The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-12-26
WHOLE NO. 2OS.


aud his offspring TO resort TO that extremity. He
has no right tamely TO surrender up the liberty
with which God has endowed him and to con
sign his offspring in all coming time to degrading
servitude. Our people 50 advise the fugitive.
and the fugitives are generally armed and prepared
to receive their pursuers; and am informed that
one Of them, when hard pressed recently shot one
Of those human bloodhounds dead, and wounded
another, and then went on his way Sir ne all
feel that he did right-fla, ne rould hare done ME
SANE thing had IRE been IN his situation
Some months since, there were said to be fjisea
thousand fugitives from labor within the free
States, including men, women, and children
many Of them were born and educated among US.
These men with their wives and their little ones
were in the enjoyment of domestic life. Most Of
them had acquired or were in the way Of OBJ
tanning sufficient real and personal property to
insure them the necessaries, and even many Of the
luxuries, Of life They were educating their chill
dren, and becoming intelligent and useful members
Of community. Many ofthem belonged to our va
rious churches, and maintained an orderly and
Christian department.
Against these inofiensive people, the President
and Congress have waged harbarous and unre-
lenting war. We have required our officers and
the freemen Of the North when called on, to seize
them to drag them from their fresides, their
homes their friends, their schools and churches
tnelr lhnuS, ana their HOOKS anu neruS. 10 SCpaa
rate husbands and wives, parents and children
and consgn them unfortunately TO all the hor-
rors of slavery and of the slave trade. | hesitate
not to say that for its barbarity that law is IN
equalled in the history of civilized legislation. Il
there rejecting man who will pretend that this
barbarous enactment imposes upon those people
any moral duty TO obey il viii preachers Of
righteousness tell them TO submit TO let the slave
dealer rivet the chains upon the father, tear the
mother from her children, and doom her 70 life
of wretchedness Will such preachers advise
the daughter PEACEFULLY to surrender herself into
the hands of slave-hunters, and submit 10 life of
For>V,ion and shame' And viii such men be
called promoters of holiness and purify? trust
there are few such teachers in this American
-, -, good Inss MOST ~ ta,,~ ~
God has no attribute which will permit him TO
look upon it except with adherence.
Yet the President assures us that IL ought not
to be repealed; that IL should be kept in force
that these outrages should and ought to continue,
that he regards this law AS a fRql settlement Of
the slave question and that it is wrong further
to agitate the subject. Vain advice. Agitation
will never cease until the law ceases. While
such crimes authorized by statute, the Amer
lean people will not keep silence.
The President, referring to the bill surrender
ing to Texas and to slavery fifty thousand
square miles of free territory, and paying her ten
millions Of dollars, and that allowing slavery to
be extended over New Mexico and Utah, and
to this Fugitive Law, says: 81 believed those
measures to have been necessary, and required by
the circumstances and condition of the country"
| rejoice, Mr. Chairman, that he has boldly
avowed this fact. Nearly the whole North be-
lieved that he was in heart and conscience oppos-
ed to this bill. Almost every Wing press in the
North said plainly that the President did not
favor this bill, but that he was coerced--that he
signed it by compulsion. That it was the Wing
doctrine concerning the veto that compelled him
to sign it, The Presidents views are now before
the country, and he svows his position manfnlly.
He places himself upon this law, and here wish
to say to the House, that from this time we all
know where the President is n, IS IN faror Of con-
trqing this iav he not only places himself there,
but his Administration and his party must stand
or fall by this law. | rejoice at it They must
sink swim live or die, stand or fall, with this
enactment We now know where to find the sup
porters of slavery and the advocates of freedom
Every man throughout the whole country, at the
North and South, may now take his position,
knowingly with full knowledge of the charac-
ter Of the party with whom he acts. Those that
support this law must consent TO obey it and to
enforce it, to the letter.
There is no lingering doubt, no difficulty, no
obscurity resting on the party who supports this
Administration. An the Wings throughout the
country, land speak it with some degree Of feel
ing, for | once had the pleasure of acting with
them, when they had principles then we avowei
and acted upon the doctrines ! have stated to-
day. all the Wings throughout the country
must now feel that their unity is gone. They see
that the party has departed from its doctrines and
principles, and has descended, step by step, from
it's former position, until the remnant has literal
ly become a slave catching party.
Tho prasidaut IN oru,s ne that thpaa rnpasurpq
were adopted in spirit Of Cancellation, and for
the purpose Of conciliation.p 81 believe" says
he, " that a great majority Of our felow-cti2ens
sympathize in that spirit and that purpose and
in the main approve itp Sir, where does the
President find this evidence of approval in the
popular mind Does he draw his conclusions
from the result of the elections in Delaware, New
Jersey, or Ohio
That third State of the Union has separated
itself forever from all men and all parties who
would involve our people in the support of sla
very or degrade them by sustaining your Fugi-
tive Law Does the President find consolation
in the voice Of the "Penipsular State ms lately
expressed through the ballot box Or can he take
pleasure in referring to the election in WILSON,
sin, or when he examines the result Of those
in his own State Or has the demon
STATIONS in Massachusetts inspired him with
confidence that the popular mind is in favor OF
this law2
Methinks that as he looks over the newly made
graves Of his political friends, and counts their
number, and reflects upon that political cholera
which has cut down many Of his supporters
and advocates of this law, he might have doubted
it's popularity Many gentlemen In this Hall,
who so boldly stood forth In the pride Of their
political manhood few months since, and voted
for these measures, are now doomed to speedy
departure, and the places that now know them,
shall know them politically no more To those
gentlemen the language OF the President can
bring but poor consolation.
The public meetings Of the people Of all parties
throughout the free States, the spirited resolu-
tions which they have sent forth, are but feeble
manifestations of the popular mind. Throughout
the North, where free schools have been encour-
aged, and education has become general where
newspapers circulate and intelligence is dissent
mated, there public sentiment Is loud in condem-
nation OF this law. This feeling IL increasing and
extending, and rolling forward aud gaining
strenth and impetus, and will continue 10 do 80
anti! ID. Law shs!! 20 TsP5a,sti. .Sa numbered
among the things that were.
Sir, II the President will look at the statute
lately enacted by the Wings Of Vermont, he will
be able clearly 10 read the " handrynlag upon The
,oaHn The people have weighed this law in the
balance, and II Is found wanting
Near the close of his Message the President
says:
al cannot doubt that the American people,
bound together by kindred blood and common
traditions, still cherish paramount regard for
the Union Of their fathers and that they are
ready to rebuke any attempt to violate its in,eg.
rity, to disturb the compromises on which II Is
based or to resist the laws which have been enact
ed under its authority
As to the Union Of our fathers, venerate IL.
There IL something pleasing and solemn in the
recollection Of that Union--in the history Of its
formation, and the difficulties and dangers which
surrounded It, But II 10 now nearly half centu-
ry since that Union ceased TO exist The pros