, 1860-03-17
THE STATE TRIALS.

lurin: tile progress Of the trials Of Hos
sa:k aud tile brothers Stout for violation of
tile Fugitive S.ayo Law, NC have Remained
silent, o:sr rcticenco must not be attributed to
auy love Of the atro<:io,ls statute under which
these gentlemen were arralgned; but to dlsiu-
clnation to seem to lneddle by intlanmalory
paragraphs with tho Offices and functions Of tho
district Court Fortunately thu list Of offend
ers is exhausted and The nisSScr"dr;vcrs have
lad all tho revenge that tho law allows them.
They must he content But not SO the people.
The impression made upon them by tie ar
rai,umcnt Of these men, By the tiues which
they will pay, and the imprisonment that they
will suffer, Las not inclined them to more
}enisut opnicus Of that law that has been ut
last executed in Chicago, to d higher respect
f,r the purity ty wlicl, tho law was enacted,
nor to tue insti:utioa which needs such guards
for its protection. They have looked on in
nmazemeut- wiling, it is true. to abide by
the vcrdc.s Of the juries, whatever they might
he, and confirmed and strengthened III their
resolve to leave nothing uudoue by which the
bad features Of that cruel law 1nay 10 removed
from the national statute aook. They have
seen m upright Ja3ge who is far from holding.
opinions in tue least tolerant Of assumed right.
fnlpcss of lnan-selliug, compelled ty what VIC
think was mistaken sense Of duty, to make
charge to the jury, which, to Say the least, WAS
as severe us tue prosecution c,uld desire, and
every sentence Of which lie ought to IT. eject as
a citizen aud man; they have seen Republic
tau men compelled by tl,oir oatl,s IL bring i1l
vericts, whicl, in their souls the; loa.hed and
cespscd; and they hare sceu the prisoners,
guilty Of nothing for which they need fear L
pang Of rc1norsc or i blush Of shame, legally
classed and legally punished us felons and out
cas.s-all that tue claim Of onc man TO
the ownership Of the blood, boneR,
conscience, affections aud will Of ano.
ther and perhaps better mau might he
vindicatcd aud upheld. However pcaccable
and unde,nonstrative our people may be when
such scenes arc enacted before their cycs,
there is no power which will prevent them
from feeling that in this violation Of natural
right this disregard Of humaro motives, This
denial Of the binding l3Fco u the commonest
Christian precerts, this outrage of tho public
conscience, there is great wrong done, aud
the means which will prevent its repetition
This trial too proves the utter worthless
ness Of this hated law as preventive or re
rr.ssiye measure. Tic :nsa to wLom its pcca
ties have bcea applied arc mado to hate, will
tcn.fold violence, Slavery and all its aids ans
aduncls. The people Of Ottawa, where tls
ofstucc was committed, Il ready bcfor
fl come out en- 1aasse aud set up
s1,out when tho captive Jim escaped, vii
he willing on the next occasion to appear Il
the right, armed with weapons that wo1n
dcepe: &lan words Tho citizens Of CllcaG
WIN have set in the jury boz, or throngcd Il
court room while tho trials wero progressing
il distinguished before by their dislike Of nj
gcr-catchcrs, commissioners aod marshals, ;"
feel that their dislike is intensified, and III
they will now do and dare more than ever,
the proceedings which They have been col
PEELED to witness, and in which soae Of the
have borno an unwilling part. Wherever,
fact news Of tho trial will travel, unless
those benightcd regions in which merchandi
in human flesh and blood is defended as t
highest development Of Christianity and I
mccracy, mca will feel new lrovoxltions
graphing with tirner hold and moro dct
mined purpose. tlat mcuster which, By
strong embrace, is crushing cut oi tho natio,
Life those guarantees of individual freed
without which all government is despoti:
to be fought unto death. The nigger-driy