Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-01-16

mus, with which the Personal Liberty
bills were passed? Were they not des-
igned 10 impede the free execution Of the
r Fugitive Slave Law.
Rep l cannot deny that such was the
intent, but ! think they may be excused
as retaliatory laws. South Carolina pas
sed her law imprisoning free blacks, long
before a Personal Liberty bill was passed
at the North and under that she impris-
oned colored citizens of Massachusett,
coming there on ships. and does to this
day. Let her first repeal that act, be-
fore she asks us to repeal ,our Personal
Liberty bills.
DEN. My friend, you and your party
have harped on that string long enough.
The Tribune, the Post, and all your press,
have been stultifying themselves about it
till it is time it was stopped. Do you
know that Connecticut does the same
thing, and always did it? And believe
Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Is,
land, and in fact every New England
State does it every day.
REF. don't understand you. | am a
Connecticut man and know no such law
on her statute books.
Dew. Then I know her better than YOU.
Tell me, ifa free white citizen of New
York State, poor and sclily, but willing
to labor, goes on the Plymouth Rock to-
night to Stonington, and lands there to
morrow morning with nothing in his
pocket, and with the protection. of the
American flag over him and the immuni.
ties from arrest and disturbance which
that Constitution guarantees around him
tell me, if he begins TO look around for
work, what are the chances that Stoning-
ton will let him do Il? How soon will
the selectmen have him by the shoulder!
Much good then may it do him to plead
the immunities of an American citizeu.-
His adversary will haul him up before the
judge, and the judge will ship him back
to New York that night Why, sir, !,
with my own eyes, once saw an old black
man, very old-they called him eighty
then-with his old wife, feeble, worn out
dying old folks, who had lived in Connec-
ticut for sixty years, in charge of con-.
stable from North Stoning on shipped at
Grot IN Bank for Long Island-weeping,
begging not to be exiled, but forced in
age ard poverty into what was to
them literally foreign land l knew
the old man well gentlemen with me
had known him in New London county
forty odd years asked old jim where
he was going; his reply was the depth of
pathos. They we're shipping him and
the old woman to Southold, because he
was torn there ! "lIaye you any relations
or friends there, Jim2" my sister was
alive their forty years ago" Well, sir,
they shipped him and they do that
same sort Of thing every month in the
New England States, where man is gull
ty of the crime of being poorl It's no
single occurrence. have seen the thing
done myself q dozen times; ard who ey~
er thought Of the Constitution of The
United States? Now undertake.
to say that when Connecticut stops
arresting and exiling white and black
citizens for the crime of poverty
when Illinois stops the absolute exclusion
of black citizens of Massachusetts," from
her soil; then South Carolina will give
up excluding the same blacks from her
territory. But let us have done with re-
ordinations. The present danger to the
country is, that men will waste precious
hours in disputing as to the cause Of the
difficulty and who got us into it. Let us
be patriots and devise a way to get out of
it that shall satisfy us all.
REP Where is the point Of danger, in
your opinion?
Dem. In this Southern disunionists arc
determined to leave the Union. Itis use.
less now TO discuss whether they are JUS
tifiable, or not. They are absolutely de.
termined, and ill break up the country
if they can. No concessions will reach |
them, They are not bullying" but nc.
ting. They don't want you to compro-
mise; they don't ask any yielding But
you Republicans have it il your power to
strengthen the conservative element at
the South You may save the Union by
making conservative men enough in Sou,
thern States TO save them. If, as you say,
we Democrats have belied you, show the
South at once in what we have belied
yon.
REF, How?
DEM Are you in favor of enforcing the
Fugitive Slave Law?
REF, am, and always was. But don't
like the obnoxious feature of making mo
help the Marshal to catch slaves.