The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-20
The Presidents Letter to DR.. Collins, the
Owner or Crafts, tho Fugitive Slave.

| srArE DKrAnrMxrrl
WARRINGTON, Nov. 8, 1850 <
RosERr Collins, Macon, o.:
sr-I Am instructed BY the President to inform you
that your letter Of the I'd Instant addressed to him
enclosing several slips from newspapers, In reference
to the proceedings Of portion Of the community Of
Boston the subject Of the Fugitive Slave law
received BY him yesterday and that he has given
the letter and its enclosures, careful perusal You
state In substance that you Of Crafts one
Of the fugitive slaves for whom warrants Of
issued In Boston, and call the Presidents attention
to the enclosed slips, taken mostly from Northern
papers, by which he will perceive the In which
your agents received and merely asking
that the slaves be returned according to the laws OF
the United States that they have arreetsd under
various warrants - kidnsPpes and ON other frivo-
lous pretenoes and unreasonable bail demanded, and
that friends have become their suretiss more
than $4,000 You also say that many cases In which
officers have not performed their duty viii appear bv
the slips and that lie dead in the Mar.
shas oice. You then speak Of the pernicious snect
of such proceedings and Of their tsndncy to disturb
the harmony Of the Union. and Of the great impor-
tsnce OF having the Law faithfully executed. and
npAlly inquire whether It Is not in the power
and is not the intention, Of the Executive o
the United States, to cause that Law to be
faithfully and properly enforced. To this the
President directs me to reply, that you cannot
be more deeply impressed than he is with the i'm
portsncs Of having every Law faithfully executed
Every statute In this country, passed in accordance
with the provisions Of the constitution must be pre-
suned to embody the will Of a majority Of the people
Ct the Union and, SUCH entitled to the respect
and obt dence Of every true American citizen
constitution which the President has sworn to sup
port has made 1t his especial duty take oars that
the laws be faithfully executed. He has NO thought
Of swerving from his duty in this any other CASE
but will, to the utmost Of his ability firmly and faith
fully perform It, But how il he to cause the laws
to be executed First, by appointing proper on
GERS to all the various oloes and discharge their
various functions with diligence and fidelity and
If any shall be found incompetent or unfaith-
ful, BY removing them when he has power Of re-
moval, and appointing some competent and faithful
omcers In their places; and, secondly, In extreme
cases. wherever the laws Of the United States shall be
opposed the execution thereof INSTRUCTED in sny
State, by combinations too powerful to DO suppressed
by the ordinary course Of judicial proceedings or By
powers, vested in civil ocers with powers which the
law authorizes, and qures them to to their aid,
1t would be his duty to call forth the militia and use
the army and navy for the purpose Of overcoming
such fsrcibe combinations against the laws But on
either side prudence and justice require there
quency or forcible resistance than mere rumor or
newspaper statements; and yet these ali which
Il n
elects to perform his duty the law gives the right OF
action to the sggreved party tor the injury which he
may sustain; and Il he refuse to perform the statute
has imposed upon him penalty; but IL he re-
fuse, or wully neglect to perform it, when this shall
be satisfactorily made to appear to the President then
would doubtless be the duty Of the Executive re-
move him from Office and appoint another In his
place. But your letter contains NO proef Of this
kind, and therefore seems to require no action its
equally clear that no case presented call
upon the militia or the use OF the Army 20 execute
n. ao mn oh ma a.
Tie patriotism and devotion to the laws which has
of Boston, that he cannot for a moment, believe
that IL VIII ever be necessary to call in any extra
Ordinary AID to execute the laws in that oty In
heat OF the moment ofer resistance to the laws,
but he has no doubt that in such an svsnt-so
much to .bc rsgretted-the good OF the
nifty would rally to support the civil suthoritie
ana that those sustaining the law would triumph
he should nnd himself mistaken In this, and the pain
full necessity shoud arise he should perform his duty
and Congress have placed ct his pesal enforce
the Law. AS to tbs complaint that your agents
unjustly prosecuted and held to bail Ia unreasonable
amounts for pretended Offences the President directs
me TO cay, that however much he may roget any such
power TO remedy ths.vii. 1.-THE Complaints arsinst
your agent be unfounded. the defendants will DOUBT
lees, be acquitted; and IL malicious, they have
their remedy In action for q malicious prose-
cution. But all these judicial matters, over
which the Executvecan exercise control, aud the
evil complained of results from the sokno~l
rights Of every individual to prosecute any tor an
alleged offence, violation right With regard Co
the Importance Of avoiding ~ far as practicable all
OF irritation between this North aud the south
and the subject Of aavery he
permitted to advise he would sugget TO all tue inpor
lance OF permitting the laws their usual
and atsyeIy thing tending intimidation illegal
or unjust annoy snce should be scrupuously avoided
Every effort thould be made 10 cultivate fratsrnai
feeling. We should be people Of one interest and
one sentment--knowing no local division and tolsrs-
ting no sectional injustice. Our Union, so dear TO
the heart Of every true American, only be pre-
served by strict observance OF the constitution,
and imp artial administration Of the laws
am, sir, respectfully,
Your obedeDt servant
VS.. DERRICK, Acting Secretary.