Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-12-19

not held to service, Or labor, with intent
Ito subjccth him to such service or LABOR,
such person shall be fined not less than
one thousand por more than ffe thou
sand dollars. and be imprisoned in the
State prison not less than one nbr more
than five years. This is the penalty Tor
an unsuccessful attempt to recover . run
AWAY slave.
Itis further provided, that no person
fholding any Office of honor, trust or eniol-
ument in that State, shall in any capaci-
ty issue any warrant or other process, OF
grant any certificate, under or by virtue
Of either Of the. acts Of Congress, for the
, rendition Of fugitive slaves. And any
person who shall grant any certificate un-
der either of the said acts of Congress,
shall vacate any Office he may hold un-
der the state, and shall be forever hereaf-
ter ineligible to any Office Of trust, honor
or emolument under the laws Sof that
Commonwealth. And any person who
shall act as counsel for any claimant Of
an alleged fugitive from service or labor,
under either Of said acts Of Congress,
shall vaeate any commission he may hold
and be thereafter incapacitated from ap-
pearing as counsel or attorney in the
courts of that Commonwealth. These
two provisions shall not apply 10 removal
from judicial Office; but ii any judge shall
perform either of the acts, il. shall be q
breach Of good beha, Tor, and reason fol
loss of public confidence, and sufficient
ground for impeachment Or removal by
address #EE. .'t1.. iii t*#
f 1t is also declared that every sheriff
deputy sheriff, jailor, coroner, constable,
or other off Ger Of the State, or the police
Of any cityIor town. or any district court
city or town officer, or any officer or 9th.
er member Of the volunteer militia Of the
Commonwe alth, who shall assist, impris,
an, detain Or restrain, or aid therein, any
person for the reason that he is claimed
or adjudged to be q fugitive from service
or labor, shall be fined not less than one
thousand and not more than two thousand
dollars, and be imprisoned in the State
prison not less than one nor more than
1.-TWO years; and the volunteer militia are
prohibited from acting in my manner in
the seizure. detention, or rendition Of d
fugitive slave, under the like fine and i'm
prisonment. + : 5-I1
i This aet makes provision for the ap.
Monument Of commissioners in every
county in heStaie. to protect, defend and
secure any alleged fugitive slave fail
and impartial trial by iury. and tho bcne.
tit Of its provisions. The fees and ex.
Penses Of the commissioners, witnesses
and officers, in such defence, DC, to BIZ
paid by the State. No Jail or prison Of
that State, erot any county therein, shall
be used 70 lmprlson any persoWaecused
or convicted Of any offence created by
either Of the laws Of Congress, passed ii
1898 Or 1850, respecting fugitives from
justice, and persons escaping from the
service OF their masters, or who may be
convicted Of pbsrrpGting or resisting any
process. warrant or order issued under
either OF hose laws. nor orrscuing any
person detained under said laws, nor for
the Imprisonment Of any person arrested
on process OF execution for damages Of
penalties acd ruling or claimed III Gonse
quence Of fanny aid rendered to any csea.
ping fugitive Slave. :. IL, i 4 F
4 Thus, il will be seen that the whole
purpose Of this act is 70 render null and
void acts Of Congress passed to execute
a clause of the Consultation essential to
the security Of slave propertyin the South.
ern States, and without which no slave
holding State would for a moment have
ratified the Constitution. AIM
The Constitution provides expressly
chat no PERSON held 10 service Or labor
in one State, under the laws thereof, es-
Gaping into another, shall, in consequence
Of any law Or regulation therein, be dis
charged from such service or labor, but
shall be delivered up on claim Of the
party to whom such service or labor may
be due /; i :
The act Of Massachusetts,, III every
paragraph, is intended BY It's trainers
ayowedly 70 liberatc, and expressly pro
vides for diacharging every slave from
such service pr labor, and to prevent his
being delivered up under any circum.
stances TO lis owner. "+EM ts+at.~
| The act of Congress Of 1893 and the
amendatory actof. 1850, providing for the
rendition Of fugitive slaves, were enacted
solely and expressly to execute this clause
of the Constitution, and are in accordance
with its spirit and letter. .IfS- Il III II
The second clause Of the sixth article
Of the constitution also declares, that
the constitution and the laws OF the Uni
ted States, which shall be made in pur-
. suance thereof, shall be the supreme law
Of the land, and the judges Of every State
shall be bound thereby ;~anything in the
constitution Or laws Of any State to tho
contrary notwithstanding" :tE /.
| It requiresno argument to prove that
the act Of Massachusetts precisely such
a law or regulation as the constitution In
tended to provide against. II any State
can thus violate and set at naugbt The
fundamental law in one particular, It may
in all, and noIsecurity or safeguard is left
forthc preservation Of our rights or liber-
ties. If this government is worth pre-
serving, it must be maintained in itspuri-
|ty, and rights solemnly guaranteed must
/. be respected 1t becomes subject Of
deep import and Of vital consequence. ~
lRHaA I {