Thoinpson. The decision of the conrt was that the sla\es, 1)\' law, were free, and from this decision there was no appeal. i\'o other action of this kind was taken liy any of the other sla\es, and there was no need ui such action. 1!\' this dfcisioii sl;ner\- in |)a\iess coiintx' was autoinaticalK' aliolished. The treed slaves remained in the coniit\- and some of them aci|uire(l pro]ierty and estahlished homes of their own. Idle success of l.aw\er l\inne\' in olitainiii^' freedom for these two coloreil men aroused a considerable amount of prejudice a,L;aiiisi that rai'e, auioiii.; a numher of the white people. Xumerous threats an<l sUL;.L;estioiis of \ iolence were made a,!.;a.iiist the ne.groes and the Iaw\er who had hi'eii instrumental in securing; their freedom: hut none of these threats was ever carried into execution, aiul the hitter leeliiiL;' and \indicti\e ahuse L;r;idiiall\- died away.

^ The tirsl case of kidnappiii.i; that occurred in 1 )a\'iess county, of wliich there is ,au\ record, occurred in iSj.|, That this was more tluan twenty-tne \eais hefore the enactment of the f iiL;iti\ e-sla\e law is evidence that kidnap- [liii.L; did not ha\e its oriijiu in ilie enactment of that olmoxious law. The N'ictim of this kidnappin.L; affair was a colored man Iw the name of Sam, who was claimed as the i)ro])ertv of a family liviiii^ near \'inceunes, iiy the name Mcf lure. The affair occurred on a Suudav, in the summer of the year mentioned, when most of the peo])le of Washin.ytou were out of town, some ciiga.ged in huntin.L; or lisliiuL;, and a large mimlier attending a camp-meeting, .south of the vill.age. The Mctdures were anxious to get possession ol their alleged ])ropertv, hut did not dare to come to W asliinglon, themselves, to accomplish their juirpose: thence tliey engaged Richard I'aluier to deliver Sam to them, the ])lace of delivery to he on the west hank of Wdiite river, in

Knux count}', rainier met with d in^idL'raMo ii[)i)ositi(in in attempting to, can-)- out hib part <<{ die selK-nic, Ijut he finally sueceeded in delivering the "gdods" at the place agreed aii<l the .Mel. hn'es were there reach' to receis'e the same. They straighi\\'a\- hdund .^am si'curely with a.^tmit rope and started with him on their way to St. l.onis. On the second m'ght of their ionrney Sam managed to free hinisell' from the rope that honnd him and got away., W hen his capti:>rs discm-ered'liis ahsence, Sam was far on his way towards Indiana, and he was getting farther in that directi(jn \-er\' fast. He managed to elude his pursuers, one ot their horses, which Sam had api'ircipriiited for this occasion, aiding in his rapid |)rogress. .\ few days after his imwilling deiiarture, Sam came riding itito Washington, swinging his old hat and making snch di-nionstrations of jo_\- .a-. he was justified in feeling. Palmer was prosecnted and fined f<]r his part in the affair, and he attempted no more Isidnapping after that experience.

'fhere \\ere many places where runaway negrr)es might cross the Ohio, ri\er from Kentucky into Indiana, and there were se\'eral routes of the "uii(ler,gri)nnd railroad," each connected with a dehnite place r)f crossing the ri\-er. (Jne of the crossing-places was near the citv of l'"vans\'ille. '1 his was a ver\' pojnilar jilace of cro.ssin,g, for the reason that there were many free, negroes in that \iciniiy. It was necessary f(j have assistance in getting across tiie Ohio, and it was necessary to ha\e a safe place for hidin.g after getting^ across. Iloth of these ad\-antages were afforded at the crossing in the vicinity, of Rvans\'ille. 'fhe assistance in crossing the ri\'er was afforded Iw friendly, \yhite ])eo]ile, and a safe hidin.g place was found among the free negroes on llie Indiana side.

fhcrc were several routes ol the "undergidund railroad" from this fa\drite t-ros>ing-place. and several well k'nown "stations" on each route.. One route that was familiar and much tra\'eled was through the counties of Vanderl)ur,g, Warrick, fiihsoii, I'ike and Daviess, and on to the north. Among, tlic well known ]il;ices of rendezx'ous, or stations, along this route, where the runaway could alwa)'s lind shelter and protection, were the following: In (iihson conut\-, the home of Keuhen Walters, living near Fort I'ranch : David Storniont, li\'ing northwest, and John ("arithers, living east of Princeton ; Mace Kirk, at Wheeling; Dr. John W. I'osey, Detcrsl)nr,g, and Peter Stephenson, living in the southwestern part of Daviess county, 'fhere were many other places wliere the fugitive neiTo found friendh' shelter. All these sta- liiiiis \\v\x- kiinwn to those opci'aliiiL; llic ">\->lciii," and to llie Ikx'iiiL;' Illicit i\i', as WL-ll. They were also known to llie ski\ elioKlers. through infijrnialioii furnished Ijy tlie local sjiius, and the hai"hcirin.i;-|ilaee,s were honored with frequent \'i5ils l.)y slaveowners and accompanying constahles, in the hunt lor missing human ijropcrt}'. Lint it was an e.\ce[jtion when they found what they were looking for. This was hefore the days of wireless telegraph}', hut these "underground railn^atl" stations had a s)^stem that enahled them to operate their hnes by a coile of signals ecjual to any of the modern methods of communication. By some secret sign, or code, w'liich was well understood b}' the runaway sla\e and those aiding him, he \\as passed along from one station to another until he reached Canada, the kuul of freedoiu.

"l-'or fortv }ear.s 1 li\ed. within a mile and a half of the home of 'L'ncle I'eter.' ;is he was famiharlv c;dled. 1 well reiiieinher his calls at m\- f:itlier's house, ill the 'wee siua' hours of the ni.L;ht,' and we knew soiuelhiug aliont the business to be transacied before da}light. l'ncle I'eter was always prtivided with a carriage, fitted with curtains that would securel}' conceal what was on the inside. i\'o move was made, save only on dark nights, and then the fugitive was only taken on short trips.

"There was a 'station' in W'asliington, but 1 never knew by whom it was kei)t. 1 have always believed it was on the John Tln/ni]jSon farm, just south of the citv. There was another im|iort;int stopjiiiig jjlace in Martin county, said to be near old llindostan, a town now e.Ktinct.

Outwittkh The Officers

"SteplKMison was nften Ixild to tlie extreme. On one occasion lie liad secreted at hi-, liuine two hlack^, while tiie (jfhcers >earclied likely places for \ them withuiit >nccess. L'ncle l'ett''r was nmre than a match f(ir them all, as the fiiij-itives wanteil were, at the time nf the nl'ticers' visit, and fur two^clays afterward. snn.i;ly secriJed untler the tlimr (if .Siephen^oii's cooper shop. .\fter the hnnl was ii\er ami the uhicers had i^cme. he and his assistants hnmuhl the fuL;ili\es out frmn their hidin.t^ ]ilace and ran them safely thriiu;^h In the 3ie\t "station,' which was in Martin county. (Jn another occasion he kept three men and one woman for three weeks, liefore an opportunity oti'ered to >.<:]]i.\ ihem to the next "station.' 1 'urin.i; th^'se three weeks the runawa)' sla\es were secreted in a ra\ine, south of where the ."^cndder school house now stanils. .\t that lime the countr\- was heaxih' timhered, an almost impenetrahle forest coxerini; the section of count\' in which this ra\'ine was located. W'lnle the^e IUL;iti\e> were in hiding, .Mr. Stc-phen^on supplied them food and hl.uiket-. for their sir-^tenance and comfort.

".After the close of the ('i\il War, when there was no lonj^er need for secrecy, 'Uncle I'eter,' in a puhlic addrcNS, related what he had done for the downlroilden race, whose memhei's were \alued as we \alue horses and cattle on the farm.

"Peter Stephenson was a very conscientious man, a lo\ed neis^hlicir and a Christian, lie was one of the e.arl}- pioneers, having come to l)avies.s county from Ohio. lie was horn, 1 think, in i.Soo; his death occurred in the .seventies. Hut few |)ersons are now li\in.n" who knew him ])ersonally. To me, the niemorv of I'eter Stephenson is one ih.at I shall always cherish. He outli\'ed all his co-workers of the "underground railroad." He li\ed to See his cherished accomplished - the freedom of the sla\e. lie was of ihe |ohn Ihnwu I\])e in character, hut more con.^idei'ale in conduct that was John lh"ow n."

Professor Plamlel .\llen relates a little incident that occurred at the home of Peter Stejjhenson, during that excitins^' jjcriod, which aptly illustrates . the resourcefulness of Stephenson, and the skillfulness of his methods in the protection of his charcjes. iMr. .Allen says:

".\t one time there came to the home of Peter Stephenson a colored woman and her small hahe. d'he woman had stru.u-,i;led thus far in her eti'orts to get to tlie laml ui iix-adnm ; iinl so nuicli ku her own account, as (jn account (if lier child. It was a case soniethinsj;" hke Tliat ol hJiza Harris, in 'Uncle Tdui's C'ahin.' llcr cliild was ahmit to he taken frdui lier and suld and the mother liad hurriedly decided in sa\e her child Ijv llighl. Almost exhausted, ' the tleeing mother reached the h^me of Stephcn^oU; with her master_and a few iithcr human hounds nm far hehind in pursuit. It wa> a lime lnr (|uickness of thought, on the pari of Sleplieiisou, liul he was e(|ual lo the occasion. There was a ih"v cislern'on his premises and he liurnedK' placed the woman and child therein. I hen lie placed a co\er o\er ihe ci-ilern and went aliout hi^ oi'dinar\- husines^, in which he was complacently engaged when ihe human hounds arrived. The premises were ililigently searched, e\'ery possihle place where a fugili\e might he concealed was inspected, hut the cistern was o\-erlookcd, on the reasonahle presumption that it was full of water. I'inally tluw went awav and .Stephenson a\ailed himself of the opporlunitx' to pro- \i(le more couifortahlc ipiarters lor his guests. That ilie\- were well feil ami ])roperl\' clothed, and in due time sent along on the wa\' to Ireedom, is the rest of the slorw In relating this incident, Mr. .^tephensou said, 'If 1 e\'er utteied a fcrxent and sincere ]ira\er in m\- life, it was that the haliy in the cisiern wo\ild not cr\ while these men were searching the ]jremises; and my pr;i\ cr w as auswei'ed.' " had liceii fur some time in Indiana, wurkintj; on the Wali.ish and l'"rie canal, i between W'ashiiiL^ton and d'erre Hanle. had deternnne<l lo .qn to their homes. They had !;ot as far as W'ashin.nton on their way wlien ihev fell in with a man who seemed very friendly. Jle asked them where ihey were yuint;- and when he learned their destination, he told them that he and a friend of his were gfjint;' in the same direclion, nearly to the Ohio ri\er; that they were i;oin<;- in a was^on, and if the colored nien wanted to they could go along in the wa,i:;on and it would not cost them anything for the ride; that^the accommodating ^trangers woiild have i)ro\isiou> with them for the trip, and all that wduld he required of the colored men was to assist in the preparation of the food, 'idiev said they would not he ready lo start before ihi-cc or foiu' o'clock in the aficrnixm of that tlay. This olfer seemed ver\- fa\oral)le to (he two colored men and they \ery gladly accepted it. TheA' ])romised to he ;it an agreed point ^n the souih side of \\'a>hMigion at the agreed time. I lere the two men with Uie waguu found them and lhe\ all started on their way.

4 he\- to(jk- the I'eter.shurg ro.ad anil it was kite in llie exening when they cro-.sed White ri\er at the ferry. John Stucky, who cri'>>eil the ri\er at the s;une time, knew oUl- of the while men and at once su^[)ccled what he was up lo; hill he cuuld not draw him into a com crsation, and conld get no chance to talk to the col'ireil men. ."^tuckv heard the white men tell ihe ferr\nian that iJKw Would sla\ all night in a wagon-\ard at I 'cler.^liurg. Sluck\- teiok notice ihat, afu-r the parl\ was over the river, they iraxeled al a pretty swift g.ail, and he c^uld nut keep u[) with ihein. lie reached relershurg some time \after the wagou had put up at the w agon-y.-ird. lie look notice of the siliiatioii and then calleil on I )r. John W . I'oscw lo whom he related the circumstances, and his -^l|spiell Ills rcgardiii'^ the part\ siii|ipiii;^ al the w agon-\ard. I >ocior I'. ivi-\ ;u once niidcr-^lood ihe siiualion and sciii a spy to the wagon- \ard to get all the inlormalioii jiossihle as lo designs ol the white men. 4he spv Soon returneil ;ind reported ih.il he luund the ]iarlv eating sujjper, except one of the while men who was soim.; distance away engaged in earnest conversation with a iioied hotel-keeper, a ski\ery sym])atlii/-er. The spy said he had talked with the negroes, who said I'hat their homes were in Kentucky; that thev were on their wav home, and that the white men were letting them ride in their wagon most of the way.

Wdiile circumstances looked suspicious, there was no positi\'e e\ideiice of anything wrong. lint Doctor I'osey decided to ha\-e a watch kept on their iiiovcim-nts anil td wait for fiirtliLT (lc\ L'l()[)ni(.iits. Almiii iwci iKnirs licfurc tlayli.t;hl, llic- li illnw ini^ ninniini^, the man wlm had hern un watch came hurrictlly to J'liscy'.s hunic and rcpurlcil that the iiart\- werp j^ettiiig ready to start; that the\- had their team hitched tn a three-seated express wagon; tliat tile noted Iiotel man \\a> witli tliem, and two otJier men wliom tlie waXclinian did not know, 'liie doctor at once got Imsy. lie liad three liorses saddled and sent for a neighhor to ride one; one of his hired hands was called to ride another, and the doct(ir r^ide the third, all three being well armed. , In the meantime it was learned that the express wagon had gone. T'osev and his part)- Imrrietl on after the wagon, which had lal-:en the road to W'iiislijw, expecting to o\ertake the wagon ]iart\- at that place, it was e\'ident that the |)ari\- was tra\ehng dl a ra]ii(.l jjace, as it was learned the travelers had passed through \\'insl(jw ahout dawn, a half hour heft.ire the arri\al of the ]>nrsning party. I'dllowing un after them, the 1 'osey parly met a man a few miles out of W'inslow, who reported that he hail met the express wagon about a mile ahead; that there were two runawa\ negroes, tied together in the wagon, and that the parly was dri\iiig very fast, l.ater the pursuing party met Rev. I'.klridge llopkin>, who had alM) met the express wagon with its occu])ants. Hopkins Consented to join the ro>e\' ]iart\ in ]jursuit. As Jlopkins was well acquainted with the connlr)' road.> he proposed a plan to get in ahead of the exi)ress wagon and intercept the kidnajipers at a designated point. Jn this he was successful. In the meantime the jiursuiiig jiarty found a justice of the peace; a warr.ant was obtaitied, and a constalile was secured to execute the s;ime. \\ hen the k'iilna]ipers arris ed at a ])oint I)e\ond the line in W'arrick count\- thc\' were met h\' a constable with a warrant for their arrest. The kidna])pers |)Ut uii a bold front, ;md, made a good manv threats: but they were tal<en to a justice's court, at A\liicli quite a crowd of pco|)le had gathered who were \'er\ much in s\mpath\ wuh the capli\e ne;.;roes.

'idle man who claimed to own the negroes showed a haiulbill, giving a perfect ilescriiition of the tvvo men in cust<id_\', and an offer of a reward of two hundred dollars for their return to his plantation in Tennessee. This handbill was, no doubt, ])rinled in' W'ashington the da_\- before, while the negroes were wailing for their new-found friends, liopkins, who was a reach' talker, \olunteered to defend the negrf)es and made a strong speech in their behalf. liiit the sympathy uf the ju>tice was against them; he be- would see that this man did not get on the other side of the ( )hio ri\^r with his alleged property. v\s a means of hindering the progress of the kidnappers, Hopkins f(.innil an O]iportnmi\' of remo\ing one of the linchpins that held in place a wheel of their express wagon. |iutting the ])in in his ])ocket. He told l)oct(jr I'osey and his two men thai they might return home, as he cotdd secure enough men out of the crowd assenihled to assist him in the proposed undertaking. In the meantime tiie kiduapjiers had started off on the road leading to r.oou\'ille. They had not proceeded far on the wa\- uiuil the wheel from which the linch|iin liati heen removed came o(T. W hile tliev were hunting for the missing pin the rescuitig party came up, ha\ing in the meantime disguised ihemseKes hy hlacking their faces. J.e\eling their guns at the kiduai)])ers lhe_\' demandetl an explanation .as to wh\' thev had the two negroes tied. The ex])lanatiou not lieing satisfactory, Ilo|)kins demanded that the negroes l)e releaseil, and then directed the negroes to hiinl the white men who had them in charge. Then Ilopk-ins iirganixed a stump court-martial to try the kidnaii])ers. The |iretended (n\'ner produced the hand hills that hail heen nseil elTectix'elv in the justice court. Hopkins told him that these hills had heen ])rinted in \\'ashingt(jn, an asserti<in winch the pretended owner did not deu)'. After hearing all the exidence, tlie court clccided the kidnapping party were all guilty and that all of them should he hanged. However, the court decided that leniency would he shown to any of the gang who would tell the whole truth. At this one (d' the jiarh' hegan to weaken, and 1 lopkins tO(jk the fellow aside and ohtained from him the whole story. He s.aid tliat the pretended owner of ihe negroes li\ed in Washini^ton, .and that it was the inteiUioii to take (he negroes to Mississippi and sell ihcin; that it was the agreement to pa\' the man making the confession, and another man whom thev had engaged in I'etershurg, one hundred dollars, each, to go with them and watch the two negroes, until they were sold. He further staled th.at the team which the kidnappers used helonged to the le;ider, the i:)retended owner of the negrf)es.

-After hearing this confession llo]ikius held another consult.ation with his "court" and it was decided to modify the hrst decree, lie informed the coiispirMlurs i)t tlie tlccision, wliich \\;is'th;it tlii.'\- were not to l)e hung, hut a snuiul llirasliing wnukl lie adiiiinislered, iiiste;ul, and that tlie two negroes were to execute the sentence. Accnrdingly, tun stinii hicknry gads were procured, the "convicts" were securely tied to a tree and the two negroes did the rest. After the sentence of the "court" had heen fully carried out to the satisfaction of all parties, with the jinssihle exception of the kidna]ipers. the latter were tnid to niii\-e ol'f in dili'ereiit directiims, and nnt to lnnk hack, inider ]jenalty of heing shot. And thev went.

.-\ few week.s alter the extents ahuxe recorded, Mr. Tlopkins had occasion to \-isit Doctor I'ose), at I'etershurg. While there he sent a man to Washington to learn what he could ahoiit the two men who were engaged in the kidnapping. lie learned that they had returned to Washington, the next day after they were so soundly thra^lied, and reported tliat thev had fallen in with a hand of horse tiiieves, who hail heaten them fearfully, and had taken their team antl everything else that they had. Whether this story found ready credence among the citizens of Washington is not a matter of record. I'.ut it is certain that this kidna])ping exijcrience was sulTicient to last tlie men engaged in it for the rest of their li\es.

These kidna])ping stories might he multiplied hy the score, not only in Daviess coimty, hut in almost e\'ery other county in the slate. It is jirohahle that there xvere fewer outrages of this kind committed in this than there were in some of the comities nearer the horder, hecause of the greater distance, and the greater diUlculty in getting the captives safely landed in Kentucky. But Daviess county was the scene of many such outrages, a record which no citizen of tlie present day will point to \vith pride. Ihider the decision of the highest court a negrij had no rights that a white man was hound to respect, not e\'en the right of jiersonal possession of himself after he had paid the price. The crimes that were committed under the oiieration of the fugUu e->la\ e law - crimes agaiu^t justice and humanitv, and sanctioned hy courts, higli and dow - are a stain upon the pages of the nation's liistory, a stain that re(|uired the hloocl (d multiplied thousands of her liest citizens to erase, in the resulting Civil War. .\s hefore stated, some of these crimes were committed in l)a\iess count}', and, in some measure, her citizens were ready to gi\-e consent and encour.agemoit to them. In a nuich larger measure was demanded the Ijlood of some of the hest of her sons, as a reipu'tal for the sins of the fathers.