The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-08-11
Are there to be no Free states! !

Liz people VI Tie nOTlu Have lOllS pIluGu
themselves upon being citizens of free states,
into which, when the slaves of the south
were voluntarily brought. their chains fell off
1t has been the almost universal belief, that |
the institution which, for no crime, strikes
down the right of human being to himself,
depended upon positive municipal law and
not upon interstate comfy. A decision Just
made by one of the judges Of the u. s. dis
trict court will, if sustained, completely re-
verse and annul all the cherished maxims Of
political truth and crush the free principles |
which have been the pride and boast of our
purest men,.
In the case of tho u. s. Il. e.r. rel. TVhee-
ler Us. Pdssmore Williamson, Judge Kune of
Philadelphia decided on Friday, July 9th,
among other things, two points heretofore
bncontroyerted, in the following remarka Bile
language
"Iknow no statute of Pennsylvania which
affects to divest the rights of property of a
citizen of North Carolina, acquired and as
serted under the laws of that state, because
he has found it needful or convenient to pass
through the territory of Pennsylvania.
'' am not aware that any such statute, if
such one were shown, could be recognized
as valid in court of the United States
John H. Wheeler, of North Carolina, U.
5. minister TO Nicaragua, was passing through
Philadelphia to New York to embark on his
mission. He brought woman and two.
boys as slaves into Pennsylvania A man,
named Passmore Williamson, informed the
woman she was free, being no fugitive, but
brought voluntarily into free state. A pas
sage was made from the steamboat to the
dock for her, and she and her children are
probably in Canada. She was free by law !
according to almost all legal decisions pre-
vious to the above.
But Williamson was arragned before Judge
Kane, and is now imprisoned for contempt
of court, because he alleged that he did not
know where the slaves were. The state court
refused to grant writ of habeas corpus for
Williamson, on the ground that each court
must be the judge of contempts against itself,
The aggressions of slavery are daily assu-
ming bolder and more audac forms but
this one bids fair to sweep away the last
vestiges of free soil in the Union, renderingI
all the states the stamping ground of human
cattle. Are the people of Ohio prepared toI
acquiesce in such state of things? Is It'll
not time that all good men should unite in
condemnation and resistance to the bold ag-
gressions of an institution which is at war.
with the dearest rights of humanity? Who
shall say the movement has begun too early
-[San. Reg.
NEW GOVERNOR OF kANsAs.--Mr. DaW-
son, the newly appointed Governor of Kan
sas, was at the time of his appointment, alb
sent from his home in Pennsylvania, on
visit TO the Lake Superior region.
1t is strongly suspected that the President
knowing this fact, made the appointment on
purpose to give the Secretary of the Terrific
ry, Mr.. WooDsoN, Virginian, an opportu-
nifty of becoming the Acting Governor; a
man who it is well known, will act in con-
cert with the rutfiany Legislature. 1t is by
such miserable trickery as this, that the
Pierce administration expects to escape re-
sponsibilitY.