Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-27
The Cleveland Mass mooung-spirit Of the

there more sublime moral speca acle than that
presented by this assemblage Of ireemen, They
were gathered together by thousands in the
Park, within sight on the one hand of the Jail
that contained their imprisoned fellow citizens,
and on the other of the Federal Court room
where the most vital principles Of civil liberty
we're being outraged by the mock trials Of the
Wellington rescuers Amidst that vast assem-
bsge were the brothers, fathers, and sons, the
wives and daughters, the neighbors and friends
of these victims Of federal tyranny There
we're men there of resolute purpose, and of
abundant capacity TO appreciate the atrocty of
this alarming encroachment upon their rights;
men who saw in the reckless prosecution wa
std against the prisoners by the whole power Of
the federal administration, that the blow was
aimed not at them alone, but at the consttu-
tional liberty and most sacred prerogatives Of
the free people of a sovereign State; men who
felt that in submission TO the Fugitive Act they
were construCtvely indorsing heinous wrong;
and that in allowing their fellow-citizens to re
main in prison, they were derelict in their duty
both to them and to the imperative demands OF
justice Yet, amidst all these incentives to
violent and extreme action, amidst all these ap.
peals Of strong emotion and deep conviction of
their wrongs, they looked beyond the impas
stoned hour, upon the clear future They saw
the ultimate triumph Of THE RIGHT; aud the
sight inspired them with patience and forbear-
ance, while it nerved them with fresh energy
ami determination" .
"Never was there more striking display of
the deep seated veneration which the American
people entertain tor even the forms Of law, than
that exhibited by the patriotic citizens of Ohio,
under circumstances so well calculated to in
spire feelings of loathiDg and contempt for that
which was merely the form without the sub.
stance. This spirit animates the resolutions
adopted, and the letters and speeches of the oc-
casion. In these, and in the hearty manner in
which they were greeted by the people the de
termination to resist the unconstitutional legis
latlon of Congress and the partizan rulings of
ldebasrd federal courts, by all legal and consti-
tuliOnal means, is emphaticaly announced -
The people have not spoken idly. Their de-
liheate utterance is full of significance, and it
will not be recalled. They know their rights
under fair construction of the constitution,
AMI the wrongs they suffer under a false and
perverted construction of that instrument
They know, tn0, how to attain their rights and
to redress their wrongs and although the
remedy is not immediately accessible, it is
with their reach, and with this assurance they
can school themselves to patience"
such a demonstration as that at Cleveland,
! following a long series Of exasperating aggres
sions upon the rights of the free States aud the
citizens of free States, by general govern
ment which is rapidly being converted mto a
mere instrument of Slavery prOpagandism, will
exert widespread and powerful moral innu-
ence over the rejecting masses of the country
1t has demonstrated that the true conservation
is that which seeks to conserve and protect the
interests of labor-tree labor, the rights Of free
men, and the reserved sovereignty of the free
States against the exactons of slavery, which
is as anomaly in our government, and in irec
oncible antagOnism to the principles of true
progress no less than to those of freedom"
The old Cincinnati Gazette, the leading
journal of the Queen City, paper of wide cir
cuation and commanding influence, speaks out
manfulIy as follows: NON
The assembling OF ten thousand men in mass
convention at Cleveland, on Tuesday, was not
mere chance affair, to be sneered at or scold-
ed about, and then straightway forgotten.-
These were neitheFjdlea -Laboring men were
they chiefly, leaving their work at this busiest
of periods, under the impulse of strong con
Wctions as to their endangered rights end
their pressing duties as freemen. Among the
number, too, were some of the most influential
men OF the State, uttering and giving guidance
to the commen sentiments prevailing the army
Of intelligent and determined citizens. Such
an assembage is one that wise men and saua-
cious rulers, in free country, are not wont
to regard with Indifference. 1t is idle to think
to subdue men OF this sort, either by denuncia-
ton or by threats Of armed interpenhon
The grounds of all this excitement are, fret.
an odious statute, very widely deemed uncon.
stitutonal in many of its provisions, for the re.
clamatloC of runaway slaves on Tree soil and
secondly, an ntolerably tyranical method of
enforcing tGis law, in the particular cases re
Gently arising on the Western Reserve The
Fugitive Slave Law was, of purpose, made as
off nsiye as possible TO the North 1t las new
er done Shareholders any real good, anI itnever
will. In the nature of the case they. and
everybody else, must see that this oaunot be
otherwise But when enforced by federal of
hcials, after the manner Wilson, Belden Il Co. |
have chosen to adopt, it cannot fail to awaken
intense popular Indignation. IL ought TO do SO. |
The law itself is justly called "odious" Such
an execution OF it is palpably outrageous. The |
Cleveland Mass Convention, without violence. |
threats or any unlawhl proceeding, uttered |
their earnest protest against all this perverson |
OF our free institutions They are prepared, to |
man, We doubt not, to back up their words |
with decided acts, if necessary.
Will there, then, be a collision Of the State
and Federal authorities And if so. what
ought good citizens to do! To the first cues.
ton, we can only answer, that if the SupTeme
Court Of Ohio orders Bushnell and Langston
to he brought before it at Columbus, or even
to be Released it is the duty of the Exeou'
tive to see that order obeyed And at Cleye.
land, in the presence Of the mass Convention.
Gov Chose expressed himself very decidedly
on this point. He will do his duty What
the Court will decide, however, we cannot
undertake TO say, nor how far the Federal
officers, citizens of our own State, would see
it to resist, should the decision favor the pris.
oners But should . collision occur. every
good citizen must decide for himself whether
he ought, IN this case, to 20 with the Federal
or with the State authorities The champi
ons of centralizinR federalism will baek I'm
The pretensions Of the Federal Court and Fr
scutive Genuine State Rights men, anti con.
iolldatlonlsts, and friends of genuine popular
loveregntyi will maintain the rights of the
state, against a crushing central despotism-
he great mass OF our people will undoubtedly
tand by hs State authorities.
Such of our excellent Western Reserve Re
'ublicAn cote pPoFares as have had Opportuni.
y to speak of the meeting, do so in terms of
warm APPRECIATION The Panesville Telegyspb
ays
The spirit of the men assembled that d,v
vas manifesty Of determined character. and
me which will submit TO no Federal encro,cb.
nenls upon their rights, or to Judicial tyrannv
lhe meeting, taken In alt It's bearings and
esnits, was OF the most gratifying character