New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-03-13
NUMBER 2SS.


bef,re the Coas,irutsoa was saaliy adopted thu,
Is s bes,n u 5e 81 two years before IL beSsn e
exist
S.r. Tle equilibrium Il restored. woaid be est
move rspiiy rhan It vas beore. Tee progress .,
the tree PopaAsou Is % De accelerated BY emcraa oa
tVm Ea.ope. Asa. while thzt % the slaves = a
BE- checked snd retarded b. inevitable partial
omAEcl patton. Noghng. SAWS MoNrEsQglEC Te.
lSces man g. ow as always 20 see freemen and
yet not be free. Persons u thar cocditioa arr
natural enemies o. tne Stale sud their numbers
would oe dangerous d increased too h;rh, SIR. the
ilsiife Save Colonies IN the Free STATE. IL Caaa
a and In LIBERIA. are the best susrsntces south
Carolaa hls 70, Tie pcEpctaity ct slavery
Nor would success attend any o. he details g
the Cou3rogn s.. And first advert - the amend.
1isnt o.. the Jaw Conserving fagitves from service
90 'a6o-. Toe Constitution ooltaias oniv a com
psct which rests for - execution on the States
NJ ooutent with this. the Save states Induced
le- station by Congress and the Supreme Coagt o,
toe United States have virtually decided that the
whole subject IS within the province q Congress.
aud exclusive of STAT authority. Nay they have
decided thst slaves are 20 b. regarded not merely
a. persons % be claimed. bat property and chSi
,cis % be seized without say legal authority or
claim whatever
Tie compact j. Tins subyer;ed by ;ho procure
ueut o.. the ave States with WHIST reason. then.
can thav expect the states fE GrG,ia u re-sSaDie
the obligations from which they caused those States
70 % discharged say. then. ~ the Save states,
yoa aye entitled 70 u0 moro Stringent law and
such ole woald be useless. The cause ot the
insuhcienry o, he present statute. Is not at a.
th, leuicncy Of is provisions IL Is law that Ge
prves the alleged refugee from legal oohg atiOn
n,t assumed By him. bat imposed upon hun b.
avs enacted before he was born, ui the writ o'
hab.as crrpEs, and Of any certain judicial process
o, examination OF ,he claim sd mp by his pursucr
and finally de-rades him iuio q chattel. which ma,
be seized and carried away pescea0 wherever
huud, even although exercising the rights and -
spousibiitics of free citizen Of the Commonwealth
10 which is resides aud Of tine United States a law
which denies 70 the citizen al the safeguards o'
personal liberty 90 render less possible tAc escape
of the bCndmsn.
We deem rs principle therefore unjust. uncoa-
st.tati0nsl and IMMORAL and thus. while patriotism
wigaho.ds IT, appreciation. the conscieuccs % our
people condemn ~ Nou viii say that these con
victions OF ours are iisloyal Grant it. tor srvi
meuts SAKE they are nevertheless honest And
the law Is 30 be executed among rs not smonl
you noe % II. bat by tho Federal authority. Has
ans Government ever s4ccecdcd IN changing the
moral convictions OF as sub ,cts BY force But
these convictions imply mo disoy atty. We revere
tit Consltut on. although We perceive tins defect
r,st rs ~ ACKNOWLEDGES the splendor and the pow
err of tle sun although is surface Is tasnshed with
here aul there an Opaque sgt.
Your Constitution and Law converts hospitality
30 the refugees from the most degrading oppression
on earlh iuto 4 crime But all mankind. except
you, esteem that hospitality virtue. TIE II ght
ID. ENtraiitlon of oven Fncitiyes from Justice, e
nor admitted by the Law OF Nature and ct Nations,
but rests on VOLUNTARY compact.
Only two compacts found 10 Diplomatic II stor
admitted er,radUi7a Of Siare'. Here IS ono OF
tlem II IS Dund in Treaty made between Alex
and-r Compcnus the Greek Emperor AZ COnstan
tropie. aud O.cg IL ling OF Russia, m the year
poe a.d , ia these words
If Russs1 Save tsss light from his master oI n e
shall be- he under prefecce Of having been hOu.h hs
mas may pufsue m md take hin wnefesuevor he may
b. found add ~h0aooyr- shat prevent ns rnas'er rom
sSng BIN 'aa.i be sauy o. of9ud.ns ais Treaty. And
tbs was Va tho year Of Grace 9O2, IN whs, is
called the Dark Ages and the contracting powers
were DesPor.sm.
And here Is the other.
30 pers bed ID service labor in state Hnder
ils as hcfcu. rscaplS nio another, shall in consr-
qierce u az avs ~ regulation Wstein Do dscnafse
from such service labor bur shall Be delivered up 0n
II luc party 20 whom such ssric. or labor u due"
This Is from tie Constitution Of the United States
in 1857, and the parties were the Republican states
II This Union
The Law Of Nations dsavOws such compscts-
the Law Of Nations. written on the hearts and con
sciences of lreemen repudates them. Armed
power could not enforce them, because there is No
public conscience 10 sustain them. know that
there are laws Of various sorts that regulate the
conduct OF men. There are constitutions aud stat.
utes laws mercantile and codes civil but when
are IT, stating for states especially when We are
Jlnding States, all these laws must be brought T.
the standard at the laws OF God aud must be tIied
b. that standard, and stand Or tall by it u Is u
this principle that eminent political philosopher
Of England Burke, said
There Is but one law Tor al, nsnoy--tha law which
governs eli lawe ias u our Cfe-iof-tts law OF bu'
Lao ON and uf
- lar a. any foSify me piin.val hw, snd rive
pecslou, m 70 energy mora effect by their dtesrs
ous such erter ill0 Tie nctnsTy aud psfucpaie 10
7 e-dne.s oi - Character But he nsn MO quote, %
precrdrns ne abuses II Bfsns sui robbers polues To
very fountains justice destrO. TIE foundGnofs % all Law
Az therefore removes he only safeguard sgaus rYi msu
1e,her Governors governed. no guard which prevents
GJgernOrs ron becoming Tyrsnis and "a governed from
There was deep philosophy in the confession Of
an eminent English Jodge. When he had cOu
Iemned young woman to death under the late
sangunary code Of his country for her first petty
fhe,t she irll dead at his feet 4" seem ~ myself
aid be. " 10 have been proDoUucing sentence rot
against the prisoner but against the law Itself
To conclude on this point. WE ARE NOT SLAVE
HOLDERS We cannot IN Judgment be either
rue CHRISTIANS Or real Freemen u pc impose OF
another a chsin that we deny all human power %
flsten on ourselves. YOu believe aud think other.
wise, aud doubtless with equal sincerity We
lige sou nor and He alone who ordained the con
science Of mao and IL laws Of action Judge as.
Do We then ia this conflict demand Of yOG a. IN
rsasonaDle thing ia asking that since sou viii have
property that can and viii exercise human power
% effect u escape, you shall be your own Police,
1d "a acting among us IS sach, sou shall conform
d principles indispensable D. the security VI admit
ed rights Of Freemen
Alother feature m most OF the plans Of CoDprO-
MISE Is a Bill Of Peace Tor Slavery ia the District
# Columbia AMI this BN Of Peace W. cannot
Grant We Of the Free states are equally. with
sou Of TIE Slave States. Responsible for the exist
snce Of slavery Ia this District, the field exclu
.lvely of orr common Legislation. ] regret that as
yet see Little reason to hope that ma jorty IN
fayor Of Emancipation exists here The Legisls
tore OF New.YOrk--ifom whom. with great defer
nee. dssent--seem. willing b accept now the
extinction II the Slave trade, and waive Emsn-
cpst0n.
But ~ shall assume the whole respons loty. Il
80 s.ipuate not D. exercise the power hereafter
when ma Ority shall be obtained. N0r viii the
pea with which you would furnish 1s be d soy
avail II c1uli understand myself snOuld never
81 able ~ explain % the direct undertaking 81
the people whom / represent how Il was that an
absolute and express power - legsate m al cases
over the District Of Columbia, was embarrassed
aad defeated BY IA implied coalition not 70 legs
ate ar the abO Itiou Of slayefy in that DISTINCT
Sr shall vote lOr that measure, and I'm wiling
~ Appropriate any means " carry is into execg-
iou And II shall b. asked what dad 10 EN-
belsh the Capital d ny o0aDtry vii point % her
reed men snd say These are the Monuments Of
ny u.unfeelce.' II I was wiling 70 advance