The New York herald., 1850-12-27

be exercised but solitary impression of the posi-
tive evil of any law, from any error 10 Its admins
uation, or from any peculiar circumstance that
may stand against its proprety, is not always to be
taken as cause for hurrying back to other forms
of injustice, either of omission commission Men
must be ruled-communities must be uled-and
Individuals, without authority beyond their own
views of right, must not hope to rule communities
The law must be paramount to all prejudices.
Such, we believe, are not new doctrines. AT
least, sssb, we suppose, all men will recognise as
the founAaon of the compact that hold society to-
gether and this being conceded, We think
every rational man will agree that there
can be but little respect for those who have the
vanity to place their own opinions against the con-
centrated intelligence of a country-while every
one of we'll balanced judgment must admit that,
with respect TO the Fugitive Slave law, We have no
reason to be dissatisfied, while the administration
of it is conducted as in this city. In Philadelphia,
in the case of the alleged fugitive slave, Emery
Rice, who, it is said, turned out to be Adam Glib
son, the Commissioner was unfortunate, as it has
proved, in his decision, though even his error has
not resulted in any of those horrors which the abo-
litioniss have painted in tn broad icoors of their
trade. Gibson was taken back to his supposed
master, who, finding that he was not the Emery
Rice whom he had lost, of course did not retain
him. Gibson was put to some inconvenience; but
there have been many other individuals, in every
station of life, who have suffered far greater incon-
venences under other laws for the regulation of
society. We do not perceive that there is any
great flood gate for a waste of enthusiasm in this
case, though there are abolitionists who will be
glad to make few popular harangues, because
one man has been wrongfuly accused Adam
Gibson could have avoided the whole trouble by
making himself and his history knswn, but he ap-
pears 10 have been anxious to be one of the first
martyrs. HIS martyrdom, however, has ended in
smoke
In the case Of Henry Long, in this city, we think
the probabilities are that the claimants and the ac-
cused will have, full justice. The majesty of the
law will be sustained, and this metropolis will
show the South that we are sincere in carrying out
the provisions of the law to their fullest extent
Law-loving Massachusetts,, for time, may stand
back in disgrace at having failed TO do her
duty, through her Boston agents; but even she,
we think, will eventually find that the federal laws
to be respected and sustained even though they
do not square with the prejudces of few fanatics
Indeed, New Engand-eyen including the State of
Vermont, and in spite of her resoluhons-will have
such sober second thoughts as will satisfy the
community at large that we are in no danger of
doing injustice TO any portion of the confederacy.
The recent resolutions at the Union meeting at
New Haven speak well for old Connecticut, and
indicate that there is national and rational spirit
there TO control all the wild political agitators of
that region, and to bring men more closely to
esteem the peace Of the whole country as para
mount TO the ideal theories of few demagogues
We have passed the Rubicon. We are on ground
where we can stand, with the assurance that we
carrying out faithfully the designs ofthat COM
pact, by which the States were confederated as
one in feeling, in honor, and in justice-and long
may II be before political agitators can calculate
upon any chances for renewing, with even mode
rate hopes of success of even limited kind those
scenes of discord, which have threatened to ter
inmate in disruption at once deplorabe and over.
whelming. Our country is eminently blessed in
its political, commercial, and social conditions
The sovereignes of the States should be respected
as contributing 10 The general veal uf tho whole
Union-but we should never lose sight of the
first condition Of our existence as a federative
society, "a respect for our country as one and
inseparsble in all that contribute to the great
ness and glory of nation.