Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-11-14

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
Henry Clay, and others devoted to the slave
interest, affirm that this statute settles the ques-
ton of slavery. 1t is not very apparent how it
settles but two matters, and they were settled
long ago One is, that the shareholders are con-
tent with nothing short Of Il coIlct ssion from tho
North al every thing demanded in support of
slavery The other is, that they always find
donghtaces enough in the North, to secure to
them all they demand The act in question is
rather climax in their usurpatons. Their feel
ings and thoughts, if expressed in an audible
voice, would probably be on this wise: "WeA,
tce hare got you nOU, you dirty dogs You, now,
tan neither feet the hungry, nor ciOthe The naked,
nor send The rich empty away. You must bulge
al our bidding and enrich us With cargoes Of ypur
treemeu 10 be concerted INTO SLAVES upon their ar
riUing in slaue State under StaUg iatcs, and that
is not all: The mhoie cost Of transportation is to
be paid from The U. S. Treasury.
In familiar conversation among freemen of the
North. natural question arises, how we treat,
and how ought we to treat such call from
STAKEHOLDER or his agent? Upon this give no
advice. Every man must act upon his own re-
sponslbility. am very willing to tell how I
intend to act, if should be called upon to arrest
or detain a colored man as slave. dare not,
and will not undertake the wrongful act of get
ting human being from free State into slave.
Try, in slave State, till the verdict of Jury has
decided the fact that such human being is a.
slave. Prudent caution does not require the with.
holding further idea. The assertion of any claim
in Vermont under that statute, is an aggressor
upon our State sovereignty. The people Of Ve-
mont are all free, while residing here, Their
| L
alter the case. Take the statute in question and
the Constitution of The United States, and put
the construction upon them the most favorable
to slavery, still they are not slaves while enjoy
ing the protection of the constitution and laws
of Vermont No owner or master mas any right
to compel them TO labor while in Vermont The
operation and effect of this fugitive slave law, if
valid at all, is to force the man, now free. into
slave State where the slave law protects the
owner or master in the exercise of brnte force
upon his victim, to induce him to labor. This
aggression upon our State sovereignty, there.
fore, places us in the position of self defence,
and we ought to stand IN our defence for our
common safety, so long as we can do it without
getting into greater danger than that we are
warding off We should feel an interest in Gre
ating and expressing strong public sentoment
against the spirit, meaning and tendency of this
fugitive slave act. am willing to say, there
is nothing, not strictly legal, should be more
glad to see, than commissioner, volunteering
TO send off a man into slavery to see him well
tarred and feathered, and the owner or agent,
fleeing TO the South, through fear of being cloth
ed with similar garment.
The foregoing observations refer, chiefly, to
the odious and Iyranical character of The said
statute IN all possible operations under it, wi tn
out any definite regard 10 its unconsttutionaity.
When this branch of the subject is approache d.,
we are told that many provisions of this statute
are similar to those in the act OF 1893, which
the supreme court have declared TO be constitu-
tiona; and that the Attorney General, Mr..
Criltenden, has decided this very act to be con-
stitutional. As prefer to be Yankee, may
be INDUCED in the query, whether they would
have so decided, if their habits of thought and
action, their pecunary interests, their domestic
assoc iatlons, and their political prejudces, had
not bound them TO the car OF slavery. The At
torney General writes a most decisive opinion
that the whole statute, and very especially what
relates to the Habeas Corpus, is constitutional (;
and, then, to support that opinion, appears not to
see, or expect his readers not 10 see, the very
evil complained of. His words are" 1t is my
clear conviction, that there is nothing in the last
clause, nor in any part of the sixth section, nor,
indeed, in any part of the provisions Of the act,
which suspends, or was Intended to suspend the
privilege Of the writ of Habeas Corpus, or is, in
any manner, in conflict with tue constitution"
Now, it may be asked, what is the privilege oil
the writ of Habeas Corpus The answer is
plain. The man asking for the writ, complains
That he is unlawiuly deprived of his liberty
Upon the return Of the writ with the cause o T
Imprisonment, the Judge inquiries into the legal
ity of the cause set forth in the return upon ht,