The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-01

obligations of lalv. He means not them. Whom
then does he mean? Why the minions are
the merchants, mechanics, and lawyers, who
have since volunteered, and who may uoLHlteer
hereafter, TO sustain the law, as one of the laws
of the land.
But these men have no offices whose resig-
nation is to be brought about by the ''uncoH-
querable rage of the people," How shallow
the effort TO stave off the bearing of all this in
cehdiary stuff about the Stamp act and the un-
conquerable rage of the people from the sworn
officers of the law!
Your correspondent says:
Stigma criticises the parallel presented by Mr..
Sumner between the Stamp net and the Fugitive
slave act lie does not seem 10 consider that Mr..
sumner, at the outset, gives his for regard
ing the latter act as unconstitutional, which the
the Stamp act''
Our fathers were not representative are;
| they had no power by their suffrapes TO change
their law makers-we have; they and many
great men, members of the British Parliament,
utterly denied the right Of taxation; we recog-
Mise our constitutional obligations, and find in
the great charter that law, of which legsla-
ton has merely expanded the letter. without
changing one little Of the spirit. Mr.. Sumner
| gives his reasons why the law is unconsttu-
tional. The Supreme Judicial Court have
| given theirs why it is constitutional, and with
entire unanimity. Mr.. Summers reasons there
| fore are of the market value of stubble and
| rottenness. He was wholly wrong; and, be-
being wholly wrong, he told the people the
| law could neUer be ereclded here; he encouraged
them to commit treason by the comforting as
surance that there were those among us who
would protect the fugitive by force; and, with
view TO intImldate the merchants, lawyers,
nd NJ off of he.
nlinions who have since volunteered as a para
of the slave-hunter's pack, and who held ndV
offices connected with this law he told them
how the unconquerable rage of the people had
compelled the stamp officers to resign their
offices in l765!
Should your correspondent incline to over
burden Mr. Sumner with any additional help,
should respectfully recommend previous
consultation upon the points of defence.
If Mr.. Sumner had been in the right, and not
wholly In the wrong, as to the constitutionalty
OF the law, we must look upon him as very
bad citizen, for attempting to stir up ''the un-
conquerable rage of the people" to oppose it
unlaWfully, instead Of commencing them to the,
ballot box.
Your correspondent claims for Mr. Sumner1
the merit of having told the people that he
cOunselLed no Uiolence. | wish this claim had
not been urged; for, if there be one part of this
vile harangue which, more than all others, ex-
cites sentiment of mingled contempt and in
dignation, this is that one. He very much
resembles the man who unmuzzles his blood
hounds, points his finger at the victim, but
cautions them not TO use their fangs.
SHE couaselLed no uioiencetn He vivifed
the fury of the masses by reminding them of
the 'enconquerable rage Of the people" in l765;
but he eootnseiled no rioIencei He held up the
present and the former occasion as equally de-
handing exhibition of their uncomfortable
rage; but he couaSelled no cioIencei He asked
them if we should be more tolerant now than
were those whose uncomfortable rage drove
magistrates from their homes sacked their
houses; compelled their wives and daughters to
fly, in terror, for their lives; guzzled their Ii
quors, and stole their gold; but he c0tuaSelLed no
violence! TO let them know they were not
alone in their reasonable purposes, he signii-
cantly assured them there were not wanting
those who We're ready to resist the laws of their
country, and protect the fugitive by force; but
he counSetled no uiolence!
With all our adherence of treason and of
traitors, it is impossible, without deep commise-
ration, to consider the bearing of the old Lord
Balmerino on the scaflold: ''He was gallant
brave, rough, and resolute; he eyed the imple-
ments of death with the most careless familiar
ity; and seemed to triumph in his sufferings."
How differently should we be affected by the
fate of one who while he had stimulated the
passions of uneducated men to the perpetration
of high treason by infammatory harangues, en-
deavored to contrive loophole for his own
escape IN the wary assertion that he c0,alselled
no DloLencet SIGMA.