Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1862-12-06
'.movv slavery Caused the wNE.,'


prehensve article in the New York World,
based upon quotation from DIR Brownson,
in late number Of his RevieIO In which the
position is taken that what the South principal
ly feared WAS the ascendanoy Of an uncon-
troned majority which would be bound by no
constitutional restrictions. The Wortd holds
that this view Of Dr. BrownsOn's is incontro
yertible, aud continues:
1t is demonstrable that this fear was the
handspring OF the rebellion. Slavery was, to
be sure, in q certain sense, its cause, but only
as a magsz ne OF powder would be the cause
of a 6ght undertaken to drive oil gang OF
madmen approaching 1t with brandished
torches. The South saw that they we're in n
minority in the House, in the Senate, in the
Electoral Colleges, and, consequently, that
they had no protection except in the Justice
| of the North, and its fidelity in observing the
guarantees of the Constitution.
The party in ascendancy having carried
every Northern State but one, had fought q
ten years political campaign under the banner
OF the Higher Law that is to say, of the
superior obligation of private conscience to
public compacts. The recognized leader Of
! that party had in the most studied and cele-
brated speech he ever made, quoted the proyi-
sion of the Federal Constitution requiring
the surrender OF fugitive slaves, with these
remarks This is from the Constitution of
the United States in 1881, and the parties
we're the republican States of the Union
! The lars of nations disaU0,os such compGcts;
the law OF nature written on the hearts and
cunsciences of freemen repudstes them.-
! Armed power could not enforce them, be-
cause there is no public conscience to sustain
! them" This was not the singular and un.
shared opinion OF the distinguished Republ-
can leader All the radical organs appIauded
it to the echo. The seed was sown in con
genial soil 1t produced plentiful crop OF
| legislative acts defying the Constitution.
Almost every State having q Republican
! Legislature passed what was known in aboli-
| ton parlance as a personal liberty bill; that
is, an act having for its sole purpose the cir
cumyention and nulliication of that part OF
the Federal compact which requires the sur
render OF lugitives from labor. These acts
were defended by their champions on State
rights grounds Mr.. Sumner complained in
the Senate that more than one sovereign
State has been summoned to Judgement lie
referred in the same speech TO 'the solemn
judgement that nullitying the Fugitive Slave
act "of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin,
sovereign State of this Union" 1t will be
seen how completely he had adopted the pc
cuar dialect of the Southern Secessionists
But he went futher than to use their jargOn;
he embraced their principles. For myself"
he said 81 look with no pleasure ON any pos
sibilty of conflict between State and national
Jurisdictions; but trust that if the interests
of freedom so require, the States will not hes.
itate" BY which he meant that it was the duty
of the States TO stand by their so called per-
sonal liberty bills, and resist the surrender OF
fugitive slaves by force, even at the peril OF
great civil war He coolly denied that the
Federal Government had, anything to do with
r enforcing that clause Of the Constitution, say
, ing that it devolyed on the States, and at the
same time he declared that as a member of a
State Legislature he would oppose any regu-
latiun for that purpose We copy the follow
ing colloquy between Mr.. Sumner lin 1867
and Southern Senator:
Mr.. Sumner.-The Senator asks me a aues
: ton, and answer frankly, that no temptation
no nducement would draw me in my way tc
. sanction the return Of any man TO slavery
, u But then leave to others te speak for them
i selves. In this respect speak for myself
: Mr. Butler-l do not rise now at all to ques
ton the right of the gentleman from Massa
chusetts to hold his seat, under the obligation
' of the Constitution of the United States, with
the opinions which he has expressed but, il
= :. / understand him he means that, whethe
! , this law, or that law, or any other Law
!, prevails, he disregsrds the obligations of tn,
= Constitution of the United States
70 Mr. Sumner-Not at all That neve
d said recognize the obligations of the Con
stitution.
10 Mr.. Butler-But, sir, will ask that gentle
man one question II it devolved upon hin
+e as a representative of Massachusetts, all Fed
d era laws being put out of the way would h
recommend any law for the delivery of fu
u gitive slave under the Constitution Of tn
Is United States?
:, Mr.. Sumner-NeUer
Mr., Butler-I knew that Now sir, l hav
u got exactly what is the truth, aud what | in
Y. tend shall go forth to the Southern States.
!, When the two most distinguished leader
- of the Republican party thus openly repudia
o. ted one Of the stipulatons Of the Fedora
v compact when nearly all the State Legisli
lures passed laws in open contravention of il
when the Republican Judges Of State ST.
prems Court had undertaken to nulify it i
the face OF decisions of the United State
ee Courts affirming its cOnstitutionality, whe
X slaves were for years entiued away from thei
m masters with the appreciation Of this party
~ and mobs were raised in Northern cities /
prevent their return, what reason had th
South to believe that any other guarantee {
ty the Constitution would be respected, after th
vo party found itself powerful enough to dsr
On gard it2 A party that would would openl
al violate the compact in resisting the surrendt
ed of fugitves would, with equal aacrity, violat
'y It by the unconstitutional liberation of slave
RI The Republican party has justified th
worst apprehensons and fnlied the darkeI