The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13
The Nationality of New York.

The popular sentiment in New York may be
judged of by the necessity of such an apology
as this, which we find in the Journal of Com
Hnerce.
Mr.. COMMISSIONER MoRToN-The enthusiasm
of men il always admirable in good cause, and
sometimes so in bad cause, where the enthusi-
asst is honest and sincere, and is not led to ex-
travagance, which is injurious to others But it
is manifest that the attacks of Freesoi and Abo-
lition enthusiasts made on Mr.. Morton, the very
able and excellent clerk of the United States
district court in this city, based on alleged mis-
conduct in the rendition of a fugitive from slav-
cry to his owner, partake of the nature of the
unreasonable extravaganza alluded to-
This gentleman is one of the most popular
officers in the courts of our city, and has been
uniformly distinguished for clear understand
ing of his duty, and of the law he has occasion
to practice under, as we'll as for uncommon
urbanity and attention to all persons desiring
his aid, or applying to- him on business in his
Office.
1t is not the first case in which parties inter
ested, have been heard loudly to abuse courts
deciding against their interests but such per-
sons do not al,Oays find newspapers ready to make
their complaints public ,oithom pay.
NiHHpIy pSCnuoC ouVu pStoouo navy NV Quiz
fcient influence and power in the State to select
two of their way of thinking as senators in
Congress-.
But the Journal, after making an elaborate
defence for the commissioner for merely doing
his duty, presents this paralell-and no doubt
deems it bold thing to do so
The contrast between this case and murder
case recently tried in this city, is forcibe. In
the latter case, (that of Carnel,) the Judge in
structed the jury that the distinction on which
their finding the man guilty of murder, or less
offence, depended, was thus and 30. The jury
found him guilty. and the Judge sentenced him
TO be hung by the neck till he was dead, and
formally handed him over to the sheriff to be
executed. No crowd of phdnthropists called
for vengeance on the judge, no enthusiasts called
him fool or villain, no newspapers went out over
the whole country blazoning his name as that of
boodthirsty wretch who had wantonly and
most unjustly consigned his fellow. man TO a
painful and disgraceful death, and therefore one
to be held in universal detestation. No one
called him murderer, assassin, or any such name
A higher court pronounced his opinion errone-
GUS, and stated that he had erred in telling the
jury what constituted murder, and the papers
chronicled the decision as an item of news, and
nothing more The judge had done his duty
fully, and had only erred in judgment.
But the commissioner in this case remands
the fugitive TO slavery, and sends him where his
right of appeal to the courts is good, and where
he may, If free, establish his claim to freedom
and for so doing, the commissioner is made the
object of assault from hundred fanatical
sources, and the error which they seek to show
in his judgment, is made the basis of crusade
against his character, office, and everything but
his life.
We hope he will survive the onset.