Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-20
P11FE 1ED DINA IENTAI PAINTING.
The Duty er the ArET in Rsturnina FueI-
tive slaves.

This Is a question v rhich rlsesinto no small
Importance as the campaign progresses. The
Washington correspondent Of the New York
World mentions An instance OF the arrest
aud return BY Federal troops Of slave from
Virginia who had escaped from his master,
and adds 'qt is not fayorably commented up
on among the soldiers" Why shoaldi it boz
Were these men onlis,ed for the purpose OF
ssiiag Is bloOdhoundz2 Our troops, for the
most part, are men Of intelligence, who have
entered the army in obedience to their sense
Of duty, not from any love of military ser
vice. They are deeply imbued with the pre-
VaIling sentiment at the North, that slavery is
an evil and that slave-catching IS disteputabls.
They maybe willing 70 act as aR0s's eonaitatas
in aiding the execution Of civil writs, wheth-
or they be for the arrest OF a 'qugitiYe from
labor or fugitive from justice, but they are
decidedly averse to acting ia the capacity ota
standing pack Of slave hounrs. They should
not be asked to do this thing, nor do we be-
Heve the Government viii require it Of them.
There is no constitutional obligation resting
upon the officers of the army to engage in
such work, but rather is it a usurpatiOn of
power. By the law Of Congress known as
the Fugitive Slave Law, the duty OF arrest
ing and returning fugitive slaves devOlves
upon the civil officers of the Government in
the State where such fugitive is found. in
the loyal States, these officers are in the undis-
tarbed discharge of their duties, and need no
military aid in enforcing the laws In the
FobeIlious States thess oflcers in conse-
quenee Of the rebellion, have ceased to exer-
else their Official functions. For this the
Federal Government is not responsible, but
d sufferer by it. The enforcement in such
States Of the laws designed to benefit the
General Government is forbidden by State
legidation. Is it, then, the duty ofthe Gov
GrnmeuttO prOvideby force farms for the ex-
esution ofsuch laws as are calculated to ben
sft the very people who arc oOnspiring to
prevent their execution in the ordinary way2
Clearly not Morris there any constitutional
authority for such course. The COnstitu-
don confers no power upon any one
10 deprive the humblest individual
of his liberty without a fair aud
impartial trisl in civil court, except when
detected in acts hostile to the Government
We do not question the right and perhaps
the duty, of the General Government to sup
press Instructions, Of whatever character,
when asked BY the proper State authorities
10 do so; but army officers have no more
dghtto arrest iugitives from labor, independ-
out Of the civil authorities, than they have
to interfere with the legitimate business pur-
suisof loyal citizens.
The relation which the institution of slavery
auStains to the Federal Government and the
duty of the Government toward it in case the
ElavshoIding States push the rebellion to the
bitter end, viii be moro clearly defined as
the campaign advances; but against the pet
ty stretch Of power noted above-for which
the Administration is not responsible-we, in
thsname Of hosts Of true men whom the free
North has sent to the defense of the cOuntry,
enter a solemn protest.