The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-20

| climate to its employ yment. Under it's auspces
| the negro has been secured, beyond contingency,
in the enjoyment of ph ysical comforts unknown To
| his transatlantic ancestors, and elevated in the
| scale OF being. Let any man who questions the
| truth of this assertion go to Liberia and compare
| the negro trained under the influences of slavery
with the negro of the same generation reared in
| his native barbarian. The southern slave, unin-
| iuencod by the promptings of mischievous inter
medders, Is sincerely attached to his owner, and
happy in the condition assigned him by all wise
Providence. Familiarity with the practical opera
tons Of the institution would satisfy any ingenu-
Gus mind that these things
But apart from this abstract view, the South il
entitled TO absolute security and quiet this sub
| jeet.
The Constitution of the United States is, in its
terms, bond Of political union between separate
sovcregntes and involves a high moral obliga-
ton. The latter ia indeed the seal and sanction of
| the former. The Southern States upon entering
into this compact, brought with them, part Of
their social system, the substratum of their in
dustrial pursuits the institution of slavery and the
Northern States, by the compact recognised its
1 isteuce and guaranteed its secure enjoyment. Be
yond the obligation thus created the people Of those
States have more concern with ii than have the
subjects Of the British crown. The trainers of the
Constitution declared, in limile, the purposes to
| be accomplished by il in the following terms: owe.
the people Of the United States, in order to form
| more perfect Union, establish justice, insure do
nestle tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general welfare, and the bless-
| ings of liberty To ourselves and posterity do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the Un-
| ted States of America"
The people of each State, becoming a party to
| that instrument, are entitled to all the benefits
therein distinctly enumerated. and under the
most soemn obligation TO abstain from all prac-
ces inconsistent with their enjoy yment by the other
parties. ''lt is nominated in the bond" that the
people Of no State shali disturb the domestic
franquiiirfy'' Of any other Georgia lays open the
volume of her history, and proudly challenges her
con .edera,os the abduction Of a single incident
vlolative of this obligation. She does In all
kindness compatible with tho assertion of right,
| she charges upon the non rlavehoding States inf
deity To. this stipulation In the compact. She in
stances the existence within their borders of or
| ganized societies. ayowedly devoted TO the annihi-
/ lation of institution inwrought with the frame
work Of her social system, and in no way modi-
| Tying affecting their own--societies employ
| ing missionaries and subdidizing the pEess 60
propagate their destructive doctrines, and even
10 excite, within her limits, "a spirit Of dis
affection among her citizens. and OF insubordna-
ton among her rslaves--ocieiies which have boldly
entered the political arena, seized upon the balance
| of power, and obtruded their fanaticism INTO the
| halls of our Federal Legislature There measures
OF hostility incessantly proposed and discussed
10 the interruption Of the legitimate business Of lc
gislation denunc atons day by day uttered yainst
slavery and siAveholdcrs- against confcderaes and
their Institutions. In this state Of things the rene
| dy TO be applied by those states IL apparent. IL
| was foreshadowed in the able and patriotic
sage proceeding from the Executive TO the egisla-
| tive department OF the State OF New York in the
year 1886. Ii is by the active interposition of
conservative public opinion; and, II that be INSULT
cient, then 10y Legislative enactment. ii the
ward movement OF this insane crusade is 10 be
stayed, Ia time that measures Of resistance be put
| in progress there
| Desiring 10 be distinctly understood, In order
| that incalculable evils may be arrested by time
ly return to the early policy Of the country. We
rest not this renonstrance upon generalities. The
practical results aimed at by these agtators are,
First, abolition of slavery in the District Of Colum
bia. Maryland never would have coded part Of
her territory, nor transferred the ufisdc ton over
portion of her citizens, had she supposed their
al ha altftia
viii, and State policy established in the heart Of
her territory materially variant from and hostile
to her own Such an act therefore, cannot be
consummated without bad faith 90 her and 10
| Virginia, whose territory Is coterminus, in the
determined resistance Of which they entitled
| to the cooperation Of their Southern confedc-
rates. Secondly that kindred measure, sometimes
! threatened, Of aboshing slavery in the military
posts, dock yards, and other free holds Of the Gen
| eral Government lying within the boundaries Of
| the slaveholding States The-e Possessions
ceded 10 the United States for purposes Of utility
| and convenience, in the generous confidence that
| they would not be used 10 the detrment Of the ced
| ing States Thirdly An amendment of the scts or
| ganixing Territorial Governments for New Mexico
| and Utah, whereby slavery shall be prohibited in
! those Territories Fouufhiy. The passage Of an act
for the suppression Of the slave trade between the
people Of the slaveholding States, which regard
| as ofhcious and unconstitutional interference
| with State policy. The rejection Of some OF tbose
measures at the recent session Of Congress comes
| within the scheme of Adjustment aud materially
| influences the decision Of Georgia.
One other subject challenges our especial notice
II is the threatened repeal OF the Tor the
| reclamation of fugitive slaves. That statute was
demanded as an unquestionablc constituto right,
| and as remedy for grievous and growing evil,
| and therefore cannot be surrendered
History bears testimony 20 the importance of this
subject. IL mingled in the earliest discussions upon
the formation Of the American Union. II com
manded the profound delibcraton Of the trainers of
the Constitution, who assigned u prominent place
in that instrument. They ordained that no person
| On under -
thereof, and escaping To another, shall in oonso-
quence OF any law or regulation therein, BE- dis
charged from such service labor but shall be de
lvered up, on claim of the party TO whom such
vice or labor may be due"
IL lie universally conceded that this provision
inserted to meet the case OF fugitive slaves, and
that, without it, the slavebodng States would not
have entered into the Union. No candid reasoncr
will controvert the proposition, that Il 10 binding
alike upon the States soyeroigns, upon their OF
hcers, executive, judicial, and ministerial upon
voluntary associations Of persons, and upon each
individual citizen Of the United States. Hence
any obstruction 10 the recovery Of fugitive slaves
emanating from any OF those sources, involves
its nfrscton. AT an early period In the history Of
| the Confederation, the Congress Of the United
States, believing that the character Of our people
furnished abundant guaranty of fidelity 10 the
compact, enacted a law devolving upon the several
State authorities the duty Of carrying IL into effect
and the event justified the confidence reposcd Those
the purcr days OF the republic hen patriotism
was stronger than fanatcism. Then, the Consti-
tuition Of the United States, il IL in theory tho
fundamental law Of the land was recognised az the
paramount obligation between States and indi-
viduals. But new school Of political ethics has
arisen in the land school Affecting morality
purcr than that Of the Apostle Paul. who sent back
the abscondng Oncsmus TO hi. master a philan-
! thropy more sublimated than that Of the angel
, who, meeting the fugitive Hagar in the Wilderness
said unto her, "return 20 thy mistress, and submit
; thysclf under her hand" Under the auspices Of
this school, new doctrines have been prOmulged.
public opinion perverted Or oytrawed, the arm u
the law paralyzed, and the records Of certain
States disbonored by cnactments prohibiting that
! to be done which the Constitution commands
The act OF 1893, passed in good faith. has long
ceased to be efiectual. The South, patient under
; this gricvous wrong, and still with deferred hope
clinging to the Union, content 10 demand such
! additional legislation as would devolye upon fedc
raj officers and agents, responsible TO Federal au-
! tboritios the enforcement Of her right. The pre-
sent Congress has responded TO this demand IN a
tardy bot iull measure Of justice. AZ length, all
OF practical detail and of penal sanction necessary