Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-04-09
Gntnl,terGiaI.

changed or abrogated in any of these par
ticulars, by vote of tree-fourths of the
States, but can only be repealed or amended
by the concurring assent of every State in
the Union.
And here, might pause to enquire, wheth-
er that section and that alone is not worth all
the effort which Virginia instituted, which
ended in the convocation of the representa-
tives of twenty-one of the States in the city
of Washington, and which has placed here
that section as assented to in that Confer
ence.
The 7th and last section of this prcja is
that which relates to fugitive slaves, and
compensation for them:
Congress shall provide by law that the
United States shall pay to the owner the full
value of his fugitive from labor, in all cases
where the marshal or other officer whose duty
it was TO arrest such fugitive, was prevented
frsm SO doing by violence or intimidation
from mobs or riotous assemblages, or when.
after arrest, such fugitive was rescued by
like violence and intimidation, and the own
er thereby deprived of the same; and Con-
gress shall provide by law for securing to
citizens of each State the privileges and i'm
munities of the several States"
That addendum, of which / shall speak
presently, formed no part of the original Sec
ton as reported by the committee, but OBJ
tanned its position here by motions in the
Conference, of which shall speak hereafter.
Now, Mr.. President. in regard to this It'll
section, so far as il provides compensation to
the owner for fugitives from labor lost by
violence or intimidation, there seems to be
no objection. All agree that the owner should
be paid. The principal objection which I
hear made to this provision is, that it does
not secure the right of reimbursement to the
Government after payment of the value of
the slave, from the city or county where the
violence or intimidation has occurred, and
with remedy over against the tort tedsor, or
wrong doer.
In the first place, / remark it is quite ap-
parent that legislation to some extent will
be required to carry out and execute this
provision.
The legislation of Congress must provide
some mode of ascertaiDing the value of the
slave. There must be some judicial proceed
ing by which the value is to be ascertained.
The evidence upon which the claim is TO be
allowed, and the manner of presenting such
evidence. the tribunal which is to hear the
evidence and determine the claim, must be
provided by law. Congress, when providing
by legislation to carry out this amendment
of the Constitution, can also provide, by the
same act, the proper remedies against the
city or county, or against the individual
wrong doors, if it be deemed advisable to do
so. Constitutional amendments do not go
IuIO ut icib "
ton. 1t was SO with that provision OF the
Constitution by which persons held to service
in one State fleeing into another are to be
rendered up. Congress had to pass a law to
carry out that organic provision. This is my
first answer to the objection.
Another objection made to the proposition
is, that it is payment out of the public treas
ury, and that the owner of the slave is thus
made in part to pay for his own property.
If the owner of a lost slave is to be paid at
all, it will be admitted. presume, that he
should be paid by the Government. Wheth-
er the Government is to be reimbursed or not
is another question. We would hardly send
the owner himself on the county or city
where the obstruction has occurred, or
against the perpetrators of the wrong.
The argument that gentlemen use would
apply to many cases where payment is made
from the public treasury, and to which, as
citizens of the country, we contribute. By
the law of Virginia, if my own slave is con-
demand for felony, to capital punishment
and executed, 1 am paid the value OF that
slave. Being a citizen and taxpayer of the
State, it may, in the same sense, be said that
1 in part pay for my own slave. Every
who derives compensation may
say that he in part pays his own salary.
ITO be continued.