Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-09-23

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Fugitive slave Law.-POsition OF the ne
publican Party.
The Republican doctrine in regard to tn,
Fugitive Slave Law is that it must b,
obeyed while it is a law, but that It must
so soon as the Republicans get the power
be repealed, or so amended as 10 give fu
gitive slaves the right of trial by jury, an,
doing away with tho odious principle o
paying the officers as much again for send
Ing fugitive slave back to slavery rs i
does for setting him free, Thispropostion
incorporated into the Republican platform
unfortunately, gives not little distress t.
the patriotic bosoms Of some of our demo
cratic friends. They are alarmed at sucl
audacity. How can the Union survive sucl
an assault unless promptly rebuked by tn,
people of Ohio? Even to such a pitch dc
they profess to be alarmed at this monstrou
political heresy. Without arguing the
case with these excited individuals at pres
ont, we propose merely to ask them totakC
a retrospective glance at the attitude of the
Ohio Democracy on this question, at the
time the law was passed and since. After
contemplating with due penitentiaI grief
their own SO recent sins, they may, at least,
be prepared to speak somewhat meekly and
charitably of Republican failings.
We will begin with the resolutions in re-
gard to the Fugitive Slave Act adopted by
a public meeting held at the county seat of
Mahoning county, in the autumn of 1850,
at which Hon. Rufus p Ranney, now Dem
ocratic candidate for Governor, was present,
"aiding and abetting."
"Resoired That we will not under any political neccs
sity whatever vote for man. for any office Of trust
honor prot who voted Tor aided, directly in the
passage Of the act approves of its Infamous provisions
r aids in It's execution.
Resolred That come life or come imprisonmont-come
fine DEATH will neither aid or assist in the re
turn of any Fugitive Slave but the contrary we will
harbor and secrete and by all lust means protect and do
end him, and thus give him practical Godspeed to Iber
ty."
We understand Judge Ranney and the
Democracy now insist upon upholding this
"infamous" law Just as 1t Is, and that say
ing word against it is, in their opinion,
equivalent to "repudiating plain require
ment Of the Constitution" What is the
reason Of this marvellous change?
The Statesman, now one of the mostrab
id supporters of the Fugitive Slave Law,
as an unalterable and glorious statute, said,
on the 18th of October, 1850:
"Every member Of Congress- elected by the Democrats
in Ohio, oiH uOte 10 repeal this Fugitipe Lalo Wenev-
doubted that the passage the Fugitive Slave bill would
be an act of mistaken policy"
Ought not the Statesman now to speak
with some degree of meekness and humil-
ty of an ofense in which it has been so full
ly implicated, and at so recent date ? To
cave no room to doubt its radical and irrec-
oncilable hostility to the law, in principle
as well as in detail, the Statesman said ~
'We would not have voted for the law with
Or 'oithom essential modification" Thisi is
rs far as any Republican has gone or can 90.
The Enquirer, of October 3Oth, 1850.
aid of the constitutional requirements on
his subject:
"onr seH opinion i. that The government Of The United
states has nothing 10 do 5h enforcing that
as matter left entirely NTH the State We do not tLiuk
ne general goUerHment has any right TO send lis oferys
Rto tie STATES to carry ha rood faith reenires th
State alone to do" ~
Other staunch democratic papers-aud
there is no exception among them, so far as
we know at that time took similarground,
sometimes using even stronger and more
violent language. So late as 1852, Gov.
Wood, whose democracy nobody will call
N question, remarked of this law, in his
second inaugural:
"a law that makes parte evidence conclusive of Tho
nassrs right to re-capttre and return his saveta4 d.
appointment of swams petty officers to execute itbat
ves double compensation to find every caimin favor
ne MASTER ana pays the expenses from the public treasury
an never receive the voluntary cooperation Of the people,
These specimens show fairly, and without
xaggeration, the position of the Ohio dem
cracy on this question until very recent
late. Have the democratic masses. even
ow, changed their honest convictions on
his subject? Is it, even in these days of
egenerate democracy, quite safe for un-
rincipled leaders to deal such furious de-
upon those who still retain the
Jews which these same managers of the
'arty were so lately inculcatingl Time
'ill show whether this operation is remu-
eratiye one. That it is hardly becoming
these men to use any great arrogance of
enunciation and reproach against Repub-
cans who still retain, now as then, senti
lents of decided hostility to that odious
Latute, will certainly be evident from this
light retrospect.
Then and Now.
In ls4s, before party subserviency had
,unbf Tudoya Ranoa,, - -, Al . -