Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-11-05
THE SYRACUSE FUGITIVE SLAVE
RIOT CASE.

Decision OF Judge CofKttH, W INC Cusc W We 'W-
plicated parties.
rYg- The following comments on, and ex-
tracts of Judge CoSKLIN's decision, relative to
the Syracuse rioters, we copy from the Detroit
Free Press of the 2Sth ult.
We give below an extract from the published
decision of Judge Conklin in this case, which, it
occurs to us, embraces the most sensible views
we have seen touching the obligation ofcitlzen-
ship We have too many times discussed the
subject to require or Justify repetition here,
and beg only to say that Judge Conkiin is the
man on whom the ultra and wicked fanatics, OPP
posed to the recent slave law, and who would
remove it by violence, have relied as the Judge
who would sustain them in their iawlessness.-
II we mistake not the Detroit Tribune made a
grand flourish of an opinion on the same points,
from Judge l.. We now commend to the no.
tice of that paper this revised edition OF the
Judges thoughts on the subject the sober Sec
ond thought" which is so seldom wrong:
The least reprehensible motive by which the
aggressors can be supposed to have been amin
ated, is the belief on their part that slavery is
unjust and immoral, and that the laws by which
it is upheld may therefore rightfully be resisted
by force. 1t must be the hope of all good men
that the time may come, when injustice and op-
preston, in every form, including human slave
nv, If such be its character, will have been BAN
ished from the EARTH
But these wrongs exist, and are likely to en-
dure in other forms besides that of slavery; and
if we have nothing better than lawless violence
to rely upon for their removal, they will never
cease It is to advancing civilization alone that
we can look for their gradual extinction. These
men understand this, and shape their course ac-
cordingly. Bigots and fanatics are too blind to
see it, O: too impatient to heed it; and in their
headong zeal to redress particular wrongs, real
G.. fancied, regardless of all consequences, they
commit other wrongs more aggravated and In
toerable. Such is the grave error into which
these defendants have fallen. Regardless of
their civil and social duties, they have broken the
public peace, set the law at open defiance, and
with deadly weapons assaulted and wounded its
officers while executing its mandates. In thus
insulting the majesty of the law, did they expect
to escape vengeance? If so, their folly was
equalled only by their criminality What is the
law in this country but the declared will of the
majority, to which, when thus expressed all are
bound, by fundamental principle of the gov
eminent, to submit, and which all its ministers
are sworn to enforce!
1t often happens that laws are enacted contra
nv to the judgments, and sometimes to the NOR
al sense of thousands of our citizens and this
must unavodably be the case. But no sane
man imagines that he is therefore absolved from
the obligations to obey them, still less that he
has right forcibly to prevent others from do
ing so. If he cannot submit to them consistent
ly with the dictates of his conscience, he may
seek q residence in some other country, II he
can find one where he thinks he would suffer
less from misrule; but so long as he continues
to be an nhabitant of the United States he must
submit to the laws or Pay the penalty of his dis
obedience. When this ceases to be true-when
every man may transgress a law with impunity
because he dslikes it, our government will have
become mockery, not worth preserving, for il
will have ceased to afford protection either tc
the rights of property or Of life,
The act in question has unhappily been fruit
full of bigotry and fanaticism, and it is due tc
candor and truth to add that it seems to have
bewidered the judgment and consciences o.
Others besides the class of citizens to which the
defendants belong. am happy TO be ignorant
of the existence in this part of the State ofNeW
York of any of those persons-few, trust, ii
number anywhere-to whom ! allude. The
manly spirit and love of fair play prevalent here
are an effective anidote to the unhappy delusior
under which these persons seem to labor.
ST. LoUIs-IowA Coal TRADE.-Among thu
multitude of things conspiring to make st. Lou
is mighty commercial and manufacturing mart
we know of none which will exert a more deci
ded influence for that end, than the recent devel
opment of immense fields Of coal formation il
the young State of Iowa. The improvement
contemplated in the navigation of the Mississip
pi river between st. Louis and Burlington, t.
devise means for the prosecution of which Their,
has recently been held mass convention of tn,
citizens of the States bordering on the river, a
Burlington, will when effected, tend to rende
transportation between the two points easy ant
inexpensive, and thus bring into market at
cheap rate, the inexhaustbe beds of fuel refer
ed to. Machinery for manufacturing can thel
be run in st. Louis, as cheaply as at any othe
place in the west, and of course, the abundan
capital which has already found its way Their
for investment, will be employed in manufacto
ries of all descriptions. DR.. Owen, the U.
Geologist, estimates the area of coal field in 10
wa, at 5000 square miles, and says it is nearl
as large as the entire State of Indiana. TIL
coal production of this extent of country wi
naturally find its depot at st. Louis, and thi
will inevitably add Incidentally to the wealt
and prosperity of that great metropolis of tn
Mississippi. AS part and parcel of the Greo
Western valley, Detroit cannot but look wit
n a 4.