New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-03

etetr clfbf OF tub questioL OF MOras, ytt Wsis-
tsinee that On mere political ground. the whole
Tuior had direct int. rest in the South Caro-
iina Act for revisiDg the slaye-trsde, inasnuch
IS it tended to weaken the common defense Of
the country. "EseIy slave brought in. he
said, "must BE- regarded 10 the light Of AZ i'm
ported enemy" Nor did these two Members
stand slole. They we're sustained in this more
mfpt sgsin.t the revived slsEe-trsde By all their
colleague from Penn ylrsnia.
SO 10 the debates 90 TIE act ard the supple
merits to il for aboishine the slsve-trsde, Penn
sylTsnis was always for strenuous measures,
even TO tte length Of hsDging the slsvetraders
as pirstes-a procedure IS to which the slave
holding Members of Congress very naturally felt
little delcscy snd perhaps on the suggestion
of il al uncomfortable feeling about their Own
threats. II is also to be noted that tbs first
Increment for the abolition of Slavery in the
District Of Columbia. made il 1905 by Sloan of
Interchangeable from his residence opposite
Pbilsdelphis and bis business connections with
that city nSy be regarded as almost Pniladel-
pbian-was strongly supported By the Pennsyl-
yanis delegation.
In the great Missouri controversy Pennsylva-
MA stood shoulder 10 shoulder with the other
Northern States. In ail her large delegation
there was but a single doughf4ce. Had the
other Northern States been as true, we should
not nov have Missouri Slave State, nor Platte
County as the headquarters Of slagedriving ruff
fani.m. whence by the joint efforts Of Atchison
and President Pierce Slavery is to be forced
upon Kansas.
To Peur sylyaria also belong. the honor of
having fret legslated on behalf of personal iber-
~ against the atrOciOus constructions never in
tended by is trainers, bat thirty years after its
passage, forcei by legsl ingenuity and legal
heartessness into the Fugitive Act Of 1898. In
consequence Of these constructions the Legisls-
ture Of Pennsylvania paased q law in 1920, for
biddirg Aldermen and Justices of the Peace of
that State to exercise an! jurisdiction under the
Act Of 1898. the execution of which was thus
restricted to judges Of the Superior Courts,
who were further required whenever they
granted &c tifcates OF serv ce DUE 10 file With the
Clerk of the County a record Of the whole pro-
cetding, containing the names Of the parties
and witnesses, and a statement of the evidence
on which the certificate had been granted.
Severe penalties were added upon the carrying
out Of the State without process, whether by
force CT stratsgem, any negro or mulattO with
intent to hold or sell him AS a slave. So far as
related TO the prohibition of State officers to
grant certificates under the Act Of 1898, this
Pennsylvania act was founded upon a recent de-
csion Of the United States Court, (IIunter IS.
Martins, lessee; ] Wheaton, 330,) in which it
had been held that Congress had no Constitu-
tionsl authority to vest any portion Of the ju-
dica power Of the United States except 10
courts ordained and established by itself Aud
it was this same act or modification Of it,
which subsequently gave occasion to the famous
case of Prgg VS.. Pennsylvania.
But if Pennsylvania thus in the earlier times
honoIably contended for the supremacy of the
policy of Freedom, it must be confe ,sed that
this respectable period of her history mas since
been succeeded by an age Of dough. This yield
ing spirit, commencing with the lawyers, spread
thence to her politicians, and has even in some
cases infected or seemed to infect the mass of
her people. 1t was the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania that first saw in the Fugitive
Act Of 1898 jurisdiction, over which as ems.
mating from Congress, the superior State courts
had no supervision OF cOntrol-a doctrine after
ward adopted by the Supreme Court of the
United States in the case Of Prigg VS.. Penn.yl-
ysua, and which furnished the idea of the in-
famous Fugitive Slave Act Of 1850 Backed up
BIZ such decisions, b. set of Pennsylganla
Rtprese natives in Congress, who too often did
70 honor to the State, and by Federal Judges
like Kane and Crier, the shareholders in recent
years have regarded Pennsy lvania, if not as
conquered territory into which they might freely
rsmor, with their slaves they are now claim
inc 70 do mo Kansas, at least as neutral ter
ritory in which they might hunt niggers with
impuiity, and with very little regard to any
claims 10 freedom which the said niggers might
set up under the laws of the State.
Pennsylvania, from her position as border
State, is naturally called upon to stand in the
front rank Of Freedom. In the fresh struggle
which is now approaching we cannot doubt
that she will vindicate her ancient reputation,
and, no longer suffering herself to be made a
conve nieDce of by the Shareholders, will fully
and faithfully discharge the duty which she
owes 10 Liberty and Democracy.
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MAKING Up.
CT