Produced by Meredith Bach, Odessa Paige Turner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) United States vs. Charles G. Davis. REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE EXAMINATION OF CHARLES G. DAVIS, ESQ., ON A CHARGE OF AIDING AND ABETTING IN THE RESCUE OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE. HELD IN BOSTON, IN FEBRUARY, 1851 BOSTON: WHITE & POTTER, PRINTERS, 4 SPRING LANE. 1851. NOTE. The following Report is published at the request of numerous persons who are of opinion that all which is known of the operation of the Fugitive Slave Bill, should be spread before the public. To the legal profession it will be of interest, as developing new points in the construction and application of a Statute, destined to be of great political importance now, and in future history. They will be able to judge of the constructions upon the Statute, and of the law of evidence, as laid down and applied by the Commissioner, and contended for by the representative of the Government. Not the profession alone, but the public, can judge of the temper, and manner, as to parties and witnesses, in which the prosecution was pressed, and the judicial duties performed. It will be well for every reader to bear in mind that this is the tribunal to which the late Act of Congress gives final jurisdiction in deciding whether a man found a free inhabitant of a free state, shall be exiled, and sent into endless slavery. The Commissioner tries an issue, on the result of which, all the hopes of a fellow man for the life that is, and that which is to come, are suspended; and his judgment is "conclusive on all other tribunals."[A] [A: See the Opinion of Attorney General Crittenden.] It will be well for us, as citizens, to remember, that the attempt is making to establish this act, passed by the vote of less than half of the Representatives of the people, as the unalterable law of the country; to treat as treason and disaffection to government, all attempts to rouse the public to efforts for its repeal; and, by unprecedented coalitions, that might almost be called conspiracies, of public men, to destroy the character and means of influence of all who lend their aid in these efforts. Even a public discussion of the subject, is cause for suspicion and inquiry. We would ask every reader, on rising from the examination of this trial, taken in connexion with the President's Proclamation and Message, the late debate in the Senate, and the recent letters and speeches of leading men of both parties, to say, for himself, whether these are not times, not only of danger to the liberty of colored men, but of serious apprehension for our independence and dignity as men, and our rights as citizens. REPORT.