Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-07-09
REPEAL OF THEFUaITIvE SLAVE
LAW.

Among the last acts of the late Con-
gress was the repeal of the Fugitive
Slave Law; law which, in its opera
ton, wrought great moral wrong
which set at nought those very principles
of common justice, which were the boast
ed distinctive popularity of our system oil
laws; which was ever rcpugnant TO the
honest sentiment of the people OF the
Free States, and was moreover OF douot-
f,l constitutionality, vet was sanctioned
and submitted to by the Free States IN a
spirit of comfy and concession to the
Slave States, for the sake Of union and
harmony. Through favor of Hon. John
CONFESS, we are in receipt of the Report
of the Committee upon the subject. 1t is
document of 2S pages, which, after re-
viewing the law in all its bearings, con-
cludes as follows:
"To all this there is one simple answer,
and Congress must make 1t.
a clause of the Consultation, contrary
10 all commanding rules Of jurisprudence,
has been interpreted to sanction the hunting
Of slaves; and the same clause, thus inter-
preted, has been declared, contrary to all the
testimony of history, to have been an origi-
nal compromise Of the Constitution, and 4
cornerstone Of the Union. On this clause,
thus interpreted and thus misrepresented,
an act Of Congress has been founded, which,
even assuming that the clause is strictly ap-
plicable to fugitive slaves, is many times un-
constitutional, but especially in three several
particulars ~ as usurpation by Congress
Of powers not granted by the Constitution;
81 rs 4 denial of trial by jury in case Of
personal liberty, and suit at common law /;
and, 49, as concession Of the case OF per-
,onal liberty to the unaided Judgment of
single petty magistrate, without any oath Of
office, constituting no part Of the judicial
power; appointed not BY the President with
the consent Of the Senate, but by the court I;
holding his office, not during good behavior,
but merely during the will Of the court; and
receiving, not regular salary, but fees ac
cordins to each individual case. But even il
this act were strictly constitutional in all
respects, yet, regarding it in its terrible con-
sequences, and in its rebel authors, 1t is none
the less offensive for, from the beginning,
il was scourge to the African race, and a
grievance to the whole country-a scandal
abroad and dead weight upon the Union at
home, while It was the arch continuance Of
men who, at the time, were rebel at heart,
and are now in open rebellion-deYised as an
insult TO the Free States, and as a badge OF
subiugation. Such statute, thus utterly
unconstitutional in every respect, and utter
" mischie Ious in all its consequences and
influences, while it is peculiarly obnoxious
in its well-known authors, ought to be re-
pealed without delay. II consistent with
parliamentary usage, it ought to be torn
from the volumes Of the law, so that there
should be no record of such an abuse and
such shame.
Unhappily, the statute must always re-
main in the pages Of our history. But every
day Of delay in its repeal is hurtful to the
national cause, and to the national name
Would you put down the rebellion Would
YOU uphold our fame abroad: Would you
save the Constitution from outrage Would
you extinguish Slavery? Above all, would
YOU follow the Constitution, and establish
justice: Then repeal this statute at once"
The Fugitive Slave Law is repealed,
and we are heartily glad of it. 1t requires
no gift of prophesy to foretell that ano-
ther one like it will never blacken the
statute books Of the nation.