The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-27
THE PROCLAMATION AND THE MESSAGE OF
THE PRESIDENT.


Proclamation until large district was in state Of
open revolt; and in the time of the Embargo, MIR
efferson forbore TO publish his Proclamation for
Ehe repression Of violations Of law in Vermont,
ill they had become general, and defed all Ordi-
nary means of prevention.
The people Of Boston are not in state Of IN
surrection. That city has not dehed the authority
of the United States, and nobody dreams that it
intends violently to resist the law When the
Proclamation Of Mr.. Fillmore was issued, there
was no combination on foot for unlawful purposes
That act of interposition was therefore uncslled
for, and unprecedented.
, A few weeks ago Boston was the scene of pro-
trscted struggle to arrest alleged fugitive slave.
For several days the Marshal had the warrant in
his hands, but was unable to serve IT, The city
tive at last escaped. Why did not Mr.. Fillmore
tbsnz his Proclamation He could find
~ Etne circumstances 10 warrant suOb n
movement The evidence was noe clear that there
was such sn opposition to the laws as TO demand
the exercise of the extraordinary powers of Gov
ton in this case7 No mob prevented the arrest
Of Shadrsch, or interrupted the judicial proceed
ings. lie was committed to the custody of the
Deputy Marshal, who, undertaking to guard him
with too slight force, was overcome by sudden
surprise, and the person taken from his custody.
The evidence shows that the movement was not
preoonoerteJ, but was the work of q few colored
people, acting from a sudden impulse, and taking
advantage OF the feebleness Of the guard. The
thing accomplished, thSte was no indication in
any quarter of disorder, or Of individual or asso-
cisted opposition to the laws.
The President himself in his message in reply
to Mr. Gays resolution, clearly shows that his
Proclamation was unwarranted. 81 regard
this Aagitious proceeding" he says, Gas being
q surprise, not unattended with some degree Of
negligence; nor do doubt that, # any such act Of
violence had besn Appreciated, thousands of the good
citizens would have presented themselves, rollm-
taTtly and promptly 10 preuent IL; but the danger
does not seem to have been timely Dlade kaOwH or
duly appreciated by those who were concerned in
the execution of the process That is had the
Marshal or his deputy done his duty there would
have been no rescue. The President proceeds to
say that in such q community as that of Boston
"such ln outrage could only be the result of sud-
den violence, unhappiIy 100 nwch mwepayed for to
be successfully resisted Dat of his own mouth
he stands condemned for doing an unnecessary
act, for making wanton display of military pow
or What need Of Proclamation, if the rescue
was the result, not of settled insurrectionary
combination, but Of "sudden violence which
owed its success to the negligence of Deputy
Marshal, and the absence Of all apprehension of
disorder among the citizens of Boston What
right has the President to GRID on his sword,
put tho army and navy in motion, and threaten
the city of Boston with military coercion because
an alleged fugitive from service happens by
surprise to effect an escape from the Marshal,
which the President himself says might have
been prevented, by ordinary vigilance
We rsSasat SAsa au Sj!Y Of Washington was
which set at defiance all -, . N'o"
tiles TO suppress it. Had Mr.. Polk issued his
Proclamation against the meditated violence, he
might have alleged in Justification that all the or
binary means of prevention and suppression had
been tried. But he forbore any public demon.
stration, nor had we then any pathetic appeals
from the Union and Southern members of Con-
gress, for his open interposition in behalf of the
majesty of the laws Nothing of the kind on
the contrary, the Union would have found moth
ing to blame in the conduct Of the city authorities
or ofthe United States Marshal or ofthc President
Of the United States, had thecapta city of the Re-
public been disgraced by the triumph of the mob
and the overthrow of free press
There is no doubt that the President has been
hurried into this absurd step by his Secretary of
State, acting under the pressure Of slaveholdine
influence. The New York COMMERCIAL AdUeras.r, |
an Administration print, after demonstrating the
needlessness of the Proclamation touches we
doubt not the secret of it, in the following re-
mark:
The issuing Of the Proclamation will have one |
good eheot-which we cannot but think must
have been its principal design-that of giving the
south assurance that President Fillmore, North
ern man rs he is, and his Cabinet, with q North
ern man at its head, will enforce the law Mt all
risks In every State of the Union and perhaps, |
100, IL is well that the opportunity of publicly |
,lnaniiesting such purpose has occurred before
honorable Senators and members have returned |
10 daily intercourse with their constituents
Heaven deliver us from Northern Presidents
and Northern Cabinets, if their fidelity to the laws
IS to be attested only by works of supererogaion in
behalf of slavery.
The valor Of the Administration depends very |
much upon latitude. II struts like n stage hero |
1t the North, but treads deferentially at the /
south. IL knows that the laws of the United |
states, regulating the mails and imposing certain
iuteS on postmasters are habituslly violated in
South Carolina and other States. Post Offices
have been broken open and rifled Of their CON-
ents IN the State named, and the people at one Of
bee, near the close of General Tayor's Admins
ration, effectualy prevented the delivery of mail
natter to the persons TO whom it was addressed
We had no Washington organs to descant then |
on the majesty of the law, the outrage on tho |
'anctity Of the mail, the insurrsctonary resist. |
ince to the authority of the United States. The
revolters against the Government remained mas. |
ers Of the field, and to this day, mail matter ia de-
ivered in South Carolina, by the suaerance of the
'eople 80 III tuhula, Alabama, the good people |
rose in their might, drove of an old citizen who |
lad subscribed for the Era, and resolved that no |
nan should take il from the office The postmas-
er wrote us declaring positively he would not
eliver it. We brought the subject to the notice
4 the Postmaster General, who addressed note
o his deputy, inquiring into the matter. lie re.
eived in reply report Of the proceedings of a
Meeting OF the citizens, which resolved that the
postmaster was right, and, if he were dismissed by
he Postmaster General no other man should eli
lis place. Here was open defiance of the author
ty Of the United States but no measures were
AIKEN to put it down. The deputy postmaster
Who violated his oath Of Office and defed the Gov.