The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-12

GREAT Cry ABOUT LITTLE WOOL.-Ine
friends and admirers of the almighty niger in
the State Of New York, have been endeavo ring,
during the last three or four years, to procure
the enactment Of Personal Liberty bill, the
effect of which would be to nullify the opera
ton Of the Fugitive Slave law within our juris-
diction. The lobby at Albany, which cares
much more for the almighty dollar than the al
mighty niger, has paid very little attention to
the plaintS of the abolidonists, white and
black, who have deluged the Assembly chamber
with their petitions. The chiefs among the
spoilsmen do not see that there Is anything to
be made cut Of q measure which il intended to
prevent the arrest of fugftives In transitu, and
therefore, the subject has been put gentlyaside
year after year. The radical republicans, how
ever, have persisted in their demand for the
law, and in order to satisfy that section of the
party, the whole matter was referred, early in
the present session, to q select committee Of the
Assembly. This committee has made re
markably curious report which we print
elsewhere in full The report commences with
the statement that the committee favors the
enactment of a Personal Liberty bill. Then
comes copy of the petition, which is couched
in the thorcugbgoiDg Garrisonian style. There
is great deal about the "woes of the planta-
tion," the painting. starving stranger" the
"remorseiess kidDapper," the .'land of chains
and torture" and 80 on. We are told that just
at present the ''foulest vice is exalted to vir-
tue" while "virtue, humanity and holiness are
legislated into crimes;' and that the grand
panacea which Is to care all the evils Of the
body polite, is Personal Liberty BILL
The report is no lees absurd than the petit
ton. In the first place, the committee states
that the Legislature of 1860 will not feel
itself at liberty to ''shun or deny" the
petitioners Why not! Has not Legislature
clear right to shun bores aud to refilse
to comply with the petitions OF imbeciles /.
However the committee 60 on to recommend
the passage Of the bill, on the ground of Mr..
Sewards famous higher law theory, which they
declare 10 lie superior to the constitution.
Fearing, Pr naps, that there may be some lin
geripg attachment to the organized law of the
country left The republican party, the report
proceeds, in hair splitting way, to attempt to
suoW NAV 'uc PIVposcu Dilt WOuU uOs C0nHtct \
with The constitution of the Uuited States. |
The absurdiiy of this Tide of the argument may |
be seen on 80 inspection Of the Massachusetts |
bill, which completely utilities the federal Law |
on the subject.
We piiAt the report for the purpose of |
showing up the hypocrisy Of The dominant
party ia me Assembly. They issue such
documents as that to which we refer simply |
as sop for the old ladies in breeches |
in the rural districts. The Assembly does not
purpose to pass any Personal Liberty bill, this
year, at any rate. II would not answer at
Chicago. Master Seward is heavy enough, as
ne STANDS, without extra weight. The Legisla-
ture viii conine its attention, as heretofore. to
the division Of the spoils OF the metropolis
among the friends Of Thurlow Weed, to killing
of the canals and building up the railway in.
terests, and generally taking particularly good
care Of number one, and number one's
brothers. uncles, cousins, and friends generally
When the almighty dollar Is about at Albany
The almighty niger must take back seat |