Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1850-09-27
Blind Guides.

Blind Guides.
The Worcester Spy, one of the chief abolition and
agitation papers in Massachusetts, made the following
statement on Monday last =
NEGRO CATCHING. Do the citizens Of Worces-
tor County know that they are liable fine of $500,
and six months Imprisonment if they do not lend hand
when called upon aid in the of every painting
fugitive from slavery, who may pass hroug our streets
his way to land where not sold like beast
of the field Sachs the lav and that degrading duty
was imposed upon them in part by the influence and
uote Of Samuel A. Elliott, the mig representative from Bos
ton.
Observe the positive and unqualified character OF
this assertion Such the latc Now there is not one
syllable of truth in this whole paragraph There is no
such provision, no such penalty to be found either in
the law respecting fugitive slaves, recently passed by
Congress- the law of l793,nor is there any penalty
whatever, either OF fine or imprisonment prescribed by
law for those who edo not lend hand in cases of the
above description. The whole satment is miserable
falsehood, uttered for the purpose of frightening the
weak, the silly, and the creduous readers of the Spy
We are disposed however, to characterize rather as
laundering, than wiul falsehood. The gross ig
norance and haIum-scarum reckessness of the slavery
agitaors notorious, that they afford sufficient
explanation for ms-statements of fact like the above
without requiring to suppose the existence Of wilfu
falshcation. We are constrained to remark however,
that ignorance gross, and recklessne so blind as
are eynced on this OCCASION fall very little short of the
culpablity of downright falsehood. What confidence
can be placed in the word of who heeds SO little
what he says, and who makes such positive and I'M
qualified assertions about matter of which he knows
nothing The readers of the Spy are welcome TO take
thelr knowledge and opinions from whom they please
but when they follow blind guide, such as this, what
can they expect but to tumble into ditch Boston
Courier.
When an uscrupulous lawyer knows that his clients
character is utterly vle and that to discs one attr
butte of it would be to lose his case and consign the
maleactor he defends to the execratons of an honest
jury; he ventures TO pick only at the ecacae Of the
indictment, to deny the verbal accuracy of the charges
and to mpugn the veracity of witnesses. The position
that such an one assumes, is always negative He dare
not make positive statement, base positive argu-
ment upon the corruptons of his clients character-
Precisely similar has been pursued by the ad-
vocates and apoogsts of the Fugitive Slave BILL They
have sudiousy RETAINED from exposing its monstrous
deformtes to the eyes Of indignant reemen and sough
to render it more acceptable by the heterogeneous meth
ed Of denying the technical correctness of the charge
filed against it. By this method the Boston Courie
hopes to divert the minds OF its readers from fair am
candid examination of the provisions of the BILL am
pursues its mendacious of equyocal negative
without the least modesty.
We distinctly repeat, that our statement of Monday
was substantially true the amount of the penalty how
ever, was understaed, it should have been $1,000 in
stead of $500. In the 9th section of the bill commits
soners arrestng fgtves, or those appointed BY cher
to arrest fugitiyes,, empowered to "summon am
eau to Their AID the bystanders" to help them and the
the bill goes on to say 1--WE quote the precise words
that 'al good citizens are hereby commanded to All
and assist IN the prompt execution Of this lao avtepe, t
services may be required" Now if any man refuses
obey the commands contained in this section will fin
Courier dare to say he is guilty of breach of tb
law, and liable to penalties. Again, will the Courie
dare to deny that if mana refugee from slavery, will
light skin or a dark one, comes to the door of an,
citizen oil this county any other county, and asks fo
bread or shelter, and that citizen listens to his nm yer
and grants his request and does not rather seize an,
bind him. that he is liable TO the pains and heavy pep
altIes OF this law. Let refresh the memory of b
CoH'1r with the exact letter of the statute, and see
it be not as we have declared it to be.
BE ii enacted, That any person who shall know
lngy and willingly obsruct, hinder or prevent sucI
claimant, his agent or attorney, or any person O
PERSONS iawiuliy assisting, from arresting such fl
gtye, either with OF acithout process as aforesaid
sha rescue or attempt to rescue, such fugitive from
tne CUSTODY Of such Claimant his or her agent or at
torney when SO arrested, pursuant to the AUTHORITY
nerein gwen aud declared or shall aid abet or az
sst such person, so owing service or labor as aore
SAID, directly or indirectly, to escape, or shall hor
Dor or conceal such fugitive, SO as 10 prere0t
covery and arrest, after notice or KNOWLEDGE Of n,
fact that such person fugitive from service n
labor as aforesaid, SHALL for either of said oncos
be subject TO a fine NOT EXCEEDING ONE rItoIT.
SAND DOLLARS, and Imprisonment not exceed;no
SIX MONTHS, by Indictment and convection before
the district court of the United States for the district
In which such offence may have been committed Q,
before the proper court of criminal jurisdiction, 4
committed within any one of the organized Terrific
RES OF the United States; and shall moreover forfeit
and pay, by way of civil damages, ONE rHousANn
DOLLARS for each fugitive SO lost as aforesaid 10 ~
recovered by action Of debt in any district or terrific
rial courts aforesaid, within whose Jurisdiction the
said offence may have been committed.
And now we would ask our readers If il is not pit;a
Die to see journal, published in the capital city of the
Old Bay State, giving itself up to the prevaricating
mode Of argument plactced by ogues upon trial, in de-
Fence Of this 0 trageous wv.
10 the reflections of that Journal upon orsef we are
quite indifferent They of the same tone with its
iern lucubrations, since the day that Mr.. Bucking-
ham was expelled from its editorial chair for prefer
ring to die as he had lived, an honest man. We will
on'y say therefore, in conclusion that ndecnsibc as
ignorance IS we would prefer it to iniqty; and should
rather be guilty Of bIunder If we had made the one