Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-03-27
NO. %.
Slavery in California.

sure the slaveocrncy have not pressed to consul
nation, probably because they preferred the
whole to part, and hoping that delay would
give them all. The Legislature has now taken
the responsibility of attempting to abolish the
constitution of the state and introduce slavery
without further ceremony. SO that If the SEN
ate and Governor Bigler shall ngrce to the mca-
sure, California may now be set down as a slave
state, to all intonts and purposes. To be sure
the Supreme Court, if it has regard for its own
authority or dignity, may unnul the law, but
the strong majority by which it passed the
House of Representatives, would seem to inti-
mate that it is not SO very odious measure with
the people. Though accounts state that there
is much excitement prevailing in consequence
of this legislative usurpation.
Thus it seems that France is not the only
country where constitutions can be ovcrthrown
in day, and VIC fear the event will prove, It is
not the only one, in which tho people will very
quietly submit to the usurpation. OF the null
titudcs who goto California to make fortunes in
day, few will very seriously object to the in
PRODUCTION Of slavery. The wonder is not that
the House of Representatives has voted to an
hul the constitution, but that the Anti. Slavery
clause was ever adopted.
The Tribune repeats the assertion which has
been so often made, that slave labor cannot be
psoftably employed in California. For our
own part, we have never been able to see why.
And the Tribune docs not cnlishten us. Min
ing countries arc indeed the very ones where
slaves can labor most udvantagcously, if we
may judge from the history Of Mexico and Pc
ru--and if We will permit tho California Lcgis-
laturo to decide the question.
The proposition adopted as law by the House
Of Representatives was in substance re- enact
mcnt of tho fugitive law of Congress OF 1850,
with the following apcndagc as the 4th section
OF the law.
"Ary person or persons held to service in
any State or Territory of the United States by
the laws of such States or Territory, and who
were brought or introduced within tho limits
of this state, previous to the admission of this
state as ono of the United States of America
and who shall refuse to return to the State or
Territory, where he or they owed such service
or labor, upon the demand Of the person or per-
sons, his or their agent or attorney, to whom
such service or labor was due; such person or
persons so refusing to return, shat be held aud
deemed .fagitires from iaJo, teRhm the meaning
Of this aci and all the remedies, rights and pro-
visions herein given to claimants Of fustivcs
who escape from any other state into this state,
arc hereby given and conferred upon claimants
of fusitivcs from labor within the meaning Of
this section
This section, it will be seen, recognises tho
right which Shareholders claimed under tho
Territorial Government, Of introducing thcil
slaves at pleasure, in spite of the laws whicl
prohibited it. 1t represents their claim es valit
since the adoption of the constitution, dcsl it'
its anti slavery clause and proposes in defiance
of it, also TO hold them as slaves during thci
future residence, thus iccognizirg slavery u
an institution OF the state. Not content will
this, perhaps fearing resistance to this absolute
contempt of constitutional authority, the slave
holders are also moving in the Legislature for
revision of the constitution, designing thcrc6.
to incorporate slavery into it. They are cvi
IDENTIFY determined to make thorough wor!, o.
the subject.
The vote in the House of Representative
was AZ in favor of the cpropos'ion to II against
This result was obtained, after very thofouS'
discussion of the question. We append por
tion of this discussion, as the best means VIC hav
of cnlishtcning, our readers on the actual stat
of the question in California. Mr.. Pcachy, VII
figures so largely in the discussion, also urge
the very modest request Of the South Caroln
company to set aside the hocorstitution and pei
init them to ortcr the state with their slave
Against this measure the Alto California;
though declaring itself in favor OF SLAYER.
speaks with becoming indignation. We COP
in another column the comments of the y.
Evening Post on this subject.
Some of our colorcd friends propose lcovir
their families and business and going to Gallo
MIA. We hope after learning these facts th'
will abandon the idea A country that can fu
nish n legislature so reckless of both constit
tional and moral obliation, will find little dii
Guilty in furnishing, pretexts for the enslaveme
of any who arc dcfencclcss.
MIR. McConaha moved TO strike out q
4th section. He doubted the constitutions
ity of the entire bill, aud proceeded to re
extracts from the constitution TO prove
position.
MIR. Lyon contended that before the sta
organization, we were under Mexican Ia
which did not recognize slavery, aud thel
fore bringing slaves into the territory Writ
ally made them free.
Mr, Peachy said that the 4th section.
the bill involved n very grave considerable
He held that when the United States
auired territory, it belonged alike to the
izens of all the states, and that each cllI2
of every state had right to take his pr'
=. a T., ,arr;tory nnl enjoy its full Il