The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-28

day d February, made these very true and pertinent
remaTkss
10 subiest under confederation. Of south
friends have good csuse 20 complain Bat mns have
been ,smsItsd by so rs thai the ~p'sssn'ssss from
pect not those who have hreslsned with disunon
These threat; have come from the q States
IN live years Who bead o. slave sseappg
S ao wS he sss ne
Kensucky, Virginia. Maryland, and Missouri The only
as sem % have q asoao a. s%:ds
while the Representatives from few of the south
the island Of Cuba sec ample cause aud mpssoas
sily or dssfsing the Union and establishing southern
uced away BY the ciszcns Of the North
Now. the counterpart Of the agitation" presents an
equally singular and striking aspect in the fact that the
the cruelty and enonty 81 The reclamation Of Slaves
in quarters where such reclamation has ever been
made; or, If ever made. the instances are exceed
general knowledge New England. il is well known.
IL the chosen seat OF the abolition presses and the abol
tion societies. Here i s, principally that the former
cheer the morning by ull columns OF lamentations
the late Of human beings free BY nature and by law
above the constitution, but back, nevertheless,
chained and manaced, to slavery and to stripes And
the night devoted the outpourings OF phlanhro
py; mingng all the while their anaihemas al what they
call man-caichng with the most horrid and proiane
0buYaons Of the Christian Sabbath. and indeed OF the
whole Divine revelation. They sanctify their philan-
throphy By ireligon and profanity they manifest their
charity by contempt OF God and bis commandments !,
II Is we'll to inquire what foundation there is for all
this rhapsody OF opinion and all this violence in conduct
What and how many the instances OF the seizure Of
have happened in New England in their timer And
what have been the of injustice, cruelty,
and atrocty attending them To ascertain the truth n
this respect have made dgent inquiry Of members oil
Congress from The six New England States. On sub
ject general cannot be sure, oil course that the for
nation received is entirely accurate. and therefore, do
~
may be relied altogether correct but suppose
cannot be materially erroneous The result them OF all
bssn made Il no seizure Of a. alleged
tive slave has ever been made in New Hampshire; no
seizure of alleged fugitive slave has ever been made
been made Rhode Island within the last thirty years
seizure Of alleged fugitive slave is known to have
been made in Connecticut except one about twenty-five
years ago, and in that tue negro Immediately
discharged for want of proof Of identity Some Instan
oil the seizure OF alleged fugitive slaves known
to have occurred in this generation in Massaehasei.s
tain that one took place IN Boston twelve or fifteen
years ago and in that some chaaby disposed per
sons offered the owner sum of money which ne regard
ed less than hall the value of the slave. but which he
agreed to accept, and the negro discharged few
suppose. may have occurred in New Bedford, but
caused any complaint Indeed, DO not know that there
than single case Or two arising in that
place. Be remembered that speaking of reclama
TONS of slaves male by their masters under the law OF
Congress am not speaking of instances OF violent abb
ducton and kidnapping made by persons protesting to
II this BE- true account Of all that has happened in
New England within the last thirty years. respecting the
OF fugitive slaves, and believe it substantially
hsment and empty destinations the wild and fantastic
conduct Of both men and women, which have SO long
disturbed and SO much dsgraced the Commonwealth and
the country What is there especially that should
duce public to break loose from all just restraint
fall themselves into the vagaries, and FAM with
what they call eloquence the fires, ready kindle
IS
al his to Be- the effect Of that wandering and vss1ss
philanthropy which dsiurbs and annoys all that pres
ent, in time place, by heating the imagination sub
lects distant, remote, and uncertain.
is admitted on all hands that the necessity for any
legal provision for the retaining of fugitive slaves is a
msfoune and evil as it is admitted by nearly all that
slavery itself Is misfortune and an evil And there are
States in which the evil attending these reclamaiions
practically felt But where the evil really exists there
Maryland and for example lie, the one on
the slave side OF the line the other the free side
Slaves escape from Maryland flee into Pennsy and
are there arrested These instances not unreq1eb
and usually create disturbance. and excite exasper
sed feeling In instance. indeed mob assembled to
rescue the fugitive. violence ensued. and life lost
siderable time agitaied the neghbohood But in general
the people OF Pennsylvania understand their neighbor
enjoyed Msssaehusst,s grows sryid on pennss
wrongs while Pennsylvania herself is not excited by any
sense OF such wrongs. and complains OF no injustice
The ab0onsts OF Massachusetts, both the out aud
and the quasi rend the welkn with sympahes for Penn
syisania while Pennsylvan would quite as willingly be
left her own care Of herself Massachusetts, tears fall
abundany for Pennsy suferings; but which suffer-
ings Penney vana herself knows little nothing Of No
people opposed TO slavery than the people OF
Pennsylvania We know, especially that that great and
respectable part OF her population. the Friends, have
borne their testimony against II from the first Yet they
create no excitement they seek not to overthrow
dermine the constitution OF their country. They know
that 6rmness steadness OF principle, Just moderation.
and uDconquerabe perseverance, the virtues the prac
tce Of which most likely 10 correct whatever lie wrong
in the constitution OF the social system No doubt there
sometimes 10 be found Friends subject the fraly
Of desng TO become conspicuous to the influence OF
false sentmentay, borne away into atmosphere
Pickering between light and darkness, by the pus OF the
uanscendenta philosophy. But that s not malady Of
the great body. They remain OF sound and disposng
minds and memories. | am misled by authority which
ought not to mslead be that that great body
approves the sentiments TO which have given uiterance
on the hoor of the Senate.
Between Kentucky and Ohio complaints have arisen
occasionally on the subject Of fugitive slaves but by no
means 10 the extent which has been represented BY the
abolition societies Shareholders in Kentucky complain
OF the dculics which they encounter in retaining fu
guve slaves and the people OF Ohio complain not OF
the execution OF the act OF Congress- and recamaions
under H. hut Of the conduct Of Shareholders in coming
into the State taking and carrying back their slaves By
force and without legal process The State OF Ohio has
traies from performing the duties enoned them BY the
act Of Congress Such duties they perform when
sion requires; yet they may be prohibited by the
Legislature. and ss the Supreme Court has decided that
is IN the power OF Congress make complete provision
by law for the whole subject and give the power OF
executing such law officers Of the United States and
~ the prohbiioy acts OF Of the States make APP