The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-11-28

Those of the Northern journals, which have
begun 10 realize the seriousness OF the agitation
now prevailing throughout the country, have at
last so far given heed to the complaints oil 'he
South. as to enter upon the examination ana us
cussion of lis grievances. 1t is to he regret'eo
that they have not approached the subject IN a
mare candid spirit for unless the North and South
deal fairly and frankly With each other, there IS
ma, tbe SLIGHTEST hope that reconciliation will
,..,. bo ofrsced between them. 1t is with sorrow,
therefore rs well rs surprise, that we note upon
III, part of our contemporaries OF the former Sec
tion disposiiion TO bubble about terms, instead
If meeting, without evasion, the questions in dis
nn,e 1t has been urged that many of the States
of tho Conledcracy have already nulli6ed the Con-
etitution. hy passing laws for the express purpose
Of obstrpcting or prevent ing the execution Of an
act of Congress, which both sections admit to be
valid, and which the South contends is necessary
for her protection. These statutes have, rs we
aIIcpe. been enacted deliberately and wilfully,
and under circumstances which leave the world in
no doubt about their object or the motive of their
apthors. How have our expos tulations been an
swere32 A portion of the Northern press has it
is true. unhestatngly conceded the unconstitu-
tionality of the laws themselves and acknowledged
that they were dictated by a feeling of hostility
10 the South But large number of the more
influential journals have resorted to downright
cqurocaIion 10 escape the consequences which an
admission of the accusation referred to, would ne
cessarily involve They fatty deny that the legis-
Iation of their respective States, except perhaps
in Massachusetts, is susceptible of the interpreta-
ton we have always given it. The intent and
meaning of these laws are, are told, altogether
different from what they have been so generally
supposed to be. The people Of Vermont did not
wish TO throw obstacles in the way of the enforce
ment of the Fugitive Slave Act-the people of
Connecticut desired TO aid the federal
officers to execute it properly. The laws which
have been adopted in these States were proposed,
wenow for the first time learn, in order to guard
merely against any unj us and illegal abuse of the
Act of Congress. They were only intended to
prevent the kidnapping Of the bona yfde citizens of
New England. Casuistry and prevarication are
alike rcsorted TO by those who have so suddenly
thought Of giving this new construction to old
We're passed, and the sense in which
they have been heretofore understood are
now carefully ignored as extraneous facts, having
no bearing upon the issue. We are asked to con-
fine ourselves to the naked language of the stat
utes themselves, and are assured that, if we will
pursue this course and consrue each of their sew
erel sections by separate logical process, we will
find that the obnoxious and illegal acts are only
defensive measures, such as every State must adop
for the security of its citizens. Such are the ar
guments by which the Republican journals en-
deavor to vindicate the North and pacfy tht
South. If they have nothing more to say, the
controversy may be considered rs closed, for il
would be Il simple waste of time and words
TO dispute with them about propositions as unfair
as they are foolish The South will not, we are
sure, allow itself to be drawn into discussion on
these points, for very obvious reasons. In the
first place, it can he productive of no practical re
suit, for it is ridiculous TO suppose that any i'm
preston Is TO be made on men in crisis like the
present by wraneling about legal phrases and
technical definitions We are almost within the
vortex ola revolution, and we can deal only with
broad, plain facts. If the Southern people, with
the history Of the past twenty years before them,
have grossly misjudged their Northern brethren,
it cannot, we are satisfied, he difficult to convince
them Of their error. Bat they are to be influenced
only by such clear and cogent arguments as are
usually addressed to intelligent and honest
men, and they are not likely TO pause in this mo-
ment of excitement TO engage in legal or meta
physical disqusition concerning the construction Of
statutes, which have borne but one Interpretation
ever since the hour when they were passed.
There is also better reason, which will induce
the South to abstain from even contradictng the
assertions of the North in regard TO the real object
of the laws to which we have alluded. There is
no man in the Slave States who believes that any
one in the North itself has ever doubted that these
statutes were enacted for the sole purpose Of OBJ
structing the operation of the Fugitive Slave Act
Nobody in the country has ever dreamed that i
was necessary to pass laws to protect thu
free blacks of the North from being kidnapped
and nobody believes that these laws wer
truly passed. for any such purpose. TIT
citizens Of this section therefore regard tn,
plea which the press OF the North has attempted t.
set up in defence Of the legislation in question, az
too weak and transparent to need a reply, and to-
frivolous and dishonest to merit one. There or
times when it is puerile to squabble about words
and there are facts that statesmen and nation
may assert and act on without stopping to prov
them. We must insist, therefore, that it is trihin
with grave issue to tell the South at this lat
moment that it has miSinterpreted the motives
the Northern people, and has misunderstood III
plain language of the New England laws. If th
dssension between the North and the South
ever TO be healed, the reconciliation will b
brought about solely by frank acknowledgment
of the wrongs done, and the manifestation of a mu
tual desire to conciliate. The North certainly
does not show much disposition to meet the Soutl
halfway, when it bubbles about the meaning 0
the acts which have so often INSTRUCTED the opera
ton of the Fugitive Slave Law.
An amnesty may have lis origin either in tn
weakness and timidity of Government or in il