The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-19

mission OF Texas furnished lar greater pr0vOcaon TO
does the South with the auxiliary spuations incident
To the iomer"s But did not secede Nobody talked
OF seeding except the party who are driving at disanon
The sober and enlightened patriotism OF the
OF the people, fortified by sixty years experience have
taught them the necessity OF torbeaance, and made them
feel that 1t lar better 10 submit even 10 what they be-
leve wrong and hurtlu than break up
the Union. They have no notion OF setting the ship on
fire because the captain deals out oppressive orders
They choose rather to wait till the ship returns to port.
and then. if they can get captain. In this spr,
the compromise measures OF The last session ought 70 be
treated They were not party measures Tor none OF the
they supplied The only platform on which men OF all par
ties could meet; and this is sufficient reason why the
country should acquesce in them.
That statute respecting fugitive slaves should form
part OF this series OF pacfcaory thing OF
course One of the chief compromises Of the constitution
ilseli relates to thus very subject The South would not
come INTO the Union without some guarantee on this
point. and the following section (art. a. sec. p was
adopted by the conventionl believe unanimously "No
person held to service labor in State under tho
laws thereof. escaping ato another, shall, in conse,
guence OF any law regulation theren be discharged
from such service labor but shall be delivered up on
claim OF the party TO whom such service or labor mAy b.
due" law enacted under Washing,on's adminis-
ration and with his approval to carry this provision OF the
constitution into eecf This law had OF late years been
rendered nugatoy OF the States by local legislation,
and became necessary TO replace II with another This
is the statute which exciting SO much oppo .ition.
and the execution OF which has been resisted with 20
much violence These demonstrations, although pro
fessedy directed against OF the details Of the act arc
to great extent ieveed against its principle We do the
they would be equally hostile to any adequate law do
signed to effect the same object In this view. one can
not but be struck with the flexible morality which
declaim frrcey about the inalienabe rights of man,
While il is tramPng under It's Zee, OF the most sacred
covenants which ever bound people together. There
sG ON as ns
provision, in common with the others, our fathers as
ented and have assented It is one OF the terms OF
compact into which have people entered with
another. ia
any other Of its provisions Our ludgmen, may condemn
it, may be very revolving to feelings But this is
remain country which believe to be governed by
oppressive laws there is nothing 70 prevent our flying
to any land which rejoces in "a miller code and more
rational liberty. But as long continue citizens oil
this Union, must abide by lis constitution and obey
its laws And we cannot consent 10 take lessons in
ethics from those who deny this proposition. The first
requisite demand in teacher Of morals il that ha
be moral man himself. And when covenant. breaker
comes expound to obligations we es disposed
10 decline his Instructions and TO say to him,
You nickname virtue vice you should have spoke
For virtues office nsver breaks mems foh.'
To some persons this may sound very unfeeing az r.
gardsthe slave. | will not reply by saying that tue
Apostle Paul hought no SIN to Send fugitive back to
his master But this is case where we are not at lib
ey TO take counsel merely OF our syBpahles The OBJ
legation OF contracts is not made contingent upon meme
feelings; and if this plea was to be urged at ALL II should
have been before the constitution was adopted. We do
not however rest answer to the objection on this
ground only We are not willing TO concede monop.
bondman TO The party which clamoring for uncon.
donal repeal oil the fugitive slave law So far from it,
we claim TO be the rues friends OF the slave. We be-
leve that we'll Tor nations, and in respect to public
AFFAIRS for individuals "honesty is the best policy !"
and that kindness TO the coored race, less than pa
otism demands faithful adherence, on the part OF all
concerned, to the spulatons Of the constitution. By
that instrument the exclusive jurisdiction Of slavery
served TO the several States We have right 10
dictate TO South Carolina what she shall do with her
slaves than she has 10 prescribe to Pennsylvania what
railroads we shall construct, or what banks we shall
charter Nor does the responsibility OF her system OF
servtude any attach TO than does the responsible
ty Of the serdom OF Russia rhe northern aboitioniss
the term in its technical impressed, il would
SEEM with conviction tina, their proper responsibilities
sectional and NATIONAL secular and spiritual,
meHsurate with Their capacities, have volunteered 10
shoulder by much the heaviest portion OF the obligations
potiered cvility; but they press their attentions The
South remonsrates on the ground that the contemplated
interference would be highly prejudical TO her tranquil
ly bu her ocious friends upon their right 70
help her manage her private affairs The South a length
puts herself III attitude OF resistance and points to the
solemn compact in the constitutions but they reply. With
air OF triumph that they governed bya "htgksy
iaio and that under that law 1t Is not only ihsr right
but their duty to take charge OF her slaves And what
have they accomplished BY this Quixouc generosity
They have riveted the letters OF the slave They have
deferred at least three StatesMaryland Virginia. and
keDtucky-from carrying out the plans OF Proepective
emancipation they were Just entering upon when h: out
break OF misguided philanthropy occurred at the North
They have scattered the seeds OF dscord and alienation
broadcast through the confedeacy In word, protest
ing that they were the exclusive 1fcnds oil the save.
they have taken him their breasts with hug which
reminds one OF the embrace OF that errffc auiomaton
of the Virgin found in the dungeons OF the Holy lnqui
son, which, claspiDg the vctm in its arms and pressng
him to its bosom, transhxed him with thousand con.
cealed spikes and knife blades And their fitting
ares all this crusade against the South have besa
British emissariesthe subjects OF that wheh,iA
the face of the remonstrances OF Of the colonies
planted slavery soil and fostered into msnhood,
and which at this mement has millions OF sub)eets u
home and in its colonies who would be the gamers
phys,ca comfort and spiritual psivile0e by
changing places with southern slaves ff0
The failure OF all past efforts At the North to amelioats
the condition of the slave not papabie than u the
certainty that the grand expedcnt contemplated
would prove equally sbortive For, suppose radicasn
could achieve its purpose and split the Union to pieces,
how rcod hn help The aapsf Does any man. not ten.
ant of a lunatlc asylum. believe that disunion would
mitigate the evils OF southern servude Would
bring about relaxation o the laws which regulaas
ns Would it incline The planters to put books aad
pens into the hands OF their slaves! Would II n
clltae the flight OF fngitivssi Would II conciaas the
various legislatures towards schemes OF emancipatiOui
No one is 80 infatuated affirm this The mostfaa-
tic aboonsts be that the disruption II the
Union would pat cup OF gall and wormwood to the ps
of every slavehai would be signal for the soactusnt
oil more stringent laws than ever appeared upon the
southern statute books and for the institution Of q system
OF Surveillance every plantation and in every household
the rgor Of which has parallel in the records OF Amer
ican bondage. In the name, then, of three millions Of
slaves we protest against all schemes for dssoIvinx the
Union. We believe thai, terrible such catastrophe
would TO be the whtes would be less to the blacks
that woald abdge their privileges, augment their bur
dens and postpone by many the period OF their u
mate emancipation And we should be crlminally Indnes
heir welfare we'll reacherous thoss sscIed
k~,I - k..~ 49,, -.tnA Norh