Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-07-02
ARE OUR NATURALIZED CITIZENs"FUGI.
TIVE SLAVES"

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The STATE, of Monday evening comes to the res
cue OF MIR. Secretary Case, in an elaborate article
In defence Of bis doctrine relative to the rights Of
natural citizens. 1t says that "whatever reputa-
ton MIR. Bolts may have earned rs q statesman,
has assuredly been ruiuously damaged" by his
New York letter on that subject. Having thus
%summarily demolished Mr., Bott's reputation, the
States pays its respects to its contemporaries
throughout the country by declaring, with charac-
terisfic %modes.y. that 'the amount Of ignorance
that has manifested itself on this subject, as ex-
pressed through the newspaper press, i, positively
marvellous"
1t is fortunate that there is at least one lumina-
ry in the country capable of iispelling the clouds
of ignorance that obscure tbis subject and for.u-
nate are the inhabitants of the Federal city, in
living within the radius of its light.
The States gives the following ~oracular expesi-
ton of the whole subject:
I'm Prussia every male child is born a soldier.
The King has a claim upon him for a certain num-
Der OF years Of military duty. which is just as val
id as the claim Of a Virginian to a slave child for
life is valid by the Constitution of the Union.
If a male child quits his realm, at whatever age,
without having discharged his duty, he is ever Ii.
able for his performance, either personally or BY
q substitute. upon re-entering the realm.
No obligations which he can take upon himself
to another country. and no protection which such
country can extend to him, con impair this claim,
because it is Of anterior existence.
For instance if a mule slave of Vireiuis-one
OF Mr.. Bolts for instance-were to escape from
his owner, proceed to Prussia. there become a sub
ject of the Grown and subsequently return to
Virginia, is it likely that he would be restored to
PRUSSIA upon the demand that he is a Prussiap
subject?
The notion is too absurd to be entertained by a
rational being. Old Virginia would surrender her
existence before she would surrender him.
The cases are identical. So long as the slave
remained under the jurisdiction of Prussian law,
or out of the confines of the United States, SO long
would his master be without a remedy for his
wrong, and So long as the 2russian, who owes
military service, remains in the United States, or
withou. the confines of Prussia and the Germanic
Confederation, so long is he secure from the exac-
tions of the sovereign in whose realm he was
born"
This is The doctrine of Mr.. Cas,. as illustrated
By the Douglas organ. Upon this point, at least
the Buchanan and Douglas wings Of the party
agree. 1t must be truly consoling to our adopted
fellow citizens to know that this Democratic Ad-
ministration regards them as mere "fugitire
slarcs."
The doctrine is that every subject Of a foreign
despotism is born a siaUe, aud that this conditi N
cannot be chan ged by anything he can do for him
self, or that our government can do for him, al
though it accepts his allegiance. "No obligations
which he cab take upon himself to another coun-
try, and no protection which such country can ex-
tend to him" can make him q free man, or even
Impair the claim" which his master has to his
personal services, in virtue of bis having been
born to slarery. True, he may escape from slavery
if he can, and flee to this country, and here. in
pursuance of our laws, 20 through the idle cere-
mony of renouncing his allegiance to bis heredit-
airy master. and being declared a Citizen of this
glorious Republic. But he is only a Fugitive
slave" after oil. Our Government can afford him
no protection against the claim of his former mas.
ter, because it recognizes that claim as "jdst af
valid as the claim of o Yirginian to a slave child
for life." In fact his condition. according to the
States, is "identical' with that of a runaway mig
ger'-thst is to say, he is free just so long as be
can keep out of the clutches of his former master
and no longer. If that master once gets his hand
upon him, our Government cannot interfere in biz
behalf, Notwithstanding 1t has accepted his allie
glance and made him a citizen Wash. Republic
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