The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1861-01-11

extorted in 18l0-'20, q conces-
sion which excluded the South from about
half the territory acquired from France.
II demanded, and again received, rs a
peace offering in 1S45, all of that part Of
Texas, North of 36o 30> North latitude,
IL at any time the interest of the people
thereof shall require division of her
territory.
II would submit to nothing less than
q compromise in 1856, by which it dis.
that State, and remanded to
territorial condition considerable por-
ton OF its territory South of SO 30.
II excluded, by the same Compromise,
the Southern people from California,
whose mineral wealth, fertility of soil,
and salubiity Of climate, is not surpassed
on earth; by prematnrely forcing her
into the Union under Constitution,
in fraud by set of adventur-
crs, in the total absence of any law au.
thoriEing the formation of q Constitution,
fixing the qualification of voters. reyu.
lating the time. place, or manner of elect.
ing delegates, or the time or place of the
of such Convention. Yet all
these irregular and unauthorized proceed
ings were sanctiiied by the fact that the
Constitution prohibited slavery, and for
ever closed the doors Of that rich and
desirable territory against the Southern
people. And while the Southern mind
was still burning under a humiliating
sense of this wrong. it refused to admit
Kansas into the Union upon Constitu.
ton. framed by authority of Congress
aud by delegates elected in conformity to
law, upon the ground that slavery was
recognized and protectcd.
Ii claims the constitutional right to
abolish slavery in the District of Column.
bia. tho. forts, arsenals, backwards and
other places ceded TO the United States.
within The limits of slaveholding States.
Ii proposes prohibition of the slave
trade between the States, thereby crowd
ing the slaves together and preventing
their exit South, until they become un-
profitable to an extent that will force the
owner finally to abandon them in self.
defense.
1t has, by the deliberate Legislative
enactment of large majority of the
Northern States, openly and ilagrantly
nu!ltied that clause of the Constitution
which provides that
mo person held to service or labor in
one State under the laws thereof, escaping
into another, shall in consequence of any
law or regulation therein, be discharged
from such service or labor, but shall be
delivered up on claim of the party to
whom such service or labor may be due"
This provision of the Constitution has
been spurned and trampled under foot
by these "higher law" nullifiers. 1t is
utterly powerless for good, since ell at
tempts to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law
under it, are made felony in some of
these States, high misdemeanor in 9TH
ers. and punishable in all by heavy fine
and imprisonment. The distempered
public opinion of these localities having
risen above the Constitution and all other
law, planting itself upon the anarchcal
doctrines of the "higher law," with inn
punity defies the Government, tramples
upon our rights, and plumbers the South
ern citizen.
1t has, through the Governor of Ohio,
as openly nullitied that part of the Con-
stitution, which provides that
"a person charged in any State with
treason, felony or other crime, who shall
flee from justice, and be found in another
State, shall on demand of the executive
authority of the State from which he fed
be delivered up, to be removed to the
State having jurisdiction of the crime"
In discharge of official duty. had oc.
casion, within the past year, to demand
of the Governor of Ohio, "a person charged
in tie State (of Ienuessee) ciN Tie crime" o.
Stare stealing, who had fled from. justice ard
was found in the State of Ohio. The Coz.
ernor refused to issue his warrant for the
arrest and delivery of the fugitive, and in
answer to letter of inquiry which | adj
dressed him, said: "The crime Of negro
stealing not being known to either the
common law or the criminal code of Ohio
it is not of that class of crimes contemplate
ed by the Federal Constitution, for the
commission of which | am authorized, as
the executive of Ohio, to surrender fu
gitive from the justice offs sister State
and hence declined to issue warrant
&c.. thus deliberately multiplying and set
ting at defiance the clause of the Const
tuition above quoted, as well as the act Of
Congress of February 18th, 1893, and
grossly violating the ordinary comfy ex
isting between separate and Independent
nations much less the comfy which should
exist between sister States of the same
great Confederacy, the correspondence
connected with which is herewith trans
mtted.
1t has, through the executive authority
of other States, denied extradition of muir.
derers and marauders.
1t obtained its own compromises in the
Constitution to continue the importation
OF slnves, and now sets up law, higher
than the Constitution, to destroy this
property imported and sold to US by their
fathers.
1t has caused the murder of owners in
pursuit of their fugitive slaves, and shield
ed the murderers from punishment.
1t has, upon many occasions, sent its
emissares into the Southern States to cor
rupt our slaves; induce them to run off,
or excite them to instruction.
1t has run off slave property by means
of the "under ground railroad" amount.
ing in value to millions of dollars, and
thus made the tenure by which slaves are
held in the border States so precarious as
to materially impair their value.
1t has, by its John Brown and Mont.
gomery raids, invaded sovereign States
and murdered peaceable citizens.
1t has justified and "exalted to the
highest honors of admiration, the horrid
murders, arsons, and rapine of the John
Brown raid, and has canonized the felons
as saints and martyrs"
1t has burned the towns. poisoned the
cattle, and conspired with the slaves to
depopulate Northern Texas.
1t has, through certain leaders, pro-
claimed to the slaves the terrible motto,
Alarm to the sleep, fire to the dwellings,
poison TO the food and water of slavehoid-
ers."
1t has repudiated and denounced the
decision of the Supreme Court.
1t has assailed our rights as guaranteed
by the plainest provisions of the Constitu-