The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-12-06
The Fugltive-slave Act.


.,oa Tor the return Of fugitives from labor, and
.As Constitution Of the United States adopted
es compromise for the government Of oil the
States, has this provision: "No person held to
service or labor in one State shall, In con-
sequence of any law or regulation therein, be
discharged from such service or labor, but shall
DO delivered up on claim Of the party to whom
sach service or labor may be due" While
the Constitution remains as II is, fugitive
slaves are to be restored-the manner this is
1, be effected has been determined by law
enacted in pursuance of this constitutional pro-
vision. People of the nom slaveholding States
have desire that the recapture shall be con-
Quoted with due oiroumSpection, and shall, as
slightly as possible, give ofense TO those re-
siding in FREQ States. As intimated, We pro-
dacs plan recommended by Southern men.
CONCESSION FROM THE SOUTH.
HENRY CLAY urged that the rights of the
South should be asserted and maintained In
manner not TO wound unnecessarily the SEN
sibities Of others. The non-slaveholding
States demand trial by jury in fugitive-slave
arrest cases. The Kentucky patriot urged
that in all subjects of this kind, the South
should deal fairly and honestly. He ssid,
"We must recolect that there are feelings,
and interests, and sympathieI on both sides
Of tie question and no man who has ever
brought his mind seriously t. the considera-
ton of a suitable measure for the re-capture
of runaway slaves, can fail to admit that the
question is surrounded with 6 teat difficulties.
On the one hand If the ownCr Of the slave
could 20 into the nom -slaveholding State and
aol,e the negro, put his hands upon bin, and
the whole world would recognize the truth Of
his ownership of property, there would be no
difficulty then in those States where prejudice
against slavery exists in the highest degree
But ne goes TO aState which does not recognize
slavery. In proportion to the number Of free
blacks multiplied in the Free States, does the diff
f,ulsy increase Of recovering fugitive from a
slave holding State. When stranger from
Virginia or Kentucky goes to remote parts Of
Pennsylvania and sees black person, who,
perhaps, has been living there for years, and
olsims him to be his slave, the feelings and
sympa,hy of the nsighborhood are naturally
and necessarily excited in favor of the colored
person. We all respect these feelings where
they are ehonestly entertained" Mr.. CLAY and
associates were desirous to make suitable
concession, and favored provision to be in
oorporated in the Fugitve-slave Law, the
practical operation Of which would be this:
The owner of a fugitive slave, when leaving
his own State, shall carry with him record
from the State from which the fugitive has
fed, which record shall contain an adjudica-
ton Of two facts-frst, the fact Of Slavery,
and secondly, the fact of slopement, and, in
the third place, such a general description Of
;te slave as the Court shall be enabled to give
upon such testimony as shall be brought be-
fore 1t.
This record from the County Court in slave
State shall be taken TO the free State, and
shall be there held to be competent and auff
cient evidence Of the fact which 1t avows. Thu
slaveholder will feel, when he goes from Vir.
snia to Ohio with this record, that he has got
security which he never possessed before fol
the recovery of his property. And when the
at:cstation Of the clerk, under the seal Of the
Court, is exhibited to the citizens of Ohio, that
citizen will be disposed to respect, under the
laws Of the United States, record thus ex-
hibied, coming from sister State. The
ege1t or owner will give his bond without
seoGrity to the Ohio Court-as being among
strangers he may be unable to procure it---tbat
he will carry the black person back to the
County Of the State from which he fed; and al
the Erst Court which may sit after his return
be shall be carried there if he again assert tht
right to freedom; the Court shall afford, anG
the owner shall afford to him, all the facilities
aAich are requisite to enable him to establish
h!s right to freedom before jury In the Stats
from which he fled.