Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-02-25

that Kentucky alone annually loses ab,ut 4QOO.-
200 In this way; and az the population of Indl.
ana and Illinois for fifty or sixty miles back Ia
yet disposed to be neighborly and assist In the
return OF fugitives, It Is said the principal part
Of this amount Is lost in Ohio. II we permitted
organized bsnds In our State to steal and run
on her horses, the offense against her rights Of
property would be no greater. = 5isa 8.
Here may anticipate objections. The fol.
lowers Of party clap-tap will say II is [sscrine.
ing to the Slave Power this 10 meaningless
and deserves no answer. The advocates of the;
"Hgher Law" and the nsmby pamby prose-
lytes Of the oberlin Philosophy will say have
no right to put slave property on the same ba-
sis Of property In horse THAT the negro 10 q
"human being and they have not only the
right but IL Is their duty to help him to "fFee-f
domn ',ia, ~ E7s .ass-i a y
Mr.. Speaker, It is hard to tell whether the
northern mind has been more mislod In itslearn.
ing of Constitutional law or In its moral philos-
oPhy. OF all the batch Of delusions and her
estes which this philosophy has entailed upoDIus,
consider that which sets up the authority Of
individual conscience (D against the rights Of
| properly rs the most egregious and dangerous.
'Thereis nothing at all in Il Of sound morals or
true religion or true philanthropy, which might
easily show If had time to dwell on this branch
oI the subject, CHn
But, sir, findlthe true doctrineon this subje:s
90 well expressed in charge to the jury In the .
Circuit Court of the United States for the East.
e-n Di.tict of Pennsylv mia, by Judge Bald sin,
In 1888, that will detain the House with refer.
ring to It: JxzFE 40 Iz1Hcz
"To deny to the owner OF property the use Of
such means to recover it, would make his right
an empty and barren one, by taking from him
the means of enjoying tit was the mode best
calculated to alarm or disturb the family. This
right of the master TO arrest his might've slave,
is not solitary case In the law; it may be exer.
cised towards fugitive, apprentice or redemp-
tioner, TO the same extent, and II is done daily
without producing any excitement--an appren-
tice is a servant, slave is no more; though his
servitude is for life, the nature of It is the
same as apprenticeship or by redemption, which,
though terminated by time, is. during its contin.
uance, o severe as servitude as that for life y0f
the same nature is the right of q parent to the
services of bis minor children, which gives the
custody of their persons. . The lawful ex
ercse Of this authority (recapture) in such cases
is calculated to excite no sympathy; the law
takes Its course in peace, and unnoticed, yet II
is the same power, and used in the same man
neF, as by a master over his slave. Had Jack
been the apprentice of Mr.. Johnson, or he had
been the special bail of Jack, he would have the
same right to retake him as he had by being his
owner for life-the right in each case is from
the same source-the law Of the land IL the
enforcement Of the right excites more feeling
in one case than the otheI,it ia not from the
manner in which it is done, but the nature of
| the right which Is enforced property in q hu-
man being for life. II this is unjust and oppres.
sive the sin is on the heads OF the makers of the
laws, which tolerate slavery, or in those who
have the power in not repeating them; 10 pisit
IL on those whO hGue honestly acquired and LapfulIy
hold property under the guarantee and protection
of the tatos, Is THE WORST OF ALL oPPREssIoN
AND THE RANKEsT INJUsTIcE TOWARDS our FEL.
Low.MEN. 1t is the indulgence Of spirit Of per.
seeution against our n.i9hbOrs for no osnss aoanst
society or its laos; for no infringement of the
rights Of Others, but simply for tie assertion of
their onn ia lai0ful manner"
Again be says: eff this spirit pervades the
country; If public opinion Is suffered to pros
trate the laws which protect one species Of
property, those phO lead the crusade against ala
usvy may, at no distant day, find neu one d.
1 reeIed AGAINST THEIR LANDS, THEIK sTuRRs AND
THEIR DEBTS; If q master can not retain the cue
tody Of his slave, apprentice or redemptioner, a
parent must give up the guardianship of his
children, bail have no hold on their principal,
the creditor can not arrest his debtor BY lawful
means, and he who keeps the rightful owner of
lands or chattels out of poss ession will be pro-
! tected in his trespasses. The only
permanent danger is in tie indulgence in the hu.
name and beneuoient feelings, at what we feel to
be acts Of oppression towards human beings en-.
dowed with the same qualities and attributes as
ourselves, and brought into being by the same
power which created us all; UithOut rstleelins
that in suffering these feelings to come into action
against rights secured By the isws zoe forget the
first duty of citizens Of a government of La,Os--
OBEDIENCE TO ITS ORDINANCES. Those who are
looking only TO the oppression which exists but
| in their ot1n imagination, may make their own
phlanthropic feeling the standard of ght aud
wrong, but It must be remembered and impressed
on every member of society, THAT NO MAN CAN CON.
sIDRR THAT TO DE INJUSTICE WHICH THE LAW DE
oLARKs ArD!PRoTEcTs AS A RIGHT, OR AN ACT TO
BE OPPRESSIVE WHICH THE LAW HAS PROVIDED As
REMEDY FOR ITS INFRINGEMENT. The impres.
sion may be honest, the feeling Iaadable and the
motipe uirtu0us in the abstract, BUT THE LAW FoR.
BIDS IT'S EXERCISE ON THE PROPERTY or PERSONS or
OTHERS" r. .--..-....... .--..
This, sir, contains the whole philosophy and
law of this question, legal aud moral both blend.
ed. Il Is well for US to pause and study 10 at
this time. Are we not fast approaching the
time when this learned Judge said that those
who were "leading the crusade against slavery
might find other rights of property referred TO
the arbitrament of popular "feeling7" Nav
not the promulgators of this modern philosophy
soon behold the fruits of its teachings appearing
where least they expected-when attacks may be
made upon existing rights OF property--and
when crowds of hungry and savage men shall
pass under their terrified gaze, with banners in
scribed with the terrific words "bread or
blood"
| We are in revolutionary times, and the foun-
dations Of society are unsettling. "The mildew
of disorganization sweats upon the basis oil the To-
gal fabric" License and disregard OF law are on
the constant increase. Some ofyou are predict
ing the calamities that will overtake the South,
and seem to feel quite sure that all will be we'll
with US. Be not deceived. At the South the
relation of fcapital and labor Is fixed; at the
North it is not. In one section the Iaborinr
class is an inferior race, held in bondage; in the
other it 10 the equal race-restless and active
white men-a race which is slow 10 move, but
when it moves it Is as the throes of an earth
quake, or the descending Of the avalanche 10
the dissolving and reforming transition which
we are now undergoing, it Is difficult to foresee
what new shape Southern society and govern.
ment may assume-probably limited monarchy
and the revival Of the feudal system but am
satisfied our destiny is quite ne uncertain, and
that our dangers are at least equal to hers.
|, The moral causes, which are peculiar to all
types of civilization and all forms of govern
ment, must work out their own logical sequen.
II has long been my opinion, Representa- !,
that unless the underlying principles Of North
ern politics and morality, and Of our whole soci
al system, are soon superseded BY sounder
teaehinQ. we are as certa,nlv doatinad for auar.