Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-09-21

of the Estate obstruction law" as DEFY the use
OF ails for the detention OF fugities from la
Dor while awaiting their trial, or many other
manner interfere with the constitutional rights
of cIISens of our sister States in relation To their
property.
Most nobly have you redeemed your pledges
to the Constitution and To your SOutieTn bTeIh-
rem. Early in 1851, you did, in opposition to
the unanimous vote OF the Wing HTty, pass
through both Houses Of your General Assembly,
an act repeating the most obnoxious sections OF
the unconstitutional obstruction law 4 1871
But your sound and patriotic purposes were, for
the time, frustrated, by the veto ot WIN +. John
stOn, the Wing Governor OF your Safe. Did
you pause in your patriotic eNertlons hire? No.
You nailed the flag OF the Constitution IO your
masthead and took an appeal to the people of
PennsYlyania. You re affirmed your determi-
nation TO maintain the Constitutional rights of
the South. You nominated the gallant Bger
as your standard-besrer, and you made direct
issue with YOUR oppuuentS on this question:
! What was the result Why, that result which
always follows a faithful observance ofthe COu-
stiIuIion. The abolition forces were rRuted.-
The Constitution was maintained and DemoCra-
cy was triumphant And the repeating law
which Johnston vetoed, was again passed by
Democratic Legislature, against solid Wing
vote, aud approved by Democratic Governor.
Perhaps one OF the most striking Illustrations
/ of this distinguishing characteristic between the
!
I found in the course of William +. Johnston, late
| Wing Governor of your Stale. YUu will thus
| perceive how the same man may perform the
/ functions of political chameleon and reflect
! through his transparent skin, the color and COM
/ plexiOn of the party to which he at the time be-
longs.
In 1897, Governor Johnston was Democrat
and member of the House OF Delegates ofPenn-
| sylvRnia, from the county or Armstrong. On the
9th Of January, OF that year, petition was pre-
! sented 10 the House, praying the Legislature to,
/ grant the trial by jury to fugitive slaves. How
/ did the Democratic representative OF the county
! of Armstrong then meet this proposition tie
| denounced it in the following just and apprOPri-
ate remarks. | can only take short extract
! from his speech:
"Suppose, sir, we could legitimately act upon
this prayer Of the petitioners, (glvIng the right
/ of trial by jury to The Slavc) would it be polite
in this House TO do so? By the original com
pact between the States, Pennsylvania, has re-
COgnZed the rights OF the Southern man in the
/ property Of his slave-and she has no right to
| pass laws which would embarrass the recovery
OF his property. Can the owner OF the slave be
! expected to undergo The delays of a jury trial,
! the procrastination of the law, and the expense
! incident thereto? IL rrOUld almost amount 70 a
pOSitICe preUentIOH 10 The recOreTy OF has legal TLg
and particularly when we take into COnsidera-
ton the fact that in many OF the counties of the
b. Commonwealth a large and respectable portion
of the CIIiZens have conscientious ScThIpkeS upon
/ the subject OF slavery, which would most etfec-
| tually prevent the recovery Ot The slave. 1t ap-
peared to him that if such an act was passed, it
would virtually amount TO the emancipation Of
/ of every negro who might be fortunate enough
/ to escape the pursuit OF his master, and put his
/ foot in Pennsylvania Such action rcOuid be
/ the first act in that drama Of LiOOd 'chtch some
! men apDear 10 be SO dnriOuS 10 bring upOn The
! cOuntry Let these infatuated and nsled phi
lanIhrOpists pursue their own course, but he con-
| fdently hoped this House would refuse 10 en-
| dorse their errors"
Now, what was the course of this same VIM
| F. Johnston in $50 and 1851, after he had aban-
doned the Democratic party, and when Ire stood
! forward the embodiment and representative of
| Pennsylvania Whggery7 Is it not as notorious
as any fact in the history of your State politics,
! that the Wing candidate for The Office of Go
vernon lie denounced the fugitive slave act in the
/ most unmeasured terms from one end of the
/ State 10 the other, and especially the feature de-
nying jury Irial'
The Democracy, guided by that overruIing
! Providence which seems 10 prosper all It's mea-
sures, and 10 connect in destiny its lriumphs
and the glory of our common country, has select
ed a ticket which can support with my whole
heart. UnambtiOus of office, and yet ready 10
| obey his COuntry's CALL in peace or war, when
ever the public good demands it, Franklin Pierce
dreampt little OF the high destiny which now
awaits him, as Cincinnatus whilst IOiling at his
plough. No nomination, in the present cOndi-
ton of the country, could have been less liable
to any sectional or personal objection, aud none
could have been hailed with more universal favor
by the country. BY birth and residence North
ern man, the South has unbOunded confidence in
him, because his whole public career indicates
statesman of the most enlarged aud Compre.
hensve American feeling. To use his own en-
phatic declaration, he knows''no North, no South,
no East, no West, under the Constitution, but a
sacred maintenance of the common bond, and a
true devotion to the common brotherhood"
This has been called the canvass OF "Falsehood
and Frauds, and such il truly has been. With
out TesOriing to falsehOOd, what could be said
against Frank Fierce At first, he was charged
with being drunkard-but that SOON sunk into
the kennel oGloathsOme and forgotten Calumnies.
Then he charged with intolerance To his Ca
thOlic fellow citizens. But these very Catholics,
promptly, rose masSe, with their reverend pas
Tor at their head, 6nd pronounced the statement
false. Then came the FOss fabrication, but that
has now sunk TO the Tomb OF the CaPulets. The
Wings have one fact left, and upon that, they ex
haust all The powers of their wit and eloquence.
General Pierce tainted on the battle field of Che
rubnsco!" Well, gentlemen the fact is so. We
can't DENY it. Gen. Pierce did faint on the battle
field of CherubuscO, and yet the man who could
reproach him with that fact, is destitute of an
American heart in his bosom, and is no better
than Mexican dog. 1t is the Proudest incident
in the military history OF franklin Pierce.
One word more, and am done. As told you
on the opening of my remarks, came here 10 see
with my own eyes, and to hear with my
ears, how far the Democracy of Pennsylvania
mean to stand by the constitutional rights Of the
South know what politicians have said, and
know what conventions have said but / wish
to hear from the people themselves, what they
have to say. When return to Virgina-to the
bosom of my own cOnstituents-siall l be able
to tell them, that fidelity TO all the guarantees of
the Constitution is, and continues TO be, caTd
nal principle of Democratic faitII2 ['' You may
-you NAV ~ came from hundred voices in the
crowd That you will never cease to war with
the Wings of your Stale, until every right secu-
red to us by that sacred compact, is fully recog-
nized and conferred? We will the COusiitu-
tion must be preserved declared several voices
from the crowd, to which the whole meeting re-
sponded Then, gentlemen, goaway satisfied
Il have an answer, not from politicians con-
venlions, but from the great masses of the peO.
ule themselves, and you have furnished me an