Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-04-30

candid man to read it and look at its provis-
] ions, and point out its parallel IN iniquity on
the statute books anywhere. But monstrous
i as it is, it has been executed throughout all
the States of this Union wherever they have
tried to execute it, 1t has been executed in
Wisconsin, executed in Massachusetts,, exc
cuted in New York, executed in Ohio. One
of the last acts of the late President of the
United States was to pardon citizen of Wis
consin who then lay in Jail for violation of
one OF the provisions of the fugitive slave
law of 1850
The Senator who made this statement SEEM
ed to complain Of the people of the North be-
cause they had not discharged the duty which,
as he says, and which others say, the Consti-
tuition imposed upon them for returning
fugitives from labor.
Mr.. SALISBURY. If the Senator will al
low me moment, as he seems TO be quoting
from what he supposes to be some remarks
that made, and as i have a copy of those
remarks before me, | will read to him just
one sentence Of what did say:
'sHad political abolitionists refrained from in
termeddling with the just rights of the South in
regard to slavery there would have been no seces-
The fugitive slave law was not mentioned
in that connection.
Mr.. HOWE. took down the words as
understood them to fall from the Senator; but
certainly l accept the correction. Neverthe-
less, L think the argument has frequently been
made by others. | do not propose to go into
any discussion of the merits of that fugitive
slave law. | simply state the fact here that
that law was executed. Infamous as it was in
its provisions,i it was executed. will say here
that the Constitution ought to be indicated
by single word. 1t imposes no duty upon
you or upon me to return any fugitive from
labor 1t commands you not to interfere with
the owner who comes to take him, but it does
not tell you to take him back, nor furnish the
owner any aid whatever in taking him back.
But you have seen the whole power of the
United States employed in the rendition of
fugitives from slavery under the law of 1850 !;
your Navy employed and your Treasury de-
pleted to pay the expenses of taking back
persons who have escaped from slavery. /
declare, sir, if slavery had been that sacred
fire which used to be kept burning in the
| temple of Vesta at Rome, and we had been
the virgins who guarded it, our vigilance
| could not have been greater than it has been
| over the slaves of southern masters That is
| the fact. | do not brag of it. l state it.
JOHN BROWN. ....x
4 few years ago a man by the name of
John Brown, with, think, twenty-one 9TH
( ers, made little expedition into the State of
| Virginia for some purpose, or other As
understood from him, his purpose was to give
| freedom to a few slaves, or to a good many
| slaves, in the State of Virginia, in violation
of the law of that State. He failed in that
enterprise. He and his twenty-one compatri-
OTIS were arrested. They were thrown into
Jail. They were indicted, think, for trea-
son against the State of Virginia. They were
| tried, one after the other; and | believe ev-
cry man of them was hung. They were con-
victed of treason; and so, l suppose, l am
estopped legally from denying that they did
commit treason, estopped by the verdict OF
| the jury, or by the judgment of that court.
| Nevertheless, will say they did not intend
to commit treason. They meant to leave the
government of Virginia Just as 1t was. They
did mean to take some property, or that
which the laws of Virginia recognized as
property, away from that State. But they
did not mean to overthrow or assail the SOW
ereignty of the State.
/ am not justifying John Browns raid, but
am telling you what happened when that
raid was made. They were arrested, as
have stated. They were tried in their courts
wen enough. They were found guilty. dc
not complain of that at all. The executioneI
proceeded to hang them-very well it was
the exercise of the right of Virginia. But
| this is what wish to call attention to. You
say we of the North have not been true to
our constitutional obligations. There was 9
little petty raid. Admit that the motive was
just as bad as human motive can be and that
the purposes of the men engaged in it were
as bad as human purpose can be. And what
happened? You saw the Governor of Ohio
and the Governor of New York and the Gov
ernor of Pennsylvania, those three great
States, tender to the State of Virginia the
militia force of those several States tor aiC
the Commonwealth of Virginia to hang Johr
Brown and his twenty-one compatriots Car
you tell us we are not faithful to our obliga
tions under the Constitution to this institu
ton of slavery when three great Northern
loyal States actually volunteered to furnish
militia force to help to hang twenty-five mer
! who made an attack on the Institution of sla
very? Do you tell us after that that We
have not been true to our obligations undel
the Constitution plead the general issue
We are faithful. We are too faithful &
/. am not justifying John Brown l am no
condemning Virginia for hanging John Brown
but would rather have been hung wheI
John Brown was than to have been the Gov
ernor that hung him and am rather inclin
ed to think, if l were permitted to choose,
would rather have been hung with Brown
than to have been one of the Governors whit
offered the militia force of their States t
help execute those men.
Sir, if they had really committed Treason
: against Virginia, not connected with the sub
tject of slavery, if John Brown and his TWEEN
ty-one men had actually gone down to depost
Henry A. Wise or whoever was Governor o
Virginia, and abolish its Legislature and tax,
possession of its government, if they la.
gone there for the palpables work of treason
genuine treason, and the Governors of thos,
States had volunteered to helpphang the men
what would you have said of them? Would
! you not have said it was unutterably shame
! less to muster the military force of thos,
great States to aid another state to execute
justice upon twenty-five culprits | do no
speak of it now to complain of those States
but speak of it as an answer to the assertion
here that we did not come up to the require
ments of the Constitution; that we, as polit
icaI Co amunities, did less than the Constitu
n ton demanded at our hands in defense of thi
southe IN slavery.
want TO remind you of another thing tina
happened in this same connection. There
was an investigation instituted here in th'
Senate about this raid. There was man
my namesake, living in the city of Boston
4 / have known of him as all Senators hav,
known of him as being engaged in ever,
good work, patriot and philanthropist, an'
benevolent man. He was no relative 3
mine. If he had not run away l should wis
that he was; but he actually left the countr
las the papers said and I believe it to b.