The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-03-25
From the Pennsylvania Freeman.
PENNSYLVANIA @ Free State.

Pennsylvania Free State.
This is now true so far as it is possible for
any State to be free and at the same time Il
member Of this slave holding confederacy-
The act to prevent kidnapping. prohibit the
use of our ias, and the aid of our magistrates,
justices, aldermen, jailors, &c, in the recap
ture and return of runaway slayes,and repeal
ing the law by which shareholders have hith-
crto been able to bring their slaves into the
State and keep them for six months, has, we
are most happy to say, received the signature
of the Governor, and is now become a law of
Pennsylvania. This is truly ma ter of con-
graduation to abolitionists, and should en-
courage them TO still more energetic efforts in
the prosecution Of their righteous cause. All
we have to do is to continue as we have be-
gun, eniightening the public mind, changing
public sentiment and then bringing that pub
lie sentiment by means of petitioning the
newspapers, the pulpit the public meeting Or
in any other way that will be ehcctua, to
bear upon our national and state legislatures
for their action. This is all that is necessary
on the part of abolitionists to ensure complete
success no need of our turning politicians,or
going into the expense or trouble, or suffer-
ing the wear and tear of temper and consci-
ence of forming third political party. Let
VIC IJOlSnCtI StllhC Win tuG I)OlSicIuS Oh VIC
earth; let the dead bury the dead; let poll
vantages and spoily of Office. This is no con-
Germ Of ours; our business is to enlighten the
people, to bring them under the influence Of
anti-sIavery truth, certain that just in proper
ton as this is done viii our wori; be effected.
The repeal, or the enactment Of laws will not
tarry long behind the demands Of public sem
tinent, no matter who is in Office or what
party. bears sway. An anti-sIavcry public
sentiment will make anti-siavcry laws, and in
no other way--in this country at lcast-can
such laws be made. If any therefore would
have the pro-slavery statutes of the land re-
pcaIed and anti-sayory laws enacted in their
place. let them Join us in our efforts to reno
vate public sentiment: let them help us to |
scatter the truth by means of newspapers,
tracts, books lectures, discussions, and finally |
petitions, till the whole country shall become
enlightened, and the public heart so changed
that every vestige of slavery shall be swept
from the land and from the face of the stat
ute book.
These have been the means which have
brought about the law Just enacted by our
State legislature. The truth which has been
scattered broadcast throughout the State for
the last few years, has produced partial re-
generation Of public sentiment, and by means
of the numerous petitions circulated this last
fall mainly by the Pennsylvania Anti-Savery
Society," this public sentiment has been
brought to bear upon our legislators The
consequence is the adoption Of an act which
both by its force as a law, and its effect as
moral demonstration, must be ofeminent SER
vice to the cause of humanity. As some may
wish to read again and with more care the
provisions of the bill, we think it best to re-
publish the abstract Of it we gave some weeks
ago. 1t runs as follows:
AN ACT to prevent kidnapping, preserve
the public peace, prohibit the exercise of
certain powers heretofote exercised by
Judges, Justices of the Peace, Aldermen, and
Jailors in this Commonwealth, land to repeal
certain slave laws.
Section l. Be it enacted, &C., That if any
person or persons shall by force or violence,
take or cause to be taken or carried away, and
shall by fraud or false pretences, entice or
cause to be enticed, orattempt so to take, car
ry away or cntice, any free negro or mulatto |
from any part of this Commonwealth in any
other place out of this Commonwealth, with a
design of selling or Of causing to be sold, or
of keeping or Of causing to be kept, such free
negro or mulatto, as a slave or servant for life
or for any term whatsoever, every such person
his aiders, &c., shall be deemed guilty of high
misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof in
any court of quarter sessions of this common
wealth shall be sentenced to pay at the dis
erection of the court, any sum not less than
$500 nor more than $4,000, one-half whereof
to be paid to the person who shall prosecute
for the same, and the other half to this COM
monwealth ; and moreover shall undergo
punishment by solitary confinement in the
penitentiary, at hard labor, for period of not
less than five, noreXceedng twelve years, and
on conviction of the second offence, shall be
sentenced to pay like fine, and undergo a
punishment by solitary confinement in the Pc
nitentiary for twenty-one years.
Section 2. That if any person shall here
after knowingly sell or assign, OR take a trans
fer of any free negro or mulatto for the pur-
pose of fraudulently removing such free negro
or mulatto out Of this State, with the design
by fraud or false pretences of making him or
her slave or servant for life or for any term
every person so offending shall on conviction
be punished as in the first section-and for
the second offence, at the discretion of the
court, shall undergo punishment by solitary
confinement at hard labor in the proper pen
itentary for period not less than five years
nor exceeding twelve years.
Section 8. That no judge of any of the
courts of this commonwealth nor any alder
man or Justice of the peace of said common
wealth, shall have jurisdiction or take cogni-
zance of the case of any fugitive from labor
from any of the United States or territories,
under certain act of Congress passed Feh-
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