Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-31
For the Leader.
symp0thy for RIr. Gordon.

l Eor Allt LtNQels
! Sympathy for Mr.. Gordon.
A meeting Was held in the United Pres
byterian Church in NOrthheld, Summit
county, on Monday the lsth inst, for the
purpose Of expressing sympathy with the
Rev. George Gordon, who is now incaroer-
ated in the Cleveland jail on the charge of
constructing process" in the execution Of
the Fugitive Slave Law.
After the ordinary introductory business
end the reading Of the following resOlu-
tons By Mr.. Van Horn, on motion, con-
tributon TO assist Mr.. Gordon in defraying
the expenses Incident to his trial and i'm
prisonment, was taken up.
And on the following Friday, pursuant
to an agreement made at the above meet
ing, some. twenty individuals, gentlemen
and ladies, visited Mr.. Gordon in the jail,
BY the company, and presented him with
donation Of twenty-five dollars.
We would tender our thanks to the jailor
for his courtesy in permitting us to carry
out the object Of our visit
The fOlIoaingsre the resolutions referred
to, which we're unanimously adopted by the
meeting;
Resolved, That the requirements of the
Fugitive Slave Law are in direct conflict
With the Law Of God.
RssoIUsd That the Rev. George Gordon,
Who is now inearcerated in Cleveland jail, |
by authority Of the o. s. Court for the $50 !
called) crime Of "obstructing process" in |
the execution Of the Fugitive Slave Law is, |
in eur opinion, suffering for righteousness |
sake; and is entitled to the sympathy of |
all right hearted men; and that to the ex-
tent Of our ability, we will assist him and |
sustain the cause in which he is suffering. |
ResolUed, That it is not prOpitious time |
for the minions Of the slave power to press |
the claims Of the Fugitive Slave Law upon |
outraged humanity; RoV in tha face of the |
terrible judgments which are being poured /
out upon that aeouFsed system by an sveng-
ing Providence; and RolO, when the voice
of the people, like the ground swell" Of the
Arctic seas, Is beginning to be heard, low,
deep, but distinct and aWfully portentous
Of On uphesviBg that win crush to atoms
the rotten fabric Of oppression in our land,
and hurl to the depths Of Oblivion the ilords
Of the lash" and the human blood hounds
who have hunted down and returned the
fleeing fugitive. Nor shall those be held
loss guilty who have meted out the everest
punishment upon men whose only crime
was, that they hated oppression too mnch
and loved liberty too well.
Mr.. james Darling being called upon for
remarks on the resolutions, said;
cannot refrain from expressing nv
utter detestation of that most detestable Of
all outrsges claiming the dignity of a
statute, known as the Fugitive Slave Law.
There has ever existed in my mind q feel
ing Of the utmost adherence and contempt
of both the law and its fFamers, - -vvoii Ts
iLs upOiOgists, from the first moment Of its
existence. But never did it appear so in
consistent and psradoxicslRs at The present
time.
In the language Of one Of the resOlu-
tons "We believe Mr.. Gordon is entitled
TO our sympathy" In the first place, we
believe that our hearty and earnest sym
patty is due to all who are in distress, be
longing to whatever sect or nation, or
color. Thus we are 10 extend our sympa-
thy TO all. To the guilty criminal, who has
violated just and wholesome social regu-
lation, and is suffering its EXTREMIST pen
atty, even to such an one is our sympathy
due. But in q very different way is our
sympathy to be exhibited towards the per-
son whose case is the matter Of our consid.
Grafton tonight. he is suffering all the
personal priVstiOus Of q common thief;
while his only crime is an alleged attempt
to prevent an act of the highest grade of
tkisVing. His judicial sentence holds him
M 10 the world as tiisturber Of the peace
-as q mslefaetor-While his only crime
is an expression Of those sentiments, and
a declaration Of those truths, which only
can make for peace; for be assured no per-
manent peace can be secured if it be not
based upon the principles Of justice and
truth.
Permit me to illustrate this point little
further by an example. Suppose you we're
assured that any person had in his posses
sion q warrant to seize the person of our
Chairman, or--as sslfshness is the passion
on which we can most successfully oper.
ate as q means Of forcing truth upon the
mind-suppOse that your wife or children.
or brothers, were seized, to be dragged /
aWav from freedom TO 3 land Of chains. of
prisons and auction blocks; to drag out a
life of unremitting toll under the lash of
relentless task-masters: would any one,
under such circumstances, have done less
Ihan Mr.. Gordon is ssid to have dene
Would not any individusl IhRve done even
more2 Instead Of censuring Mr.. Gordon,
should we not rather eulogiEe him for his
manly heroism2 For my part, Ieven envy
him for that noble impulse found only in
the highest style Of man-"To feel for
those in bonds as bound with them"
But We hear one say; "served him
right; be should obey the law SILL say
obey the law under all circumstances.
In Gods government Of his universe He
has made al his creatures animate and in
animate, physical and moral, under laws
adapted TO their own peculiar nstures, and
growing out Of the relations existing be. /
tween them and Himself. As man is q |
moral being, 50 far ss he is such be can |
only bebound by thatlaW which is adapted |
TO his moral nature, called the moral tau. -
From this we conclude that there is only |
one law by which man, as moral being, |
ever has been or ever win be bound; and |
that is the moral law. What place then |
has the Law Of the land, or the civil law, |
and what are its obligstions2 Its place is |
entire and unqualified subordination to the /
source Of all law, which, 10 distinguish it |
from the civil end all other subordinate |
statutes, may be called the Higher Law"
The obligation Of a civil statute, if it ex.
acEly acoOrds in principle with the Divine |
law, is as unlimited as the great LswgiVer |
himself. and IS unchanging IS the unVsry- |
ing attributes Of humanity.
The only legitimate province Of a civil
code, or Of civil Institutions is to secure to
each individual, as well as t. the whole So
eial fabric, all the rights and emoluments
flowing to each, and all, through their local
peculiarities, and inter social relations But
If any civil statute be not a true exponent of
the principles Of the moral law, It fails of
force and eent1ias no obligation.
The present is not propitous season for
rfoso- 1uur