Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1851-11-12
.~lassA NEW ISSUE" TREASON - >s7
The Milton Chronicle Of the seth October COZ
tains the following remarks s#..p go" -

tains tRe following remarks: t...' .. -. -
"THE Fueyr1vE SLAVE Law. AS difficulties
amounting to treason exist in carrying out the Fug-
tive Slave Law in the Abolition States, and as the
return of Fugtives from these States to the South,
is matter Of doubtful proprety, it occurs Us that
it would be good policy SO to amend the Fugitive
Slave Bill as to make the States in which fugitives
may be found responsible to the for the value
of the fugit ve-and let the Abolitionsts keep the
darkie and make the most of him. 1t is evident
that unless the Christana and Syracuse traitors are
hung, the Compromse will be mere rope Of sand
in the eye of the free States-they will respect the
Compromise 80 far only as it may suit their
nence pleasure. And If this be the case the South
will deserve degradation and nfamy if she submits
to the Compromise. Is it, however, likely TO be the
case? We tell better whea the traitors of Chris
tana and Syracuse shall have been disposed of. If
they made to dance between heaven and earth,
respect the law. But it, is feared, jury cannot
be had in favor of convictng them Of treasonr-the
case will be different, and the law may as we'll be
burrt up. In the latter event, what should be the du-
ty ofthe South Secede Yes unless the law be al
tered make the free States responsible for f-
less, being held responsible, each State pays up
promptly for the fugitives it is found to harbor.''
The Chronicle, it seems, would make new issue
with the free States, and thus agitate the slavery
question still further. If had proposed such an
s. Compromise measures, we should have been de-
nounced in the Federal prints agtator and Dis
unionist; but we suppose as the Chronicle belongs
to the Union party" and is one of the organs Of
His Accidency, MI. Fillmore, the Editor has righ,
to speak freely. and even to agitate if it should please
him to do We prefer the flgitive-slave law as it
is-it is plain and stringent enough already; and the
people who will not honestly carry itout, be they
Wings or be they Democrats, Freesoilers, OF Abo-
tionsts, traitors the United States and enc.
mics Of the Union and of public peace and order.
By the law, as now stands, if fugitive, after be-
ing arrested, escapes from the officer, the government
is bound to make good his value to the owner and
thus the people Of the slavehodng States are taxed
to pay for their own property stolen from them by
persons in the free States But this feature OF
the law is bitterly opposed by the Abolitioniss and
the Editor OF the Chronicle believe that the free
States would consent to 60 further, and bind them
selves to pay for fugtives found within their limits!
The idea is preposterous.
But the Chronicle goes for secession in case some
victed and hanged. Yes, the Editor, with his eyes
wide open, proposes to plunge into the gulf of dis
union and " treason'! What will the Editors Of
the Register say to that What would Mr.. Stanly
say!
So has been confessed, after all, by Wing print
edited by of Mr.. Fimore's Postmasters, that
all the South got by the IS compromise " was the
fugtive-slave law. Several honest whg papers North
have been admitting this fac. for time past but
this is the first admission of the from Southern
Whig print which has come under our eye. late
number of the New York Express says: " One Of
the Compromise acts act to suppress the slave
trade in the District of Columbia, ,vhich the South
gape to Tie North 9set for the fugitive slare aw.
The same paper adds that the fugitive act is moi
likely to surrender one hundred saues escaped info The
North from the South during a year." Remember, ,pe
did not say that-it is the language of Northern
Whig paper.
1t appears from the returns Of the Census Of 1850
that 1O17 slaves escaped last year the free States
At an average value of 5000 for each slave" says
the Savannah News, neutral paper, '' here is up
wards of half million of dollars lost to the South
in one year," OF these 1,0l7 North Carolina lost
81, which at $500 each, is S34.2OO-nearly enough
to support the State government for twelve months