The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-08-04


The Fugitive Slave Law and the Union.
EB The late liberation of those noble
citizens of Ohio who were incarcerated for
remembering those in bonds and letting
the oppressed go free, naturally gives a
new importance TO the question whether
citizens of free states are to act as kid
nappers for southern task masters, and
back again to their horrible bonuag5.
One OF the most prominent arguments
advanced by the pro-slavery press and
bogus democratic partizans for submits
sion 10 the Infamous fugitive slave law,
is that the Union could not have been
formed without the pretended slavery
clauses in the constitution, and that the
free states are under perpetual oblga-
ton to observe what are called the com
promises of that instrument Is this so :?
We answer most emphatically in the
negative. At the time the constitution
was formed, it was the almost universal
belief that our revolution had given the
death blow to slavery that it would not
long survive amid the influence of the
principles which the Declaration of In
dependence had promulgated and the
revolution established. The writings
and speeches of the statesmen and he
roes of that period, whether inhabitants
of the slave or free states, were inspired
by the certain anticipation of that re-
suit. WASHINGTON himself. in his letters
to the friends Of America in Europe,
poured forth his heart in JOY at the pros
pect of that issue, which certainly he did
not doubt. All the States, except South
Carolina and Georgia, were willing and
even DESTROYS to exclude Slavery utterly
from the Constitution. Those two States,
the perpetual frebrands and disturbers
of the harmony of the Union, the greater
part of whose people were tories in the
revolution, and sided with the enemy,
and which might almost be regarded as
provinces conquered from our foes. re-
fused to come into the Union without the
privilege of remaining slave states, and
being secured from any prohibition of
their accused system. AS the union of
all the states was then deemed the most
pressing necessity. and the extinction of
slavery was considered certain and nigh,
the guarantee was given after long and
excited opposition, aud the severest men
tai struggles. It was felt to be sacri-
fee Of conscience, truth, right, and con-
sistency, to injustice, cruelty, and appar-
ent expedieney. But conscience was ap-
peased by The undoubted belief that the
guarantee was like a promise made to a
person expiring in the last agonies of
mental disease--and that the death of the
person would render the engagement in
operative. For this reason the trainers
OF the constitution would not put into it
a word or phrase from which it could be
inferred. in future years. that Slavery
had ever been even temporarily sane
toned in any part of this Union or that
they, with the ink Of the Declaration Of
independence hardly yet dry. had dared
to say that man could hold property in
man. Accordingly the constitution no. |
where contains the words slave or slavery.
1t is only to be inferred from obscure and
awkward antiquities, interpreted by
slave holding tradition. Every word inn
plying the relation of slavery is carefully |