PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM―JNO. R. THOMPSON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.

VOL. XVI.

RICHMOND, DECEMBER, 1850.

A LETTER,

To the HON. JOSIAH QUINCY, of Massachusetts,
On the subject of the Fugitive Slave Bill.

SIR: If I address you in this manner, without the honor of your acquaintance, and through the pages of a magazine, it is neither to denounce, insult, or vituperate you; but simply for the purpose of offering a few remarks on the subject of the late bill for the recapture of fugitive slaves, which you have declared, and many citizens of your State rallying round you have declared, null and of no effect as to its operation within the limits of Massachusetts.

NO. 12.

ist. In all the movements which Massachusetts then made, agitated as she was to her heart's core, and boiling like a volcano with rage at the destruction of her millions worth of shipping-in all the commotions, the threats, the imprecations of that afflicted commonwealth, it is said you bore your part. So be it. Whether you then were a blue light federalist, a Hartford Convention federalist, or whether a federalist or a democrat, it concerus not my purpose to consider. Of the events of that by-gone day it is needless to inquire-of the men who figured in them to say one word. It

were better to

"let the past be past; let be Their cancell'd Bubels;"

Many citizens rallying round you, I say-for, for there is little to be gained, if there is much sir, you are not a common demagogue pandering to be learned, by summoning those actors from to the depraved tastes, and leading astray for the Jehosaphat where with a few exceptions, vilely-selfish considerations the steps of an igno- they lie in that oblivion they deserved and have rant, but honest community-to batten at last attained. Times have changed, and with the on the follies you have caused, and erect your-change has come a different race of men, aud self like a destroying angel on the ruin you have subjects of mightier interest. Greater agitations made. You are not the wordy counsellor, with than ever kindled the past are around us, and self for your pole-star, and a fox for your emblem, we have no inhuman dearth of noble natures" thrusting forward your advice on all occasions, to meet them. ambitious only to lead, careless whither your But an actor of the older day again appears course and that of the ignorant herd may tend. upon the stage; buried like Prospero's wand for There are many such characters in the northern so many years beneath the sea of Time, he comes eities: all around you they may be seen, famous forth a Mentor to the new generation, and “guide, from the evil they have done, celebrated from the philosopher and friend," mixes himself with life agitation they have aroused-the true ulceration once more, ambitious to point his fellow-citizens and diseased matter which great cities, "the sores to the "narrow path," or rather to the broad and of the body politic," have ever tended, and must pleasant road, which their wishes and their interever tend to produce. Among these men of a cor-ests equally prompt them to take. This you have rupt ambition and impure life I do not class you. For I cannot. You are not of them, and I hope they may never boast you their proselyte-you who have witnessed all their actions and the actions of the generation who went before them. When England with her orders in council and Napoleon with his decrees, dated from half the capitals of Europe, were grinding our commerce like wheat between two millstones; when the Em- The university of this feeling," you say, bargo law in 1807 and the Non-intercourse act in "within this State on this law, (F. S. Bill.) is 1308, were ruining the merchaut navy of America; attributed most falsely to the labors of a class of when lastly, war arose and the "blue lights" were men, at this day kuown by the name of aboliburned, and the Hartford Convention met with tionists." I was pleased to meet with this senits doors closed to plot what the southern men tence, for it showed me that your communicaof that day called treason;-then it is said you tion was not that tirade and rhapsody of cant, were a federalist, some said a blue light federal- called an Abolition Letter. Had it been such, ist, others added a Hartford Convention Federal-'it would not have merited, as it never would have

VOL. XVI-89

done sir. This actor of an older day you are. Holding no fellowship with the demagogues of abolition, who dare to say they represent, with their miserable cant and petty larceny principles, the whole northern people, you have addressed your fellow citizens from your philosophic retirement, and your voice has been attentively listened to.

Had it

received, that consideration which has been uni- of your first untenable proposition. versally extended to it. been anticipated . . . . . that the general powers It is true, sir, that you have written with the...... would have been so construed," Massaair of one who feels around him in the atmos-chusetts would never have accepted the Constiphere he breathes an universal public sentiment, tution containing this astounding doctrine, that and who seeks but to give his more ignorant an act of Congress, coming in conflict with State fellow-citizens a reason for the faith that is in legislation, shall take precedence! She would them;" but you have lost sight, in the execution never have signed a compact, the construction of of your purpose, of so limited a design, and your of which by the Federal Legislative evidenced arguments have a paramount merit, inasmuch as in a solemn act should—take away the trial by they go a bowshot beyond the sentiments of the jury from a slave refugee in Massachusetts! most ultra, yes of the most ruu-mad agitators on You have, sir, the reputation of an able juthe points of law and doctrine therein considered.rist-your great skill in balancing phrases couIt was left for you, sir, to assert the astounding vinces ine that your intellect has not been overdoctrine, in the face of numberless decisions rated. And yet you have hammered at this of the Supreme Court, that the acts of the lame and impotent hypothesis until, instead of Congress of the United States shall be con- hardening and burnishing it for all men's inspecstrued in accordance with the Constitution, the tion, you have beaten it into a handful of worthlegislation, nay the popular feeling of the dif- less dross. This, with some vague talk of “inferent States where they shall be sought to be wrought sovereignty," is all that Massachusetts, enforced-for you, sir, was it left to say that through one of her ablest citizens, grown gray common usage shall overturn a solemn act of in the conflict of ideas and opinions, can say in legislation by the paramount legislative authority defence of her resistance to the law! This is of these United States. To sustain so astonish- the forlorn attitude she assumes, stripped of the ing-nearly, so unprecedented a doctrine, some proof, or shadow of proof—some reasou, or semblance of a reason, would seem necessary. You have offered neither-in place of them you have given us an assertion.

They, [the people of Massachusetts,] regarded that law as violating the principle of the compact as they understood it, when they acceded to the Constitution of the United States. In accepting the clause of the Constitution which provides that persons held to service or labor in any other State. and escaping into Massachusetts,' should not be discharged from such service or labor in consequence of any law' passed by her, and that she would deliver on claim, such persous to the party to whom the service may be due. the people of Massachusetts understood that such claim should be enforced in conformity to, and in coincidence with the known and established principles of the Constitution of Massachusetts. That pledge the people of Massachu setts, by accepting that clause in the Constitution of the United States. solemnly gave, and that pledge the people of Massachusetts, have never violated, and I add they will never vio

trappings thrown around her by the harangues of demagogues, which, like the Spaniard's cloak, coucealed her rags! You have strenuously endeavored, sir, to weave these rags of argument into a garment that should hide her nakedness; but your attempt has been desperate. From this she is a follower of Loyola. With Escobar she believes that "promises are not obligatory when one has no intention of being bound to fulfil them." She signed the Constitution of the United States, but at the time she had no intention of being bound to fulfil her sworn duty.

But conscious, sir, of the unsoundness of your reasoning, (for it must be evident even to yourself that it proves nothing,) you make amends in the second part of your communication—in your appeal to popular feeling on the momentous subject under consideration. This is the most dangerous portion of your letter-for such appeals are always the last resort—the ultima ratio in all the wars of argument. This thing called Public Opinion is indeed a dreadful tribunal, armed with lightnings more terrible than the Olympian Jupiter's, and permitting no appeal from its supreme decision. It overthrows all opposition and anniThe people of Massachusetts understood! Where hilates the powers of this world with a breath. is the great charter signed at the American Run- You have appealed to a tribunal that, with you nymede, on the execution of which Massachu- to-day may be against you to morrow. That setts depends for retaining her colored citizens this bill for the recapture of fugitive slaves may against the act of Congress-the great charter, become wholly inoperative, you invoke the inrelying on which she solemnly gave them assu- terposition of public opinion against all officers, rance of her protection, and will never violate who, having sworn to perform their legal functhat assurance? tions, do not perjure themselves and truckle to

late it."

In the next paragraph it seems, sir, that like an experienced lawyer, you would abate the force

*Pascal, Prov. Let. p. 136.

the sentiment of the community in which they and final, in the face of a requisition for his perlive. Moved by cupidity, some few individu- son? Does not the ex parte testimony of the officer als may stem the low tide of obloquy and re-sent to identify and arrest the murderer suffice, proach," to aid the master in recapturing his and bar all jury trial except in Massachusetts? slave. Sir, this is unworthy of your character— This ex parte testimony it is alleged might this tribute to the mock philanthropy of an in- easily be false, and thus a free black might be reterested faction; as it is unworthy of your intel- duced into slavery. This from the danger of dislect to argue that trial by jury would in any case covery is almost impossible, but even though it whatsoever reinstate the master in possession of were. In gathering information on these points his slave. Does not the community you live in of vital importance, have you never conversed, scoff at the idea of such a reclamation-would sir, with intelligent gentleman from Virginia; or not the more fanatical portion of that community seen her books of legal decisions? The one will murder the Southeruer who resolutely pressed tell you that any negro, may and can demand his demand in the face of their refusal to surren-trial of the question of his liberty, and the other der the slave? You relate, sir, an incident of will show you that one of the most distinguished your legal career which is worth ten thousand judges of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, laid opinions on this subject. You were engaged to down the doctrine that in all suits for freedom defend a colored citizen who had, to use your the law leaned in favor of human liberty. own phrase, “taken up his residence in Massa- Before closing these tedious remarks, I will chusetts," but in so doing, unfortunately left be- briefly advert to the condition of the southeru hind him a master who claimed him under the negro, on which subject the general misappreact of 1793, providing for the more thorough exe-hension or ignorance at the north is astonishing. cution of the second section of the fourth article What is the condition of the negro here and in of the Constitution. We may fancy, sir, the the Free States? What is the life, what the treatmanner in which you conducted that trial, fromment he has fled from, to anchor all his hopes the opinions advanced in, and the general tone in a land of which he knows nothing with cerof, your present communication. But in the tainty? Is he a degraded being doomed to præmiddle of your no doubt able and eloquent ad- dial toil forever, and denied every blessing, all dress, a rather novel circumstance interrupts the alleviation of his dreadful lot whatsoever—is he proceedings; this circumstance is the knocking a dog who faithfully serves his master, goes at down of the officer in charge of the slave, who his bidding, toils under his eye, licks the hand walks off calmly between two walls of law-abi- that strikes him, and receives in return but a ding citizens, and under the nose of a law-pre-scant-covered bone to satisfy the cravings of serving judge. Do you imagine that a jury taken hunger?

from those by-standers would have done justice No, sir! he is a well-treated, well-fed, happy to the Southern master when that JUDGE viola- dependent. Yes. happy! Look at the slave on one ted his oath and disgraced his ermiue? or that of our Virginia estates-not on the patent farms a jury now-when public sentiment is far more of Northern speculators, who grind his form to deeply aroused than in 1794-would award the the earth, and squeeze from his labor as they master his slave? force from the soil, the forest, and the bowels of This is unworthy of a man who writes to con- the earth, every particle of produce that may be vince men it is utterly repugnant to the teach-converted into bank notes. I would point you to ings of experience and the dictates of reason. the negro ou the estate of the Virginia farmer The slave is his Virginia master's property-he and gentleman, because the slave refugees of the flees to Massachusetts, and on a requisition for north are for the most part from those Virginia his person, carried by the master himself, the estates, or from Kentucky, that other Virginia. federal act in his hand, you reply, "Your slave Here he is well-clothed in winter and summer, shall not be deprived of his jury trial." Leaving with ample fires to preserve him from the cold, out of view the binding law of the case, which and perfect shelter against wind and storm. He may be cruel, unjust, unrighteous, but which is is provided with food-not refuse matter, welllaw-is not this proceeding opposed to every picked bones, or coarse black bread-but with usage? To give an illustration. Intense do- the excellent pork and the savory corn cake-fare mestic injury by the law or feeling of Massachu- which the European peasant would look upon setts or New York, may not be an excuse in full for with envy. He is not dragged to his ouerous, his murder here it is an absolute acquittal, for pub-back-breaking toil by a heartless overseer, shrinklic opinion holds that in such a case, the killing is ing from the lash brandished above his head, justifiable. Suppose the murder is committed in Massachusetts, and the murderer flees to Virginia; shall he be there tried and an acquittal held good

and sickening at the thought of "long years of such," from which death were a welcome aud blessed relief. On the contrary, he has a kind

master to whom, in misfortune he will often show tue and all morality. Is he received into society, the most affecting devotion; he is addressed with where his intellect and his manners, were he white, good humor, he is regularly but not excessively would entitle him to consideration,—do you reworked; and with his stated holydays at Christ- commeud him as an associate to your sons, and mas and other festive seasons, and the long eve-introduce him as a suitor to your daughters? ning after sunset to play his banjo, bake his hoe- Do you meet him in courts as a counsellor, in the cake, and laugh with his friends, he seems to be journals as a writer, on 'change as a merchant? as indolently happy as his inferior and animal or- In none of these places can he set his foot. He is ganization would possibly permit him to be. a pariah with the brand of degradation on his foreWere you to visit a Virginia homestead and at head, and no sooner has he answered the purevening see their gay dances, and hear upon the air pose of the demagogue and agitator than he is the ear-stunning reverberation of the African neglected or spurned beneath their feet-"with laugh, you would not, I think, sir, look upon the none so poor to him reverence." slave as so unhappy, so miserable a being. Even in the city of Richmond you would be loth to believe the negroes with their easy tasks, their fashionable apparel and their “African Church," so unhappy and so trodden down as they are represented.

This agitation presents a wide field for philosophical observation and deduction. Are the sources of this mighty flood of Abolitionism pure or foul? Certain it is that love and pity for the slave is the main current-not the love that contributes money to emancipate him and convey him to his native land, or the pity that alleviates his unhappy condition—but love and pity in the abstract, where the question touches the pocket, and only practical when the Southern master demands his property. It is a mighty flood, sir, which seems as though it would sweep all things before it. A flood which sweeps through Pennsylvania and New York, where the negro is a degraded outcast ;-through Massachusetts, where he is as benightedly-ignorant as an all-embracing system of free schools for white children could make him;-through Rhode Island, fat with negro carcasses, and rich with the riches wrung from the groans and blood of Africa. On through the length and breadth of the land it sweeps, and the watchword is every where repeated-from the waving plains of Pennsylvania and Ohio to the rocky fastnesses where the White Mountains raise their wintry peaks, and the St. John aud Penobscot roll their freezing surges. Everywhere it is abolition! abolition! War and tempest, craft and force, cunning and fraud, all means What he could not appreciate if he had it, sir ;- -to work out the "good work" appear righteous. for what is the condition of the Free Negro Time, labor, every thing to force her “peculiar everywhere? He is almost universally, a lying, institution" from the South, but not one dollar thieving, immoral outcast. He is free, but he for the Colonization Society! knows not the meaning of the term; he is with- Sir, the few words I have uttered may pass out a master, but too lazy to work;-the conse- you like the idle wind, but they are none the less quence is that he gambles, steals, drinks and founded on truth and destitute of all exaggerapasses his miserable and degraded state of free-tion. These are facts which have been dashed dom in a sytematic violation of the ten command- in the eyes of the world until she is blind to their ments until the Penitentiary or the gallows siezes enormity, rung in her ears, until she is deafened its rightful victim.

The truth and the undeniable fact is that never was that class of beings, who in all ages have existed—as helot, servus, serf and slave-more amply remunerated in material comforts for the loss of their liberty. Has the slave care, anxiety, grief? (None but the inhuman trafficer in the negro's heart's blood, the "negro-trader." separates the husband from the wife, the mother from the son, and the contempt and degradation they have universally drawn upon themselves sufficiently marks the public sentiment as to their character.) Has the slave, I say, either care or anxiety has he to endure a mortal struggle for bread, a mortifying and degrading want of common necessaries,-is his heart torn with grief and agony at seeing his wife or his daughters suffering from want-as is so often the case with honest and hard working artisans? No sir. He has yielded up what he could not appreciate if he had it, his liberty, and in turn his language to his master is, "I am your dependent, feed me, clothe me, supply my every want."

and stunned with their dreadful reverberation. Is his state so much better at the North-to But never before has America trembled so viowhich he looks as to a Paradise where, after lently to the very core of her mighty heart. An crossing the gulf of Bondage, he may repose in awful, a dreadful crisis approaches-such as no some Abraham's bosom? Is the African an Missouri agitation or Wilmot Proviso could ever honored and worthy member of the community, cause. Never before has the American Union well-educated, respected, and useful? Ask your been so near the verge of ruin. Like some beacon Five Points and the purlieus of the city of all vir- light on a rocky coast, the salvation and the