Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-11-01

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G The signs Of the times at the North
render it certain that a tremendous effort will
be made at the next Session Of Congress to
procure either a repeal, or modification Of
the Fugitive Slave Law. Indeed open re-
~sistance is avowed and carried out in some
States, and it is becoming a part of party
creeds to pledge themselves to its abroga-
ton. Mr.. Hunt, the Wing candidate for
Governor of New York, has the following
paragraph in his letter of acceptance of the
nomination:
81 should be wanting in candor if / o
mitted to say that I depIOre the passage of
the fugitive sLGUe LasU, in its present form.
Recognizing to the fullest extent the consti-
~tutional obligation which it is intended to
enforce, | regret the features of this bill
which are calculated not to arrest agitation,
but to make it more intense and universal
II could not hare been sceH considered, and
NEEDS ESSENTIAL NOTIFICATIONS. The sum
mary operation Of its provisions conflicts
Cith all Ow actions Of personal right and
security, dsriued from the cOHImon LGaO and
recognized By eusry free constitution"
We presume the Democrats in most of the
free States occupy the same ground, for we
, have no idea that either party is disposed to
$ do the South justice on the slavery question.
d We agree with the Richmond Times in
the following remarks. Speaking of the a
: bove extract from Mr.. Hunts letter, il
; says:
Now what Interpretation is fairly to b
placed upon this language? We have sf
ted it again and again, being sincerely anx
ious to discover that it is the true grain o
national Wing principles; but, to our ap
prehension it admits Of no construction which
Southern men should ~palliate, much less ap
prove. 1t embOdies, in the plainest terms
o the specific proposition, that Mr.. Hunt de
plOres the passage of the Fugitive Slave law
considers its " Summary operation" in con
fict with every free constitution, (includin
of course the Federal and is for essential
- ly modifying it so as to conform it to NORTH
ern notions of personal right?" Its Of
vious and unquestionable meaning is, tina
+" Mr.. Hunt seconds the movement already 81
ne on foot by Seward and other politicians
to the same class, for the repeal of the Fug
tive bill, or such a modification of it as wi
* make it utterly nugatOry. Our ears mu
\ be stopped, and our eyes must be sealed,
we fail to perceive that this is now to be Il
3D. grand issue between Fanatacism and Sout
ern security. We see the Oswego Convel
Ia ton of Aboltionists and runaways Apr
lie priately assuming the van of the repe
of movement. We see the Wing Conventic
!, Of Massachusetts, declaring that the law mu
not stand. and that the principle of trial
juryin the free States must be insisted u
III on. We see the majority in the New Yo
an Convention, which nominated Nh. Hunt, q
ok plauding Seward for every part of his CO
~ duct as Senator, and thus sustaining the hai
:, full agitator's avowal that a higher law tn
ne the constitution viii be enforced by t
The Northern people when they are called to I
ut, liver up fugitiEes from slavery. Within t
led last week, we have seen a religious convo'
= ton at Pittsburg protesting against the /
and sanctioning disobedience to its behesi
U" and a Federal Judge in Philadelphia, cat
he ing at every bubble to withhold from
to Southern man, what that judge knew to
his property. With such evidences of
tendency of Northern sediment at this tin
is it a thing to be regarded with equanim
that the candidate of the Wings of N. "
ia in their State election, a man who profes
to be national in his views, should add f
One to the kindling fame of the rising agitati
reat by proclaiming that be unites with Wm.
IS a Seward in advocating the repeal of the ]
for gitive Slave law?
,our For our part, we hold the question n
raised by the Massachusetts, and New Y
Wing Conventions, and sanctioned by
!, Washington Hunt, to be the most vital e