Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-12-06
aliatory State Legislation.


Retaliaiory State Legislation.
For several years, several North
ern States, Massachusetts taking the
lead, have passed laws in open viola.
tion Of the Constitution, against the
rendition of fugitive slaves: They
have not only refused to obey the
plain and unequivocal demands of
the Constitution. which require them
to return the iugitives to those to
whom their services are due, but
they have actually passed laws Sc
verely Furnishing any ofsiheir citi-
zens who should presume to obey
the demands of the Constitution, and
the laws Of the United States passed
expressly to enforce these demands.
1t is passing strange, that the slave.
holding States have so long submit
ted to these wrongs. when an ef1tctual
remedy was in their hands. Each
State has the power of taxing the
property Of her own citizens, and in
imposing the tax, it has the right.
and has always exercised it at discre-
ton, of Discriminating for or against
any species Of property.
Suppose in levyiDg tax, every
Southern State should put up an ex-
ira tax Of ten Or twenty per cent.
90 all goods. wares and merchandise,
the growth, product or manufacture
Of Massachusetts. Such law rig
idly enforced by all the slavebolding
States, would yu. an eifeciual stop
to all trade between Southern States
and Massachusetts, after the law went
into operation. 1t would not injure
our citizens. for they can purchase
elsewhere everything We need, on
neatly, or quite as good terms
as they can get them from Mass
achusetts. But Massachusetts would
feel the effects Of such law in every
fibre Of her system, and it might in
doce her citizers TO repeal her un-
constitutional and unjust laws.
Massachusetts has ALEC passed
laws making il dangerous for a
southern man to go there for the
purpose Of retaining bis. fugitive
slave. AS an offset to these laws,
each Southern State might pass laws
restraining and curtaiIiDg the .r1iv.
leges of the citizens of Massachu.
setts, 10 their respective States.--
These laws should be passed avow-
edlJ az retaliatory measures, and
should be repealed when the Govern.
or Of a Southern State should be
officially Informed that the uncopsti-
tutional laws Of Massachusetts had
been repealed. This no new project.
We have urged the adoption of re-
taliatory laws against those States
that refuse to execute the fugitive
slave law for many years, and we
believe if they had been adopted
years ago, there would now have
been much better understanding
between the North and South, than
there is
To make The people Of Massachu.
sets and other Abolition States un-
derstsnd their own interest, is TO
mike them do us justice. Such re-
taliatory legislation as We have ad.
vised would soon be felt BY every
man and, woman in the States that
have injured US, ahd would soon
convince them it was for their vital
interest to 60 US justice. In this
way We may have an ellectual rem.
dy for their unfriendiy legislation, 10
our own hands, and we can, in our
opinion, by these means, soon compel
them to do US justice; and if they
Go not like our retaliatory laws, or
our institutions, let them 60 out Of
the Union, and seek friends and Gus
toners elsewhere.