New-York daily tribune., 1861-01-05
TUE pEACE-OFFERING.


e7s tie ESstor Of ThsN y TTfos""
sgs. In New Eng land country schools, once If no
,ov. the children were taught 70 make their man.
ers to their betters passing in the street The nice
6te boy made of this by bowing respectfully to
everybody but this all the school tiught him
Ne lealped little of arithmetic and geometry, aud
enough Of history to know the meaning July The
,lt of all this is that Yankee his travels through
Sfe always gives half the road cheerfuy-more, if ii is
not claimed as a right--never inch more, If is.
Arithmetic and Justice own brothers. Courtesy
Il their siser The lads too proud of the girl not
m have her walk in advance when there is no danger,
ID in the rear when there ia. She shall never be
rown away while they can help It,
A. citizen of Massachusetts, | an inclined 10
make my manners" to everybody so far as the more
asculiue principles of Yankee brngingup will
low. Therefore in the few words of reply which
ave 70 make TO the fve-andthirty gratuous legal adj
Is. n who have clunseled to repeal Personal
Sb nv law, hol not TO be accused If unmanner
" & int ii should treat their advi'e as that of
.ay afectionate grandmothers counseng their grand
ns how to sail ship in storm, because they know
etter how 10 knit stocking.
LIT ne at once make my bow to the knowledge OF
tsaal techniC aes possessed by corps OF veterans
yIj,h contains at least disi uguished oNJudges,
are of them u Curtis. 1t would be presumptuouS for
M % deny in the face Of such authority, that there is
sry law. Lot grant that more or less OF its proyi-
ons transcend The constitutional power OF State Leg
rAiuIe and thereby make tue whole act dead letter
Nav rot ask The venerable ex-Jud2es II they really
lik the sayehodiug interest 10 be aPpea-ed by the
eate offering of animal that died as soon rs 1t was
brought forth
Ote hi q we Ill know without being ex-Judges.
According 10 the Constitution OF the Ciied States, no
person chn be deprived OF liberty without 80 due pro-
ce Of law p The narrowest Interpretation which can
be put on this is that it Only intends TO make Ii mpos
sbie for the Federal Government, 5y any act Of Its
own within its jursdi IieH 10 take away liberty
eNcep "a tie result of fair judicial process leaving
The several States within their jurisdiction, to do as
they please about il. 1t is almost un versly thought
fsoeseary put tlis restriction upon 1t; otDerwse the
Federal Government would he liable to commit the de-
llorable atrUcity Of abOsbng Slavery in the States
Now by what Is called tue Fugitive Slave act OF lSoJ
tie Federal Government finds person IN the posses
son of liberty in Mas as.chusetts aud the affidavit OF
somebody in another State swearing or affirming that
be cid not ALWAYS enjoy that blessing, he is con-
.is1ied to perpetual Slavery with1nt due process Of
law without Jury, without even Judge ma.
live free citizen Of Massachusetts may be seized well
as another, and between him and the auction block
.tspds 10 procees that would be decent safeguard for
day. The State STEPS in, with little honest
manly G5s,n bs,,S r"Nt furi yif hes Oh" safeguard
which the Constitution If tie United States soicmniy
promised, in well considered popular amendment
which was almost n vital eonniion OF ompn, IL
should never need to furnish. Nill the Venerable
Law experts tell the descendants Of the men who threw
the tea overheard that doe process OF law is thing
which can be got through with in bali an holT with
ont jury, and with The sweailng All On one rue II
Won by great talents and lng public services 70 this
slne test they must conclude that every State has
sht % have the Ii erty OF its clens or those claim
irg TO 10 such projected ny process very different
from that OF the Fugitive Slave LAWN fact by pro
as fully and tai y Judi i'll that which Is enjoyed on
ANY question OF life property In case the United
States fail, 10 afford this protection what power II to
farsh il but the State2 l. be left to the ndivd
-sal L. that a peaees1ble proPcsiion
Our tbirty-fve advisers have each and all too much
common sense TO say that If the Government OF the
Uried States, including its Supreme Court, lthougn
serbnIcally tbS Supreme Court never be uaconsi
tnIiOnal shold any measure violate the constitu
tioua rights of State the State would not IN the same
measure have remedy. Possibly not a legal remedy
but at all events ii would have the right OF revolution,
quo dd hoe. -
Now, the real state of the question is just this An
overwhelming majority Of the people OF hlaSsachu-
s,ts not only think but kno1 that the Fugitive Save
law en- powenng ministerial officer OF Court
20 determine questions OF liberty on her soil without
tie aid OF jury is not only Palpaole OF me
cOnes utona rights Of Masc husetts but an insult TO
her honor and sovereignty. They claim night 70 at
beast an efecusl remedy. Practically It makes little
difference whether YOU call it q constitutional right, or
q revolutionary right. They would prefer to have 1t
constitutional and If the tbirty-hve can advise them
Low make it will out king it inetectua they
will doubtless eheeriuly accept the advice But M
chat whit becomes Of the peace-offerlDg Bat II
Congress and the U. s. Supreme Court together have
Sc0nstituionally ii you pease nuiied the Consti-
4uton that Massachusetts has no constitutional remedy
but must when any individual claimant OF slave prop
ry pieases claimant her citizenship disposed OF
ty Commissioner sitting on pivot between hve ana
u dollars then Massachusetts, places herself on her
rtpOutl0nayy rghso far as ths single point,
and III calmly stand there, while she hs the abllty
II anything could move her 1t would be the touching
sotreaty Of her dear living grandmothers-but the
memory Of the dead grandfathers il against it.
he inc inc
1LiOp the Of their secession, they must put
ienselves right by asking Congress TO modify the
Fuaitive Slave law an 10 claim no more than what
Nasaahusetts has been educated consider their
aiturinal half of the roadwhich is in fact, great
deal more than trey rigteonsly or respectfully
slsm But it il almost lnderously absurd no suppose
tey are going ont of the Union because we CHIN a
xgft which viii be clearly ours by international law
fbe moment they are out. Because 1t Is now costly 10
their slaves they going to make II impoS-
RA!
No no. They have no notion Of abandoning Gov
sfnnent which in its executive and Judiciary mas been
long wholly theirs and OF less penetration than
ear - sdvieeTs ought TO that. The peaceoIerlng
shry mean TO have is gag 10 speech, paddock ~ our
ess and right to hold slaves our soil s safely as
ca their own And il, az they pretend, they have q
ol right to hold slaves at home they have the same
moral right and should have the legal right, TO
bod item here. II, on the contrary, they have no
nora night 10 bold them at home, IL Is plain they
sould have no legal right TO recover them when they
ae elsewhere. All this logic is pain TO child and
sy settlement that ignores il settles nothing The
sniy wonder that the Constitution of the United
SAtee Which Is commonly Interpreted as ignoring it,
h kept the country In something like peace and quie
esss 10 long, The country has now got TO take the
nEhteous dde of the question: and settle II right
tr all or 20 falter between the two sides, and suffer
neaicalably In vain effort TO settle 1t wrong.
The days Of Washington and Jefferson and the poll
y @ mid indulgence evil unfit 10 be named In
ssspecteble ConstitaiiOu cannot be recalled by any
saciy IN constitutional flsve-catching The cub that