Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-01

The standing committee on Federal Rela-
tons, to whom were referred the petitions CT
various residents of Ashland and Columbiana
counties, asking the Legislature "to enact that
no person, who has been held as slave snail
be delivered by any officer or court, state OF
Federal, within this Commonwealth, to any one
claiming him on the ground that he owes ser
vice or labor 10 such claimant by the laws OF
any one of the Slave States of this Union =
would respectfully report:
That. upon a reference to the constitution OF
the United States, they find in the last para
graph of section ID, in Article w. OF that ever
to be revered instrument of the compact, an ex-
press and unmistaka5le provision directing that
persons held to service and labor IN one stare
under the laws thereof and escaping into anoth-
er, ''shaH be delivered up on claim OF the party
| to whom such service or labor may be due =
They find, secondly, that It has been regarded
| bv the most eminent statesmen and ablest Jur-
ists of our land. as the bounden duty of the Con-
oress of the United States, to enact all laws
which may be necessary to carry into effect
each and every provision of the Constitution !;
and that, in the opinion of many, this duty ex-
tends also to the Legislatures of the different
States. so far as is necessary within their re-
spective sovereignties. They find further that
| Congress has passed what is called the Fugl-
tive Slave Law to give efficacy to the above
constitutional provision, and that the Supreme
/ Court of the United States have, without a
dissenting voice, decided that law to be consti-
tutional and proper.
Article vi. of the Constitution further de-
clares that all laws made in pursuance thereof,
shall be the supreme law of the land, any thing
in the constitution or laws of any State 10 the
contrary notwithstanding This taken in con
lnection with the opinion of our master jurists
ChanceIlors Kent and Story, that the decisions
ofthe Supreme Court upon constitutional ques'
tions must stand as part of that instrument 1t
self until they are reversed, leads your commit
tee to the conclusion that the rendition OF tu'
oitiyes from labor" is as solemn and certain an
obligation as any imposed upon the States BY
the sacred compact of their union:
Therefore as the Senators and Representa-
tives in this Legislature assembled have eael
and all taken a solemn oath to support the con
stitution of the United States, such an enact
ulez,t as some of the residents Of Ashland AM
Columbnna counties demand, can never b,
made without palpable violation of that obj
cation.
Your committee then must deplore the otfeI
ing of such petitions as indications OF an un
J healthy and rebelious public sentiment, an
l recommend in future that all such petitions
/ laid upon the table without comment. The
would, however, as a response to the Presen
memorials, respectfully recommend the adoE
e ton of the following resolution.
Resolved By the General Assembly OF the Sta
5 of Ohio; That while the right of petition on a
: subjects not inconsistent with PToPriety an
h public morals is sacred and inalienable, yet we
u as the Representatives ofthe loyal sentiment
: the People of Ohio, declare ourselves foreVe
: opposed to every description of sectional, an
4 Unconstitutional legislation, and respectful
deprecate in future all memorials praying &c
: such enactments
o HUNTER BROOKE,
Q ]. W. MCFERREN,
? HENRY MORSE,
g ]. MILTON WILLIAMS,