Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-18
Public Officers Appointed In massachu-
sets 10 Prevent the Execution of the
EugifiEe Slave Law.

Fugitive Slave Law.
While the dominant party in Massachusetts Is
assuming to lecture South Carolina on secession and
her duty to the Union it is well for them to look
at home at their acts of notification and resist
ance to constitutional laws for the protection of the
South Not only has Massachusetts, kept the multi
fcaton acts upon her General Revised Statutes,
lust passed, but there are now in nearly every
county of the State, officers appointed and feed at
the expense of the public Treasury, to prevent the
rendition of any fugitive slave to his master under
the laws Of the United States.
The Notification act of Massachusetts provides
that the Governor with the advice of the Council.
shall appoint Commissioners in every county, whose
duty II shall be, when any person is claimed as
fugitive slave to project and defend such alleged
fugitive, and secure to him trial By j6ry and all the
benefits OF the Personal Libety BILL The Statute
Ironically calls it 'all lawful means" because if
these Commissioners to get a trial by jury, and
apply the Personal Liberty Bill they must Of course
violate the laws Of the United States. so that the
act means by .'awtul means all unlawful means to
uulifv resist and violate the laws and the COnshtu
ton Of the United States for the rendition of fuz-
tives.
Tho act further provides that the alleged slave
shall have as many counsel as he chooses to select,
and the Commonwealth is 10 pay the Commissioner,
the attorneys, and all the posse they may raise to
resist the United States officers And TO make II sure
the Commissioners are to dofray al other expenses
incurred in the protection and defence Of any per
son so claimed under the laws Of the United States
This is probably the only instance on record of
State law appointing Commissioners, with unlimited
mowers TO resist the enforcement of constitutional
law OF the United States, act which even south
Carolina never did. :,
And the Governor of Massachusetts, has actually
appointed these unlawful Commissioners TO help rob
! the South and now the people of Massachusetts
complain that the South refuses 10 let the North go
robbing and insulting them in this and all other
/ ways the malice and ingenuity of Ahotionists can
/ devise!
Here is the list of these Massachusetts, Commits
soners. whose duty It is to violate the Constitution
and laws of the United States by taking fugitive
slaves out of the custody of the United States Off
GERS and getting rails by jury to run them of =
! BdyTSt1ble-Nathaniel Hinklcy. J. W Davis
BerhStue-Bilings Palmer, Julius Rockwell
(Judge)
| BriStol-Alanson Borden.
|. DuI,eS-Thodore G. Mayhem
Esser-Marcus Morton, Jr., (Judge1 Stephen H
Phillips (Attorney GENERALLY
Frapklin-George d. Wells (Judge)
Hrppdsn-Chares r. Ladd.
Mddeser- Henry w. Muzzy, Samuel E. Sewall.
Nor1oLt-JosephM NJ. Churchill, Warren Lowering
P17nOldk-WIiam II. Wood (Judge)
Worcester Charles Mason, Henry Chaplin.
It will thus be seen that Massachusetts, apponts
her Judges and Attorney Generals to aid the Adolf
tiOnsts in depriving the South of their "fugitive'
from labor" and this in the face of that provision
of the United States Constitution which declares thai
the Judges in every State shall be bound by the
Constitution and laws of the United States and
with all the executive officers shall take oath tC
support the Constitution.
Verify, there is a very big beam to be got out Of
the eye Of multiplying Massachusetts, before she
can clearly the mote that is in her sisters eye
-BoEtoa Post.
sr,1i a.