The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-21
THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW AND THE PER.
PETUITY OF THE UNION.

Nc N ilOhS tNtcS VI huRuct uho al
under this caption, in which it declares that the
Free-Soilers deem it " the duty Of every one who
loves the Creator, and desires to keep his COM
mandments to riolate The Constitution OF his coun-
try, resist the a,us made IN pursuance Of It, trampe
under foot schat thsr revolutionary fathers shed their
blood TO establish break up the Framework Of society,"
destroy social order and obleras all the GUARANTEES
of FREEDOM aHte safeguards Of person and property,
and leave us exposed TO the horrors Of anarchy and
cpa mar, and all the disasters to be apprehended from
the supreme dominion of the wora passions Of The
human heart"
This paragraph indicates that the editor of the
Times is as fanatical as the Free-Soilers whom he
denounces with such JUNCTION. We might here
inquire, if it is revolutionary to carry out in prac
tice the principles of the Declaration Of indie
pendence, which is all the Free-Soiers aim to dol
In our simplicity, we supposed that "our revolu-
tionary fathers shed their blood to establish" the
principles of that Declaration; but the editor Of
the Times is evidently wise above what is written.
He sees trouble ahead-he
SHUTS danger from afar"
to the peculiar institution of Slavery from the
Free-soil agitation, and proposes the remedy
o sss5ssWna M Element s in he 3, po sns
ical organizations of the Northern States Both
parties, to their shame be it spoken, have tam
pered with it more or less and for the sake Of the
temporary political advantage, have hazarded the
destruction Of constitutional political orgsniza-
tons, the existence of the Constitution and the
stability of the Union. The great crisis which is
to decide our fate is rapidly approaching--the
Free Soil foes Of the Union are mastering their
cohorts for the final and as they hope, the fatal
struggle. Let us not deceive ourselves, or suffer
others to deceive US. There is but one method to
escape the impending evil. Both of the great
national parties Of the country must cast cut Of
their organizations the Free Soil element. 1t has
already destroyed the harmony Of both, and IL
permitted to work its will for time it will obliter-
ate their principles and break up their organize
ton 1t is to this end these desperate men labor.
In their eyes the Constitution and the Union are
nothing. The evil Of slavery outweighs all the
evils to be anticipated from disruption Of all the
springs of society, and the dissolution of polit-
ical and social organization. IL they can succeed
either in dissolving the two great parties Of the
country, or driving them to q coalition, their
first great object will be accomplished. In either
event, the conflict for the future must assume a
purely sectional aspect. The population of the
majority in Congress, and that majority will over
leap without scruple, all the barriers of the Con-
stituton, invade the rights of the weaker section
paralyze the sovereignty Of the States and reduce
The minority to condition tantamount to vassalage
or drive them to revolution.
"This is no fancy sketch. It is an imperfect
sketch of course of events which are as plain to
the mental eye of rejecting men il inscribed
with a pencil Of light upon the face Of the
Heavens. In such condition of affairs, the duty
of sll good men is as plain as the sun at MONDAY
IL is to set their faces against the Free Soil agi
tation-to resolve that it shall be suppressed-to
discountenance those who arsgving aid and COM
fort to them-to insist up4 the Compromise
Bills, and the faithful execy bn Of the Fugitive
Bill. as Indispensable condf (ns Of Union-and
to treat every one, Of all pan Nho ia not true in
heart to that Compromise, asHn enemy to the Con-
stitution. IL this course. of conduct Is inhcxibly
adhered to- without regard to personal feelings or
temporary expedients, all may yet be well-if
thSfe Is doubt, or hesitation or prevarcation, we
may make up our minds for the worst alterna-
tiven
There gentlemen of the free States, you have
your orders-disobey at your peril. "Both of
the great national parties Of the country must
cast out the Free Soil element must "resolve
~stat it shall be suppressed" must insist upon
the Compromise Bills, and the faithful execution
of the Fugitive Bill, as indispensable conditions
of Unionn Do you not hear the crack of the
whip7 Z" II there is doubt, or hesitation or pre-
yaication," you may make up your minds for
the worst alternative What that alternative is,
We are left to conjecture but it is doubtless some
thing dreadful
Seriously, is it not time that this dictatorial,
domineering tone Of remark addressed TO the
Northern States should cease7 The Tines rec
ognises sss sovereignty of the States;n why,
then, does he dictate their duty to them2 The
Northern States, we spprehend, are as capa-
BILE Of recognising and performing their duty
under the Constitution, as the editor Of the Times
is of instructing them. They believe that slavery
is local, and not national, institution and the
Times has no right to interfere with their 'sove-
ragntyn One thing is certain, the Free Soil
agitation will not cease, so long efforts are made
TO extend the "peculsr institution into free ter
ritory to suppose So we must infer that the free
men of the North have already become vsssals
and cravens-s superstition which every freeman
will reject.
EEpEcT OF THE FusITIvE SLAVE LAw.--Wesee
II stated that Henry Long, whose arrest In New
York caused great excitement some time Snoe'
and who was returned to his owner ct great ga