Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-11-16
II Tnrnl Vn1ers-

The attention OF the public is invited to
an examination of the following memorials
which will soon be circulated throughout
the United States. wherever there is reason
to hope a considerable number of signcrs
c2n be obtained.
To tie Senate and Honse Of representa-
tires othe United States:
The undersigned. legal voters Of
County in the State of--rcgarding
Slavery as a great crime. as well as Il great
evil and diSgrace to our country. for which
We are unwilling thrt the general govern-
ment should be in any degree responsible.
do hereby respectfully and earnestly petit
ton your Honorable Body to take measures
10 secure its speedy extinction from the
District Of Columbia, and all other places,
under the exclusive jurisdiction of Congress,
with or without compensation to the slave
holders, as to you may seem ~expedient.
To tie Senate aud House cf Representa-
tires oftAe United STATES:
The UNDERSIGNED. legal voters Of
County, in the Senate of--respectfully
petition your Honorable Body to repeal the
Fugitive Slave acts of 1893, and 1850, and
leave to the States themselves the resron-
sibility of discharging their constitutional
obligations in regard to fugitiyes from Scr
vice in their own way.
To the Senate and Horse Of Representa-
tires Of tie United States:
The undersigned, legal voters Of
County. in the state of--having learned
that there Fave been of late repeated vio-
%latiOns of the law prohibiting the foreign
Slave trad., respectfully petition your Hon
oratle E,ody to employ any further legisla-
ton Which may be necessary to prevent a
revival Of the infamous traffic
The Executive Committee Of the Chris
tan Anti Slavery Convention viii immedi-
ateiy supply every township in this State
with copies of the above petitions, and hope
they viii be presented to every legal voter
in the State. We call your attention to
them through the press, in order that you
may give them a careful examination be-
fore they are presented for your sigma
lures.
The propriety AMI Importance ofthese pc
titicIs are so obvious. that remarks are
hardly necessary. Our Federal Govern
ment has hitherto given Its support and
sanction to the crime of Slavery. The guilt
and the disgrace Of this monstrous %institu-
ton rest upon the whole nation; and every
citizen has a personal responsibility in re-
gard to it. Congress is the creature of the
people, and should be expected to execute
the peoples will. In what better way can
the will of the people be expressed than
through the medium of petitions.
Those who arc willing that our nation,
with the most liberal constitution in the
world, should support and l~egalizc the most
cruel and wicked oppression under the sun,
and that our capital should be disgraccd
by the whipping and selling of human chat
tells, of course will not sign the first pcti-
ton. All others, We presume, will be glad
to do 50 as soon as it is presented.
And those again. who are willing that
their personal liberty and the liberty of
their ncighbors should be at the disposal of
a single United States Commissioner, who
is authorized to decide the case on er parte
testimony without giving the defendant a
hearing; and is bribed by an extra fee to
decide against him, will not be likely to sign
the second petition. But those who believe
that the State is the natural and Consti-
t%utional protector of the liberties of her own
citizens and are not willing that men
should be deprived Of liberty without a ju-
~ trial. and denied the writ of habeas cor
pus, will give it their hearty endorsement.
And those who are aware that cargoes
of slaves from Africa, have been openly
landed upon our shores with impunitv, IN
less they are in favor of the nefarious traf-
fc, Will see coed reason for signing the
third.
We confidently expect that the petitions
viii meet with the hearty appreciation of
the mass Of OR PEOPLE. As this is no par
ty measure, we shall seek, and expect to
obtain signers from all parties, political
and ecclesiastical. This State is pledged
for a hundred thousand Let us
not be disappointed.
The question, What good will it do?'
we answer briefly thus, If this work is
vigorously prosecuted throughout the
States, it may bring about favorable action
by the next Congress. But if not, it GER
tainly must do good to agitate these ques-
tons in every townshipin the country, and
must materially influence the action of po-
litical parties. But the good accomplished
will depend greatly on the number of
names obtained. Let the work be thorough
ly done. Z. II. FAIRCiIILD,
Chairman Executive Com.