Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1851-05-03
How it Works.

The following additional items in
relation TO the late Fugitive case in
Boston, are significant of the feeling
there:
The Boston Fugitive Slave Case.
The people ofLynn, Mass, tolled
their bells on Saturday, when they
heard that Sims had been delivered
up to his master.
The Boston Commonwealth states
that several warrants have been is
sued for the arrest of other fugitive
slaves in that city.
The citizens of Fall river were to
hold town meeting on Saturday af-
ternoon, 10 see if they would instruct
their representatives to vote for Chas,
Sumner, and to express the public
sentiment upon the fugitive slave law.
The cost of the extradition of the
fugitiva slave, Sims, is estimated at
about five thousand dollars. A large
part of this sum will fall upon the
claimant, some $1,000 upon the city,
and $7O0upon the United States gov
ernment. The total expense, inclu-
ding subsistence oftroops and officers,
and fees of counsel, not to consider
the outlays of the vigilance commit
tees, will far exceed the sum of$5000.
These revelations, as well as 9th
er unmistakeable proofs of popular
sentiment elected by the recent e.
vents in Boston, suggest many reiiec-
tons. They lead irresistibly 10 two
conclusions: Firstly, that the delivery
of fugitive slaves is repugnant 10 the
moral sentiment of the great masses
of the people of New England, who
will use every means in their power
TO. render the late act null and void,
so long as they allow it to remain on
the statute book. Secondly, that it
must cost more thanit will come to,
under the most favorable circumstan-
ces, and that the expenses are such
specifically to destroy the utility of
the act.
This Boston case was a very favor
able nneeeScr the most extraordinary
efforts were made to facilitate the
proceedings, and secure the slave, at
the least expense, to the owner-and
yetit will be seen that the reclama-
ton of negro, whose value would
not amount to one thousand dollars,
costs the owner from two to three
thousand dollars! and the Federal
and State Government as much
more. And all this, too, not to en-
sure an open triumph of law and or
der, but a fitting before daybreak,
and an avoidance of the risk of the
risk of rescue on the railroads. N ay,
so much were the abolitionists embol-
dened by this midnight movement,
that they actually pursued the Acorn,
and had the wind not favored the
brig, might probably have borne the
fugitive buck in triumph to Boston.
But to recur to the main point. =
The value of any legislative act de
pends the ease, the certainty, and the
cheapness of its execution. Ii man
loses his slave, and is to be taxed four
times his value for the chance of re-
covering him, of what use is such
law? All Southern Shareholders can
not afford the same expensive luxu-
ries which Mr.. Potter's ample means
allow him to indulge in, for the pur-
pose OF testing a principle; and the
rendition of SIMS, at succh a price,
encourages the Abolitionists, while it
discourages the owners of fugitive
slaves from repeating so costly an
experiment The result has verified
our predictions to the letter; but we
feel bond to admit that in one matter
we were mistaken. We gave the
citizens of Boston more credit than
they deserved, for we thought the
renditition there would have been
easy whereas it was accomplished
with difficulty and danger, and con-
sunnnated by dexterous dodging af-
ter all.
So much for the equivalent for
the empire surrendered by the South.
Southern Press.
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