New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-22
The Union and the Fugitive Slave Law.
IA Private Letter. communicated Tor the Tribunal

|
IA Private Letter, uncsted Tor the Tribune
SATURDAY, Noy9.
DEAR SIR: Your letter is answered the moment
it is received-and am really thankful to you for
having thus unexpectedly furnished me with an
| appropriate opportunity of expressing my views,
unimportant as they may be- upon subject which
now so extensively agitates this community, and
indeed, may say, the entire nation, And yet
strange as it may seem, will venture to assert
that no two reasonable men, one from the
North and the other from the South, divestng
themselves of local and political preiudices (if
that were possibe) could differ for Il single mo-
ment upon question, which now apparently,
would enlist brother against brother in unsparing
war, and even threaten that glorious fabric OF Re
publican liberty, the admiration and wonder OF
the wide world, which was purchased by the lives,
erected by the toll sanctitied by the wisdom, and
| cemented by the blood OF the sages the heroes,
and the patriots of the Revolution,-the temple
where the ircemen from all quarters OF the habit
| able Globe unite and delight to worship. say
| this question, APPARENTLY so menacing to the
| character and per1nanency of the Union Thank
| Heaven it is bat apparently. There is but little
| peril in it, little sincerity IN 1t. The refractory
and the turbulent are to to be found In all Gov
| ernments and the wicked and the vicious In all
religions but they serve only to furnish the dark
the imperishabe glory of Patriotism, and the celes
tial charms of piety. / apprehend nothing from
this temporary and infammstory agitation, rs re,
| CARDS 0mn country 1t is to be deprecated
| chiefly from the pernici0us influence OF It's exam
pie upon the great cause of human freedom, in
! other and less propitious climes Infant Repub
lies may be checked in embryo, stihed in their
! birth or destroyed in early youth, while our o,oH
in its full grown maturity and strength,
Like "a rock amid the trobled ocean
Laughs at the pillows and defes the storm
! The plotting partisan, the reckless tactlonlst
! and the hair Drained enthusiast, in their indivd
| ual or Joint power, can exercise but little lntu
ence over the destinies of this G ant country
They may surround it with their cobweb tolls,
assail it with their empty denunciations, or deace
it with their sCurrility but still its march is
| ward and upward while its dSSdtlaRts shall lie
| erovelling behind and below. crushed by the con-
| seriousness of having contributed to the eventual
glory of those national institutions which it was
| their chief object TO detame and destroy. Aga
memnon had his Thersites The traitor Judas,
and the Apostle Julian, instead OF defeating or
impeding served only to promote and to mark
the triumpbs of Christianity. Courage would
lose its name without danger there could be no
virtue without temptation to vice and that which
| in itself may be harsh and discordent, may, by
! skilliul adaptation, be rendered tributary to the
| most delightful and perfect harmony.
After these embellishments dlituslye and
exclusive, it is acknowledged-it is trust, un
necessary for me to say am, as always have
been FOR THE UNION at whatever sacrifices,
| and at oil hazards. am also, of course, for the
Law, without which that Union would be curse
rather than a blessing do not mean to say that
there is nothing in the Constitution or Law that
would not admit OF a salutary change, but do
mean to say that it is the duty--the imperative
duty OF an American citizen, anywhere and every
! where, TO bow in obedience TO the Law, so long
as it continues to be the Lac Nevertheless, l
am utterly opposed to the principles of the recent
Fugitive Slave Bill and will legitimately contrib
ute all in my power toward its modification aud
repeal.
That it is unjust l have no doubt but it can
readily be shown so far as it is unjust it is inef-
tective That it is in some respects unconstitu-
tional, have as little doubt but lar as it
is unconstitutional it is virtually no Law, and
probably will be SO declared by the appropriate
tribunal
Its unjust, because it offers byibe to the Com.
missioner who shall surrender all alleged Fugitive
to his claimant Ten Dollars for Siarery and but
Fire Tor Ll6ertyi
Its unjust, because it allows CT parte evidence
or, to speak more critically and technically ex
parte teStim0RY--to be received against the alleged
fugitive; which upon no principle known to the
Common Law, could be received upon the claim
OF horse or deg. II is unjust because it sacri.
hces the sovereignty and dignity Of our own State
to mean suhservlency 10 the clamor rapacity
and overweening pretensious Of other States
1t is unconstitutional, because it appoints Com
missioners or rather authorizes United States
Judges to appoint them-which Commissioners
are invested with high Judicial powers in regard
to the liberty OF the citizen-chite well as black
who is an alleged fugitive from service for
der this law any white boy or man, in any State
in the Union, may be arrested and carried into
any other State, upon summary bearing,
founded upon testimony taken in his absence, and
OF course without cool examination. or the HDUII.
cation Of any of the usual tests of truth Now
show the true co}or of this law by divestng it for
time Of the complexion with which it is usually
associated