Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-06-16
The Fugitive slave Law In Ohio.

The laws of any country, in order
to be operative, must be in conson.
ance with a wholesome public sent.
ment. The Representative sf The
people who enact them, must conform
their legislation TO the standard 81
Justice, which an honest and patriotic
popular mind acknowledges to be its
measure of practical excellence, oil
the laws of tile land, whether emana.
ting from a parliament, q cortes, or j
republican congress- cannot com rnand
the obedience of those disloyall citi-
zens Or States to which they are OBJ
noxious, whether Justly OF urjustfy.
And when circumstances are such,
TINT separate States, III their own
sovereign capacity, rebel against, and
attempt 10 rise above the constitu-
tional laws of the nation with which
they claim membership, lifetime has
Ecome, when the Stale must either be
made to succnmb, or allowed to Sc
eede, OF the Federal authority is at
an elfl, and the spirit and genius oi
the government lost in submission to
the selitions edlcts of traitors
These reflections have been induced
Fhy tile iate1awless ontraees npon an
United States Deputy Marshal and
This assistants, while engaged in an
to enforce the federal law III
HOhio. 1T will be remembered, that
Ethey proceeded from Cincinnati to
Champaign county fof the purpose d
arrestins four persons who were
lcharged with FayinS harbored fngi.
tive slaves. They secured the often
Iders and left for Cincinnati, when
they were pursued from one county
Ito another. until they were oyertaken
and overpowered, under the pretext
Of 4 writ of ha6eds colPus, after q
melee, in which shots were ex,
changed.
The deputy marshal and his aidf
were then carried to Springfield, in
the same State, as prisoners to be
tried for resisting the county sheriff.
This is all infraction Of the fugitive
slave law, i resistance to the enact.
ments of Congress, and the provisions
Hof the Constitution, under the imme-
Idiate patronage and BY virtue Of the
authority Of the State officers Of Ohio.
The mob moved and acted under the
projection and at the instigation Of
men clothed with the powers, both Of
Judiciary and of executive officials oil
4 sovereign State. II is an instance
Of open, unqualified antasonism be-
tweenthe authorities Of Ohio and the
United States. No such Pretext as
the irresistible license Of an pnbridled
rabble can be offered in paliation.-
The sovereignty of the State is com
promised BY the act. And il re-
m~ainsto Be seen whether the Governor
of Ohio vii. endorsethe outrage or
|denounce tire conduct of those off
GERS. through whose agency the
Federal laws were resisted, and the
deputy marshal OF the United States,
and those accompanying him were
arrested inthe performance of their
II there is not enough of con-
servation, loyalty and patriotism in
the non-slave-holding States, to stay
the populace in their outbreaks, it is
truly to be hoped that sovereign
States are not so lost to aHself re-
spect, reason and sense of right as to
Justify tho formal arrest ofoficers be-
cause they are engaged in the civil
service Of the Federal Government.
These things cannot continue, with
safety TO the Union. They indicate q
deepand dangerous enmity to the in
situations offthe South. And there
must be moral strength enough in
the North to cry down such acts OF
overt treason. or the confederacy
must soon be sandered. Ohio,
however, is not the whole North
And we confidently trust to the truth
and strength ofthe Democratic eause.
The administration. we are conf
dent, will act ~alvisedlY and prompt
II in this matter .-Richanond Eng.
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