Two engravings in Gleason’s Pictorial accompany a short description of the return of the fugitive slave Thomas Sims in 1851. Clearly Gleason’s is not on the side of the abolitionists; but the illustration above makes it clear that the Boston city government thought of abolitionism as a powerful and dangerous force. The Wikipedia article on Thomas Sims has a fairly good summary of the case. The Gleason’s article is probably reliable in its description of the events in Boston, where Gleason’s was based. This is probably not reliable: “It is somewhat amusing, now that Sims has arrived home, to know of his making a speech there, on landing, and declaring his delight at his escape from the Northern sympathizers, who so nearly used him up!” Here Gleason’s is probably repeating a malicious tall tale from a Savannah paper. Wikipedia tells us that Sims was given forty lashes minus one when he was brought back to Savannah, and then sold down the river; he was probably not as delighted as Gleason’s would have him. He escaped again during the Civil War, however, and ended up working for the U. S. Department of Justice, so that he got to see federal law from both sides.
The two scenes represented on this page, as will be observed by the titles, refer to the late subject of the fugitive slave, Sims; a theme which is still in every one’s mouth, and yet the comment of the press and the exciting subject of conversation to heated politicians. What every one is talking about becomes of general interest, as a matter of course, and therefore we have deemed these closing scenes in this much talked of business, worthy of presenting to our readers. The scene above represents the night watch joined with the day police, under direction of the Mayor and Marshal Tukey, as they appeared conducting Sims, the slave, from his place of confinement in the Court House to the wharf, from whence he embarked for Savannah, Geo. To some persons, the extraordinary precaution taken to guard against a rescue, may seem to be uncalled for; but such are reminded of the almost frantic efforts of heated politicians and mad fanatics, to bring about an open resort to arms by their followers; and there were two ministers, at least, in this city, who openly advised such a course from their pulpits. In view of all the circumstances, the fact of a former rescue from the hands of the law, and the heated state of the public mind generally, these measures were justly deemed but necessary and important, and as such, were adopted by those persons who controlled these matters. After an object of this character has been safely consummated, there are always plenty of wiseacres to laugh at all precautionary measures, but had an attempt at rescue been successfully put in practice—as would most assuredly have been done but for the vigilance of the proper authorities—then the whole body of our citizens would have immediately raised an outcry at the whole police force and the public officers generally, scorning their want of strict watchfulness and thorough knowledge of their important duty on this occasion. Consistency is, indeed, a very bright jewel, but one that is as rare as it is valuable. The scene depicted by our artist below, represents the departure of the brig Acorn from our harbor, not long since, with Sims, the slave, on board. The scene was sketched at the moment when the steamer Hornet took the vessel in tow, and she gathered way down the harbor, with the slave and his guard on board. It is somewhat amusing, now that Sims has arrived home, to know of his making a speech there, on landing, and declaring his delight at his escape from the Northern sympathizers, who so nearly used him up! It was decidedly requisite and necessary that proper officers of the law should attend the fugitive slave, and officially deliver him up to his rightful owner and master, in the city of Savannah, and this was, therefore, accordingly done. Even after the vessel had taken her departure from our harbor, the wind being in an unfavorable direction, she was necessarily compelled to come to an anchor in the lower bay; and here, again, it was deliberately planned to attempt a rescue, but when those disposed to engage in the hazardous undertaking to put such a plan into execution learned how warmly the officers on board the brig were prepared to receive them, this foolhardy intent was at once abandoned. The fugitive has now been delivered to his owner, and the officers who accompanied him to his place of destination have returned to this city. So ends the business.
——Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, July 19, 1851.
