The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-08-18
States Of Massachusetts,, New York and

Ss"'es vi MaSSacnusetts, new 1ork ana
Pennsylvania, these things were done in
open day, and in the presence of hundreds,
and yet no one of the wrong-doers has
been convicted of any offence. After re-
peated attempts to prosecute, by part of
the government officers, they have been
obliged to consent to the discharge Of the
criminals. This fact, better than an hun
dred witnesses, proves the state Of feeling
which pervades the popular mind in these
localities. If there was not stroeg and
general sympathy for the criminals, some
one Of them would have been convicted.
l might refer to similar manifestations
elsewhere, but they are sufficiently known
already. Why more than year ago, the
Legislature of the State of Vermont pas
sed an act utterly nullifying all the provi-
sions of the Fugitive Slavelaw. This pro-
ceeding was loudly complained Of at the
time, and it was said, to quiet the public
mind, as remember by the papers in
Washingtona as we'll as elsewhere, that
the act had been passed hastily, did not
meet the views of the people of the State,
and would be repealed by the next Legis-
lature. But unfortunately for the prophc-
sizes, when last winter the Legislature re-
assembled the proposition to repeal this
act of notification was rejected by a vote
of nesrly three to one-makihg it mani
fest that the settled action of the State
was against tho execution of the laws of
Congress. A similar multiplying lava few
weeks since, according to the statements
published in the papers, passed the Senate
of Massachusetts,, and only failed in the
House by vote of one hundred and six
ty-two, to one hundred and sevcnty.eight.
Such things when they occur in the North
ern States now, do not even excite the
comment Of some of the national papers
here at the seat of government. But if
the State of South Carolina, which with
out actually carrying it rut, has threat
ened to nullify in former times if this
State, say, were to nullify any act of
Congress Of as much importance as the
one under consideration, the whole coun-
try from this point to Canada, and such
portions ofthe Southern people as sympa-
thize mainly with Northern movements,
would at once be thrown into state of
fermeut, and the Executive would be COM
PEELED by the force of public opinion, to
send as many troops as Were at his dispo-
sal to Sullivan's Island or other points on
the coast of that State, to endeavor to
overawe her. But it is not necessary for
me to argue further, to show that there
arc serious obstacles in the way of the
execution Of the Fugitive Slave law of
1850, or of any legislative provision to
carry out that featuIe of the Compromise.
The expense alone of recovering n fugitive
is sufficient to defeat the object of the law.
That expense would not be necessary were
it not for the resistance made by the mobs
to its execution"
If this be correct history of the feel
ing Of Northern men of all parties to-
wards the execution of the Fugitive Slave
Law, what, / ask, has the South gained
by the COMPROMISED
If she has gained nothing, as facts
plainly indicate, and time will show, why
should we throw up our hats at the no
Of Gen. Pierce, Northern man,
simply because the Convention which
him, assumed the Compromise
as its platform? should much
perfer Northern man, If we must have
Northern man, who stands, (where be-
ieve no Northern man does stand) upon
he third clause of the second section of
he fourth article Of the Constitution;
which clause Of the Constitution provides
that "No person held to service or labor
in one State, under the laws thereof es-
Gaping into another, shall in consequence
of any law or regulation therein, be dis
charged from such service or labor; but
shall be delivered up on claim of the par
ty to whom such service or labor may be
DUE" This clause of the Constitution
gives us all that the Fugitive slave law
could, if it were fully carried out; and yet
Ibis is the only feature Of the Compro-
mise, that is worth farthing to the South,
and which, in fact, has gained for that series
of measures of which it is part, the sin
sular misnomer Of Compromise at the
South. Can it be, that an act of Congress,
will prove more effectual in reaching the
of men, whose hearts are full
y cot in than, fr, Jo ay;I tk;oI, .oI