Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-08-24

consequences.
indemnity when the United States is primarily and solely
bound, in this case, ask from whom is the indemnity
come The duty is that Of the United States the loss
suits from failure to discharge that duty, and the United
States bound 10 indemnify, It must be in this very
to me- therefore, that the Senator from New Jersey
has founded his objection this amendment upon totally
falacious view Of the subject.
In The next place. the honorable Senator to suppose
that the only in which there is any obligation upon this
Government under this clause Of the constitution where
the surrender Of the fugitive il prevented in consequence OF
some law regulation of the State into which be escapes
His idea if understand him Alright is this that If there be
no hostile legislation If there be law regulation of the
State under color Of which the recapue Is prevented with
the semblance gh the recapture be prevented by mere
unauthorized violence fraudulent continuance then this
clause imposes obligation upon the United States to effect
redeivery, and the within the meaning Of the
clause But little consideration of that clause OF the con-
sttuon will show that this Interpretation upon the lace
Of which makes the clause speak absudy and there
fore cannot be correct also is il inconsistent with one OF
the express and definite provisions Of that clause. ne
clause has two objects The first 10 this to prevent save
by escaping into State in which slavery prohoted from
becoming Free That is the first He shall not DE as-
charged from such service labor in consequence OF any law
regulation Of the State into which he ecapes IN oner
words though he may escape into State whose laws pro-
hbi slavery whose laws declare that every man
It's jurisdiction thereby Immediately made free yet 10 THIS
Of fugitive slave that rule shall not apply Inousn
he shall have escaped into State whose laws contain such
provision, he shall still continue slave. mat Is ne dea
clearly expressed and wrten and ne meaning o. cannot
be mistaken The necessity Of il is obvious. Il my slave
escapes from me and reaches Great Britain we all know he is
free the moment he touches the soil OF that Kingdom and ne
will be free thenceforh wheresoever may md him. But
when or ancestors formed this Union they intended to pre-
ven, any such disastrous consequences from the different
TENS Of laws which each State might adopt Therefore the
FIRST thing was to declare that the condition, the status Of the
slave who should escape should not be altered by the laws of
the State into which escaped Therefore, although my
slave has escaped have the right to treat him slave
therefore, as the Supreme Court decided in the Of Pgg
and Pennsylvania, have the right to take him from that
State to which he has fed and to bring him back make
such disposition Of him the laws Of my State
thorize
But then the article would have been ngulay defective
had stopped there. The first thing prevent the alter
alton Of the slaves civil condition, the next TO bring
him back again the State from which he escaped sub
jec him the direction and control Of his Other
wise the provision would have bad practical meaning