Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-27
PERSONAL LIBERTY LAWS.


Every journal in the free states that is ac-
customed to work in the interest of slavery,
seeks to hide from its own responsibility for
the present condition of feeling in the slave
states, by assaiing the laws that have been
passed by some of the free states for the pro-
lection of personal liberty. They DO not I'M
derstand the matter very well, for they impute
such laws to some of the states where they do
not exist, and they grossly misrepresent
them where they do exist. Besides, they
never allude in the remotest way to the strong
est reason for such enactments. Who can ex-
pect the Boston Post or the Journal OF Com
merce to give true history OF the fugltlVe
slave act, and explain to their readers 'hat JUS
frequently used 10 kdnap free coiored persons
1t is the right and the duty OF each state IN
the Union to protect within its own borders the
liberty of every man, woman and child belong
ing to it. Each state must prescribe its own
method of dischargng this duty, within con
stitutional limits Where kidnapping is pos
sble there must be suitable precautions
against it, and none but the kidnapper and
those in his interest will seek to remove them.
In Massachusetts, there are no laws for the
protection of personal liberty which are not
strictly constitutional All those sections OF
the act of 1855 concerning which question
made have been repealed and nothing re-
mains that can by any honest Interpretation
be construed to mean "nullificatiGn' OF any
thing else but kidnapping. An act TO nullify
the fugitive slave bill was never passed in
this state. Such multiplying act has been
asked for every year, for several years, but it
has not been granted by the legislature. There
are people in Massachusetts who would like
to have the fugitive slave business made what
the federal constitution makes it, matter OF
compact between the states, like the business
of delivering up fugtives from justice. 1t is
their opinion that the federal government has
no more right, under the constitution, TO un
dertake the business of hunting runaw y
slaves than to engage in the business of hunt
ing runaway criminals and they think the
state should protest against such usurpation
of power, by which an act of congress has
been substitutes. for provision Of the consti-
tuition. There are others who would have
slave hunting made impossible in Massachu-
sets, and they seek such legislative act as
would nullify, not only the fugitive slave bill,
but also the fugitive slave clause of the consti
tuition itself The legislature has not re-
sponded to such petitions, and the laws we now
have relating to the matter are directed
against such kidnapping of free persons as the
summary processes of the fugitive slave act
seem to encourage.
1t may be very natural for those who defend
the fugitive bill, with all its atrocities, to en-
gaga in loud crusade against laws for the pro-
lection of personal liberty. But such people are
not likely to do much towards settling the
questions that now agitate the country, for
they do not comprehend these questions. And
yet it is surprising that some of those who
speak so much and so slanderously of the
personal liberty laws, have nothing but "holi-
day and lady terms" for the fugitive slave act
Why is it necessary for even a fugitive slave
law to be such thing as that AS to the per-
sonal liberty acts, whoever denies the right of
a state to pass them may as well 60 further
and deny that the states have right to do any
thing without permission from some outside
authority. In theory tie fugtiee slave act de-
MES the right of a state to cooperate or inter-
fere in any way, in the matter of delivering
up "fugitives from justice; but some of those
in the south who discuss the matter, find it
necessary to admit this right. In Georgia.
the other day, Hon. Alexander H. Stephens
delivered very able and powerful speech
In III l,or
to the personal liberty laws of some of the
free states, and said =
81 know that in some of These states their
acts are based upon the principles set forth
in the case Prigg VS.. Pennsylvania; that
decision did proclaim the doctrine that the
state officers are not bound to carry out the
provisions Of law of congressional the f der
al government cannot impose duties upon state
officials-that they must execute their own
laws by their own officers. And this may be
true. But still 1t is the duty Of the states to deliu-
er fugtiUe siaveS, as well as the duty of the gen
eral government to see that it is done"
at is the duty of the states to deliver fugi-
tive slaves" But will Mr.. Stevens show how
it is possible for state to undertake this duty
without legislative action prescribing how it
shall be done If it be the duty of the states
to deliver fugitive slaves, it is also the right of
the states to prescribe the method of deliver.
ing Them with proper safeguards against deiv-
ering free persons to kidnappers. And this is
precisely what MASSACHUSETTS has prescribed in
her legislative act for the protection of person
al liberty. If Mr.. Stephens will pursue this
matter and discuss thoroughly the question
started in the above quoted extract he will find
that nothing can be more fatal to the more Of
fensive features of the fugitive slave act than
his admission that ait is the duty of the sta es
to deliver fugitive slaves" If this means any.
thing, it means that the states should take
the matter into their own hands, and pass all
laws on the subject necessary to regulate the
discharge of this duty, that is to say, laws
which take the business out of the hands of the
federal commissioners and transfer it to state
officials, aud to such constitutional methods of
operation as may be provided by state legis.
lation.
BURNING OF THE STEAMBOAT PACIFIC
Courageous Conduct ofG W1e.-The Louisville
papers Of the 2lst inst. have further interesting
particulars of the burning of the steamboat
Pacific, at Uniontown, which has been already
noticed by telegraph. Eleven lives are known
TO have been lost, and three females were
seen TO jump overheard, but one Of whom
gained the shore. The heroic conduct Of Mrs
j. w. Mcdonald, who was travelling with her