The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-25

yet remains anrepealsd Now, put il 10 The common
sense OF the county, need not put TO the intelligence
OF this Senaeto answer me whether, in community
where such laws exist under The sanction OF the lawma-
king power there will be anybody idle enough attempt
to suppress these instructions at the time when they
cur. Sir the honorable senator from Kentucky Mr..
CLAY, j 10 the denuaciatons which gralifed and
pleased hear him level against the Liberation OF this
high offence in the city OF Boston, il he will allow
say did not go far enough have gone step fur
Their have denounced the State OF Massachusetts tor
being false to her federal obligations say sir, false 10
her federal obganons Tor she is party TO Tins compact
in which she agreed to have consideration that ugves
OF this character should be delivered up What is her
laws Her law, as have said, only refuses give
the of the ails for the detention of these ugives,
but makes II penal upon any officers OF the Common
wealth whatever 10 arrest or detan to aid or abet in
arrestng de,aning ugitves Sir. the honorable
aor from Kentucky should have gone to the State OF
asetsgone TO the offence where it exists in the
law-mak ing power-as well 10 denounce this rabbe OF
negroes who bad il in their power to commit this breach
OF The peace within the limits of the State tolerated If not
encouraged by their statutes have sent Tor the law,
sir The second section, TO which the President has ad
vered is IN these words:
No sheriff deputy sheriff, constable iaier
other officer OF this Commonwealth. shall hereafter
detan, aid IN the detention, pr in
any jail other building belonging this Commonwealth,
or 10 county, thereof OF person ior the
fea son that lie Is ciamed as n agitive slave"
That is the law Of Massachusetts. understand, at
this day. The third section reads thus
Any Justice OF the peace, sheriff deputy sheriff,
net n M o. VINO na onfna % S asans, 'e phI
recty under the conferred by the third section of the
OF Congress aforementioned, SHALL forfeit
eding thousand dollar. every offence,
of The county where said offence committed, shall
be subject i'm prsonmen exceeding year the
county jail"
That is the present law of Massach uselts the law of
the session OF Congress the contrary nolwthsand
ing Now, submit il TO the Senate, submit il to the
country whether any people whose awgvers passed
that law, and allowed il to remain unrepealad on the
book until this day, do not tolerate, do not
courage and offences such denounced
in the message OF the President just delivered TO the Sen
ate | understood the honorable senator from Massa-
chuselts, Mr. DAvs,l the other day, when this subject
was up, TO say that the people OF Boston, that the people
OF Massachusetts generally, would not resist this law
that, far as he informed, it law odlous to
them and alike odious to the people OF the State of Mas
sachusetts 10 large portion OF them; bull in his
language think, that they a law abiding people
and would not resist IT, ask the honorable senator
from Massachusetts, does he to say when they
fuse actually TO resist the law, that they complying
with the federal obligation that they entered into to
render the fugitive? Does he mean to say that shall
be satisfied with having the word Of promise kept thus
the only and broken whenever lis iuhlment is de-
manded in fact !
Sir, what arose for principally to avoid any pos.
sble belief from my silence that | acquiesced in what
fell from the the waythe from Ken
tucky-when he declared it his belief that this law had
been executed since II passed everywhere but the
city of Boston II the senator that it has
been openly resisted by successful mob anywhere but in
the city of Boston, he may be right but if he means
that the slave States have by OF this law had this
federal obligation enforced for their advantage, take is
Mr. CLAY Will the honorable senator from Vir
gina Mr. MAsoS] allow me to ask him If he will specify
any instance, other than in Boston, where the law at
tempted TO be carried effect has not been carried into
effect
Mr. MASON. II the senator will allow me to answer
that inquiry by enunciang my propostion-i he means
that the law has been carried into effect everyw here
where has not been successfully resisted by violence
# that is his idea OF carrying the law into effect he may
where except in the city of Boston, bu, ask whether
the law for the restitution OF my property carried into
effect when, although successfully resisted by vo
ence il just as successfully resisted by evasion and
collusion
have said that this law canno, be carried into effect
unless it is executed with aacrty Adlgence, zeal and
good faith and although you may restore the property
you restore II at cost not worth the reclamation, as has
been done in nnumerable instances and cases in my
ton OF the country. might well instance the OF
the negroes arrested in Harrisburg, in Pennsylvania be-
fore the law OF the last session passed, who were
rendered under the law Of the last session. which passed
while they in custody. 1t was one OF my own
ueghboIs who went there to these slaves, and
think that he did them after delay of two
monhs-after being subjected 10 expense OF fourteen
hundred and fifty dollars in the attempt 10 do itafier
havng been subjected la incarceration bis person.
as well those who went as hs assistans-and after
having been subjected 10 trial for riot. which he had 10
90 back again TO the State OF Pennsylvania 10 attend
He recovered his two tugilives carried them home and
sold them for fifteen hundred dollars, the expenses being
fourteen hundred and fifty and he had clear balance in
his favor of fifty dollars after that feat II that be sue
cessful execution OF this law 1t is ssiu execution
by which the claimant gets his properly at the cost OF the
whole of ii.
/ take the recent case Of Long, in New York What
were the facts there The law executed but how
Why The claimant subjected to suit after suit-bed
to bail upon writ after writ until, according 10 my reco
lection he had been obliged give bail in separate
tons 10 the amount of some fifty thousand dollars
litigation not between him and his slave, hut between
him and OF the people OF the city OF New York.
protracted for ten days ortnighi and resulted that
when his slave delivered 10 him and carried home
and sold the proceeds OF the sale barely II at ALL paid
the expenses OF that prosecution remember TO have
seen i, stated in the papers, do not know with what
uuh--that committee OF citizens Of the city OF New
York actually buted five hundred dollars To tighten
the expenses OF that
Now, Mr.. President, what ! mean 10 say is this
want nv people understand the actual operation Of this
law | not satisfied, for think that the obi
cation assumed by the free States themselves when
they became free satisfied when they barely refuse
when our citizens 20 there end subjected 10 sns and
to and vexatoD, and delays, and terminate
al last with xpensc greatly exceeding the value oil the
property which they reclaim That IL not an execs
on Of the law IL be executed IN the State OF
Massachusetts, SO long the spirit OF The people exists
there which passed statute and allows to remain up
this day upon their statute book unrepealed Sir the
State OF Virginia is deeply Interested in this law. The
citizens OF the State OF Virginia sustain, annually Losses
to the amount OF hundred more thousand dol
lars by the escape Of these fugves and need not say
TO the Senate ~ no answer 10 inform those people, you
have a law under which your slaves can be re-
claimed but only a, the full cost OF the slave you go to
reclaim.
Now SIR, a. TO the legislation that the President sug-
gests have only heard read and of course have not
had time to consider IT, do not know whether II IL all
the legislation by Cong ress order to carry out the
law that the subject is capable Of Blu, desire particu
larry that the attention Of the appointing power may be