Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-21

| some extent, prevent ilS prompt Rut. peace.
tul execution where that belief prevailed.
II ia reasonable TO supppse TINT this odious
provision, believed toi6s n sGiri Of the law.
has given rise to much of.Ithat opposi,iun
to i SO much c0mplnite OF by the South.
The second section Of the bill presenlel
by the committee, 1t is believed. will re-
!teys the law from all otjection Of that
kind, and tend materially to its easy aud
SPEEDY execution, thus improving i,s eE
hcirncy as n remedy BY maxi q il more
aceePhble-to the people amongst whom il
is enforced, and by Whose aid, in case Of
tOrclble resistance, it's 20 be made efIcc-
tual.
The provisions. Of tho Agst seslion of the
bill. It is believed, will llSecnfe tie fugitive
tt he alleges he is frtej q fair and impair
tlai trial tnere certainly than the law ms it
now stands. TIE committee believe that
this uneersiinty as to the fate of one mr.
rested as a fugitive has given rise to the
few Instances knowntu US of forcihle re-
sistance to the law. The same, objection
to the present law has undoubtedly sti,nu-
lated the passMge, III most instances, OF
what are called personal liberty LiIIs' in
some of the States. II should he hOrne ia
mind that the objections urged by the Nnr-
theln people are not n II law for tue recOy.
cry OF tugitives who really owe labor, but
are founded on the belief that the present
law may and docs permit the seizure of
persons who are free, and subjects thcntu
| servlInde, contrary to both law and right,
Thc cnumittC believe II To he unjust to The
Free Stntes to assert that amy considerable
number of persons in those Slates are on
| nuse.l to tue reclamation of persons whu
by the laws Of any State, owe labor Or
service To another. If amy such class ex-
lists, Il is known 0s, Ahoi;li0nists. This
class INSERTS its opposition 10 the Comsti! !!
luton because II does authorize the nur-.
suit aud rcrapiure of fugitive slaves. Ia
whatever ght The prrsuus composing the
cliss may tie regarded, it is certuin tI,eiF
nmmhcrs are so smaii compared with the
entire voting population Of the Free States
that no danger ClH result TO the constilu.
ti"nal rights of any portion of the Union
/ from their peculiar opinions, or their ulo te
Of commenting them 10 tie gf'lrral pull-
| lic. 1t is certainly. true thut this class
does not net With any of tllc great nuliti-
! cal parties OF the day, aud that its Clitef
leaders and most talented or.lturs were
most sirenuomsly oppused 70 tho RepubIi-
can party in the late Presidential contest,
and denounced ii nml its lOctrines in Iil-
terhnd unsiMrinG terms. The great mis-
take which is uaw urging bn tlierpubtiG
crnfOunding that class of men known by
thU-nAnse of ''AltOlittUnistsr with the great
mass OF tue Republican party of tie NUFti,
and West
! Similar tU this. and gplwiug out OF lit,
i IS belief, which seeius u haYa OGtaiuesi
very generally IN. the Snutll, that tile pe.,-
pie OF the Notwithstanding States, having
succeeded in electing r President, enter
tain II secret design toNccHmilIntG political
power in hath branches of Congress udtiI, !,
through Congressional action, il will tiLS1I-
(, lsh slavery in the States where It may then
bsxtstl llliBs tlis4, pprt0sc ronld4 .Siea-sl,
compltshed we IRE not Informed. This
prediction has been poured into the ears
+; OF exrited multitudvs frOm the months OF
popular orators, and placed bcfure their
eyes in the pages OF partisan presses,
until in the Southern mind it seems t.
have 9ssume'l the form of, plausible fact
The party charged with this purpose, when
1t met in oDyentIon at Chicago to nomi-
nate its candidates, previous to the last
PRESIDENTIAL election, declared its doctrine
on this pnint IN the following words:
"TiNt the maintenance invioIate Of ths rights Of
the States and especially the right of each State tO
or er and control it's own domestic institutions ae
corig to its own Judgment exclusiTeIy is essential
t" that balance Of power which the paTIertiou
aud endurarcc Of orr political fabric 'lrends; ana
the soil o. any State 0rrerritOry, matter under
what prcteHt, rs among tho gravest OF crimcs"
notwithstanding the preposterous char
actcr of this idea, the committee lave
deemed the belief in it, in some portions of
tile Sonth, sufficiently important to demand
notice at this time. That nothing pos
sihlN should be left uninterrupted hy the
committee, in order to efftrc these false
impressions, they have prepared and smb-
mil AInunNnNnnt "a fltn
whereby any power TO Interfere with sla-
very in the States Is forever denied to Con-
gress until every State in the Union, hy
It's individual State action, shall consent
TO its exercise. They entertain a confident
helisfthatthis amendment will be approved
by the number Of States required by the
Constitution to secure its adoption. If
this shall not secure slavery in the States
against the possibility of interference by
Federal power. we are wholly incapable nf
conceivlng any form of constitutional guar
antee which will, or which will satisfy
those who demnud further security for
their rights.
The committee are wdll aware that the
frequent agitation of the subject Of sla-
very in political contests has given rise in
the minis of many to fearful torebodings
of disuni0n. It has undoubtedly contrib
nted nuch to the present alienation of
feeling between the Northern and West
ern and 'SOittcrn and Southwestern seq
tions of the Republic. Investigation into
the rlghlfulness or policy of what is call
ed forced labor, when conducted By
th"ushtfnl and discreet minds, in calm
temper, guided by the laws OF sonnd moral
and pOlitic'ii philosophy, could scarcely
be at:enlei with danger to the peace Of
society. and might he productive of much
good. It is equally true That discussion
touching the constitutional power of the
Federal Government aud the powers of tbs
States on the subject of slavery, when
properly conducted. would have the effect
TO elicit truth ntthsr than To endanger pub
lie tranquility Bht when This subject is
brought into the arena of party politics.
our experience hns shown that It too fre-
queHtIy fails to attain the desired end with
cut disturbing 10 dangerons extent the