Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-10-24
THE WING.

The Wing expresses amazement at our ar
raigning" it for applauding the recent letter OF
Mr.. Washington Hunt. Instead of coming to
the point, however, and either justifying or con-
demning Mr.. Hunts position with respect to the
Fugitive law, our neighbour struggles through
long column to exhibit in the strongest light the
conservatism and nationality of Messrs. Duer and
Granger, and quotes Mr.. Hunt to show that he
endorses their views. Here is all that the Wing
says in answer to the specific objection we made
to its endorsement of Mr.. Hunts letter:
"But our comments upon that part of the letter de-
voted to the Fugitive Slave law have elected the re-
marks of the Times They lmeaning, suppose,
'hat part of the letter. certainly not such as
we would have written ourselves for latitude is too
low for the politics and people of New York. We
must not leave out OF view the peculiar position OF Mr
Hunt, and the parties he was attempting to reconcile
upon the successful result of which much depended.
1t clear that Mr. Hunt in what he has said about the
Fugitive Slave Law, yielded to the strong pressure from
without He thinks some alterations should be made
but what those alterations are to consist he does not
say. His expressions are all vague, and commit him
to nothing at least nothing tangible
Now it is precisely for what the Wing appears
to deem very trivial error, that we think Mr..
Hunt chiefly deserves the stern condemnation Of
every Southern Wing. He ''yielded to the pres
sure from eohhoa" Yes, there was his unpar-
donable sin. Had he been bred in the Abolitionist
camp, and accustomed to stirring the anti-slavery
agitation, his denunciation Of a law by which the
South must stand or fall, would only have been
consonant with what we hear every day from
prominent Northern men. But he was well
known to be politician of good affiliations, and
supposed to be one of steadfast and liberal princi
PIES That he should, against his own better con-
victions, succumb to the stern demands of the
Seward faction, or, in the Wings most appro-
pirate words, ",ield to the pressure from with
out" is, in our apprehension, anything but what
the Wing first called it, "a mere abstraction, with
out form or substance" We know not how else to
regard it; than conclusive proof that the Sec
ton of the Wing party of New York which is
bent upon reopening the wounds which Congress
has attempted to heal, is substantially predom-
nant And if Southern Wing journals give them
aid and countenance, we may expect then to run
riot in the extravaganza of their tanatcal zeal.
But the Wing thinks Mr.. Hunts expressions
are "vague," and commit him to nothing" Is
it vague to "deplore The passage Of the Fugitive
Stare zaae,' and to declare that It .needs ESSEN
TIAL (not somae) notifications ?" Is Mr.. Hunt
committed to nothing, when he says in effect, that
these notifications of the law must be such as
to prevent "the summary operation Of as proua-
sionS? % We know that the most essential mode
fcaton of the law which is proposed, is to engraft
upon it the principle that the fugitive shall be tried
by jury in the State to which he fees. We
know that the common objection to the summary
operation of the law, is that it makes only prima
facie evidence of slavery sufficient to cause the
slave to be delivered up. Is it not fair infer
ence that Mr.. Hunt wishes to be understood as
approving the trial by jury, (which is tantamount
to repeating not only the newfaw but the old 3
View his position as we may, we see in it nothing
but a discreditabe trucking to the behests ofthe
faction of agitators who have taken his political
fortunes in charge.