Birney: By A Slaveholder Who Knows Him

The letter biow is trom Die Ilon. Juhn J. Viarshall, of Lomsville, Kentncky, a gentlemtin of the highest legal and personal etandng, in reply to an inquiry addrossed to him by Mr. James Longhead, of Cherokee, Logan Co-, Ohio. Judge Marshall rf a slaveholder, and is known to the profession as the author of 'Marshall's Reporte.'' We have no expectation that the advocates of Mr. Clay, in Mjssachusetls, will retroct he'ir slanderp, on this or nny evidence. Their "policy" is too well settled to allow of any such magnnnimity. But the extent of our circularon, and that of other Liberty papers, enables us to do much rnore than we formerly could to repel their falsehoods. It will be seen that Mr. Marshall's knowledge of Mr. Birne's first emancipation, and its attendanl circumstnnces, is not perfectly accurate. Air. Birney did not emancípate his sla ves in Alabamn. His statement, however, re.cpecting the emancipation of his father'e sla ves, in 13S9, and his expressions of the highest respect and the warmest affection for Mr. B. coming from fuch a man, cannot bul deeply impresa the public rnrad in regard to the worth of THE MAN, and is of ifself sufficient to cover his malighe'rs with confusión.Rosedale, Sept. lst, 1844. "Mr. James Loughbad: Sir:- Your letter of the 10 of August, reached me a few days since, and my apology for not having answered it sooner, is absence and siekness in my family. No man difiêrs from Mr. Birney in relaton to his abolition views more widely and absolutely than I, yei I am convinced of his enlire sincerity and perfect purily. He has made greater private sac rifices for his opinion,that would have been re quired by the most tyrannical bigot. Mr. Birney has not only abandoned his patrimony, but he ba deserted his native State, and a wide circle of fond frienda and relations, in pursuit of the phantom of opin on. In Alabama, where he resided before he returned to Ken tucky, where he was bom, he übernled all his slaves, and made it optional with them to remain or come with him. Some etaid: his family eervants followed him. Ile paid them hire. He lived on a farm, in a slave State, where while laborers were not readily to be had. He purchased a negro man at an executors salr, on credit; before the time of payment arrived he found it inconvenient to keep him, and having ofFered him the opportunity to purchase hit freedom, which was not done, he restored him to the family out of which he had been bought, and cancelled his note. This is my understanding of the case. After the death of James G. Birnpy's fa! lier, (my falher-in-law,) J. G. Birney carne to my house. I was not at home. On my return, I found he had been urging on his sister, that the nss'iErnment of the negtoes (twontythreein number) which descended totis jointly, should be entirely made out to him, in order to cnable him to emancípate them. After much discussion the arrangement waf finally made. Mr. Birney took the slaves and did libérate them, and they are now f ree, and most of them are in LouisvMe. i should not have agreed to this settlement, had it not been for my involveti Fituation; and I appre hended the slaves would be sold if I took any of them. They were very vaJuable. Any doubt as to Mr. Birney's devotion and sincerity to the cause lie has espoused, is folly- .is preposterous. He would heve been unfortunate indeed to have refused home, friends, relations and fortune, for an opinión, and to have achieved a doublful recognition from the advocates of that opinión . Mr. Birney is wel] known to me. A man of more pure moralitv, more honest principies, and of wanner heart, does not exist. My wife is an onlr sister; he has no brolher. His abolition doctrine hns severed us. I have not eeen or had a letter from him for mere than threc years,yet there is in my bosoin the warmest and kindest personal friendship and regard for him. Had il not been for his notione. upon abolition, we should now and ever have breathed the eame atmosphere. I have told you all 1 know.