The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-13

iheyare. nseasbs 70 the duty Of defending them Ba
cully were oyercome. What - proposed 10 poiiied
equilibrium. Every political equilibrium requires phys
ical equilibrium % rest upon and is vaueless without y
To constitute physica equilibrium between the slave
States and the Tres States requires first an equality Of ter
rtoy or some near approximation And this y already
lost But i requires much than this. Il requires
an equality or pfoxmae equality In the number ol
slaves and frsemen. And this must Be perpetual
But the census Of ls4o gives slave basis Of only
900, and free basis Of l45oo 900 And the Popu
son the slave basis increases in the ratio OF 25 per
cent for ten years. while that the free basis advances
al the rate o 36 per cent The accelerating movement
Of the free population now complained Of will occupy
the new Territories with pioneers, and every day In
creases the diiculy Of forcing insinuatng slavery
into regions which freemen have preoccupied. And il
this possble the African slave trade Is sprohbited,
and the domestic increase s not sufficient TO supply the
new slave States which are expected TO maintain the
equilibrium The theory Of . new political equilibrium
claims thai I once existed. and has been lost When
minary arrangements were made 10 admit five new
free States in the Northwest Territory, two years before
the constitution was hnsly adopted; thai is i began TO
be lost two years before II began 70 exist
Sir, the equilibrium, il restored, would be lost more
rapidly than i was before The progress Of the free
population = 70 % sscess:isd oy increased On
checked and retarded by inevitable partial emancipation.
Nothing" says Monlesquieu. "reduces q man 30 low
a. always 70 see freemen and yet not be Tree Per
in that condition are natural enemies OF the State.
and their numbers would be dangerous II increased too
high" Sir, the fugitive slave colonies and the emanc
pated slave colonies IN the free States Canada and IN
LIBERIA the best guarantees South Carolina has for
the perpetuityo of slavery.
Nor would success attend any OF the details Of the COM
promise And, first advert to the proposed alteration
OF the law concerning fugves from service or labor
shall speak this az all subjects with due respect
but yet frankly and without reservation The constta
ton contains only compact. which rests for its execu-
ton on the States. Not content with this, the slave
States induced legislation by Congress and the Supreme
Court OF the United States have virtually decided that the
whole subject is within the province Of Congress and ex
slaves are 10 be regarded not merely as persons 10 be
claimed, but property and chatiels to be seized with
out any legal authority % o. clam whs,sys y ihs eempsss
With what reason, then, can they expect the States ex
gr0tia TO reassume the obligations from which they
caused those States 70 be discharged say then 70 the
and such laws would be useless The cause OF the In
efficiency Of the present statute s not at all the enency
ssa n bv hm
posed upon him by laws enacted before he was born, OF
the writ OF hobeas corpus and Of any certain Judicial pro-
%
and carried away peaceably wherever found, even al
though exercising the rights and responsibilities Of free
Ss ns w y q q Ss
1.-THE safeguards Of personal liberty orender less frequent
the escape Of the bondman And since complaints are
freely made against the one side shall not hssass %
other sde Relying on the pcrverson OF the constiu
on which makes slaves mere chattes the slave States
ss bs s n
owman from bondage was guilty Of larceny IN stealing
him. speak of what know. Two instances came
= p
fugitves from JUSTICE demanded from the governor OF
free State the surrender Of persons thieves whose al
rags that covered the persons Of female slaves whose at
tempt at escape they permitted or assisted
We deem the principle OF the law for the recapure Of
moral and thus while patriotism whholds lis spproba-
ton, the consciences Of our people condemn it,
You will say that these convictions Of ours are dis
loyal. Grant il for the sake OF argument They are
nevertheless, honest; and the law Is to be executed
among not among you not by us, but by the federal
authority Has any government ever succeeded In chang
ing the moral convictions OF its subjects by force But
these convictions imply no disloyay We reverence he
constitution, although we perceive this defect just
acknowledge the splendor and the power OF the SUM-
although its surface is tarnshed with here and there
Your constitution and laws convert hospitality to the
refugee from the most degrading oppression earth into
al Ss 9 y 81
from justice Is not admitted by the law Of nature snd Of
nations, but rests in voluntary compacts. | know Of
only two compaes found IN diplomatic history which ad
II IL found in treaty OF peace made between Alexander
Commenus, Greek Emperor al Constantinople and 0eg
H. King Of Russia, in the year eO2 and 10 10 these
words;
"fa Russian slave take flight even if he Is carried
away by any one under pretence OF having boug
his master shall have the right and power 20 pursue him.
and hunt and capture him wherever he shall be ound
and who shall oppose the master in the execn
ton OF this right shall be deemed guilty OF violating this
treaty, and be punished accordingly"
This in the year OF grace 902, in what called the
.'dark ages" and the contracting powers despot
isms. And here is the other:
No person held service labor In State under the
laws lherco escaping into another shal in consequence
Of law regulation therein be discharged from such
service Labor but shall be delivered mp claim OF the
party 70 whom such service % labor Is due"
This is from the constitution of the United States in
7s7 and the parties the republican States OF this
the law OF nature, written the hearts and conscienccs
OF freemen, repudlaes them. Armed power could not
enforce them because there is public conscience
sustain them. know that there laws OF various
which regulate the conduct OF men. There are constu
tons and satutes codes mercantile and codes civil but
when egislaiing for States, especially when we
founding States, all these laws must be brought TO the
standard and stand or fall By IT, This principle was
happily explained by one OF the most distinguished poll
teal philosophers OF England in these emphatic words
There IS but law for all--nagnely that law which
governs all awhc law OF our Creator the law Of humanity
JUSTICE equity the aw Of nature and OF nations So far
cison, more energy effect, by their declaratio-s
such laws enter te and participate In tbs
sacredncss Of It's character but the who quotes
preceden the abuses OF yrans aud robbers pouies the
thereors removes the ony safeguard against evil
whether governors or kovernehe gnafd which
governors rom becoming yrant, aud the governed rom
There was deep philosophy in the confession OF an EN-
inent English Judge. When he had condemned young
woman 70 DEATH under the late sangunary cole of his
county, for her st petty theft she fell down dead al his
feet ~ seem TO myself (sa1 he) TO have been pronounce