The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-06-07

1der GATE OF June ISL
" The time is now at hand wien no ci izen of
fee State can be found so dead to all sense
+ Justice and right, as to aid in the execution OF
fugitive Slave Laws
In the same article containing this unpatriotic
nd REASONABLE sentiment, the public is inform.
ID, that the writer's views are approved by a
majority of the people of Dubuque. The one
was as much Islander upon the intelligence and
fidelity Of this community, as the other was
grossly reprehensible in the citizen. The vigor.
ous effort at ridicule, will not relieve the writer
from his gratuitous Islander of the ian abiding
and iaw lOring citizens Of this place, or the un-
envable position in which he has placed himself
as comparatice stranger among US The wri-
ter has employed his observation to very poor
purpose, if he supposes that majority or even
a mOiety of the liens of Dubuque, will SUBJ
scribe to his doctrine of resistance to one of the
laws Of the land However fierce
may be the contest between parties here for SUI
premacy, and however bitter may be the par'i-
san spirit engendered by such contests, we
doubt whether the writer in the Tribune could
have selected more unfavorable locality for
the distribution OF his Abolition nostrums-
The people of Dubuque pride then selves upon
their allegiance to law and government and their
love Of order. They would as soon be caught
robbing hen roost, as melting mob TO resist
the Fugitive Slave Law and this the illustrious
proselyte Of Rev Theodore Parker and Abby
Kelly, will find out, should a case Of the kind
arise in Dubuque, while it is our good fortune
to be blessed with his presence.
With an air of triumph, the writer refers us
to the causes which led to the destruction, by
the Coonists, of the cargo of tea in Boston
Harbor, and Of the adoption of the Declaration
of independence in July, l776, as justification
for the conduct of the roers in Boston, and
the sentiments put forth his anti American
article. We thank him for calling our attention
to these two important events in the early his
tory OF our country, the consideration OF which
always affords consolation to the patriotic heart
but we shall be under infinitely greater obliga.
tons TO him, if he will direct US how to draw
the parallel between these two cases. In the
one case, we were Colonial subjects of the King
OF Great Britain, with no law but such as came
through the despotic and debitliating medium
of the Throne, or its official minions compell
ed to submit TO oppressive taxation, with but
partial equivalent in representation harrassed
insulted and impoverished by large STANDING
army, with no means of redress but humila
ting appeal to the Throne, located in foreign
country; and nothing 10 hope for but the tight
ening and Strengthening Of the chains of slavery
when we reached that tribunal; while in In,
other, we are the sovereigus of cons 'itutiona
republic, amenable to no authority but the con
s:tution and laws of our country, which ",
have voluntarily participated in making: pro-
tected in the full enjoyment of all the rights O
person and properly; with freeman's invalua
BILE prerogative, the ballot box, to appeal 10, TO
the proper redress of all grievances, whethe
real or imaginary. Is there shadow of re.
semblance between the two cases? Let tn,
writer in the Tribune point it out, if there is
and then the public will be able to Judge VIII,
| needs most the +" Soda
The writer in the Tribune concludes his arti
Gle as follows:
In relation TO the charge of ".4bolitionism,
put forth by the Express, we have only this t,
say-with slavery as it exists in the Slave State
we have nothing to do; it is their matter, no
ours, let them then, sustain it, and not brand N
as traitors, northern freemen who will not aid
either in the blood hound pursuits of their slave
or IN the extension into territory now free. of il
soul destroying influences"
All, indeed, little modified, but not suffi
GENTLY so to make you a good citizen. II is
part of the constitution of your country, tina
fugitive slaves shall be delivered up, on appl
cation of the party owning them, and you ar
as much bound to enforce the law if called IN
on, as the officer legally authorized TO apprehen
| the Fugitive. You cannot escape by settin!
up your opinion of the immortality or inhuman
| ity of the law, in opposition TO its exercise
If this were SO, every man in the country cou
assume to determine, from honest, or dishones
motives, the propriety of every law enacted an
the policy of executing it, Where did vol
learn your lessons Of wisdom and constitutions
obligations, good sir, that you attempt to maxi
yourself the Umpire, to determine what is, an
what is not law, for you as a citizen of the Re-
public Was there any special exemption il
your case, at the time our fathers adopted tn
Constitution, that you should no, be held re-
sponsible, as other citizens are, to yield prope
obedience and respect to the laws, Bein.
somewhat rusty in our historical recolections
perhaps you can enlighten us upon this point.
You say that you have nothing to do will
slavery as it exists in the States-happy t
learn this important fact-qute an importan
admission for one of your conservative senti
ments; but you cannot aid in the blood houn.
pursuit of slaves, 4" or in the extension into ter
ritory now free, of its soul destroying influen
ces.' Let US enquire who proposes to exten,
slavery into territory now free,o what assurance
have you that either Nebraska or Kansas will
be slave Stales' The bill which recently pass
ed Congress certainly does not propose to ex.en.
slavery into those Territories, and from YOU
supposed knowledge of the preponderance O
Northern over Southern emigration and tn,
physical geography of the country, you have n,
right to draw so violent conclusion.
But admit your position to be correct for ar
gument's sake, what right have you and you
friends to discriminate between the North ant
the South, in the general legislation of thu
country? The Territorial possessions of THU
government belong to all the States equally
the acquisition wa, made by the common BLOOD
and treasure of the nation as a unit if neces-
sary to defend it, it must be defended in thi.
way; and yet in making a disposition of thi.
territory you will not confer its benefits equally
upon all the States, but you will give it all &c
The North and entirely exclude the South Is
there any justice, equality, liberality or magma
nimity in this 7 Is it doing to others as you
desire others to do to you, under like circum
stances? Is it establishing doctrine which is
sound in theory or whole some in practice Is
it taking a rational and state man like view of
great national question? Is it rendering unto
God the things that are God $, and unto Cesar
the things that are Cesar's! No candid man
will claim this or it. Then why persist in
foisting doctrine upon the people, which is
alike dishonorable and improbable to them p