Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-04-26
THE WORK OF CONGRESS.

| The Congress has been in session now five
months, at an expense probably of one million
dollars, and what do you think reader it has &C
complishcd? Nothing whatever. But one branch
of it has. The Senate of democratic, republican
America, composed it is said, of the greatest in
tellects OF earth, has not labored five months in
vain. And what do you think it has accomplish
ed? Some ennobling work, you say, worthy of
! its great intellects and of the honor of our
| Free institutions.
Come here; we want to whisper in your ear,
lest what we have TO say shall get abroad and Vi
tate the pure air of heaven. 1t has passed bill
providing for the better
Recapture Of Fugitive SLAVES.
Yes, after five months OF Unwearied labor, the
greatest body of the tsest nation of the earth has
passed bill Of this character. We should like
to know whether our revolution was farce and
our declaration Of independence all sham, and
this Il" land Of the free and home of the brave is
all a humbug. A few years ago the Chief OF
the Barbdry States issued an edict forever abo-
fishing slavery in his dominions and now in
1850, the Senate of the Free States Of America
has passed law for the better rccapture of fu-
gitve slaues. What selt-conceited braggarts we
are; forever eyuting over our rcpublicanism and
equality, and thrusting onrself into the face Of
all other nations, as a model TO be worshipped :
while the five months labor Of our highest lcgis-
atve body, has resulted in act to restore TO SER
vtude and oppression, the painting fugitive from
scryitude. We are sick; this air of freedom
grows oppressive; commend us to the air Of
Russia or Austria for breath Of comparative IL
berty, before this fUtid atmosphere has done its
fatal work Think Oft laboring men you who
have been dreaming that your fathers achieved
liberty by their sacrifices at Lexington, at Bum
ker HILL at Yorktown and that now you have
a government which will guard your rights and
| protect your interests. Wake from your dream
for dream it is. tits not the black man nor the
black woman, who is to be hunted out by this
bloodhound of law bat it is labor fleeing from
the stro g hand of idlenoSS, which has crushed
and ground it to the earth, and Ii Re cannbal, is
growing fat upon its blood and flesh. And you
will not long escape. Think you this vampire
will long respect color. The labor of the white
man will be quite as valuable in its greedy eve, as
that of the black, and any man with grain Of
reflection must perceive that its entertainments
will not stop as long as nook or corner Of the
world of labor remains unconquered. The earth
is filled with two great armies each striving for
the mastery. One is the army of labor struggling
for its rights, the other the army of idleness see
ing to ensiave labor to It's bidding, and every sue
cess OF the latter Of necessity weakens the former
and renders It's final total defeat, more imminent.
1t is folly then for any man to hope that because
this has reference only to men of particular CO.
Tor, therefore it affects not him. Il has not ref
ercnce 10 men of any color but to great prin-
cpe, and it is just as inevitable that all who are
embraced in this principle cannot escape being
injured 10y its injury, as that the injury Of one
part of the system must affect all others.
We know it is 50 nominated in the bond,
but have not our laws with reference 10 Capturing
and delivering up fugitive slaves been sufficient
ly stringent heretofore We recoIlcct of scarce
ly single instance, in which the decision of the
courts have not been against freedom end in IA
yor Of slavery, and innumerabIe have been the ca
scs in which individuals have been fined and i'm
prSoned, even in the northern states, for assist
ing, notin the escape of slaves, but atcrthcy lad
escaped We don't suppose that this now law
will bc any more effective to procure the CAPTURE
of slaves, than the Cd one, and it is rot on this
account we complain. But we do complain OF
this unnecessary renewed evidence of devotion
TO southern slave institutions and more than all
we complain that the only act of the american
Senate, during session of five months, should
be an act for the recapture of fugitive slaves
OF Bacon, VINO possessed great intellect, with
out particle of moral power, it was said he was
at once the greatest and the lncanest OF mankind.
He has his parallel in this Senate, at once the
greatest and mcancst body Of earth