The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-01-17

Sudii bc liupEiSOutu hot ACoS Suou tuice |
nor more than FIVE years in the State !
Prison." The law was passed to pro-
tect the free colored citizen from Store |
ible removal from the State as 4 slave"
and to punish his kidnapper. True,
the act prohibits combining in our jaiIs |
"any person arrested and claimed as
fugitive, under a penalty of not less
than 1--WE hundred nor more than one
thousand dollars. Has not Michigan
exclusive control over her jails !?
Neither the Constitution of the United
States, the fugitive slave law 0. 1898,
nor the amendatory act of 1850, makes
provision for or eentemplates that the
fugitive shall or may beconfinedi in our
fails. The government of the United
States has her forts, arsenals, custom
houses and marshals at her command.
and is abundantly able to guard the
fugitive from rescue without resorting
20 our jails for protection. The other
act of the Legislature, already alluded
to, is wholly upon the subject of the
use to which our jails shall be put. In
this act, the sheriff. or person having
them in charge, is prohibited from CON
fning therein any "fugitive slave"
This act in no way conflicts with the
Constitution or fugitive slave law. The
third and last personal liberty biIl''
upon our statutes, is the act of the
Legislature Of 1859, approved by me
on the. 10Th day of February of that
year. . - "-e A2'2a
This law has been in. force in our
State for the past twenty two years,
with the exception of two lines in the,
act, which prohibits bringing sang
negro, naulatto or other person of color
into the State. claiming him or. her, as a
sldue." 1t is against these two lines
that our southern brothers take offence,
and you are asked to repeal the law
because it prohibits them from soiourn-
ing in our. State with Their. slaves. /
deny their right to bring their slaves
into'the State and hold them here as
sacht for one moment. If they may
lawfully bring them upon our soil and
bold them as slaves for one hour, they
may. hold them day, month, or a
year, Coaeede, the, right to bring
them here and hold them in seryitude
against their will, for, any length of
time, no matter how short, and you
concede the whole ground. Where do
they get the right of holding slaves
upon the free soil of Michigan? Ger
tainly not by the decision of any court,
either State or National. The decisions
thus far have been uniform, that slave
ry is local in its character and cannot
exist in. the absence of positive law.
That where the master voluntarily
takes his slave intoaa free State, that
moment CHS shackes fall" and he is
no longer bondsman. But why ar
gue this question? The foot Of the
slave has never yet pressed the soil Of
Michigan since the formation of oul
government except in violation of law
Our fathers, in 1857, spread over Mich
igan an ordinance which declares that
ssssthere shall neither be slavery nor in
voluntary servitude in the said Terrific
ry, otherwise than in the punishnrcnto
scrime;," and twice since Michigan came
into the Union have her people adopted
a Constitution containing the same sen
timent 1t is part of the organic Law
of the Stste, and. who can doubt thu
right of, the Legislature to pass laws
Furnishing the violation of that instru
sment? r ~ bsi s.F aslt-8
These laws are right, and speak thu
sentiments of the people, and are, as
believe, in strict accordance with tn,
constitution and ought not to be re
spealed.s Let them stand. This is M
time ortimid and vaciliating counseis
when the cry of treason and rebellion
Is ringing in our ears. 1t was upol
the soil, Of Michigan that this grea
Republican party was first organized
and it does not now become as to sur
render one principle of that party 81
long as we are right. We have no dis
position to violate any part of the con
stitution of our country, and zoe aoil
not yiolote at. The constitution, a
oar fathers made 1t, is good enough 70
us, and must be enforced upon. ever
foot of American soil. The duty Q
surrenderiDg the fugitive slave is no
:. the whole of that Instrument. Mich
gan cannot recognize the right of
State to secede from this Union. w
believe that the founders of our gov
eminent designed it to be perpetua
and we cannot consent to have one sta
aobliterated from our flag. For w
wards of thirty years this question {
she right of State to secede has bee
bagitated. It is time it was settlet
We ought net to leave it for our chi
dren to look after. - e is'tHa
recommend that you immediatel
mass series of Resolutions, and fo
wardl copies thereof to our Senator
and Representatives. in Congress, e,
pressing. the sentiments of the peopl
Of Michigan upon the subject of OF
Federai relation. / would calmly, b,
firmly, declare it to be the fixed dete
mination of Michigan, "that the Fed
raj Constitution, the rights of tn
States and the Union of the State
must and shall be preserved" afi
SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES
j have now performed the final dut
imposed upon me by the Constitution
and az Iretire to private life, trust
shalu eyer hear in preatfnl remeu