Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-08
UNION MEETING AT PIrTsFIELD.

made at different meetings for the purpose Of
showing what was the tone OF sentiment which met
their approval. We now copy from the speech
made by the Rev. DIR. DEWEY, at the Union meet
ing at Pittsfeld Massachusetts, his powerful argu
ment on the obligation Of citizens to yield obedi-
ence to the Fugitive Slave Law:
Dr. DEWEY discussed the Fugitive Slave Law and asked
what was the duty of the friends Of the Union Mr. Choate
had pointed out the hue coure-accspt the whole body Of
compromise measures leaving any Objectionable details TO
be amended hereafter and discountenance oil further po
cal agitation of this whole subject for what practical
good had of it, likely to come of il
Had loosed the chains Of slave hasened by hour
the day of emancipation
What are We to do with il What, especially in the
present crisis do say 10 the present CRISIS but
wish be that the present crisis only the expo
nept Of great difficulty that lies in the nature OF the
The danger Of national convulson has, perhaps for
the present. passed by, but il is only postponed The diff
Guilty lies in the pncplees in fact in the situation in
which placed people, Il is not this particular
bill tina. is the great trouble. This bill may perhaps be mo-
dfed-pehaps ought to be modifed-but any bill that
secured the dkveing up Of the fugitive would be about as
dsastefu to The difficulty lies in the absolute necessity
Of s,me such BILL is not question Of Southern passion
Northern proyocaion. provocaion and passion
all laid to sleep il South and North met together in
the most dsneested and brohery spirit to consult together
would press upon What, in the Of humanity and
N Heavens name, we to do ts
Understand say the situation Of things into whichwe
brought not BY tho action Of this generation but by the
course Of events. We have Union peo
Of the articles Of this UnonwhoOt which ]. could have
State sovereignty, Of which every of partaker
that will harbor fugives from service fleeing from
South Carolina that will not recognise any right in them
citizenship protection among that will give them
by just and legal proof say, all shares in this SOW
eregny and this obligation and can, strictly speak
ing escape from by saying that he will have nothing to do
about it it is If every body in Massachusetts dead
but one man, and that man you l. And, while
touching upon this point Of State sovereignty let ask in
passing, every sovereign State has not right to decide
who shall be admitted into its territory or who shall not
Suppose that all Europe should the Of its poor
houses and penenses upon Shores should not have
right send them back Suppose that captives in the
Barbary States had been accustomed escape into Span
and that Spain chose rather than habo them and to have
her ruined by Babpy corsa to exclude restore
the fueitive would she not have right do Or make
it question, of right but of humaniy-ought humanity
to do great injury TO its people and kindred Tor the sake
Of less good to strangers May no, humanity choose where
it shall interpose !? 4 -
But to return; we have now Union. Suppose we had
suppose the bond broken this day. and that these
States stood side by side again independent soveregnes
Then the question comes again, what Is to be done We
in this situation can't help it; we did not choose III
what is to be done One OF two hings-eher to reunte,
form Northern and Southern Confederacy Suppose
the latter DONE Draw line Of division from the mouth Of
the Chesapeake bay due west to the Pacific What
follows The line would be dotted with forts and measured
a through its length by the cohorts Of Standing armies The
border each side will be debatabe and bloody land
Can any doubt Is possible that slaves be
stany running that border into the free Saes and that
effort yl be made for their recapure And is it poss
bic that such state Of things exist without producing
endless war, devastation, and bloodshed? s,
II that alternative is intolerable, then must unite
/ n.
agreement respecting the recovery Of fugitive slaves The
thing is impossible. is not prejudice or passion merely
that makes 50, but the very nature of things For then
shll not only have but civil war Nor is this oil
that be considered Once proclaim that will not
store fugitive that will aid permit his restora
ion the he touches the free soil he is free and
and IN five years the slave population would be
upon i've years there would be such n,cne
cine hostility and bitterness before
agned in five years there would be end to the Govern
and the Nation deem this result certain, any
rate, that would not undertake. to with man who
denied least the strong and almost overwhelming proba
! biIiy of it, r
may possibly be thought by that there is escape
still from this dilemma. Le the South at once emancPaa
its slaves they may say, and there will be end of the
trouble" do think, for ysel that that would be
end of the trouble. But suppose that would It's certain
that the Southern States will not consent to do il. They
think their duty than their interest to do it. Upon
ground, any rate, right wrong they firmly stand
They will make convention, have union with US, but
upon the condition Of our surrenderng fugitive slaves
This Of things presses home upon the North the
one great question with which set out and upon which
wish say something further Is such compact with
the South is that part of Constitution essentially mmo
raj and nqutous such cannot be reconced with obe
dence God and enlightened conscience, and ought
not any be kept complied with This s,he
question which has sunk deeply into The heart of people
II is question which must be answeed and hope and be-
eVe that party stand and vndicae itself before the
country that does not meet this question M ,ea.
Nov admit, have already said and maintain, that
there such thing law Of conscience, which is above
any constitution any compact, any advantage whatever II
required to biaspheme God-fI required to tell
which knew be sell firmly say would not do it
would do TO my life, your lives, the life OF
whole nation. Or the Southern people idolaers and
would make compact with but condition that we
would worship their gods that could not do il and
ought not TO do it Or if they woshppers IT Molocb,
and demanded the condition Of union with them that
should send to them hunSred Of children every year to
"go through the FIRE" to their idol say we could not
do it.. a5s,3 - bas g,5tt. a.ea
that defiance oihe law ofthe land and every hazard We
shall pen door Of refuge TO the fugitive slave protect de-
fend hun and if need be, deliver him with the strong hand
believe not hold myself bound to do all thai can for
such eow-man, in consistency with my other obligations
but not in disregard Of them hold myself bound 10 do
oil that can for my elow-man, but not to do this IL
prosecuted however nnocen should ask Tor refuge IN
my house from pursuing noopf had reason to believe
they would violate the sanctuary would burn my house
and destroy my family before my eyes, should eei bound
shut my door the fugitive would have right demand
what had right to give: myself might sacrihc', bu'
should have right to sacrifice my people Tor hm Le'
Le said that this suppson II tests the prne
pe And to come nearer the very in hand, put 70
the sanchcst advocate Of conscience in this matter OF the