The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-06-11


States. and the constitution Was fralaedon
The idea Of limited government. IIpro-
posed 10 leare. and did leave. The differ
rni institutions Of the several States 10
themselves. II did not propose consoli-
daiian. ID did moi propose thai Ihe laws Of
Virginia should be lllr laws OF New York.
or Thai the laws nf New York should be
The laws of Massachusetts,. II proposed
anly thai Tor certain purposes. and In
certain extent. there shnuld be united
government. and that thai government
should have The power of exrruiing rs
avn laws. All the rest WAS leii 10 The
several STATES. And we now cnmr. gen.
llemen. 10 ihe rer, paint &c The ease. Az
thai time slavery exisfd in ihe southern
States. rniailrd upon them in The time nf
the supremacy of British laws over rs.
There IL was. II was obnoxious 90 the
middle States. and disliked; and honestly
and seriously tlislIkeJ, as The records of
The county will shaw. BY The southern
States themselves. Now. how were they
10 deal wilh il! We're the northern and
the middle States 20 exclude from the
government ihose States of the South
which had produced a Washington. a
Lawrence. and oiher distinguished patriots
of that part Of the couniryl Were they
10 be excluded from the new government
bpranse lhey tolerated the institution of
slaveryl Your fathers and my fathers
did moi think 30. They did not see that
il would be Of The best advantage TO The
slaves of the southern States 10 cui OF The
Snnih ffom all connexion with the North.
Their views af humanity led 10 no such
result; and ofconrse. when The constitution
was framed aid established. and adopted
by ,ou, here in New York. and by your an.
ceslo,s in New England, il contained an
express provision Of security 10 persons
who lived in the southern States for de.
liveiing np fugiiiyes who owed them ser.
vice; iha, Is 10 say. the fugitive from ser
vice or labor should be restored TO his
master OF owner. Well. thai had been The
history Of the country from ils FIRST sellle-
mcnt. II was matter Of common prac.
lice 10 return fugiiives beiore the consiiiu.
lion was formed. Fugiliye slaves from
Virginia 10 Massachusetts were restore,
!. BY The people OF Massachusetts. Atths
day there was great system OF appren
liceship al The Nurlh. aud many appren
iices o, the North. taking advantage Of cir
, cnmsiances. and Of vessels sailing 10 ih
, Smnl,, thereby escaped. This led TO
/ clear. express. and wcll-dciined provision
in the constitution Of the country on Ill
subject.
: Now, know that alI these things ar
I common--ihal they have been stated
n Thousand times: hui, 10 these days ofpeipc
fiual discomfort and misrepresentation, Il
state things thousand times is not enough
for there are more Than thousand person,
whnsr consrienres. one would think, Leaf
them 10 make il duty 10 deny, misrepie
seni. falsify, and cover up truth. Now
here is The constitution. felluw,cilizens
land have taken The pains 10 iranscribt
thereirom these words. So that he whr
runs may read: No person held TO ser.
vice or labor in one State. under the laws
thereof. escaping into another, shall, IN
consequence Of any law or regulation
therein. he discharged from such service
or labor. but shall be tellverrdlup on CLAIM
: of the party 10 whom such service or In
, boz NAV be DUE" Is there any mislak,
! about tins! Is there any foriy.shilling Al
, iorney here! M. | will mol disgrace N,
profession by surprising snch Thing
There is moi in or out Of an attorneys OF,
, fire in the rouniy of Erie. or elsewhere
! one who could raise doubt, or parlirl,
, &c doubt. about The meaning of lhis pro
I vision Of the constitution. lie may ac
: as Witnesses do sometimes on the stand
(; lie NAV. wriggle and twist, and sav h,
r can't tell. have seen many such exhi
4 hlions in my time. on the part OF wilnes
j. ses. to falslfy, and beiray. and deny th
i 'iruth. But there is no man who can real
$ these words of The constitution Of th
Z United States. and say they are not clea
! and imperative. " No person" the con
, siiluiion says. /" held TO service or labo
d in one State. under The laws thereof, eseap
! ing into another. shall. in consequence o
e any law orregulalion therein, be liscllarg
!. ed from such service or labor, bul shall b,
l. delivered up on claim of the party !.
i, whom such service or labor may be due.
e Why, you are told by fGriy conventions
;. In Massachusetts, 10 Ohio. in New York
n in Syracuse, and elsewhere, that if a col
q oted man came here, he came as fre,
\ men; that is non seq,titur. 1.-The CAM
r. as fugitive from labor. the constitution
. saws he is moi free man, and that h
!. shall be delivered up to his owners, VIII
# are en,lled 10 his service. Now, gentle
e linen, that is the constitution Of the Uniie
!. States. Gentlemen, do we or do we mol
: mean TO execute that part Of the conslltu
n lion as well as the rest of il! | suppos,
j, there are before me here members of ton
e gress. suppose there are before me her
) members Of the Stale Legislature, orexe
!, live officers under The Stale government
v Il suppose there are judicial magistrate
r. of New York, executive officers, asses
% sors, supervisors, justices Of the peace
and cons'ables before me, Allow m