The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-17
ORIGINAL ARTICLES.

TAs admirable charge Of Judge Nelson, of this
city, TO the Grand Jury the subject of the slavery
questsoa--whch We published in full last week-at-
tracts great deal Of attention, and meets the
approval OF the country generally. There some,
- might be expected, 20 whom il was not accept
abe; but il met cordial response from all friends
OF the Union and the constitution and all who are
willing to maintain and uphold the laws of the
try. X was to be expected that it would be
ceptable to the anti-lavery ISt6n.se and Post, who
sseekiagiy aud coyertly advocates the demonac
doctrines recently propounded by his coaborers in
Bosion-John Van Baren and VIM. H. Seward,
Wendall Phillips and Theodore Parker. lie
accordingly passed il by without notice or com
ment. while every other journal in the city either
published it in full or literally copied from it. Such
conduct ia characteristic Of the Tr,Luae and Post
and .~i not create surprise in any quarter
here or Al distance.
There are some points in that admirable charge
which are worthy of particular attention by every
man IN the North, into whose minds have been in
stiiied The infamous higher law principles OF Sew
ard, Weed, Greeley Co., and the cabal ofaboltion
sgi'a,ors with whom they associated. The fact
~, that without the section in the constitution pro-
vidng for the reclamation and delivery d ugiiyes
from service, the South never would have consented
TO become part of the Union A il i IL the Union
we owe I'll we nation, and AL we expect -
be, il may be fairly assumed that but for that
ton, the nation known the United States would
be, instead If a united amt powerful country a. it
IS divided and parcced out nlo 1 number 81
separated and warning republics, all employing
Their Influence and their cunning 70 oyerreach
each o!der. Instead of each contributing L.
The genera! welfare-as il the case at pre-
sent-al would be eXpending their means il main
tanning standing armies, and warning on each other
AL. OF them would he weak at home. and without
respect abroad What dangers, then have wc not
escaped by the Southern States concerning IL form
Union There might certainly have been two
confedesaeie, formed-a Northern and 4 southern:
but never would have reached the point of
strength aad greatness which we have attained
The South would not have insisted on the insertion
o; tina; clause a condition of her joining the
Union Il sae had not deemed it essential to her inte
rests TO do 80. She did so consider it, and ,he now
considers taat herinterests would be seriously affected
If wese no, followed to the letter by the North.
She will not be satisfied with the North fulfilling
one part Of the constitution and disrc garding an
other sac viii demand that al the terms and
coyenaas originally entered into shall be respected
and practically carried out. If the North there
Tore. nalfy that section OF the constitution or the
law Of l'I', passed in pursuance Of it, or the amen
datory &c; passed by Congress in 1850 and embody-
ing VIVA; i known generally the Fugitive Slave
Law, the south will be released from performing
her par. Of the compact The Union. consequently.
would be a, an end, and the United States would
rapid degenerate into the condition in which they
would be il no union had been entered into viz
an aggregation of hostile and warning sovereign
tes-sa easy prey to foreign conquest. We com
mend this view to the attention Of those whose
symps;h.es have been trihed with BY designing
demsgogaes and whose minds have been perverted
BY Seward, Greeley, and Others like them ia the
Nortse,a States.
Another point connected with this law j., that
there is not power conferred by this law upon
tacse who have been appointed TO administer ii ia.
Ideally. but what was conferred upon State magi.
trste- under the law Of 1888 which was approved by
Washington and Adams and enscted by the fathers
sAd founders Of the republic. The for plac-
nc tic power in the hands Of United State.
Commissioners, instead Of continuing il in those Of
state officers, is clearly pointed out BY Judge Nelson
snd Is bssed on n decision by the Supreme Court o.
the United States in a Gaze to which he referred.
Vi the Law contain no new powers-if the fugitive
slave law Is nothing more or les than re-enact-
,so, and constitutional in every respectfully should
it noi be obeyed as well other laws IL the
North I, disposed to regard il, duty under the con
sttut;oa Il will obey it in every instance. sut he
aemasogucs and agitatos step in and say that
ihese u law higher than the coustitution-superior
to all human enacinents--and which must he first
ossyed let this satanic principle take root il the
,s,blc mind Of the North, and thi. Union i rope
~. emit of a K
ery saa dsiusion-a gigantic swndle and lecSl-
tioa. such princplcs strike at the foundation Of
al governments and were they 70 he generally
.dop,rd, anarchy would prevail Throughout, the
whole civilized world This is the plain and unmis-
taxable result Of the teachings u he aboitiohst'
and socialists Of the North, beeded Ny seward
Weed, snd Greeley.
Judge ,,eison hns, in hi admirable charge. 'iuci-
dated r,iht which the bolitonists relied upon for
pre,ent.ag the execution II the Fugitive slave lew,
,i, to,! al laws passed by the state which tend g.
.mS.srs-- the execution of this law, uneon.ttu
tonal aad void and afford protection against IL
,,nslt.es for the law Of Congress paramount AMI
must he oJeyed II l. clearly defined that i !. The
duty Of the officer having fugitive ~ lis custody,
no, 10 allow him to pss from his hands 10 any stage
of the psoc4 .ngs hut t. stand uron BIZ proof and
his authority; and IL resisted, to maintain them
vi,h all the powers conferred upon him ~ that
rnfyp-e This j. very important point ior I'll
eo,is;on occurred between the state and the federal
AUTHORITIES in the execution q the Fugitive slave
Law, the consequences would b. q serious nature
aad might lead to dificulte, that are not nov
dsesmt o.
Il Is 10 b. hoped ,ha' tho very reasonable AMI very
able chasse of Judge Mellon, will hc extensively
circulated and as extensively pcruscd IN the Worth
ern and rev England States L iswcli calculated
TO bring The crring and misguided victim. q aboli-
tioo.sm and socialism back 4 The path q duty-to
make tacm rausc and reflect o. the course they are
pursuing, and to turn back the tide q iana'icism
whis. hs. aoodcd certain part of the country Il
-r-.L- N