Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-04-07

hold. Until you in sober second thoughts
return to the doctrine OF the fathers of
the Republic, and learn again to repeat
with sincerity the language of James
Buchanan, in 1848, as follows: "Having |
urged the adoption of the Missouri Com
promise, the inference is irresistible, that |
Congress, in my opinion, possesses the |
power to legislate upon the subject of
slavery in the Territories, what an absurd
ity it would be, then, If whilst asserting
this sovereign power in Congress, which |
power must from its nature be exclusive, |
should, in the same breath, also claim
this identical power for the population of
a territory in an unorganized capacity. In
conclusion / desire to reiterate and reafhrm
every sentiment contained in my Berks
county letter. I cling to the Missotir1
Compromise with greater tenacity than
ever, and yet firmly believe that it will be
adopted by Congress-" And re-adopt the
resolution affirmed by you in your State
1880, to wit:
''0esolved, That the people of Ohio,
now, as they have always done, look upon
the institution of slavery as an evil, and
unfavorable to the full developement of the
spirit and practical benefits of free insti-
tutions, and that entertaining these senti-
ments they will feel it to be their duty to
use all power consistent with the national
compact to prevent its Increase, to miti-
gate and finally to eradicate the evil
Confirmed by your acts in your National
Convention in May, 1948, and in the Ohio
Legislature, 25th February, 1848, reitera-
ted by Gov. Wood in 1851 and '52, then
indeed may you induce people to believe
that you are in earnest opposed to the ex
tension of slavery, as the Senator from
Auglaize Mr.. Phelps) says he is, although
he says he would assist the master to re-
capture his slave, if he resisted the officer,
and another Senator Mr.. Holmes) has
said that he is in favor of the right of tran
sit through Ohio; while another Mr.. Mat
thews) has said that he would vote for a
law to give efficacy to the Fugitive Slave
act, all of which look to the ultimate re-
suit, the establishment of slavery, not on
ly in the free territories but i'll the free
States. Under these circumstances, we
believe it our right as well as our imPera-
tive duty to relieve ourselves even from
the appearance of evil, and refuse the
STAKEHOLDER the power of contining his fu-
gitive slave in our prisons and jails, or pen
itentiary, and so believing we shall act,
and vet hope that our ID EN- ocratic brethren
will see the errors of their ways, and come
back to the knowledge of the truth, and
again pay their devotions at the altar of
freedom reading ane w that solemn act OF
born free and equal, possessed of certain
inalienable rights, among which are life,
| liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
which declaration acknowledged by the
civilized world inspired the patriots of '76,
though few in numbers to repel, victOri-
ously, the most powerful nation in the
world.
You may talk as you please, Senator's,
of our duty to obey the decision of the
| To hot all
pie question before that Court was of ju-
risdiction, and all the rest of the decision
is no more binding than the apSe dtClt o.
any other men, still it is intended as {
binding decision, to put at rest the slavery
agitation, and if it should be so binding
it would tolerate slavery in Ohio, and ev
cry other free State You may talk of The
comfy and equality of States in justifi ca
ton of that decision, and your platform
that the stakeholder should have the same
right to take his slaves as property into th'
F Territories or free States, that you or
have to take our horses or any other prop
erty into slave State, still the undeniabl
truth remains that slavery can only exis
bv virtue of positive law, and cannot eXis
beyond the limits of the local sovereignt.
in which it exists. That has been decide
by the courts of the slave States-and wa
+ ever understood as a settled question, s
q moment the master took his slave int
: free Territory he aoGs free, and being free
, he could never again, even on slave soil, Z
y enslaved-until you have found 1T nece:
e sary for political success, to worship
v another church of which John @. Ca
+ houn was the great founder, churc
| without the sympathies or approval of an
e portion of the civilized world, condemne
e by ali, and therefore unworthy the asPir'
,, tions of any, save one, who like the II
n cendiary, thrsting for Immortality, fire
If the Ephesian Dome.
Our position is defined, from whiC
q there is no retreat, ttNon-extensiOn
"a Slavery, aud non-interference with Shaver
10 in the Slave States." and in this we mes
ic not in any manner to interfere with Slave
y in the Slave States, but we are firmly al
II forever resolved that this Bohan UPas shi
- not poison our soil, and infect the fire
IF pure air of our State; that we will not pc
TO NIT our people to pay taxes to build Ja1
n and prison houses and penitentiaries
of which to incarcerate the slave, who is &
a. MED the right of a trial, that is otherwi
aa conceded to the most degraded culPr
of who may be charged with the most att
ms cious felony, even treason; in short, II
nd while we will not violate any law of a s
ch ter State by enticing away slave, we "
tn not violate every law of right, human
,r- and justice, by locking in our prisons
ia man who is charged with no crime, eltl
mt against the laws of God or man, save
:; effort to be free And here we again