Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-03

lulsltlon was wadO under pISper 1ensf and |
this misersapt was sstprnsd, Vt ttis QoferA
nor no Of id. 1Eee lwsgsPer fof'Anat t'ep q
osvsd oi ss'u njss f,1 sSsd sa' sss's
law of IoSh itelf VI al@o vidIl.ted BY him; ~
u required @prompt deli v4&y. ffHe failed DO
his duty, because he had 1okthe courage to mest
= public ssntiment a. unhealthy as the fog, and
small pcx and secession recently prevalent at
pEST y tSlSe l obioiedls. 2lfbeJsI Nv lie.
cei4ed from Virginia and Kentucky GoSern6rs,
not only formal complaintsb by message and let
ter, but to enforce the plainest clause OF the
Constitution, we havcthe spectacle o(Eoue state
suing in the U. 8. Court, the Executive Of an
other State, for q Mandamus 10 compel him to
do what duty demands 'is h7i 'Faigrfp % bi3 !,
The Arh Ohio case was another .Jobn; Brown
abstter and, alder. nay, Two Of them, Oliver
Brown and Francis Msfriam.'i The Governor of
Ohio, unlike the Governor of Iowa, shielded
himself behind the opinionof an Attorney Gen.
eral, one Or p. iWoleots This fdnetionary 10
chiefly known as the lawyer who moved the ad-
JournInent OF his court on the day John Blown
was hung, as q tribute 10 his memory. He was a
ft persoato furnish reasons for the non-delive-
ry Of Browne coniteres in crime. His reasons
are too. frivolous for, serious CONNECT. OAe
reason is that he found no act in ,lorce in Ohio,
authorizing the 4ovefnort TO act More shame
to Ohio; for such an Aet had been repealed for
the purpose OF preventing the execution OF the
Constitution In this respect. In 4lell, we bad
such a iaw in Ohio, as would have commanded
the Governor to act. Il existed In 1854. It
was tampered with In 1856 and 1858, 80 as TO
leayeout the important. part. But is any part
nf ikim Noo ofo.,v IN Ia.
lry2 The Ohio Governor, without State Law, /,
has demanded fugitives from Virginia, and re.
covered them, and not syllable of lsw In Ohio
is there for such a. reclamation. But -he had
not the courage to do bis duty to Virginia, when
our citizens : our citizens! God help such citi-
zens, for the law never ought to,--are to be re-
turned, f1si 7'r, - ia 7, i't'' -,fi s1-it--- r
The law of Congress Of l793,,, was ample
enough. Tor the Governor. II was a part of his
osth-to execute It, But there is lsw,of 1854
lin Ohio, which, without any straining, would
haye been warrant enough for any but an at
Etorney for the Brown family. II provides that
those charged with the commission OF any Grim
inal offence against the ld,cs Of any other State
shall be delivered" &c., IN. ,-i., NJ, or TOT
I Bat above all, how pueriie is the reason for
lfhe non delivery OF these fugitives, when 40 is
known that our State has, by her law, refused
IsV eAOW bACuaCAb w ~ nv ~ hCoooh.Ot
any informally and defect ia the warrant and
commitment, With such high crimes as this
Brown and Merriam were charged with with 60
sacred a right as the. reclamation of such noto-
rious criminals; with so fair a Judiciary as Vir.
ginia has shoHr herself to have,--it was o sorry
sight TO see the Executive of the third State il
the Confederaey seeking the speciouI sophistry
ot. an Abolition pettifogger TO avoid the per-
formsnce OF an imperative duty. r. --'' '.'r'' ...
| Bnt the, Constitution and law Of Congress,
without State law, were warrant enough for o
tcorrect, executive, But our Executive would not
even give that notice which comfy required Of q
friendly State. He did not treat Virginia as
decenty as the Canadian authorities have treat
ed Missouri In similar case, now pending in
the Canadian courts
| There are some technical objections stated by
this Attorney General, which would truly come
under the maxim dc minimus ier non curGt. Here
was case where the criminal was indicted for
crimo in Virginia; he is shortly after found
| in Ohio; the indictment was henticated; il
showed that the crime was committed in Virgin.
la and this Ohio Attorney General infers hence,
as If TO show tho utmos. of iribbliDg effrontery
that there is no allegation or evidence that Mer.
RAN ever fed from Virginisn! It was enough
to otate that the man was fugitive from jus.
tice. This was stated. The rest il as clearly
manifest as if written with sunshine. The rec.
lsmstiou was in the very language of the law
| No evidence OF fleeing ia ever required. In q
case which have before me, from Shelby coun
", Ohio, Gov. Denniscn himself asked and OBJ.
ceiyed, an slleged fo-ger, VIM Munich, without
any such evidence, from Gov. Leicher, of Vir.
giniA |: is remarkable that other cases are
found between Ohio and Virgins, where the
very practice OF which Gov. Dennison and his
Attorney General complain, has been institu
ted by Gov. Den1;so1 himself. Gov. Lescher
Acting Si:h Eh.E eaiTIlrie regard for comfy and
/ good fai.h, Ehiea has ever marked his course
delivered - oshsr eTiniuals, trusting 70 the
I OAio syssC-RAs, f1r an honest snd fair trial
Bat koE has ttis comfy been returned7 !
! don e Asa bog i would have been returned, had
ibese beeu &c Slave iasuIection and abolition
criminal in the case. Bot bow was it returned
| Why ic esse Involving tho very structure OF
domestic society and civil order n sistcr State,
where the homes and happiness the very Pen
ates Of the cd dominion were at the mercy Of
the fanstica zealot-orr Goye.noT-to use the
language of Gov. Letcher, 'conly sits down and
| submits requisitioD, drawn in the usual form
and With precedenls drawn from the Executive
archives Of Ohio-to the jealous acutness of his
attorneylgeneral, to pick flaws and search for
informaiLies, 10 give color of resson to deny the
e1tradi.ion, go that (mark the fell intent,) the
offenders may escape before the defect, if it be a
defect, can be remedied." Aye and before the
defect can be remeded, Il is tolegraphed to the
world! Surely this conduct might well make one
ponder whether there should not be some pro.
vision TO carry out the "supreme laws" where
by the Executive who ehields, might be
made, with his convenient tool, the Attorney
General to take the place and receive the pea
o1s onfNh Nhn ,r.I, vk.~s g. .aLs I'll Al
As the crowniDg pretext for this act Of perf.
dy it was further objected, that there was no
allegation that Merriam and Brown were ever
in Virginia. This too, in spite Of the allegation
Of the Indictment to that effect,
have no heart to 60 over these puerililies
and snapperadoes of practice. Better at once
had Gov. Dennison appealed to his "higher
law" Better echoed the praises upon John
Brown, OF his predecessor Gov. Chase, who
''couid not withhold his admiration of his heroic
qualities Better have at once disclaimed the
Constitutional requirement with Giddings, and
say "Jonn Browns brother saints aud martyrs
shall receive refuge and protection on Ohio
soil--iD spite OF the American Constitution. -
Better this, than to resort to their ntemptible
subtfuge. No wonder the Executive of Viz
ginia calls for redress In his message! No Won
der these loving bonds of Union are becoming
mere ropes OF sand, or worse, gives, to fret the
wearer into madness. And because one of tho
Ohio Congressman, dare raise his voice in pro-
test against this dishonor, aud call on the Com
mittee Of thirty-three to provide remedy, the
execration of the Republican press is to be his
fate. l confess have some State pride; but it
is just now united to the two hundred thousand
National men of ohio,who protest against these
breaches Of faith. ! scorn to take pride in
our shame. ! will herald these deinquinces,