Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-05-08

yulsion, the end Of which no man can
conjecture, and no living man will see.
These two points relate, |. The fair and
complete execution of the provisions OF
the Federal Constitution, made expressly
in favor of property in sIaves-and most
especially the provision for the rendition
OF fugitive slaves .. To the recognition
of the perfect equality OF slave STATES with
the free States under the Federal Consti-
tuition, in all things-and most especially
in the matter OF Federal Territories. We
will briefly treat each OF these points sep
arately, And as it appears 10 us very clear
that adequate power exists under the
Federal Constitution to settle both points
in fair, complete and satisfactory man.
NERVE viii not enter upon the discus
sion of any of the proposed changes in
that instrument. There are also several
incidental questions, such as slavery in
( the District Of Columbia, the migration
of slaves from one Slave State to another,
and the like, which we shall not discuss
since, as we doubt not, the settlement o!
the real question will draw after it the
settlement cf the rest; and a refusal to
settle them renders all discussion OF the
others idle.
4. If any one vii ! compare the unquesc
tionble right of the owners of slaves, Sc
cured by the Federal Constitution, to
have them delivered to them in the
States 10 which they may escape with
what has occurred during many past years
with reference to the fair and sincere en-
forcement of this right, in any Northern
State where its enforcement has been at
tempted,-o with the average aggregate
conduct of the whole North upon the
subject he will be struk with astopish.
ment, ir proportion as he gets a COM
plete idea of what the border slave States
have suffered, and of the demoraliIe
condition of opinion at the North on the
whole subject, and Of the utter wicked
ness o' the organized robbery which ha:
| been Systematically carried on. Mark
/ the Constituti on of the nation expressly
requires the rendition Of slaves when they
csc lpe. Then observe, that along the
| border common to Ohio and Kentucky
slaves have been Systematically enticed
from their owners, by organized societies
| in Ohio, and carried off by arrangements
so extensive, so complete, and so etfeCtual
that along the entire border between
those States, two or three counties deep
slavery is totally insecure in Kentucky
! Along the frontier of all the other border
slave States, a similar system of organi,
zed pluuler has beer in active operation
To what extent the system penetrates
| the interior regions Of the slave States, il
! is difficult say but it is known that ennis.
sares from the North have systematically
rervaded the entire South, in every inn
aginable disguise, schoolmaster, pecier,
agent, quack, preacher, lahorer-every
! thing making known to the slaves the
routes and methods of escape, and instill>
ing into their minds principles that re-
suit in house burning, poisoning, murder
and rape, if escape is impossible. What
success has attended these diaboliCal pro.
ceedngs, with regard to the whole num-
Der of slaves stolen, we have no better
means of knowing than the published
statement Of journals that advocate the
robbery; and after allowing for much
boasting on their part, prompted by very
obvious reasons, tie number can hardly
be set lower than yearly average of ten
! thousand slaves-worth little short of ten
millions Of dollars-for some years past.
nor must it be forgotten, that although
large sums of money are contributed 10y
| fanatics throughout the North, to the
yearly support of these operations, yet
the immediate agents of the work make
! il very profitable. We, and many hun>
dred persons, have personal knowledge
/ of case which occurred a few years age
in Kentucky, in which between fifty and
sixty negro men we're attempted TO be run
oil at one time, from Lexington and the
surrounding region; in which the fee OF
the white organizer and leade" OF the
company varied, according to the success
ofthe negroes in stealing, from twenty five
to one hundred and fifty dollars each In
that case the party was surprised when
near the Ohio River, and the slaves reCov.
cred end the white man is now in the
! Kentucky Penitentiary of being
lynched, as he would have been any where
but in one of the finest communities in
the world. Now lot it be further obser.
we'd, that this state of horrible perfdy,
though notorious at the North, instead of
awakiDg the universal horror of the COM
munity, finds the fundamental principles
which underie it, gradually penetrating
III all directions; widely influential jour
mails advocating them supporters of them
sitting in many State Legislatures, and in
both Houses Of Cong ess political parties
impregnated with them the laws of many
States changed 50 as to give them securi.
ty the current literature deeply imbued
with them and to crown all, the ministers
of religion, to the extent almost of whols
sects ana denominations, making them
the chief themes of their instruction from
the palpit. We do not enumerate tho
election of Mr.. Lincoln as the climax, and
final triumph of these principles on the
contrary, it is clear to us that his nomina'
ton for the Presidency is to be account
ed evidence Of reaction against them
and we know of little in the modern his
tory OF parties, braver, or more manly
than his unhinching and reiterated decla
ratious, that the South is entitled to an
effective law for the rendition of fugitive
slaves, and TO its effective execution.
5. That is precisely what the whole
South demands. Planted on the Copsttu
tion-loyal TO it and to the country-the
evidence of the wrongs she has endured
written on the whole face of society North