Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1849-04-05

IilE toII1rtN; tcr1nt--i<- 10y, p 80 -
1inSicf and growing up. here. beiucc1 b,et1fe1 6
~ r1rle race and living under EDrefnnenI = beh
- k1as q a. he het carh he l,zi and greatest
eon q puiiiical seie.cc. An ediling lessen i ril
Il, lrfh b 70 The nations 81 Europe now seeking %
i1.rSst DER cnnditina 81 ne lsizbiishmelI0f re-
r1liican Institutions similar 70 our oun
Bat ihe evil and Disgrace II petty borteT warfare
rnnf mol b The i1stor worst consequence u the
tinncd violation, b. The nonslayrhglding siaies, u
lh1eonszul0oai gnafa1tie1 % &c SUBJECT Of save
~. This glosieRs union itself. which f5r more
than half century has held eur The psonise % iiher
y, peate and hafpine&a 70 The White man. a. least
- a. indelniie series &c .Ee.s IN srrrtoIJ eapu
DE of snsi1ining n confol the Whole Popui.qn q
Eur0pe nay Be rcnf nsd1der 81 tbe 1euds which are
beeunng daily more embitered On this exciling sub
iect The members Of this committee are not IN
any dcKfee emulous u the character q alarmists-
But they cannot forget thar IN one q The iables
which tie wissi0m Of antiquity has beqncaihed %
Is. sht efy or eriic wolf ssihe WOLF was cisrc-
earded by Inc dforsy shephefd-cnee too Often
Nor dos The note III alarm come first from them-
q wa sourded b. Afex1spEn HAMLToSs north
EN- salesman, more than SIXTY yean ago, when ne
toId he peOpie Of New YORK. ID convention, thai
lie Union could shave been formed without the
runranties demanded 81 the South the sutjeetof
Slave properly. II vas sounded b FfsHrR AArs.
notfhern statesman, II the same period, when he
made similar statement % ne people O Mass,
ehuscits IN convention assembled. twas sounded
81 the Supfeme Cour Of the Stale Of Pennsylva-
~, rbrn 4 ANNOUNCED through one 81 its most
venerable ofacIes Of the law. That the Sonih
would not hare consented 70 have become parties
70 The consultation unless their properly IN slaves
had been SECURED Il was sounded 81 tie Supreme
couri o. he United States, when Il announced 70.
he North through ME lips Of northern Judge -
eTtai The fun recognition Of Ibis right and tile
was lndspsAatle "a fbc securify d this species Of
properly n al the saveholding States, and was 80
vital 10 the preservation Of their domestic Interests
and institutions that Il constituted a fundamcntal
article, without The sdoption Of which, the Union
ceuld not have been formed
L6ok well Al these solemn warnings. and then
look Al The actual state Of things In the sixie,h
year OF the constitutional II Is simply and undenia-
bly This. That the South : wholly without the
benefit OF that solemn constitutional guaranty which
was 50 sacrrdty pledged % i e tbe formation Of
this Union. Our condition i precisely ii effect,
that which Il was under the articles OF the old
federation. No cftizrn OF the South can pass The
frontier Of a nonsaveholding Stale and there exer
else bis undoubted constitutional right Of Selling
his fugitive slave with view 10 take bin before
judicial officer aad there prove his right OF owner
ship. without imminent danger Of being prosecuted
erimfnally rs kidnapper, or being sued IN civil
action for false mprisonmeni-impFisoned himself
for want of bail and subjected 10 his defence 10 an
expense exceeding the whole value Of the properly
claimed, or finally Of being modified or being putlo
death In street fight BY insane fanatics or brutal
Tutans In short the condition Of things IS that al
this day very few OF lhe owners Of fugitive slaves
a
slavehoiding Stale and exercise their undoubird,
adjudieated constitutional right Of SELLING the fugi-
tive. In such conjecture as this the committee
would be false TO fheif auy-they would be false TO
their country II they did not give nterance 10 their
deliberate conviction, that the continuance Of this
state Of things cannot be, and ought not 10 be much
longer endured BY the Soluble the consequences
what they may.
Ia such diseased state OF opinion as prevails IN
the nonslayeholdiug States on the subject az south
u. 4 ii -
character OF their local legislation mus be- Yet II
Il deemed By the committee their duly present be-
fore the country the actual State of thai legislation
that the people Of this Commonwealth and of the
entire Sohih may zee how rapid and complete has
been lis transition from fraiernal interest in our
welfare. TO rank and embtIered hostility To our
INSTITUTIONS The legislation to be found upon this
s1biecl The statute books Of the nonslaTeholding
tase SSSssSSw,,,,v,. ~,
the recovery Of his slaves.
These laws In The general, provide.
Isl Thalthe fact, whether tn person claimed Be
cases OF jury trial
q. That he shall be defended at the public cost
ID, y The finding Of the jury shall be in fayor 81
ihe slave, thar he shall be sci al liberty, and shall
never thereafter Be lDolested on Jthesame claim.
4h. That the claimant OF thg slave shall not Be
entitled TO any process Tor the recovery OF him until
ne shah give bond with securities resident and free.
holders OF the Stale, ia heavy penalty and with
sondlonslo pay all costs legally chang against
him; 10 pay 10 The slave so much per week Wills,
The proceedings are pcndiEg;,o pay no, only costs,
pat the Expenses oi the slave IL the Jury should find
IN hts fayor, and also To pay a hcayY sum Ia The
slave. and all damages which he nay sustain 10
consequence Of the proceeding
oth. NO Judicial officer Of the Stale shall isSue
any process, except under said acts, Ind Of course
shall not exeetlte. The act Of Congress upon thai
subject, under pain Of being held gully Of mis-
delncanor.
4 has already been wen observed in regard to
This class Of laws, ihet they aim an insiaiu1s blow
81 the institution Of slavery, through the forms Of
Aolesi teslslatien. That they are palpable frauds
Npohthe S0uth calculated to excite al once her in
ulgnauon and her contempt. II is an insult 10 her
intelligence 70 suppose, that she can see in il any
purpose 10 do her justice. On the contrary II i
lnanitestly, plainly aud beyond all question con-
tryance to defeat justice TO get around the plain
provisions OF the constitution; 10 defeat by indi.
recuon, The rights of southern men, and 10 rive
inery 70 The Southern slave under the spccous and
Jury" % : 49, y
But 10 the maddening progress which abolitionism
mas made IN the Norhcm States this class 81 laws
nasiallen Tar bennd the spirit OF the times aud has
ylslaed 70 new brood Of statutes. marked BY deep
this class are embraced
Sseead. Tie laws oil those States which affect no
coneealment of their hatred 10 southern institutions
nor OF their utter and open contempt and defiance OF
inc ooligalions Of the federal compact
OF this class which is now indeed the prevailing
legisiation OF almost the whole nonsiayeholding
States an act passed hy the General Assembly 8,
ne STATE o. Vermont on the Isl day Of November
Isis may Be Cited as fair illustration. Il is 10
these wofds1
AN ACT foa rHr PRo'rRcrIoS or Personal LiBssrT
: lert1y esaeisa By tas Geaeral Assem1iy Of TIE
iSiase n PsrmeEt, az fe1lesrs.
SEC l. NO court Of record In this State, nor |
any Judge thereof no justice Of the peace nor other
magistrate acting under the authority of this State
NAH hereafter take coguizance or or grant any cs-
under section three Of act of Congress passed /
February twelfth, seeenieen hundred and niuetv-
hfee. entitled "an act respecting fugisres from JUS
ice and persons escaping from the service Of their
any Pessoa claiming any other person
~ fugitive slave IN this State.
= SEc. = NO sherid, deputy sheriff. high hailiG. /
snnstabic Tailor, or other oeer or eitisea Of lis
s:s SHALL hereafter, scize arrest or detain or ala
a The seizure, arrest or detention, or Imprisonment
2 any jan or other building belonging 70 this STATE,
= % any county. town. city person therein OF any
'ersea for The reason that be s OF may Be claimed
= = fugiiirc slave
-SEc: ). No shsriif. depaiy sheriff high hailifr
onsianle o. osheF otacer Or ei-ss y tkis $40 shah
osiafion o. removal Of any fugitive slave or apv
cfson claimed - such from any place IN this Sac
, any other place within o. without he same
sSre. 4. u any such Judge, justice &c The neace
omcer o. citizen shah offend against the
y p1ccealns sections. such Judge. Justice Of the
c4ce nfgislfaie officer or citizen skaIl Is snh;erf
ne Pe1aitics provided in section ave Of tbs act
nssc. ;. Asy Judge Of any court Of rcconi n MS
tate any justice q The peace o. osher maris,fale
1{ sheFih' deputy sheriff high hailid, eonsiabis or
Nor. u eay eiiists f ttis Ssnis who shalI Ss'i
e.l1st ne provisions q his act b. acting irrrsv
indirectly under Tie protisions OF seetio5 lhrse ~
e 81 q co1Rrcss aforesaid shah orieii sum ~,
xceseinf enc thousand dollars. q The use 81 ibe
bent q b impfispned n ths Gta,s D-;-os -, -
s,aias ave ysslz -. - -