Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-11

and shall grant certificates to such
claimants upon satisfactory proof
being made, with authority to take
and remove such fugitives from
service or labor to the State or Terri
tory from which such person may
have escaped or fed"
Section five prescribes the duties OF
marshals, who may have any number
of deputies, and prescribes penalties
should they refuse to obey or execute
all warrants or precepts issued under
the provisions Of this act when to
them directed; makes them liable to
the full value Of any slave that may
escape from their custody after ar
rest, and, in language which viii
give as it appears in the section,
confers still more remarkable powers
upon the commissioners. quote
from The section:
"And the better to enable the said
commissioners, when thus appointed,
10 execute their duties faithfully and
efficiently, in conformity with the
requirements OF the Constitution Of
the United States and OF this Art,
they are hereby authorized and
empowered, within their counties
respectively, to appoint, in writing
under their hands, any nns or more
suitable persans, from time sn Time.
to execute all such warraBfs and
other process o. rnsy he issued by
them in the lawful performance OF
then respective Duties, with suthori-
T tx to such commissioners ~ the
t,erso1is to lsc appointed by them, 10
,s,z.,.4,ss< sz,,s.sss56 Z. ss,na
mar and cslE 10 lhtig Eid the by
ISLANDERS ar g,ss~ eQg71EsT-it Of the
TIr'uge- cour-v. when Necessary, to
insure & faithful observance OF the
provisions @ this set; and all good
c5ri.n-ss are hereby commanded to
AID and assist In the prompt and
e+5r5ent execution Of this law when
eFe- tssaeir services may be required,
s. Aforesaid, for tha. purpose, and
aaid warrants shall run and be exc
cgred bv said officers anywhere in
THE State within which they are
issued"
Section ! imposes fine and impris-
onment on any person who shall
willingly hinder the arrest Of fugi-
tive Or shall attempt to rescue one
from custody, or harbor or aid to
escape any fugitive from slavery.
Section 8 provides that when the
claimant or his agent apprehend a
rescue, the officer making the arrest
is to remove the fugitive to the State
from whence he fed, and to employ
as many persons in doing so as he
may consider necessary; all expenses
to be paid by the United States.
Now, sir, having quoted as much
Of this act AS l consider necessary to
my purpose, let US see how easily it
can be adapted to the present condi-
ton of affairs, and meet the require
ments Of the loyal men OF the South,
simply by SO altering the text as to
make its provisions apply to the pre-.
vention OF 0utrages against life and
property Instead Of catching and
rendering up of fugitive slaves.
Under its provisions, the United
States circuit courts could appoint as
many commissioners rs they pleased
to appoint in every county in their
respective districts, aud these com
missioners could in turn commission
as many men AS they deemed neces-
sary to eXecutetheir warrants; would
have all the powers OF the circuit or
district judges in term time or vaca-
ton; could issue their warrants for
1
the arrest Of any citizen, and the
warrants would be good in any por-
ton Of the State; could summon
every man in the county to assist in
serving their processes, and if they
refused to obey their mandate, could
fine and imprison them for SO doing;
could include in that posse comitat,ts
such portion of the United States
forces, the army and navy Of the
United States, as might be within
the territory over which they eXer-
cised jurisdiction, and would possess
powers more than ample to secure
peace, and the most perfect protec-
ton to life, liberty and property in
every State in the Union; and the
constitutional power Of Congress to
confer these powers cannot be doubt
ed, for has not the party whose rep
resentatives en this floor have so
often assured US of their devotion to