Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-02-20
"rHE WRONGS OF THE SOUTH"

Surely a fallacy more groundless has never
had popular run. To examine is TO explode
it. Does the Constitution wrong the South
The only unequal advantages conferred oy
that instrument two. 1t bestows on the
South the privilege of capturing escaped
slaves within the limits of the Stateswhich have
prohibited Slavery thus, to that extent, cur
failing the local sovereignty of the Free States
and suspending the operation of the world s
common law. Again, it endows the Slave
holding States with an extra representation in
Congress- and superior franchise in the G.
lection of all Federal officers, by adding three
| fifths of the slaves to the number of the free
peopIe of those States as the basis of their
| representation, thus endowing them perma-
| nently with vastly more political power than
| it confers on communities of similar size in
the Free States. These may be wrongs, but
| are they wrongs of the South
| Has Congress wroDged the South II has
| bought Louisiana and Florida, fought the
| Seminoes and MeXicans, receded from the
| Jefferson policy of Slavery yrestriction, enact
| ed Fugitive Slave bills and enforced them,
connived at the slave-trade, and winked at
Dsunon-all for Slavery. These may be
wrongs but are they wrongs of the South
| Has the Judiciary wronged the South
Consider the comparative efficiency in execu-
tion of the Federal laws in the interest OF
| Slavery, as compared with those in the inter
| est of Freedom. The other day, at Cleveland
in the extreme n orth, the girl Eliza WAS ar
rested and proved to be fugitive slave.
| The Free-State Court and Personal Liberty
| bill availed only to demand evidence. The
evidence being produced, Ohio withdrew her
| protecting hand, and abandoned the woman TO
| her fate. The bond under the Constitution
was paid, even to the pound of flesh. But at
| orfolk. the captain OF the SLAYER Storm King
was acquitted, our national laws against the
slave-trade being a dead lerter. We have
| M nt... InSta nj hN nj
| fugitive slaves, but we cannot recall single
| instance of punishment under the laws against
the slavetrade. These may be wrongs, but
are they wrongs OF the South.
Has Popular Sentiment wronged the South
| There is not spot Northern soil where
onr fellow-citizens of the South may not free
| ly come, freely hold, and freely speak their
opinions on any topic, and find personal free
! dom and freedom of speech conceded to and
maintained for them by Northern law. Their
every personal right, and every right of prop
| crty known to the worlds common law, is re-
vered and guarded own. But innocent
| Northern men, and Southern too, who merely
| dissent by silence from the prevalent Pro-
| Slavery sentiment in the South, are not safe
there. They Lave in many instances been
murdered, and in many more they have been
! ANONYMOUSLY expelled. Are not these facts
Perhaps they indicate wrongs arising from
| popular sentiment, but are they wrongs OF the
! South
Among the picked men of the South now
| convened at Washington is there not one
clearsighted enough to discriminate between
equal rights under the Constitution and the
common law, which every Southern man en-
! joys perfectly in every Northern State and in
all national territory as distinguished from
| those extra constitutional guarantees and that
national propagation of Slavery which. under
| the term ssconcesson," is demanded by the
| lS IF
ready to stand by truth and his country, and
to expose to his compeers and constituents
the emptiness and injustice OF the cry,
sWrongs of the South ?''