Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-12-19
TlE RAFTsMAN's JOURNAL.

where the penalties of the law are not inhict-
ed upon the rescuers. And then civil suits are
brought to pay for the slave and not only the
damage. but smart-money granted. think,
therefore, there is little ground of complaint,
SO far as the section Of the country in which
| live is concerned and yet know that the
Southern people are induced to believe that
if slave gets into the North he is gone for
ever. They are made to think SO because the
cases of actual returns are never published,
and only the exceptional cases OF rescue come
to the knowledge of the people. l wish we
could have list of the fugitive slaves that are
returned, and of the number rescued, and
venture tho assertion, that Southern gentle
men would be amazed at the fidelity with
which that law has been executed. believe
if we could have a record OF the cases, they
would be ashamed to bring up that subject as
one of the causes to justify the dissolution of
the Union. have no apology to make for
the Personal Liberty bills. l think them all
violation of the spirit of the Constitution,
and think they ought to be repealed at once.
and think our Northern people ought to repeal
them as duty 10 themselves-not upon any
demand of the Southern people, but to put
ourselves in the right. The State have the
honor to represent never passed any such law.
l wish there was no cause of complaint OF any
other State. While we hear of Personal Lib
erty bills presented as cause of disunion, we
are told, and, so far as know, the statement
is true, that in no one case have these bills
been the cause of deprivng master of tho
return of his slave. These bills generally ex-
ist in that part of the country where fugitives
never come, yet it SO happens that there is the
greatest excitement on this question. Just
in proportions as yon recede from the line
which divides the Free from the Slave States,
those of us who live upon the borders can
live in peace with each other. There never
time when my friend from Missouri
M, n Ill
this question by referring it to two justices of
the peace on each side of the river, with pow
er to choose third, and we agree to abide by
the award. But when you go North to Yer
mont, where they scarcely ever saw a slave,
and would not know how one looked, they are
disturbed about the wrongs of the slave. And
when you get down South to Georgia and AL
ALBANIA, where they never lose any slaves, they
are disturbed by the outrages of these bills
and the non enforcement of the Fugitive
Slave law, just in proportion as they have
no interest in it and don't know what they are
talking about. Laughter in the galleries.
Now, Sir, as between Illinois and Kentucky,
we should have no difficulty in settling the
question. So, in fact, between all the border
States, who know the evils of which they
| CONF lain, and the proper remedy, if they
could be permitted to decide this question
| assure you the Union would last forever.
! II this Union is to be severed, it is upon the
| ground that the two extremes, so far from each
! other that they do not understand the evils of
| the question, are acting under misapprehen-
| sion toward each other, and hence doing injus-
| tice to each other. But will not go into a
discussion of the subject. My object in aris-
| ing was TO sustain my friend from Ohio in his
| declarations, as far as our North w Western
country is concerned, that the Fugitive Slave
] law is executed with as much fidelity as most
| of the laws upon the statute books. l would
| be willing to leave the question to Judge Nc
| Lean, whether he ever knew Jury who refus-
/ ed to find verdict, where the facts would per-
NIT of verdict. Judge Mclean, Republican
as he is, has executed the Fugitive Slave law
| with entire fidelity. so far as 1 know. There
4 may be instances where fugitive slave runs
| away, and is never found. There are instan-
| ces where horses are stolen, and we never find
| them. But am speaking of the complaints
/ which arise from the non-execution of the
| law. My object is not to create irritation, but
| to soothe the excited state of feeling, in order
/ that may discuss this question in proper
temper, and upon its merits. My purpose is
| to meet this question fairly. Let usascertain
precisely the points in dispute, and lay aside
all sectional feeling and party strife, and if
we cannot agree on line of policy which
| will secure equal rights. equal protection, and
! equal justice, to every State, and the citizens
| of every State, in this nion.