Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-06-27

security TO persons who lived In the South
ern States for delivering up fugitives who
owed them service; that is to say, the fugi-
tives from service or labor should be re-
stored to his master, or owner.
Well, that had been the history of the
country from its first settlement 1t was a
matter of common practice to return fugi-
tves before the Constitution was formed
Fugitive slaves from Virginia to Massachu-
sets were restored by the people Of Massa-
chusetts. At that day there was a great
system of apprenticeship at the the North
and many apprentices at the North, taking
advantage of circumstances, and of vessels
saifing te the South, thereby escaped
This lead 10 a clear, express and well de-
fined provision in the Constitution Of the
country on the subject Now, [ know that
all these things are common-that they
have been stated a thousand times; but in
these days of perpetual discomfort and mis-
+ representation, TO state things a thousand
times is not enough; for there are more
than a thousand persons whose consciences,
one would think, lead them to make it a
duty, to deny, misrepresent, falsify and
cover up truths. Now, here is the Consti-
tuition fellow-citizenS, and | have taken the
pains to transcribe therefrom these words,
SO that he who runs may read: ''No person
held To service or labor in one State under
the laws thereof, escaping into another,
shall in consequence of any law or regula-
ton therein, be discharged from such ser
vice or labor, but shall be delivered up on
claim of the party to whom such service or
IL H. , y. 4
aboutth No Twill not disgrace my profes-
sion by supposing such a thing. There is
not in or out of an attorneys Office in the
county of Erie, or elsewhere, one who could
raise a doubt, or particle of doubt, about
the meaning Of this provision of the Consti-
tuition. He may act as witnesses do, some
time on the stand. He may wriggie and
twist, and say he can't tell. | have seen
many such exhibitions in my time, on the
part Of Witnesses, to falsify, and betray, and
deny the faith. But there Is no man who
can read these words Of the Constitution of
United States, and say they are not clear
and imperative. No person, the Consti-
tuition SAYS, held TO sersice or labor in one
State, under the laws thereof escaping into
another shall, in consequence of any law
or regulation therein, be discharged from
any such service or labor, but shall be de-
liyered up on the claim of the party to
whom such service or labor may be due
Why, YOU are told bv forty conventions in
Massachusetts, in OHIO, in New York, in
4 Syracuse, and elsewhere, that if colored
man came here, he came a. a fireman.
That IS, a 3s031 Sequitur. If he came as a
fugitive from labor, the Constitution says
he is not a freeman, and that he shall be de
iivered up to his owners who are entitled to
his seryi-,e.
Now, gentlemen, that is the Constitution
Of the United States. Gentlemen, do we
or do we not, mean TO execute that part O
The Contistution as well as the rest OF it?
S suppose there are before me here member!
; of Congress. l suppose there are member:
= of the State Legislature, or executive off
: GERS, under the State government. | sup
: pose there are judicial magistrates of New
York, executive officers, assessors superyi
: sors, jutices of the peace, and constables
: before me. Allow me to say, gentlemen
that there is not, that there cannot be an,
= one of these officers in this assemblage, o
2 elsewhere; who has not, according to th
form Of his obligations, bound himself by
{ solemn oath, before his God, to support th
Constitution. They have taken their oath
! on the Holy Evangelists Of Almighty God
: or by uplifted hand, as the case may be, o
= by a solemn asseveration, as is the practic
? in some cases. But one and all of them
: there is not a man who holds, nor is ther
$ a man who can hold any Office in the gil
| of the United States, or in this State, or i
anv other State, who does not becom
bound, BY the solemn obligation of an oatl
before God that he will support the Con
p stitution of the United States. Well, is b
: to tamper with that? Is he to falter? Gen
n tlemen, our political duties are as muc
: matters of conscience as any otlfer duties
/ cur sacred domestic ties, our most endear
; ing several relations, are not more tbe sub
: iect for conscientious consideration and con
: scientious discharge, than the duties we en-
Q ter into under the Constitution of the Uni
j ted States The bonds of political brother
= hood are the bonds which hold US togethe
0 from Maine to Georgia. Now, gentlemen
i that is the main story of the Constitution {
:. the United States, on the question of slave
d ry. Gentlemen, | contend, and have a
d ways coRtended, that after the adoption {
IF the Constitution, any measure of the gov
/ ernment calculated to bring slave territor
n into the United States, was beyond the pow
{ er Of the Constitution, and against It's pre-
It vision. That is my opinion, and it alway
,f has been my opinion 1t was very consist
IS ent, or thought to be so, for the same pun
" pose, in Jefferson's time, to attach Louis
e ana to the United States. A treaty wit
e France was made for that purpose BI
e jefferson S opinion at that moment was ths
r an alteration of the Constitution was nece:
q sary TO enable it to be done In conside,
/ ing what viii not now repeat, that opinio
Is was abandoned and Louisiana was admi
n ted by law, without any provision or altel
y alton in the Constitution At that time
q was too young TO hold Office or take an
J. share in the political affairs of the countrl
4 Louisiana was admitted as a slave STAT
q and became entitled TO her representatio
# in Congress on the principle of mike
4 basis. Florida was afterwards adniite,
y Then. too, | was out of Congress; / hs
lr been in il once; but | had nothing 10 Z
: with the Florida treaty or the admission,
e Florida
n Ny opinion remains unchanged, that
G. vas not in the original scope or design
4 the Constution TO admit new States out
e, The foreign territory. and that for one,