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


and injuring Mr.. HUGHEs in his late attempt
TO recover a fugitive slave in Boston. When
these persons get tired of railing in the United
States, or when perchance the funds Of the as
ISOLATION run low; when Mr.. GARRIsoN's sub
scrlpuon flags, or when the salaries of the
agents are unpaid, then Mr.. GARRISON goes to
England, where he denounces his country in
terms of rlbald malediction exceedingly graft
flying to the Abolitionists of Exeter Hail. in
London. Having been petted by rich Quakers
and Quakeresses, having been eulogized as
saint by MARY HowITT, and inflated with
vanity, weary with feasting, and plump both
in purse and person, the Agitator returns to
Boston to be hailed by his idoaters with new
peans of praise and new puffs of incense. This
is .Abolitionismt of the first class.
The Second Glass of Abolitonists may be
embraced under the general term of Free Soil
ers. This extensive epithet includes many varie-
ties and shades of opinion, from GERRIrT SMITH
to the Boston Atlas. They, however, agree in
one thing--in using the elective franchise as
means of anti-slavery operation. They are all
voters-all belong to active parties, with plat
forms, candidates, newspapers, and other polit
ical machinery. AT the present moment some of
the more Jealous are directing their batteries
against the Fugitive Slave Lar The Rev.
WARD BEEcHER, Of New York, Rev. Mr.
CoLvER, of Boston, and other very reverend
gentlemen have denounced that law. One has
called it the '',cOrk Of the Dev,l" which, he will
resist; another says claw or no law-Constitu-
ton or no Constitution" -it must be forcibly
trodden under foot. These, and such as these,
lead the van Of this crusade. Many others, less
| courageous, linger in the rear or swell the cen
tire of the troop. Some are politicians-some
moralists, some preachers of the gospel, some
members of Congress, some governors of States.
There are black spirits and white, blue spirits
and gray But they have one heart, one pur-
pose, one tendency, one end. OF course we do
not include the great body of Free soilers-
many of whom are good citzens-but those of
| whom we speak, more or less directly resist the
rendition Of sLaoes, as being against the higher
lar of God Some attack the Constitution on
this point, and some the law; but the drift is the
same; it tends to set the Law and Constitution
aside wicked and immoral and to do this
either by open force or crafty crcumvention.
Now, this being understood as the ground
taken by these gentlemen, we wish to make a
few plain and simple observations upon their
conduct In the first place, then, they are vo-
tiers. By the act of voting, man enters into
the great partnership of government with his
| fellow -citizens. By that act he engages before
God and man to sustain the Constitution and the
Laws of the land. He may indeed seek to repeal
or modify them, but only by legitimate measures;
In the mean time he promises to support them.
In consideration of this pledge, his fellow -citi
zens secure to him the high privileges of the
elective franchise, freedom to speak, preach,
print, &c. There is no capacity in which
human being can act under more solemn obi
cations, or under more lofty and inspiring re-
sponsibilities than this. All that man has of
personal honor, or manly faith, or patriotic SEN
timent, or christian hope, truth and dignity,
are given to his country as hostages for the full
filment of this solemn promise No written
form, no oath with uplifted hand and calling
God to witness, can add to the binding force of
this engagement; and yet, let it be clearly un-
derstood, 1t is violation of this very engage
ment which these dipiaes and moralists are
enjoining upon their followers. Men who vote
call upon voters to break the law, and set
aside the Constitution which they have bound
into partnership with their fellow-citzens and
their country are required to break their faith,
| to both. They are called upon to take their
share of the profits and immunties of the con
Germ, and to refuse to their copartners the profits
and privileges of the other side. Reduced to
money transaction, it would be case of plain
| and palpable fraud. in the higher capacity of
citizenship, 1t is base dishonor and ignominious
dereliction of faith.
And this is the teaching of men who affect
to be ambassadors of Heaven, ministers of the
Gospel, the chosen champions of truth They
| pretend TO reveal higher law, and, by author
ity of this, preach doctrines from which an hon
orable heather would shrink with horror. And
these men are urging these doctrines upon ia
theirs and mothers, and children-from the
press and the pulpit. Is not this "sowing the
wind to reap the whirlwind2" What must we
expect, if the very fountains of society are thus
contaminated with sedition and moral perjury
We have thus far had particularly in view
the Reverend BEEoHER's, CoLvER's, and PAR
KER's, who openly teach and preach violent re
sistance to the Constitution and the Law, touch
ing the rendition of slaves. There is another
class, who seek by circumvention to compass
the same end-men who vote, and who yet at
tempt directly or indirectly to persuade voters
to break their faith. We consider the trainers
of the late law of Vermont, designed to embar-
rass or defeat the fulflment of the Constitu-
ton, as very much Of this character. We con-
slider the insdious schemes of modification of
the Fugitive Slave Law by adopting jury trial,
and urged by certain parties in Massachusetts,
as in the same category. II is well known that
the famous Fifteen Gallon Law Of that State.
was in allegiance for nearly three years, because
In every jury there was at least one, who, by
/ virtue Of higher iatu in his own head. set the