Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-11-23
Letter from the President.


u Il D
Washington, November ., 1880. J
- Rshert Collins, ESQ, Macon, ga
Ssr--f ain instructed by the presideh
10 inform You Tint yous letter Of the %
instant, addressed to him, enclosing sever
al slips from newspapers in reference Il
the proceedings OF a portion OF the com
mullity in Boston, on the subject Of tbs
fugitive slave law, was feteived by Tin
yesterday, and that he has given TO the
letter aid it, enclosures a careful perusal.
YOU state, in substance, that you are the
owner Of CfaIt, one Of the fugitive slaves
for which warrants of arrest were isstied
in Boston, and call the Presidents atteii'
ton to the enclosed slips, taken mostly
from Northern papers, by which he will
: perceive the manner in wllicl, your agents
were received aud treated, for merely ask.
ing that the slaves be returned according
10 The laws Of the United States. That
they have been arrested under various
warrants, az kidnappers, aud on other
frivolous pretenees, end unreasonable bail
demanded aud that your friends have be.
rome their sufeties for more than $4,000.
You also say that the ntantier in wliiel,
the officers have performed their duty will
appear by the slips, aud that the warrants
now lie dead III the marshHl's office You
then speak Of the petniciot,s effect of such
proceedings, AID Of their tendency to dis.
tufb the harmony Of the Union, and Ut the
great Importance of having the law faith
fully executed and inallys inquire Wl,etb-
np II (. t,At n, Tia .t.tts+ar AMI Ia t.1f fIa in.
tention of the Executive of the United
States, to cause that law to be faithfully
and properly enforced
To this the President directs me to re-
ply. that You cannot lie more deeply i'm
pressed than he is with the Importance of
having every law faithfully executed.
Every statute ia this country, passed IN
accordance with the provisions OF the con-
stitution. must be presumed to eulbody the
will of n majority Of the people OF the
Union and IA such IL entitled to the res
peet and obedience Of every true American
citizen, aud the constitution, which the
President has sworn to support, has made
it his especial duty 'to take care that the
laws be faithfully executed" He has no
thought of shrinking from: his duty, in this
or my other case, but will, to the tines
Of his ability, firmly and faithfully perform
It..
A. But how il lie to cause tlle law to be eS-
eented First by appointing e,roper gil
GERS to I'LL the various offices, aud lis.
charge their various functions with dill
gefce aud fidelity, and if any shall
he found incompetent or unfaititul, by
removing them where he has the power
of removal, and appointing more coupe
tent and faithful officers in their place.
And secondly, IN extreme cases. "wllenee-
ever the Ia rvs OF the United Shall be op-
posed, OF the execution thereof obstruct.
ed, IN any State, by combinations too pow.
erfil to be suppressed Nv the ordinary
course of judicial proceedings" or Ivy the
powers vested In the civil offices with the
posse which the law authorizes aud re-
uuifes them to call to their aid. it would
I've his duty 10 call forth the militia, and
use The army aud navy for Overcoming
such forrible combinations against he
laws. But, in either care, prudence aud
Justice require that there should be mofe
satisfactory evidence Of Official deiIuqucn-
cy, or fofetble resistance, than mere M
inor or newspaper Statements aud yet
these ore all Which have been furnished in
this case.
IT any marshal neglect 10 perform his
duty, the law gives a right of action 10
the aggrieved party for the injury which
ql,e may sustain. aud if he refuses 80 per
form it, when this shall be satisfactorily
made 10 apreat to the President. then, in
addition te lia liability To the aggfieve6~
party, would doubtless I've the duty of the
Executive 70 retnove him from office, and
appoint another in his place. But your
letter contains no proof ef this kind, and
therefore seems to require no action. 1t is
equally clear. that no case is presented
lustifyulg a call upon the militia, OF the
use OF the army TO execute the laws. aud
the President has 40 muph confidence in
the patriotism and Devotion to the laws
which have always characterized a large
majority of the people pf Boston, that
he cannot for n moment believe that it
will ever he necessary TO call in any extra
ordinary aid to execute the laws in that
a Community,
: individuals may becorae excited, aud
anay, in the heat of the! moment, offer
resistance to the laws, but he has no
doubt that in such event. so much To be
regretted, that the good sense of the com
mnnity would oon rally to the support of
the civil authorities, anl that those who
sustain the lave would triumph but he
directs me to assure YOU, that il, unioftun-
ateiy he shall find himself mistaken inthis,
and the painful necessity should arise,
should he arise, he is resolved TO perform
his duty by employing. all the means
which the constitution aud Congress have
placed ut bis disposal to enforce the law.
As to the complaint that your agents
Were nnlustly prosecuted, aud held TO bail
in unreasonable amounts, for pretended
offences, the President directs me TO say.
that, however lie may regret any such
injustice and inelivity, he is not aware that
he has the power to remedy the evil. lf
the complaints against your agents be mn.
founded, the defendcnts will doubtless be
acquitted, aud If malictous, they have their
remedy in an action for malicious pfoseca.
ton But all these are judicial questions
over which the Executive can exercise 10
control, aud the evil complained OF results
from the Acknowledged right oil every in-
dlvidual to prosecute any one for an alleged
offence OF violation OF right.
The President fells the Importance Of
avoiding. as far as practicable, all causes