The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-17
I.et,er from the HON. Richard rush.

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Letter from the Hon. Richard Rush.
In answer to an invitation 10 take part in De-
mocratic mass meeting at East Smithheld, Pa,
short time previous to the late election in that
State, the Hon. RICHARD RUSH wrote areply, Of
which the following is extract. II Is Of histori
cal interest besides expressing the views Of dis
tinguished statesman on one OF the topics now
prominent before the country:
SuYDENHAm, (near Philadelphia,)
September %, 1851.
The little desire to say will be on the Fugitive
Slave law.
Since the formation of the Constitution of the
United States there has never been, as lar as at
present remember, any Instruction OF any nature
whatever to overturn resist by violence the laws
passed in pursuance OF 1t, In any one state oil the
whole Union, except this; and ios have had three.
First we had the swestern insurrection," as IL
was emphatically called, in 1894. 1t was very
formidable one. 1t pervaded nearly all the western
counties of our State. General Washington, then
at the head Of the Government, did all that he
could at first, that mortal wisdom could, to sup
press il by concintory means; but hnaily Il had 10
be put down by military force. Fifteen thousand
men were called into the field, made up by requl-
stions from the militia of Virginia, Maryland, and
Now Jersey, as well this State. This great force
overawed further resistance to the laws. Criminal
prosecute and convictions for treason followed
| The President pardoned the convicts.
The second instruction was IN 1872 chiefly IN
Northampton county. On that occasion all at
tempts to execute civil process for forcble resist
| ance TO certain laws Of the United States proving
abortive the militia and volunteers from the neigh
boring counties were called upon to march 70 the
scene Of disorder Through their fundamentally
in co operation with the judicial power, submis-
zion to the laws restored. CRIMINAL prosecu-
tons followed, as in the former case against those
who resisted them by violence, and convictions
were had for treason. But here, also, the pardon
ing power of the President-the elder Adaws-waS
interposed, and the scafiold not erected.
The third occasion which we arrayed our
selves against the authority OF the Union was in
the Olmsted case. That strife brought Us towards
the brink of civil war, and at one moment not very
| far from it. When the marshal first attempted TO
execute the process OF the courts OF the United
Sates in that case, he resisted at the point OF
| the bayonet. This was in Philadelphia. Finally,
the process was executed, not openly, but by secret
skill, some humane stratagem, and the splitting
| of blood happily avoided. Here again legal con-
| victions for the offences took place, but punish
ment was RENTED by President Madison.
do but recall facts. intend no comments on
them. History has written them down, and we
cannot obliterate them. A Pennsylvania my
| self, desire to cherish just pride in my native
State. am gratefully sensible to having had the
honor Of sharing in her counsels and coincidence
| heretofore, and am proud OF the long and nigh
merits in her history to counterbalance the occur
| renccs recall But just in proportion as ar
| IDENTIFY cling to such feelings do desire to give
| expression at this juncture to an intense anxiety
that she may be found to acqut herself well in all
respects in executing the Fugitive Slave law She
! ought not again to swerve from her fealty to the
| Union when protesting that feeling, but avoid
every appearance oft. She ought to rally around
tho Fugitive Slave law in the spirit evinced at the
vast Union meeting in Philadelphia, in November
| last, when whole thousands of our Wbig friends,
though political opponents, enthusiastically cheer
ed with the devotion of patriots, and a wisdom
above all party the resolution for lite full and hearty
cxecuon--not in its words only, but in its great
! import and transcendant national objects.
| lam compelled, however, for one, to say-indeed
truth and frankness might well force it upon most
of US to say-that our present attitude in regard TO
that paramount law is very extraordinary. ~ Is
than that of any one of the States composing
this wide Confederacy. That law is more vital to
the preservation of the Federal Constitution than
any of the laws of Congress. all of them put to-
gether, the opposition to which produced the insur-
| Tections have mentioned. This is my sincere be-
lief. Yet already have it resisted, and re-
sisted to blood, in this State-not only once, bot
twice. There is other State in which 1t has
been resisted to exremities so deplorable. Is not
| this enough to startle Pennsylvanian5-to mako
them look around-to ask themselves how it has
! come about, and, above all, what 10 the remedy
| Before give way to any excess OF State PRIDE,
| as thinking ourselves main prop OF the Union,
| we ought to think OF the posture we are now
! thrown into in presence of our sister States
First came the murder of young Kennedy, OF
Mary land, at Carlisle; next the brutal killing and
! mangling of Mr.. Gorsuch, another citizen OF Ma
| ryland, his son, and others who accompanied him
across our line to aid him in obtaining his rights,
also falling, as supposed at first, under mortal
wounds and gashes. All this happening IN one OF
amidst frantic yells and howlings, characteristic
of savagee! Alas for good old Common wealth
if no stop is put to such deeds. Instead of being
the Keystone, we shall become the destroying power
ofthly mighty and glorious Union. Itis renrarka-
BILE that in neither Of the Instructions above men
toned, with the Oimsted Gaze added to them, was
there as much blood shed as already there has been
in Pennsylvania by forciblc resistance to the Flu
| gitive Slave law Our annals in 1851 will thus take
priority in blood outlines in opposing the statutes
of the Union.