The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-04-02

road q possibility Dy the HDerty loNih6
people of the North. His decision
was delivered in 1872, declaring that
slavery was contrary to the English
law and could not exist in England
nor in countries governed by English
law. He "crystalized the sentiment
of humanity" and set the tide against
slavery that has encircled the globe.
Burke declared in the House of Com
mons that the refusal of America to
deal in negro slaves was one of the
causes OF the Revolutionary war The
Fugitive Slave law provided that tes-
|timony on one side only was neces'
sary to reclaim a runaway slave. The
affidavit of an agent or an attorney
sent to arrest him was sufficient TO
identify the slave and cause his re-
turn to his master. The case was
tried by commissioners appointed by
the U. S. courts. II the commission
er determined that the negro should
be returned to the claimant, he was
entitled to a fee Of ten dollars, but II
ne decided otherwise his fee was only
one-half that sum. The merest state
ment of this law condemns It. Prior
civilized nations in similar cases gave
the benefit of the doubt to the accused
| and laid the burden of proof on the
master but under this law the fugi-
| tive had no chance. He must rely
solely on public sentiment in the place
where the trial occurred.
There were more fugitives from the
four border states of Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Kentucky and Missouri, than
from all the rest of the slave states.
The year ending June l, 1850, there
were $40 fugitiyes from the above
four states, and but 470 from the 9TH
er slave states. The best intelligence
lin the North regarded the Fugitive
Slave Law as a taunt to their anti
slavery sentiment. Yet Webster, Sec
lretary of State, and Chittenden, the
| Attorney General, both informed the
President that they believed the law
to be constitutional. .....
President Pearce gained his great
est notoriety by writing the words,
l"Approved Sept. 1S, 1885," under the
Fugitive Slave Law. The law was
what is known as an expostfacto law.
Its operations were not restricted to
Ifugitives alone. DIT readily operated
against all negroes found anywhere
whether bond or free. Many free ne
groes who resided in the North for
sock everything and fed to Canada,
The law did not work smoothly as
was expected by its advocates. Min
listers, Synods and conventions op
2 posed 1t. Emerson that no mar
. could obey it without the loss of his
self respect Enforcing the. law was
expensive. 1t cost one Virginian
ST. 50 to follow two runaways TO Har
risburg, Pa, and recover them. AS
soon as he reached home he sold them
> for $500. Many communities had
vigilance committees who annoyed and
defeated the pursuers whenever pos
sible. In Boston on Feb. Is, 1851, a
5 NEGRO by the name of Shadrack. EN-
ployed in coffee house, was arrested
on the charge of having run away
from his master the previous May
: George T. Curtis, his counsel, asked
for a short time to prepare the case
? and the commissioners adjourned the
I proceedings for three days. The
t laws of Massachusetts forbid the use
Iof her jails for the imprisonment o.
{ fugitive slaves, and Shadrack was
+ kept in the court room in charge OF {
= deputy marshal AS soon as the fac
became known, a mob of colored mer
I broke into the room, overpowered thu
deputy and carried off the supposed
fugitive and fastened him by the un
foreground railroad across the Canad
ian line.
This and many other similar occur
rences was given wide publication
Throughout the country and served t
intensity public sentiment in thu
North. 1t was the topic of frequen
: conversation in almost every North
, em home.
| The most difficult venture of thu
| fugitive was to pass the first station
| and get fairly under way. After tina
he was almost sure to reach the pro
| lection of the British flag. Men o
| the highest standing and reputation
had stock in and supported the under
ground railroad. Theodore Parker
Samuel ]. May and Thurlow Wee
| were among the number stronl
Iundercurrent OF sympathy Throughout
the North sanctioned the whole pro
ceedure, especially when accomplish
ed without disturbing the publ,
peace. An exunited States Marsha
in Boston once said to James Freeman
Clarke: when | was marshal ant
they tried to make me find their, slave
| would say, / do not know wher
lyour negroes are, but ! will see il
can find out So l always went t,
Garrison's office and said: wan
lGyou to find me such and such a negro
tell me where he is The next thin
knew the fellow would be in Can
ada"
III Greeley says in his American Con
flict that he knew politicians who OF
enly condemned but secretly support
led the underground railroad. Thi
fact is deity woven into "Uncl
Toms Cabin" where Eliza and he
l ohild ,aoob nh;o coil aud coll ~ IN