Washington telegraph., 1854-07-19
Contrast between Boston and Cincinnati
The Fugitive Slave Law


The recent fugitive slave cases which have oc-
Cured in this city and Boston enabled US to draw
contrast between the action OF the two COM
rnunties in regard to them, By no means favor
able to the New England metropolis In the lat
ter. the seizure Of fugitive from service, under
that compact Of the Constitution which provides
that 'he shall be delivered rp,' was made the oc-
casion for fierce outburst of mob violence. riot
and murder, and every effort was used to inti,ni-
date, by popular opinion, i sworn officer of the
law, from doing his dnty in tee premises. Sedi-
tious and in9amnatory harangres were delivered
from the pulpit by men claiming to be ministers
OF the Gospel OF Peaee stirring up their congrega-
tons to a disregard OF law and order while the
City Council. By lis remarkable attempt to turn
the United States inctionaries ont Of public
building into tha street. seemed to lend its encour-
agement to the bad men VINO resisting the
enforcement OF law which carried cut provis-
ion OF the Constitution,
The intervention Of the military was necessary
to uphold the law aud protect its officers; and for
time, i vas doubtful whether the legal proceed
ings would be allowed to take their course. or
whether they would be thwarted by mob-vlo-
lence. La short. there was ebulition Of that
kind OF mock pharisacal philanthropy peculiar to
New Engand, which sought its qualification
throu.h scenes of riot and murder. and disregard
OF law and order.
Y.
nine fugitive slaves produced no excitement. and
the law had its course easily and readily as if
they had been criminals from Justice. We have
a number o. noisy Abolition fanatics in this CITY,
but they dared not make a move, knowing it
wonld be put down in the sternest and most sum-
mary manner by the voice OF public opinion.
No military was necessary to guard our Court
rooul-no effort whatever was made to intimidate
the United States Commissioner in the course of
lor. ,ntin ,ah f.,4 l,
Cincn natl, as its reverse is dscreditable to Bos-
ton Slavery in the abstract are presume has as fenr
admirers here there-but our people have
much greater respect for the sanctty Of Constitu-
tional rompacts-a much greater appreciation of
The blessing of our Federal Union. They know
that when the fugitive slave provision was made
a part OF our fundamental law, nearly or qnite all
the STATES authorized the institution OF nvolunta-
ry servitude. and that such a compact was deemed
necessar, by the wise patriots OF the Revolution
who framed it. in the orm alton of the General
Government Because the North has since abol-
ishnd Slavery that does not annihilate the rights
of those States which have not, to its benefits
We are still bonnd by every consideration of hon.
Or and good faith to carry out the Constitutional
compact.
Tt is iust as binding as any portion of the fund
amental law, and is entitled to the same obedience
In Cincinnati the sublime doctrine of a higher
law than the Constitution, of Which every per-
son is to be his own indge according to the tenets
OF Seward. Summer, Pa ker and other Union-hat-
ing Abolitionists, is not as popular it is in Bos-
ton. The authority and example of st. Paul. 10
returning fugitive, is considered quite as good
authority here when the subject is regarded in a
moral point of view, as the rantng declamations
OF Garrison, and Wright and other noted inidels,
although it seems not to be in what was once the
head quarters OF puritanism in New England. In
Cincinnati there is much stronger aud warmer
attachment for the Union than in Boston, where
partisan demagogues and factious preachers have
succeeded in creating feeling against it.
For the last forty years we know of scarcely a
national measure which has met the appreciation
of Boston. or the State OF Massachusetts, although
If so happens that perhaps no people have been as
much benefited by TIE Union or enjoyed greater
prosperity rnder its laws. They have been made
wealthy by the products of slave labor. and have
derived more benefit from them in that particular
than Cincinnati. The results of the toll the
sweat and the blood of the slave are TO be seen in
the rich warehouses, the splendid public buildings
and private residences Oh the New Eng land me-
tropolis. Ite commercial and manufacturing prin-
ces have disided most unequally the profits OF the
slave system with the planters of the South and
yet it is this city which affects to have such hor.
ror OF slavery that it cannot even abide by the
compact of the Constitution in respect to the re-
turn of lugitises from service.
We would call the attention of our Southern
friends to the TACT that, heretofore many of them
have stigmatized orr city one of Abolition ten
dencies and have kept ava their business from il
on that presumption. They would go almost any
Where 10 avoid it. They will now see, by the
recent action upon the fugitive slave case the in
justice of making our large population responsible
for the conduct of a lew men who have interfered
improperly with their local laws and institutions
II there ever was time when it might be sup
posed the public mind would be aeitated, it was
when the recent arrest of fugitives took place. and
yet it was attended with scarcely any excite
ment.
Much as our population may dislike slavery
they have no disposition TO initiate Boston in the
notification of the Constitution.