The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-12-09

Board of Education, and the appointment of
a competent and suitable person as State
Superintendent of Common Schools and,
also, the adoption Of measures that will give
more energy and efficiency 10 the county and
school district supervision, and management
of the system. Among the liberal and en-
lightenod PERSONS in Ohio, who entertain en-
larged views, and are eminent for their bene-
Violence and their regard for the cause of
education, can be easily found persons who
will faithfully discharge all the duties which
can appropriately be enjoined upon State
Board, without any charge fer their services.
In matter, however, of such magnitude and
enduring public interest, as that of improving
the means of common school education, Meth
er pecuniary considerations, nor party feel
ings, nor local or sectional views, should be
permitted to interfere. While thousands
and millions are annually expended TO minis
ter TO the taste, vanity, and pride of mankind,
the appropriation of the comparatively small
sum requisite for improving and perfecting
the means of cutivating the intellect, and
training the virtues Of the youth of the state,
can certainly be no obstacle in the way. By
the means suggested, humbly conceive thar
great public interest can be awakened among
the people of the state on the subject of
education, the necessary discipline adopted
and put into practice, information on the sub
ject of the best and most improved methods of
instruction procured and furnished TO every
school district, the competency of instructors
greatly improved, and the system brought TO
high degree Of perfec;io
y y =
A difficulty has arisen between this State
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 Washington, in this State,
without the authority of law bya company Of
armed men from the State of Virgin ia, and
forcibly abducted from Ohio and incarcerated
in the Jail of Wood county, Virginia, TO an
swer 10 a criminal charge. This open resort
to violence and invasion of the rights of citi-
zens of our State, was calculated 10 produce
much excitement, and endanger the peace
and harmony 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 citizens, and upon
the civil authority Of this State, was the act
of lawless individuals, without the sanction
of the State of Virginia, and that ample re-
dress could be obtained by peaceful resort
to judicial proceedings. Accordingly the
case was presented to the Grand Jury of
Washington county, on the September term
of the Court, and indictments regularly re-
turned against the offenders A special
agent was despatched to Richmond, with
requsiton made in due form, on the Cover
nor of Virginia, for their surrender as fugi-
tives from the Justice of Ohio: and | regret to
say that, after some weeks delay, the Cover
nor of Virginia deemed it proper on his part
to refuse the order for the arrest and surrend-
er of the aggressors. The proceedings under
the requisition can be more fully seen by a
reference to correspondence on file in the
Executive Office.
Any thing calculated to endanger the har-
mony and friendly intercourse of ad djacent
and contederated 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,
it is natural for the slave TO make efforts TO |
escape, Rnd for the STAKEHOLDER to suspect
the inhabitants of the free states, of aiding
in the transit of the fugitive. II, however,
citizens of he free states should actually vio-
late the right Of any of the citizens of the
sister states,s the laws of the country give
ample redress, without resorting 10 violence.
In the present case, question of jurisdic-
tion has been raised. The citizens of Ohio
who have been captured were on the bank,
on the northwest side of the Ohio river, and |
the authorities of Virginia have set up claim
of jurisdiction over the soil where the cap
ture occurred. 1t was supposed that the de-
cision of the Supreme Court of the United
States, made in 1920, had definitely and
finally settled this question of boundary.
Ordinarily, where river is the boundary be-
tween states, each holds to the middle of the
stream; but Virginia, having been the origi-
nal proprietor, ceded the territory northwest
of the Ohio river only, and therefore claims
jurisdiction over the river. II becomes i'm
portant that some fixed and certain line be
known as the boundary and this the decision
of the supreme judicial tribunal of the coun-
try has distinctly defined, under the construc-