Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-12-28
" l]ersonal libertp fans

cessioDIs.s, aud oil their Northern aiiies ot
apoogists, is the laws of the Free States
for the preservation Of the rights OF their
people President Buchanan echoed the
charge that some Of our statute books
have laws, IA riolation Of the Constitution,
passed by the Republicans, on purpose to
nuHity the Fugitive Slave Law and wrong
the South. They started cut with saying
that there we're FIFTEEN such wicked
States then, the number was reduced to
ELEvEN-and at las: it is narrowed down
to FOUR. BY the time the matter Is thor
oughly scrutinized, it may remind one OF
the boy who found 'rhousand black cats"
but, on being cross-questioued, "thought be
seed our old black ca. and another one"
Among those States thus assailed as dis-
loyal, PENNSYLVANIA was one. But 1t
turns out tina, our Personal Liberty Law
was signed 5y Democratic G ov. (SHUNKO
aud that, too, THREE YEARS BEFORE tie
Fusi,iVe Slave Law was passed. 1t was
las: year re-approvcd By our Democratic
Governor, (PAcKER,) and bis Democratic
Commissioners to revise the Code-Judga
Knox, Lewis, &c. Oar law Of l6lI was
passed in accordance With the decision Of
the L. S Supreme Court, in the Prigg
case. So say candid men. Pennsylvanis
is faithful to Liberty and to Law-'he
permits fugi,ives to be taken by the U. 8.
authorities, in this land OF Independence
Hall, of Brandywine, Germantown, and
Valley Forge-but she bows no further to
',he dark idol Of Slavery"
Aud thus, upon inquiry, vanish the
gas aud humbug about the Free States
! violating the Constitution. The Personal
Liberty Laws were not al passed by Re-
publicans, but many of them BY the Dem
ocra,s, BEFORE the Fugitive Slave Law
was enacted. What falsehoOd what .
SANDER is tie charge.
1t is true that mos, Of the Free States,
(as it is the right and duty of every Gov
ernment to do, } have passed laws to guard
the property, liberty and lives Of their
people. That is the very object of all good
government. Our naturalized citizens,
abroad, are protected against seizure, and
why should not our natives be also shield
ed against seizure or illegal outrages at
home? Our LAWS AGAINST KID
MAPPING ara in accordance with the ex-
press design Of our Constitution and the
genius Of our institutions. If any OF these
laws violate National Law, let it be test
ed before L. S Supreme Court. Until
that is done, it is gross aud gratuiious to
assume fault and charge crime
This false accusation against the most
law-abidipg and peaceful Of our States, IS
intended, BY defeated politicians, to de-
ceiye and mis,ead the honest, unrehecting
voters. 1t is also designed to AID KID
MAPPING. For how can man-stealing
be prevented, or punished, without law!
If human bloodhounds, in catching fellow
beings, violate 10 law, neither man, woman
or child is safe from the cupidity of the
wresches who every year smuggle away
victims i'll spite of laws. Yes-hundreds
of persons, black, mula;to, and white, it
is known have been kidnapped from Penn
.ylvania, and our land would be complete,
open, daylight, hunting ground for men
and riots and bloodshed would continually
ensue-if the Sovreign State did not pun
ish such an atrocious crime.
Let not our people, then, be alarmed or
misled by this concerted howl of disap-
pointed ofice-seekers and blood-;hirsty
kiduappers, who desire to re-iniroduce
Slavery into all the Free States, and de-
mand that we shall remove every obstrue-
ton out of their path. The same class OF
men, at the South, seek the re-opening
of the African slave trade piracy. Now,
if any of our laws shall be found to be in
eviden. hostility to the detes;ed Fugitive
Slave Law even, lie. it be SO shown, and
decided By competent authority, before its
abrogation or alteration be required. Then
let the South DO away their undoubted
and uudenied unconstitutional laws and
practices against our white or colored cisi-
zeus and they can with some justice ask Us
to "pull the mote out of our own eye"
The s,icklers for STATE RIdurs should
be careful how they interfere in this mat
ter If the precedeu. ba established, that
the Slave States, or Congress, can dictate to
the Free States the character Of their leg
isla,ion, the tables may some day be turn
ed. If they demand that We repeal all
laws protecting Liberty in our own borders,
we mar re,alia,e and demand that they
aunul the statutes By which they keep up
.Syarery in their own homes! In such an
issue. Slavery could gain nothing-better
remain content with its "pound OF desh-
Under the Slave Law, "con'ented and
happy servants" ,rH escape from their "pa-
,riarchal Edens'-aud, perhaps, the worse
the law, the more futile it will be. Yet,
the number Of those who are rescued by
r;ola,co Ia nrohahlv mt oue y here ten