Newspaper Page Text
inriini i n
tfn.mc.lo III .he Presidenlial offlee in .his j MM
i % l ^m«noip».o,,.hciro^nin NAYork, .rtomph
said :.. Praise i. God for a pc* lavery
victory. A man of high talents, of great dis-. 1 o U8 it Beeras wnn«i n , » on<J m
tinction, of long political services, of boundless ; cuinstances, the So x’nrtlmrn Democracr
personal popularity, has l>ee» openly rejected declare in favor of the >«orthen >•
for the Presidency of this Republic on account ; Mr. Jelferson satd, that the I 1 ^ .
of his devotion t'o slavery. Set up a inotm-; North is the naturaUlly oHhg So«,th and
nieut of progress there,” “ a slaveholder is in- j never was tne truth of - • J .
capacitated for the Presidency of the . United importance of the alliance, more nunif
SiniP« r A-o • at this momenta ,
Northwestern dominions, with such secrecy
and despatch as to elude, at once, detection
and pursuit.” , 'g jj j i#
Responsive to the call of a sister State, the
Ohio Legislature immediately took tip the sub
ject, and a hill was reported i; relating to fugi
tives from tabor or service Irom other States.’
During the progress of this bill in the House
of Representatives, Mr. Lloyd,a Whig, moved
,.n amendment to the cllerr, that the individ
ual claimed as a slave, shall have the tight of
trial by jury, &c. which was rejected. The
Ijill passed the House by a vote of 52 to 15.—
Of the 52 yeas, 40 were Democrats and 12
Whigs. Of the nays, every man was a Whig.
Alter resolute opposition by some of the
Whig members, the bill passed the Senate by
a vote of 20 to 10. Of the yeas, ID were
Democrats aud 7 Whigs : of the uays, all were
Whigs.
The act was approved by Mr. Shannon, the
Democratic Governor of the State, and thus
became a law. W’e annex the principal sec-
. tions of the act, marked !L,
In lids just and noble manner did the Deni
ocratic State ol Ohio evince her regard for her
Federal obligations, and the interests of her
sister States. It is in the prevalence of such
a spirit that we are to look for the perpetuity
of the Union, the inviolability of State rights,
and the preservation of individual liberty.
RESULTS.
Yon cannot fail to have perceived the stri
king fact, that wherever ill the North the
Whigs have the ascendency, there Abolition is
stroiigest; but wherever the Democrats gov
ern, there the rights of the South, and the com
promises of the Constitution, are sacredly re
garded. You will have perceived, that in the
various Slate Legislatures, the Whigs as n par
ly have countenanced, aided and abetted the
Abolitionists, while the Democratic party have
opposed them.
W'hile most of the States where the Whig
parly liear sway, have adopted Abolition reso
lutions, no Democratic State, us far as we are
informed or believe, has adopted or counte
nanced such proceedings. And while the
Democratic State of Ohio, by the action of both
her legislative and Executive Departments,
Imo inhvn tlin most efi'ective steps to protect
the rights and property or tier stsiei o«*itcs,'tH©
State of New York, while under Whig rule,
has resorted to measures of wrong and outrage
toward the South of the most aggravated de
scription.
FURTIIF.lt PROOF.
Is any other proof wanting to show Ihe
close union between the Whigs and the Aboli
tionists of the North? We have it in their
combined action iu reference to the next Pres-
On the other hand, is not the cause
XSKt Z'Z'gZ £ LJfJjteU-~e causa of,...
coalition, than the example in New York ?—
Why have the three Abolition members of the
Whig executive committee, aud their nume
rous associates m Congress, postponed any at-
terppt to redeem the written pledges given to
their constituents, that they would use every
effort to procure the abolition of slavery in the
gress of the United States, on the 11th and 12th day s
of December, 183$, passed -.the following resolutions,
viz: !
Rejoiced, That this Government is of limited power,
and that by the Constitution of the United States Con
gress has no jurisdiction whatever over the institution
of slavery in the several States of the Confederacy.'
certificate shall authorize the person receiving the
same to renioyp the fugitive therein named, without
any unnecessary delay, through and out of this State,
on thexlirect route to the State from which he lied.
Sec. <$. If the' fituling'of the jury be against the
claimant, on any of the matters submitted to them, ti.o
person so claimed as a fugitive shall be forthwith set
Resolved, That >ietitions for the abolition of slavery at liberty, and shall never thereafter be molested upon
An the District of Columbia and the Territories of the
District of Columbia, and an interdiction of the :^ niled States, and against the removal of slaves from
slave trade between the several States and I er- |one State to another, are a part of a plan of operations
rilories? Why did . they not redeem those , set on foot to affect the institution of slavery in the sc-
pledges at the late session ? Is it supposed that veral Slates, and thus indirectly to destroy that insti-
!. • . i ■■ — -i tution without their several limits.
Resolved, That Congress has no right to do tliat iu-
thev have relinquished all intention to redeem
■ ' .i .l ■ 11 ••-. ... -il l ucsoivea, itiai v.uut'iess uus no nui.i iu uo i.uinu-
them, or that their Abolition constituents \v ill . directly which it cannot do directly, and that the agi-
iit them to do SO? No; it is only postpon- tation of the subject of slavery in the District of Coluni-
pcrmit
ed, lest the South should take the alarm too
a
North. 1
The Oberlin (Ohio) Evangelist said: !! the
nomination of William Henry Harrison for
President of the United States, and the rejec
tion of Henry Clay, shows that a slaveholder
can never again expect to be President of this
free Republic.” “ It may now he regarded as
a settled matter that Henry Clay, nor auy oth
er slaveholder, cap ever he President of the
United States, even supposing the party to
which he belongs to be the majority.” “ For
net passed by that party in the Legislature of
No\v York, and the refusal of the Governor to
surrender negro stealers upon the demand ot
the Executive of Virginia? ‘ .
Do you desire to sec the same kind of legis
lation and Executive action resorted to by the
Legislatures aud Governors of Pcnns^ \attia - - , . . . , . i,. < u, u. .uu.n.a, v. .u piumu.. ««; remutd. u.
.,..7 oKjo ;md other nott-slaveholding States ? Whigs have consented to act with pledged Abo- s [ avC3 f rom state to State, or to discriminate between
Do you not believe it to be your duty to op- ,,,nf '•'''""’••too. Smith*™ i..,_ c™....,..-— -<• «•
pose, with all your power and influence, a par-
* " . •"* * /* I. ! _1. lnnlfltaltltT 11'Mf 1
subject of slavery
bia, or in the Territories, as a means or with a view of
disturbing or overthrowing that institution in the seve
ral States, is against the true spirit and meaning of
the Constitution, an infringement of the rigiits of the
States affected, and a breach of the public faith oil
which they entered into the Confederacy.
Resolved, That the Constitution rests on the broad
principles of equality among the members of this Con-
lederacy, and that Congress, in the exercise of its ac
knowledged powers, has n<. right to discriminate be
tween the institutions of one portion of the States and
another, with a view of abolishing the one or promoting
the other.
Resolved therefore, That all attempts on the part of
"TX ..idul’l £s,o - Smi.Sof will inevitably lead
what has been gained we will , ,. - . „
to God, and for what is yet needed to be j to such fatal results* reso
gained, we will trust iu the same God, | Do you not approve
and in the faithful and diligent use of the ' lotions adopted by the Democratic ^gislatures,
to maintain a party ascendancy, and secure
the offices of the General Government. This
result is as certain as that cause produces efl'cct.
Wc have already seeu indications of the sac
rifice. The Southern Whigs in Congress
have already united with "Abolitionists in . , . ,
appointing n political commute; Son.h«,n
.. .. . . _ slaves from State to State, or to discriminate between
litionists ■ Upon tliat committee; Southern j the Constitutions of one portion of the Confederacy
Whigs, at the late session of Congress, were j and another, with a view aforesaid, are in violation of
found voting with Abolitionists against propo- the constitutional principles on which the Union of
titinne \vfiirh « lcse states rests, and beyond the jurisdiction of Con-
same means which have prevented the noun- j
nation of a slaveholder for President this time.
On a subsequent day, the Liberator said:
“It is needless to multiply proofs that the de
feat of Henry Clay at Harrisburg, was deemed
by Aholitiouists generally a clear demonstra
tion of the growth of anti-slavery in the lice
States.”
Not only the Abolition presses, hut Aboli
tion societies and conventions, joined in the
chorus of triumph at the exclusion of a slave
holder from nomination, solely bectmse he was
a slaveholder.
of the North, and especially the act of Ohio re
lativc to fugitive slaves?
Do you desire to sec the same spirit main
tained,' and the same legislation prevail,
throughout the nou-slavcholdingSlates?
Do”yon not believe it to beyonr duty to en
courage, cherish, and aid a party which evin
ces, not by words only, but by acts, its devo
tion to your interests and safety, and its fideli
ty to the Constitution ?
THE CONSEQUENCES.
Two things are certain : It the South repel
and treat with scorn her friends and allies in
The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, at, ,j ie *- ort |j s |, e w jn soon have} none! And if
their annual meeting j s t 1P |ea»me herself with her enemies, she must
idontinlelection? iy. li
lt is known to you that the Whigs and Dem
ocrats have each held their national conven
tions within the last few months, in reference
to.the next election of President of the United
i>States. The Democratic Convention held at
^Baltimore in May last, in which there were
delegates from Ihe non-slaveholding States of
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu
setts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan,
(as well ns front most of the Southern Slates.)
regarding lliis ns one of the most important
questions of the day. did not pass it by in si
lence. The committee appointed “ to prepare
resolutions, declaratory of the principles ot the
Republican party of the Union,” consisting of
one member from each of the States represent
ed in the convention, and the chairman of
; which committee was the honorable R. II.
,■.Gillet of New York, reported the following
amongst other resolutions, viz:
■'tW&mtMi That ( .'ongress has no power under the
Constitution, to inte.ferv with or control the domestic
institutions of the several Slates, and that such States
ate ihe sole and proper judges of ever)- thing apper-
taining to their own nfisilhCtiot prohibited by the Con
stitution: that all effort;* of the Abolitionists or other;
made to induce Congress to interfere-with questions cf
slavery, or to take incipient steps in relation thereto,
aro calculated to lead to tlit; most alarming and dan-
. gerous consequences, and tliat all such efforts have an
inevitable tendency to diminish the happineiss of the
people, and endanger the stability and permanency of
the Union, and ought not to Ik- countenanced by any
. friend to our political institutions.'’
The question w.i? tikcsi on this reso
lution, as on all the others, separately, aud it
was adopted unanimously—every Democrat
from the ttou-slaveholditig as well as the slave-
holding States, voting for it. Con any South
ern man ask a stronger assurance, that the
great majority of the Democratic party or the
North are ready n:td anxious to continue to us
the protection of the constitutional guarantee?
Now lot ns inquire, where is the resolution of
corresponding charactei, to he found in the pro
ceedings, cither of the National Whig Convcn
tion held at Harrisburg, or Baltimore? W.
answer emphatically, »n ichcre. Neither of
those conventions adopted any resolution upon
the subject; and why did they not ? Can any
, one of you resist the conclusion, that it was to
avoid giving offence to, or losing the support of
the Abolition branch of their party?
Every movement of the combined party since
lias tended to confirm this conclusion.
Every Abolitionist and every Northern
Whig in Congress, supports the nomination of
General Harrison. Of the Executive Corn
mittee appointed by the concurrent action of
the Whigs and Abolitionists in that body to
pron.ote his election, there are three pledged
Abolitionists, and three Northern Whigs nsso
ciated, we arc sorry to say, with three South
ern Whigs. The nomination of Harrison it
§elf is well known to have been carried by
coalition between Ihe Whigs and Abolitionists
Many of the delegates to the. Harrisburg Con
vention had already been in their several
States the leaders of Abolition movements.
Such were James F. Simmons, the chairman
of the committee in the Rhode Island Legisla
tnre, which reported the Abolition resolutions,
Wm. Clarke, Geo. Chambers, IVm. Darling
ton, jno. Dickey, E. T. McDowell, James Mer
rill, and E. C. Iliegnrf, who took an active part
in favor of the Abolition movements in the con
vention to amend the Constitution of Pennsyl
vania.
ABOLITION TRIUMPH.
Indeed, the results of the Harrisburg Con
vention were every where hailed by the Abo
litionists as a signal triumph. Henry Clay,
Abolition aside, was known to be the first choice
of the convention ; but he had rendered him
self obnoxious to the Abolitionists by his de
nunciations of their mnd projects in the Senate
of the United States, in addition to which lie
was a slaveholder. For those reasons, the
Abolitionists in the convention set themselves
at work to defeat his nomination, and succeed
ed; whereupon, n shout of triumph arose from
the whole of the fanatical sect.
The Liberator, their organ'in Boston, said:
« we regard this as another important sign of
the times, ns a signal defeat of the slaveocracv
power in thnt convention. Had it not been
tor cbo'.itiouism, Henry Clay would undoubt-
tlto society was formed, and to which it is,
therefore, merely secondary, isudvacing in the
public mind with great rapidity and power.—
The rejection of Henry (.'lay. a slaveholder
and defender of slavery, is a wav-mark in otir
history.” This is the very first evidence they
adduce of the advancement of their cause, to
which they add, among others. “tlic peaceful
delivery of that portion of the Hon. William
Slade’s speech which presses the abolition of
slavery in the District of Columbia, with its
insertion in the columns of the National Intel
ligencer, which,” they say, “shows the begin
ning of a change iu the feelings of slavehol
ders.” Nor do the committee o.nit to notice,
as another evidence of the advance of their
c ns , Mte act of the New York Legislature to
whten wc have referred. They say. “ Mr.
Birney had the opportunity of’speaking «t
length oti the subject in the Representatives’
hall of the State of New York, before a com
mittee and in the presence of a large number
of the members of the State Legislature, now
session, which removed some of the misap
prehensions as to tiie jury bill and some other
measures iu agitation.”
The Harrisburg nomination is nothing more
nor less than one of the boasted fruits of the
coalition between the Northern W higs an Abo-1 South, and is, moreover, pledged, by all legal
litionists, which has produced their joint action j means, even to the use of the veto, if necessary,
The Executive Committee of the National to have friends; \\ ouiu ii oe cunyei.i..„t to
Anti-Slavery Society, at the late meeting of the line the borders of Maryland and 7 lrgmia, of
society in New York, used in their report the j Kentucky and Missouri, with our sons iu arms
followin'* language, viz; “ Wc declare our cu- to repel aggression, or save our property from
tire conviction that the cause itself for which ' the hands ol Abolitionists and negro stealers,
1 in or out ol authority ? These things we
should think of only in the last extremity-
only after resorting to all peaceful, just, and
prudent means to maintain our rights, and pre
serve the peace and union of the States. And
is not concert of action with those In the free
States, who acknowledge and stand ready to
defend and maintain thoserighls,ourfirst peace
ful remedy,our first and most obvious duty?
If we refuse to act with them, can wc expect
them to act with us? If wc sacrifice them to
their enemies, aud ours, bow can wc hereafter
expect their aid, or even sympathy ? It would
be as unreasonable to expect it, as it would be
impossible to obtain it. Upon our heads would
fall the guilt, not only of surrendering our
dearest interests to our natural enemy, but also
the crime of ingratitude iu abandoning our
11 natural allies.”
THE CANDIDATES.
Is there any thingreally objectionable in the
candidate whom the Northern Democracy pre
sents for our support, or any thing peculiarly
attractive for a Southern man in the candidate
ol tho Whig Abolitionists ? Mr. Van Buren
enjoys a fair moral character, talents of a high
order, principles on every leading measure of
public policy in conformity with those of the
sitions relative to Abolition petitions, which
formerly they had unanimously supported;
fearful of offending the Abolition spirit, a Whig
committee of the House of Representatives re
fused to report a bill to prohibit the introduc
tion of negro testimony in courts martial held
iu the slaveholding States or Territories ; for
the first time, we believe, a formal Abolition
speech from Mr. Slade was listened to on the
floor of the House; and for the first time, such
a speech was disseminated far aud wide
through the columns of the most respectable
Whig newspaper in Washington. The coali
tion at Harrisburg has already produced un
ion of political action between the Whigs and
Abolitionists in Congress; it is but one step
more to a union of legislative action: and that
step will assuredly be taken as soon as a
President shall have been elected with the
aid of Abolition votes. Not to believe this, is
to close our miuds to the approaches of reason,
and shut our eyes to the warnings of example.
And CAM tlic South give up the security
she has in‘the character, pledges, and conduct
of Mr. Van Buren, and in the principles, dec
larations, and acts of the party which supports
him, for the chances ofjnstice she may have
from a man without any publicly avowed prin
ciples, elevated to the Presidency by a coali-
gress; and that every petition, memorial, resolution,
proposition or paper, touching or relating, in any way,
or to any extent whatever, to slavery as aforesaid, or
the abolition thereof, shall, on the presentation thereof,
without any further action thereon, be laid on the ta
ble without being printed, debated or referred.
And, whereas, In the judgment of this General As
sembly, that part of tho last resolution, which declares
that “ every petition, memorial, resolution, proposition,
or paper, touching or relating in any way, or to any
extent whatever, to slavery as aforesaid, or to the abo
lition thereof, shall, on the presentation thereof, with
out any further action thereon, be laid on the table,
without being printed, debated, or referred,” is unsound
in principle, a dangerous invasion of the right of the
people to petition Congress, and in violation of the
true intent and meaning of the Constitution of the
United States.
Therefore, resolved, That the General Assembly do
' hereby, in the name of the people of this State, protest
against said resolutions, and declare tliat, in their opin
ion, they ougkvlQrthwith to be rescinded.
Resolved, That Ilia- Excellency ihe Governor be re
quested to cause a copy of these resolutions to be trans
muted to the menibe: ; of the United States House of
Representatives frou this State, to be by them laid be-
fore thnt body.
All which is respectfully submitted by~
JAMES F. SIMMONS,
For the Committee.
[C.j
CONNECTICUT RESOLUTIONS.
Resolved, That v,e, the Senate and House of Repre
sentatives in General Assembly convened, do in tho
tion of which the sacrifice of her l ights and
name of the people of this State,solemnly protest against
... , i\.-, <> i the annexation of Tc xas to this Union.
principles is every \\heie the necessary fruit. , jt eS olced, That Congress has, by the Constitution,
\Y e catiuot believe it. Such liiliituotiou does j power to abolish slavery and the slave trade in the Dis
not exist among the people of the South. ! triet of Columbia and the Territories.
What! submit to. register and approve the ! Resolved, That it is the duty of Congress to cxcr-
fiat of Abolition, that “ to be a slaveholder is to ! tl ’ e “ as f°» as « c f n bc donu consistently
.. .... ’ . n.i ... t; .... I With the best good of the whole country,
disqualify a matl for Picsident. Is thete ail Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor bc re-
honest man in the South who will not resist
this unconstitutional proscription? Is there
one among us who, by bowing his neck and
giving his support to the Harrisburg tioinina-
quested to forward a copy of these resolutions lo e.ic.li
of our Senators and Representatives in Congress.
[D.]
Resolved, That it is inexpedient to change tho Con
stitution and laws of this State, so far as they rccog'
tion, Will degrade Ills State, deglade the states- ! n j zc a distinction in political rights, among persons on
men whom he delights to honor, degrade, him- j account of color.
self, and make the Southern States and South-1 Resolved, That, in the opinion of this Assembly, the
ertl statesmen, not the equals, as the Constitu- immediate abolition of Slavery in the District of Co
in the State Legislatures iu passing resolu
tions and acts destructive to tire rights hud in
terests of tho South, and dangerous to the peace
and union of these States. If this coalition
shall succeed in obtaining control of the Gov
ernments of Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois, and if nil those States shall pass laws
similar to that passed by New York, and their
Executive authorities shall adopt tlte same
course of action, what, security will the slave-
holding States have for their property? Eve
ry slave who can succeed in passing the limits
of those States, will he practically free.—
Thieves will steal your slaves and be protected
with their plunder throughout all those States
bordering on the slaveholding region. The
Constitution of the United States and the laws
of Congress for the protection of your slave
property, will not only be made void, but it
will bc a crime to execute them. 'The lands
of the South, after the withdrawal of the hands
that cultivate them, will lose more than half
their value, and abject poverty, if not absolute
desolation, will be the fate of vast regions of a
now productive and growing country.
WHO ARE OUR FRIENDS.
What party is it which is battling the cause
of the South in Ohio and Pennsylvania ? It is
the Democratic party. Should they bc over
powered by the coalition of Whigs and Aboli
tionists, what will be the consequences ? The
just and liberal act of Ohio will be repealed,
and the plunder law of New York will be sub
stituted in its place, while its Governors will
protect the plunderers. The Stevenses, the
Sergeants, the Dennys, and their Abolition as
sociates, iu the convention of Pennsylvania,
who were baffled by the Democracy, will use
the power of the Legislature and Governor to
accomplish the object heretofore unsuccessful
ly attempted. All barriers which protect onr
interests, the comity of neighbors, the obliga
tions of compacts, every principle, every law,
and every institution which obstructs this fell
spirit, will be swept away, and wc shall be
compelled to struggle, unaided, for tho preser
vation of onr constitutional rights, if not for
onr existence ns States.
Under these circumstances, can any man
shut his eyes to the fact, that the mass of the
party which support General Harrison in the
non-slaveholding States, is practically the ene
my of the South, whatever may be the feelings
of many of the individuals which compose it?
Is any one so blind as not to perceive, that the
consequences which have immediately follow
ed their entire ascendancy in the State of New
York, will inevitably follow their ascendancy
in every other of the non-slaveholding States?
Does not every one know, that the same
stiength which will give Harrison the vote
those States, will also throw their Executive
and legislative authorities into the hands ofthe
Abolitionists and their allies ? Are not the tri
umphs of Harrison and of anti-slavery iu those
States to bc achieved by the same men, by the
same presses, by the same arguments ? And is
not the enuseof the one, to all practical intents,
the cause of the other? No intelligent uiau,
after surveying the field of political action, can
to resist the measures of the Abolitionists.—
The attacks made upon him are, in every in
stance yet disclosed, founded iu titter falsehood,
or upon circumstances misunderstood, or too
frivolous to be brought, for a moment, in com
parison with the great interests now involved
in the struggle of parties. On the other hand,
the candidate presented by the Whig Abolition
party of the North, stands identified with all
the great measures and principles which the
l South has opposed and resisted almost “ unto
i blood.” True it is, that at difierent periods he
i has given out indications of being oti different
! sides of most of these great questions ; and it
: is equally true, that he refuses to state on which
side he nmv stands. If not an Abolitionist,
tion makes them, but the provinces, inferiors
and vassals ofthe Northern States and Northern
men? Who is their among us, that with the
hope of receiving minor offices at the hands of
Abolition Presidents, will meanly sacrifice the
dignity and honor, as well as the rights, inter
ests and safety, of his State and its people ?
Wc hope notone.
OUR TRUE POLICY.
The true course for the South is to reject
and repudiate all connection, direct or indirect,
I with Abolition and its allies. It is, to vote for
no man for any office iu the Government, who
will not openly renounce and denounce all con
nection with Abolition, direct or indirect, aud
pledge himself to exert all the powers vested
in him by the Constitution and laws, to protect: to the Union>
lumhia, against the wishes of the inhabitants, and
whilst slavery exists in the States of Virginia and
Maryland, would be inexpedient and unjustifiable.
Resolved, That an immediate prohibition by Con
gress of the slave trade between the States, is inexpe
dient, unconstitutional, and dangerous.
. Resolved, That the conditions upon which new
States are entitled to admission intothc Union, arc pre
scribed in the Constitution, and that it would tie un
wise aud unjustifiable to agitate the question whether
the recognition of slavery by any new State falling
within the orinciplcs of the compromise adopted on
the admission of Missouri, would he a valid objection
to its admission into the Union.
IK.] .
VERMONT RESOLUTIONS.
1. Resolved brj the Senate and House of Representa
tives, That our Senators in Congress be instructed,
and our Representatives requested, to use their influ
ence in that body to prevent the annexation of Texas
the constitutional rights of the slaveholding
States. It is to support such statesmen as arc
true to the Constitution and faithful to their
duties as members of this great confederacy.
This course of conduct steadily and sternly
pursued, would afford to the South an immedi-
atejaud ample protection. True to themselves,
presenting an unbroken front, and never waver
ing fioni their purpose, it is to be hoped the
South would find iu other sections, inert in suf
ficient numbers, influenced by a sense of obli
gation to the Constitution, to make up a ma
lic has, while refusing publicly to answer any Jority of tho Union, secure to Southern men
questions on the subject, written letters, and
one to the Hon. George Evans, member of
Congress from the State of Maine, giving an
Abolition coloring to his acts and opinions,
with the view of obtaining the support of those
implacable enemies of the South. True it is,
that, at about the same period, he was writiug
letters to the South, denying his Abolitionism,
with the view of obtaining also the support of
slaveholders! It appears that most, if not all,
of these letters, were written under an injunc
tion that they should not be published. He
has expressed no opinions on the subject upon
which the South can rely, and stands ready to
act with one party or the other, as either may
have a majority in Congress. Indeed, from
evidence, the truth of which we do not doubt,
it appears he has recently declared, on more
than one occasion, that he will not veto any
bill which Congress may pass!
The no nination of Mr. Seward for Gover
nor of New Y ork, and the nomination of Gene
ral Harrison for President of the United States,
were both procured by the same means—by a
coalition of Whigs and Abolitionists. In New
York, they succeeded in making the Governor;
and what nas been the result? Concessions
to the Abolitionists, which, on one subject, an
nihilate the Constitution and laws in that State,
deprive the property of the South of the stipu
lated protection, and give encouragement and
shelter to these who steal it. This is the natu
ral fruit of such a coalition. Elected by Abo
lition votes, the Governor is able to retain his
office only by the assistance of those auxiliaries,
ntul the Constitution and the rights ofthe South
are sacrificed to secure it. If General Harri
sou, after being nominated by a similar coali
tion, shall reach the Presidential chair, must
not the same results necessarily follow? Will
it not be equally necessary to secure the con
tinned support of the Abolitionists, and will not
similar means be resorted to? Will not the
party in power be compelled to concede to their
allies the abolition of slavery in the District of
Columbia, the interdiction ofthe transporta
tion of slaves from State to State, the withdraw
al in every possible way of the protection guar
antied by the Constitution to slave property,
and encouragement to those who steal it?
voice from Heaven could not more certainly
worn the South of tho consequences of placing
the power of the Union ill the hands of such
their constitutional equality, to Southern in
tcrests then - constitutional protection,and to the
whole Union that limited, benign, and just
Government, which the fathers ol the Republic
intended to establish.
It is in the hope of promoting this grand
and salutary union of sentiment iu the South,
no less useful to the Union and encouraging to
mankind, than it is essential to your own in
terest and safety, that we have taken the trouble
to collect these facts and submit these views.
C. C- CLAY, of Ala.
R. C. NICHOLAS, of La.
WM. S. FULTON, of Ark.
FRANCIS THOMAS, of Md.
GEO. C. DllOMGOOLE, of Va.
J. J . McIvAY, of N. C.
FELIX GRUNDY, of Tenn.
WILSON LUMPKIN, of Ga.
JOHN JAMESON, of Mo.
LYNN BOYD, of Ky.
’ A. G. BROWN, of Miss.
T. D. SUMTER,bf S. C.
[A.]
NEW HAMPSHIRE RESOLUTIONS.
Resolved, That the relation of master and slave, as
established by law within the jurisdiction of any ofthe
States, is an institution for which the State, within
which it is established, is alone responsible, and with
which neither Congress, nor the Legislature of any
other State, can rightfully interfere.
Resolved, That the adoption and prosecution of mea
sures by individuals residing within one State with the
avowed design of overthrowing the institutions of an
other State, by sending emissaries, scattering docu
ments, pamphlets or papers, within that State against
the declared will of the same, is a disregard ot that
comity and mutual respect which should ever bc cul
tivated among the States.
Resolved, That Congress ought not to interdict the
slave trade between the States, or to abolish slavery
within the District of Columbia or the F erritories ofthe
United States. , ,
Resolved, That the resolution adopted by the House
pf Representatives ofthe Congress oithe United States,
by which all memorials relating to the abolition ot
slavery, upon the presentation of the same, were order
ed to lie on the table, without any further action there
on, was not an infringement of the right ofpetition.
Resolved, That the immediate abolition of slavery,
by whatever means effected, without the expatriation
2. Resolved, That representing as we do the peo
ple of Vermont, we do hereby, in their name, solemn-
protest against such annexation in any form.
3. Resolved, That as the Representatives of the peo
ple of Vermont, we do solemnly protest against the
admission into this Union of any State whose Consti
tution tolerates domestic slavery.
4. Resolved, That Congress have full power, by, the
Constitution, to abolish slavery and the slave trade in
the District of Columbia and in the Territories of the
United States.
5. Resolved, That Congress has the constitutional
powes to prohibit the slave trade between the several
States of this Union, and to make such laws as shall
effectually prohibit such trade.
6. Resolved, That onr Senators in Congress be in
structed, and our Representatives requested, to present
the foregoing report and resolutions to their respective
Houses in Congress, and use their influence lo carry
the same speedily into effect.
7. Resolved, That the Governor of this State be re
quested to transmit a copy of the foregoing report and
resolutions to the President of the United States, to the
Executives of the several States, and to each of our
Senators and Representatives in Congress.
[FT
NEW YORK.
AN ACT to extend the right of Trial by Jury
[Passed May 6,1810.]
The people of the State ot New York, represented in
Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows :
Sec. 1. Instead ofthe hearing provided by the first
article of title one and chapter nine ofthe third part of
the Revised Statutes, to ba had before a court or officer,
upon the return of any writ of habeas corpus, issued
to bringupthe body of an alleged fugitive lrom service
or labor to which he is held ueder the laws of any
oilier State, who shall have escaped into this State, the
claim to the service of such alleged fugitive, his iden
tity, and the fact of his having escaped from another
State ofthe United States I ito this State, shall bc deter
mined by a jury.
Sec. 5. Any jury drawn and sworn as herein pro
vided, shall hear the allegations and proofs of the par
ties, and shall determine the ma ters submitted to them,
and for that purpose shall bc kept together by some
proper officer, who shall be sworn as is usual in like
cases in courts of record. The verdict rendered by
such jury, if it be in a court of record, shall be recorded
in its minutes, and if it be rendered on a hearing be
fore a single officer, shall be certified by him, and filed
in the office of the clerk of the county as a public re
cord.
Sec. 0. If such jury cannot agree after having been
kept together a reasonable time, they shall be discharg
ed, anti another shall be summoned, impanelled and
sworn as herein before provided, and new juries shall
continue to be summoned until one shall agreo. And
the finding of any,jury as aforesaid, shall be conclusive
upon all the matters submitted to them, and shall not
be vacated or set aside, except by the Supreme Court,
which is hereby authorized to set the same aside for
the same causes, in the same manner, and with like
effect, as verdicts are set aside by the court in criminal
cases, and for no other cause.
Sec. 7. If the finding of the jury be in favor of the
claimant upon all the matters submitted, the court or
officer before whom such hearing shall have been had,
shall grant to such claimant a certificate stating that
it having been found by a jury that such fugitive,
(who shall be particularly described in such certificate,)
doth owe service or labor to the person claiming tho
, , , B imo under the laws of some other State in the Union
ofthe slaves, would be productive of calamities, moral. (naming such person and tho State under whose laws
and political, such as should be deprecated by every ' suc fi claim is sustained,) and that such fugitive esra-
friond of humanity. j pod from such State into this State, and thereby al-
[B] • lowing such person or his agent (who shall also be
RHODE ISLAND RESOLUTIONS. named in such certificate) to take sucli fugitive and
Whereas, the Htfusc of Representatives of the Con- convey him to the State from wiiich ho fled; which
the saute claim; and any person who shall thercalter
arrest, detain; or proceed iu upy m»nner to .retake such
alleged fugitive-upon the s.Vmo61*int, or filial! by vir
tue ofthe same claim rcinovc.such .alleged fugifiyg
out of this State under any process or proceeding
whatever, slialt be deemed guilty of kidnapping, and
upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in
the State prison not exceeding ten years.
Sec. i). The district attorney of the county in
which any alleged fugitive from service ,or labor from
another Slate shall be proceeded against by any per
son chiming such fugitive, shall, upon notice of such
proceeding, render ids advice and professional services
to such alleged fugitive, and shall attend in his behalf
on the trial ot such claim, and shall receive such com
pensation therefor as shall bc ccriitied to be just aud
reasonable by the court cr officer before whom the
proceedings shall be conducted, to he paid a ; pnrt of
the contingent expenses of the county. And in case
of the omission of such district attorney so to attend
or to render ids professional services, the court or offi
cer before whom the proceedings shall bc had, shall
assign some counsellor of the supreme court, in good
standing, to conduct the defence of such alleged tugi-
tive, and render to him the usual services of a coun
sel ; for which he shall receive a compensation to be
certified and paid as herein before provided in respect
to the district attorney.
Sec. 10. Every person so claimed ns a fugitive
shall be entitled to subpo'nas, for his witnesses, from
the court or officer before whom the habeas corpus
may bc returnable, without any fee or charge therefor;
nnd every constable, sheriff or marshal, to whom any
such subpwna shall bc delivered to be served, shall
serve the same, arid shall lie allowed ihe same fees as
for serving n capias in a court of common picas, to lie
paid ns part of the contingent expenses of the county,
in . the event of a jury summoned under this act deter
mining in favor of the claimant: and every witness
served with such subpoena shall be bound’ to attend
nnd testify, in the same manner as in criminal cases,
without being entitled to any foes whatever.
.See. 12. No person shall lie cniiilcd to a writ of
habeas corpus to arrest a fugitive from labor or ser
vice, until he shall have delivered to the court, or offi
cer to whom application for such writ shall he matte,
a bond to the people of this State in the penal sum of
one thousand dollars, with two sufficient sureties, in
habitants and freeholders of this State, to be approved
by such court or officer, conditioned lo pay all costs
and expenses that may accrue i:i the prosecution of
the said writ, legally chargeable to such claimant, and
also to pay weekly the sum of t.vo dollars to the per
son having such alleged fugitive in his custody, for the
support ot such alleged fugitive, so long as he shall
remain iu custody under such writ of habeas corpus,
or be detained by the proceedings thereon; and also
That if .injr jnry irupacllod under this act shall render
a verdict against such claim, thou that such claimant
shall pay all the costs and expenses of the proceed
ings, including those to which such alleged fugitive
shaild-ivc been subjected; and in addition thereto,
shall pay to such alleged fugitive the sum of otic hun
dred dollars, and all damages which he may sustain.
The said bond shall be filed in the office of the clerk
ofthe county, and may bc prosecuted by any person
claiming any benefit from its provisions, iu the name
of the people of. this State ; but the people shall not
bc liable for any costs in such suit.
b'oe. 10. No judge or other officer of this State
shall grant or issue any certificate or other process,
for the removal from this Shale of any fugitive or of
any person claimed as a fugitive from service or labor,
otherwise than in pursuance of the provisions of this
act; and every such judge or other officer who shall
grant or issue any such certificate or other process
except in the manner iireseribed in and by this act,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and liable
to punishment therefor.
fc’ce. 17; Every person who shall, without the au
thority of law, forcibly remove or attempt to remove
from this State any fugitive front service or labor, or
any person who is claimed as such fugitive, shall for
feit the sum of five hundred dollars to tlte parly ag
grieved. and shall bc deemed guilty of the crime of
kidnapping, anil upon conviction of such offence shall
bo punished by imprisonment in the State prison for a
period not exceeding ten years.
See. 18. This act shall not be so construed as to
apply to the relation of master and apprentice width
may exist in any other State.
Shite of New York,) This act having been appro-
Sccrttan/s ojfive. [ ved and signed by the Governor,
on the Gih day of May, 1840, 1 "do hereby certify that
the same became a law on that day.
JOHN G. SPEN<’ER, Secretary of State.
Secretary's ti/jive:—l certify that.the- foregtdng is a
true copy of a law ofthe Slate of Nev. York, dc;;< sit
ed iu this office, and of niy endorsement thereon. Muv
0, l&fty. •' .
JOHN G. SPENGER, Secretary of State.
, s C [«,;}/
GOV. SEWARD’S REASONS.
“The offence charged in the affidavit before me is
not understood to be that of lidlna'ppjpg a person, by
which lie was deprived oflrisliberty olr held in dc.res>,
or suffered personal wrong or injustice; I nit is under
stood to mean tho taking ol a slave considered as prop
erty from iiis owner. If 1 uifx, incorrect in this suppe-
siiion, the vagueness and uncertainty of the affidavit
must excuse lev error: But I think there can be no
controversy upon this point. 1 need u >t inform >'*>»,
sir, tliat there is no law of this Stave which recognises
slavery, no statute winch admits tliat one man can lc
the property of another, or that or.e man can be stolen
from another. On the other hand, our Constitution
and laws abolish slavery in every form. The art
charged in the affidavit, if it had been conimhfcd in
this State, would not contravene any statute ; nor ts
it necessary to inform you that the common law, which
is iu (dice iu this Stale when not abrogated by stat
ute, docs not recognise slavery, nor make the act el
which the parties are accused iu litis case felonious or
criminal.
“ It results from this . iew of the subject, that the ol-
fcnce charged in the affidavit and specified in the re
quisition, is not a felony nor a crime within the mean
ing of the Constitution ; and that waiving all the de
fects in the affidavit, I cannot surrender tlic supposed
fugitives to be carried to Virginia for trial under the
statute of that State.” e
[H.]
OHIO LAW.
Whereas, the second section of tlic fourth article of
the Constitution of the United States declares that
“ no person held to service or labor in one Slate, un
der the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in
consequence of any law or regulation therein, bo dis
charged from such service or labor, but. shall lie deliv
ered upon claim of the party to whom such service or
labor may bc due And whereas the laws now in
force within the State of Ohio are wholly inadequate
to the protection pledged by this provision of the Con
stitution to the Southern States of this, Union : And
whereas, it is the duty of those who reap the large*
measure of benefits conferred by the Constitution,
recognise to their full extent the obligations which that
instrument imposes : And whereas, it is the deliberate
conviction of this General Assembly, that the C onsti
tution can only be sustained as it was framed, by a
spirit of just compromise; Therefore, t .
Sec. 1. Be it enacted ly the General Assembly el
the Slate of Ohio, That when any person held to labor
or service in any ot the United States under the ia" s
thereof, shall escape into this State, the person to
whom such labor or service is due, bis or her ag cn ) or
attorney, is hereby authorized to apply to any joege
of any court of record in this Stale, or to any justice
of the peace, or to the mayor of any city or town cor
porate, who, on such application supported by the oa
or affirmation of such claimant, his or her agent or at
torney, that skid fugitive has escaped from his or »
service, or from tlte service of the person for whom ■
is agent or attorney, and which'\oalh or■ affirm® 1
shall be reduced to writing, and shall specify the na
and place of residence of the person to whom sUf " ‘j
boror service is due, and also the name and sup]' 05 ' .
age of such fugitive, with a pertinent description
his or her persor, shall issue his warrant tmacr -
hand and seal, and directed to the sheriff or cons
of any county in this State, authorizing and o'/o 0 .j
said sheriff or constable to seize and arrest the
fugitive who shall be named in the said warrant ;*o'
in case the said fugitive shall bo arrested in the f®
ty in which said warrant may bo issued, to bring G
or her before some judge of a court of record o .
State residing within such county; dr in case the
fugitive shall be arrested In any other county than
county in which tlic warrant may be issued,W*
take him or her before some judge of a court of rr-
in this State, residing in the couutyvm which
rest is trtadfc-.
