The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-04-20
Conner. Uuiied States District Attorney
Charleston Courier, Apra IA.
The Recent Fugitive Slave Case in
PtIia6elphia.


Slave Case il PbiIa,ieIr,!ra 10y which the
runaway with At illuslrious name, daniel
Webster, was set at liberty, in direct
violation OF the constitutional rights Of
his owner, is a circumstance deeply to be
regretted hy al! who value the perpetuity
of the Union. There can b, little doub,
in the mind OF any unprcjudiced man
who has read the evidence in the case,
that the decision OF the Commissioner
WAS determined not hy the facts AS they
were presented to him, bu, by the out
side pressure to which he was SUBJECTED
The main point of issue WAS Of course the
identity Of the slave, and never, in our
hnnhIe judgment, was ANYTHING more
clearly or full, established in n court of
justice. Yet it WAS precisely upon this
point, and the alleged lack Of proof that
Daniel Webster WAS the negro claimed,
that the Commissioner rested his action
in defraudng the owner of her property.
II is easy TO see that he WAS influenced
by the consideration tha, the negro could
not have been returned to the owners
representatives and brought back to
firspnla, except AT the haz ,rd Of "A dan.
Serous disturbance Of the public peace
and rh,,s in Philadelphia, which should
involve bloodSlred in their suppression
The angry crowd, made up of all com
ple1lons and grades IN society, except the
refined and the law loving. WAS outside
the doors Of the building ready to at,
tempt a t"rcibe rescue in the event ibat
the decision had been different. We do
not say that the Commissioner was iuflu
enced by any Apprehension Of personal
per'h but we cannCt resist the conclusion
that he shirkei lis Gu,y for fear Of con
sequences alarming to the repose and
good order o: PhisdeIphia.
We say this is a deplorable circum
stance. Not that citizen of Virginia
has been kept back from the euio,ment
OF her lawful property, nor evrn.lhat the
mmuni'ies guaranteed to the cilizeu by
the Constitution have been withheld,
serious AS this may re, but because it in
dlraIes temper i'll the Northern people
which bodies no good to the COUNTRY
Already we have seen the requisiriou of
Northern Governor ON the authorities
OF Mississippi tpr fugitive from Justice
Openly dlsrevGrded, aud with men,ce of
Violence 10 The o.krer, and We fear ,ha;
snct IN exercise % he lert:';o.. rs (which
tor ourselves W. di>rrtroHv) vii hecomr
more frequent with ev,ry fresh outrage
4, the North H. RESI- ect Of uu 1T, iur lie
Fugitive Slave Law. 1t rsa matter ..
n" consequence that property in negro
slaves l. no; recognized at the North --- II
IS recognized Ia the Constitution. nnl 1,
rs the duty "f ali who live under ill.,.
compact To obey its rcnr;SitinnS.
We are not going into the old argu
ment her rs 10 he night # The question.
hut II the N"rthern people persist Va tr"a;
'ng our n>t demands With contempt, the,
must reasonably look Tor th. same sort of
treatment At the South. The legitimate
Al! s"rroAfJI results u such system of
periodical o!crc- an! r>;iIi.i:uI is un,
difficult e. iU!rs"e. When the time comes
thai offenders escaping from nor,her cities
shaII not tie delivered up to justice BE-
cause Of the constant and systematic der.
ELECTION Of ,h" non s!aveho' ling States in
refusing To give back our runaway ne
gr"eS, then the Union will Le bound to-
gether by green withs which will be rent
asunder rs readily as those which fe,ter.d
the giant Of Cd Meanwhile, We can on.
Iy stand on the defensive in the hope tI.at
a better opinion may ye; prevail beyond
the Po,amsc, and Wills d3prGcating the
resort to retaiatory measures. punish with
the utmost severity the slightest ntraction
of our own laws concerning the slave pop
uIaiIon Whenever we catch the offender
-Petersburg Express.