The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-03-23
NUMBER Z2.

plete night and title of ownership tn their
slaves, as property, ia every State Of The
tnion INTO which they nigh, escape from
the State wherein they were held 10 ser
'liude. The full recognition Of this right
and title was Indispensable TO The security
Of this species Of property in all the slave.
holding States; and, iadeed, was so vital
10 the preservatlos of their interests aud
institutions, that II cannot be doubted HAT
It constituted fundamental article, with
out the adoption Of which tie Uuiou wonld
not have been formed. its true design was
10 guard agai'st tie doctrines and primer
pies prevalent in the non saveho,,i4nr
States, by preventing them from informed
dung With, or resiiiciing. ur aboli,hins
the rights Of The owners Of The slaves.
Again: "The clause was therefore Of
the last importance to the safety and Sc.
curl'y Of the SJohern States and could
not he surrendered by them. wi,hsui en-
danGering their whole property in slaves.
The clause Was accordingly adopted in
The Constitution by the unanimous consent
Of the trainers Of TIA proof al once of
lis intrinsic and practical necessity"
Again: "The clause manifesiy con.
templates the existence OF a positive un.
qualified right Oh the part Of the owner Of
The slave, which 10 State or law or regu-
lalion can 10 any way regulate, Control,
qualify, or restrain"
The opinion Of The other learned Judge
was not less emphatic rs TO the importance
Of the PROVISION, and the uuquestionable
right of the South under it. In the case
Of Johnson rs. Tompkns and others, Judge
Baldwin, in charging the jury said If
there are any rights Of property which can
be enlorcod-if one citizen have any ghis
otproperty which are inviolah!e under the
protection Of the Supreme Court Of the
States and the Union-,hey are those
which have been sci at nough, by some of
these defendants. As The owner of property,
which he had a perfect right 10 possess,
protect and take away-as a citizen of
sister State. entitled 10 all the privileges
and immunitics of citizens Of any other
States, Mr.. Johnson stands before you on
grouDd which cannot be taken from under
hint is The same ground on which the
Government itself is based. If the de-
iendenls can be justified we have no Ion.
ger law or government" Again: After
referring more particularly to the provis-
ion for delivering up Of fugitive slaves, he
said: thus you see that the foundation
of the Government are laid, and rest on
the right Of property in slaves. The whole
structure must fall Ly disturbing the cor.
ner stone"
These are grave and solemn aud adn1on.
Ilory words from high source. They
state with great force The clearness, i'm.
portaLce, and fundamental character Of
this provislen, and the disastrous consc-
quences which must follow from lis viola.
lion. Yet, in despite Of these solemn
warnings, the citizen Of the South, seek.
INC the recovery Of his fugitive slave,
instead OF receiving the aid provided for by
the Constitution, and which the learned
Judges referred to, have endeayored to en-
force, is doomed TO encounter resistance
IN every form which ingenuity can devise:
from legislative acts-irom judges and
magistrates; and, when these fail, from
MODS Of whites and blacks, who by force
or threats, rescue the fugitive slave from
his ighttu owner; while he is subjected
10 insult, 10 the hazard of Imprisonment, of
heavy pecuniary loss, and even Of life it.
self. A citizen of Maryland Ken.
nedy, Of Hagerstown-it is well known,
has lost HI. life in an attempt to recover
his fugitive slave under this provision.
But this provision Of the Constitution is
violated indirectly, as well as directly, by
combinations of individuals in
many of the States, whose object is to eu-
lice slaves from their masters, aud 10 pass
hem secretly and rapidly, by means pre-
'iousy arranged, into Canada, where they
are beyond the reach of this provision--a
process which all will agree is as directly
10 It's nJunclions as its open or
even furclbe violation would be, and vet
t is believed that not one of the States
within whose limits they exis, have adopt.
ID any measure to suppress them.
We commend This statement Of facts
elating to this provision concerning fugi.
i've slaves, TO the serious consideration of
ur fellow citizens in every portion Of the
mon, to the forbearance Of our Southern
rethren, 10 the patriotism and respect for
he constitution Of those of the North.
1t is impossible, in communication
Ike this, 10 avoid noticing the continued
ssauts upon tho domestic institutions of
he South which are made in SO many
arious forms. Without striking at any
xpress and specific provision of the Con-
Iitution, they aim directly at the destruc.
on OF the relations existing between the
ave and his owner, by meaus subversive
their tendency Of one of the chief ends
If which the Constitution was establish
/. We refer 10 the systematic agi,a,iona
Y sboitonisis, which, commencing in
535, are still continued. The avowed
tentlon is to bring about state Of things
hich would force emancipation on the
Iulh. To unite the North in fixed hos
80, ~ has Il L. e II