Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-04-23

Wnen u may be brought before them for lu-
dicial decision. The authority of the STU
preme Court must not, therefore, lie permit
Ted To control the Congress or the Executive
when acting in their Legislative capacities
&c. This language, Mr.. Charles Sumner
says. ] adopt with entire assent
At the very last Congress, the two Houses
overruled decision Of the Supreme Court,
and the President signed the bill. What
sweeping and reckless assertions are made
by MIR. Phillips, TO uphold his erroneous po-
sitions
Again, as TO the notion, that the official
cath IL promise to support the Constitution,
az the nation understands it;--who is the
nntion9 MIR. Phillips thinks women ought
TO vote. Are they part of the nation, and
TO I've consulted, before we decide upon our
duty? Are mere mnloritics to govern, so
that we shall give no rnore,hec to the wisest
and best men than to the weakest aud worst !:
Shall we ndopt the plurality system Arc
we to be controlled by the living or the dead
Must we count by states or by individuals
Must we adopt the three-6iths rule, and al
low masters TO act for slaves, or not? IL il
utterly impossible to gather up the sense of
the nation and every sane man must see il.
But, says Mr.. Phillips, Go by The Supreme
Court. There nre n hundred vital questions
VII NHiAb Att EHlliftilt AbNfA lNNt UN NtA
made no decision. On this great and over
shadowing one, whether an alleged fugitive
las n constitutional right to Jury trial that
court has never yet decided. On his own
showing, then, ! am not hound to deliver up
sn alleged fugitive, nor to do any act looking
towards his being delivered up, Until he has
had jury trial. or the court has decided that
he is not entitled to one. Mr. Phillips is
mistaken all round.
What, then, nro the scope and purport Of
tijr instance) the Congressional oath ? They
are, TO. perform The duties Of that office, not
ef any other; during its coniinunnce, not
any longer; to ascertain the true meaning
of the Constitution, in all practicable ways,
and from all sources,-inclnhing the decis.
ions Of the Supreme Court, which, however,
are not The law, but only evidence of the law,
--nnd when that meaning is ascertnircd, to
abide by it in all cases presented for action;
10 take up the business of the country in the
order oi its imponnnce$ aud TO execute il
according 10 the best of ones knowledge
and ability; and when the oath iaker has
determined what should bo done, aud when
il should bu done, then to follow the couclu-
sions of his own judgment and conscience,
whether single other man in the nation
agrees with him or not Any other conslrnc-
ton nnkcs nh automaton or puppct of him.
Mr.. Phillips snatclIing at common place
rule for governing hucksicrs in the market,
and using It's narrow basis as co-eXtcnsve
with the great principles ihn, should govern
legislators oath 10 God, mud his duty to his
own untiOn, 10 all the nations of the enrth
and TO pos,eriiy,-(n promise to pos,criry to
do our duty TO il, as posieriiy understands Il /!
~ say, Mr.. Phillips narrowness on this sub
jBct reminds me of wlilt Burke said to Frs.
kinc in the rinl of Warren Hastings, TINT u
mere n'si prins lawyer, with his lecnicaliiic:
and bHr-rules, was no more ii, to decide upon
the principles Tint should govern great qu.s
iions of State, thnn rabbit that breeds nine
Times year WINS to decide upon the period
necessary for the gestn,ion of an elephant
Though have scarcely noticed one lenil
part OF The material, illogical in argument
incorrect in statement, aud cRlumuious IN
mputatiou,-which Mr.. Phillips has furnish
ed, yet ] must desis. The very multitude
of his offences must earn impuury for somt
of them. will classify few of his vice.
rs n dispntnnt, as exhibited in this letter. anC
let the rest pass,-at least ill another time
/. He misstales matters Of fact enormously
This hnve shown in regard to ny cours,
towards the colorcd school children of Mus
sachusetts.
2. Bad motives being less capable of dis
proof than fhcis, he takes broader lcens,
in impniing them. lie attempts to iastei
upon Mr.. Hale and myself aud thousands
of others, indeed, guilt akin TO that of per
jury.
3. lie enlnrges the premises of his ad
versary, so that they may susinin some false
conclusion they would not otherwise bear
Thus he rciterates the old charge that dis
rlnilners made in my legislative capacity, ant
under the Constitution, were general dis
rlaimers; and lie enlarges these 10 take il
wider scope Of action Than they legitimate
1y do.
4. he lenves out premises, in order to es
eape the force of conclusions, and to lnput
the folly of building too large n superAruc
true upon given foundation.
For instance, assuming, for argument
sake, the whole mtennhlc ground, that m
oath was u promise 10 follow the will Of lll
nation, in regard TO the Constitution, sai,
the nation, Supreme Court and all, under
stood IN what sense ] promised. To Civ
personiiicalion 10 the idcs, | introduced th
two Speakers Howell Cobb and Linn Boyd
who administered the oath. Mr.. Phillip
introduces these two names, separates then
from the rest of the sentence, aud, for nor
than tchole column, argues the question a
though the soundness of my position an
argument rested upon the special knowlcdg
and understanding of hlcssrs. Cobb aud Boy,
Taking mere accident for the basis OF III
argSmeni, who could not fhsten any degre
OF folly upon his aniagonisi' Once lie Graf
lily introduced the residue or substantive pa
of the sentence, hut Immediately eclipSes
with irrelevant matter about poor Nose
Stuart md Mr.. Webster and then occnpiC
moro thnn a column TO disprove what u
sane man ever understood me to say.
5. He fhbricates both premises aud cor
illusions. For example: In my last letter,
made remark, on which Mr.. Phillips, i
his last, made a comment. collate both 70
the readers perusal:
Mr lloousa RoaorL