The daily union., 1854-07-30
THE FUGITIVE-SLAVE LAW.

THE FUGITIyE-SLAVE LAW.
There difference between the opponents of the fug-
ve-save law One class oppose it while admitting its
consutionality and the other and larger portion deny
alike constituonaty and its binding force The lat
ter seem be the honest of the two if honesty
can the characteristic of any who flies into the face
of plain mandate of the law, which he is just much
bound to support any other known and unquetonable
statute But when Judge of the court seeks to prostitute
his position by trying make the appear the better
reason-tres dishonor law he is to obey, espec
ally when he called upon speak the subject and
when by train ofase and feeble volunteer reasoning with
out ray of truth logic to redeem it from contempwe
confess we for such instructive loahing and
There have been such instances but they happily very
few and far between Even those whose prudces sucha
judge hopes encourage by surrender of Judgment and
of duty to magnity and to faction cannot fail to regard
him with pity. From abotonist by trade like Sumner
fanatic by profession like Gddngs, specuator the
cxcitements created by such agator Greeley nothing
else is to be expected but the reasonable and BIAS
phemous assaults upon the laws. But member of the
judiciary who soils both his oath and his office by catering
to preudce that should be expelled from the sanctuary
Justice as SO many fendssuch being is object of ab
horrence to every citizen who loves his country.
recent opinion against the iugve-save law. 1t was,
are glad TO say greeted with nndssembled and nearly
unanimous reprobaton Without force sincerity, it
was bold and wicked attempt to fabricate opposition to
law of the land 50 far was this sentiment manifested,
that the willing instrument himself in this business must
have seen in how lespicabe light he made ap-
pear
Hon. A. G. Miller United States district Judge for the
for the present July term held at Madison Wisconsin,
give his opinion the subject of the constuonality and
binding force of the ugiye-slavc law We have that
ument before in the Madison (Wis Argus and DEM
Iii straightforward pain-spoken production,
and will be read with great pleasure We give few
tracts to show how well an honest speak when
conscious that he is performing plain and positive duty
'The constitution framed by the convention in the
year 1887, and went into operation in l7S9 The State of
Pennsylvania having then abolished slavery, doubt
of the peculiar and provision that mo
held service labor in State under the laws
thereof escaping into another shall in consequence of any
law regulation therein be discharged The interest of
citizens for life property required
provision of this kind in the constitution; but this is
understood to embrace apprentices whose extradon, in
pursuance thereof and of the laws passed to carry it out
has been frequent In the opinion of the district court of
the United States in Bosler Cummins Law Register
657 it is remarked Il know of no words that could
clearly include apprentices than those have quoted for the
plain effect of every ndenture of apprenticeship is to hold
party service and if could go behind the words of
the of Congress- and those of the article of the consttu
on should that every consideration of policy would
dictate such construction because to decide the contrary
would be to discharge every apprentice that chooses to
cape into another State and refuses to return to his duty
The mode of delivering fugitves from justice and la
Dor is prescribed in the constitution by any law,
until the of Congress- respecting fugitives from justice
persons escaping from the service of their masters Feb
H. 793fonr after the adoption of the constu
That passed in the House of Representatives
with but negative from different States north and
south, and by the Senate without dvision and signed
by Jonathan TrumbulI of Connecticut Speaker of the
House Of Representatives by John Adams Vice President
and by George Washington President of the United
States.
The right of his fugitive slave is not
solitary the laws of this country. may pur-
apprehend his fugitive apprentice whose service and
labor he entitled demand by virtue of the deed of in
denture. father may compel his errant minor child to
parental protection and TO submit to parental
authority. surety may pursue and carry back his alb
sconding principal and commit him to prison in discharge
of his recognzance All these things done daily without
producing exctemen and not Of these persons except
apprentices claim by virtue of any provision
open fair and public examination upon dsinerested esti
mony before their removal is effected in the fug
tive slaves. The fugitive from justice, have een
be arrested upon founded upon affidavit of the
injured interested party, and removed without prolmi
nary hearing and frequently results upon trial that the
charge unfounded While the law under consideration
effective in carrying out the provisions of the constitution
equally in protecting free coored persons from or
criminal deportation.
This law has been in force sisy-one years, and
stituonalty been disarmed by any court either
State national having jurisdiction ofthe matter
before it, We have from the cited that the
preme of Pennsylvania and of Massachusetts, have a
rmed consttuonaty and expediency of the law and
have declared that awrt process emanang from them
tending to impede or interrupt its execution, in violation of
the constitution of the United States Also, in the State of
New York. the doctrine prevails in regard to this law
reported in the of Glen Hodges johnson rep 81
The plaintiff Glen the of slave in the State Of
New York, who escaped from him into the State of Yer
mont and there contracted debt with the defendant The
plaintiff by virtue of the act of Congress- apprehended his
slave in Vermont, who rescued by of attach