The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-05-29
The Fugitive Slave Law.

The question IS beginning to attract
attention, whether Congress does not owe
it to the loyalty, Christian feeling, decen-
CIV and manhood of the Nation, to repeal
the fugitive slave law. 1t is discussed in
legal and social sense, and viewed
from both stand points, its repeal can
scarcely be opposed by any save those
whose prejudices, politics and pleasures
are centered in the institution of slavery.
/ The repugnant features of the law are not
alone contained in its letter and spirit
but in the manner and mode OF Its enact
ment. 1t was the result Of as base svs-
TEN of misrepresentation as ever was
conc0cted to sway and lntlmldate the
minds oflegislators. When II was brought
forward, the country was entirely IN the
control of the slave interests. All the
departments Of the government swarmed
with the satellites of the slave power
The Senate and House of Representatives
had courage only to legislate when moved
by the slave mandate. The Chief Magis
tra,e obeyed its beck and summons, and
was entirely within its grasp- The Su-
preme Court knew but one construction
of the Constitution, and acknowledged but
one force of the law. All these arere .for
Iorery-the slavery that bartcrcd in hu-
man fesh-the slavery that obliterated
the ties Of consanguinity-th slavery
that Knocked God and Missed religion
the slavery that conspired against liberty
the slavery that was even then plotting
for the overthrow of the American Union
Then it was that the Fugitive Slave Law
was passed. 1t made 10 distinction in
color, age, or condition of man or wom-
an. Armed with the power of this law,
any man can be carried into slavery, so
that it be proven his mother was or is
slave, and was or is owned by master.
The offspring of such a mother are slaves,
regardless OF the condition or freedom Of
the father of such offspring. This fugi-
tive slave law eudows Il man with power
to enter any state or city-any house or
hamlet, before the altar Of religion or the
bed Of deatii-in the camp Of the army of
the soldier Of freedom, or any locality in
which the victim may be found. and drag
him back to bondage. 1t makes a slave
catcher of every free white man in the
land, and when is, author, the rebel
traitor Mason, now abroad as q minister
Of the bogus Confederacy, drew the clause
which imposes the duty on all men of as
ssting a slave hunter in the pursuit of
his baseness, he openly declared that by
such law he sought the humiliation of
the dough- faces and abolitionists of the
rortW He declared that the south would
force the north not only to return runaway
slaves, but they would make slave catch
ers of every man in the free states. And
such we really are in the letter and spirit
Of the fugitive slave law. What man viii
oppose the repeal OF such law
We trust that the agitation Of the
repeal of the fugitive slave law will be
made one of the compromises IN the set
tlcnent of our present difficulties. 1t can
easily and fairly be accomplished, by a
direct appeal to the people, who never
approved the bill, and vino gave it their
assent only to wait q proper time for its
repeal. That time has arrived What
ever heretofore may have been due to
slavery in the way of protection, and
whatever claim its upholders may have
had on the federal government, they have
none nowhere is nothing due to slavery
but punishment and destruction. 1t has
DO claim on delay-no claim on patriotism
no claim on the American Union. Let
the fugitive slave law, therefore, be re-
pealed, as cne of the concessions due to
people whom its influences have SO baseiy
outraged ed.--Har. Telegraph.