Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-01-07
How long can Things go on so

We all know that juries and magistrates at the North
have long been in the habit of setting at nought the pro-
visions of the Fugitive Slave law, the still higher
provisions of the Constitution upon which that and 9TH
er laws for the conservation of the rights Of Southern
property are founded For violation of any of these
laws or provisions of the Constitution will Northern
jury render verdict against any offender. Any amount
of special pleading may be used to extenuate the mis-
conduct of courts and uries or reconcile their action
With imaginary code of morals under the sanction
of which they can still ater themselves with the idea
that they are fulfilling Their duty good citizens and
honest men, but the broad TACT must be apparent that
they set out with deliberate intention that the law they
have sworn to execute shall not be executed.
So much for one section Now for the correspond
ing action, Or, perhaps, we should say reaction in
the other We aude specifically to the reopening of
the slave trade. Whether the law prohibiting the i'm
portation of slaves be wise and polite or an unwise
ard impotic one will not pretend to discuss at the
present time. 1t is the law of the land and have
question of its constutionalty If the question
comes up before the Supreme Court of the United States
we can have doubt Of the nature of the decision that
will be made. More than this, the majority of the
States of the South opposed to the reopenng of the
slave trade If the measure were submitted to the
ton of the Southern Senators and Representatives in
Congress- exclusively, the trade would not be reOpened
by laW-the act prohibiting the importation of slaves
into the United States would not be repealed We do
not believe that there is majority in than three
State in favor Importation Of wild Africans at this time
we are not certain that there is majority in any
Noisy patriots of whatever nation constitute ore
class of people, and quiet citizens who have to make
living constitute very different and more numerous
class.
What now is the course which parties in of the
Southern States aVow their intention to pursue. They
have experimentay violated the law of the landhave
as one of their organs, John Mtchels Southern Ci2en
avows landed two three valuable cagoes of negroes
which have been purchased and distributed over the
South The parties who proclaim their intention to set
this business on foot their confidence in public
sentiment of the South to shield them from punishment
We must confess that things look rather dark and
doubtful for the continuance o. any bond of union be-
tween parties who openly and mutually ignore all the
conditions of the bond One class of laws openly
violated at the North, and party is sprnging up at
the South avowing their determination openly to violate
another class. If Southern receivers of African cargoes
can be secured, there will be no difficulty in finding
Northern captains and crews to bring them in. The
time past when obedience to law regarded
of the obligations of good citizen, when men, claim
ing to be such waited for the sanction of law to any
teprise All laws that oppose any particular schemes
of profit ambition, counter to any prejudice
are either unconstitutional in themselves super
ceded by the authority Of higher law, and the at
tempt on the part of the Executive to put such laws
force denounced as arocious tyranny, and the officer
engaged in doing their duty in the premises are stigma
TIED in approbious language, and designated by con
temptuous epithets