The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-06-04

was lfameu aun eStaDllSneu, anu auOpleu
by YOU, here in New York, aud by yonr
ancestors in New England, it contained
an express provision of security to per-
sous who lived in the Southern States as
To (ughives who owed them service that
is to say, the fugitive from service or
labor should he restored To his master,
or owner. Well, that had been the hiss
tory of the country from its first settles
ment. 1t was a matter OF common prac-
tice To return fugitlves before the cons
sliiutlon was formed. Fugitive slaves
from Virginia to Massachusetts were re-
stored by the people of Massachusetts.
At that day there was great system oi
apprenticeship at the North, and many
apprentices at the North, taking advan-
iage uf circumstances, aud of vessels
sailing to the South, thereby escaped,
This led to n clear, express and well de-
fined provision in the Constitution of the
county on The subject Now, ] know
that all these things are common that
they have been stated a thousand times /:
but. in these days OF perpelnh di>con-
tent and misrepresentation, to state thugs
a thousand times is not enough for there
are more than thousand petsons whose
consciences. one would think, led them
to make ii n duty to deny, mlsrepresent,
faIsify and cover up truths.
Now, here is the Constitution, fellow
ciiizens, and have taken the paths 10
transcrbe therefrnm these words, so that
he who runs may rea ; No person
held Ia service or Labor in one State. un-
der the laws thereof, escaping INTO an
other. shall in consequence of any law
or regulation therein, he dischatged iton
such service or labor, but shall I've de-
l,vered up on claim of the partyio whom
such serrice or labor may be due. " Is
there any mistake about this Is there
any forty shilling attorney here! No.
| will not disgrace my profession by sup
posing such thing, There is not III
or out Of an attorneys office in the
County Of Erie. or elsewhere, one who
could raise 4 doubt, about the meaning
Of this provision Of the Constitution. He
NAV act as witnesses d., sometimes, IN
the stand. lie may wriggle aud twist
aud say he can't tell have seen many
such exhibitions in my time, on the part
of witnesses, 10 falslfy, and beiray. and
deny the faith. But there is no man
who can read these words Of the ConsiI-
tuition Of the United States, and say they
are not clear and imperative. No
person." the Constitution says. held III
service or labor in one State, Under the
laws thereof, escaping into another
shall, in consequence of any law or reg
nlat'on therein, he discharged from
such service or labor, but shall he de-
livered up on claim of the party to
whom such service or labor may be due. u
Why, You are told by forty conventions
in Massachusetts, in Ohio, in New York
in Syracuse, and elsewhere, that if a
colored man came here he came as a
freeman. That is a non sequifur. Il
he came as a fugitive from labor, the
Constitution says he is not a freeman
and that he shall be delivered up to hi.
owners. who are entitled To his service
Now, gentlemen, that is the Constitution
of the United States. Gentlemen, dc
we, or do we not, mean to execute iha
part Of the Constitution as well as The
rest Of it
suppose there are before me here
members of Congress lsnppose there
are here members Of the State Leei-la
!ure, or executive officers, under thu
Stale Government. suppose there ar,
Judicial Magistrates of New York ex
ecullve officers, Assessors, Supervisors
Justices Of the Peace. aud Constables
before me. Allow me to say, gentlemen
that there is not, that there cannot b.
any one of these officers in this assem-
blage, or elsewhere. who has moi, &C
ccrdlng IN the form OF his obligation
bound himself by solemn oath, Lefor
his God. to support the Constitution
They have taken their q ,ths on the Hol
Evangeisis Of Almighty God, or by up
lifted hand, as the case may be, or by
solemn assevera,ion. as is the practice il
some cases. But one and all of them
there IS not man who holds, nor
W" "'' "'"'' WV VI" "'"u ""y "iiS
IN me gut "f the un''ed States, or u
inns state or III any other State, VIII
{ does not become bound. by the solem
"p''sa,lo" oi an oa'h he'ore God, ina
! he VIII support The Constitution OF IN
unl'ed States. Wei, is he to lanpe
5 win thai Is he to latter Genllemer
? our political duties are as much matter
? "l c"nsc'ence as any other dutIes-ou
Z sacred domestic ties, our most endearin
e social relations, are no more the suhjec