Weekly Trinity journal., 1861-01-26
The journal.
The Burch Letter.

EDITOR TRINITY Journal Your correspOn-
dent, d" Veritas," nearly demolished Hon. Jno. e.
Burch, two weeks ago-sent him roaming among
the cold Black Bruins. In the language OF
"Veritas,"" What, sunder the blood ties of pa
triot sires, and childhood blood baptized land,
and for what? Slavery's perpetuaton." But
with Burch have nothing TO do. Now, Mr.. Ed
itor, let me see whether " Veritas' is right or
not Slavery existed in the United States at the
time of adopting the Federal Constitution And
can any one point out one article in the Cons-
tuition authorizing Congress to check the ad
vancement of slavery?
The Southern people think not, and thousands
of Northern men haYe and will sustain them in
their equal rights in the Territories. If such is
not their rights under the Constitution, let me
say that ! know the Southern people have been
laborng under a mistake ever since the Govern
ment has been in operation. II we have Con
stiution by WHICH we are all TO be governed,
what, ask, is the necessity of making compro-
mses? Who was the first to ask compromise
We shall show it came from the North. In $50,
the North demanded the Missouri compromise,
giving to the North nine .tenths of the territorial
domain of the United States The South sub
mitted TO it, reluctantly. She accepted 1t as an
alternative. The responsibility therefore rested
upon those who demanded the aggression should
be made.
Having accepted the compromise the South
stood prepared 10 observe it in good faith. who
was the first to break it? The war with Mexico
resulted in treaty by which the United states
acquired from that power an immense area OF
territory. In providing governments for this
territory, looking TO the formation OF new states
and their admission into the Union, an angry
contest arose. The South, ever faithful TO her
engagements, proposed TO extend the Missouri
compromise through this territory to the Pacific.
~ tbo o1a i'm I'm tlapa tNo
another compromise entered into, and what did
the South get by it? Nothing but a legislative
recognition Of q plain constitutional right The
Constitution says in substance that fugitive slaves
shall be delivered up, on demand, TO their mas
t,rs. The compromise of 1850 said no more.
Has the North been faithful to the Fugitive Slave
Bill? Let the following acts that are now in
force in the Northern States speak for themselves:
MAINE.
LAWS OF MAINE. REVISED CODE, CHAPTER 50.
SEC. SO. No sheriff, deputy sheriff. coroner,
constable, iailer justice Of the peace, orther
officers Of this State shall arrest detain, or aid
in so doing in any prison Or building belonging
10 this State, or to any county or town, any
person on account of a claim on him as fugitive
slave. Any OF said officers violating any Of the
aforesaid provisions, or aiding or abetting any
person claiming agresting or OBTAINING any per-
son as fugitive slave shall forfeit q sum not ex-
ceeding one thousand dollars for each offence to
the Of the county where it is committed or
be imprisoned [not] less than one year in the
county Jail Or. S. c. 104, sec. SO; act Of 1855,
c. ia, l82. secs. 2, 81
An act additional TO " An act further TO protect
personal liberty"
SEC. /. When it shall come to the kn owledge
of any county attorney that any person has been
arrested at any place within his county, and is
claimed as a fugitive slave under the provisions
Of any act Of Congress- the said county attorney
shall Immediately repair to the place where such
ir halH in toIv and on m a
necessary and legal assistance in making his de-
fence against said claim
SEC. 2. 1t shall be the duty Of said county
attorney to summon such Witnesses as he shall
deem necessary to substantiate such defence,
whose fees, and all other necessary and legal eX-
penses incurred in making such defence, shall be
paid by The State
SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from and
after its approval by the governor
Approved April ii, 1851.
New HAMPSHIRE.
IN 6ufrqct from " An act TO secure freed0m and
tie rights Of citizenship 10 persons in THIS State"
--CHdptr 1865.
SEC 2. Any slave who shall come or be
brought into or be in this State with the consent
of hls master or mistress, or who shall come or
be brought into CT be in this State inVOluntariy
shall be free
SEC d. Section first of chapter twenty five
of the Compiled Statutes shall not be so con
strned as in any case to deprive any person of
color, or Of African descent. born within the
limits of the United States, and having the other
requisite qualifications, from voting at any cleo
tion but such person shall have and exercise
the right of suffrage as fully and lawfully as per
sons of the white race.
Appr0Ued June 26, 1857.
There are other laws in force in New ITamp-
shire (Which are too wordy to publish entire) of
the same nature One declares freedom to be
the natural condition Of man that the Consttu-
Of tIt. IN, 4 -I,
very as o national institution that the abolition
OF slavery Is positive duty that the Dred
Scott DECISION is repngnant to the Constitutions
aud that the assertion that it regards slaves as
property in the general sense, is unwarranta-
bic assumption to which no free State can with
honor submit.
VERMONT.
JOlu Re'oiWi0ns on SiaUery and tie AfricQn Stare
Trade.
/. Resolved Jy The Solate and house Of re1reseAa-
tres, That while Vermont has no new sentiments
to ptter upon the subject OF slavery, the occasion
demands the declaration that she adheres with
renewed confidence, and, if possible with
irmer faith, TO the principles thas that have ever
distinguished her people.
2. ReS0iUed, That the recent events in Vir-
9inia, and the universal excitement and alarm
consequent upon them, plainly prove that the
institution OF slavery is fraught with appalling
dangers to every community in which it exists ::
that 1t mschevously interferes with the fraternal
regard due from the several States, and from all
the citizens thereof to each other, and impairs
the peace and well-beng Of the Union itself
3. Resoifed, That, in our judgment, these events
demonstrate the glarng wrong of permitting the
extension Of slavery to any community where it
does not now exist, or of giving it new strength
and increased danger in the slave-holding States,
by re opening the foreign saye trade, or relaxing
the laws against it.
FAIR PLAY.