The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-18

De sausneu. myself feel tnat no bill can ever
DO framed that will not be distaStefu to me-
g am sensible that this language cannot be
agreeable 10 the people of the South am
doubtless very bad controversialst, being Of
no side. saying what think. without proposing
to satisfy any party-thinking, indeed, that in
this fearful debate there is something right on
both sides But this at least must be plainly
said: Nothing can make fugitive slave bill
palatable to US at the North if we submit to
any such law, it is the most reluctant conces-
sion to sense of duty. All men. North and
South may easily understand that The people
of the South should take no offence at it: it is
what they themselves would feel. in change
of circumstances. If a fugitive Russian serf or
Algerine captive were seized in the streets of
Charleston, to be borne back to bondage every
humane and highminded man there would be-
hold the spectacle with pain and indignation.
And if a man, albeit of different color and
lineage from my own, yet mdn-and "A man,
too, perhaps who had lived ten years here by
my side, and had done me kindly ofhces-if
such man were caught before my door by
the Southern emissary and manacled to be re-
manded to slavery, my tears would start and
my blood would boil with indignation and pity
at the sight
~ 10 SpNSNdClt JD humanity hS
between the master and the slave. it is the in
ihcton OF great wrong Ii may be our duty
not to interfere: we cannot Immediately right
all wrongs in the world, and this is one ; but it
is not our duty to suppress the feelings of JUS
tice and humanity that arise in our bosoms.
The people of the South should understand
this; and it much concerns them to understand
II, for they have essentially hurt their position
he. H. Al l.,
They had better, IL my opinion, have left things
as they were-left the law to stand az an ac-
acknowledgement of their constitutional right, but
at the same time let it fall into. desuetude,
! si%"c ~Ncoyey u Kew slayes--e very ,eW-Gut
they outrage the sentiments of all mankind
They do not rant among them the men whom
they recapture, certain as these men are, when
carried back, to spread disahection among
their people-likely also to be persons of bet
| te~<. Glass among their slaves and more fit for
freedom They had better let them 90 AS
have known shareholders mp g If one of our
slaves escapes, we shall not pursue him; he has
natural right to be free; if he makes that
perilous struggle for freedom let him have it
the most of our people do not wish to leave us
they are sensible that they are not qualified to
take care of themselves; let things remain in
our condition, and make the best of it,
"Still it would be wrong for us to interfere
between the master and the slave, with any
other force than that of argument. We have
promised that we would not do so it is Il
part of our national compact. Our Union was
founded in part upon that agreement No
Union can stand without it. And if we break
the compact in behalf of fugitive slaves ichy
not as 1ceH an behalf of the reStt Yet the Abo-
itionists themselves disclaim any intention, by
force or law. to touch the body of slaves in
actual possession of their masters. But why
not One man stands on one side of State
line, and is a fugitive another stands ten feet
or ten miles from him on the other side, and is
| in the hands of his master. Can n few feet or
few miles make any difference in the prin-
oipIe that iiustifes interference | press the
question Why do not the Abolitionists make
crusade upon the South to deliver the slave
Is it because we have made compact with
the Southern States to leave their slaves i'll
their possession But 40 have we made com.
pact not to withhold but to surrender the fugi
tive. | say again, Why do they not make a
slave delivering crusade! Is it because OF tine
evil, and mischief and peril, that it would in
volve! Then ! say that the same argumcn
should restrain them from interfering to rescu
the fugitive"
We hope that our English friends will rea
: this lecture and correct their unjust statement
of the authors principles and make quite a
conspicuous his views of the evils of SLAYER
as they have made conspicuous a mutilate
version of one of his figures of speech touch
ing the evils of dsunion.-Chr'stidn Inquirer