Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-06-05
TIE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
wILMiNcroN. \. d.. FRIDAY, JUNE $. 1857.

WILMINGTON N. SIC. FFTDA Y, JUNE $. 1857.
Co We have been sometimes puzzled to know wha
law means at the North. Whether it lie intended as
binding rule of life to be enforced, or mere voun-
iary arrangement TO be observed just 80 far as may
suit The convenience and the interests or port with
the pejudces passions of the people OF the States
in that section The constiturionaty Of the Fugitive
Slave Law is established. Indeed, no fair reader OF
the Constitution of The United STATES, fail TO re-
Cognse the duty of the States respectively 10 return
fuglives from service 1t is obligation incumbent
upon the States and the State authorities, who, how
ever Systematically neglected 10 fulfil such oblga.
tiOn asserting that t. belonged to the 1ted States
to make and enforce tie statutes in pursuance Of and
for the better carrying out of the constitutional pr
vision The Congress of the United States has passed
laws strictly in accordance with the Constitution, and
such laws so made, are, like treaties the Supreme
law OF the land The STATES in asserting to the
stuonal prov iso, had vested that power in Congress-
and further. by glecting perform their own duties
in The premises they had rendered action by the
General Government imperative.
Suppose any officer appointed by the Uniled States
81 ould aemp to execute any law of Congress within
the limits of, say Ohio, and that law should not
happen to suit the notions of the people there, wha
would be TIE result? Why, simply, that the law
would he dead letter and nothing more. Just look
at the news fro m Ohio-the alpable contempt with
which all The sa ncti ms of Federal law treated
Men accept cfice under The underground Rail Road
They assist in The abduction of persons bound tt
labor or service they commit an act which is a.
clearly crime against the United States as robbing
-. h. &c tboT lie Il N,o4
piracy On The high seas, &c. The officers of the
United States arrest them-some County Judge sets
al defiance the constitutional authority of the United
States by writ of habeaS corpus, the men ale taken
from the higher jurisdiction by the lower. The law
ia nnIlfed-the criminals are let loose, the under
,rorpd Rail Road fourshes and Southern mtn are
robbed.
Or, again, suppose the persons arrested are not
taken out of the hands of The United States by h06e
us corpus they are taken by mob, and perhaps the
MARSHALL and bis assistants lynched Look at the
case narrated elsewhere. The criminals triumph
and those WHO ought to be prisoners are at large
while the officers in prison.
Who talks about South Carolina notification e
The North is not ali unsound Northern are
no, all enemies 10 the constitution, but enough un-
ROOO0DPR6 exists
Its laws aste paper al the North unless it suits the
peculiar notions of that section TO permit their en-.
forcemtnt So far as the Union operates in render
ing the South tributary to the North, the feeling OF
the latter section is quite NATIONAL when it requires
ANYTHING like reciprocity, the whole North as quickly
IGNORES all law ard obligation, as does Brigh Young
and his MormOns.
What wonder, then, that a sense of injury and in
sult-a desire to be done with shams-to abrogate q
bargain only carried out side-is taking a
deeper and more earnest hold on the public mind Of
the South. The torder States are necessarily tinid
mon this issue, as upon them would fall the first
shock and by them would be sustained the greatest
loss But for a desue for Southern harmony and
unity of action, the position of the cotton States
would he much farther advanced-much more decide
tbrn is. Thore sections Of he South and South
west. Of which Mobile, New Orleans ard Galveston
are Il centres, are, believe, convinced that re
cprociy has ceased, and that the sooner this unre
ciprocal agreement with the North is done away
with, the better. Unless we are much misinformed
Southern Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi
Louisiana, Texas Arkansas, and Southwestern Ten
nessse is strongly, yea overwhelmingly of this way
of thinking Not that they dSunonisls per Sc, bu
they perceive hat the Constitution which they rever
is practically nuifed and the Union TO which, in it
lust operations, they would tondly cling is band
iron 20 hold them stipulation, for he benefit of thu
Northern trader and manufacturer while it is simply
a rope Of sand in all where the protection O.
THAR guaranteed rights is concerned,