Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-12-28
Don't Repeal T.

Inc C1toh OF the I'D INST. republisbes
from the Bulletin notice of the Fugitive
Slave Law of this State, passed in April,
1852, to be found in HittelIs Digest, page
400. The Bulletin. says that 1.-THE law en-
braces the principal provisions of the Nation
al Fugitive Slave Law" and concludes that
''as the abolition of slavery has rendered the
Act in question nugatory, and as it is quite
lengthy, there is no use of numbering up the
statutes of the State with it any longer, and
that it might be repealed with propriety. =
We have not got the National Fugitive Slave
Law and cannot say whether its principal
provisions are contained in our State law or
not but upon an examination of {" Hittell,
we find that our law is not very lengthy, con-
tanning only five sections, and covering only
one page and six lines of the book but what
it wants in length it makes up in breadth,
and stands a model of thorough and COM
prehensive legislation on its particular sub
ject which law making body of the rarest
talent would be very fortunate in excelling.
w uNG SGCllOllS IS COILdllleu al liIC du-
thority which any man could want for kid
mapping and enslaving the Oldest inhabitant.
When we consider the subject of kidnapping,
with Hittell opened at page 459 before US,
we are subdued into thankfulness that the
magnanimity of the chivalry of the State
withheld them, in the good old times, from
placing Democracy upon a solid foundation
by putting this law into active operation and
thereby removing opponents of Democracy
beyond the limits of the State, and placing
them in a position, in the land of cotton,
where they might aspire to become useful
members of society. Perhaps the fear of de-
moralizing the negroes withheld our natural
leaders from SO statesmanlike step; per-
haps humanity for US restrained them, they
not believing in our capacity to labor in such
insa!ubrious chimes. Whatever the reason,
and it is unthankful to look a gift horse in
the mouth, our hearts shsuld swell with
gratitude that. the operation of so potent a
political engine was spared US.
We admit the propriety of repeating so
unique a law, but rather wish the law to
continue to ornament our tables of statutes,
and serve as q landmark to note the progress
of the times. When the Republicans were
in power in the State. they spared our Flu
gitive Slave Law, either overlooking it or
declining to dirty their hands with it by
troubling it in any manner. Let Republi-
can action, or rather nom action, continue.
The law does no harm now, and may be Of
good service in continually reminding US of
the depths of degradation from which we
have arisen. Republicans, then, have no
valid reason for asking for the repeal of the
aw at this time. nor ought we to ask the
Democrats to inaugurate their system of
promised reform by the passage of law re-
pealing this statute. 1t was passed when
Democracy was in its purity and enjoying
its golden age, to which time we all look
back with submissive reverence, and it would
be most unreasonable in US to expect the
present Democratic powers that be to slur
the record of the glorious past of their party.
Such proposition is superlatively prepos-
ferrous, gentlemen, don't ask it. Besides, who
knows what is to come? If the grand pop
ular revulsion which Is to carry Democratic
ideas and politicians into national power,
takes place, and the unreconstructed States
are rehab:litated in all their political and pa
triarchal privileges, then our State Fugitive
Slave Law is just where it should be, and
will save the Democracy the trouble or ne
cessity of passing any statute to give the
Southern wing of their party the privilege of
using our side as hunting ground. or pre-
serve, from which to replenish the labor of
their waste plantations.