Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-03-28

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them. j feel this blow at the honor of
onr beautiful city. at the honor of our
Western Reserve. at the honor of our
State. at the honor of our people, too
deeply. / write in sorrow, and not in ar
ger. But they represented themselves as
acting in obedience to Law. deny item
phatically. The Fugitive Slave Act IS not
law according to the definition of that
term given by any approved writer for the
last century. Law" says Blackstone, lis
rule of action prescribed by the supreme
power of State. commanding that which
is right. and prohibiting that which is
wrong" The Fugitive Act commands
that which IS scrong. and prohibits that
which is right 1t is the reverse of law.
the antagonism oflaw. 1t was never pre-
scribed by the people who are the su-
preme power in this nation. They never
delegated to members of Congress authori-
ty to murder, or cnslave any human being;
they held no such authority themselves.
and could not have delegated it to slave
hoders and doughfaccs., tits insultingt to-
the intelligence of our people to call that
act Law No. let the truth be spoken;
the capture OF Lncy was as unauthorized, IS
unmitigated piracy as was the capture
Of her ancestors in Africa. Bat some of
those men were Republicans. They had
said to the world. thas Lacy held her right
to life AMI liberty from the CREATOR
That our government was instituted to
secure the eaioyment of thescrights. I'M
der the Constitution they hal sworn she
should not be deprived OF them. except on
conviction of crime. Aidel to these.
were all the human sympathies. and all
the moral considerations apprcciable by
mortals urging them to protect this friend
less female stranger. Why dia they not
do it? They dared not do IT.. They bow
despotism that ever crushed the souls of
men. 1t was the dcspotism OF slavery
buchanan surreniers up our Forts AMI
Arscnals at the bidding of the slave power.
But the principle men Of Cleavelanl sur-
render up helpless females to moral DEATH
at the bidding of this same slave power
History will record the mpurnful story OF
Lucy; but when future generations shall
look back upon the present day. and find
tu~S OCc1 scf<ot ~ otc btUSt FcccttfSr rocSPct-
ism was held forth as virtue. here on this
Western Reserve in this afternoon of the
nineteenth century; that in lanl of bibles
and Of churches, lanl boasting of its
christianity, the people quietly looked up
on the most repulsive barbarism without
raising a hand to prevent it. they will won
der. but will be unable to account for such
yanr .|1os1 o1a
When our people were seized and en-
slsvcl under Aigcrine cnactments. We, as
a nation. with unanimous voice pronoun-
ced the enslavcrs ''pirates," unworthy of
hnman association. and we butchered them
without mercy Ifthosc Algerines .lcscrv-
Q | death. Goshorn and the captors Of Lucy
have no claims to life. anil every man who
advised or consented. or assisted to con-
sign her to chains and bondage. is acces-
sory to the crime. Hs lna
Now are we to be told that the people
cannot judge Of these questions. There is
not mechanic. black or white, In the city
of Cleaveland. who will admit that Cen
grcss can confer on any man authority to
murder or cnslave an innocent fellow be-
ing. That they can impose upon any per-
son an obligation to submit to be murder
ell or enslaved. Even the heathen barbar-
ism on bo'rd. the slave ship Amistad ac-
knowledged this universal consciousness
They asserted their right to liberty. and
slew those who attempted to hold them in
bondage. They struck down men who
were far more innocent than was Goshorn
and his assistants in crime. But the Su-
preme Court OF the United States held
them g,iiltless and the Christian world ap-
proved the act. They surely manifested a
superior civilization. higher Christianity
on this point than did those principal men
of Cleveland. The slaves on board the
Creole understood their natural rights; they
slew those who attempted to make mer-
chandise Of their souls and bodies. l. act
ing as the Representative of this Con-
gressional District, publicly vin,licated
this act Of the slaves. The British min.
istry vindicated it; the people of our dis
trict. indeed the people Of tho United
States approved Of the action. Of those
slaves. Aud the people of CGyahoga
county Tor ten years; sustained me in the
position l had assumed on that subject.
I am laying down no new doctrine. For
a century it has been held by Christian
Pnblicists, that the right Of every human
being to life and liberty, lies behind an | q,
bove human governments. guaranteed by
the viii Of the Most High. that to violate
this will OF Col by mur.lcring or enslav-
ing men. constitutes the highest of human
offences. whether it be done by mur,lcrers,
pirates of iespots. This will Of Col, this
natural law, cannot be changed or moli-:
fed by human legislation 1t constitutes
the basis, the essential element in our gov
ernment. 1t constitutes the life giving
principle of the Republican organization.
To surrender it. would be to surrender the
Repnb'ican party. to surrender the govern
ment, to surrender our liberties.
The doctrine Of submission preached by
our friends at Cleveland, when, carried
ct, would surrender their own daughters
Southern prostitution. and themselves
t6 interminable bokdags. Nor can Mar
shal johnson be in any degree excused,
because he is an .oliicer. He knows that
Lucy's right to liberty was held directly
from the Creator That neither murderers.
pirates. nor members OF Congress had an-
thority to .disrobe, her Of this prerogative.
He knew that the process issued BY Bash ,l i