M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-06-23
That infamous Law"

As we predicted, the leaders ofthe Repub-
lican party in this county are growing bold
,r in their advocacy of f9bolilion principles.
They are beginning to uncloak themselves
and unblushingly stand up before the people
as the contemners of the Constitution and
the laws made in accordance herewith
They have succumbed,to Giddings and the
Oberlin nulifers, and now talk as nppantly
about the laws of this Union, made to carry
out plain provision of the Constitution, as
the veriest negro-worshiper on the Western
Reserve, We knew, from the beginning,
that such must be the case, that the Republi-
cans of this section must either leave that
party altogether or be governed by the aboli-
tion mobocrats of the Reserve.
The Macarthur Journal of last week, in
noticing the address Of Mr.. Stafford, denoun.
ces him as renegade Whig,' and the law
for the reclamation offugilives, as "pn inip-
nous law -
An Infamous idw! A law deemed essen
tial to the preservation of the Union by Clay
Webster, Fillmore and other great men oI
the old Wing party, an infamous law" and
man who does the same as Clay in sustain.
ing it, renegade Whig -
The platform adopted by the National
Convention in 1852, contains the following
resolution, which we commend to the atten.
tion of our short. t.menoried neighbor:
"That the series Of acts of the Thirty first
Congress ACT KNOWN AS THE FUGrTIvE'
SLAVE LAW INcLUpED-are received and ac-
quiesced in by the Whig party of the United
States as a settlement, in principle and sub
stance, of the dangerous and exciting ques-
tions which they embrace; and, so far they
are concerned we will maintain them, and
insist upon their eHtOrcementuntil time and
experience shall demonstrate the necessity
of further legislation to guard against the
evasion of the laws on the one hand, andthe
abuse of their powers on the other, not i'm
pairing their present efficiency and we dep
recate all further agitation Of the questions
thus settled as dangerous to our peace, and
will dscountenance all efforts to continue OF
renew such agitation whenever, whereUer, or
hoVerer the attempt may be madei and we will
maintain this system as essential to the ma
tonality of the Wing party aud the integrity
of the Union"
That was the position OF the Wing party
when abolitonism accomplished its ruin,
and in substance it is the position of the
Democratic party to day. Yet, Mr.. Stafford
is now denounced as renegade Whig' for
occupying the same grounds, and the law
"reeeived and acquesced in by the Wings
of 1852 as Essential to the integrity of the
Union" is called an infamous law ~
This "infamous law" was enacted in 1850
by the earnest advocacy Of the leading men
of both political parties, and was signed by
Millard Fillmore, Wing President of the
United States. The preceding law on this
subject was signed by George Washington,
and its main provisions were substantially
the same.
On the 18th of July, 1850, Daniel Web
ster summed up the whole argument in two
of his wcighty sentences:
"The principle of the restitution of un1-
way slaves is not Objectionable, unless the
Constitution is Objectionable lfthe COnsti
tutionis right in that respect the principle is
right, and The laD prouiding for carrying it
into efect is right"
Wings How can you, any longer, vote
for Republican candidates Would Clay or
Webster, if alive, do that!