Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-12-11

iuSu oy TIC express WORDS OF tho Lon
lstituiion. The Constitution declares, tha
mo person. held 10 service or labor in on.
State under the laws thereof, escaping into
another. shall, in consequences Of any law
Ior regulation therein, be discharged from
such service, or laLor, blu: shall he deliv.
cred up on claim Of the party TO whom
such service or labor may be due. Thi.
constitutional provision Is equally oblig.
Iatory upon the Legislative, the Executive
and judicial departments of the Govern.
ment. and upon every citizen fthe Unitst
States. Congress, however, tnust from
necessity FIRST act npon The subject, b,
prescribing the proceedings necessary
10 ascertain that the person Is fugitive,
and mes ms 10 be used for his restoration
10 the claimant. This was done by an &C,
passed during the FIRST term Of Presideni
Washington, which was amended by that
enacted by the last Congress, and il now
remains for the executive and Judicial
to take care that these law,
Ibe faithfully executed: This injunction
of the constitution is as peremptory, and
as demanding as any other; it stands ex.
actly on The same n,dalion as that clause
which pro, ides FOR the return Of The f,g-
Tive fruin justice, or that y hich declares
that no bill Of attainder, or ox-post facto
law, shall be passed, or that which prov
ides fur an equality Of taxation 10 the CEN
sus, or the clause declaring that all dnIies
shall be uniform throughout the United
STATES, or the important provision, that
Tie trial Of all crimes shall be by
jury.
These several articles and claims Of tie
Constitution, all resting on the same auth
oriiy, must stand or fall together. Some
objeciious have been urged against the
details Of the act for the return or frrpil
tives from labor, but it Is worthy Of re-
mark thai the main opposition il aimed
against the Constitution Itself, and pro-
ceeds from persons and classes Of persons,
many Of hem declare their wish 10 see
ihat Constitution overturned. They
avow their hostility to any law which
shall give full and practical eject 70 this
requirement Of The Constitution. rortu-
nately, the number Of those persons is
lively small, and is believed 10 be
daily diminishing; but the issue which
they present is ONE which invol, es the SUI
premacy, and even the existence. of the
Constitution.
Cases have heretofore arisen in which
individuals have d. minded the binding au-
thority Of acts of Congress, s. even States
have proposed TO nullify such acts, upon
the ground, that the Constitution was The
supreme law oil the land, and that those
acts OF Congress were repugnant TO that
instrument. But modification is not aimed
so much against particular laws, as being
Inconsistent with the Constitution, as
agaifst the Constitution Itself, and il /. not
10 be disguised that spirit exists, and
against evasion or ngainst abilse. l wns
lot induced to make this Recommendation
hecuse thought those measures perfect.
Wide difference and jaripg of opinions can
only bereconciled by yielding on all sideds
and this -esult bad been reached after an
angry conflict Of many months, in which
one part the country was array ed against
another, and violent CONCLUSIONS seemed
10 be imminent. Looking at the interests
of The whole country, l fvit il 10 be my
duty 10 seize upon this Compromise. as
the hest that could be obtained amid con-
flhting interests, ard TO insist upon il as
"a final settlement, to be adhered to, by all
who value the peacs and welfare Of the
country.
A year has now elapsed since that re-
was made. To that re-
commendation, still adhere, and con-
graduate you and the country upon the
general acquiescence inthese measures oil
peace, which has been exhibited in all
parts Of the Republic. And not only il
there this general acquiescenee in these
measures, but the spirit Of cancellation
which has been manifest in all parts oil
the country, has removed doubts and un.
eeriainties in the minds of thousands oil
good hner, concerning the durability Of
our popular institutions, and given assn
|rarce that cur Liberty and our Union
may .ubsist together; for the benefit Of
fhis and all succeeding generations.
WILLARD FILLMORE.
WAsnrsGrox, December 2, 1851.
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