The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-27

and 80 We proceed to that clause providing for
the ensuring of domestic tranquility.n
This is violated, according to the address, by
the fact that the Fugitive law has excited the
elements OF fanaticism in New England. lthas
occasioned "grim disorders, confusion, and tu-
multi !" therefore, it has disturbed sdomestc
tranquility" and, therefore, lis unconstitutional
1t Is precisely as if pack of thieves, who, after
robbing a town and stirring up commotion
therein, should declare that the robbery was To-
gal, because to correct them would be to dis
turb the public tranquility, for the security of
which all laws are formed.
Then follows the proof that the law violates
the provision '.for the common defence This
law, says the address breeds discomfort dis
unites the people, and, therefore, weakens the
power for common defence. 1t puts New Eng
land at enmity with the south, and thus prevents
that harmony which is essential to the common
welfare, and, therefore, it again violates the Con-
stitution.
BY similar process it is shown that the law
violates the provision ''for the general well
fare :" and as for that other clause of the con-
stitution-"secure the blessing of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity"-that is the strong
point; there the thing is clear; that is the
palladium of abolitionism. There there is no
need of argument, and there the address lets
indignation aloose, and it goes rampaging
| through all the mazes of exegetical confu-
sion and indignation without any manner OF
| bounds.
| This address containing such stuff as this
and We have given picture OF it without the
slightest exaggeration,--is marked by ability
1t is stirring, indignant eloquent, and written in
the tersest and choisest language-save the
epithets.
To show the tenor of it, we make couple OF
extracts:
There is Git says) no uility-there will be
none, with this enactment upon the national sta
tute book. The tyranny, the despotism is too
barefaced, that the spirit of the age should be
quiet amid the operation, or the existence itself
Of such law; and already from Maine to Iowa
the spirit of the storm is rushing, as with the
vehemence and fire of the lightning's flight
There is no peace, saith God, to the wicked -
and the nation, cursed with law like the one
contemplated, will, under attempts for its exc.
cution, be rocked with undying connections
und its soil will be stained with the blood OF
civil disco-d There is not city or village in the
land of New England, where prompt and forci.
bic, and if necessary-bloody, resistance would
not be opposed to the practical operation OF
this most infamous statute. Tranquility I'M.
der such an exigency, is utterly out of the ques'
ton"
Again:
Our views, then, beloved brethren, of this re.
cent slave bill are, that it is utterly unconstitu
tiOnal that il is as ant-scriptural as it is uncon
stutional that it is rs wicked as it is anti-scrp
tural, and that is as disgracetul as it is wicked
Hence, we believe, further, that this law should
be, at whatever expense, and Immediately, re-
pealed. We believe that all good citizens-anc
| ,lI nd ohnn
exert themselves earnestly and strongly for such
repeal and we beg leave to urge this great sub
iect upon your careful and Christian attention
We exhort that every constitutional means bt
at once put in requisition to rid the country O.
such stigma as now rests upon it; and thai
especially none may fail to associate in memor
ialzing the ensuing session Of Congress, with {
view to the abrogation, in part and in whole o.
law so iniqutous in itself, so abhorront to the
principles of freedom, and so insulting to God
There are seventy.five thousand protesting
voting methodists in New England whom this
address is intended for. 1t has the stamp of the
church there upon its backed by its authority
Does the reader see nothing in this which is more
important than that small band Of fanatic Adolf
tionists, who, we are told here in Mobile are 81
the bottom of this agitation Does not the very
weakness Of the arguments of this address-thei
utter and incomprehensible stupidity-show o.
themselves, how prejudiced these people arr
against the South-how ready to find argument
to oppose it-how entirely hopeless it would b'
for us to reach them by reason, or to have /
hearing at all
We say that all the power in the country can
not enforce the Fugitive law in Massachusetts
No man living will ever see half dozen slaves
taken by any thing except stratagem from with
in its borders.