Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-05-02
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committee to whom had been referred the decis-
ion Of the Supreme Court of the United States in
the bred Scott case, was further discussed in the
House, on Thursday afternoon. when it was re-
committed, on motion of Mr.. Littlefeld of Fox
b,ro', to BE- amended and made more conforma-
bic tolpopular sentiment, which at this time, we
rejoice to perceive, demands something more
radical and explicit than the bill in question, one
section Of which reads =
4" Sec. 8. Any person having been held to ser.
vice as slave, in any other State or country, and
nothaving escaped from any other State 81 the
United States in which he was held to service or
laber. andsr the laws thereof coming into this
Commonwealth, ornow being therein, shall forth
with be and become free"
The amendment offered BY Mr. Morrill, of Fall
River to strike out the word not, in the third
line, and TO add after the word shall in the
last line, the words b. deemed to be citizens Of
Commonwealth, and entitled to receive the
protection thereof, uatil they choose to withdraw
from the protection thereof, would puT that
section IN the right shape. Mr. Littlefeld of
Folklore, well said that five voted for this
bill as it was. we voted for the Fugitive Slave law,
or rather that we would defend all fugitiyes ex-
ceps slaves from the fugitive laws He would
therefore prefer the amendment; yet even with
that the Dill was imperfect and improper. and he
therefore moved its reeommitment to the COM
mittee which reported it to the House"
Mr. Gramner Of Woburn favored reeommit.
menk
Mr.. Morrill, of Fall River, supported his amend
ments, and hoped they might be adopted, and
leave Massachusetts just where she had stood for
years.
Mr.. Goodwin Of lowell, wished that the bill
might be recommitted, to remedy various defects
which he enumerated, to remove from it what he
deemed recognition of the fugitive slave law, and
to make it worthy of the memory of Bunker Hill
and Lexington.
The motion to reeommit having prevailed, we
trust the committee having the matter in charge
win now proceed to put the bill in such form as
that il will represent the embodied sentiment and
dissemination of the great mass Of the people of
the Commonwealth, to have the broad shield Of
State sovereignty extended as a protection around
the liberty Of every person. unconvicted of crime,
irrespective of celor, who treads her soil That
Csmmittee consists of Messrs. Couch of Ncrth
Bridgewater, Hudson of Lexington, Lee of
Charlestown, and Hale and Ranpey of Boston, Of
the House, and White of Lowell and Burbank of
Boston, Of The Senate. Although these men are
nearlysif not quite all, Republican,, we have no
great hopes, from the course taken by Mr.. Hud-
son, in the debate, on Thursday, and the senti-
ments probably entertained by Others of the COM
mittee, that they viii make much improvement
in The bill. There is altogether too much old 70.
gyism and fear Of progress " in the mental con-
stitutions Of the leading men representing the
Republican party in the pEassg1t IesislsaasgFe, 70
expect much fr99gassit Would that we had among
e few men like Speaker Littleohn of the
New York Assembly, to advocate State rights,
in opposition to unconstitutional congressional
enactments. With shame we regret to record
that bat three members Of the Massachusetts
House, MessIs Morrill, of Fall River, Little
field Of Foxboro, and Goodwin Of Lowell, have
had the courage to speak out in the right tone
andssprit this subject. Let the Republicans,
representing majority in that body, come
up to the scratch like men, and repudiate
the obnoxious features Of the bill, if the commit
tee shall again report it in the present shape We
like the tenor of the following written by the Bos-
ton correspondent of the Springfield Republican,
on Thursday afternoon, before the recommitment
Of the bill had been carried -
'The House Of Representatives is apparently
about to do very foolish thing, and that is. en-
dorse the doctrine that the Constitution of the
United Stotes authorizes the Tecapture of fugi.
tive slaves, This acknowledgment is distinctly
contained in the bill relating to citizenship and
personal freedom, and the conservative set Of Re-
publcans seem disposed to press it to a pas
ssge. There is certainly no excuse for announce
ing this doctrine all the good provisions of the
bill might be enacted without meddling with this
doctEinal point. A very large class of Republic
cans (as the foges will find if the question ever is
tested) do not believe that there is anything in
the Constitution of the United States which au-
thorizes the enactment of fugitive slave laws or
which refers to fugitive slaves in any manner. II
the Republican majority of the Legislature see fit
to make q declaration of the contrary opinion.
they will compel the advocates of what is styled
the Gerritt Smith doctrine to show their hands
I shall not be sorry for this result for one for
believe that the old and erroneous doctrine that
the Constitution upholds slavery is one of the
chief obstacles to the progress of ntislayery
opinions. The contrary notion will not bear much
discussion. and If issue is made, it will not be
three years before the whole Republican party OF
Massachusetts viii be brought upon the right
ground. Even now, do not believe that a reso-
luton affirming what the bill implies could be got
through any Republican convention in the state.
Mr. morrill, of Fall River, an American, has
thus far been the only Dperson who has opposed
the provision Of the bill have referred to- Messrs
Hudson, Yose and johnson of Abingdon, trotted
out the old notification bugbear against him.
Isn't it about time that people had recovered their
senses on that subject
Massachusetts, has nearly every year since 1850
passed resolutions declaring the fugitive slave
bill unconstitutional, or in some other way ex-
pressed her opinion that it Is so She has passed
law forbidding her officers to enforce it, and has
made one nearly successful effort to remove from
office man who had been guilty Of such an act.
Now she proposes to say by statute, not that the
bill Of 1850 is constitutional but that the consti-
tuition requires the slave to. be given up. 1t it
does why not give him up Let US take one of
the only three consistent courses either deny that
the Constitution demands the surrender of fugi-
tives and. on the State rights ground boldly DEFY
Il, OF second, acknowledge our constitutional OBJ
legations and live up to them, or third, admit the
obligation and gofor destruction Of the instru-
ment which binds us But don't let us seek to
evade provision which we solemnly declare to be
in some shape or other binding upon us. AS Lord
Bacon says, them's my sentiments and If the
fogy Republicans mean to make an issue, there
are plenty OF fellows who will not hesitate to meet
It,"
The OPTICAL Conference.-The Washing.
ton correspondent Of the Journal of Commerce
says that the consular and diplomatic appoint
ments will be disposed Of during the present
month. A very general change Of these fune-
tionaries will be made, though but few Of them
have vet awaited thernsaIxaa or A. N.