The New York herald., 1850-05-18

ed. Every person of color in the slayeholding
States is regarded prtma facie as slave. On the
plies freedom-not slayery-and every man of color
who is in those States is regarded as free
and when a stranger from Kentucky or Virginia
goes to remote part Of Pennsylvania and seiIes a
Black person, who perhaps has been living thsrs
for years, and claims him as his slave, the sympa-
thies of the neghborhood are naturally and neces-
saIiy excited in favor of the colored person; and
we are to respect those feelings where they are
honestly entertained Well, sir, what you to
do in a case of this kind You are to give every
satisfaction that can be given that the person you
have arrested as your property is fugitive from
service or labor This i one Of the measures pro-
posed in the bill. Now, what is the inconve-
nience of that measure! II provides that when
owner of slave shall arrest his property in
slavehoding State, he shall take him before the
proper unctionary to obtain a certificate author
izing his return to the State from which the fugi-
tive has fled And if he declares 10 that function
ary. at that time, that he is freeman, and not
slave, what is the officer required to do! Why, to
take bond from the agent or owner, that he will
carry the black person back TO the county OF the
State from which he fled; and at the first court
which may sit after his return, he shall be carried
there, and If he again asserts his right 10 freedom.
the court shall afford him all the facilities which
are requisite TO the establishment of the fact as
serted. NO surety even is required. The COM
mlttee thought-and in that believe all the COM
mittee concur--that it would be wrong to demand
OF stranger, hundreds of miles from bis home,
surety to take back his slave to the State from
which he fled tnal by jury is what is demand
ed in the non-slaveholding States. Well, we put
the party under bond to take the slave to the
State from which the fugitive is alleged to have
fled. and to give him a trial by jury. Now,
ought we not to make this concession! | will
tell you what will be the practical operation
of it. II will be this:-When a slave has es-
ca Il from his master, and has taken refuge in
fr,, State, and that master comes to recover
him and take him back to the State from which he
fled, the slave will cry out, " do not know the
man; have never seen him in my life; am free
man. and lie will say anything and do anything
to preserve TO himself the freedom which at the
moment he is in possession OF. He will assert most
confidently that he is a freeman but take him
back 10 the State from which he ran away, where
his old comrades reside, who know and can prove
what he is and he will relinqush and renounce all
pretension to freedom. The practical operation of
the amendment in the bill, therefore, will not be
tinged with the least earthly inconvenience to the
party who claims the fugitive. lie gives his bond
without a surety, and that bond is transmitted by
the officer taking it to the district attorney Of the
district from which the slave comes. That officer
sees that the bond shall be enforced. The slave
is taken before the court, or perhaps, the moment
he reaches his own home, he acknowledges that
he belongs to the claimant and though he was
free 10y his escape, yet now, since he has got home
he reiDqushes all pretensions TO freedom, and there
is an end 10 the trouble TO which the owner was
subjected Is this not reasonable Is ii not pro-
per and a rational concession to the prejudce-if
you please-which exists in the non slaveholdng
States? Sir, our rights 10 be asserted. Oar
rights TO be rnaintained. They to be assert
ed and maintained in manner not to wound unne
cessary the sensbilities OF others. And in record
ing such a bond as this amendment proposes to ex-
act from the owner there is the slightest incon
venience imposed upon him of which he ought to
complain
There is one opinion, Mr.. President, prevail
ing-l hope not extensvely-in some of the
non slaveholding States which nothing that we can
do will concaie. allude to that opinion which
asserts that there is higher lava divine lava
natural law, which entities the man under whose
roof the runaway has come, to give him assist
ance, succor, and hospitality. A divine law
law Of Nature Who are they that venture to tell
Us what is divine and what is natural law!-
Where are their credentials Of prophecy? Why.
sir, we were told the other day that at meet
ing OF some of these people in New York, Moses
and all the. prophets were rejected, and the
name of our blessed Saviour treated'with sa-
crlege and contempt by these propa gators of di-
vine or natural law, which they had discovered.
above all human laws and constitutions. If Moses
and the prophets, and even our Saviour, to be
rejected as false, will these men condescend to
show their authority their credentials for pro-
pagstng this new law Of nature--this new divine
law of which they speakl The law Of naturc
Look at il, as il is promulgated and even attempted
or threatened TO be enforced in quarters Of the
world. Why, sir, there is a large class that say
and think II a very plausible law of nature-f
man, no matter by what industry-either by his
own industry or by inheritancc-has acquired vast
estate, much more than is necessary for the sub
sis'ence Of himself and family-ihst ], who am
standing by and starving, am entitled by the law Of
nature, 10 take portion Of these accumulated
goods, TO save me from the death with which am
threatened. There really would appear to be some
plausible show of reason for this. Here are You.
with your barns and your warehouses full Of goods
collected from all quarters Of the globe-fu of that
which conduces TO the subsistence of myself and
my fainiiy.while ! am standing, like Lazarus at
the gate Of the sick man, perishing with hunger.
Does not the law Of nature allow me TO take
enough Of your superabundance to save me little
while from that death which is inevitable unless l
DO ~ Trace out this pretended law of nature.
about which scarcely any OF the pretended phloso-
phtr themselves agree-take il in reference TO one
OF the most interesting and solemn ceremonies of
NE, 30 10 Mahoneian country, and the follow
er o the Prophet viii tell you he is entitled to a.
many wives as he can get; come to Christian
land, and the follower OF the Saviour will tell you
that you are entitled to but one; 60 TO our friends,
The Mormons. and they will tell you that you are
entitled to none. ULnugher) Why, at this age Of
progress, OF civilization, Of enlightenment, ihcro
are persons who will rise up Ia public assemblages
and denounce the church, and all that IL regard
cd as sacred that belongs TO it-denounce even
The founder OF our religion, whom all profess 10
revere, and tell you, Notwithstanding the solemn
osih which they have taken, BY kissing the sacred
volume, to carry out into full effect all the provisions
of The constitution OF their country, that there is
law OF God, law of nature, which they have
found, and which nobody else has been able to dis
cover paramount ard superior TO this law Of the
constitution, and that they do not mean 10 obey
this human law, but this divine law, which, by
some inspiration unknown, by some means undis-
closed, they have obtained a knowIedge Of We
afe not 20 vain as to imagine that anv concession
that We can make will conciliate such minds as
these.
This comipitiee, in it's report, has allowed trial
~ jury IN The place where that trial ought to take
place, u u takes place anywherc-in the place
which, by proper Interpretation Of the consttu-
non OF The United States would seem TO be spec-
ned What Is its language Il is, that "a person
held to service or labor under the laws Of the State
iom which he escapes laws Of the State from
which he he'd this should determine the question
OF the amendment which the committee has pro-
posed, in order to do away with both difficulties
and pfeudices in the non- n-saveholIing States pro-
posing TO give him tris by jury in the State from
which he has fled. The statement In the report Of
The committee is perfectly true, that the greatest
facilities are always extended to every man OF color
IN the slavehoding States, who chooses to sue for
his freedom. have never known an instance Of
failure on the psrt Of a person thus suing for his
freedom, TO recover judgment in his favor, II there
were found even slight grounds in support Of his
claim. do not say what now affirm in spirit
OF boastng but ] never appeared against q
slave but once in all other instances than that
one. haxc ame Ard for him and xxiiho.,a chara.