Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-12-26

What more can Congress do than it has
done, to avert the dangers with which we are
surrounded: Nothing abso luteiy nothing
Dlsclaiming the intention of introducing any
thinS controversial into this meeting, must
be permitted, however. to say. do not concur
IN the proposition that thereis any thing left
which Congress can do to appease the aiders
and ahettors of the slavery agitation. What.
then, are the complaints of orr fanatics, and
what is the issue which they present to the
country. and especially to the people OF the
free States >: r--a
The first question is easily answered. The
catalogue of complaints is reduced TO one, all
the other matters having been disposed OF to
the satisfaction of the whole country. Call
fornia is admitted into the Union, and consu-
tutcs one of the constellation adjoining our ma
uonal flag now waving over this Hall TERN
torial governments have been formed for New
Mexico and Utah, and they are as free as the
air we breathe. Provision was made tor the
adjustment of the boundary dispute with lex
as, and the last journals bring us the pleasing
intelligence that the government and people CT
Texas have accepted the protfered terms. The
settlement therefore is concluded, and is ire
vocable. The settlement being concluded,
there is no power in the government OF the
! United States to repeal it. No complaint be-
ing made in regard to the abolition OF the slave
! trade in the District of Columbia, l will pass
it over without remark, and come directly to
the supplemental law of the 18th Sept, 1850,
| providing for the surrender OF fugtlves from
! service.
| The hrs, remark have to make in regard to
| it, is that the best men in the Southern States
\ believe that the South will acquicsce in the
compromise, if the North will but faithfully
execute this law. Such being the fact, what is
4 fh, ,oJ Nbnt do fanatics
purpose: Permit me to state the case, and l
submit the point to the judgment of this as
sembly, whether do not state it fairly. They
propose to hold on to every concession made by
the South, and at the sane time to repeal or
refuse to execute the sole concession made by
the North in return. The statement of the
| proposition is sufficient to show that it never
can receive the sanction of the people of Maine
| No business man would think of adopting a
course of conduct so fraudulent and dishonora-
| bic, and if he should attempt it and persist in
| the attempt, his conduct would exclude him
| from the confidence of the business communi-
ty Ii would be regarded as bad morals and
unworthy of every principel of far dealing be-
! tween man and man. ANY one who would
sanction such bad faith in the intercourse be-
tween sovereign states, is not hit to be free. 1t
would be better that some one of the millions
i'll other lands, who are now struggling to
! throw off the yoke of tyranny, and set up there
a system of free government after tie model of
our constitution, were transplanted here in his
stead.
The proposition is base. 1 dcnounce it as
infamous-and venture the prediction that the
people of the North will never adopt it. The
complaints in regard to this law, have no foun-
dation whatever. Say what you will, the sim
pie question is, whether the North will execute
a rho p1oiposf in ba
ton The law of the 18th September 1850,
contains no new principle; it confers no new
night on the master il merely provides more
ettectual mode of executing the law of 18th
Feb. 1898. The law of '93 has remained upon
the statute book without complaint, from its
date to the present time. 1t passed by the
patriots who framed the Constitution, and was
officially approved by Gen. Washington as
President OF the United States The views of
the Attorney General, Mr.. C,ittcnden. in re-
gard to the law of 80, have long since been
published and are well known 10 this audience
Allow me to read one e,troct from the opinion
given by that officer to President Fillmore be-
fore he approved that law. lie says:
This bill, therefore, conters right on the
owner of the fugitive slave. II only gives him
an appointed and peacrable remedy, &c.
And again he says:
The act of February IL. 1893 before alluded
to, so far as II respects any constitutional ques
ton that can arise out of this bill, is identical
with it. Ii authorizes the like arrest of the flu
gitive slave, the like trial, the like Judgment,
the like certificate, with the like authority to
the owner, by virtue of that certificate as his
warrant, 10 remove him to the State or Terrific
~ from which he escaped; and TIE constitu-
tionality of that act in all those particulars,
has been affirmed by the adj INDICATIONS OF State
tribunals and by the courts OF the United States
without single dissent, 50 fur as l know.
(Baldwin's c. G. r., j77,57s0
l will not enter into an argument respecting
the constitutionality of the law. The discus
sions on that point already published. have cx-
hausted the subject. l can add nothing to
what has been said by Others The fugitive
law So called, was passed by an enlightened
Congress, after great dcliberat.ou and very am
pie discussion. 1t was SO intimately connected
with the Compromise, that it was necessarily
under consideration in the Senate during the
whole time dcvotsd to that subject. l, was ap-
proved by President Fillmore. 1t was pro
nounced constitutional by the Attorney Gencr-
al, and it is believed that his opinion had the
unanimous assent of the Cabinet. 1t has since
been pronounced constitutional by Webster,
Choate, Curtis, Evans, and host OF the best
jurists in New England.
Now, say, under these circumstances, will
not argue the point; prefer to read the pro-
visions of the constitution, and submit the mat
ter without argument 10 tho present and to
the people of Maine.
Article 4, Sec. 2, Of the Constitution pro-
vides-.No person held to service or labor in
one State, under the laws thereof, escaping
into another, shall, in consequence of any law
or regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor, but shall be delivered up, on
the claim of the party to whom such labor or