The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-14

he Result In Boston.
The fugitive slave SINS has been delivered up
la Boston, and was taken on board the brig
Acorn ut that place, at o'clock on Saturday
morning last
The execution finally, of this act of Con-
gress by the federal government, in the darkness
OF night, after the muster Of mobs and threats
of rescue, must be regarded AS the retreat OF
the federal government from, the opponents OF
the law.
The case had attracted the attention of the
whole Union through the telegraph 1t was re-
garded as test. 1t was proclaimed in Bos-
ton paper the day before, that the slave would
be given up, and taken away in open day But
this was not DONE There are many Northern
men here who desired the law to be enforced,
and were confident that its supremacy would
BE- completely indicated on this OCCASION we
have not seen one who has not expressed his
disgust or regret at the nocturnal proceeding OF
the government.
For our own part, we think the officers Of the
United States, from the President down, have
done their duty in this case faithfully-and We
think it was better for the federal government
to retreat by night, than to be beaten IN day.
light. bv the people or the mob of Boston.
We are not unmindful of the necessity OF
law, or of the duty of enforcing it against mere
rioters or mobs, or factions. But the resistance
made to the Fugitive slave law, is that OF the
In easp htOod-
shed is no remedy. 1t would probably make
things worse When one people, or one Sec
ton, differs from another, forceand blood are un-
certain and unreasonable arbiters; and We should
be sorry to see lhem resorted to in any event,
and never until all other modes Of adjustment
fall
It is now we suppose obvious enough that If
the Fugitive slave law can be executed only by
stealth, at great expense, delay and danger, it is
worse than useless as a practical remedy.
Where attempts are made to enforce it, the
fugitive either escapes, or is rescued, or is de-
livered up in secret. If then he is taken home, or
taken any where in the South to tell the story
Of Northern sympathy, aid, and resistance, his
influence would be worse than a half dozen Abo-
ltionists. Ii the slaves of the South understand
that in case they escape to the North, they will
have all the immunity resulting from the chances
of euding arrest, of ample legal pettfogging if
arrested, and ofrescue before and after trial, why
then the object of the constitutional provision
on this subject is substantially deieated-the
compact is broken.
1t is stated in two Of the Northern papers,
that the fugitive Sims, was purchased in Boston,
and after being formally removed, is to be re-
stored. If this is the case, the Compromise is
very much as usual when the South is concerned.
The law is enforced, in form, by night, and the
fugitive is to be free any how. His owner gets
the money, as Texas did The South takes the
consequences of proceedings that render her
property i'll this respect more insecure than it
was prior to the passage of this law.
Such, however, is the curse that befals bad
faith. For this law the border States of the
South, deserted the rest. Behold their reward.
These things must be making it rather more
and more obvious to the most obtuse and insen-
sible submissionist, that great questions are not
to be settled by shutting, subterfuge and treach-
erv, The surrender of territory, of an empire to
section, under pretence of people to choose
their own institutions, the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
lection under pretence that a particular State
within it had the exclusive right to decide for
Inc rest and that there such thing as de-
cision under threat of foce-the prescription
of the peculiar property u section in the little
district of the common government, ali accom-
plished by payment of ten millions to one, and
futile law to few others of the States concerned
all this juggle nov stands exposed.
The struggle between the two sections was
Essentially one for poNer-but the South had
ne right The moment the South had surren-
iered, the consequences were inevitable. Al
most every one of her friends in the North has
been sacrificed at the earliest opportunity, and
ienuncaton of the South has been the passport
% the Senate and the House of Representa-
atves, 80 that both of these bodies will hereaf-
er abound more than ever with her bitterest
enemies.
The only mode of supporting her friends in
he North was for the South to have power.
She has sacrificed it--she has sacrificed even
her equality And yet there are men aud people
weak enough to believe that those who desert
here own cause may rely for friends on
strangers.