Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-09-20
From Tho Commonwealth.
Fugitive Slave Bill.

had any event spread SUCH wide 0istress anu
dismay as the passage Of the Fugitive Slave
Bill. Large numbers of tugitives, who Tor
long years had considered themselves out of
danger, who had reared families, acquired
some education and property, and formed
the habits and characters of treemcn, found
themselves compelled TO choose between
flight to another country, and hazartling the
lInuiterrable sorrow of heing returned TO
bondage. How widely spread was this mise
ry, may be partly judged from such facts ms
that n hundred and thirty communicates of
one church in Buffalo, New York, left their
homes at once for exile in Canada, that tie
colored Baptist Church at Rochester lost all
| but two of hundred aud fourteen cOininu-
nicants, and the colored Baptist Church at
Detroit eighiy-iour COMMITMENTS, IN the
sulne way.
Nor was the CONSERVATION cou6ned TO fu-
giives. The nelarious law had taken away
everything that eau be called security even
from cOlored natives of the Free States; and
| men M free by all titles rs the Governor OF
Massachusetts, reasonably tremhled, night
and day, before what placed them aud their
wives and children at the mercy of any kid
nappers who would but make false oath.
| We say nothing now of the burning sense
of wrong Oh the part Of men of thought and
of honor, in view of the disgrace brought
upon their country, the insult offered TO every
principle they revered, the hideous service
wlicli the law undertook to impose OIL them
selves.
The mischief was DONE The shame was
complete, ms FAR ms depended OF legislation.
| But the decrces of the devil work weakly,
where there is morul sense in people.-
! Twelve months. wanting few days. have
Il.
through the forums of law, aud not twelve
| fngitives have been carried back by force of
it from the Free States, aud not two yet
praised be God from New England.
They tried the experiment first in New
York and Philadelphia, as was fit enough.
In eight days from tho date of President
F'illmore's signature to = 9 Bill, Hamlet, a
mulatto commHnicunt of the Methodist
Church, was arrested in the former city, aud
having been adjudged fugitive by the com
missioner, was put in irons, and by grand
son OF Col. Talmadge Of the revolutionary
war, acting for the Marshal, was conveyed
This wife aud children being still Ignorant of
his iate) TO Skaters slave Jail in Baltimore.
This was too bad for the hearts OF Wall
street to bear, aud money was presently
raised for his Liberation.
Adam Gibson was next carried from Phila-
delphin, agreenbly TO decree Of MIR. COM
missioner lngrahan, who said he had no
doubt of the prisoners Identity" But on
arriving in Maryland, il turned out that the
Commissioner was mistaken; that Gibson
was not the man sent for; and he was allow
ed to go back. Then Henry Long, who by !
the help OF good legu COUNSEL had got clear 1
OF one Hall l,-who had taken jurisdiction of
bis case in New York, pretending to be
Commissioner, but who turned out to be-
none,-was by the decree of better quail
fed magistrate transported to Virginia, thence
to be sold into Georgia, there to make lrou-
BILE by preaching freedom" as we learn
from the recent local prints.
man claimed in Detroit asked for time
to send for his free papers, to Cincinnati
where he declared thai they had been left.
But the Commissioner said that il they were
IN court, he had no right TO look at them,
nnd that, he must proceed to make decree
on The affidavit of the claimant
William aud Ellen Crafts, the latter per-
sonaling, in male attire, a young planter ,
travelling with his servant, made their way
% boston, where pursuers found them out.
Crails declared that lie meant to have a Jury .
rial, and armed and fortified himself ac-
,ordlngly. This UNDERSTOOD the Marshall
lnd his people let him alone; and the hero
traits, and the heroine, his wife, are now in
'aiety aud honor in England. With Sha- ,
lrach, the second Boston case, things went
10 better. A mob of people of his own col ,
'r took him out of the hands of the mar
hal's force in the court house, aud he il
low said to be enjoying his freedom in Can
ida. His escape occasioned a proclamation
~ The President of the United States. For
sims more machinery was set in motion.
5oston was a gafrisoned town, while the
'oor boy was in custody. The Judges of !
Massachusetts, went TO their seats under tho
'hains stretched around his prison in tho =
'ourt house. For him, process of the uu-
,ust Commonwealth remained unexecuted
n the sheriif's hands AT peep of day the
mayor marched at the head OF the process.
non which accompanied him TO the embar-
'ation for bis voyage.
Certoinly, things look badly enough upon \
he surface. But the surface is not ALL I
sometimes there are elements beneath, (which 4
he surface only conceals, and cannot con- !
inc. As Tong as they nre mo,ionless, il $
iecps IFS form. Let them shift and mix a 1
ltlle, aud they burst through it, and break il
lp, aud change lis whole shape aud aspect. .
The fortunes of naIion are partly deter !
h'ned by lis legislation, which is dictated bt /,
he governing party. But parties are not :
'lernai. The principles which they profess !
o recognize, call, from lime to time, for new I
applications, and the interests which they :
pursue, aud The estimation of those interests. !,
10Th change in the course OF Years. In !,
'nbllc affairs, all calculations on influences !,
ma tendencies, and especially on arrange n
nents, are so uncertain, that Oh the one hand,
mere should never ba despair. Ii would be n
,ery SILLY to suppose that law aud liberty arc y
Town forever, because the fugitive slave bill
; on the American statute book, aud bnd a
men and men befooled nra s;neiu,, ~ o. v