Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-04-19
Prospects In kentucky.

CAssrus NJ CLAY is ably canvassing County
after County as an independent candidate iof
Governor, expressly on the issue Of En'aneipa-
tioa on ho Soil. He demands constitutional
Amendment which shall provide that, alter
certain future day to be fixed therein, all per-
sons born in or otherwise introduced into Ken
lucky shall be Free He is listened to by very
large audiences, and though Politics and the fear
OF contributing to the success of adctcsted par
ty will probably deprive him of many votes, yet
the good seeds sown in this canvass will not all
fall on stony ground, but will bring forth in due
season.
The following is Mr.. Clay's latest publica-
tion-a scorching criticism on the Fugitive
Slave Law:
LETTER FROM C. N. CLAY.
TO lie Editor Of TIC Progress the Age
DEAR SIR;-In my address to the People
OF Kentucky, did not wish to lcngthen my
remarks by n complicated argument now
undertake to prove, beyond controversy, that
there is no power in Congress to compel the
seizure and return of Slaves at government
expense. recapitulatc The argument. All
powers granted to Congress are included in
the IL clauses power over "fugitiycs from
justice is not one of them. The North de
MED and opposed oil efforts TO make them at
all responsible, morally or politically, for
Slavery. They agreed only not TO interfere.
Tile clause over "fugtives from service" is
among those it prohibited 10 the States" that
is, had it not been for that clause, by the law
Of nations aud Stnte sovereignty every Slave
escaping into a Free State would have been
free, by the very act Now to the proof
Messrs Sherman and Madison and others
would ut no time acknowledge any right o.
"property in man." When it was proposed
TO lay tax upon the importation Of Slaves
il was no: agreed to, because that would i'm
ply that they were as other property-whicl
the Convention were not willing TO admit
and therefore changed the terms TO "person,
and total prohibition after 1908.
| Come on then to " "fugitives from Justice.
Madison Papers vol. 3, page l,447. "M
Butler aud w. Pinckney moved to requir
Fugitive Slaves and Servants to be be dc
! livcred up like criminals" Mr.. Wilson
This would oblige the Executive of tn
State to do it, al The public erpense. MI
Sherman saw no more propriety in the pub
lie seiZing and surrcndering a Slave or Sci
\ NnnI tnhn morse. hT. DulleF WltnuTeW w
proposition in order that some particula
provision might be made apart from this ar
iicle." Now the article alluded to, was con
cerning criminals, which were TO "be deliv
cred up, TO be removed to the State, &c.
Article 4, sec. 2, clause2, U. s. C., and CLAUSE
3, concerning Slaves was adopted, withou
the word REMOVED"
Now, higher evidence of the intentions o
the trainers of the Constitution could not bt
made out. The thing Congress has done il
the Fugitive Slave Bip was expressly re
fused TO he granted by the Constitution--ant
the law is null and void. To compel North
crn men TO catch aud bring back Slaves, an'
pay the expenses, makes them morally nn'
politically responsible for every Slave hell
in iliese States A responsibility which the
would nUyer ugree to bear; and sho Hnposi
ton of which upon them now by unconsttu
tional law, under other aggravated circum
stances, THEY WILL NEVER BEAR
And with Chatham, concerning the Amer
lean tax, rejoice il is so. Twelve million,
of men thus ensaved would be fit instru
ments to enslave me also Once more then
| call upon the Wing aud Democratic par
ties and the People Of Kentucky to reconsd
er their resolves. | want for one, no dictt
of presumptuous individuals, or iaclious par
ties, as a basis of Union--ihe old Constitu
ton of 1887 left us by the fathers of '76 is my
basis of Union-THAT, by word and deed,
am ever ready to nlaintain
G. NJ. CLAY.