The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-03-27

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now. But when the subject, some years
ago. was before the Supreme Count Of
the United States, the majority Of the jud-
; ges held that the power 10 cause fugiiiyes
, from service TO be delivered up was
: power TO be exercised under the aulhori-
ty Of this Government.
!, do not know, on the whole, that Il
may not have been fortunate decision.
My habit IL 10 respect the result Of ju-
! dicial deliberations and the solemnity Of
judicial decisions. But. as il now stands.
The business Of seeing that these fugiiives
are delivered up resides in the power Of
J Congress and the national judicature. and
: my friend at the head Of the Judiciary
|, Committee has bill on the subject now
before the Senate, with some amendments
to il, which | propose to support. with
all its provisions, 10 the fullest extent
!, And | desire 10 call the attention Of all
soberminded men. Of all conscientious
men in the North, Of all men who are not
carried away by any fanutical idea or
by any false idea whatever, to their con-
stitu,ional obligations. | put il to all the
sober and sound minds at the North rs
question Of conscience. What right have
they, in their legislative capacity. or any
other, TO endeavor to get round this con-
stituiion, TO embarrass the free exercise
Of the rights secured BY the constitution
to the persons whose slaves escape from
them ! None at all none at all. Nenh-
!. er in the forum of conscience nor before
: the face Of the constitution are they JUS
0 tilted. in my opinion. OF course i is a
] matter for their consideration. They
0 probably, in the turmoil Of the times,
E have not stopped to consider Of this they
? have followed what seems to be the cur
: rent Of thought and ofmotives for the oc-
casion, and they neglect to investigate
|, fully the real question, and to consider
J. their constitutional obligations as am
' sure, if they did consider, they would
{ fulfil them with alacrity. Therefore, |
7 repeat, sir, that here is gronnd Of COM
2 plaint against the North we'll founded,
I which ought to be removed, which il is
D now in the power Of the different depart.
: menls Of this Government to remove
4 which calls for the enactment Of proper
|. laws authorizing the judicature Of this
{ Government, in the several States, to DE-
z all that is necessary for the recaplure o.
Z fugitive slaves, and for the restoration o.
/; them to those who claim them. Where
0 yer 60, and whenever speak on the
!. subject-and when | speak here desire
) to speak to the whole NORTH say thai
the South has been injured in this res,
: pect, and has right to complain and
the North has been too careless of what
/ think the constitution peremptorily and
emphalically enjoins upon it as a du>
d ty.
Complaint. has been made against GER
tain resolutions that emanate from Leg
islatures at the North, and are sent here
to us, not only on the subject Of slavery
in this District, but sometimes recon-
mending Congress to consider the means
of abolishing slavery in the States. l
should be sorry to be called upon to pre-
sent any resolutions here which could
not be referable to any committee or any
power in Congress, and, therefore, |
should be unwilling 10 receive from the
Legislature of Massachusetts any instruc-
tions to present resolutions expressive of
any opinion whatever on the subject Of
slavery, for two reasons; because, first,
| do not consider that the Legislature of
Massachusetts has any thing to do with
IT; and next, do not consider that |, as
her representative here, have any thing
to do with il. Sir, it has become, in my /
opinion, quite too common and ifthe Leg
islatures ofthe States do not like il, they
have great deal more power 10 put it
down than ] have to uphold it. 1t has be-
come, in my opinion, quite too common
practice for the State Legislatures to
present resolutions here on all subjects,
and to instruc, us here on all subjects.
There is no public man that requires
instruction more than | do, or who re-
quires information more than do, or de-
sires il more heartily; but | do not like
to have it come in quite too imperative q
shape. took notice, with pleasure, of
some remarks upon this subject made
the other day in the Senate of Massa-
chusetts, by young man Of talent and
character, from whom the best hopes
may be entertained. | mean Mr.. Hill
lard. He told the Senate of Massa-
chusetts that he would vote for no in
structions whatever to be forwarded to
members Of Congress, nor for any reso-
lutions to be offered, expressive Of the
sense Of Massachusetts as to what their
members Of Congress ought to do. He
said that he saw no propriety in one set
of public servants giving instructions and
reading lectures to another set Of public
servents. To their own master all Of
them must stand or fall, and that master
is their constituents. wish these senti-
ments could become more common, a
great deal more common. | have never
entered into the question, and never shall,
about the binding force Of instructions.