The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-08
THE CLOSING SCENE.

The enforcement of the Fugitive Act in tie
case of Burns, required the whole power of t e
Federal Government The marines at Boste },
at Portsmouth, N. H., were ordered to tie
scene Of action, and took possession of the Coust
House and Court Square. For the time, T. e
whole city was under the power of the stan l.
ing army of the United States. Never befo 3
did the sovereignty Of State appear SO ihsil,-
Rights, hypocritically magnifed by the sEs n
Democracy, appear such mockery. ste
Court House was Bastile, the city was 10 ,
state Of siege for one week.
| AS the last act of the drama was about 10
open, on the morning of the I'd, Court Squ re
was cleared, a six-pounder from the Navy Y'r 4
was stationed to guard the main entrance Ct
the Court House, the Federal troops were
drawn up in hostile array, and to overawe he
People, the artillery detachment performed va
rious eyolutions
Orders were then given to clear the str ct
leading to the wharf where was stationed a
United States revenue cutter, ready to rece ve
the unfortunate prisoner. BY one O'clock, the
United States troops had succeeded in opening
clear passage; and at half past two the fusi>
tive was carried TO the cutter by the Marsha
and his gang of two hundred men, armed With
swords and pistols, and by 1900 United Statee
soldiers, all under cover of nine-pounder,
which commanded the length of the street! <
And thus was the Fugitive Slave Act en-,
forced.
Suppose Southern People weigh the conse55
ouences Of this transaction? Is this offensive,
interrogation of tie Federal Power, within .
sovereign State, a safe precedent? Is this con-
slant resort to Standing Army, to enforot
an odous Federal enactment, favorable to the
stability Of republican institutions? When the
People of the Free States, forgetting all theft
divisions, shall have united, and assumed the
possession of the Federal Government and an
Anti Slavery Administration shall have COM
mand of the army and navy, how will they
ike the precedents furnished by Pro-Slayery
Administrations!
Mr.. Suite has got bis fugitive back, but at
what cost? How many Northern People have
been concilateda How much opinion has
beon manufactured in favor of the Fugitive
act? How much Of the opposition to the Ne
braska Bill, and the Slave Power which DIG
tated it, has been disarmed9 How many Con-
scryatives have been won to the Cause Of tie
shareholders? Their old allies in Boston hutsg
their heads for shame. Not voice was hea
in apology for an act, whose enforcement Is
felt as disgrace and humiliation. All ovSr
the free States, the indignation aroused By tie
repeal of the Missouri Compromise, has bern
blown into flame by this last demonstration
We ask, in all earnestness, is it decent, is il
safe, is it Democratic, to keep on the Statute
Book, an act go revolving to the States in which
it is intended specially to operate that it is i'm
possible to enforce it, unless a. the point of the
bayonet, with the whole military power Of the
Federal Government, amidst tumult and blood.
shed? 1t needs no prophetic eye to foresee
that, if this thing is to be continued, the Fed
eral Government will become stencil in the
nostrils of the People, and the States be driven
to fall back on their extreme rights. Nothing
now postpones this catastrophe. bet the con-
seriousness, on the part of tho People of ths
free States, that they have the power, by an
appeal to the ballot-box, to secure the control
of the Federal Government 50 that, until they
have tried this, they are responsible for the un-
just and oppressive exactions upon them, and
have no excuse for resorting to revolutionary
remedies
INDIANA.-The Lafayette Courier, Madison
Courier, Princeton Clarion, and Neio Aibans
Ledger, (all Democratic organs) are dissatis1
fed with the proceedings ct the recent Demo-
cratic State Convention, IN endorsing the viola.
ton Of twice-plighted faith, for the benefit Of
8 Presidential aspirant, and call upon their
Democratic cotemporaries not to fail to de.
nounce the schemes of the political tricksters
at Washington.