Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-03-08
"The Nyrongs OF ihe South, I.

Surely tallacy more grOundless has never
had popular run. To examine is TO explode it.
Does the Constitution wrong the South? The
only unequal advantages conferred by that in
strument are two. 1t bestows on the South
the privilege of capturing escaped slaves within
the limits OF the States which have prohibited
Slavery thus, to that extent, curtailing the
local sovereignty of the Free States and sus-
pending the operation of the worlds common
law. Again. it endows the slaveholding States
with an extra representation in Congress- and
superior franchise in the election of all Federal
officers by adding three-hfths of the slaves to
the number Of the free people of those States as
the basis of their representation, thus endOwing
them permanently with vastly more political
power than itconfers on communities of similar
size in the free States. These may be wrongs,
but are they wrongs of the South?
Has Congress wronged the South? II has
bought Louisiana and Florida, fought the Sem
iuoles and MeXicans, receded from the Jefferson
policy of Slavery restriction, enacted Fugitive
Slave bills and enforced them, connived at the
slave-trade packed the Supreme bench, and
winked at Disunion--all for Slavery These
may be wrongs, but are they wrongs Of the
South?
Has'the Judiciary wronged the South? Con-
slider the comparative efficiency in execution of
the Federal laws, in the interest OF Freedom
| The other day, at Cleveland, in the extreme
/ North, the poor girl Eliza was arrested and
proved 10 be a fugitive slave. The Free-State
Court and Personal Liberty bill availed only ia
demand evidence The evidence being pro.
duced Ohio withdrew her protecting hand, and
abandoned the innocent woman to her fate The
bond under the Constitution was paid, even tC
/ the pound of flesh. But at Norfolk the captain
of SLAYER Storm King was acquitted, our ma.
tional laws against the slave-trade being deaC
letter. We have known numerous instances o
of the the rendition of fugitive slaves, but We
cannot recall a single instance of punishment
under the laws against the slaye-trade These
1 may be wrongs but are they wrongs Of tn,
South?
Has Popular Sentiment wrongod the South
There is not a spot on Northern soil where ou
fellow citizens of the South may not freely come
! freely hold, and freely speak their opinions on
any topic, and find personal freedom and free
dom of speech conceded to and maintained fo
them by Northern sentiment as well as b,
Il Northern law. Their every personal right, anC
i every right OF property known to the world
common law, is revered and guarded rs our own
But innocent Northern men, and Southern tot
who merely dissent by silence from the preva
/ lent prO-slavery sentiment in the South are no
safe. They have in many instances been muir
, dered, and in many more they have been igno
miniously expelled Are not these facts? Per
haps they indicate wrongs arising from popula
r sentiment, butnre they wrongs of the Sonth2
, Among the picked men of the South jnov
: convened At Washington is there not one clear
! sighted enough to- discriminate between equ;
rights under the Constitution, and the commo
law, which every Southern man enjoys perfectl
}, in every Northern State and in all national tel
/ ritory, as distinguished from those extra const
tutional guarantees and that national propagate
ofslavery, which, under the term @concession,"
demanded by the South? And is there not on
gallant heart ready to stand by truth and h
country, and to expose to his compeers and cor
t stituents the emptiness and injustice of the or
o "Wrongs of the South?"