Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-02-27
co M MU MIC Alto N.

E. WELLS, jR., Eso-.Dear Sir The
present is time of some excitement in Ma
ryland, and in the Southern States general
ly. No long time ago, the blood of Ma
ryland citizen was shed in the attempt to
capture his fugitive slave, out of the limits
of this State. From a speech recently de-
lvered in the Senate of the United States,
by the Hon. r. nj. T. Hunter, from Virginia,
learn that there is at this time a citizen OF
Maryland in prison and in chains, in Penn
sylvania, for the offence Of having brough,
away slave from that State.
1t is not because the inhabitants of the
on-sIavebolding States are not patriotic,
that they demean ,hemss yes thus towards
our citizens. When men become possess
ed of the idea that they have The sanction
Of the Christian religion to uphold them in
the measures which their incina,ions lead
them TO- adopt, past history affords melan-
choly proof that they will not stick at tri-
files, in accomplishing their ends. Errone
Gus religious belief, is the main cause Of the
difficulty which is now shaking nightly
the foundations Of our General Government,
and threatening the dissolution Of the Union
of our States.
The people north of US believe, that the
clause Of the Constitution which requires
the surrender fugitive slaves to their own
ers, is in direct violation of the revealed
truth Of God. single passage of revealed
truth is that which involves this point. 1t
is found in the book Of Deuteronomy,
is in these words "Thou shalt not deliver
unto his master the servant which is escap-
ed from his master unto thee: He shall
dwell with thee, eren among you, in that
place which he shall choose in one Of thy
gates, where it like,h him best: thou shalt
not oppress him." propose to show that
this law has no such meaning as the North
attribute to it-lhat its true meaning is in
perfect unison with the Constitution Of the
troversy about the surrender Of fugitive
slaves, The shareholders have God for their
strength, and the high God for their Re-
deemer.'
The Decalogue, and the Judicial law, TAX
en- together, form an entire and perfect code
of laws on the subjec. OF. servilude By the
Decalogue is meant. the ten commandments
recorded in the Xxx chapter of the book Of
Exodus. By the Judicial law is meant al
the additional law, contained in the subse-
quen' part of the writings of Moses, begin
ming with the XXI chapter of Exodus, and
ending with the book of Deuteronomy.
Servants were either Hebrews or heahens.
The subject of Hebrew servi,ude is first
disposed of by the Judicial law. Slavery
being presupposed to exist among The sur
rounding healhen nations, heather slaves
are next made the subject of legislation, in
two-lold point Of view first, as coming
into the possession of the Hebrews by pur-
chase; and secondly, as taking refuge a
mong them, on abscondng from their hea-
then masters. But it depends upon the
evidence to be adduced, whether this last
particular is so as stale it, or otherwise.
For the only law upon this branch Of the
subject, is the one above quoted from Deuter-
onomy, concerning the meaning of which
the diversity Of opinion between the N or,h
and South exists.
An eminent divine, DR.. WayIand, Presi-
den. Of Brown University, in Providence.
Rhode Island, has become the exponent of
the Northern doctrine on this subject. In
addressing an eminent divine of the South,
Dr.. Fuller, Of Beaufort, South Carolina, on
the subject Of slavery, he comments thus,
on the above passage from Deuteronomy :
"This last precept, think, clearly shows
that Moses intended to abolish slavery