The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-09

| These courts have perfect right to carry their
4 DEGREES into action.
| do not wish TO say, nor is it proper for you
l 70 gay, what the decision of our court should
| be in the case. That is left for the members
| &C the court themselves to determine. 1t is a
matter between them, the people, and their
God. l will only say, what have frequently
said before, that as long as the State of Ohio
remains a sovereignty, and as long as j am
her Chief Executive, the process of her courts
shall be executed. The process of the United
States courts must not be sighted or resisted !;
but as long as | represent the sovereignty of
our State, | will see that the process of our
State courts shall not be interfered with or
resisted, but shall be fully enforced.
1t the process of the United States court is
obnoxious to US, let it be remembered that be-
fore long we shall have chance to appoint
some one else to use the power of appointing
United States officials. We can reform the Ju-
dietary, the Presidency, and the Congress.
The process may possibly be too slow to suit
some of our more ardent friends here, but
it will be accomplished in due time. Thus
much / have said to you, because, standing
here, as Governor of Ohio, claim the rights
of man, TO speak just what / think. When |
am called on to act, will act Immense APP
plause.
Governor Chase here signifed his intention
of closing, but the entire crowd unanimously
| begged him to go on. He thereupon contin-
| ued:
/ will say a few words about the fugitive
| slave act, and the manner in which it Is en-
| forced With regard to the act itself, believe
| the people are just as competent 10 discuss its
features as is Judge fancy himself. With re-
gard to its operation, let US look into the pres
ent case.
Certain men from the State of Kentucky ar
| rived at Wellington, claiming to hold power
| of attorney, which gave them the right to seize
! and capture a negro boy, John. Be it remem-
| bered that this John was then under the pro-
lection of the laws of Ohio. These men came
to take John by force of arms; they came pre-
pared for violence; they came prepared with
bOwie-knife and revolver to execute a legal
document. Was this a way to make an arrest,
as provided by the Constitution Was this
peace? 1t is war Under construction al
lowing such means for the enforcement of the
fugitive slave law, that law executes itself
The Constitution provides that no man shall
be deprived of his liberty without due process
| of law. This means, of course, trial by jury,
and proper hearing in a court of law. The
arrest under the power of attorney was directly
in conflict with this clause. Private seizure
within the limits of any State, where such
seizure has not been regularly legalized by the
laws of that State, is illegal.
There was, and presume is, paper pub
lshed in this city, known as the Plaindeaier.
At the time the fugitive slave act was passed,
the editor of that paper and myself had some
thing to do with each other. At that time the
editor of the PaindeaLer declared that whether
that act was constitutional or not, it was infer
nal in its origin. When that editor thus spoke,
! he uttered the truth. 1t was never intended
| that the Constitution should be the shield and
| guaranty of Slavery in its ineursions on the
| free States and free Territories. If the trainers
| of that Constitution could have seen, or even
dreamed, of the construction now put upon it
| by some men, that Constitution would never
have been adopted. They thought, with Mr..
Madison, that it was wrong to recognise prop
erty in man; and so far from intending to fos-
ter Slavery, they were calculating on its total
extinction in a brief period.
Let as 90 peacefully to sCOTk. Let as 90 to
our courts for redress. Let as not use undue
pressure to influence their decisions and lohat-
erer that decision may be, let as do oar duty.
For The psIcer, dJier all, rests lcH the people.
| They can, through the 6dlIotbor, regulate all
! things. Let as see that IRE erec7,te that pOlcer
! properly. See that right and faithful men are
/ sent to Congress. Be sure that q President is
sent to Washington who will truly represent
the wishes of the people, and who will see that
the Constitution be the security and guaranty
of Liberty, not the prop of Slavery.
In concluding, he said that he had not given
utterance to all he wished but what he had
said he was willing to live by, and willing to
die by. He begged them to be faithful to
themselves, to their country, and to the laws.
The Convention adopted declaration" be-
| ginning rs Elbows:
This assembly Of the people of Ohio, hold
! ing
1rat, next to our duty to the Supreme Be
ing, tie obligation to preserve our free insti-
t1:.ons and our civil liberties;
: That the greatest tyrants have been those
I whose titles have been least questioned;
THAT every violation of the Constitution
should be watched with jealousy and resented
with spirit;
"That the history of every free people has
shown the impossibiity of a cordial compliance
| with laws which neither embody nor execute
the public will;
"That the enforcement of such laws, against
an unwilling people, is productive only of evil
threatening public order and the stability o
Governmental institutions.
And holding, furthermore
" That the history of the Government of the
United States, as recently administered, is 9
history of repeated injuries and usurpations, al
having in direct object the Authorization o.
this Continent, by the diffusion and establish
ment of Slavery, and the restriction and limta
ton of Freedom; thus reversing the ancient
policy of the founders Of the Republic, which
looked to the extinction of Slavery, and the ex
tension of Liberty; and
"That the bred Scott decision, reversing al
the weestablished rules which for ages have
been the bulwark of personal Hbert-, YIELDS it.
! fruit IN, h.,
mitted in the heart of the Western Reserve. anC
calls upon us for new efforts and ne1, sacrifice.
for constitutional liberty-do therefore publish
and declare
. FIRST. That the several States COMPOSING
the United States OF America are not united on
the principle of unlimited submission to tbeil
General Government; but that, by compact
under the style and title of a Constitution fo,
the United States, and of amendments thereto
they constituted a General Government for spe
cial purposes, delegated to that Government
certain definite powers, reserving each State tC
itself the residuary mass of right to their owl
selfgovernment and that whatsoever the Gen
eral Government assumes undeegated powers
its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of nc
force, and, being void, can derive no validit,
from mere judicial Interpretation that to thi!
compact each State acceded as a State and i
an integral party; that this Government, create,
{ by this compact, was not made the exclusive OF
final Judge of the extent Of the powers delegated
to ITSELF since that would have made its discre
ton, and not the Constitution, the measure o
its powers; but that, as in all other cases O
compact among parties having no common
Judge, each party has an equal right to iudg
for itself, as well of infractions as of the mod
/, and measure of redress.
Second. That the law commonly called tn
fugitive slave law of 1850 was, in the opinion
Z Il. u IL l. ~