The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-04-29
Wilmots vision of slaves floating up the
Susquehanna.

Gen. Packer to stump the State with him
but that proved TO be one of the Republi'
can electioneering stories, like which we
had many last fall, and may expect many
more. By the last number of Wilmot's pa
per, the Bradford Reporter, it looks rather as
if the Judge intended TO fight out this con-
test for Governor with the Star, since he de-
votes a long article 10 our papers position
on the "nigger question" He talks about
Shareholders bringing their slaves into Penn
sylvania and hiring them by the year to
labor in our factories, mines and workshops
and intimates that the decision in the Dred
Scott case would authorize this. 1t does nc
such thing. Whoever becomes citizen o
Pennsylvania acquires the rights OF citizens
in this state and the black man would be-
come free whenever Pennsylvania became
his residence and place OF permanent occu-
patton by the assent of his master. Indeed
the Judges article admits incidentally that
the doctrine of the Dred Scott case is that
Shareholders may consider themselves cit
izens of other states, while in Pennsylva-
MIA, only so long as the animus rcuertendi is
preserved.
Nor can the Vilmot men complain that
this time during which there may be the
animus revertendi is uncertain or indefinite,
and might be unfairly construed to legallzc
slavery. The object and time of holding
slaves was limited and defined by BenJa-
man Franklin's emancipation act of 1850,
SO as to apply to travellers and sojourners
visiting our State or going through it from
slavestates, but was never to exceed SIX
months. (See any old copy of Purdon's
Digest.) This law the abolition Legislature
of Is47 repealed, at the same time that
they refused the use of State jails and state
laws to carry out that provision of the Uni
led State constitution which provides for
the restoration of fugitive slaves, and made
it misdemeanor in any State magistrate TO
be engaged in such execution of the law
(See pamphlet laws of is47 or Purdon's Di.
gest) If now il is uncertain and indefinite
how long the animuS rercrtend may exist, II
is the Abolitionists who have made IT so.
that day understood the rights of slavehold.
ers TO visit Pennsylvania, and the reciprocal
duties Of Pennsylvanians to treat the citi-
zens of other States with fraternal comfy,
and not as aliens and outside barbarians.-
Franklin and his compatriots abolished sia-
very in Pennsylvania, but they did not feel
any necessity or duty TO establish Under
ground Railroads and deal i'll 'nigger steal
ing" They did not get up riots like those
at Philadelphia, Christana and Boston, nor
did they shoot down United States Mar
shalls, because their philanthropy and pa
,riotism was no crazed fanaticism. From
1850 to ls47 the people of this good Com
monwealth felt no danger if SoutherneI
visited our State with dozen slaves, for ii
he staid over six months the slaves became
free. But this peace and security was dis
turbed by political demagoges; and they
have only mischief, agitation, fears and
alarms to offer in their places. There is re-
ally, no dagger now more than at any time
since 1880.
The article in the Reporter admits also
,ha, the operations of the Underground Rail
road would limit the probability of slaves
being hired into Pennsylvania. Men OF COO
sense know that it alone would limit the
possibility of any Shareholder ever recover
ing a negro from Pennsylvania, even ii ii
were one not worth having, ...s
If Judge Wilmot were guided more by
reading and reflection, and less by impulse
and temper he would find that the Cons'i
tuition of the United States and the fugitive
slave law only provide for the restoration o.
ugitires from labor and not of such as the
owner may himself have made permanent
residents and citizens of free state
But the main answer and most forcible
reply TO the supposiions Of these Abolition
lists as to what might happen, is 10 refer tc
what has happened. Pennsylvania has obot
ished siapery, and its influence has been fol
freedom both by the sentiment and the in-
terest of its people. II has not found slave
labor either desirable or profitable in our
SOIL climate and pursuits OF business
These forces, more powerful than laws, viii
keep slavery out of the State much more
easily than they drove it out years ago
The Abolition demagogues may deal in
fears, conjectures and apprehensions to
move some weak-nerved old ladies in
breeches-they may deal in dark pictures
OF RATS of slaves floating up the Susque'
hanna, just as they used to deal in the raw
head and bloody bones of the poor old
Pope to terrify bigols and fools but the
great fact stands out on the history of Penn
sylvsnia that her people and her interests
have built up an etHrnal barrier against sla-
very.
THE Isms AhE sHosT-LIvED.-Ths Spiritual
Telegraph gives list OF ss spiritual newspa.
?ers which has bsen started since The begin