Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-07-08

@ Aboltonisrn, which flts astrIde tne sngHtneIsV "
the wliig party in this State like the old man d
i the sea g lis not content with the disgraceful act
/ which has already passed the Legislature, prohibits
ing the use Of the courth0uses and jas Of the Unit
ed States in the execution of the fugitivesaye act,
and disquaityng the lnarshals and commissioners of
! the United States from holding any office under the
State strange say, the majority did hesitate at
adopting proposition of John Boyd, of give us
! your hand :, memory, to raze to the ground any
building which should be used by the United States
for such purpose) but it is driving its subser
Went ally to pass another act which will be an ac-
tual notification by the State of Connecticut of the
laws of the United States. This proposed act pro-
vides in substance, that eoery claim for fugitive
slave this State shall be deemed prma acie false
and malicious; then abrogates certain rules OF EVIL
dence and provides others which will render it inn
possible for that presumption to be ovcrthrown !;
and then imposes penalty OF So 900 upon every one
who shall prosecute be witness in support of
any such claim 1t also Furnishes any one (the Unit
cd States marshal of coursc,) with Imprisonment in
the State prison who shall hinder sheriff of the
State in arrestng, for any purpose fugitive slave
taken under the acts of c. ngress.
To the shame of the Senate of Connecticut, this
bill was INTRODUCED with the avowal that its object
was to nulfy the operation of the laws of the United
States in Connecticut; and the Hon. MIR. Sanford,
gentleman, understand, OF some character in his
vicinity lawyer, but who, unfortunately, is In
training coalition candidate for the bench of the
supreme court of this State thought that the mover
deserved much credit for its introduction, as in his
Judgment, the supreme court would decide 1T to be
entirely constitutional" ut is against my principle
to STRIFE thee" said the conscientious Quaker " so
will let this billet of wood fall upon thy head
There might be treason in this work were there not
so little courage.
When South Carolina" the Harry Hotspur of the
South "-arrayed himself against the general gov
ernment, within the constitution, there was an
earnesness and daring in her action which dgniied
the step, and made it worthy of the wrath of An
drew jackson. But there is pettfogging cunning
here-a sneaking cuteness-which only deserves the
contempt and ridicule of those whom it intended
to annoy. Why do not these gentry walk boldly up
to their workG Why this strainng over the letter
of the constitution their dagger already at its
heart? Is this the teaching of their higher law"
to stab with embrace, "art thou well, my broth
er?'
But there is folly in this thing equal to its shame.
Ip their eagerness to grind off the noses of their
neighbors, it doesn't seem to have come within the
comprehension of these sapient legislators that their
own faces may perchance be put to the same grind
stone. Suppose the slaveholding States determine
to retaliate this law upon the citizens of Connecticut
we can name q half dozen OF those States, from
each of which there is annual Indebtedness to the
citizens of Connecticut Of thousands upon thousands
of dollars; the ledgers of our merchants and manu-
facturers in this city alone will at any time show
balance against the shareholders of hundreds OF thou
sands-now suppose these States enact that so long
as this proposed multiplying law shall remain on the
of Connecticut, every claim which shall
be prosecuted in their courts by citizen of Connec
ticut against their citizens shall be deemed prima
facts false and malciouSthat deposition OF rec
ords shall be received to support it-and that every
person who prosecutes such false claim, or who |
testifes its behalf shall be subject to penalty of
$4,000; they may 60 no further-they may leave US |
to the free of their courts and jails-they may
not degrade their judges, and sherifs and marshas,
who may in the performance of their own duty, take
part in such suits: but would not the tables be turn
I'd to our complete satisfaction? And they may &C
company what they do with poeans to the constitu-
ion Nor could the citizens of Connecticut with any
ace invoke that constitution to their protection and
f they did, could they complain if they were turned
'ver to that higher law" enjoinng them "to do
o others as they would be done by:" In this there
S matter for calm to think upon. We may
augh at this proposed action of our legislature,
We would laugh at the petu17ce of school boy, or
he vagaries of one-idea; but at the time,
here Is ground for serious ALARM when reflect
hat it will go forth the of the State 1t is
de to talk of constitutions and "the Union when
UGH legislation is rampant. If the State of Connec
cut is serious in this matter-if her people
y to adopt and justify the acts of these madcaps-
would be better, more honorable, more worthy of
er sovereign character if they should at once swing
lie ship from her mooringS, and cut loose from
non which their allegiance will have become but
mock.ry, and their acts i-conc-a!ed TIE ,son.
Ne.o Hao,n Register, Democrattc