The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-04-12
GOV. SEWARD UPON THE FUGITIVE
SLAVE LAW.

y convention OF Ahont "a iAfNl bl tue ltlfel
Of the Fugitive Slave Law was holden in
Boston on Tuesday, Resolutions mere pass-
ed expressing sentiments hostile 10 the Law :
and the following letter from the Hon VIM,
II. Seward was read
AupuRS, April o, 1891.
DEAH SiR Your letter inviting me %
attend a Convention Of the people OF Massa-
chusetts opposed % the Fugitive Slave Law,
aud % communicate Ia writing my opinion on
that statute, IL should be- unable 20 attend
the convention has been received.
While Offering the pressure Of duties here
too loRg deferred a. an apology for non-at-
tendance, | pray you 20 assure the Committee
IN whose behalf you act, Of my profound sense
Of their courtesy and kindness, IL would, be
an honor 10 be Invited % address the people
of Massachusetts on any subject but Il might
well satisfy generous ambition % be called
upon TO speak 20 that great and enlightened
Commonwealth on a question OF human rights
and civil liberty.
confess, sir, that have earnestly desired
not 10 mngle ia the discussions Ofthe measures
OF the Last Congress, Tho issue involves
the claims of their advocates aud adyersarios
Ia the public councils "a the confidence Of
the country, Some Of those advocates have
entered the pablo arena, eliminating those
from whom they had differed, while others
have cudeayorod, by extraordinary means,
either 10 control discussion, or 10 suppress IL
altogether, and thus have shown themselves
disqualified by prejudice or interest for prac-
tcing that impartiality aud candor which the
occasion demanded
7 am unwilling even 10 seem 10 imply by
reiteraling arguments already before the pub
lic either any distrust OF the position Of those
with whom / stood Ia Congress, or imparicncc
for that favorable popular verdict which
believe 10 be- near, aud know 10 be ultimate
~ certain
Nevertheless there can be- no improperly
in my declaring when thus questioned, the o.
uiulnns which will gQYcrn ms Nnie npnn-.hnA-
occarion'W hen the Fugitive Slave law shall
comc up for review ia the national Lrgisla-
turc, think the act singularly unwisc, be-
cause Il Is an attempt by purely fcderatiyc
government to extend the economy Of slave
states, throughout States which rcpudiata ala
very IA a moral social aud political evil, Any
dcspotic government would awaken sedtion
from is proloundcst slumbcrs by such an At
tempt
The attempt by this government has arous-
ed constitutional resistance, which will not
cease until the effort shall bc rclinquished.--
lie who teaches another faith than this whrth-
Also that the attempt was unnecessary that
political ends-mcrrly political eEds-and
not real evils, resulting from the escape Of
slaves, constituted the prevailing motives 70
the enactment.
think, also, that the details Of the meas
ure are indcicnsiblc; that the donial 20 the
alleged fugitive ola ttial OF his alleged obli-
CATION 10 labor. and his escape from il, by
court, aud nothing less than court OF iusticc
constiiuiiunally organized. aud proceeding
according Ia the course Of the common law
within the Stale where he is claimed, Is pal
pahly in drrogation OF the Constitution that
the rules OF evidence which the law prcscribcs
are oppressive OF the weak aud dticncclcss.
and that Chnucndom might be- searched IN
vain for parallel 10 the provisions which
make escape FROM bondage a crime, by law
retroactive in It's effect, aud without limita-
iioHs Of time 10 favor the presumption Of irce'
dom. which under rigorous penalties compel
irocmcn to aid ia the catauro Of slaves, aud
which offer unmistaken Inducements "a false
claims and false judgments. Finally, whatcv-
or changes Of opinions others may have nm
dcrronc. I retain my earliest con victions that
the Constitutional provision on which the law
purports 10 bc founded is merely compact
between the States; aud that the Congress
Of the United States have no Jurisdiction Of
the subject
Nor is the law, which is 80 obnoxious IN it.
self commended % MY favor 10y it, connection
with what are called the other means OF com
promite. Compromise implies a uiingling OF
ruth and error, 10 hL aud. wroaa----Ql
thO-o affiliated measures denied the admission
OF New Mexico, because she had determined
10 come in As-a EEee- State aad- Eess.at--le-,i
her, with permission to come back ia the ha-
bilmcnts of slavery. Another distinctly in
tmatcd 20 the Mormons the conscnt-nf-C. .,.--
gFJss That they should, IT they could, plant
Slave State in the very rocesscs Of the CONT
'ncnt a third abolished public slave mart.
in the city OF Washington, without abating
either the extent or the duration of slavery
ia the District Of Columbia. A fourth obtain
cd peace ON humiliating terms from one of
the youngest aud fecblest members of the
Conicderacy,in an attitude of sodition. While
finh only reluctantly admitted California
as a Free State, when she had refused To con
taminato herself with slavery. Which one
of these measures has supcriluous merit, 20 be
received in extenuation of the Fugitive Slave
lawp But we are told, that bad as these
measures were, they were the best that could
be obtained. On tho, contrary, there were
always votes enough for the admission of Cal
iiornia. The Thirty-First Congress might
have admitted her, and len the other qucs-
tons to another Congress, which instructed
by the people, might have done better, aud
certainly ees'ld mot have done worse.
Nor do find the Fugitive Slave Law grow
ing in my favor on the ground of the already
ialsi6ed promise Of an end the agitation OF
slavery in the republic, an agitation which,
whether bcnofcent or otherwise, is as ipscpa- !
rable from our political organization, as the !
winds and clouds are from the atmosphere |
that cncirclcS the earth,
have weighed, moreover, the argument |
that some portion ofthc people in some of the |
States have made the perpetuity of the Fugi- |
tive Slave Law condition of new dcclara-i
tons Of loyalty to- the Union. That loyalty |.
is duty resulting from tho Constitution and |
is equally due, whether the measures of ad- |
are satisfactory or nnaatisiacto-
ry. ! regret that anything should have hap
pcned to encourage belief that loyalty could |
be accepted on conditions, &especially on con-
dition of torbearing to repeal a rcpcalble stat
ute. But since tits SOL can only say that we on
whom the recent action of the government
haurs as n n \ so uniustlN nra In. ho /