Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-12-12

State have not adopted those improvements
and useful discoveries which have been made
in the cultivation of the soil. The liphts of
science and practical instruction have, with
eminent success, been applied in some coun-
tries t. the art of agriculture, by which this
branch of industry has been greatly elevated,
the minds of those engaged in it much en-
lightened, and their labour rendered doubly
productive.
1t must be admitted by every enlightened
mind, that scientific knowledge is as import
ant in the improvement of agriculture as it is
in the manufacturing or mechanic arts. We
learn, from reliable sources, that agricultural
schools have been established in some parts
of Europe, with highly beneficial results, and
that improved methods have been adopted, by
which an average crop of wheat has been in
creased from - to Ii bushels per acre, to 90
or 80, and in some choice soils as great as
Is and so bushels per acre have been raised.
] commend this subject to your special at
tention and regard, and submit to your con-
sideration, whether important and most ben
eficial results might not be derived from the
establishment and efficient management of an
agricultural department under the govern
ment. A proposition for a similar depart
ment under the general government was once
zealously urged by President Washington
upon the attention of Congress. Under the
existing state Of affairs, it is probable that an
institution of this character could be more i'm
mediately useful by being under the control
of the State government.
Difficulty wih Vrginia.
A difficulty has arisen between this State
and the State of Virginia, which | deem pro-
per to bring to your attention. In the month
of July last, three citizens ofOhio, alleged to
have been engaged in aiding the escape Of
some fugitive slaves, were captured in the
county of Washington, in this State, without
the authority of law by a company of armed
men from the State of Virginia, and tofcibly
abducted from Ohio and incarcerated in the
| Jail of Wood county, Virginia, to answer TO
a criminal charge. This open resort to vio-
lence and invasion of the rights Of citizens of
our State, was calculated to produce much
excitement, g. endanger the peace and harmo-
nv of the two States. Pains were taken to
allay the excitement,and prevent any further
disturbance of the peace, on the ground that
the transaction, although an outrage upon the
rights of our citizenssand upon the civil
authority of this State, was the act of law
less individuals, without the sanction Of the
State of Virginia, and that ample redress
could be obtained by a peaceful resort to jul
dicial proceedings. Accordingly the case
was presented to The Grand Jury of WASH
ington county, a: the September term of the
CORTLAND an indictment regularly returned a.
gainst the offenders. A special agent was
despatched to Richmond, with a requisition
made in due form, on the Governor of Nir-
ginia, for their surrender as fugitiveS from
the Justice of Ohio; and, | regret to say that
after some weeks delay, the Governor of Vir-
ginia, deemed it proper on his part to refuse
the order for the arrest and surrender OF the
aggressors. The proceedings under the re-
QUESTION can be more fully seen by a refer
ence 10 a correspondence on file in the Exc
cutive Office.
ANY thing calculated to endanger the har-
mony and friendly intercourse of adjacent n
confederated States OF our National Union, is
deeply to be lamented; and this occurrence
assumed special Importance from the fact
that the relations out of which it arose., are
likely to occasion similar outrages in future.
Where free and slave States are contiguous, II
is natural for the slave 10 make efforts to es-
cape, and for the slave holder 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 thf
rights of any of the citizens of the sister st lteS
the laws of the country give ample redress
without r%esorting to violence.
In the present case, a question OF %lurlsdlc
ton has been raised. The citizens of Ohl'
who have been captured, were on the bank
on the northwest side of the Ohio river, ant
the authorities of Virginia have set up a CLAIM
of jurisdiction over the soil where the captur
occurred. 1t was supposed that the decision
I of the Supreme Court Of the United States
made in 1920, had definitely and finally set
tied this question of boundary. Ordinarily
where a rivers the boundary between States
each holds to the middle of the stream; bu
1 Virginia, having been the original proprietor
ceded the territory northwest OF the ONO riV
S err, and therefore claims jurisdiction over tn
river. 1t becomes important that some IKE
G and certain line be known as the boundary
and this the decision of the supreme judicla
tribunal of the country has distinctly defined
e under the construction of the original cesslo
e of 1888, to be at low water mark on THIS sid
of the river.
1t never could have been designed that
If narrow strip of land on The beach OF the river
should belong to the State on the oPposlt
n shore. The principle, that a country boun
ded by the shore of a river extends TO loN
water mark, is so natural and convenient, a
d to nave secured general adoption. The cialI
d of jurisdiction, for Virginia, however, hel
set up, extends, as 1t seems, not only ov'
the river, but also on the bank on THIS slde'
v The decision of the Court referred to, goo
e further, and recognizes the right acquired
/ the compact with Virginia, under whic
Kentucky became a State, which stlPulat'
that the navigation Of, and jurisdiction Owe