The republic., 1851-02-22


ms@1fng luvs1b purpose Of n6flying the friends of
the Onion. - srousisg the public sentiment in
suppwt Of ~ laws, but - fear that il will be
hardly atialhctory to the putle abroad. That the
maasof our eintelligent citizsns, and even great
majosity of our entire popufntion, arc friendly to
the Constitution and ready 10 support the laws we
have never supposed admitted~of any doubt. and
Of this the spirit manifested at the Union meeting
in FaneuiI Hall, in November last, afforded satis
factory denomination.
But il cannot be denied that there Is large body
of men who arc regardless Of the integrity Of the
Union, and OF the maintenance Of the laws, and who
have pledged themselves TO the resistance of law,
the maintenance Of which is indispensable to the
preservation Of the Union. These men, while
they have studiously encouraged the belief that
there IL no danger to the Union, have been un-
renting in their efforts to enlist many a. pos
sible of the thoughtiess and unrcAecting mon Of
all classes of our population. in a conspiracy TO
resist the execution Of the Fugitive Slave Law when
ever an attempt should be made to carry it into
cffsct in this city. Many Of the men who have eL-
tertained this purpose, and entered into this
spiracy, arc known by their public avowal. But
there are, doubtless, others who have used their
influence for the promotion Of the object in more
covert way. II is, therefore, impracticablc TO do
terminc with any precision to what extent tho
voluntary aid of our citizens for the mainten-
ance of the laws may be relied upon in any
sudden emergency. The entire absence OF any
support on the recent occasion, to the small num-
Der Of officers under the control Of the United States
marshal from the police of the city, incident
which produced great surprise in the public
mind. The causes of this remissness not salts
factorily explained Whether it was owing to =
want ofinstructons to an apprehension ofincurring
the penalty imposed upon officers Of the State by the
law of l843 or to any other cause, the fact that
mob of one hundred and fifty or two hundred color
cd people could find their way through the pas
sages Of the courthouse into the United States
court room, at short distance from the head
quarters of the city police and bear off prisoner
from the custody of the marshal without an inter-
ruption or interference from the city police, is one
which, in the minds of the public abroad, will be
with difficulty reconciled with the idea that the
citizens Of Boston are governed by a rigid deter
mination to enforce the laws. This inference will
find confirmation in the fact that the present oc-
currence 10 but repetition of one Of like charac-
ter which took place a few weeks ago.
Whether the same occurrence would be again
repeated, should the opportunity for i. under SINH
lar circumstances be again afforded, is what do
not undertake to say; but we have no hesitation
in saying that similar circumstances ought not
TO be suffered again to occur. Not only the credit
of the city but the safety of our citizens demands
that we should have police force of some sort
who can be relied upon for the execution Of the
laws OF the United States, we'll of the State.
The order passed by tho mayor and aldermen
ON Tuesday last, and published in our paper yes
tcrday, il highly commendable in its purpose and
spirit. But for one impediment, it would perhaps
be all that il required. That impediment is the
law of ls43, to which we have repeatedly alluded.
II is indispensable, believe to the credit Of the
State and to the certain execution Of the laws and
maintenance Of the public peace, that this law
should be repealed, and that all conflict between
the laws of the State and those of the Uued States
should be obviatcd. Until this law is repealed, it
il difficult to imagine how the execution Of the
laws is to be enforced and the public peace pre-
served but by the establishment Of special police
under the control Of the officers of the United
States, or by relying on tho military force
II would be no favorable commentary on the
friendly disposition Of the people Of Massachusetts,
towards the Union that the United States Govern
mcnt should be compelled to rely ON the military
force insure the execution of the laws in the cap
tai of the State. It is unfortunate for the good
name of the State that, with population undoubt-
edIy friendly the preservation OF the Union, and
to the maintenance of the laws framed under the
Constitution and necessary to its support it should
be in the power Of the minority Of its citizens to
subject the State to the impuaton Of being hostile
to that Union, and unwilling to aid in the execu-
ton of the laws.