Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-02-23

following significant language In his address to
the Commissioner
I'm justice to the claimants, | will sey that they
are actuated by no mercenary motives, nor do they
come to harrass the pr.judfces Of the North; their
object is simply to test ioherAer our declamations
Of being ldtO abiding citizens are true. and are
really meant. Cleveland has come up to the work
n'aNJully, and no citizen has laid a single strao in
the soGy, and these gentlemen from Virginia thank
you for it, and it will satisfy them more than
all else."
Commissioner White bore the same testimony 10
regard to this matter, most clearly indicating that
'he case was applied as a test. He says;
These men want to know If the people t1t
enforce the tdU 1T they care nothing about the 5000
or $500. The people are in favor of the enforce
ment OF the law, and l don't believe there are
twenty men who would attempt a rescue. A de-
lay will probably increase the feeling of devotion
to law. The South does not believe q slave cen
be taken from this place, forming tho belief from
various meetings in a political canvass. This ex-
hibition o.day shows that this talk was all owing
to political EXCITEMENT and | wish to show that
these people will continue faithful to the law
that in spite of unfaitbfulness in the South, we
will maintain the law, and With a clear conscience
bring traitors to punishment, if necessary"
The market value of Lucy was probably about
six hundred dollars, aad a proposition was made
to raise twelve hundred for her REDEEM ption, or
rather to buy off Cleveland's humiliation. The
Claimant was willing to sell her for that amonnt,
but unwilling to sell her for that or any other sum,
until she had been legally remanded to slavery,
and delivered to him upon Virginia soil. Then,
when the humiliation of Cleveland was ac-
complisbed, and Lucy had carried with her to the
South the testimony of its subserviency, those who
we're willing to pay twice her market value, might
buy her free.
now NET.
1t was evidently feared by those who had the
legal management of the case, that Humanity
would prove stronger than the fugitive slave law,
and outraged Justice vindicate itself by direct
process from the Court of Higher Law" Hence
there was any amount of afectionate m
dations to the people to keep the peace, and plain
tive appeals for tho duo observance of law and
order; the pleaders seemingly oblivious to the fact
that the law to be observed was worse than any
which the Emperor of all The Russias evor gave
to crushed Poland, and the order to be maintain
ed more fraught with death to the hopes of
Humanity than that which 'reigned in Warsaw"
On the day of the arrest Judge Tilden said, Il
enjoin it upon all, and especially upon these color
ed persons, that they wait iot the sure and certain
relief aohich taW can afford, and / hope that they
will do their duty and remain quiet"
If "the sure and certain relief which law can
afford" was to be understood to apply to the case
in hand, the hope thus extended must have SEEM
I'D IN oil hnl1or aod l.,1..z e. At -.
o. bringing relief to a captive by and through the
fugitive sla%velaw, is born of !he saddest %infatua-
ton, and is a hope that is hopolessly insane. But
If this "snre and certain relief was to be distantly
prospective, to DC brought about by a due course
of Republican legislation when the fugitive slave
law should be pruned Of some of its least Oh
jeosiohablo features, and 40 judieionsly done 'thas
its efficiency should not be impaired, /" then too,
this hope was hollow and baseless, and if Judge
Tilden had been called upon to have given a
reason for The faith in him pointing to "sure and
certain relief" it is possible he could not have
furnished it.
When the eolored people were ''cspecidUy'' en-
Joined to wait for legal relief, it was q pity that
some of this portion of Cleveland's population
had not then and thoro asked the Judge if he was
wv NANs - IL DlSb OOOhl uCSloiOD tuslT
citizenship was denied them, and that should
they rosortto law for redress, they would not be
permitted to enter q U. S. Court as plaintiffs; and
have informed him that it seemed-whether so de-
signed or not-yet under the circumstance it
seemed an insult to enjoin them to "wais for the
sure and certain relief which law can afford"
10 Judge Spauiding's concluding speech he
said,
while we do this. in the City of Cleveland, in
the Connecticut Western Reserve, and permit this
poor piece Of humanity TO be taken, PEAcEADLY,
through our streets, and upon our railways, back
to the land Of bondage, will not the frantic South
stay its parricidal arm? Will not our compromis-
ing legislators cry, "Iold enough"
Human rights are one the world over, and it is
one of Gods interchangeable laws that he who pla-
ceS a chain upon the limb Of another, shall find
the other end around his own neck. Had the
Judge been as well versed 10 morals as in law. he
would have perceived this truth, and not have i'm
plcringly asked the South to secure his rights in
return for the surrender of Lucy's. The very
fact that Cleveland helped Goshorn strike down
the Godgiven rights of that poor fugitive, gave
the South new power to hample upon the rights
Of the North, now vantage ground upon which
to rest the lever of oppression.
There are two ways of obeying n distastefuI
law, even by those who believe that the lower law
is Of more binding force than the Higher law.
One way is, to submit with u sullen obstinacy,
fighting the eniorcers at every point, throwing
difficulties in their way, and making them feel
glad TO leave as soon as possible, bearing with
them as they 90, an unmistakaLle conviction that
their absence is better than their presence, and
that If they do not soon leave :hey might suffer
personal Injuries as well as hear words Of right
eOus Indignation. The other way is that recon-
mended by Daniel Webster, 'to conquer your
prejudices," and to obey "Sith alacrity" what
oven the Cleveland Leader calls "an unjust, OPP
pressIve, Infamous, and unconstitutiona law" to
treat slave-catchers as gentlemen, and place your
self upon a level with such hounds by the treat
ment you extend to them, and the %servility to do
their bidding. Cleveland chose the latter, and