Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-04-02

point that hope the consequences must be "po" '"e''
own heads. ,s ,,,do
The report from which have been reading was mace
!, III. city Of New York in May, 1888 In u me ADO
l,ions,s shcw thu, il is 4 matter OF the utnos. 'p
ancc for the OF their plans uas VI. - ~
States shall be made refuge for The ine,tse s'
m,L. them So il was necessary that laws siouiu "
na.r,n1 the recapturc of fugitive slaves I'M
~. and that the Executive OF the State should
l such course in reference to ingitives IRON JUS
ca ne would offer impunity 10 such persons rs s""'"
,c,urar. and aid their flight. 10 accomplish these
nr,oscs it was necessary that they should gel con'ro
If The executive and legislative departments OF tue
Government Hence, in States where slavery dd not
exist, have witnessed, what, until now was uh'ei
lgbe that the sentiments OF candidates Tor even oue
Offices regard to Abolition, was made test III lhe
elections The condition, bitterness and blindness OF
party politics has enabled them 10 get control OF me
Government of most of the Northern States. ne
Aboltonsts ae powerful in numbers, as nave sue" IL
and they still more powerful IN positoh ihe ~
great political parties in the country are nearly equa
balanced and the Abolition faction hanging oe'meeh
them is enabled to give the preponderance 10 winch
ever party il may ion 1t was necessary 10 coheh'ae
Aboonis,s to gam power, ana being sa'neu, u cou'a
only be retained by absolute suaserviency 10 them.
have thus shcwn how 1t is, that the aboiitlons,s
have GOT control Of the Government OF New YORK, and
h,v;n9 control Of it. that the public !unctonar6s have
;m,ciy entered up their edicts, though III defiance
of the Constitution. Gov. Seward IN iurlherance oil
their plan of warlre upon our rights ana properly, de-
cares that the person who entic"s our slaves from us
commit, no offence and that II he escape 10 New York
| =, punishment shall await hun. And TIP Legislature
ne the Sate passes law which ma cs the recapure
Of The slave himself impossible Thus has the action
of The Governor of New York, aud of the Legislature
OF that State been traced directly TO The influence OF
| the Abolitionlsts.
Mr. Speaker, designed TO point out the mos, mis-
ch,crous consequences which would be most likely to
result from the Of the Governor Of New York
and also TO examine, somewhat more detail than IS
done in The Report of the Select Committee, the pro
visions Of the law of New or which is discussed in
/ it. But | torbcar to do have already extended
my remarks 10 length which did not wish; and |
have vet good deal Of ground TO 80 over. earnestly
enteat such members o the House as have not read
that report give careful pcrusal particularly that
part of il which discusses the law of New York Of the
9TH May last. And also beg them 10 read the report
which | had the honor of making from the Select
Committee of last winter. 1t is found IN the ac's OF
Assembly Of 1870, page 100 In this latter report,
the allacy and dangerous tendency OF the course oil
| Governor Seward IS discussed.
mportant therefore, this branch OF the subject IS
must content myself with the summary which IS made
of il in the reports of last winter and thus In the ro-
port of last winter II is sad
nThe posilions of the Governor Of New York, when
carried to their legitimate results, lead TO consequences
ola most frlghu character and which, ms II seems to
your committee, could have been duly weighed BY
| him The Governor of New York says, II IS no OF.
:
property of another and cannot therefore, be the sub
iect of theft If for these reasons, il be offence TO
steal slave and carry HIM 10 New York, 1t wonld be
none 10 steal him and carry him 10 Louisiana Surely
in such a case, it would make no difference whether
the thief sic cred North South after committing his
robbery The consequence is, if citizen Of New FORK
we're to come into this State, inveige cargo Of orr
slaves board his vessel, under the pretex that he
meant To take them L. land al liberty, md
should carry them to Louisiana and sell them IN the
nr a -
tnre in New York he would be free from arrest, and
could not be made TO expiae his crime And without
wishing to make nnlnsttiahle attack upon the CT
items ofany State OF this mon, your committee would
be wanting in candor, ii they expressed doubt that
such case, the Of the Governor of New ork
should be persevercd IN, would be of probable and FIRE
quent There are bad men in every coun-
try who will comm; offences when they will profit by
ii, and do it with mpuny. But what ~ still more
probable Of the Of the Governor Of New FORK
be acquesced in,( that those deludcd enthusiasts nj
the North, who, in pursuit of something they know
not what are spending thousands and thousands in ct
forts which they must sec if they be not binder than
any one, except fanatic, yet was, never
compsh their object, Will attempt 10 make those efforts
practically efficient, BY coming into State and max
ing il labor Of rrtue TO steal slaves and convey
them TO CALLING bondage than they suffer
in the Northern States.
"Suppose one of those Northern fanatics, who, be
ievng that the shedding Of the blood of the wives
children of Southern shareholders, would be but an
cep,able offering in the eyes OF God, should come
among US, and after melting slaves 10 instruction
and aiding and ubettng them in IT. should escape into
| New York, consistency would compel the Governor o.
New York to refuse to deliver him up for trial and pu
nshment. He would say one man cannot be The
property Of another. These negroes therefore, were
held in Illegal bondage, and the person who aided them
in their effort 10 throw it of, only performed merito
rous action"
There are other consequences which might be point
ed out Suppose master should attempt TO correct
his slave and the slave should resist, and carry hi:
resistance 10 violence. Under the doctrine OF Co.
vernon Seward, he would not be guilty Of any offence
| If lie be not the property Of the master, lie has
right to correct him, and he TO do it, the
law right OF self defence would Justify resistance
violence.
must again entreat the House to refer 10 the repor
of the select committee for the provisions and The char
acter of the law Of New York of May last, for can
not do more here than read the summary oft from iha
report
" In its first section it provides that the claim to
the service of the alleged fugitive shall be tried by
jury Take this provision OF the law in connection
with the doctrine avowed by the Governor Of the State
and sanctioned by the State, that one man cannot be
the property of another, and what prospect would
have of getting verdict in his favor under
circumstances. Can it be believed that a jury could
ever be mpanneed, upon which the active Abolition
lists Of New York could not get one man To act upon
principle deliberately avowed by the Executive, and
dict in favor of the claimant would be impossible. The
sixth section makes the finding Of the jury conclu
svc, gives appeal 10 the slave matter ofright,
denies it, under circumstances 10 the master. Blu
If BY mere possibility, verdict should be rendered
in favor of the claimant the seventh section provides
a pretext for the Of the slave By declar
ing that without any unnecessary delay he shall be re
moved of the State 'on the direct route 10 the State
from which he fled. The 9Th provides, that
the verdict in favor of the slave that he shall never
\ he Stpd. NIL
move him out of the State, under any process ar pro
ceeding chaterer he shall be deemed guilty of kidnap
ping, and upon conviction shall be imprisoned in tie
State prison for term not exceeding ten years Jh.
provision is obviously designed TO deter the master
from applying to the Federal Judiciary, and punish
him if he take the slave out Of the State, even by
virtue Of its process. The 9L section secures the
slave every advantage of legal defence at the cost
the State; the 10th makes the claimant liable for the
OF the trial should he be unsuccessful as he could
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