The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-24

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siderable bloodshed churches were burnt in Phi
| Iadelpha, one after another and the city was in
i tumut for weeks in Baltimore, not forty miles
from this plabe mobs had taken place, and the pro-
perty of private individuals destroyed and in
| the southwest gangs of desperadoes have set the
| laws at defiance for weeks at time. These did
not demonstrate that the laws of the land could not
be enforced. But he still regarded the President
as having done nothing but what it was his duty
to have done. He had acted q statesman and a
patriot who, knowing his duty, had resolved to
perform it.
The Senator from South Carolina had spoken OF
the Legislation of Illinois and Indiana excluding
free negroes as no indications rather OF desire to
free themselves of worthless population than az
favorable to the South. Those laws not new
TO the Senator; similar ones were in force in South
Carolina and Alabama. He cared not what the
object of those States was, it not hostile to
the South Such legislation was not hostile to the
South. He had no fault to find with il. II was,
he thought, an advantage to the South If the
free States would all prohibit negroes coming
into them, he would rather have such legisla-
ton than q law to reclaim fugitives. II would
be the best legislation to prevent slaves run
ming off. In conclusion, he repeated that he con-
sdered the President had acted with the great
est propriety, and that he had done his duty, and
would continue to do
Mr.. BORLAND was not present when this law
passed. but il he had been he would have voted for
it. though without any expectation that it would
result in any practical benefit or good results In
his expectations he had not been disappointed. He
considered the law a complete failure 1t had been
executed in some half dozen cases, but what was
that number to the thousands of fugitiyes who
| now in the free States. He had been opposed to
the compromise acts and would have voted against
them, but he had hoped that they would have pro-
duced some good fruits, but in this he disap-
pointed. He saw none OF the good results follow
ing them which were predicted by their supporters.
| Agitation and excitement had not been allayed;
they continuedsti, not only in the country, but in
| the halls Of Congress. Slavery is still discussed
in some form or another; and the subjects leading
int hxyth
for the Compromise, and particularly by the chief
| champion Of those measures.
Mr.. TURNEY reviewed all the acts comprising
what is known az the Compromise, and denied
that while the South yielded up every thing to OBJ
tain this one law, she had obtained any thing of
the least practical value. He did not consider the
| law as having been executed. He denied that any
| thing had occurred showing sentiment at the
North more favorable to the South, since the pas
sage of the Compromise acts. He considered it ut
| terly impossible to execute the law while there
were clubs and organizations in every free State
| formed to defeat its enforcement
Mr.. CHASE was one OF those who had opposed
the so-called Compromise acts, and had voted for
only Of them, viz: the act abolishing the slave
| trade in this District. He considered that those
acts had totally failed in producing that settlement
Of questions which they were represented as being
capable Of. Both sides to the Compromise declared
this law had not been executed. He had voted
against this law In his opinion the duty OF
enforcing the provision Of the Constitution was
the duty Of the States and not Of the General
Government. He considered it compact be-
tween the States, and Congress had nothing to
do with the subject. Previous to the decision OF
| the Supreme Court in the of Prigg vs.
| the Commonwealth of Pennsylvan such had
| been the general opinion, and the States had
made regulations to execute this clause OF the Con-
| stitution. The Supreme Court, however, by that
decision had denied the States had any such power
and declared it was the duty of Congress- He re-
garded this decision of the Supreme Court prac
tcally expunging the provision for the rendition of
fugitive slaves from the Constitution, for it relieved
the States from all obligation to do the duty, and
act of Congress could be efectually carried out.
He then pointed out the various modes by which
claimants would be deferred from claiming their
| slaves, on account OF the mmenso costs, the time
lost, the trouble and difficulty of overcoming legal
obstacles, &C., and said he but little practical
good resulting from this law to the southern claim
ant. He then alluded to the several cases in which
the law had been enforced.
He detailed the circumstances attending the late
proceeding in Boston, and considered il as no such
occurrence calling for the extraordinary proceed
ings contemplated. He said the question of the
ecution Of this law was with the people. II they
wied it, it would be executed, if they did not de-
sign it should, no proclamation would effect it, He
referred to the proclamation OF General Gage, in
Boston, seventy five years ago, which was intended
to coerce the people into submission to laws they
did not approve of that proclamation led to
luton. lie considered the proclamation of the Pre-
sident as entirely unnecessary.
MIR. DODGE, of Iowa, defended his State from
| the charge of having ever done any thing to OBJ
struct the execution Of this any other law for the
recovery of fugitive slaves, of any interference
| with the rights of Southern States. He had the
usual allowance of human sympathy; but when
ever the should arise to present the question
| between the whites and the blacks he would never
be found warning against his own complexion and
race in behalf of the negroes. He considered the
course Of the President since he had been in office
as eminently patriotic and proper; he thought that
course had been beneficial to the country, and that
it had completely spiked the cannon of the Senator
from New York and his party.
He had long remarked the singular fact that the
sympathy of those who camored so loud in behalf
of the poor negro always ceased when the negro
became free, and when he required their sympathy
| and aid. The Senator from Ohio had alluded to
Cages proclamation, and had told them that that
had been followed by blood; if the Senator meant
to say that the proclamation of the President,
quiring obedience to the laws, was to be followed
| by a conflict and boodshed, he would say to the
Senator let that contest come just the
party who intended it thought proper. He did not
| regard the late mob in Boston any true indica-
ton Of the feeling of the people of Massachusetts
| he preferred to suppose the demonstration at
| Springfield occasioned by the conduct of the Eng
lish mscreant Thompson better reflected their sen-
| timents. He promised that if Thompson would
visit Iowa to carry out any OF his sedtious designs
| he would be most summarily dealt with.
Mr.. DOUGLAS explained the Legislation of Illi-
nois with regard to free blacks coming to reside
therein. There had always been a law Furnishing
with severity the harboring or concealment of a
runaway slave. The people of that State now, by
constitutional provision, prohibited negroes coming
| to reside there, whether free seave. They had
determined that Illinois should not be colony for
the free negroes of the Union, and for the worth
less, and broken down, and runaway servants
| from the adjoining slave States They were
white people, and were determined to preserve
white population. Let the other States take care of
their free negroes. and let the slave be sent
back to his owner, where the Constitution placed
him.
| The Senator from Ohio expressed as his opinion
that this law could never be executed that the de
! cision of the Supreme Court in Prigg's had
virtually expungcd the constitutional provision.
He regarded this declaration as gross calumny
| upon the people Of the free States.
| The Senator was of the opinion that it was the
duty OF the States to execute this provision, and
| that the Federal Government had nothing to do
with it. To suppose in such that the law
was dead letter, was to imply charge that overy
officer, constable, sheriff, judge and every egisla-
| tor, would disregard his obligations to the Const-
tuition he had sworn to support, and would be false
to his country and bis God.
| Mr. CHASE explained that he had always been
fxf tho At.t,