Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-07-10
Trial Of a U. 5. Marshal,

NHtH HluIl WIN llhht uhNA-olhNtig libiNeSNi"
would do we'll to remember. Negative virtue,
he says, is no virtue at ALL To claim that char
acter, n man must show some positive acts Of
goodness" Erery body in this lotitLdc claims
to be nnti-slavcry, and yet judged by this rule,
almost nobody, deserves the name.
The great mass of our people satisfy them
selves that they are antislavery, because as they
say, they do nothing to support it.. They do
not directly and formally advocate It. They do
not own slaves, nor do they traffic in the souls
of mon. To let it alone is enough for them
enough to enti,lo them to claim the nppellation
of friends of freedom.
In advance Of these, but altogether short Of
the true position, stand the great mass of our
political aboltionists. Wing Frecsoilcrs, Demo-
cratic Freesoilers, Banburnor., Free Democrats,
and what not all have satisfied and do continue
to satisfy themselves in merely rcpeiiiag a2gres-
sion. They kick against the insults which sla-
very offers to themselves. they would limi. it's
extension, but make no assault upon its do
mains. They leave slavery where the Consii-
tuition leaves it, and propose no innovation.
This sufficiently accounts for their poor sue
cess in the battle with slavery. The slaychold-
crs on the other hand, ore bold innovators da.
ring assailants upon the rights OF the world,
personal and national Their boldncss and da-
ring wins them success, because they meet
with few, except such as cry lot them alone, and
dream that by so doing they are opposing them;
or at most satisfying themselves by merely
watching their movements and mccl,ly couan-
ing their resistance to repclliug tho most out.
ragcous and actual assaults. The Buffalo plat
form with It's boostcd efficiency and its ultra
ism so every where cursed, was but mere mega
tive, 1t proposed 10 confne its opporation
within the limits of the Constitution, tho
original compromise. Limits which had been
found amply sufficient for it to attain its present
monster growth. It's authors sagcy supposed,
"hcmming in slavery would destroy it. That
chafcd by restraint, in itS wrath, it would com.
nit suicide. What has been the result; Wing
and Democratic anti-slavcry, is at an end
Greeley Seward, Bryant and Rantoul and their
associates arc tho willing captvcs of Scott and
Pierce; while Van Buren, and Stanton base
dcscrtors from the Buffalo platform, arc bat
telling side by side with the most outrageous
enemies of freedom.
Free Sellers have been "hcmming in Slave
ry," while. slavery itself, with conquest upon
its banner, has marched to the shores of the
Pacific, approprating in its course Utah, New
Mexico and California and yet unsa;isfcd, it
| confidently anticipates the time, when it shall
cngulph the whole of Mexico. and extend its
area, in triumph, to Cuba and the Islands of
the Pacific.
Amidst this idiculously inadequate rcsis-
tancc, it is cheering to sec any attempt or show
Of assault upon slavery in any quarter. The
! Syracusians have made such assault. They have
carried the war into the cncmy's camp. Truo
they have been defeated; but they have shown
a spirit which if porscvoscd in, will lead to vic
tory.
Jerry was arrested in Syracuse. The friends
Of freedom did not satisfy themselves with re-
butting testimony, or wasting breath in an idle
argument before bribcd Commissioner. 1t
was immatcrial to them, what were the aflda-
Wits of the claimant, or the decision of the
Commissioner. The man was guitless of
crime, and could not be doomed to slavery
They released him as men should, in the last
extremity. Tie kdnappcrs commenced prose-
cution to secure the $1,000 and the six months
imprisonment, which the law awards; the brave
rcscucrs arraigncd the government and its law,
ard arrested its agent, the U. S. Marshal for
kidnapper as he is,and brought him to trial for
his offence against the laws of New York. -
After a due amount of lawyer like quibling
and lodging on the part of the United States
Attorney, the facts were admitted, and by COM
mon consent the question was to turn upon tho
constitutionality OF the fugitive law. ii. w.
Allen the Marshal stood confessed, kidnapper
by tho law of New York, if it could DO prov
en- to the Jury, that the fugitive slave law was
an unconstitutional document.
Tho New York States Attorney, C. b.
Scdgwick and Gerrt Smith labored ably and
faithfully to convince the Court and Jury of this
position. Mr., Smith occupid day in his argu.
ment; and no doubt the importance of tho
| question, awakened all the warmth of his heart
and the energy of his mind. Judge Marvin, a
Seward Wing, presided over the Court, and
charged the jury most cmphatically, that tho
law 'oas constitutional, and the jury, without
leaving their seats, decided accordingly. Thus
the New York judiciary assents to this national
kidnapping as Constitutional, and so says tho
whole government, State and National So is
it, and so has it ever been administered. In
view of this we can see no opposition to slavery
worthy Of the name, which does not rcpudiate
the Constitution, the government and tn c Union
that maintains it. Tho friends of slavery arc
our enemies, however combined, powerful, or
honored.