New-York daily tribune., 1842-11-09

tha, no oath, covenant, compact or agreement un-
der whatever circumstances made, which requires
US to violate the law of God, or do anything con
,rary to fundamental morality, can be bindihS-
All such oatlis, covenants and comPaots are ''ol
yiosbIe. but yo1D. at inisto; and they rnust Dc
disre-arded on pain of the Divine olsPledsufe'
They are in themselves sin, and to perform then
would only add to the guilt OF their 1ncePlioa-
tt rabored in his forenoon discourse TO es-
,,,l;eb ,s General principle, he proceeded IN the
10 apply it TO several cases in sacred his
,or,y hut particularly to the Supposed compact
,;nd in the Constitution of the United States for
The RESTORATION of fugitive slaves Suppose, said
he that sm Judge, and Shareholder cones
before me with his victim, demanding authority to
carry MIN from that to a slave State. he bases
his claim Gpon that clause OF the Constitution
which declares that /" no person owing service or
labor in one State under the laws thereof, escaping
20 another State, shall, In consequence OF any Ia"
or regulation Lherein, be discharged from such ser
wee or labor but shall be delivered up on claim Of
the party 10 whom such service or labor may be
due" What shall do Am bound, under this
clause, to send felow-nan into slavery? Sup
pose there were no such Institution as sla9ery in
clause might te legitimately applied 1t might, he
H.
escaped from his parent or guardian, and to the
indented apprentice. These might he said, in a
rightful sense, to "owe service or labor. But
can il apply to the slave, who owes his master
nothing, but 10 whom the master is indebted, per
heps, for the severe toll of wearisome life 2 He
thought not, and be must therefore disaIlow the
masters claim, the ground that slave could
nor, in any legitimate sense OF the word, I" owe
his tnastS. either = service or labor.
Bot, it will be asked. do you not know that the
clause IN question was intended TO be applied TO
the case OF fugitives from slavery? Aye, said he,
| know it too well but ] also know thar such
covenant is contrary 10 natural right. contrary.
therefore, to the paramount law of God, and in
derogation Of fundamental morality. 1t Is, there
fore, 10 be dsregardea 1t is as if it were not
1t can no more bind than promise to assassin
ate fellow man. for liberty is inalienable as life.
I wil not sag which of these gifts OF God Is most
valuable; but one who stood in the front rank IN
our Revolutionary struggle said - Give me liberty,
or give me death - IN contending, said Mr.. p,
mat this compact, if il what 1t is said TO
mean, is null and void, | do not speak without
jcok; and Then, taking up Blackstone, he read
passages asserting the principle for which be con-
tended IN the strongest terms. VIZ that all human
constitutions, compacts and laws, which contra
eCnt lne luH OI IIudy are 10 De ulsIeSdCOSQ ana
lrodden under foot as unhoiy and impious. As
Judge, therefore, he should feel himself bound TO
deny the shareholders claim. But, even if this
ground were not tenabe, said MIR. p, there would
still be another way TO escape the dreadful guilt
Of sending innocent man into slavery. | could
resign my Office rather than do so foul deed, and
my allegiance to God as well as my obligations to
my fellow man would require me to do this, ii
here wercn no other way avoid such an act.
know, said Mr.. p, that this is strange doc
triue in the ears Of many- The idea is TOO prcya-
lent among us that the Constitution is OF higher
authority than the eternal law of God that its
provisions can override all the great principles on
which the instrument itself is based. Providence
IS now bringing the question distinctly before us,
whether we Will regard his law the law Of ima'
of paramount obligation; whether we will obey
the dead fathers or THE LIVING COP.
Such is very Ineagre and imperfect sketch OF
these extraordinary discouises, which can hardly
fell TO produce strong sensation here, and indeed
throughout the country. | understand they viii
be given to the public Immediately through the
press. Yours, truly, REvlLo.
p. S.--The Slave Case came up this forenoon
Before Judge SPrague, and was postponed a fort
night; for what cause | have not learned.