The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-09-19
Gov. johnston and his Organ.

/ York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
GOV. Johnston and his Organ.
Our readers will recoect that Governor Johnston, in
his letter of the l4th instant in reply to the citizens OF
Philadelphia who had endeavored TO rouse him to just
sense of his duty in the Chrisana case, attempted
cuse his neglect and nacton by denying that there
i" any insurrectionary movement" in Lancaster county
In that letter the governor said
Permit me- gentlemen, having thus removed all just
of anxiety from minds respectfully suggest
that the idea of rebellion 'insWreconary Increment in
the county of Lancaster anyUhsrs else in This Common
oeah real foundation, md is offensive imputa
ton large body of our felow-clzens There is in
srctionary npovemsrt Lancaster county, and there
would be to military force there you
desire, and nnane the public mind by any such
strange exaggeration. do not wish our brethren OF the
Union think that in any part of this State resistance 10
the law goes undetected unpublished, that there
such sentiment treason TO the Unton and the con
tstton."
This of directly in contradiction of the Re-
public of this city, which day two before had fully
demonstrated that the of treason against The
United States But glad 10 perceive that even
his own organ (he Philadelphia American and Gazette)
finds necessary utterly to repudate and contradict the
governors formal declaration Here is the language of
the Gazette
"THE CHhIsTIANA There can be difference
opinion concerning the shocking affair which occurred
Chrisana Thursdayhe resisting OF law OF Congress
by band of armed negroes, whereby the majesty of the
government deed and life taken in and the
act There is something more than mere ordinary
something more than even murderous-ot in all this
IT is AN ACT OF RESURRECTION. WE MIGHT, CONSIDERING
PECULIAR CLASS AND CONDITION OF THE GUILTY
ALMOST RESURRECTION, ONE OF
TREASON. Fifty, eighty. hundred persons, whether
white black who deliberately in for the
pose of resisting the law-EvEN
OF FUGITIVE sLAvEs-ARE IN THE ATTITUDE OF LEvYNG
UNITED STATES and doubly heavy becomes
the crime OF murder in such and douby serious the
accountability of all who have had with the
advisers in
any way Whatever"
But this is not all We put to the sense of the coun
try that the above-quoed language of Governor John
ston, view of the admitted facts of the case clearly
proves him TO be utterly incapable of welding ghuly the
executive authority of his State and of properly appreca.
ting the in which its power should be put forth Here
is openly commited-war levied against the Un
ted States The facts notorious, and as horrible
they be. His party organs admit that they make
case of treason, instruction, rebellion, serve war, set
by white and resulting in the murder of the min
listers OF the law with legal process in their hands And
then the governor. four five days after all this
is known to him. 10 tell that there has been no an
surrsctonary movement" and that in The whole case
there is not only act, bat no sentimenr even, Of
" treason" against the constitution and the laws OF the
country And this forsooh, is his for delaying to
issue proclamation and refusing to send any military
force TO the spot TO prevent the civil authorities from
being overpowered shot down in their efforts quell
the instruction
&c. then, for men, white and black TO conspe and or
ganze and themselves resist by force the right
full execution, with due legal process of the fugitive
law, and then 10 carry that purpose into effect by shoot.
ing down the who engaged in its execution is
not in Gov Johnstons view, reasonable insurrec-
tionary movement 1t is plain enough that Governor
Johnston would take such ground if any other iap
the fugitive law, had been thus assaed and trodden
down. 1t is plain that his organ-,he Gazeue-even
while contradictng the governor yet appears to favor il
not sanction, this discrimination against the fugitive
law as an odous and dsceded statute when it tells us
that resist any law of the United States" the
law for the recovery of fugitive slaves to levy
against the government
But is for Governor Johnston say thai
the counsels of with whom he is acting parli-
sans, whose votes he seeks, warp his judgment In
not resisting such bias he shows himself utterly
disqualified for his office and the very existence OF such
bias growing out of his party relations, ought manliesy
to put the whole South and the whole country its
guard against that party in Pennsylvania elsewhere
whose opinions and organization subject its leaders to
such influences.