The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-02-02
pUBLIC MEETING.

Hundreds, held at the Town Hall in VIII
mingtou, Jan. 30, 1926, JAMES CANBY
was appointed Chairman, and CALEB +.
BENNET, Secretary. The Chairman IN
formed that the object Of the meeting was to
take into consideration law recently passed
by the Legislature OF this State, entitled
z IN act reistIag to Fugitives from Lahour"
which act, together with the act OF Congress
and The Laws Of this State, all relating taI
the same subject, were read and commented
on :---when it was on motion. ResofOed,
That the Chairman appoint Committee to
draft and produce Resolutions expressive OF
the sense Of this meeting relative to tho Law
il question, and m Adtrf IS to the Citizens
Ct Delaware, inviting their attention to tue
subject and requesting their aid in the eXer-
else of reasonable and constitutional means
for procuring its repeal.
The Cairman named the following persons
as the Committee, viz.--R@5ert Porter,
Enoch Lewis, ID .yid &. Wilson, William
Gibbons. Benjamin II. Springer, Edward
Worrell, JOSIAH L. Clements and liarnan
Tally who after having retire reported the
following Address aud Resolutions which
wcue read and unanimously loptcd
Ftllosy C@izcns oftAe S:ate ,f Dcldyvarc:
In calling your attention to an act which
has recently passed the Legislature ct this
lccmmonweath, we deem it r. cfant to the
subject to recur to the principles of univcr
| sal Justice and the Invaluable rights Of man.
| solcmnly proclaimed iii our Declaration Of
4 Independence. These declarations have
/ never been revoked, but rcman as a po,ar
star, Fixed and inmoveable, to which the
eve Of the 4hneric IN Statesman should be
directed to all hs legislative enactments.
4 We are aware that no State Legislature is
4 invested Will. authority to eXoneTHte tu-
gtiye slave from the power which the clt-
zen OF another state or territory may de-
rive from the laws thereof, but tins disa-
bility assurcdlv Imposes no obligations on
the citizens Of Delaware to exercise the
humble and degrading ofice oi assistants to
the dealers in human flesh and to leepar-
die their own freedom and property at the
mandate OF q sister republic.
1t is important to consider on what C.
mergencv and at whose iastigation the law
respecting fugitives froa, lahour was passed.
/ Were the owners Of slaves III the state Of
4 Delaware tlesirous of further protection 7
Were there any great and obvious abuses to
which our own citizens were subjected, re-
nurimg the interference of the Legislature :
We're there anv memorials presented to the
house, BY their constituents, requesting fur
ther provision for preventing the escape OF
those bound to service within cur own com
monwealthl None of these circumstances
appcarto have had any agency IN the pro-
duction of this legislative aaomaly.
: A Delegation from t,fe legislature Of an
adjoining State, which, unhappily for her
own citizens, Is deeply involved i'll the evil
of slavery, atteAded at Dover, with the
view of obtaining some enactment to tacili-
: tate the recovery Of fugitive slaves. 4 bin
was Immediately produced, and hurried,
with unusual rapidity, through the house
A bill, in all probability, granting more than
the attending delegates ever expected t.
procure. 4 bill, which PROSTATE the rights
Of our own citizens, white as well as black
and encroachcs, as we conceive, i'll several
: important points on the constitutions of tht
u. States and of the State of Delaware. Ii
! prostrates the rights of our citizens, by rem
Z dering them liable to ruinous prosecutions
for acts which involve no moral turpitudt
and which cannot be certainly avoided with
out changing the course Of theirusual avoca
s tions. 1t creates a crime without the indis
| pensable accompaniments, "A vicious intcn
q ton and consequent act II breaks down onC
of the barriers which civilization has raisee
: against the encroachment OF passion, by con
n stituting an irrltated prosecutor, a Judge II
IS his own cause. II subjects the people o
: colour residing within the State, to ruinou:
fines or ignominious punishments, without
s. evidence of an intentional violation of thu
d law, and when the party concerned NAV rea
IS sonaby be presumed unconscious OF offence
/ 1t endangers their freedom by author Zins
their seizure in any part of the State, b.
y. virtue of prccept which may be obtained b.
'e perjury, and removal to distant county /
it have the question Of their slavery decided b.
e single magistrate op the testimony ot thos
!, who are most deeply Interested in the de
- cision, ana in the absence OF counter testi
OF mony which the provisions of the law ar
v eminentlv calculated to exclude. 1t violate
J. the constitution OF che u. States, by denyin
!. to co]oured persons, tho they may be citizen
~ Of other states, the privileges and immuni
IS ties allowed and secured to the free inhahit
y ants OF the u. States, without distinction OF co
our. Ry comforting OH the courts OF this stat
jurisdiction which belongs exclusively t
~ those OF che y. States any person, to what
Id ever state he may belong, carrying by waite
in out of this state, either willing. or ignorant
!, ", fugitive from labour, being liable to pros
. ecution from citizen Of any other State d
!s Territory OF the l.. States, who may clair
ig the labour Of such fugitive. 1t vlo ates tn
ID Constitution Of Delaware by the imposition
s of excessive fines and psnshments dispro
portioned to the offence, and by founding