Oberlin-Wellington Rescue
Encyclopedia
The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858 in Lorain County, Ohio
was a key event and cause celèbre in the history of the abolitionist movement in the United States shortly before the American Civil War
. John Price, an escaped slave, was arrested in Oberlin, Ohio
under the Fugitive Slave Law, and taken to Wellington
by the US Marshal. Rescuers took him by force from the marshals and back to Oberlin, then to freedom in Canada
.
Thirty-seven of the rescuers were at first indicted, but as a result of state and federal negotiations, only two were tried in federal court. The case received national attention, and defendants argued eloquently against the law. When rescue allies went to the 1859 Ohio Republican
convention, they added a repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
to the party platform. The rescue and continued activism of its participants kept the issue of slavery as part of the national discussion.
named John Price, from Maysville, Kentucky
, was arrested by a United States marshal in Oberlin, Ohio
. Under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
, the federal government assisted slaveholders in reclaiming their runaway slaves. The marshal knew that many Oberlin residents were committed to abolitionism, and the town and college were known for their radical anti-slavery stance. To avoid conflict with locals and to quickly get the slave to Columbus
and en route to the slave's owner in Kentucky
, the marshal quickly took Price to nearby Wellington, Ohio
to board a train.
As soon as residents heard of the marshal's actions, a group of men rushed to Wellington. They joined like-minded residents of Wellington and attempted to free Price, but the marshal and his deputies took refuge in a local hotel. After peaceful negotiations failed, the rescuers stormed the hotel and found Price in the attic. The group immediately returned Price to Oberlin, where they hid him in the home of James Harris Fairchild, a future president of Oberlin College
. A short time later, they took Price to Canada
. Under British rule, Canada had no slavery and Price did not have to worry about US authorities there.
brought indictment
s against 37 of those who freed Price. Twelve of the rescuers indicted were free blacks, among them Charles Henry Langston
, who had helped ensure that Price was taken to Canada rather than released to the authorities. Charles and his brother John Mercer Langston
were both Oberlin College graduates, and led the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society in 1858. They both were politically active all their lives, Charles in Kansas and John taking leadership roles in state and national politics, in 1888 becoming the first African-American to be elected to the US Congress from Virginia.
Feelings had run high in Ohio in the aftermath of Price's rescue. When the federal jury issued its indictments, state authorities arrested the federal marshal, his deputies, and other men involved in John Price's detention. After negotiations, state officials agreed to release the arresting officials, while federal officials agreed to release 35 of the men indicted.
Simeon M. Bushnell, a white man, and Charles H. Langston were the only two men to go to trial. Four prominent local attorneys – Franklin Thomas Backus, Rufus P. Spalding
, Albert G. Riddle
, and Seneca O. Griswold – acted for the defense. The jurors were all known Democrats. After they convicted Bushnell, the same jury was called to try Langston, despite his protests that they could not be impartial.
Langston gave a speech in court that was a rousing statement of the case for abolition and for justice for "colored men". He closed with these words:
The jury also convicted Langston. The judge gave light sentences, assigning Bushnell to 60 days in jail and Langston to 20 days.
with the Ohio Supreme Court, claiming that the federal court did not have the authority to arrest and try them because the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
was unconstitutional. The Ohio Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law by a three-to-two ruling. Although Chief Justice Joseph Rockwell Swan
was personally opposed to slavery, he wrote that his judicial duty left him no choice but to acknowledge that an Act of the United States Congress
was the supreme law of the land (see Supremacy Clause
), and to uphold it.
Members of Ohio's abolitionist community were incensed. More than ten thousand people participated in a Cleveland rally to oppose the federal and state courts' decisions. Together with Republican leaders such as Gov. Salmon P. Chase
and Joshua Giddings, John Mercer Langston was the sole black speaker that day. Because of his decision, Chief Justice Swan failed to win reelection and his political career was ruined in Ohio.
. Those who participated in the rescue and their allies continued to be active in Ohio and national politics. In 1859 rescue allies who attended the Ohio Republican convention succeeded in adding a repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
to the party platform. The rescue and continued actions of its participants brought the issue of slavery into national discussion.
Two participants in the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue: Lewis Sheridan Leary
and John A. Copeland, along with Oberlin resident Shields Green
, went on to join John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. Leary was killed during the attack on October 20, 1859. Copeland and Green were captured and tried with John Brown
. They were convicted of treason and executed on December 16, 1859 (two weeks after Brown).
Lorain County, Ohio
Lorain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio, and is considered to be a part of what is locally referred to as Greater Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, its population was 301,356. an increase from 284,664 in 2000...
was a key event and cause celèbre in the history of the abolitionist movement in the United States shortly before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. John Price, an escaped slave, was arrested in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
under the Fugitive Slave Law, and taken to Wellington
Wellington, Ohio
Wellington is a village in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,511 at the 2000 census.-History:Wellington was settled in 1818 by Ephraim Wilcox, Charles Sweet, William T. Welling, John Clifford, and Joseph Wilson from the states of Massachusetts and New York...
by the US Marshal. Rescuers took him by force from the marshals and back to Oberlin, then to freedom in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Thirty-seven of the rescuers were at first indicted, but as a result of state and federal negotiations, only two were tried in federal court. The case received national attention, and defendants argued eloquently against the law. When rescue allies went to the 1859 Ohio Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
convention, they added a repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened...
to the party platform. The rescue and continued activism of its participants kept the issue of slavery as part of the national discussion.
Events
On September 13, 1858, a runaway slaveSlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
named John Price, from Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville...
, was arrested by a United States marshal in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
. Under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened...
, the federal government assisted slaveholders in reclaiming their runaway slaves. The marshal knew that many Oberlin residents were committed to abolitionism, and the town and college were known for their radical anti-slavery stance. To avoid conflict with locals and to quickly get the slave to Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and en route to the slave's owner in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, the marshal quickly took Price to nearby Wellington, Ohio
Wellington, Ohio
Wellington is a village in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,511 at the 2000 census.-History:Wellington was settled in 1818 by Ephraim Wilcox, Charles Sweet, William T. Welling, John Clifford, and Joseph Wilson from the states of Massachusetts and New York...
to board a train.
As soon as residents heard of the marshal's actions, a group of men rushed to Wellington. They joined like-minded residents of Wellington and attempted to free Price, but the marshal and his deputies took refuge in a local hotel. After peaceful negotiations failed, the rescuers stormed the hotel and found Price in the attic. The group immediately returned Price to Oberlin, where they hid him in the home of James Harris Fairchild, a future president of Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. A short time later, they took Price to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Under British rule, Canada had no slavery and Price did not have to worry about US authorities there.
Trial
A federal grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
brought indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
s against 37 of those who freed Price. Twelve of the rescuers indicted were free blacks, among them Charles Henry Langston
Charles Henry Langston
Charles Henry Langston , an American abolitionist and political activist born free in Louisa County, Virginia, was one of two men tried after the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, a cause célèbre in 1858 Ohio that helped gain impetus for abolition. In 1835 he was one of the first blacks admitted to...
, who had helped ensure that Price was taken to Canada rather than released to the authorities. Charles and his brother John Mercer Langston
John Mercer Langston
John Mercer Langston was an American abolitionist, attorney, educator, and political activist. He was the first dean of the law school at Howard University and helped create the department. He was the first president of what is now Virginia State University. In 1888 he was the first African...
were both Oberlin College graduates, and led the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society in 1858. They both were politically active all their lives, Charles in Kansas and John taking leadership roles in state and national politics, in 1888 becoming the first African-American to be elected to the US Congress from Virginia.
Feelings had run high in Ohio in the aftermath of Price's rescue. When the federal jury issued its indictments, state authorities arrested the federal marshal, his deputies, and other men involved in John Price's detention. After negotiations, state officials agreed to release the arresting officials, while federal officials agreed to release 35 of the men indicted.
Simeon M. Bushnell, a white man, and Charles H. Langston were the only two men to go to trial. Four prominent local attorneys – Franklin Thomas Backus, Rufus P. Spalding
Rufus P. Spalding
Rufus Paine Spalding was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and judge from Ohio.-Early life:Born in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, Spalding graduated from Yale College in 1817. After graduating, Spalding began his study of law as an apprentice under Zephaniah Swift...
, Albert G. Riddle
Albert G. Riddle
Albert Gallatin Riddle was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Monson, Massachusetts, Riddle moved with his parents to Newbury, in the Western Reserve of Ohio, in 1817. He completed preparatory studies, and then studied law...
, and Seneca O. Griswold – acted for the defense. The jurors were all known Democrats. After they convicted Bushnell, the same jury was called to try Langston, despite his protests that they could not be impartial.
Langston gave a speech in court that was a rousing statement of the case for abolition and for justice for "colored men". He closed with these words:
But I stand up here to say, that if for doing what I did on that day at Wellington, I am to go to jail six months, and pay a fine of a thousand dollars, according to the Fugitive Slave Law, and such is the protection the laws of this country afford me, I must take upon my self the responsibility of self-protection; and when I come to be claimed by some perjured wretch as his slave, I shall never be taken into slavery. And as in that trying hour I would have others do to me, as I would call upon my friends to help me; as I would call upon you, your Honor, to help me; as I would call upon you [to the District-Attorney], to help me; and upon you [to Judge Bliss], and upon you [to his counsel], so help me GOD! I stand here to say that I will do all I can, for any man thus seized and help, though the inevitable penalty of six months imprisonment and one thousand dollars fine for each offense hangs over me! We have a common humanity. You would do so; your manhood would require it; and no matter what the laws might me, you would honor yourself for doing it; your friends would honor you for doing it; your children to all generations would honor you for doing it; and every good and honest man would say, you had done right! [Great and prolonged applause, in spite of the efforts of the Court and the Marshal to silence it.]
The jury also convicted Langston. The judge gave light sentences, assigning Bushnell to 60 days in jail and Langston to 20 days.
Appeal
Bushnell and Langston filed a writ of habeas corpusHabeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
with the Ohio Supreme Court, claiming that the federal court did not have the authority to arrest and try them because the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened...
was unconstitutional. The Ohio Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law by a three-to-two ruling. Although Chief Justice Joseph Rockwell Swan
Joseph Rockwell Swan
Joseph Rockwell Swan was a Republican politician in the U.S. State of Ohio who was a judge on the Ohio Supreme Court 1855–1860.-Biography:...
was personally opposed to slavery, he wrote that his judicial duty left him no choice but to acknowledge that an Act of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
was the supreme law of the land (see Supremacy Clause
Supremacy Clause
Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, known as the Supremacy Clause, establishes the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Treaties, and Federal Statutes as "the supreme law of the land." The text decrees these to be the highest form of law in the U.S...
), and to uphold it.
Members of Ohio's abolitionist community were incensed. More than ten thousand people participated in a Cleveland rally to oppose the federal and state courts' decisions. Together with Republican leaders such as Gov. Salmon P. Chase
Salmon P. Chase
Salmon Portland Chase was an American politician and jurist who served as U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 23rd Governor of Ohio; as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Abraham Lincoln; and as the sixth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.Chase was one of the most prominent members...
and Joshua Giddings, John Mercer Langston was the sole black speaker that day. Because of his decision, Chief Justice Swan failed to win reelection and his political career was ruined in Ohio.
Aftermath
In time, regional tensions over slavery, constitutional interpretation and other factors led to the outbreak of the Civil War. The Oberlin-Wellington rescue is considered important as it not only attracted widespread national attention but occurred in a region of Ohio known for its activity with the Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. Those who participated in the rescue and their allies continued to be active in Ohio and national politics. In 1859 rescue allies who attended the Ohio Republican convention succeeded in adding a repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened...
to the party platform. The rescue and continued actions of its participants brought the issue of slavery into national discussion.
Two participants in the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue: Lewis Sheridan Leary
Lewis Sheridan Leary
Lewis Sheridan Leary , an African-American harnessmaker from Oberlin, Ohio, joined John Brown's unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry, where he was killed. He was the first husband of Mary Patterson...
and John A. Copeland, along with Oberlin resident Shields Green
Shields Green
Shields Green , also known as "Emperor," was an ex-slave who participated in John Brown's unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry. Though he had a chance to escape capture, he returned to the fighting and was captured with Brown. For their parts in the raid, Green and John A. Copeland were hanged on...
, went on to join John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. Leary was killed during the attack on October 20, 1859. Copeland and Green were captured and tried with John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
. They were convicted of treason and executed on December 16, 1859 (two weeks after Brown).
Further reading
- Baumann, Roland. The 1858 Oberlin-Wellington Rescue: A Reappraisal (2003)
- Brandt, Nat. The Town that Started The Civil War (1990) (ISBN 0-8156-0243-X/BRTT)
- Shipherd, Jacob R. History of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue (1859) (ISBN 0837127297 ) Available in full at OhioMemory.org
External links
- "An Account of the Trials of Simeon Bushnell and Charles Langston", by the Oberlin-Wellington Rescuers, 1859, Oberlin College