The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-29
THE REPUBLIC.

violence Of faction carried into military operations,
and the horrors attendant upon civil war.
| never had a doubt, gentlemen, that If the ad-
Ininistration of General Taylor had gone to war;
and had sent troops into New Mexico, that he
would have whipped them in week. The power
on one side was far superior to all the power on the
sisted by Thousands of volunteers from the disaf
Goted States, had gone to New Mexico, and bad
| been defeated and turned back, would that have
settled the boundary question Now, gentle
men, wish had ten thousand voices-I wish
| could draw around me the whole people of tho
| United States-and wish could make them all
hear what now declare in my own conscience,
| before the Power who sits on high, and who will
| Judge you and me hereafter, my solemn bellef
that II this Texas controversy had not been settled
| by Congress in the manner called the adjustment
| measures, civil war would have ensued-blood,
| American blood, would have been shed and who
can tell what else would have been the
| quence? Gentlemen, in an honorable war, if n
foreign foe invade us-if our rights threatened;
| if it be necessary 10 defend them by arms-I am
not afraid of blood. And if am too old myself,
| hope there are those connected with me who
young and willing to defend their country to the
| last drop of their blood. Sensation But can
not express the horror ! feel at the shedding of
blood in controversy between one Of these States
| and the Government of the United States, because
see in II disruption of all those ties that make
great and happy people.
| ing question ut the commencement Of the year
| 1850. Then there the other, and that was the
matter of the Fugitive Slave law; let me say word
about that. Under the provisions of the Constitu-
ton, in General Washington's administration, in
the year l793 there was passed law for the resto
ration of fugitive slaves, by general consent No
one opposed 1t at that periods IL was thought to be
necessary to carry the Constitution into effect The
great men of New England and New York all con-
Cured in it. II passed, and answered all the pur
poses expected from it till about the year l54l or
1912, when the States interfercd to make enact
ments in opposition to it. The law of Congress said
that State magistrates might execute the du-
ties of the law some Of the States passed penal en-
| actments, imposing penalty on any who exer-
cised such authority under the law others of them
denied the of their jails to carry the law into
effect; and. generally, at the commencement of the
year 1850, it was absolutely sayit was absolute
ly-indispensable that Congress should pass some
law for the execution Of this provision Of the Con-
stitution, else give up that institution entirely
That was the question.
+ was in Congress whom the law was proposed.
was for proper law; had, indeed. proposed a
trial by jury might be had, which would satisfy
the preiudices of the people; but left the Senate
and went to another station before the law
passed. The law of 1850 passed. Now undertake,
| as lawyer and on my professional character, to
say to you and to ALL that the law of 1850 ia decid
edy more favorable to the fugitive than General
Washington's law of 1893; and tell you why. In
the first place, the present law places the power in
much higher hands-of independent judges of the
supreme and circuit courts and district courts and
commissioners, who are appointed to office for their
law learning. Every fugitive 10 brought before
tribunal OF high character, OF eminent ability, OF
respectable station. Well, then, in tho first place,
when claimant comes from Virginia to New York
to say that one A or one has run away, or is fu-
gitive from service or labor, he brings with him
record OF the county from which he comes and
that record must be sworn to before a magistrate,
and certified by the county clerk as to its correct
ness.
The affidavit must state that A. or b. Gas the case
may beg had departed under such and such cir
cumstances, and had come here; and that record
under seal is, by the Constitution of the United
States, entitled to full credit in every other State
We'll, the claimant or his agent comes here, and he
presents to you the seal of the courts Of Virginia,
that A. or u. had escaped from service. He must
prove that he is here. He brings witness and
asks If this is the man, and he proves it; or in ten
cases out OF eleven, the answer would be, :" Yes,
massa, am your slave; did escape from your
service" Such is the present law; and 30 much
opposed and maligned as it is it is more favora-
Bile law to the fugitive than the law Of Washngtons
of 1893, which created disturbance at the time it
was passed, and which was sanctioned by the North
| as well as by the South. But this opposition is
| sentiment of modern times. From whom does this
clamor come? Why, look at the proceedings of
the anti slavery conventions-look at their resou
tons. DO you find among all those persons who op
pose this Fugitive Slave law any admission what
ever that any law ought to be passed to carry into
effect the solemn stipulations of the Constitution
Tell me any such case. Tell me if any resolution
was passed by the convention at Syracuse favoring
the carrying out of the Constitution? Not one
The FAC gentlemen, they oppose the whole,
mits here ought to be any law on the subject.
| They deny altogether that the provisions OF the
Constitution ought to be carried into effect.
Well, what do they say? Look at the proceed
ings of the anti-savery conventions in Ohio, Mas.
sachusetts, and at Syracuse, in the State Of New
| York. What do they say?-that, 80 help them
God, no coored man shall be sent from the State of
| New York back to his master in Virginia! Don't
they say that? and. for the fulflmen of that they
pledge their lives their fortunes, and their sacred
honor. Laughter Their sacred honor! Laugh
teri They pledge their sacred honor to violate
honor to resist their executIon-thcy pledge their
sacred honor TO commit treason against the laws Of
their country! God help them. who pledge their
sacred honor in such cause Applause
have already stated, gentlemen, what your OBJ
| seryation of this must have been. will only
cur to it for moment for the purpose of persuad
| ing you, as public men and private men-as good
men and patriotic men-that you ought, to the ex-
tent of your ability and influence, to to that
such laws are established and maintained shall
keep you and the South, and the West, and all the
country together as far as 1t is ust and right and
| IA far as the Constitution demands. say that
what is demanded Of us is, to be up to consti-
tutional dutes-to do for the South what the South
| have right to demand.
Gentlemen, have been some time before the
| public. My character is known-my life is before
the country profess to love liberty as much
| any man living. But profess to love American
liberty, that liberty which ia secured to the coun-
| try by the Constitution under which we live; and
l have no great opinion Of that liberty which goes
over the restraints of law of the Constitution.
hold the Constitution of the United States to be the
| bulwark, the only bulwark, of liberties and
our national charter. l do not mean that you
should become slaves under the Constitution.
| That is not American i0krty. That is not the lib
erty of the Union for which our fathers fought
that liberty which has given US right to be known
\ and respected all over The world now.
| Gentlemen, let me say to you that, as much as
admire the character Of the people of Western
New York, as wish to retain your good opinion
| if you would ever place me hereafter in any con-
nexion with public life--lct tell you now,
that you must not expect from me the slightest va
ration, even Of hairs BREADTH from the Consti-
| tuition of the United States [Cries Of GOOD,
| good.'] / am northern man. Twas born at the
North, educated at the North, have lived all my
days at Me North. know five hundred northern
men to one southern man. My sympathies, allmy
sympathies-my love of liberty for all mankind,
of every color, the same az yours. My aftec
ton and hopes in that respect are exactly like
you're. wien to soc all men frecal men happy.
have no nesociations OUT Of the northern States.