The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-16

the sound Of 6sh-hofn with al the dispatch Z
q practised disciple Of Father Miller. 10 hir
in their hearing that slavery il not divine ir
sttution and under the special patronage of hes
ven, is to deserve tar and feathers and prone
made upons rail- For them our political sys
TEN il already doleful ruin, and the most glor
Gus form OF government man ever devised tn
object OF tears and lamentations, like frien,
lying dead in the house. Disunon they hav
grown familiar with by often threatening to per
petrate 1t, and hearing others threaten till at las
they only wait an occasion for it to come Of it
self. That occasion they assure us will be tn
modification Of the Fugitive slave law.
| Whoever dares these boots displace
/ Must meet Bombastes face to face
II il true that they have announced the sam,
catastrophe as sure to arrive on other occasions
ON the admission of California, the separation
of New Mexico from Texas, or the exclusion O.
slavery from the territories. And yet California
was admitted, New Mexico was organized az al
independent territory, and we have yet to hear
ofthe transportation Of any considerable numbe,
of slaves to New Mexico or Utah. But the great
climax of disnniOn has not been performed And
now, having been driven from these positions
the same oracles of despair and destruction pro.
claim either in tones of menace or of fearful ex-
hortation, that what they have not done when
there was something real at issue, they will now
do when the point is to them not worth farth-
ing. If the Fugitive slave law is modified they
will dissolve the Union. y
And like an insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not rack behind
What degree of respect is to be paid to so
senseless warning, how far we ought to regard
this awful threat, we have endeavored to show
on former occasions. But when we hear the
menace repeated, we cannot suppress the wish
that these silly boys might be gratiied for q
while, and allowed to quit the Union and left to
take care of themselves alone. Not long would
they crave such independence. Soon, like weary
truants, they would return to the genial shade
and security of the rooftree and the Preside they
had abandoned, and, grown wise by sad expert
ence, would never more desire to wander. But
this is out of the question. They cannot be al
thing further from their intention. They would
feel badly if the chance were open to them.-
They love bluster, but hate action
Nor shall we bestow any pleasure on these
gentlemen when we assure them that the con-
tngency on which they have based the execu-
ton of their grand scheme Of pyrotechnics is
not likely TO occur We look in uain for the
probability Of repeal or modification ef the Flu
gitipe slaue ldw. Thai lao zoe suppose is des-
stined To remain on the statute book. We could
wish it were otherwise. We could wish to have
it modified in many particulars, especially by The
introduction of jury trial among its provisions
But there is nal the least indication that such a
change uiH be made The next Congress will
not make it. There is nowhere great party
demanding it. Public sentiment regards it with
comparative Indifference. There is no such over
whelming popular movement in favor of repeal
ing or changing this law as there was at the
North in l848 and '49 against the extension of
slavery. How then can this law be touched I?
Nor in truth is the matter of so great practical
consequence as has been supposed 7othe South
| the laU is Of no real advantage, because the er-
pense of getting SLAVE under IL Is, after all,
more than he is ,oorth. What is the mark ct
value of all the slaves reclaimed by virtue of its
provisions who would not have been reclaimed
without it! Is it $4,000? We don't believe
it, but at any rate we are sure that whatever it
is, tile captives have not paid the expense Ger.
tainly, compared with the number Of runa,oays
| the number of thnse taken back 10 Slavery Is
scarce drop in the bucket The law is then
porthless to the South, except SO far as it may
satisfy the susceptibilities and appease the
wounded dignity Of slave owners.
| At the North the feeling against the law is
rather one of a6stract principle than of universal
ever-ready interest II is seen that the law il
an improper one, fnvoring slavery, and trampling
on the ii ne.honored guarantees of American
| freedom, but still this fact does not rouse the
people to action. Were slaves recaptured every
| day it would be otherwise, but so rare are such
captures, and 80 various and easy the means Of
conveying fugitives into safety under the Brit
ish flag, that there is no general excitement or
the subject II is seen that the main point a
issue in the struggle of '48-49 ,oas ICON By free
dom, and though an occasional outrage on hu
mapty NAV be committed under the law, still
in the reaction which necessarily succeeds
, warm popular movement, there is disposition
to let the law itself remain untouched and sub
side into its natural place as dead letter Some
times, indeed, when in some rare case it
. brought forth and applied, as sometimes hap
;, pened with the law which preceded it, there wi
j. be local excitement, but warm general feen
=. ia not TO be expected As we said, we coul
for some reasons wish this were otherwise
J. But these are the facts; the people will not ac
and in such case we must acknowledge thei
decision even while duty may require us some
f times to oppose it.
The truth ia that the business Of slave catch
; ing would never had assumed such magnitude
in the public view, but for the grtat controrers,
on the more important question Of Slavery erfen
sion. The South would never have thought much
about it, had not defeat on the main issues Of
that controversy made her strenuous about les
: ser things. The South annexed Texas to extend
a the power of slavery, and by the help of North
ern Democrats 1--WE will not now mentor
names,) carried the day in that struggle. But
. that was not enough. The Mexican war was
made and the territories acquired, all with ayiew
to the same end of extending the Southern IN
stituton and perpetuating its power. But here
the North, which had meekly acquesced in the
Texns operation, kicked out Of the traces and
the Free-soil agitation begun. In the contest
then set on foot, each party, of course rsked up
every ground for complaint against the other, and
the South made great ado about the escape Of
slaves. And phiie beaten on the main question
thanks 10 a Wig administration and the firm
ness of some gallant spirits among The Northern
members of Congress--the slavery party got ths
present Fugitive law enacted, and----much goot
; may it do them.
7 For the whole agitation the South is respons
ii r -