Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-01-04

yor of that doctrine until tile last session Oh
Congress. The gentleman from Georgia,
(Mr. Toombs,) not now in his seat, was the
first to come forward in this Hall WIN an
argument in favor of this new theory OF sub
sidlziug the people OF the free States to the
support of slavery.
Now, sir, with the President, ! repeat, that
no lover of the Constitution will seek to in
terfere in matters left with the Suites. We
will not be made to interfere with it; but j
must hasten to another expression of the
President.
lie tells us Z" the law is the only sure pro-
lection of the weak, and the only efficient
restraint upon the strong" This, sir, is said
| in direct reference to this fugitive slave law
1t would seem that the President intended to
see how far he could impose upon the in
tellirence of the people. Sir, what protec-
ton does this law lend TO the poor, weak,
oppressed, degraded slave, whose flesh has
| often uuvered under the lash of his nhunnn
| owner; whose intellect has been nearly blot
tad out? When he seeks an asylum in
| land of freedom, this worse than barbnrous
| law sends the officers of Government to chase
him down. The people are constrained to
| become his pursuers. Furnishing, tninting,
aud brnumbcd with the cold, he drags his
weary limbs forward, while the whole pow
| cr of the Government under the Presidents
command, the army aud navy, and all the
frccmcn of the land, organized Into coiistn-
| bulary force, are on his track TO drag him
| back to bondage, under this law. And this
| law, the President tells us, is the only sure
protection to the miserable slave. The eX
preston, appears to me, rather insulting to
! our intelligence.
Sir there is not man in this body-there
is not an intelligent man in the free States,
hut knows, il he delivers fugitive into the
custody of his plrsucrs that he will he car
ried TO the South and sold TO the sugar or
cotton plantations, and his life will be sac
rifced in five years if employed on the sugar
plantations, and in seven years on the cotton
plantations. The men Of the North, who
look upon this as murder, would as soon
turn out and cut the hroats of the defence
less negro as to send him back to n land of
chains and whips. As soon would they do |
this MS comply with law which violates cv-
cry principle of common Justice aud human
ty. The law, sir, holds him who aids in n
murder as guilty as lie who strikes the knile
to the heart of the victim. Under our law,
a man is hanged il he fails to prevent nIur-
der when it is plainly in his power to do so.
Such man is held guilty of the act, aud he
is hanged accordingly. The man who would |
assist in the capture of fugitive, would be
regarded by us as guilty us he under whose
lash the victim expires.
have compared this capture of fugitive
to common murder In doing that | do
injustice to the common murderer. To cap
tire u slave and send him to the South 10
die under a torture OF five years, is far more
criminal than ordinary murder.
Sir, we will not commit this crime. Let
me say TO the President, no power of Gov
pp,,,Y,.l 4 ipv,,lua
in such guilt No! The ireeucn OF Ohio
will never turn out 10 chase the painting lug-
tve-they will never be matamorphOsed in
TO blood-hounds, to track him 10 his hiding
place, and seize and drag him out and de-
liver him TO his tormentors. Rely upon il,
they will die first They may be shot down,
the cannon, and bayonet and sword may do
their work upon them; they may drown the
tugitives in their blood, bur never will they
stoop to such degradation,
Let no man tell me there is no higher law
than this fugitive bill. We feel there is
law of right, of justice, of freedom, inplant-
ed in the breast of every intelligent human
being that bids him look with scorn upon
this libel upon all that is called law.
Sir, was about to make some conpar-
sons but perhaps they may be regarded as
indeicate. During last summer two dislin-
guished gentlemen of the same name occu-
pied much of the public attention. One was
said to have committed murder, and the 9TH
er to have procured the passage of this law.
One was hanged for his crime, the other,
for his effort, taken to the Executive Cabinet.
One destroyed the life of an individual, the
other contributed his effort for the passage
of this law, which must consgn hundreds,
perhaps thousands, to premature graves. !,
sir, cannot speak for others; hut for myself
had rather meet my final Judge with the |
guilt of him who has gone to his final nc
count thun of him who now sits in yonder
Cabinet.
Twill ask the attention of the committee
| 10 another, further expression, intended 10
ndd weight TO the declaration already noticed.
The President says You, gentlemen and
the country, may be assured, that TO the Ut
most of my ability, and to the extent of the
power vested in me. shall Mt all times, aud
in all Places take care that the laws be faith
fully executed"
Now have told what the effect of that
law will be. | have pointed out the course
which i think our Northern people will take
in regard to it. Let the President hurI his
tutnts at the treemen of the North. Let
him speak of the powers vested in him; let
him use the bayonet, the sword, and the
cannon; let him make himself another Hay
nau let him drench our land of freedom in
blood; but he will nepcr make us obey that
law. The first cannon that opens its sound
upon Northern treemen tells the death knell
of this Republic! l say what before God
and man feel-that the moment your Army
aud Navy conironts the freemen of the
North, that moment will bring this Republic
to It's eternal sleep. / make these remarks
not by way of menace. do not merely say
that am speaking my personal intentions
in that respect. ] state what every enligbt-
ened statesman who has read the history of
our race, must feel and admit A free, en-
lightened, and independent people will never