New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-26
MIR. C. III. Clay's Letter-Aboiiticn

I have been at once surprised and gtatlhed, by
two incidents il. your paper of this morning.
One, the Letter of Casslus NJ. Clay-on your
first page: the other, that such letter, should
have appeared in paper at all.
MIR. Clay's Letter, with one stroclous e1cep-
ton, is almost as good an Abolition document, as
the warmest Aboitionst could desire. 1t says,
what Abolitionists have been saying to the peo-
pie of the Union ct any time within the last ten
o. twelve years. But the exception reminds me,
of the schoolboy, who, having written a fair copy
of that which the master had placed at the head
of the page let's fall foul blot Of INK, and runs
AID defaces the whole.
You have chosen to endorse this paper, you
had already done the same for the Tract OF
Junius J. thank you cordially for both, espe-
cially for your praise of Mr.. Clay's letter uly
employed as you must necessarily be, IN the con-
duct Of your paper. you have not had the neces-
sarv leisure to make yourself acquainted with
our arguments. Learning them at second hand,
YOU of course have misopprehended, and there
fore n,isrepresented US. l cannot find the same
excuse for Junius, who with leisure and evident
ability, has only employed them IN selecting Just
enough of our arguments as, land before his read.
ers. IL sufficient {" to make the truth lle." AS
reoards yourself, am confirmed In the behet
,ust expressed. For, could you have paid the
necessary attention 10 the entire subject, you
would, l ann certain, have warmly reprehended
the straight forward impudence OF M. Clay's
dicta, Il cannot argue that there is any Law su-
perior to the Federal Constitution''-but the
Law in the present state of light from on high
must be paramount to the Bible itself!
AS had the happiness, to be the FIRST, 10y
several years. to bring the argument to public
attention. which has been thus assa.led and mis-
represented, and, as you have unwlttlngy made
yourself the instrument Of Misrepresentation, l
feel that have right to claim a place in your
columns, in order that your readers may see what
it really is. II you like it not reprehend 1t as
severely as YOU please, "Strike but hear" All
that I. or any Abolitionst, can wish, is f" a Far
Field, and no favor"
The Sd clause of the I'd section of the 4th ar
tice of the Constitution Of the United States, has
been held to require, that slaves, fugtlves from
anv one State to another shall be restored to their
masters, and though the words "slave, slavery"
are carefully omitted and eschewed, every where
throughout the whole Constitution there can be
no doubt, of the meaning and intention OF the
clause So it has been understood and acted
upon from the time of the adoption of the Con-
stitution to the present. and SO it has been as
sumed and determined in all the courts, including
the venerable Supreme Court of the United States
And yet. admitting all this, maintain, that this
clause, neper had, neuer could, or can haze ANY
LEGAL VALIDITY WHATEVER.
It is, and has been for ages, principle of set
tied and acknowledged law in all Christian
countres--and certainly in own, that no
-, fHnr
written or verbal---express. or irnplied-no mat
ter who may be the parties-can bind the par
ties for moment. Conceive now, that one OF
the parties to such an agreement, should bring
the other into court for non fulhlment OF his ell
vagement Suppose it to turn out that however
select the terms, however studiously concealed
by the sinuosites of language, the object OF the
agreement, is Piracy, Highway Robbery or any
other conceivable atrocity-what l ask, would
be- the conduct OF the Judge before whom such
an issue were brought up for adjudication II
his Indignation would permit HIM to declare the
!ap, he would tell them that the contract was
void alb iRitto that they were under pr1or ob:i.
cations, at all times to do right, and under q
perpetual injunction to do wrong. And, II
he did not conceive 1t necessary to punish them
for this base conspiracy against this fundamental
law, on which the whole superstruc,ure of society
digni6ed invective too strong, IN order to rid
himself and his court OF the moral pollution OF
their presence
Can anycollection of individuals agree to do that
publicly, which, III their private capacity, they
would not dare even to think of-can they
thus legally bind themSelves-can theya as agents,
thus bind their prlncipals-can they bind me,
and my children after me, can they bind a
whole nation, both present aud in all time, TO
come, in the chains of this wicked agreement, to
restore the fugitive slave TO the deep damnauon
of American Slavery? Could. or can the Con-
sttution of the United States make thGt Law,
which is contrary both to Revealed Law and the
Law of Nature and Nations '.Of Law (says
the venerable Hooker,l it may be said that she
hath her seat IN the bosom OF God. All things
both in Heaven and Earth, do her homage: the
very least, as not beneath her protection and
care: the greatest, as not exempt from her
power" Has this agreement, or any OF the laws
passed in obedience to it, any features resembling
Her, whose seat is the bosom Of goodness him.
self7 What /. to restore the fugitive to that
state which all accounts (as yet uncontradlctedl
show, must necessarily be one OF mmugateo
villainy and crime, both for master and slave
Can that be Lac Never.
Not the smallest doubt can however remain
ON the mind of the Christian, since we have the
declared will of the Divinity, to meet thus very
case. "Thou shalt not deliver unto his master,
the servant which is escaped from his master
unto thee. He shall dwell with thee, even among
you in one Of thy gates, where it keth him best,
Thou shalt not Cypress him. Deut. XIII. 10
and Is verses. Now when this authority COM
mands US not to deliver the fugitive, and our
Constitution and laws say, thou shalt surrender
- ~ .lt oh IN
obey.
Roth n.r,s of tb;s .rrr,oart on,a., "a tho