Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-09-26
"THE DISUNION PLEDGE"


cinnati Herald in his comments upon the
pledge. The clauses which he discussed in
his first two articles we examined at length,
promising to give further attention to the
subject at some other time, as we had not
then been able to procure a copy of the Herald
which contained his concluding remarks
We have it now before us, but must say that
its ambiguity and sophistry have made its
perusal far from satisfactory. In the 5th
No. of the Bugle we showed that the pro-
visions in the u. S. Constitution in relation
to the foreign slave trade, and that determin-
ing the ratio of representation were p~ro-sla-
very when adopted, were designed to be pro-
slavery, and are pro-slavery now; and that
even if there were no other Objectionable
parts, that no observation-disclosures can swear
to maintain a Constitution which requires
the support of such provisions, or appoint
another to swear so to do.
The next clause we shall examine is the
following
s'No person held to service or labor in one
SI1lb uIubI the laws lItItOls tSCdpluB mo
another. shall in consequence of any law or
regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor; but shall be delivered up,
on claim of the party to whom such service
or labor may be due"
The Editor of the Herald admits that this
clause was designed to apply, and is appli-
cable to the case of the slaves, but then as
!: ,ol,4o, - Az ;l;t;,g &c Tho nv
eral states, and not to the duty of officers
under the Constitution of the U. S. he is not
able to see that a promise to support the
Constitution, does in this particular involve
a support of slavery. He denies that it i'm
poses any duty upon the Representative in
Congress, or upon the President. He as
serts that
sit imposes a duty, but a duty upon the
States, as sovereign parties, contracting with
each other. 1t imposes no duty upon the
General Government! 1t is simply a clause
of compact betueen the States, by which each
is bound to pass no law discharging from
service or labor a person who may owe SER
vice or labor in another State"
There may perhaps be a closer connection
between State responsibilities and the duty
of officers of government than the DIR. is dis
posed to admit. We will examine this mat
ter a little more closely. When Ohio cam
into the Union and became a party to the
general compact, she promised by the adop-
ton of the clause which we are considering;
Firstly. that none of her laws should dis
. --- f.-..:ra, from, t1n cnruinn n labor
they owe their masters: Secondly, that such
f~uqitives SHALL be deHrered up. That is Ohio's
part of the contract. Suppose that she re-
fuses to perform it, and that the Buckeyes
rally around the fugitive and defy the power
of the claimant; what is the result! Ohio
has as much nullifed a Constitutional pro-
vision, as did South Carolina when she re-
fused to fulfill another part Of the contract,
and James X. Polk, or James G. Birney if
he be in the Presidential chair, is as much
bound to enforce obedience of Ohio, as was
General Jackson of South Carolina; and the
provisions which Congress has made for all
such exigencies, are used by the President
for this purpose. 1t is for this, among other
things that Congress votes army appropria-
tons, commissions officers, enlists men, casts
cannon, manufactures muskets, and FORCES
swords. If the ordinary means placed at the
disposal of the President are insufficient,
then must he adopt such as will ensure sue
cess, and Congress is bound by oath to fur
nish him with those means which will ena-
BILE him to compel Ohio to ''deliver up" the
fugitive, as she has contracted to do in the
Constitutions bond.
After considerable argument to prove that
although Congress may have a right to i'm
pose a duty, it does not necessarily follow
that il has a right to enforce the fulfllment
of that duty-thus making the Constitution
most emphatically a ''no government" doc
ument, and the L. S. government more i'm
potent than a palsied giant-hc says,
"The opposite construction of the Consti-
tuition. involves the Pa. "iple, that the crea-
ton of a right or the imposition OF Il duty
by the Constitution, necessarily implies d
power in Congress to fulfil the one and Sc
cure the other. ii this be osQand principle,
Congress has power TO abolish slavery ~ all
the States-for, Article 9th Of Am%endmants
declares, that 'Ro person shall be deprived
of life, liberty or property without due pro-
cess Of Jaw" Here is "A right conforrai OF
Father declared by the Constitutions Con.
gress is bound to make it electual; but, i