The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-20


GEO. Ii. BUTLER,
JAS r. BRADY,
l.. b. CHASE.
To the Hon. RsuBEN H. WALwoRrH.
SARATOGA EpnrNos, Dec. 80, 1850
GENTLEMEN Owing to my absence at the West
for the last two months did not receive your fla
vor Of the 9th Of November, transmitting the
lutions adopted by the citizens or New York at the
great Union meeting ut Castle Garden, until my
return home few days since My sentiments
upon the subject Of the sectional agitation which for
time actually endangered the integrity Of the
Union, SO well known, that it is hardly neces-
sary for me to say most cordially approve Of the
resolutions adopted by the meeting Of the fcnds of
the Union alluded toin your communication. The
spirit exhibited at that meeting Of the citizens Of
our great commercial metropolis, and at other sim
liar meetings which have been held elsewhere, !
trust will have the effect Of satisfying the friends
well the enemies of freedom throughout the
world that our glorious and happy Union ID
still to be preserved, well have the effect Of
sitting the troubled waters Of fraternal discord at
home.
1t is well known to the distinguished individual
now at the head Of the General Government, who
has long been my personal though not my political
friend, that, Immediately after the result of the
last Presidential election known, urged upon
some Of the leading members ofboth political par
ties, in this State and elsewhere, the proprety and
cxpediency Of having the exciting questions which
were then agitatng the Union put at rest during
the then next session of the 30th Congress, by
measures OF compromise winch 6nOulQ provide lOr
the settlement Of the disputed Texan boundary,
and for the organization Of the Territories without
the Wilmot proyiso, which was known to be SO
tremely odious and offensive to brethren Of the
South And during the last session OF the present
Congress had the honor to be consulted by sew
cral of those members of the Senate, who are SO
justly entitled to the lasting gratitude Of every true
friend Of the country, as to the measures Of COM
promise which ought to be adopted; and which
were finally agreed upon. therefore say with
out hesitation that, as whole, do most heartily
approve OF all the Compromise laws passed at
the last session Of Congress, parts of one
great plan of pacifcation and mutual conces-
sion, though in of their details would
prefer TO have had few slight notifications,
which would not have effected those laws in SUBJ
stance. But those notifications l do not deem of
sufficient importance to justify the opening Of any
of the subjects Of controversy by any attempts to
amend. So far, then, as my influence as a private
citizen extends, shall do what can to discourage
and prevent further agitation of the subjects Of
compromise; any evasion Of or resistance to- the
due execution Of those laws according to their true
spirit and intent. II may not be improper here to
say, have always belonged to that class Of polit
clans who believe that powers not clearly and dis
tinctly delegated to the General Government, TO-
Congress-, by the Constitution, and which are not
prohibited to tho States, belong exclusively to the
States, or to the people, And when the OF Jack
Martin was before the court Of which was then
member, expressed doubt as to the authority
Of Congress to legslate upon the subject of fugitive
slaves. Since that time, however, the constitu-
tional right of Congress to provide by law for
carrying into effect the clause Of the Constitu-
ton on that subject, has been fully established
by the Supreme Court of the United States, in
case which brought that question directly be-
fore that tribunal for decision. And every law
abiding citizen ia bound to submit to the iudg-
mcnt Of that Court, the constitutionality
Of law of Congress- The Court, in the same
case, also decided that no State had the power
to pass any law which should conflict with the leg
islation of Congress on the subject; with the
stutional right Of the master to claim his fugitive
slave wherever he should be found. There 10 no
constitutional qucston arising under the recentact
OF Congress relative to fugitive slaves which did
not also arise under the act of February, 1898;
which law the Supremc Court of the United States
declared to be constitutional and valid. No good
citizen, therefore, will consider himself authorized
to resist or evade the execution Of law thus
sttutionally passed. And no member of State
Legislature who has taken the oath to support the
Constitution Of the United States, rs all are
quired to do, can, without mourning the moral
guilt of perjury, vote for any law which he knows
believes to be in conflict with the provisions of
that Constitution relative to fugitive slaves, in
conflict with the laws on that subject constitution
ally passed by Congress. And there is no law and
no principle to be found in the higher and holier
| code of Heaven which either requires permits
any voluntarily to swear he will support the
Constitution of the United States, when, at the
time he utters that solemn vow in the of the
Omniscient. he has no intention Of performing it.
am no friend of slavery. On the contrary,
have frequently expressed the opinion that the
istcnce of slavery among us is social well as
political evil, entailcd upon US by the cupidity
and wrong OF the parent country, and against the
wishes and the circumstances of the people of the
| colonies
| But it is an evil which the phanthropist and the
Christian at the South frequently finds it impossible
| to remove, Immediately, without producing other
evils which would be still greater. The States
where slavery exists therefore, should be left
| trely free to choose their own times and to adopt
their own modes of Kidding themselves of the evil
| by a gradual system of emancpation--the only
| practical mode of abolishing slavery where it ex-
lists to any considerable extent, without producing
| greater injury than benefits, even to the slaves
| themselves.
But even If immediate emancipation would DO
| productive Of nothing but unmnglcd good, still
the right TO reclaim their fugitives from service is
one which is secured to our southern brethren by
that Constitution which has been the cause, under
the protection Of Heaven OF innuinerablc blessings
to the people Of the North well to those Of the
West and South.
No good citizen, then, whose own civil and rcll-
| gious privileges sccuredto him by the same in
strument, and by our happy Union, which has al
| ready elevated us to the highest rank in the family
/ Of nations will allow himself, either by force or
fraud, to nullify the laws Of the land destroy
the rights secured to his fellow citizens of the South
| by the Constitution of the Confederacy.
| Nor should any one who loves the name and re-
! the memory of the Father of his Country
| ''attempt to ALLEVIATE any portion of our country
from the rest" by further agitation, either in or
out of Congress, Of the exciting question now
happily settled by the Legislation OF the last
| sion.
| am, gentlemen, with respect, yours, &C.,
| II. ii. WALWORTH,
Messrs. GEORGE Woop, and others, committee, &c.
|
| IIBERIA EpIop ANTs The (,oLoni ~afiOn Journal