The southern press., 1850-10-07
FugaAsvs slave Law.

Fu6&t&we Slave Law.
We take the following articles frbn the Az
bany Erening journal Meetings have already
been held in Pittsburg, Springfield, Worcester,
New York and other places, to denounee and re-
sist the late law. We said that this law would
be Intellectual. We ask now, whether any man
believes that fugitive slaves can be recovered in
| the towns of the North, where they congrcg.te !!
| Senator Mason performed his duty ably in
1 framing and introducing the bill into Congress,
but if We remember right, expressed on that oc-
casion his belief that it would have little efficacy
in community hostile to the measure.
Meanwhile, it is quite remarkable, that whilst
people in the North are organizing to resist a
law that nobody disputes to be strictly constitu-
tional, and that does not concern the Northern
whites at ALL there are white people at the South,
not only preaching the doctrine of passive obe-
dence ard non-resistance TO acts of the most
unconstitutional and aggressive characteristics
of outrage and plunder-but even affecting to
rejoice over their passage.
THE FuGiTIvE SLAVE LAw.-The Rochester
! lando Hastings by Judge Gridley, as a commis-
tsioner under the new Fugitive slave Law, re-
marks:
/ If the slave catchcrs should come so far from
home as this city, seeking for their victims, we
/ know of no one who will scrutinze their claims
m re closely. or with more humane desire TO
shield the coored man, than the newly appointed
/ Commissioner"
Mr.. Hastings deserves all that is here said of
him. And it is because he is" humane" that VIC
doubt his acceptance of the honor prof1cred him.
The law, fierce, bloody and infamous in its char
icter leaves no Ioop-hole f the exercise OF
mercy The obligations imposed upon its min
isters, are as imperative rs they are revolving
! We would as soon volunteer to play the part of
women-whipper to Haynan, as to assume the
duties of Commissioner under the tugitiv. slave
| law.
FuGIrIvE SLAVE LAW MEETING.-- is to
be meeting of citizens at the city Hall, this
evening, to consider the principles and work
ings OF the fugitive slave law.
1t is understood that two SLAVE Catchers'
went west this morning in pursuit of Frederick
Douglass, who has taken refuge in Canada.
BosroS, Oct .
About thirty fugitive slaves arrived at Boston
to-day from New York. They say they will 60
no further but remain here, arm themselves aud
abi..e the result.
i A stand will be made somewhere; and we can
conceive of no filter place than under the shadow
of Faneuil Hall. The fugitive slave law i'm
poses revolving obligations upon the people Of
the North, and they will fulfil those obligations,
or abide the penalty. But as self.preservntion
is the first law of nature" it is the privilege OF
the pursued slave to elect whether bis master
. shall take home with him living or dead
chattel.
J, The New York Erening Post makes the fol-
lowing extracts from the Albany Alias:
"Everywhere, throughout the Northern States
we see it announced that the coored population
are terror struck by the passage OF Fillmore
Slave-C Capturing bill. The bill is indefinitely re-
t-oactiyc in its character. The child brought on
by its fugitive slave mother, may HOW, a man.
be captured and returned to slavery. The slave
girl, escaped score of years since and married
here, may be swept oil with all her brood to the
Il slave market. These things may not often hap
pen 1t is enough to know that they will some
mes happen. The case Of Hamlet, is that of o
man who had resided some years here, who had
married a wife aud had children here, and who
J was carried off, at midday, from them, without
hearing and without trial.
..In that ease, it is evident that the ca. .partt
statement Of the two interested witnesses against
the captive were such as could have been rebut-
ted bv evidence, or the conclusions derived from
the testimony have been met by legal consderl-
i tons They swore that he was once the slave
of their relative But that he was not permitted
to 90 off, that he was not taken to a free State
by his master, and so emancipatcd under the
operation of State law, (as in this State,) that
he was not manumitted by his real owner, these
men could not swear, and these things the cap
tive should hive had an opportunity to prove
Above all, he should have been permitted to
prove his identity, against the oaths of his
caimants--to prove their perjury and conspiracy
If he could.
.As the law extends indefinitely back, will
soon become as common speculation to buy up
claims against fugitives, it is to buy old debts.
revolutionary claims and rights, or the unlocated
bounty land of soldiers Professional sharks
will address themselves to some one who has
ost slave, any time these ten years back, buy
out his claim, and armed with certificate, will
come North and prowl about for their prey
They fix their eye upon their man, make oath,
capture and iron their victim and carry him off.
Suppose they get hold of the wrong ni.ger,
does any suppose tneY WOulu care any more tnun
if they had entered the wrong qnnrter-section
under bounty claim, if they could only keep
] possession by hard-swearing? Does any one
suppose that one of these men, once owner of n
right to some negro in free State, would ever
quit content without getting possession of some
negro in the free States What would he care
whether the man was fugitive or born free
man. It is the general conviction in the minds
| of all such men, that negroes in the free States
are somebody's runaways, and that even if not,
they ought TO be in slavery.
"From Boston to Pittsburgh there isa strange
murmur of alright since the passage of this
| law-a feeling of indignation too, and talk of
resistance. But fear seems to predominate and
citizens peaceful and unchanged with crime, are
fleeing from our own aud sister States, to the
colonies of monarchy. Why! Because Mil
lard Fillmore, citizen Of New York, Ca quon-
dam Abolitonst when Office was to be got bv
| IT'D has made his State hunting ground, and
offered the three hundred thousand coored peo-
| pie of the North as quarry 10 the sportsmen
/ II