The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-04-05
THE VOICE OF OHIO.

The OHIO Legislature has adjourned; but
before doing 30, transacted some important
business. IL elected sound Wing to the
United States Senatc--An opponent Of the
Fugitive Slave Law Units present shapc-and
passed resolutions for the repeal or amend
ment Of said Law; also, a habcas corpus act
The nrt makes Il the duty Of the Attorney
General Of the State aud the prosecuting at
tornies of the Counties
ITO protect and defend all pcrsous arrest
ed ~ fugitive slaves, and 10 make immediate
application 60 specified courts and Judges for
the writ Of habcas Corpus; such court or iudg-
Is 10 grant the writ, aud upon il return, TO
grant trial by jury on all questions Of fact
at issuc between the parties, provided either
party make application for such trial, II the
verdict Of the jury thus called shall be in fav-
or Of the person clnimed ms n fugitive slave,
he shall forthwith be restored 10 his liberty
and II the claimant shall again claim owner
ship IN the slave, within the state, he shall bc
deemed guilty Of felony, and on conviction
! thereof, shall be imprisoned in the pcnitcnti-
/ airy for not more than five nor loss than two
years"
The resolutions ON the Fugitive Slave
Law are as follows;
- "Reaalpel by IL G,s,.ss,.l .i~4el.lly Of tho
State Of Obio, That our Senator. in Congress
| be Instructed, and our Representatives re-
qucsted, 90 use all honorable means to obtain
an Immediate repeal, modification or amend
mcnt of the act OF Congress. usually STYLED
the Fugitive Slave Law approved Septcm=
| Der rs, 1880.
Rcsoired, That the Governor Of the State
Of Ohio be- requested to forward each Of our
Senators and Representatives in Congress a
copy of the above resolution"
These passed by the following vote: ayes
39-whifs and freesoilers; nays, 20; all loco
iocos. The reader will perceive by this vote
that while the wings Of Ohio are for free prin-
cipcs, the locofocos are for slavery-opposed
even to an amendment of the odious Fugitive
Slave Law 1t is just about the same with
the same party in Vermont,
The Burlington Free Press comments to
some extent upon the Ohio law. Il says;
1.-The Ohio Law, like that of Vermont, CON
| templates no resistance 10 the Law of Con-
| gross, quite the reverse. IL simply points
out in what manner an inhabitant Of that
I State shalt proceed TO defend himself against
unlawful cXtradition. II does not prevent
/ Commissioner lngrah0m from surrcndering
| treemen to slave catcAers, but does guaranty
the inalicnable right TO the WRT OF HAZE
As CoRPUs TO ALL,-bond or free,-and
sdbnits the final adjudication Of the contest
cd right to personal freedom to TRIAL ny
jury, under the National Constitution and
,he N-I..-.o' Laws. The Law of Ohio, like
thai oil lcrmont, PLAINLY CONCENTRATES that.
under the NoustitoaIoB 49, g..
gress, person claimed as a Fugitive from
service" shall be delivered up to the claim
- II.
vidcs that twhensunh verdict finds the alleg-
cd fugitive 10 be FREEMAN, any subsequent
claimant of the same man "shall be deemed
guilty of felony" This is right. BY the hui
name and Just provisions Of Law, no mans
Ete can be placed in jeopardy twice for the
same offence, and why should not his LIBER-
rY, which is dearer than life, be protected by
equal safeguards? The mercenary slave
catcher who ventures 10 arrest n man as "A
slave who has once beep pronounced, by n
Jury OF his country, TO be a FREEMAN, is a
felon, whether the Law makes him one or
not The Habeas Corpus and Trial by jury,
(not guns and bayouets) are the "uifimd rd-
ito Requn," in these days Of higher civiliza-
ton and a better acknowledged Christianity.
We wish never to see the day when these
7 great Rights, OF which no man can be dcpriv-
cd, under any pretence, in Monarchial Eng
land, are denied TO any human being under
any circumstances IN any American. State
that calls itself FREE We stand by the
Constitution of the Land. We consent, though
with sorrow and shame, that those men whom
! the Writ OF tabeas Corpus and the ordeal of
Trial by Jury cannot save from Slavery, I'M
der the Constitution, shall be remanded TO
Slavery. But further than this We do not go
the thousandth part of n hair. So far as hu-
man freedom IS concerned, in such cases, We
are "strict construetjonists." Let the South
/ have "thc pound of flesh" that is nominated
! in, the bond, but let rs take care that
10 cutting It, they d. no, she'd
: ONI sspci, ur CunIsrtAN pioor,