Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-05-17

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Am I expected to stand here and under
the forms Of constitutional legislation,
give my support 10 measures, which
must destroy one of the institutions un-
der which we live solemnIy believe
fiat the gentlemen. from the North are
hot sensible of the tendencies OF such
measures as they are proposing. When
the constitution was formed lis provis-
ions were adopted ii good faith, and I
had hoped that some portion Of the same
spirit which; actuated the fiamers Of that
instrument; would be found pervading
this boty, at this time, That good faith,
iii, were TO be found, you'd preserve
TO US the guarantees which are provided
in the constitution, and / tell gentlemen
that our fathers would never have con-
sented 10 como into the confede,ucy il
they believed that these encroachments
would ever have been made, and ,ha,
too under the authority of their joint
constitution. The spirit of fanaticism
never commenced to prevail until it was
asceTtained that the tide was running
against US, but from that moment, about
1920, the time Of the Missouri compro-
mise, j, has gone on with accelerated
rapidi,y, and il now forms one of the
dangerous elements of sectional ambi
ton. My colleague has alluded TO some
Of the evidences o. this. When the
constitution wls adopted it was one OF
its provisions, not implied, but express
ed in terms sufficiently explicit, that If
slaves escaped there should be a co-op<
GRAFTON on the; part Of the authorities OF
the State TO which they fed 10 deliver
them up, and as the understanding Of
the terms such. until recently was The
practice. So, 80 = ~
In 1898 an act was passed making it
penal for any one I'M any of the non.
slayeholding States ohal Dor or conceal
a slave; and there lis sSanother. important
commentary contained in that law, that
by that very aci provision is made ,ha,
State courts shall use their authority to
aid in delivering upfugiiive slaves That
act was made to provide stlle mode Of
delivering up runaway slaves. II was
made onsthe assumption that they should
be delivered up under The. provisions Of
an e1tradition treaty. The measure re-
ceiyed the general concurrence Of Con-
gress and the people. This act looked
10 good faith for its execution and en-
forcement. II had 9lhe sanction Of. the
wissstsmen of all sections, not as spe-
cula'iye theorists but as practical states.
men, who locked to actual, and / must
say, mutual interest. When the law
was proposed, what would southern men
have thought If they had beon told that
the courts should afford no such relief.
,and 'Ihat ~ Tould DeTcEiminalcorze e.s.u I,
officers 10 give assistance7 Why, sir,
they wouldslIave gone no further with
compromise, bul being the stronger par
ty theyEwould have looked out for their
ewn security, The act was made in
good faith TO couch The provisions Of a
compromise, 10 procure delivery of a
slaye to his master. How has that act
been treated Z A Law has been enact.
ed in ihs State Of New York, one in
Massachusetts, and l believe I could
name a dozen other States where SINH
lar laws have been passed, declaring
that the State courts nave no iulisdic,
tion over that matter. and that il belongs
exclusively to the federal Jurisdiction.
Here, then, is one Of the compromises
of the constitution entirely dis,egarded,
and laws have been passed interposing
obstacles to the re.cap,ure of slaves,
such as woa'd make it nuga,ory and dan.
eerous for tile owner to make the at>
tempt TO reclaim bis own property.
In Massachusetts, it is made criminal
under high penalties, for conslabes 10
aid in experimenting fugitive slave;
and jailors to allow their prisons TO be
used for safe Keeping law Of precise
" the same import has been passed in
Rhode Island, and of similar impor, in
nearly all the States north of Maryland.
To the North we can look for no aid in
npprehending this species of property.
So far from fulfilling the provisions and
compromises Of the constitution, il is
made criminal for citizens and officers
of -slaveholding States 10 fulfil The
duties Of good citizens; and vet we are
told that the compromises Of the consli-
tuition, and express guarantees enterod
into by our ancestors, will be observed
in good faith. And that is 10 be our se>
curity-the security Of good faith; and
by those who have shown that they can
not resist the temptation Of ungenerous
jealousy, or criminal ambition This
is worse than resting on broken reed ;
or to find a sword where you expected
a shield. In all cases where controver.
sizes have arisen under such laws, the
Supreme Court has decided them to be
Unconstitutional. Do they stop there 7
Would to God I could say they did