True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-02-24

take upon that occasiOnl Like good and
wise men--like Democrats true to the
principles of their "Fathers"--they uni
ted with the Free Sellers and selected
one who, more than any other in The
State, was, and still is, the embodiment
of the!2rinciples Of Freedom--the present
chief magistrate of Ohio, Salmon r
Chase and would to God the Democracy
had never committed no greater error
than elevating that American statesman
to the distinguished position Of United
States Senator.
Thus far have traced the record o.
this party, as party protesting and car
rying out to some good degree the prin'
ciples of Jeffersonian democracy. But
from this point the history of the Ohio
Democracy presents an entirely new as
pect. shall not attempt 10 trace its his
tory. tits one marked with more polit'
ical inconsistency that can be found in the
annals Of all the other parties that have
ever existed in our country. His kno,cn
and read by all.
RecFlessly bold and brazen.faced in po
litical infamy as this party have become
there is not one of them so perfectly
shameless as to stand up here and claim
the present to be in harmony with the
various acts of the party to which l have
referred.
Why then, ask, are we now called
on 10 pass this bill before US |? Is there
any thing in the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, or Of this State (both of which
we have sworn to supporD which requi'
res the passage of this measure--the Su.
preme Court of the United States having
decided this question, in the celebrated
Prigg case? The court then decided
that the execution of the constitutional
provisions for the return Of fugitives from
service, required no legislation upon the
part of the States that this provision
merely prohibited the States from passing
laws "discharging" the fugitive from such
service, which they might of right do, but
for this provision of the Constitution.-
According, to this decision Congress has
the sole power to legislate for the carry
ing into effect of this provision ofthe Fed
eral Constitution. In pursuance of this
decision, the Congress proceeded to leg
iSlate on this subject, and as the result
of their labors, gave us the celebrated Flu
gitive Slave law now in force, law
which Ex-Governor Wood, and every 9th
er prominent Democrat and Democratic
Journal in Ohio, pronounced Infamous
and unconstitutional in some Of its pro.
visions, and to the execution of which the
people of Ohio never would submit; a
law which the Democracy OF Ohio, in
State Convention assembled, on t,Oo seq
eral occasions refused to endorse. Con-
gress has done all that the shareholders
ask them to do on this subject, and the
Supreme Court has decided that we are
not required by the Constitution to do
any icing in the way oflegislation, by the
oaths which we have taken to support
that Constitution.
Then if we are not required to pass
this bill upon constitutional grounds
does comfy or courtesy demand that our
jais should be made the lpceptaces for
the safe keeping of any person who may
be claimed by Southern pirate as his
property, and that our Sherifrs shall be re-
quired to stand guard over them until he
can find evidence sufficient to establish
his claim! On a former occasion. re.
ferred to the manner in which Southern
Shareholders extend their courtesies to
Northern citizens, and it is unnecessary
here 10 repeat those remarks in addition.
however, | might refer our Hamilton
county Senators to the reception given by
the chivalry of the Palmetto State, to a
member ofthe Cincinnati Bar, who found
it necessary to visit that State, in order
to dispose of some property there, in pur.
suance of a will of which he was the Ex-
ecutor. This case is familiar 10 the gen.
tlemen from Hamilton, and commend it
to their consideration. The case of the
Hon. Samuel Hoar, who was appointed
by the Sovereign State of Massachusetts,
to prosecute, in the Courts of South Car
ohna claims of the former State in behalf
of her citizens, is another case in point.
He was driven from that State by mob,
composed Of gentlemen of property and
as the South Carolina journals
then stated--a part of which mob was
composed of three members of Congress,
five members of the South Carolina Leg
isature, and the Sheriff of the county. =
He was compelled 10 leave the State in
the night to avoid coat of Tar and feath-
ers. and other indignities so frequently
administered by distinguished Southern
Judge commonly known as "Judge
Lynch"
He returned to his own State without
being permitted to file his petition in
reference to his mission. and this too in
the teeth Of The emphatic provisions oI
the Federal Constitution, which declares
that the "citisens Of each State shall BE-
entitled TO all the privileges and immu'
mites Of the citizens Of the seueraI
States" And shall we be told that the
passage of this bill is the proper manner
in which to reciprocate such treatment
For one, sir, l am not prepared 10 mani
fest my sympathies with The slave catch
er in this way. The most that | car
bring myself to do for him is to stant
alool. II is foot race, was going to
say fair one, but will not, between the
blood hound and his victim. and let who
can run. But, sir, why should we dc
for the slave holder. what we refuse tc
do for our own citizensl The slave
holder, claims that the fugitive owes him
service or labor under the laws OF hi'
State, and we here propose to aid him ii