Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-01-12

MISCELLANEOUS.

fFaa the .N,a-f.s Beeeor.l
THE ApJouaxEb MEEllXG on TIE LArlMEE CASE
Al an adjourned meeting Of the citizens OF the Bo
rough and the surrounding country, held at the Town
l,, On thu SIS; day OF December lsi2, pursuant 10
.he call Of The Mayor, receive the report Of the Com
ni:,ee OF twenty four, raised b. he meeting on The 9Th
Of The Inonth,-
Miles King, Esq, hayor, President.
Col. WIN. Garnclt and Charles II. Shield Esq +,
Vice Presidents
John Il. Butler james F. Hunter and Lloyd w.
Williams. Esqs, Secretaries.
The meeting, beng duly organized, the report Of the
committee wcs read by lis author, John A. Chandler,
ESQ., OF Portsmouth,, and lie report of The sub commit
ice, from the pen OF John y. Tazeweil, Esq oil Nor
folk was read by OF The Secretaries after which
both reports were unanimously adopted. The meeting
was also addressed mastery and effective manner
by s T. SAWYER, Csq a member oil the Norfolk bar,
and John A. Chandler, Esq of the Portsmouth bar.
The following resolutions were then offered and una-
niinously adopted;
Rrsoired, That one thousand copies Of the reports
a31 accompanying documents, be printed under The
su,erinendance OF the committee, and that copy be
transmitted the Governor Of each State in the union
one COPY be forwarded 10 each member OF the General
Assembly OF Virginia, three hundred copies be sent
our Representative in Congress, TO be distributed by
him amongst the nbe.S III Congress- and that the
remaining copes be distributed by the Chairman OF the
committee.
Peso!rsd Tia. the Editors oE all the newspapers
published ashout the U $, be, and they are here by
with the reports Of the Committee.
Reso!rsd That this meeting do now adjourn.
NILES KING, President.
YIN WV. GsT H. s.:r,1D, riee Presidents
JOIN IA. BrlLEa,
JAS T. HusTER, Secretaries
LLOYD W. WILLIAMS,
The committee appointed by the meeting held al
the Cour, House. ia tie Borough Of Norfolk, on the GIN
of December, l2 20 consider The matters referred 10
them, beg leave 10 report, that ie" days afterwards
they convened and constituted sub committee OF Their
hodv consisting cr John \. Te2ewell, Jno. A. Chan
dler, Jno p. Leigh, Jro. s. Millson, and Tazeweil
Taylor ascertain The facts relating TO the case The
accompanying report made by these gentlemen, al'er
most dgent nvest;Eatinn has been received, aud
sdoned by the committee al large. BY that document,
i clearly appears, that the failure of James B. Grty to
obtain his fugitive slave atimer, arose not from any
defect IN the Constitution OF the United States, out
wan. Of fidelity to the high and solemn behes Of that
;nstrume Mt in siderable portion of the population OF
Boston, and the nadequscy OF the provisions OF The
act or Congress, passed on the l2th OF February,
1893 Upon attentive examination OF all the facts
and circumstances, il is confidently believed, that no
one whose mind is open TO conviction, can doubt that
&c CONGRESS had provided for tie safe custody OF The
slave whilst the investigation was pending before the
Federal Tribunals in that city, for the obtainmen OF
the certificate TO authorize his removal to Frginiaor
yr the citizens cf Boston had remained quiet and obe-
dent to the law, imperfect as il undoubtedly is, Mr.
Gray would been restored to the possession OF his
property guaranteed to n The most solemn manner,
by The iunda charter CT the land-That he was
finally coerced abandon his title, by release vi all
his claims, is I matter which, in no wise, impairs
the Importance of the question. Indeed, this circu,n
stance enhances ts interest," the estimation OF yonr
Communicates. if the release had never been execu-
ted il 70 evident, he could still not have obtained his
slave and that, without II, his personal liberty
would have been seriously jeoparded In this aspect,
i IL apparent; that The owner OF fugitive, seeking his
recovery at the North, has not only been prevented
T. h,t hat in he yprV q.
secution Of hrs claim he, HIMSELF would have been mn
nrsoned at the suit of his slave, The unexpected
kindness Of stranger, who generously became his
bail, had not relieved hm-That such total perver.
sion of Of the planest provisions OF The Federal
Cons,itaton can long be tolerated by the South out
of the question.
The third paragraph of the second section of the
fourth article of the Constitution Of the u States, pro-
vdes that mo person held to service or labor IN one
State unoer the laws thereof, escaping INTO another,
SHALL in consequence Of any Law regulation therein,
be discharged from such service or labor, but shall De
delivered up claim Of the party TO "hom such ser
vice or labor may be due. Shall be delivered up, is
the requirement of the Constitution. by whom: not
bv the State authorities for, the decision OF the SUI
pfeme Court of the United States in the case OF rrgg
vs. State Of Pennsylvania, reported IN 10 refers, is
that all State regulations and laws upon the SUBJECT
ere void. BY whom then: Certainly by The author-
ties OF the Federal Government, whose solemn duty
/; is fearlessly TO enforce this important provision Of
the Constitution To this end, 1t is invested with u
power TO make all laws which shall be necessary and
proper for carrying the same into execution.
The act OF February l2th 1898, before referred to,
and which is the only relating to tins clause OF the
Constitution ever passed By Congress, enacts, that
"When person held 10 labor in any OF the United
States o, in either Of the Territories on the northwest
or south OF the river Ohio, under the laws thereof,
rha escape into any of the said States or Territories,
the person to whom such labor service may be due,
his agent or attorney, hereby empowered to seize or
arrest such fugitive from labor and to take HIM or her
before any Judge Of the Crcu. District Courts of
the United States, residing being within the State,
or before any Magistrate Of county, city or town cor
porate wherein such seizure or arrest shall be mace
and upon proof to the satisfaction Of such Judge or
Magistrate either by oral testimony affidavit taken
before and certified BY Magistrate of any such Stale
or Territory that The person seized or arrested, doih
under the laws of the State Territory from which
he or she fed owe service labor 20 the person claim
ing HIM or her. shall be the duty of such Judge or
Magistrate to give certificate thereof to such claim
AM: his agent, attorney, which shall be sufficient
warran, for removing the said fugitive from labor, 10
The State or Territory from which he or she fed
When this act was passed. such was the reverence
entertained for The Federal Constitution by the people
Of all Of The States such the universally recognized
right Of the owner Of slaves TO recover them wherever
found and such the abiding belief on the mind OF the
National Legislature, that this right could not De MIS-
understood or seriously jeoparded that 1t merely EN-
powered tie owner of the slave, his agent or attor
nev 10 seize or him, and to take him before
Judge of the Circu. District Court of the u >,
or before any magistrate who upon being satisfied OF
r. ,ba shouId oil him certificate