St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-08-16

fDeaessstiis h4iisadls, armsd=to the teeth
vent to the Farmers Hotel aforesaid, and
faroiblyatook and carried away the man
whoha,1 thrown himself upon the aprosec
tionFsSconi +emplated BY oar laws, and is er<
this, no doubt, realizingin some slave STATE
THE Consequence Of his !. .aspiratioo. fo S
freedom.
F. Tho only attempt made for the justifica.
ton OF this great outrage is placed upon
the ground Of our present pccuniary ne.
cessities, and the influence which sue.
cessfal escape might have in deterriue
southerners FROM coming here during the
summer months for the purpose Of wasting
their time and spending their money.4=:We
are poor enough, God knows, and need all
the patronage which the refugees of pes
tilential climate may be pleased to bestow
upon US; but We are not yet quite so hard
pushed by poverty that VIC can afford to
become accessories to crime, or to relen.
quish tic respect due to our government.
The question is simply this: Can case
Of successful kidnapping be justified under
the Statutes Of this State? If the man
was free-as he most certainly was-hc
had right to his freedom, and those who
trespassed upon these rights are criminal
in the same degree as if he had been a
white man and born free. Northern soci.
ETY. has not heretofore sustained any too
great reputation in respect to the honor
ablenesss Of its motives. We have BEEN
accused, and justly too, Of the influence
which money has upon us in persu.diaa
our conscience, and in making dishonora-
ole Concessions. Southern capital has
been taken North and invested in North
ern public opinion, and in most instances
has proved both profitable and effective.
Northern States whose normal political
condition was thoroughly anti-Slavery,
have first become conservative and then
meanly servile. The South understand
the artful appliances most effective in &C.
complishing its designs.
Does any one suppose that the people
Of the State Of Mississippi, where Mrs.
Prince resides, would for an instant toler-
ate violation Of their laws by citizens
from the North? Would they consent
that the institutions OF Northern States
should exist there in violation of their
Statutes? Of course they would not, and
the opinion Of the world would justify
them in resenting such an outrage. Now
freedom of speech is one of the boasts OF
Northern society. Suppose Minnesotian
should 60 where Mrs. Prince came from
and undertake to illustrate that right, he
would very soon find himself clad in coat
Of tar and feathers, homeward bound.
The Southern States are constantly leg
islating against freedom, and they see that
their enactments are rig;dly enforced. The
spirit Of their laws is constantly exceeded
by the strictness of their Interpretation.
More especially is this the case when
Northern man happens to be the aggressor
Mrs. Prince we'll knew when she brought
her slave~here that he would be free un-
der our laws, if he asserted his claims to
freedom. She took the risk, and had her
slave successfully escaped, she should not
have complained. Slaves are contraband
articles in the free States of the North
1t is true they may be struggled through
without loss to the owner, but if they hap
pen to lose them it is but hazard iuci-
dent to the trade. Minnesota could not
for all the wealth of the Southern States,
afford to refuse to extend her Constitution
al protection over the humblest of Gods
people, when that protection is sought for
in legitimate way. What shall we be.
come nation Of kidnappers and consent
to the commission of crime, for the few
dollars they may leave with us during the
summer months? Isitpossiblc that North.
ern newspapers will sustain a case of kid
mapping upon such a flimsy prctext? that
they will even dare to hint at the advan-
tages to be derived from Southern custom
in such connection ? We would rather
never see another Southerner, than that
the most insignificant law should be viola
ted without punishment. 1t is not a ques-
ton Of dollars and cents. It is aquestion