The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-10
John w. North ON SOjOurners' Laws
Niger Stealing. Piracy, &C.

John w. North on Sojourners' Laws
Niger Stealing, Piracy, &C.
JOHN w. NORTH, as the world goes, is
an honest man. We have thought him In
trinsicalIy so, at bottom. Mr.. NORTH u.s.,
however, quite as intriDsically unjust. That
is, whenever a niger is concerned. If Mr..
NORTH should discover "a niger in the
wood pile" he would become oblivious OF
the kind, quality and quantity OF the timber
composing it, and be and remain transtixed,
through an unresisting fascination, by the
ebony image concealed beneath. MIR. NORTH
carries in front of him gentle eye; but it
is one which loves darkness rather than
light, and glows most brightly when it has
an African in its range. Mr.. NORTH has a
soft and loving heart but it dissolves into
most LIQUID tenderness when it beats against
a breast that's blacker than his own. Mr.
NORTH, being thus eye-full and heart-full
of niger, has neither sight nor sentiment
for anything else; and is, therefore, consti.
tutionally incompetent to see or Judge d.
rectly or fairly Of any question wherein his
sable hobby is involved. All of which will
more fully appear from his communication,
elsewhere published, and from the comments
that we here submit.
Whatever opinions Mr.. NORTH may en-
terrain upon the question of granting immu-
mites to Southern travellers and sojourners
through and within our State, during the
summer season. they are of little curiosity to
us, and of less consequence. Had be confined
himself to statement of those opinions, and
desired their publication, we should have
permitted both without remark. But it will
be seen that his whole letter, so far as it has
any reference to US, is designed to convey
the impression that we are the special cham
pion of Sojourner's law, and that in lack
Of that, we are willing to see the present laws
OF the State violated, and Minnesota turned
into slave-hunting ground, where black
men may be kidnapped with impunity for
the benefit of Southern shareholders. 1t is
true that all this is charged by innuendo, and
with politeness which BELTS Mr.. NORTH 8
assumption of honest gentility. But, oil
this is none the less charged. And, it is
all false.
We have never champiODed Sojourner's
law for Minnesota. We have, however,
permitted WILLIAM H. SEWARD to cham
pion such law, through our columns, by
reprintingsthe arguments which, years ago,
be uttered in behalf of a similar law in the
State of New York. Whatever has been
said in this paper, or in the Legislature, in
favor OF such a measure, no consideration OF
Jaw, morality or convenience has been urged,
which had not heretofore been urged with
ont retraction, by the distinguished states
man who was Mr.. NoRrH's first choice for
the Presidency at the Chicago Convention.
II we obtained such law here, we have
always designed that it should be secured
for US by WILLIAM II. SEWARD, through
the use of the logic which he successfully
employed to prevent the repeal of similar
statute in his own State.
Mr.. NORTH knows,-in respect to "the
recent escape of reputed slave from bis
mistress in Saint Paul, and its attendant
circumstances" - that we denounced it as
an outrage, not because it might lead to
the attainment by the negro of his legal
rights upon our soil, but because it was, with
IFS attendant circumstances" an offence
against common decency and good neigh
bo:hood. In the absence of any statute
protecting Southerners, as temporary 60
journers, in the service of their slaves, il
has been the common understanding among
respectable men of all parties and classes
that such privileges would be tacitly yielded
10 them by general consent. Republicans
and Democrats, alike, with Gov. SEWARD
were not convinced that it would be either
wise, expedient, or humane to declare t,
Gu. fellow citizens of the Southern ant
Southwestern States, that, if they travel t,
or from, or pass through. the State of
Minnesota, they shall not bring with then
the attendants whom custom, or education
or habit, may have rendered necessary t
them" They, with Gov. SEWARD, wer
not able to discover any good object to b
attained by such an act of inhospitality
They believed, with Gov. SEWARD, that
certainly could work no injury to US, NJ
could it be injurious to the unfortuna
beings held in bondage, to permit the
once, perhaps, in their lives, and at most, q
occasions few and far between, to visit
| country where slavery is unknown" An
! With Gov. SEWARD, they thought that tn
| could conceive of benefits to the gre