The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-26


WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY ~, 1881.
N posten 1sot-rhs Assaags-and the
eanAts Dsbats.
The President's pfoclamation-th call made
- hinby ~ Senate The msauage- the de-
bats in the SENATE, amount altogether to the most
ample confession, that public sentiment, in Mas
aaehuasEls u least " hostile to the execution Of
tls Fugitive slave law. Heretofore this has been
0ttssly denied But now il Is manifest; aimee,
&c ~ people Of N sssachusetts were not opposed
to,tAe law. 1t would be nonsense to make all
theao demonstrations on IN occurrence 30 trivial
in itself as the rescue, by few negroes and
whites, of fugitive from the hands Of half a
doxsn constablcs.
There arc half million Of people living 10
sight Of Bunker Hill monument, which stands
in the city Of Boston, and that city is accessible
by numerous railroads, and that half million
hoasss itsslf 70 all The world as the model Of q
law ana order population. The resistance to
law Of any kin6:by mere mob, Is disturbance
Of the pnhlic psace, which the authorities OF
Boston and Of massachusetts have the right and
dnty 70 Quail. Boston is the seat of govern
upent Of Massachusetts The governor resides
there, and he. we are told,is Union Democrat.
The legislature ats there, and was in session
whom this event occurred The incident was no.
torious and Of great popular and public interest.
The law had been recently before defeated amid
pseat excitement. And when the arrest was
made, the deputy marshal went round and called
for assistance. Almost none was given The
pfisoner was rescued by mob. The governor,
the legislature the city council did nothing DC,
fore, during, or after the transaction, to prevent
or to punish it.
Nov, when great law and order people per-
NIT violence to overthrow law among them
without emotion, the conclusion is inevitable
TINT they are opposed to that law. This Is the
aspect evidently of this case, and this 10 the
cause Of the recent proceedings here at the seat
Of the federal government. And the question
which has arisen is can law be executed by
federal authority and force. in State where the
people are generally opposed to it! This ques-
ton evidently puzzles both Presidenta and Senate
The President tells US the laws shall be exc
cuted-senators tell this law must be en-
forced. What means do they propose! The
army, navy and militia-in addition to United
States Courts and Marshals? Now, besides the
general principle that these are clumsy and inef-
ficien: instruments for the execution OF any law
to which public sentiment is opposed, part'cu-
lariy in . free government, it must strike every
man Of common sense, that they are totally In
effectual in the execution of Fugitive slave
law. II all the army, navy and militia force
were collected in Massachusetts they would not
prove half match for the people OF that State
in contest of this sort-such are the facilities
of escape and coneealment The forcible rescue
of persons from officers may be prevented, but
their secret abduction calinot be, where they
have the people Of whole State for confed-
crates. II such be the fact II the compact for
the restitution of fugitive slaves is broken, and
cannot he enforced-what is to be done ?
MANY of the Southern advocates of the Com
promise say, that they in that case for seces-
sion. We knew that their declarations were
fatal TO the Union. For they have repeated this
pledge in almost every form Of language.
We have always believed TINT the fugitive
slave question would have to be adjusted in
some other manner. And we say now, ms We
have said before, that we are unwilling to dissolve
this Union for that cause alone. But the graver
grievances of the South are territorial. Let them
be redressed. And then we will be ready to
adjust the fugitive question on some sensible and
practical basis.
And whilst we deny the sufiiciency or the ap-
titnde Of army, navy and militia, and Presiden-
tial power to enforce this law in Massachusetts,
or elsewhere, we protest against the establish
ment Of any precedent in this case, which can
barnfter be used to authorize the President to
decide great constitutional questions between
the federal government and the States, and to
enforce his decision by the sword.
We apprehend after all, that this movement
in the Senate to clothe the President with more
power. has a Southern rather than Nothern as
peet. And we would suggest, for the serious
consideration of Congress, the enormity of es-
tabishing principles in reference to the Fugitive
slave law, which are utterly abor,iye as to that,
and which leave one great stipulation OF The con-
stitutional covenant practically broken, to be ap-
piled to other cases, to still more doubtful
questions for the destruction of those who are
remediless, in this case, and for whom it is not in
the power of this government now to provide
remedy.
Miss Davenport.
It was happy and generous thought which
prompted this gifted lady to devote the proceeds