The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-04

That ianaiicism rs blind and reckless OF cdnssi
queuoes, and ready 10 sacrifice tyefy material inte
rest Of others be ssatify itself is truth known the
world over; bat il has never been better i,atratea
han by the leaders Of the black-repnbl;c, ,,st IN
the State Of Michigan drrig the late session of the
Legislatures III tbai State. Michigan is a State richer
IN mineral wealth than any other in the onion after
California lbs vast mines Of native copper are The
wonder OF the world aud it's mountains Of iron wosld
supply The universe with that useful metal. To de
yelop these mines, 10 make their value known. 10
derive that profit from tLcm which IegitInatey be
longs 10 Their possessor requires wise and jasciots
legislation One wcu'd Sappose that every reason
able e'foit would be made to induce The man Of
capital to visit Lake Superior aud behold for him
self the stores Of wealth there in the earth only
requiring capital to bring IL forth end make ID useful
and active; but inntead oil pursuing this iudcious
course the Legislature passed one act last winter
which viii the present year produce more injurious
results 10 the material prosperity OF the State than the
can over overcome if they continue in power
for twenty years. The act we aliude to is
the one making il Siateprison offence for
person TO enter the limits of that State with
a servant whom, under the laws Of any other
State, he CLAIMS slave, We know that com
pany OF capitalists composed in part "a southern
men, intended to have visited Michigan tho ensuing
season 70 examine her mines for the purpose Of
making large investments, but now refuse to have
anything TO do with il. They say, and say Justly,
that State which has given itself into the hands of
men who would be guilty of such Legislation is not
State 10 make investments In Under any crcum-
stances Under this law Henry Clay, if living
should he undertake TO pass her railways with
his old grayheaded body-servant, would be liable to
he ncarceratcd in prison guilty of hepons crime
Under this law the great stream of travel which now
flows up the Mississippi, and through Michigan 10
Niagara Falls aud Saratoga, must cease, or subject
every family whose servants are a necessity for
ordinary comfort to The danger of having some
more Of them consigned TO feIon's cell We
feel safe in saying That the loss that State will incur
this season in preventing. capitalists from visiting
the mining region OF Lake Superior, in compelling
AL southern travel to avoid crossing that State, win
be more Than FIVE fold the ordinary expenses of the
State government for The year. Wonderful, indeed,
is the wisdom of her law-makersl
TWAS only during the last summer that large num-
bers of prominent capitalists from this city and other
parts of the South visited the Lake Superior region
An investigation into it's resources and the obvious
need Of means to develop them had determined
many well7known gentlemen during the coming sea-
s N, to invest their money in that country. They
have been met by species of threat which. if they
do not fear il, is contemplate and Iow--which is
so unfriendy and unncccssary-that they win not
risk their property to its legal protection. OF
course, everybody understands that the penal laws
referred TO are the expression OF a mere dema-
goguism but the people who permit such laws to
remain upon their ssatue-books need watching
quite as much the incendary who would put the
torch TO your house, the thief who would steal
your property under cover of the conlagration.