The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-09

The INSTITUTIONS OF THE Soo.a MUST DE-
PEND FOR SUPPORT on the DEMOCRACY OF THE
NoRrH- Washington UniR,a,
Mr.. RAKToUL, the late United States Demo-
cratic senator from Massachusetts, is one Of the
ablest men of his party in that State; and such
was the opinion of his orthodoxy, that the edi-
tor of the Union could not believe he would
take his seat in the Senate, when recently elected
to that body by the same coalition which has
since been trying to elect SUMNER. Mr.. RAN
ToUL, however, did take his seat, although but
ten days remained of the term for which he was
elected He did not, we believe, define his po-
siton whilst in the Senate, but has done so very
clearly since his return home, as we find by the
following in the Boston Post, the organ of De-
mocracy in Massachusetts-the opponent of
SUMNER, indeed-but silent now as to Mr.. RAN
ToUL: ...,".~ 80
Mr.. RANToUL's Position DEFINEp-The
meeting held in Lyceum Hall, Lynn, yesterday
afternoon, called for the ostensible purpose OF
affording Mr.. Rantoul an opportunity to address
an assembly OF the voters of the second con-
gressonal district, proved to be an out-and out
Free-so and anti-fugitive slave law affair Mr..
Robinson, of Marblehead, presided, and made
Sumner coalition address upon taking the
chair, and was followed by Mr. Rantoul, who
commenced his remarks by stating that the
meeting was called at his suggestion. Having
said that he wished no man, who had heretofore
voted for him, to vote so again, .under any mis-
impression of his views upon the most exciting
question of the day, he read the following res.
| al tbo tivao lou Io,u apGc m
ported them in speech of nearly two hours
! length: -.
" RESOLVED, That the Constitution of the u
States has not conferred upon Congress the
power to enact any law authorizing officers Of
the United States to determine the slavery oil
! freedom of persons found within the territory OF
any State, and to convey them out of the State
| wherein they are found to be held as slaves in
another State ...
RESOLVED, That no person in any State of this
Union can be lawfully deprived of his liberty
without due process of law, which process, il
the case of an alleged fugitive from service in
suit at common law, wherein the fact, whether
said fugitive was lawfully held to service in the
State from which he is alleged to have escaped
shall be determined by trial by jury.
RESOLVED, That such trial by jury should pre-.
cede the delivery into the hands of the party
claiming him, of such alleged fugitive, and
should be had in the vicinity where the said
alleged fugitive is found. .-...
| ReSolped, That in the determination of the
question of liberty, all Prescriptions of law and
fact are and ought to be in favor of liberty.
| RESOLVED, That the Fugitive slave law enacted
by the Congress lately expired, contravening
these principles is unjust, unconstitutional, in
derogation Of the fundamental maNms of free
government, and ought to be speedily and for.
ever repealed"
At the close of his remarks Mr. Rantoul read
the resolutions again, and re-afiirmed, with great
emphasis, his entire and unqualified concurrence
in them The resolutions were then adopted
by nearly a unanimous vote; and in like man.
ner it was voted to support MIR. Rantou at the
election to be held on Monday next.
Thus it seems that the Southern right of re.
claiming fugtives from labor, is to be defeated
on the pretence of u State right to defend the
liberty of its inhabitants by jury trial.
There never is any lack Of pretences fatal to
Southern rights. The share Of the South in
California was taken away on the two-fsld pre-
tence of right of the people of a territory tc
form their own institutions, (Which was con
strued into a right to define their own territorial
limits)-and the power of Congress to admit +
State.
A large territory was taken from Texas, or
the pretence of treaty with Mexico, and the
right of the South to colonize that territory
was extinguished on pretence of the right o.
Texas to relnquish it to the North for money
The right of the South to emigrate to New
Mexico and Utah, is continually denied on pre-.
tence Of Mexican law. '...