New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-04


transmit to the Executives of all the States, Win
a request to lay them before their respective
Legislatures.
These resolutions related TO the recent conspiracy
between Southern Shareholders and Northern
doughfaces to extend Slavery into Kansas ana
they expressed the firm determination OF Masss'
cbusetts not to submit to that infamous fraud.
Such resolutions, of course, were not very much
to Gov. Adsms's liking. Nevertheless, the subject
matter was clearly euch as Massachusetts, had
concern in, and her resolutions, though emphatic
ard decided, were expressed in such moderate
and diplomatic phrsseology that the most critical
carper could find no fault with them. All this the
Oyerseer. Governor substantially admits de con-
fesses that there was nothing in the resolutions
themselves at which any exception could be taken.
Had Massachusetts" he says, confined herself
"to the resolutions expressive Of her purpose in rea-
" ton to Slavery, impertnent as may have regard
ed them, / would have received them with indif-
"ference, and transmitted them without comment
for the very good reason, tits to bepreSumed that
any attempt to comment upon them would only
have made the matter worse. Such however, be-
ing the state of the case the Massachusetts, resou-
lions did but rankle the deeper in Governor
Adams's sensitive bosom. A party to fraud when
called to account, even though 10 terms the most
decorous and unexceptionable, very naturally gets
Into passion and takes to insulting those whom
be has robbed. This was ruse which, according
to the slaveholdiDg system of tactics so brilliantly
illustrated of late by Governor Wise in his answer
to a Boston Committee, and to which Governor
Adams has now added a new glory, imperatively
demanded an exhibition of slave driving spunk.
The wolf in the fable-tO recur again to Esop-
baked in his attempted quarrel with the lamb for
rilipg the water from below in the stream out OF
which the wolf was drinking, nevertheless found a
pretense for fulfilling his original bloody
intentions Governor Adams, in the charac-
ter of the wolf of Slavery, easily finds sim
liar pretense for making but one mouthful,
az it were, of the poor trembling lamb Massa-
chusetts-for so he seems to regard that State
which had been go impertinent as to bleat out a
remonstrance against the eating up of her sister
lamb, Kansas. No objection could be taken to
the Massachusetts resolutions, except, indeed,
the never failing, ordinary savedriving pretense
for abuse and fogging-tbat Of impsrrinence;
but, says Governor Adams, II consider the acts
.'of her late Legislature" (meaning, We suppose,
the Personal Liberty billy Gas an insult and an
" outrage upon every me mber of the cOnfederscy,
" who has right to demand the enforcement of
" the Fugitive Slave Act. A State Legislature
" deliberately, unblushingly, impOusly, violating
" her constitutional obligations, and whose peo-
" Die resist the execution Of the laws even to the
= shedding of blood is not entitled to comfy from
d" us, and feel that should not hesitate to afix
" On such conduct the seal Of official condemna
" ton. The interchange of civilities with peo-
pie who feel It to be no dishOnor to prevent the
d" recovery of stolen property will hardly reclaim
" the faithless and is incompatible with the re-
" spect which honesty owes TO itself"
Now taking into account some little occurrences
which have heretofore happened in the relations
and diplomatic intercourse between South Carolina
and Massachusetts,, and certain enactments of
South Carolina expressly intended to deprive the
State of Massachusetts and her citizens of the
rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution Of
the United States, this fine flourish of injured sen
sibility and righteous indignation on the part of
Gov. Adams must be set down as decidedly the
most impudent thing Of which we recollect ever
to have heard. We might, in fact, challenge even
Wise himself, or The Union, or Caleb Cushing
to beat it. The facts to which we refer were not
done in corner. They are familiar to everybody.
South Carolina, years ago. passed law for putting
into jai and under certain contingencies selling
into Slavery, every colored mariner who, driven
by storms or in pursuit Of his lawful business,
should come within her borders. This act was pro-
nounced violation of the Federal Constitution bya
Judge of the Supreme Court Of the United States,
himself native and citizen of South Carolina,
and this opinion was sustained by the legal prefes.
sion generally throughout the country. Neverthe-
less, South Carolina still persisted, in spite of re-
peated circumstances, in imprisoning cOlored cti-
zens of Massachusetts,, and in msanly extorting |
money from them in the name of Jail fees, under |
the threat that unless they submitted to this piece
Of petty spoDging they should be sold into slavery.
Finally, Massachusetts, sends an egent to South Car
Dina for the express purpose Of making case,
and bringing the question Of the cOnstitutonality
Of this legislation and Of these kidnapping opera.
tons and petty plunderings before the Supreme
Court of the United States That agent-a most |
venerable and respectable citizen-is, with his
sick daughter, forcbly driven out Of the State by
mob composed of the leading citizens Of Charles
ton, with threats that he shall be tarred aud
feathered and worse if he returns; and this mob |
action is adopted and backed up by the Legisla-
ture Of South Carolina by the enactment Of law
by which the coming into that State for the Pur.
pose of in,tituting any suit designed to test the
constitutionality of mprisoning citizens of Msssa-
4. Al -. oS THAR nonsv and all