The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-17

rouehsY They Will have to take down Pryor
and Edmundson instead of Morrissey and Mul
ljgan. That's bad, too, because the Congress
/, men only fight with women and non com
bStants. 2he roughs will be back, however
quite in time for Chicago.
The Last Act Of Modification or the Com.
stitu<fon 1T tho North.
In the proceedings Of the Legislature o.
Virginia on Wednesday last, we lind a
highly interesting communication from Gov.
ernor Letcher, touching the contumacioua
and extraordinary conduct Of the Gov
ernor of Ohio, who refused, upon the re-
QUESTION of the Governor Of Virginia, to
issue warrants for the extradition Of Owen
Brown and Francis Merriam, who were charged
with being concerned in the Harper's Ferry
instruction. The fugitives were refused, first,
because 'sno enactment Of the State Of Ohio
surrender to another State fugitives from Its
Justice, seeking refuge there;' consequently
Governor Dennison nullifes the constitution
Of the United States, because his own State
does not cIothe him with any specific authority
obey it Senator Doolittle, Of Wisconsin,
assigned more manly reason for nullidcstion
than this. He said that every one had right
to interpret the constitution for himself; that
his State had right, therefore, to pass law
neutraliziDg the law Of Congress carrying out
the provision for the rendition Of fugitive
slaves, and that the authority Of the Supreme
Court Of Wisconsin was at least equal,
if not superior, to that Of the United
States. We had supposed that the
constitution was binding on every citizen,
whether State law endorsed it or not; and
we had further believed that Governor Denni
son had taken q solemn oath to support the
constitution. The bubbles by which he seeks
to evade his responsibility are certainly worthy
of man who would "palter in double
sense" For, in the second place, he says, un-
der the instruction of the Attorney General of
Ohio, that the words "fdgitives from justice
from Virginia" in the requisition do not neces-
sarily mean that the fngitives had fed from
Virginia, or were ever there at all.
Upon such technical ground as this substan-
tial justice is refused by Governor of
State, who refuses to carry out the
compact Of the constitution, because it has
any connection with slavery. This shows
what republicanism lie. Yet Governor Denni-
son had the impudence, in fortnight after this,
to demand by requisition from the Governor of
Virginia fugitive from justice charged with q
lesser offence one SiIas Taylor, accused cf for
gerry.
The conduct of the Governor Of Ohio is only
in'keeping with that of the Governor of Illireis,
who recently refused to. deliver up thief TO
the State of Kentucky because he was also
slave, and actually contrivsd' to let him escape.
The Governor Of Iowa, upon mere technical
point; refused to surrender the brother of Cop
pic, charged with participation in the Harper's
Ferry invasion. So bad is this last case Of
Governor Dennison, Of Ohio, that the Cincinnati
Gasetts, the leading organ of Chase and repub-
Ncanisn In the State, gives 1t up as indefensi-
BILE, and concludes On. editorial paragraph In
which itrefsrs to the facts In these significant
words 1--WE viii not at present discuss the
nice legal points raised."' Nice, indeed
I'll this disloyalty to the letter and spirit of
the constitution, 30 characteristic Of the repub-
lican party, that Is driving the Southern States
to extremes, and will, if persevered in much
longer, Inevitably result in the dissolution of
the federal republic. The policy Of Northern
States in which repubAcanism prevails Is to
enjoy all the advantages and protection of the
Union, bat not to discharge their obligations.
States have their duties az well as their rights,
and il they neglect or refuse to discharge their
duties, how can they expect that the compact
will be observed towards them, or that the
Union, which is the strength, the common bond
and support of ALL can be maintained in the
face of such fragrant violations of the magma
chdrta Of American liberty?
PUBLIC GHosTs-THE LAST NSw SPIRITUAL
MAS1FEsTaTIoNs.-We copy from two of our city
contemporaries accounts of several marvellous
spectral visitations, of which the Astor Library
and the Historical Society have been the favor.