The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-06

The FuGIrIyE SLAVE LAw.-The great battle
of this generation, between freedom and slavery,
has been fought, and won by those who from
1916 to 1850, resolutely upheld, during all the
fierce conflicts of those years. the Wimot Pro-
viso. The contest on the proyso secured our
Mexican territories to freedom. In this great
result we behold its glorious reward We may,
therefore. in the main, be content with the fruits
of that contest Had it not been for the agita-
ton upon the subject of slavery and the power
full demonstration of the free States, slaves
would now be washing the golden sands OF Cali
fornia, and barren New Mexico herself would be
bowling in still more hopeless sterility before
the whitening tread of African servitude But,
thanks to the indomitable spirit of freedom in
the North, the future millions who are to inhabit
the vast valleys of the ella, the Colorado, the
san JOAQUIN, and Sacramento, have the unspeak-
able boon of liberty for their inheritance. This
is the animating spectacle presented to our gaze
rs we survey the field whereon have fought TOR
wears the champions of free-soil. In this rich
harvest true friends of liberty everywhere share,
and may rejoice in its abundance. They may
well regard it with proud satisfaction and re-
pose in tranquility over what is thus achieved
for the cause of humanity
But the offensive lees of the agitation from
which all this has resulted, is now held to the
nostrils of the successful party in the contest,
in the form of the Fugtiveslave law. ASH the
dispeusation of Providence, unmixed good is
seldom the lot even of those upon whom earth
lv blessings are most abundanuy showered, so
we should not wonder that the share of good
which has fallen 10 the adversaries of slavery, in
this contest. should be dashed with an unwel-
come admixiurc. But it would be the height
of inpratitude, as well the height of solidity,
10 fail to recognize and enjoy what we have OF
good in our existing circumstances, because all
is not good The devil was in Paradise.
We are not Of those who are cut to the quick
nv the operation Of the Fugitive slave law. IL
ia wicked enough no doubt But we precipitate
ourselves into no tumult of passionate ohJurga-
ton over its natural operation of successfully
returning slave to his servitude. We rejoice
in the escape of a human being from slavery.
We lament his seizure and return to bondage.
But we preserve the expression of our pro-
foundest emotions upon the subject of slavery,
for the seasons of our contemplation OF the
monster iniouity, MS its gigantic proportions rise
To view in the shape Of the three millions of our
fellow-countrymen who daily rise in the morn
ing and lie down at night under the lash of the
task. muster. II is painful to behold single in
dividual in slavery but thousand times more
bitter infinitely more poignant to the reflective
mind. ia the thought Of that stupendous aggre-
cate of wrong suffered by the millions who
hopelessy toll in the cotton fields and rice
swamps of the South.
In the Triumphant march of the cause Of free
dom finally marked by the signal events alluded
to. we find the liveliest satisfaction. ] hatcause
had suffered no serious interruption in it, career,
though nssailed at every step by open foes and
treacherous friends Its course has been steadily
| forward its conqnests Hnequ'vocal and glorious.
The operation Of the Fugitive slave law is but
the picking off Of here and there straggier by
| the enemy But while even tins loss " TO be
deplorcd. we can hardly regard il otherwise than
az an inevitable evil The very act OF moving
souadrons through an enemy's country involves
| the necessity of loss The most fortunate and
successful battallions do not come out of con.
test unscatbed Let us count our gains, and
consider, but not magnify, our losses,
The violent ngitations of the time upon Che
law will cease. and comparative tranquility be
restored while the rich blessings secured by the
friends of freedom. In the late contest with sla-
very. will GLOW with an ever increasing lustre
and develop from age to age in an ever increas-
ing magnitude.
The law Of 1850 must turn out to be an in.
operative enactment. Indeed, it is practically
nullifed already, when it costs, as in the case OF
| Sims five thousand dollars to catch and return
single runaway. But if it is to be anything
but selfnnllfying act, lying dead on the statute
book. its repeal or essential modification, is in
syitable. lie one hideous feature, giving to a