Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-04-16


shall escape into any other State, the per-
son To whom such labor or service may be
due or his agent, may arrest such fugitive,
and take him before any Magistrate, and
upon proof satisfactory to such Magistrate,
that the person so arrested, doth owe ser
vice or l,bor 10 the claimant, such Magis-
tfaie shall be a sufficient warrant for the
removal OF such fugitive to the State from
which he or she fed A trial by jury is
not here provided; and your committee are
aware that by this process, freeman, up
on slight evidence, may be taken by force
and hurried into hopeless slavery. But
your committee are not aware that better
or more efficient remedy can be provided
that the wit for replevying person. which
eanreadily be procured on application TO an
attorney, aud the trial on this process is
before jury Of the Country. The oh
ject desired by the petitioners is thus sub
stantially secured; and Your committee are
not aware that any more ready or elfoctual
security can be provided consistently with
the Constitution of the United States and
the rights which that instrument guaran-
tees To The slave holder.
peal of all laws Of this State which make
any distinction among its inhabitants on ac-
count Of color. The militia law of the u.
States provides that every free, able bodied
white male citizen between certain ages,
shall be liable to do military duty The
militia law Of this State provides that no
other able bodied white male citizen shall
be exempted from military duty, except
such as are exempted in said Act. Your
committee are not aware that this eXemp-
lion from military duty is reproach or
disgrace to the colored man. The Justices
of the Supreme Judicial Court, ministers
of the gospel, Quakers and Shakers per-
sons who have held commissions and been
honorably discharged, and all persons a
bove the age Of forty-fve years, are like
wise exempted. The exemption has been
considered favor or an honor in those
cases, and we are not aware that 1t Is 9TH
erwise considered in the case of our col
ored men, or that it is for their good to be
compelled TO perform military duty.
The only other case of distinction in
our law on account Of color IS that which
provides that ''all marriages between any
white person and any negro, indian, or
mulatto, shall be absolutely void" The
petitioners regard this law as intended to
degrade the colored race; but a majority oil
your committee are unable 10 perceive,
that it imposes any restriction upon them,
which ii does not equally impose upon the
whites, or that it necessarily implies their
inferiority We are of opinion that moth
ing more is intended to be implied than
that snch intermarriages are not in good
taste. The very able and eloquent color
ed brether who advocated the repeal OF
these laws before your committee declared
that so far as his knowledge extended the
colored people were averse to intermarriage
with the whites, and all those in favor OF
legislative action upon this subject, eX-
pressly declared that their object was not
10 encourage intermarriages, but to pre-
vent illegal cohabtation. Inasmuch, there
fore, as neither race desired this amalga-
matic.., a majority of your committee are
not OF opinion that tits of importance that
the laws should be changed.
The third class Of petitions pray Tor the
passage of resolutions with view to DIR
ect the action Of Congress upon the sub
ject of slavery, and in opposition to 1t, so
far as Congress has the constitutional pow
er. 1t is presumed that the petitioners de-
sire the passage of the resolutions, because
they would be understood to be the eX-
preston not merely of the opinions oil the
individual members ofthe Legislature, but
as the embodied expression OF the people
of the State. But your committee are not
of the opinion that it is desired by MAJOR
ity of the people of this State, that Con
gress, at the present time, ana pha'r
present circumstances should adopt the
measures proposed. A majority OF your
committee do not think such measures ad-
yisable, at the present time.
1t is well known, that at the South there
is highly excited and strong feeling ofop-
position to the movements of abolltonlsts
at the North, and that this feeling is not
confined to the hard hearted and despotic,
but s.the sentiment of the good and phi
anthropic friends of the slave among them.
They are full IN the belief, that the course
pursued here has tendency to retard e.
Emancipation, and that SO long as these
measures are pursued, they can do moth
ing 10 advance the cause among them
selves, and they are compelled to unite
ayith those who are opposed to emancipa-
ton. to resist the efforts Of northern aboll-
tionists. A majority Of your committee,
are Of opinion, that it is too much to hoped
for the success of any measure, which,