The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-10-22


The wuutuve-sisvs Law.
We happy 10 see many Of the leading presses Of
the North taking the right ground on this question
We trust that the Adjustment will be sustained in all its
parts, although abolilionsm and free sosm with the
aid and cooperation Of VIM. H. Seward and his follow
ers who recently effected coalition with the President
and his supporters have made violent assault upon
Of is most important features The whole Adjustment
must be sustained or the country will be plunged into
greater danger than any from which il has escaped The
fugitive slave bill il part OF that Adjustment II is not
only in strict accordance with the constitution. but the
constitution mperaiivey requires the passage Of that or
similar law. The law Of 1893 enacted the requirements
Of the constitution 1t has been in force for more than
half century During that time it has been the subject
OF controversy, and many times i has been before the
courts Of the United States. But in all that time
no one, but few violent fanatics, has ever
thought for moment that il violated the constitution,
either because gave the claimant OF fugitive from
service summary remedy or denied the fugitive wrt
OF habeas corpus jury trial in the State IN which ne
is arrested Even the great body OF the abolionlss and
facionss have gone further than TO contend nat
the State officers could not be required to carry out the
law The Supreme Court unanimously affirmed The con-
stiiutonay OF the law. and decided that il was the
duty of Congress to furnish the necessary officers and
agents 10 execute the law. Immediately after the an
nouncement OF that decision many of the States hostile
10 slave institutions enacted laws forbddng their officers
10 aid in carrying out the OF l7o3 After long and
criminal delay, Congress has furnished the machinery
necessary to execute the law OF 1898 The new law
contains no principle which the old did not contain
does nothing than provide officers to execute the
law Of 1893 That law gave the slaveowner summary
proceeding II denied to the fugitive trial by jury in
the State to which he had fed recognised the writ Of
habeas corpus further than the new law recognises it,
In this connexion we publish the following statements
from the two most eminent men Of New England who
ever wrote or spoke this subject We aude to the
late Judge Story and Mr. Webster. The former. in his
Commentaries on the Constitution, holds the following
language:
"This clause 1.-THE providing for the recapture OF
fugitive savesl introduced Into ths constitution solely
for the benefit Of The aveholdng States To enable them
reclaim fugitive slaves who should have escaped Into
other States where slavery was not tolerated The want
OF such provision under the confederation was felt
grevous inconvenience by the avehodng States, since in
many States aid whatever would be allowed TO the
owners; and sometimes, indeed, they met with open
resistance is obvious that these provisions for the arrest
and removal Of fugves OF both classes contemplate sum
mary ministerial poceedngs and not the ordinary course
of judicial investigations, to ascertain whether the com
psnt be we'll founded, The claim Of ownership De esab
shed beyond all legal In cases OF suspected
crimes. the guilt Innocence Of the party y 70 be msde out
= h. and moi NE woa N .ueh
necessary that there should be ta aeis evidence
before The &C. e ss 10
upon ordinary warrant, would justify his commitment
And In the cases Of fugitive slaves there would
be the necessity of requiring only prtna Jaeie
proofs Of % m ne as coa
gres appear have acted upon this opinion and accord
II s
which he may grant warrant for removal "
Mr. Webster In his celebrated speech delivered in the
Senate Of the United States on the 7h Of March last,
says:
'sBot will state these complants-especiay com.
lion and tina, is that there has been found at the North
among individuals and among the legislatures Of the
duties regard the return Of persons bound service
Escaped into the free states 10 that respect is
Every member Of every legislature is bound BY
oath, like every other officer Ia the country 70 support
Of the consiituiion-which says these States they
shall deliver up iugrves from services a. bind
ulf his duty In any Legislature who sets himself to
find excuses evasons from this constitutional OBJ
g alton have always thought that the constitution adj
itself legislatures Of the States themselves,
to the States themsefo say, that those persons e.;
have always been Of the opinion that was injunction
upon the States h,mssipes When IL is said that person
Jurisdiction OF that State, shall be delivered up,
the import Of the passage r. that the STATE it-
delivered up. That Jwdgme~t have always enter
tanned that opinion and entertain IL ~oD But when the
subject years was before the Supreme Court
Of The United States majority Of the judges held that
the power fngitves from service TO be delivered
power be exercised under the authority this
government do not know, tn. whole, that IL may
have besn fortunate decision My habit Is TO respect the
result OF Judicial decisions But as now stands the BUSH
these fugitves delivered resides
power Of Congre and the national judicaiure, and
nv friend head OF the Judiciary Committee has
bil on the subject, before the Senate, with
amendments IL, which propose TO support, oih all s
yrorisfons, to the fullest creu And desire TO call the
attention of all sober-maded men, of all CONSIDERATIONS
in the North, Of oil men who not carried away
their coafuioni obiigoftons put IL 10 alt the sober
and sound minds the NORTH, question Of morals
and question: of conseitaet haf right hare hsy all
ts 6glsairs copie,fs day Other 10 tndedror 10 KIT
or the eoastntt0a TO the phok
escuyed from them None al aH-aoHs at all Nsith0
forum Of bfrs the face Of the ccnsfato
they Justed, ia ogtnion Of course IL matter
their confederation. They probably, IN the turmoil
the times, have stopped ~ consider OF this they
have followed what seemed be the current Of thought
v.sigate fully real question, and consider
sttuonal obligations, Ii they did consider
they would fulfil them with aIacrlty Therefore repeat.
sir thathee Is ground Of com plant against the Mort
well bundled which ought TO be removed which II IL
power Of the dIhe de tments of this Cove
remove which calls for the enactment oil proper
authorizing the jnduaufe OF this nnent IN the
States do all that the oil
cIsim them. Wherever 20, and whenever | speak ON
the subject-and when speak here desire o sprHk TO
whole NORTH say that the south has been injured
this and has right complain and the Norm
has been careless OF what think the constitution per-
emptory and empbaticaly enions upoa u az duty
In addition to these high authorities, we submit the
following extracts from the northern press:
theI Il fed Conn., Repub