Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-07-12
pEMOCy.Acr AND cENTRALIzlfI6s.
The fdgitito slnTe Law an Example.

Cnt AntlCSt OCCaSiunhii1 w ttliiAtiI hitAitiuil
the capers of the past. 90
! Ever since it has been demonstrated that
our national government is strong en- 3tighl
| TO crush rebellion, and particularly since
| il has been administered in the interest of
progress and freedom, and by men. who
are determined that every American eiti-I
zen shall be protected in his rights, the
democracy have despaired of the republic:
A strong central government was not a bad
thing to have around so long as the pro-
slavery Democrats could control IL, and
while its principal function was to catch
| runaway negroes and extend the area of
| slavery.
But Just ut present the fathers of Democ-
| racy are soaring the infants of the party
with the bug-a-boo of Capitalization, and
the civil rights bill and the kr1lluX law
| are held up az black spectres to make mid
! night horrible to their tender souls.
1t was outrageously oppressive in Uncle
Sam to interfere with the inalienablo right
| of few States to break up the nation and
to teal its territory and property. But it
| was an act of outrage and oppression at
| which all Democracy CRASHES its teeth and
| bowls, that our hard-fisted old Uncle
should get so centralized as to interfere
| with the darling Democratic privilege of
| burning school houses, whipping school
masters and Republican voters and hang
| ing "niggers."
In the good old times when the strong
| arm of the general government was always
raised and ready to interfere in behalf of
| slavery, no Democrat had any fear of CEN
| tralization. The whole machinery of this
| mighty nation-its army, it's judiciary and
all its officials, could then be made use OF
| to capture some starved and hunted fugi
| tive who scented liberty in the north wind,
| or to punish the bold transgressor who
should dare to afTord the wand.Irer Iodg-
lug or crust of lead. There was no lack
OF constitutional power in the general gov
eminent then, and no lack of zeal on the
part of those who administered it. The
Democrat then prattled about Onesimus,
and swore by all the gods in his calendar
that the bible and the constitution made 1t
the principal function of the government
of the United States, and the chief end of
every loyal citizen, to catch and send back
to him his unruly chattels. The Democrat
of to-day has dropped the bible altogether (;
but he by turns screams and chatters about
the constitution, and denies that the gov
eminent has any right or power whatever
to protect either its citizens or their prop
erty.
On the 18th of September, 1850, was pass
| ed the act of Congress commonly known
as the Fugitive Slave Law. 1t had be-
come common for ungrateful negroes, who
did not realize that the peculiar institution
was one designed and upheld in spirit OF
pure selfsacrifice for their benefit alone, to
evade their guardians and stray off into
the free States or Canada. And certain
evil-disposed Abolitionists, regardless of
their constitutional obligations, and for
| getful of Onesimus, were wont to give aid
and comfort to these dishonest stealers OF
themselves, by giving them little to eat
or a place to sleep and even-to then
shame be it spoken-a sly lift across the
= Detroit river.
1t was obvious that if this great nation
| was to be saved, two things must be ac-
complished The fleeing negro must bt
d caught, and the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Abolitionist must be punished. 1t was
= equally obvious that all this was the ap
n propriate functions of the General Gov
d eminent. No opportunity so appropriate
and grand for the exercise of all the vas
N powers of a great and free nation as thu
" capture ofsome melancholy darkey Will
10 fleeing from slavery; and no hight so no
BILE for the American eagle as to follow thu
" chase with the blood hound. Thus die
at our wise and patriotic statesmen look q
l. the matter, and they legislated literally il
g this direction, untroubled by the fear 0
Capitalization.
D. Lest the ordinary officials Of govern
y ment might not be abundant enough II
e. every case to promptly discharge TIN
grand and paternal function OF govern
/, ment, the first three sections of the above
- mentioned act confer jurisdiction on com
M missioners to act in cases of fugitive slaves
le and provide "that the Circuit Courts o
II the United States and the Superior Court
of each organized territory Of the Unite'
as States shall, from time to time, enlarge tn
T. number of commissioners, with view 4
of afford reasonable facilities to reclaim fugi
in tives from labor, and to the prompt dis
III charge of the duties imposed by this act.
'e No one had any fear of an army of office
holders then.
e BY the way, the delicate euphemsti
~ circumlocution by which the fastidiOu
y democrat of former times avoided tn
. rough words "slave and slavery
q. shown in this statute, which nOwher
n comes nearer to calling things by thei
right names than in the oft-reiterated eX
pressions, fugitives from labor y f. am
"such fugitive
By section four, it was made the duty @
re all these federal judges and commissioner
m "severally and collectively, in term-tim
lie or vacation" to grant certificates TO tn
A. claimants of "such fugitives " upon proof
u &C., with authority TO take and remov
l. 'such fugitiyes /" 10 the State or Territor.
t from which they might have fled.
BY section five, il was made the duty q
Is all marshals and deputy marshals to exc
/ cute process under the act, and should sucl
officer fail :" to use all proper means dill
e gently to execute the same,' he was 70 b
?. fined one Thousand dollars /" TO the use q
u such claimant And il "such fugitive
escaped after his arrest, "whether with o
= without the assent Of such marshal or hi
Ii deputy, such marshal shall be Ii ible on hi
| oil Il ~ "a q