The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-06-10
.aHiEs. ERx }}yoH X p : WHorH No. A8O.
FUGITIVE SLAVE la ~ I'm THE Das .
5f ~ TgsEC'g OF COAsiBaREA.

Z a. @ SIS Sd.
The fact that the Infamous fugitive slave
| law is being fully and actively enforced in the
| District of Columbia, since the abolition Of
slavery there will excite no little surprise
among the people. A few days ago, Chief
Justice Cartier, late of Cleveland, decided
that the law is constitutional and must BE en-
forced in the District, but the enegro before the ;
Court, claimed as a Maryland slave, escaped
from the fangs OF the atrocous law, by some
lonp-hole, which enabled him to enlist in
coIored regiment
Subsequently, another Maryland slavehold-
er p:;rsued his 'chattle' into the District,
arrested him, and he was broug-t before the
full Bench (our Judges of the new District
Court, Chief Justice Cartier presiding. Two
(Judge Cartier one of them) were for deliv-a
ering the .boy" to q his master" and two
took the proper, righteous, and we believe le-
gal and constitutional ground, that the Court
has no power to execute the fugitive slave
law in the District of Columbia. In conse-
quencc of this equal division of the Court,
the alleged slave was discharged. Giving an +
account of this case, Washington correspon-
dent says: ...t -. .r
AS the boy was leaving the room, his mas
ter and a few Maryland Shareholders made
rash after him, and a fight ensueH far Hte6oy!a
i Yes, a violent attempt was made in the court
house, in the capital. within sight of Mr..
Lincoln's residence by Maryland slavehold-
ers to carry off by force boy who had been
set free hy the courts! Yet at this hour We
are asking -eolored nIenTto fight our battles,
al
4 men throughout the world on the ground that
this is a war for freedom The boy was fin
ally got out Of the hands of the villains Who
4 meant to take him bv force But in the course
4 of twenty -four hours, the judges of the court,
influenced, il is supposed, by one OF two
members of the Administration, (we will
hope that it was not at the ipstigation of the
Pfesident.) appointed slrUe commissioner for
1 the District! This morning, at an early hour,
/! Marshal Lamon, that consistent enemy ofthe
Ecolored people and household pet of the Pres
dent, appeared at the office of the Provost
NIarshal-the boy having been taken ilfi
charge by the military-to see to the rearrest
of the alleged slave, that he be brought be-
fore the slave commissioners. On Monday
the case will be decided, but enough has thus
far been developed to show that the Govern
ment is more particular in executing the Slave
catching law than any other.7 Mr. Vallandig-
! ham is exiled in open nfviolation of al law pass
eddy Congress not three months ago, pur-
posaly to meet cases like his. Mr.. Stanton
q talks Of omitting an Important clause of the,
81. CONSUMPTION act.s The plea is necessity, and
perhaps it is goodHoDe butdwhere1is the
necessity" of such alacrity in negro-catch +"
ing. in the capital of this country? If laws
can be broken in the interest of the war, why
cannot an unconstitutional enactment be tram
@ pied upon in the interest-of H1man Freedom?
4 To say the least, why such eagerness to. obey
: a wicked law? 'A' s.7 t'sa g
! 1t should not be forgotten, however, that a
/, Republican Congress refused to repeal the fu-
gitive slave law! A Senate with such men
as summer, Wilson, Trumbull, and Harlan in
: it, neglected to- pass a bill for the repeal of
Is the fugitive slave law. "A House with a
. Binghamn it, left this cruel law untouched,
and did it knowingly. A repeal was asked
for often, bat it was thought best not to agi-
e tate the subject. as it was very generally
: known that Mr.. Lincoln is believer in that
e law. 1t is simply just, then, to say. that the
Republican Congress is responsible for all the
: catching which is done under the law.
n If this boy shall be rendered to slavery to-
e morrow, the Republican Congress did it. For
e it knew fuilrwell the barbarous nature of the
= law-could have repealed sit-and did it not,