The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-25
JUDGE PAINES DECISION COMMENTS OF THE
PRO-sLAVERY PRESS

The Opinion of Judge Paine a report of
which appears on the fourth page of the Era,
will surprise nobody who understands the Law
of Slavery, or is familiar with the current of
judicial decisions in relation to it, A portion
of the New York Press undertook to instruct
the Judge on the subject but finding its cOun-
sells disregarded, affected great surprise and in
dignation. 1t often happens that its opinions
are as frivolous as its principles are contempt
ible. In any conflict between Right and
Wrong, ascertain Where 1t IS, and you deter
mine pretty certainly where Truth, Honesty,
and Dcccncy are not Conscience it may once
have possessed, but it has long since been
smothered in cotton its ideas smell of traffic
it's world of ethics is the circumference of dol
lar. If Judge Payne need any reward for doing
his duty, its disapprobation is all sufficient.
The Washington Union, which seems to be
laboring under the impression that Slavery is
the Common Law of this country, that it is also
the "higher law; :" and that this two-iold
fact was recognised by the Compromise, and
election of General Pierce, is horror-strck-
en- at the decision 1t is unprecedented-it is
monstrous-it is fanatical-it is Il blow at the
Constitutional is the revival of sectional
strifc--it is an outrage on the rights OF the
South-it is the torch of an incendiary. In its
historical agony it calls upon the People, " the
patriotic people of New York, " to array them
selves against their Judiciary, whose crime is,
that it has saved their metropolis from the
| degradation of becoming n market for the
transhipment of slaves
We publish the editorial of the Union, we
desire the Democracy Of the free States to be-
come better acquainted with the principles,
aims, and spirit, of their central organ
THE RECENT SLAVE CASE - DECISION OF
| JUDGE PAINE
From recent manifestations of public opin-
ion we anticipated at least n temporary truce
| to the agitations of the abolitionlsts. Ii was
the fond hope of the country that the Com
pre- ,lise would be sustained in spirit and in
| letter and that, if not from patriotic impulses
at least from the pressure of public opinion, the
| Anti-Slayerv sentiment of the North would In
termit its war upon the rights and feelings OF
the South and the peace OF the Union. Again
however has the fanatcism of abolition, in de-
tiance of the will of the people, and at this
period of quiet and good feeling, kindled afrcsl
the flame of sectional excitement by pcrpetra
ting an unparalleled outrage upon the rights
and feelings of the South and the spirit of the
Constitution 1t will be readily understood
that we refer to the recent slave case in the
superior court of New York We propose t.
make this case the subject of brief comment
the text of which is the opinion of the judge
published in another column. Whilst we dep
recate the discussion of the slavery question il
any relation, and deplore the renewal of thu
abolition agitation and whilst we would in M
manner contribute to revive this discussion ant
this agitation yet imperative duty compels VI
courageously to confront any issue which may
menace the peace of the Union
The Union, after presenting distorted
statement of the case, proceeds with its com
ments as follows
These are the circumstances ofa case which
we presume to characterize as most grievou
injury and fragrant outrage upon the Soutl
and the bond of the Union We do not pro
pose at this time to argue in detail all thu
points of the case nor to combat the ground
upon which the judge assumed under the cir
cumstances to set the slaves free, We canno
!. torbear to observe, however, that the idw o.
nature, upon which the learned Judge lay
such stress does recognise the relation of mas
ter and slave; and that even if it did not j
could hardly operate to strip citizen of hi
property in his own country, and in opposition
to the guarantees Of his own Government W.
had supposed that appeals to the higher law
were employed only to give grace and fervo
to the defamation of the fanatic but we Sc
it now presiding in the tribunals of the country