Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-05-09
How Il Works.

The following additional items in relation
to the late fugitive case in Boston, are sig
nifcant of the feeling there:
s|THE BosToN FUGITTvE SLAVE CASE
The people of Lynn, Massachusetts,, tolled
their bells on Saturday, when they heard
that Sims had been delivered up to his
MASTER
'sThe Boston Commonwealth states that
several warrants. had been issued for the
arrest Of other fugitive slaves in that city"
ssThe citizens. of Fall river were to hold
town meeting on Saturday afternoon, to
see if they would instruct their representa-
tives to vote for Charles Sumner, and to ex-
press the public sentiment upon the fugi-
tive slave law
"The cost of the extradition of the fugi-
tive slave, Sims, is estimated at about five
tlous and dollars. Alarge part Of this sum
will fall upon the claimant, some 51200up-
on the city, and 500 upon the United
States government. The total expense, in
Guiding subsistence of troops and Officers,
and fees of counsel, not to consider the
ouuays Of the vigilance committees, viii
exceed the sum Of 5000"
These revelations as well as other un-
mistakeable proofs Of popular sentiment
elected by the recent events in Boston, sug-
gested many reflections. They lead ire
sisGbly to two conclusions: Firstly, that the
delivery of fugitive slaves is repugnant to
the moral sentiment Of the great masses OF
the people of New England, who viii use
every means in their power to render the
late act null and void, so long as they allow
! it to remain on the statute book. Second
", that it must ''coSt more than it viii come
to" under the most favorable circumstan-
ces, and that the expenses are such as prac-
ticaily to destroy the utility of the act.
This Boston case was a very favorable
one-for the nnostextraordinary efforts were
made to facilitate the proceedings, and Sc
cure the slave, at the least expense, to the
owner-and yet it viii be seen that the re-
clamation Of negro, whose value would
not amount to one thousand dollars, costs
the owner from two to three thousand dol
lars! and the Federal and State Govern
nents as much more. And al! this, too,
not to ensure an open triumph of law and
order, but a fitting before daybreak, and
an avoidance Of the risk of rescue on the
railroads. Nay, so much were the aholi-
tionists emboldened by this midnight move
ment, that they actually pursued the Acorn,
and had the winds not favored the brig
might probably have borne the fugitive bacl
in triumph to Boston.
But to recur to the main point. The val
ue of any legislative act depends upon The
ease, the certainty, and the cheapness o.
its execution. Ii man loses his slave. ant
/ is to be taxed four times his value for the
chance Of recovering him, of what use is
such law? All southern Shareholders
cannot afford the same expensive luxuries
which Mr. Potter's ample means allow him
to indulge in, for the purpose of testing q
| principle; and the rendition of Sims, at such
| price, encourages the abolitionists, while
it discourages the owners offugitive slaves
/ from repeating so costly an experiment
The result has verified our predictions to
the letter; but we feel bound to admit that
in one matter we were mistaken. We gave
/ the citizens Of Boston more credit than they
deserved, for we thought the rendition there
would have been easy-whereas it was ac-
complished with difficulty and danger, and
consummated by dexterous lodging after
all.
So much for this equivalent" for the
empire surrendered by the South.-.South-
erm Press.