Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-05-31
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For the Meies County Telegraph.
- OeS the Constitution OF the Uui-
ted Sanacs SSzstAGn. aae DGHRO-
GTnt!c Party, 1sI 1Is Attempts to
force the s'cOpie Of the Free
.ttsl,es TO aiti sss sntcsG1aIg Fug!-
tive slaves. 0r 1O pay for gheEsa
af they Escape! y Hsaa q tas
s''-7'ty5 -@ss.sss lActgEs AIays.l 869. Z,
EDITOR OF TIE TEEEGRApH:- I've are
not greatly mistaken, matters Of the most
transcendent importance to the people Of
Free STATES in The American Union, are
involved 10 the ans wer which shall finally
be given to the question asked in the
heading of this article For if it is true
which hope 10 be able to prove it is not
that the fundamental law of the land
obligales the freemen of the North to sus.
tain the hideous and revolving crimes con-
necied, necessarily. with the abominable
SYSTEM OF Negro Slavery, either by acting
in Tie capacity of blood hounds 10 chase
down the painting fugitive who, acIng
from that noblest impulse of the human
heart. love of liberty, is fleeing from
land OF chains and slavery, or by paying
lne slave market price for his soul and
body his blood and bones---to some pre-
tended oWRer of the same, it is high time
that they be informed of the fact, in order
that they whose hatred of slavery is only
commensurate with their love of freedom,
may have "lime and opportunity" t, pre-
rare for the unutterable self-degradsiion
involved in sustaining a system absolutely
at war with every moral social, religious
and political principle which they believe
or profess. On the other hand, however,
if the slave hunting doctrines of the slave
holding Democracy arr MT the doctrines
of that Constitution which itself asserts
that it was "ordained" to establish JUS
tce" and secure the blessings of liberty"
to the people of the United States, then
tbs fact should be known and well known
to the people, that they may set the seal
of condemnation upon party which has
| thus ate mpted to subvert the natic nal or
ganic law, and prostitute the powers of our
| National Government to the support of
the nefariou5 institution Of slavery One
or the other of the positions indicated must
be taken in regard to this question, by The
people of this country; and recent events
seem to show that The time is not far dis
tant. when the freemen of the nation must
vlndicale the Constitution from the false
and despotc assumptions of the pIoslavery
Democracy, or b, sely permit it to crum-
| BILE and fall, surrounded with the ruins Of
a once boasted American freedom. Thanks
to an unwavering "faith in the people, j"
we believe they will yet vindicate their
capacity for sclf-goyernment by hurling
from power the pro-slayery time-serVing
leaders of the sham Democracy, and sub
shutting in their place men with the JEFF
lersonan qualifications Of ''honas,y' and
"capaciy!'
We assume, In the heading Of our arli-
Gle, that the Democratic party is attempt
ing to force the people OF the free States
to turn ont as slaye-catchers, or to pay for
| the escaped slave, out of the hard earnings
of their noble system Of free labor. We
do not wish to leave this to rest upon
assumption merely, and shall, therefore,
proceed to prove it.
= he Fugitive Slave Act Of September
l8th, 1850, Sec 5th, when explaining the
powers and duties of the CommisslOn-
ers'' which it constitutes, says that they
shall have power ''to summon and cal 10
their aid the 6yStanders, or posse con,H tbs
OF the proper county, when necessary to
ensure a faithful observance Of the clause
of the Constitution referred to, in con-
form;ly with tie provisions Of this oct,
and AL GOOD CITIZENS are hereby
ooMMANDED to aid md assist IN the
prompt and efficient execution of this law,
wAenever their services mag be required.
as aforesaid, for lhat purpose"
How any person is to observe the Con
s,itu,ion Of the United States in ''c0nforu
IiIV" with the Fugitive Slave Act, will
probably De best explained by the person
whoever he may be. who finally succeeds
in the worship Of BOTH God and Nam
mon But from this section it will be
seen that "all qood citizens" are to turn
out AS public ve-hunters. whenever,
so says the law, their services may be
,.oo,,;,eJ ,, 70 ..ansura n faithful observ