The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-16

strives to veil the enormty of that act OF apostacy
The Governor proceeds TO vindicate the North,
and especially his own State, against the impo'a-
ton Of harboring hostile feelings to the South, or
meditsting sggressions upon its rights; ana ne
avows his continued attachment to the Ordinance
Of 1857, In the following words;
"By the Ordinance of 1887, large portion OF
the American people had declared their cohvic-
tion that Slavery ought not to be EXTENDED over
free territory but the exclusion OF mat ihs''u-
ton from the States of the Northwest was not
then deemed sufficient to prevent the formation
of the Federal Union. The same sentmen. SUI,
exists in the Northern mind, 10 De manleseee
whenever and only when its exercise Is provokeu
by new aggressions and | cannot concede that IL
affords anv ground for complaint ON the part OF
any of the States-sti less that it can justify Sc
cessiou, revolution or any effort to overthrow the
free Constitution established by our fathers"
lie assumes that the People generally evince
disposition to acquiesce in the settlement Of the
Territorial Question as a final disposition Of the
subject and he clearly shows that such is his dis
position.
Ofthe Fugitive Act, he thus speaks
"The provision of the Federal compact re-
curing the return of 'fugitives from labor
however repugnant to the sentiments of many Of
our people, is of paramount authority, and, like
every other constitutional oblig tion, should be
observed in good faith. In legislating upon a
subject Of such difficulty, it was obvious that
more than usual care was necessary, that IN en-
forcing the claims Of section Of the country,
we should not trespass upon the rights OF the
| other While the claim of the Southern slave
| holder to reeapture his slave is fully admitted,
the right of the Northern freeman TO prove and
| defend his freedom is equally sacred. Both are
alike under the protecting care of our common
| Constitution.
| at cannot be denied that the recent act OF
Congress for giving fuller effect to the provision
requiring the return Of fugitive slaves has excited
dissatisfaction in many portions of the country,
carrying them almost to the extreme of threaten
| ing resistance to the law But all good citizens
will recollect that whatever may be their individ-
ua feelings opinions in regard to the policy or
propriety Of any legislative enactment 1t Is their
plain duty, long as it remains in force, to sus-
tain the authorities legitimately charged with its
execution. Apprehensions have been entertained
| that under the hastily considered provisions of
the act, passed during period of uensual agits-
ton, persons of color claiming to be free, and
really free, are not allowed those reasonable OPP
portunites and those customary legal safeguards,
necessary to enable them 10 establish by adequate
proof the fact of their freedom.
A recent case has shown this belief to be not
J merely speculative and that the danger that o
! freeman under inc Summary rneste o1"~u %..~~
law can be executed may be hurried into captiv-
ity, is not wholly imaginary. We cannot, and
we do not, believe that the South, any more than
| the North aims at or de Tres such result-or
will insist on retaining provisions leading to such
exciting consequences We shall rely not only
on their sense Of propriety and reciprocal justice,
but their calm conviction that the law ITSELF to be
permanent must be reasonable for their uniting,
| after due reflection, with their brethren Of the
North in kind and dispassionate spirit, in re-
viewing such clauses as may be found defective
or Objectionable, and in consenting to such judi
! cious notifications as may command general APP
proval
In the mean time, our people must be left free
to examine its provisions and practical operation
Their vital and fundamental right to discuss the
merits of this or any other law passed 10y their
representatives, constitutes the very basis Of our
Republican system, and can never be surrendered.
Any attempt to restrain it would prove far more
] dangerous than its freest exercise. But in all
such discussions we should divest ourselves of
sectional or partisan prejudice, and exercise a
spirit Of comprehensive patriotism, respecting
alike the rights of every portion of our common
country"
This is rather more than enough to displease the
advocates Of Compromise, but not quite enough to
to satisfy their opponents. Still, for Governor,
it is very respectable dissent, as good at least
as that of the Democratic Governor Wood
of Ohio We must recollect, however, that the
wrath of our Northern Governors is always Of
the discreetest sort, except when let loose upon
| fanaticism To the credit Of Governor Hunt, bs
} - l---A-s-;r-~ s---~ .;liS~-.;~ IS l. :.
own People, ana from that contemplate twattl,
about faction and fanaticism which constitutes
the staple of the letters and speeches of so many
Northern politicians.
GOVERNOR WRIGHT.
Governor Wright Of Indiana breaches as long
sermon as his brother in New York. He un
bosoms himself with wonderful particularly
One column is devoted to a dissertation on the
necessity of African Colonization and the bless
ings of the American Union.
II ere is a specimen of the arguments by which
he convinces himself that free people, with a col
ored complexion, ought to be kicked out of the
country:
"The subject Of the colonization of the free
blacks is now beginning to receive that attention
which its importance demands The circumstan-
ces which surround us are pressing our people to
look into this subject in the right light, and in
the proper spirit
"Our Southern brethren arc making rapid
movements towards abridging the privileges of
this class, even to Punishment. We in the North
are adopting extraordinary means for removing
them, by prohibiting them from holding proper
ty, excluding them from the protection of the
laws, and denying them any rights whatever.
while all this is going on, our better nature,
the common sympathies of all men, are beginning
to ask these important questions: What is 10 be
the End Of all thiS Is there no repisdy? Is there
no epe for This epa
ain the midst of all this excitement and confu-
sion, the light breaks in upon us, which points
conclusively to colonization as the only remedy
This is, as if the Governor should take his
neighbor by the throat, because he dislikcd him,
beat him, tumble him in the dust, trample upon
him. tic him neck and heels, and then, compass
sionatcy contemplating his victim, piously cx-
claim Hold my better nature begins to work
the common sympathies of all men are beginning
to ask these important questions What is TO be
The end of all this Is there no remedy? Is there
no cpre for this srl pm
Undoubtedly; Governor. Just cut this cord
that binds me, take your foot off my throat and
let me up-that will be an "end Of all this
But this is not in accordance with gubernato-
rial philosophy or piety. The Governor seems
to think that the right way to remedy the mis-
chiefs produced by our own malii nifty is to in
dulge it to the uttermost-that one wrong is
the justification Of another-that because we hate
man, we may insult him and because we insult,
we may beat him and because we beat, we
may rob him; and because We rob, we may
murder him. We, who make the laws which