The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-03

Congress, OF the power to cnIancipate the slave
IN this District. That il what we objected L
in that act Yet the senator says he would no
vote TO repeal his act He is willing to let tn
legislation by which slaves are emancipated il
this District remain to be applied in future, b.
| the same course of reasoning, to the States
He is certainly enamored of the compromise.
He becomes, too, an apOlogist for the name
in which the fugitive slave law is executed
Here are the meek, and comely, and honiet
words in which he apologies for the execution
of the act. lie says
"That il has been occasionally evaded in Othe
| places, is true; and that in some instances il
has been resisted by violence, do not deny
But that was to have been expected. 1t is SO
and always will be so, of all laws in country
like ours. No man ever believed, when this law
was passed, that it would be executed in every
instance. No man ever believed so of any law
framed by the wisdom of man. 1t is sufficient
that this law has been executed as faithfully as
other laws Occasional failures by no means
warrant any one in asserting that it is in effect
dead letter. There is not law upon our stat
ute books which is not sometimes evaded
There Is not a year in which criminals do not
escape the penalties prescribed by the law against
murder; but that is no reason for the repeal of
the law. 1t is better that the life of the citizen
should be imperfecty protected than not pro-
tected ut all. SO in the present case, if the law
does not secure the certain return Of every fu-
gitve, IL does as much as any human law can
do and can cOnstrue in but one way the con-
duct Of that Southern man who desires to con-
tinue agitation about it,"
His assertion is that the fugitive slave law
has been enforced as we'll as any other law-as
laws against murder or theft. Now, what is the
fact! Just about the time the Senator was de-
livering his speech, the Christiana rioters were
having glorious triumph in their unanimous
release from its penalties The murder of cit
izen of Maryland had been consummated under
this very act, in the State of Pennsylvania Yet,
when in my speech ventured to suggest that
not hair of the head of one of these Christiana
rioters would be touched, the Senator from
Pennsylvania Mr.. BRoDHEAD] rose and intma-
ted that cast an aspersion on his State, and
proudly maintained that his State was true to
the Constitution, and would enforce the laws
He feared rather that the innocent would be
punished than that the guilty would escape.
How stands the final result? Every one of the
Christiana rioters have been released from all
and released in such form and man.
ner, that saw in the Union" the other day,
letter from Virginan, inquring whether there
in the free States! The writer said that there
were great many people in his part of the coun-
try who desired to recapture their slaves, but
from the appearance of things, from the release
of those mon in Pennsylvania, it seemed to be
hopeless for a Southern man to attempt to re-
claim his slave
That was published here not week ago
and yet the Senator from Alabama says, that
this law has been enforced as well as other
laws. Did he ever hear of other laws where a
prisoner was rescued in court of Justice in
open day, with all the guards and sanctity of
justice around it ? Does he know of any law of
the land where those who 90 to enforce it are
deliberately murdered and every criminal, with
out any exception, from Massachusetts to Penn
sylvania, have all gone free of punishment
Why, it seems that just in proportion as time
develops the fact, that the South has obtained
nothing by this compromise-th so far from
having gained anything, she has only earned
sympathies, the feelings, and the
support of some Southern men seem to cling
closer to its support. The worse it is, the more
they love it. The more they are degraded the
more they humble themselves. see that, &C.
cordng to the census returns for the wear end
ing the both of June, 1850, upwards Of 900
fugitive slaves escaped to the North from the
South. That amounts to Ss8,0O0,OOO worth of
property at the market value of slaves Mary
land alone has lost 379 fugitves during that
year. How many fugitive slaves who have thus
fled to the North, have been rendered up? When
ever one is recovered by STEALTH by connivance,
or assent, (for some of them come back of their
own accord) it is heraIded forth as a great proof
OF the enforcement of the law but how many of
these 1000 slaves has the law restored! Not
lx, h,,,x a.. ~
time, when the census is printed, showing our
condition in relation to this law-when the
North everywhere treats this feature of the COM
promise with demonstrations of defiance and
is at this time that a party rallies
in the South. and goes for the compromise! the
everything for the compromise
AS my distinguished predecessor said in his dy-
ing moments, "The South the poor South
God knows what is to become of her."
have read to you extracts from the speeches
of the Senator from Alabama, to show that he
not only advocated resistance and secession, but
said, that if State seeded he would dare the
government to interfere. Now, what do you
think he says in the last speech of his, to which
refer. He denies the right of secession and
he denies it first on authority, and then for
reasons. | will read his authority
awe are told that authority for the right of
secession is to be found in the resolutions of '9S
and 80. So many men have sought to sustain
absurd theories by referring to these resolutions,
that presume we ought not to be surprised
even at this last and weakest attempt of all.
Nor in this age of progress is it to be wondered
at, that the wisdom of the disciple should FIR
outrun that of the teacher John C.. Calhoun
and George McDuffie examined the resolutions
Of '9S and '99 for the right of secession, and
could not find it. They found, as they thought,
but notification is itself denial
Of secession. We all know that some of the !
sblest efforts made by both of these great men,
vas to establish that notification was the right |
'ul remedy"
Of Mr.. Calhoun he said:
Sir, | believe loved him better while liv. |
ng, and respect him more now, than any of
hose who make use of his name to give re- |
'pectablity to treason. He was never seces-
zionist, and | am authorized to say that the |
proof will before long be given to the world |
He regarded the attempt of single State to 90 /
'ut of the Union as madness, and died in that |
opinion"
Here is the assertion that the rasolutiona of |