The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-06


legation, and they sued out writ Of error and
If remember the facts corredtly, 1t was carried
TO ~ leflnture of Georgia, who, in defiance
OF that VIII Of error and authority OF this court
directed that that man should be executed, and
ne vas executad May you not well inquire,
then, whether this il an unparalleled outrage y
And notwithstanding all that occurred In tho
Georgia case, | never heard that anybody
thought II was necessary that the President.
should issue his proclamation, or that any mill
tary force should be sent to Georgia for the pur-
pose Of quelling the nsurrectionary spirit there.
do not advert to this in any spirit of unkind-
mesa It is part of the history Of the country
and when the senator from Georgia rises to re-
proach the citizens of Massachusetts, with COM
hitting an unparalleled outrage, | think it may
be very we'll to offset it by parallel of this sort
Well, cir, the senator from North Carolina
Mr.. BADGERl pursued the same train Of argu-
ment which was pursued by the senator from
Georgia and he entered largely into an inves-
tigation and criticism upon the laws of Massachu-
setts--laws passed, Mr.. President seven years
ago--and he deduced from the character OF that
legislation an argument that there was an i'm
proper spirit prevalent in that State--a spirit
which required this very measure. Now, took
occasion TO say when spoke upon this subject,
that the Legislature of Massachusetts, had gone
in this matter beyond the limits of my judgment,
and that, had been a member of that body,
should have probably objected to the passage Of
such law as that Not that they had not a
right to do It; do not place it on that ground,
because considered the law of Massachusetts,
by the deciaion in the case of Prgg, of Mary
land, as swept from the statute-book, and that
the repeal of that law was q mere matter Of form
after that decision 1t dwndled down to that,
in my opinion, and nothing else. But then, whed
it came to the denial of the other officers and
her prison, l should have stopped. That would
have been my view of the subject. However,
think no gentleman who will read that deci-
sion will for moment question the right OF
Massachusetts to 60 to the full length that she
has gone.
But there are some other circumstances which
then adverted to, connected with this, that
wish to refer to little more distinctly; espe-
cially that criticism of my honorable friend from
North Carolina upon this subject took occa-
sion to say that there were certain laws in some
of the Southern States that were offensive to
the North, by which her citizens were impris-
oned, and without charge of crime of any sort.
It was shown here, when that subject was under
discussion, that several sailors who had been
shipwrecked upon the coast of some OF the
Southern States, were seized and put in prison,
without any allegation of crime, or any offence
whatever. You must remember that that mat
ter was pretty largely discussed here. Well,
what did we do? We asked Congress, when
they were acting upon this fugitive slave law, to
which had been taken away by the legislation of
Oh I'D ~ do npn
thing more: We said that the doors of the
courts of justice. by the laws of South Carolina,
were shut against our citizens; and we made an
humble and reasonable request, offering an
amendment to that effect, that these doors should
be opened, and that the question should be tried
whether it was lawful or not to imprison these
people without some charge Of offence. Now,
what wish to say is, that my friend from North
Carolina, Mr.. BADGER, who censures so much
the State Of Massachusetts for illiberal legisla-
ton, voted against these amendments of my col
league and myself, and think, if you will turn
to the journal, you will find his votes so re-
corded Now, advert to this in no undnd
spirit; but | think that even-handed justice re-
quires that If my worthy friend from North
Carolina deems a censure upon Massachusetts
as necessary for her ilberal legislation, he
should extend some of his remarks to some
other portion of the country.
| This is said to be prominent case, standing
out distinguishable from all other cases, equalled
by none except the whskey rebelion none
have occurred which so much demanded there
probation of this government. Why, sir, it is
but short time since we witnessed n civil war
in our neighboring State of Rhode Island. An
actual instruction took place. Army was ar
rayed against armv and, if have not been
greatly misinformed, an appeal was made to this
government to issue its proclamation then, and
to icterpose its pacifying power; but it declined
30 to do. We never saw any proclamation.
There was, 80 far as know, no requisition; but
Rhode Island was left to take care Of her own
rights in the best way that she could Now,
apprehend that the honorable senator from Ala
bama, Mr. CLEMENS, who addressed us the
other day in plain, manly way, with great good
sense, as thought, has the key TO this whole
matter. He said, in substance, if | remember
rightly-I do not know that can quote his Ian
guage-that if this case were anything but fu-
gitive slave care, it could not be sustained The
facts would not uphold it. He said that this
was an agitated topic, exciting large portion of
the country, and that it was due to the admins
tration now In power to make this demonstra-
ton in order to satisfy the Southern mind. If
tntt IN view vi INC HlattcT, tIie course
of events in Massachusetts has no great con-
nexion with this subject This is propitatory
measure to the South If that is necessary, let
it be so. Let it stand on that foundation.
What protest against is casting blame and re-
proach upon the people ofmy State-a measure
of blame and reproach which think is uhjusti-
fable.
Having made this brief statement, which is all
| wish to say upon the subject, will conclude
the very few remarks / had to make, by saying
that it does not appear to me that the case has
arisen in which military force is necessary to
give support to our civil institutions Venture
to predict, sir that there will be no force en-
ploycd; that the people Of that State have no
occasion to be alarmed upon this subject; that
there will be no navy, no army, no militia sent
there.
Mr. BERRIN. desire to say but single
word to rescue the State of Georgia from the
parallel which the senator from Massachusetts
has inferred with the case now under considera-
ton He is certainly most unfortunate in the
selection of his example. This is the case Of
lawlcss mob rescuing nm individual from the