Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-06-16
A ROWLAND FOR AN OLIVER.



The Louisville Journal looks upon the Personal
Liberty bill, recently passed by the Massachusetts
legislature, as very offensive proceeding; and
suggests the following remedy to the adoption of
the South:
If the States Of the Union were unlimited SOW
eregntes, they would have the means Of redress
in their own hands, and might place restrictions
on trade or even interdict it entirely, with States
that enacted laws affecting inj jurOusly the rights
or property of their neighbors In such condi-
ton OF things, se-interest alone would be potent
enough to prevent neighboring States from pre-
sstcncc in hostile legislation. But Mt present the
Federal constitution restrains the States from such
retaIitory means of redrcSsing wrongs.
The slave States cannot reach Massachusetts or
her citizens except through the medium of some
law that shall at the same time operate upon their
own citizens. This can probably be done here by
a well devised license law. We believe that the
exclusive jurisdiction of the States over the sub
ject OF licenses to sell goods, wares and merchan-
disc has been affirmed by the competent tribunals
Of the country. The States have the right to fix
the amount that shall be paid for license to sell
anything within their borders, or they can either
grant or withhold licenses altogether for the ycnd-
ing of any goods they may deem it eXpcdient t.
exclude from sale, except perhaps foreign goods
on which impost duties have been paid
ucre, then, the people of the slave States have
ample means of retaiatng on massachusetts,
Let them pass law in each OF these States, al
the next session of the legislature that will either
refuse license for the sale Of anything the growth
and produce of Massachu sets, fix high a
price the license for the sale Of such goods that
no person can afford to pay it. In either case adj
equae punishment must be provided against the
violation Of the law. 1t may be said that the law
would be cvadcd by the purchase Of Massachusetts
goods in othcr Stalcs-in New York. Philadelphia
Baltimore &c.
TO meet this case, the law may provide that a
n NJ.
SachuscttS goods, knowing them to be such, and
without giving them notice, shall be esteemed
guilty of Il fraud, and any obligation given ioi
such goods shall he null and void. If, in addition
to these legal provisions, the people Of the slave
States will resolve not to purchase or nSe the pro
uc:s of any State that shall legislate against tn,
property Of the people Of tic slave States it vii
he still more certain to bring the people of thost
States to their. senses. The operation Of thes(
measures, if they are rigidly and honestly carried
ont by the harmonious action of the legislators
merchants and people Of the South. cannot fail tt
he so injurious to the industrial interests agains
which they are directed that the people affected
will yield to the promptings Of interest what they
now deny TO common honesty and the constitution
IF the nation, and will repeal the laws Of whcl
the people of the South complain.
All our readers can bear witness that we have
never, under any circumstances, failed to oppos
strenuously everything like sectional movements
We have always regarded such movements as hav
ing q strong tendency to weaken and finally t
, dissolve the bonds of the Union, and we hay,
fought vehemently against them, whether origina
ting in the North or in the South. We drepreca
ted the southern convention at Nashville, and w
: have discouraged every invocation to citizens o
the South, whether in State or in any other, t
assemble and take into consideration the adoption
of measures for the promotion of sectional objects
Even now we see no dmnution OF the probabl
dagger of such movements.
But, if one section resorts to hostile Legislation
against another section, and in spite of every con
sideration of justice and patriotism and fidelity t.
the constitution, presists in it, the aggrieyed sec
i ton must and should and will retaae, be the con
, sequences what they may. If Massachusetts an
. other States see fit to adhere to their obnoxious
injurious and insulting statutes in cutting off tn
g South from the rights plainly guaranteed to he
G by the constitution, the South will most assuredy
at the very next session of her various legislature
resort to the adoption of retalatory statutes OF tn
d most decisive and stringent character.
It 1t is very true that she may thereby injure he
e own interests; very likely she may do as great
rs injury to her own pecuniary interests as to thos
c of the North but this is consideration that wi
l. not restrain her for single moment. She wi
c break off commercial intercourse with this olfent
II ing States, and, if such direful consequence
the dissolution of the Union shall follow she wi
&c look with stern calmness upon the result, trustn
,e in her own strength and the goodness of Prov
n dence.
!, We have written this in no clustering or threa
&c ening spirit. We have stated simply what IS Il
= evitable. The mischievOus spirits OF the Nort
/" can receive it as they please