The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-02-13

less these people would be wiling. nal
only 10 exclnde SHAREHOLDERS. bnl all Other
Americans. il. BY simple sole. they were
allowed % d. 20. may remark further
thai bui for The anii-slavery agilasi1n, OIL
southern Shareholders would hare carried
their nrgEoes into The mines Of California
ln surh numbers. thai | have no daubl
but that the majority there would have
made IL slayeliolding Stale. We have
been deprived Of all chance Of This by the
northern movements. and by The arlion
Of This House. which has. by northern
VOTES, repeatedly. from lime 10 time. pass.
ed the Willnol prosisn. so as in effect 10
exclude our institutions. without the acinal
passage Of Law for that purpose. Il is
mere farce. therefore. without giving our
people time TO go into The country. ifihey
desire 10 do so. 10 allow the individuals
there. by vote. 10 exclude whole class
OF our citizens. This would imply that
the territory belonged 10 the people there
exclusively. and mol 10 all The people OF
the United States.
Compared with this great question, The
abolition Of slavery in The District OF Co
lumbia ia Of little relative moment. One
effect. however. Of The anli-slayery sgiia-
tion here Is worthy of passing noiice.
Within The last Two years, since the mat
Ter has become serious. il has seemed not
improbable that the seat Of Government
might be removed from the District. As
this would be extremely prejndieial 10 the
interests OF The citizens here. many OF
them have so far changed in their feelings
as 10 be willing to allow slavery 10 be
abolished, yielding 10 The force Of The pres
sure from The North; besides, so many
OF their slaves are from time 10 time taken
away By the ahoiliunisis. as 10 satisfy
them that such property here is almost
worthless. great impression was made
on them by The coming in last year Of a
northern ship, and It's carrying away Sc
veniy slaves al once. Seeing that there
was no chance of getting Congress TO piss
any adequate law for their protection, as
most Of the States have done, they seem
10 be forced TO assent 10 some extent TO
the northern movement. Sir, il is most
surprising that the people Of the southern
States should have borne, with so little
complaint. The loss Of their slaves incurred
hy The action OF The free Safes. The Con-
sliiu,ion Of the United States provided for
the delivery ofall such fugiiives, and Con-
gress passed an acl TO carry il into effect;
bm recently, most fnot all Of the northern
States have completely defeated these
provisions, by forbisling any one of their
citizens 10 aid in the execution Of the law,
under the penalty Of fine and imprison-
ment for as long term usually as five
years. There is probably no one legal
mind in any one Of the free States which
can regard these laws as constitutional.
For though the States are not bound 10
legisIale afiirmatively in support Of the
Constituiion Of the United States. yet il is
clear that they have no right TO pass laws
to obsiruct the execution OF constitutional
provisions. Private ciiizens are not usu-
ally bound To- be active i'm execution oil
the law but if two or more combine to
prevent the execution Of any law, they
are subject TO indictment for conspiracy
in all countries where The common law
doctrines prevail. Il The several Staies
could righuully legislaIc 10 d-feat the ac.
tion of Congress, they might thereby COM
pletely nullify most OF IFS laws. IL this
particular instance such has been the re-
suit; for though the master is allowed to
go and get his negro il he can. yet, in
point oi fact, il is well known that the
negroes, abolllionists, aud other disorder
" persons, acting under the conntenanre
and authority of the Stale laws, are able
usually 10 overpower the master and pre-
vent his recapture.
The extent OF the loss of tho South
may be understood from the fact, that the
number of runaway slaves now in The
North is stated as being thirty thousand
worth, at present prices, little short oil
fifteen millions OF dollars. Suppose that
amount Of property was taken away from
the North by the southern States acting
against The Constitution: what complaint
would there not be what memorials,
remonslrances, and legislative resolutions
would come down upon us! How would
this Hall be filled with lobby members,
coming here 10 press their claims upon
Congress Why, sir, many Of the border
counties in the saveholding States have
been obliged TO give up their slaves al
most entirely. II was stated in The news
papers the other day, that few counties
named in Maryland had, by The efforts
of the abnliiionists within six months, up
on computation, lost one hundred thou
sand dollars worth of slaves. A gentle
man. OF The highest standing, from Della
ware. assured me The otherday, that that ut
lie State lost, each year, at least that value .
such property in the same way. A hun
dred thousand dollars is a heavy tax Il
be levied on single congressional dlstric
by the abolitionisis.
Suppose proportional burden was infic
ted on the northern States. How woult
Massachusetts bear the loss annually o
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