New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-10
GOVERNOR JOHNSON ON KANSAS AND
PERSONAL LIBERTY.

Iyro~ no Aessass 6, As Tvgiais Legs .f-'eI
Srrc your las, . sson have received ron teFcrs'
of the stsiee OF this con,eoeracy, resou ions uPSn
various subjects, with request thai tney roy uo
submitted :. your considers ION In secososnse III r..
this request hey herewith commcnlc stso: rue
resolutions frrm the STATES of Rhode Island, MAINE,
Mas ach usetts and Conrec,ic upon tbs SUBJECT Oh
the establishment Of territorial government Tor Ne
brsska sn sDsas and the admission into he Union
OF these Territories as States ana re awe 10 the ugh
tive Slave law will doubt attract yoEr attention.
Tie yhoe scope aud tenor of these resolutions a.
war with Southern interests and Institute s. and they
are baed upon he idea that the stss OF this Unon
are not entitled 10 equal rights and that the people
OF one 81 ciUn 10 oe allowed privileges and csrsc
ties which are to be denied 10 he people OF another
This assumption should be met promptly. To such
degrad alton should Tot submit Ice people OF
Virginia have tie same mailer able right to carry any
species OF property possessed by them into any Terri
tory of the UIited States that TIE people OF any
other State have TO any speces of To- r prop
erty, and Congress have authority 10 pass laws
ao sing the right to one State aud denying i. to
another
The people of some OF the States abolished Slavery
within their limit declsIu that sound policy re-
QuiIed that il should be effected therein soon as
might be COZ sistent vi the rights of indivdu ale
"erd the public safety and welfare What right
have they 10 say that other States shall not
equally Judge whether sound policy requires i. to
te aboHsbed within tneir jursdic and when it
will be consistent with the rights Of lndiyiiass,
and the puonc sefety and welfare What RICH, have
they TO declare that other independent sovereign
tier have not equal authority TO n,ain II II seem TO
then proper that round policy requires the contnu-
spce or estabishmeIt OF Slavery within their limits.
and have not equsl power 10 declare whether / be
eonsstt at wi the ghs of individuals that It should
lie coltiuutd abolished. The Government OF the
United States has no such power delegated to H. 1t
belongs alone 10 the people when they come TO es
tabeb the fundamental ,w fer their own oyernm nti
ard Cor sress has no authority to prohibit any State
ON coming into the lion because Slavery exists or
does not exist within lts limits
IL IL afase philosophy which teaches that the insti
tuiions which have proved good for one people, are
aua will be coed for all future commonwealth IL
10 Dot true that n Institutions Of AustrIs or Russia
or Turkey, which they think good, are best for the
United States Ii s not true that the Institutions OF
Cor nc ciicut woulc be best for Virginia, and if it
were true i, is no less false 10 attempt crusade
aeausf ma iobs or States, TO compel them to embrace
pin ciples or Laws obnoxious to then, because t1ey
sre ceemed good ard whole eme by Others. The
true and only sound principle is for each State or na-
ton 10 adspt its lass and consul luton 10 tue circum-
stances which surround il, and in accordance With
the wishes sf a majority OF its people, and 70 abstain
from interference with the concerns OF others. This
principle, if adhered TO- will prevent the gernina1on
Of the seed of civil duseDsion and disuniOn, which
fslse and designing continually sowing broad
cast over this lane.
Congress had 10 right in $50 to pass the Missouri
Compromise. 1t bsd right TO prohibit tue intro 1uc'
ton Of Slavery above line and 10 permit II or 20
entail it upon the peopl. below that lire. rne South
submit ted The TO ,grant violation OF its rights Tor
the sake Of peace for the sske OF fraternal aecon to
obtain quiet and repose from IN ,essah agitation and
annoyance. IDstead of repose only oDened the Hood
gates of Dcessant int. rereLce aid LET loose host OF
ana,lcs 10 atten pt other and more haarant violations
OF our Ix bis and TO destroy both social and .tona
happiness. The act establishing the compromise has
now been repealed. BY such repeal Slaseryis neither
recoe nized nor encouraged nor Is IT prohibited or abo
shed All are left TO their constitutional rights. We
ought not We cannot, with honor with self respect,
without humiliation and debasement, permit this ini-
guilty 10 be again established over us The oonsIltu-
tor al uarante6s must be spected and executed we
ought 10 take a firm stand aud let our ul n,tum be
absolute and unconditional II we do not tue MON
worthless and Will become engine OF unnitisa ted
oppression.
you TO the late act Of tie General Assembly OF Ma
sschusets and ssk you TO examine II carefully, aud
calmly if you can That &C, 80 extraordinary 10 Its
character that invoke your attention TO the danger
Gus tel del cy Of its leading provisions Under the
title Of an act TO protect the RE and liberties Of the
people f The Cou monweath OF Mos achusetts, is
provided that the act OF that State further to protect
per liberty shall apply to the acts OF Congress OF
the 18th Of September $780, providing for the return
of slaves escaping from Their masters, and that the
writ OF habeas corpus shall extend TO every pereon,
int restrained of his oerty, Is of right aud
of copre, that IL may be Issued by any Cout Of
Recoio, any Judge astice OF the Peace In the
State, reurnable to the Supreme Court or any Jafge
hereof and ii appear that the party restrained was
claim cd as fugitive from service or labor in another
STATE he may be Admitted TO bail IN any sum not ex
cetding 81 600. The claimant ID equl ed 10 state IN
wriiiI the facts which he relies Nth precision aud
&C rtailty. An issue upon the pea o. not guilty
directed to be joined Gu the facts stated. July is
10 be impair peleO thereon, who may return general
verdict, the hndm OF t1e Yer tic Of not guilty 10
declared fl al ana Conclusive Aud II Is PROVIDED
that confession aom sslon or declaration or toe a.
legged fugitive against himself shall given in evil
deIce. Upon every question OF fact involved IN the
issue he burden OF proof on the claimant, and
the facts alleged and Necessary to 90 established must
be pIoved by the testimony OF at least two credible
Witnesses CT other legal evidence equivalent thereto
No pare deposition affidavit Is allow I'd as proof
in behalf OF the claimant, and no presumption Shall
arise in favor of the claimant from any proof thaL the
alleged fugitive, any OF his ancestors mad been &C
tuay held slave, without proof that such hodlog
egal.
thus il will be seen that, afer taking fugitive by
bsbess corr cut OF the bands OF The officer who may
have arrested him under the Laws Of Congress, the
owner by u is oct Is placed under conditions imposdf-
bic TO be complied with, unIess at an expense far
create tton the value Of his property. Agan, t1e
Judge court, before w1om the writ may be returned
may ADMIT slave to bail in any sum from one cent
to two thousand dollars, aud discharge him ffom
custody, and in this way deprive tie owner oil MS
slave.
But the uLfriendy disposition of the Legislature Of
Ma,,achusetts toward the ssv.holdiDg ates Is more
cts'ly maDfts ted in the character OF the penalties
adopted 10 Enforce this most mi Us, act They have
not only rendered the recovery Of fugitive slave
impossible uncer the law VI Cong ress, or their Own
act but they have provided for finishing, In the
severest manner, the osLer who may attempt to re.
cover his slave from that State, and fail 10 such
attempt The act further provides that if any person
shall move, 0sis in removing, or come iuto that
Slate with the int ntion of removing, assisting 10
removing or 10 procure assst 10 removed, any
perten not held TO service, labor ~ith intent to
subj. Tim 10 such labor suc1 peson shall
be i ed rot lees thar thousand nor more tn an nye
thousand dtaTs end be Imprisoned In the State Prison
rot ess than one Lor than i've yens This Is the
per ally for unsuccessful attempt to recover run