The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1845-12-17

individual who procureq votes through The corrup-l
ting influence of betting, or any species Of bri-
berry,
A difficulty has arisen between this Stale and
the State of Virginia, which | deem proper to
bring to your attention. In the month of July
last, three citizens of Ohio, alleged to have been
engaged in aiding The escape of some fugitive
slaves, were captured in the county of Washing.
ton, in this State, without the authority Of law by
a company of armed men from the State of Vir-
glnia, and forcibly abducted from Ohio and in
carcerated in the Jail of Wood county, Virginia,
TO answer TO a criminal charge. This open resort
to violence and invasion Of the rights of citi-
zens of our State, was calculated to produce
much excitement, and eudanger the peace and
harmony of the two States. Pains were taken
10 allay the excitement, and prevent any further
disturbance of the peace, on the ground that the
transaction, although an outrage upon the rights
of citizens, and upon the civil authority of this
State, was the act of awless individuals, without
the sanction of the State of Virginia, and that
ample redress could be obtained by peaceful
resort to judicial proceedings. Accordingly the
case was presented to the Grand Jury of WASH
ington county, at the September term of the
Court, andindictments regularly returned against
the offenders. A special agent was despatched
| to Richmond, with a requision made in due
form, on the Governor of Virginia, for their sur
render as fugitves from the justice of Ohio; and
| regret to say that, after some weeks delay, the
Governor Of Virginia deemed it proper TO refuse
the order for The arrest and surrender of the ag-
Igressors. The proceedings underline requisition
can be more fully seen by reference TO cor
respondence on file in the Executive office.
Any thing calculated 10 endanger the harmo-
ny and friendly intercourse of adjacent and con-
federated States of our national Union, is deeply
to be lamented; and this occurrence assumed
special Importance, from the fact that the rela-
tons out of which il arose, are likely TO occasion
similar outrages in future. Where free and slave
states are contiguou it is natural for the slave
to make efforts to escape, and for the STAKEHOLDER
to suspect the inhabitants of the free states OF
aiding in the transit of the fugitive. If, however,
citizens of the free states should actually violate
the rights of any Of our citizens of the sister
states, the laws of the country give ample re-
dress, without resortng to violence.
! In the present case, a question of jurisdiction
has been raised. The citizens of Ohio who have
been captured, were on the bank, on the north
west side Of the Ohio river, and the authorities
of Virginia have set up claim of jurisdiction
over the soil where the capture occurred. 1t was
r supposed that the decision of the Supreme Court
, of the United States, made in 1920, had definite
, ly and finally settled this question of boundary
Ordinarily where river is the boundary between
> states, each holds TO the middle of the stream
but Virginia, having been the original proprietor
r Iceded the territory northwest Of the Ohio river
Eonly, and therefore claims jurisdiction over the
, river Ii tbecomes important that some fixed anc
certain line be known as the boundary; and thi:
the decision of the supreme judicial tribunal o.
, the country has distinctly defined, under the
f construction of the original cession of 1888, tC
. be at low water mark OH this side of the river.
1t never could have been designed that mar
row strip of land on the beach of the river, r,shoulc
belong to the state on the opposite shore. The
principle, that country bounded by the shore
h of river extends 10 low water mark, is so natu
, raj and convenient, as to have secured genera
adoption. The claim of jurisdiction for Virgini
;. however, here set up, extends, as it seems, no
. only over the river, but also on the bank on thi
side.
The decision of the Court referred to, goe
4 further, and recognizes the right acquired by th'
compact with Virginia, under which Kentuck.
!. became state, which stpulates that the naviga
tion of, and jurisdiction over, the river, should b.
!. current between the new states and the statt
# which possessed the opposite shore OF said river
: This compact having been ratified, became bind
: ing upon Virginia, as we'll as the other states
bordering upon the river.
# 1t would seem therefore, that no doubt Cal
q exist that the captured citizens we're kidnapped
: and violently abducted from the jurisdiction o
4 Ohio and that due regard for the honor Of tn
! state, as wei! as justice to the injured citizens
$ demands reparaton for the wrong
; Should the Executive of Virginia persist il
n his refusal 20 surrender the aggressors the stat
will assume the responsibility of the outrage pei
" petrated by those lawess persons upon the right
g and jurisdiction of Ohio, and if this outrage b
l. submitted to on the part of Ohio, it may be mad
J. a precedent for future insult and wrong. In tn
(mean time, respectfully submit to your consid
!. GRAFTON the propriety of adopting effective meas
ures to prevent similar invasion of the right
v of The citizens of Ohio.
: > deem it my duty again to call your atentio
y to the laws which unjustly Cypress and degrad
" our colored population. 1t seems 10 me tha
n their repeal is demanded alike by the spirit {
i our religion and the PHILOSOPHY! Of the age.
" The Pententiary Of the state has during tn
D year been conducted with skill, prudence an
ID economy. The system of prison discipline whc
has been vighanty adhered TO, has been we
Of calculated to accomplish the true objects of CT
l. minal punishment. Special regard has been pal
e. TO the complaint of a portion ofour CITIZENSHIP
Is have, perhaps with good cause, alleged that tn
Iy system of prison labor created an unjust compt
,e ntion with their business, and tended to degrad
o. their pursuits. So far practicable without Y
O. olation of old contracts for prison labor, the en-
OF ployment of the convicts has very properly, ;
c. we'll as profably, been directed to those objec
ne which do not conflict with the interests of al
d. of the existing mechanical pursuits of the stat