attorney, which shall be sufficient warrant for removing the said fugitive from labor to the state or territory from which he or she fled." For many years Pennsylvania has been the forum of most of the decisions respecting fugitive slaves. The records, however, are but few, as most of the cases have occurred before justices of the peace, who have been generally the bribed allies of the slaveholders, as has been the case in most of the free states bordering on the slave states. Judge Washington decided that the clause in the Constitution "did not extend to the case of a slave voluntarily carried by his master into another state, and there leaving him under the protection of some law declaring him free." The same judge also declared, "that the act of Congress applied exclusively to fugitive slaves, and not to those whom their masters themselves brought from one state to another." (See Stroud, pp. 166, 167.) In 1826 the law of Pennsylvania was made more stringent, so that magistrates were not allowed to decide in cases of fugitives, but they were brought before the judges. But, as the certificate of the judge is to be regarded as conclusive evidence that the claimant may remove his captive to a land where his color is his condemnation, even in Pennsylvania great injustice to colored persons may be perpetrated with impunity. But in those states where justices are the arbiters of law and of fact, man-stealing may be prosecuted under the cover of law. Indeed, thousands of free persons have been enslaved, under the pretext that they were fugitives from service or labor. No one who examines the subject can avoid perceiving that the laws of the United States, and of the slave states, and some of the free states, are in direct opposition to the Mosaic code, in regard to those who escape from slavery. When the Hebrew was maltreated, his obligation as a servant ceased; although no Hebrew was allowed to be a slave, according to the law of Moses, or the principles of the Bible. When an alien, or stranger, or one not of the Hebrew nation, among whom slavery, properly so called, prevailed, fled to the Hebrews, he was to be received, treated, and protected as a freeman, at any risk. The reason was, that because slavery-that is, involuntary and hereditary service-was essentially and unavoidably sinful, no slavery could be allowed where the law of God governed; and therefore it could not be tolerated among the Hebrews. Had real slavery existed in the Hebrew nation, by virtue of the Mosaic code, its practical effects would have been similar to those in our slave states, and in all other slave countries. But as long, and so far, as the Israelites observed their laws on servitude, the common atrocities and cruelties of slavery had no being. It was only when they violated their laws, that they practiced human oppression; for while God sanctioned and regulated several mild kinds of servitude among the Hebrews, for the benefit of the poor servants themselves, he most effectually prohibited every thing like slavery of any kind. He that stole, or sold, or retained a stolen man, was to be punished with death. (Exodus xxi.) And as these are the three principal modes of enslavement-all others being reducible to these and these were forbidden, slavery was expressly prohibited, under pain of death, to every individual of the Hebrew nation. Poor persons might sell themselves for a time; but no Hebrew could sell another human being. Were the principles and statutes of the Mosaic code introduced into the slave states, slavery could not live more than six years, or fifty at most, in their midst. Nay, were the regulations of the Mosaic code only in regard to the reception of fugitive slaves, and the emancipation of Hebrews when maltreated, applied to the regulation of southern slavery, it could not exist any length of time under such regulations. There is such an amount of positive wickedness and inhuman cruelty found in this single character of slavery, in regard to fugitive slaves, that no pen can describe them. Many well-disposed persons in the free states, because the laws supported this barbarous conduct, have silently overlooked the enormities. But the progress of the bold and daring effrontery of slave-catchers, and manifest kidnappers, has become so glaring and intolerable, that the general sentiments of our best men are directed to observe the clear sovereignty of the Mosaic code over the oppressive laws of Congress and the slave states. To legalize crime, and throw around it the sanction of statutory enactments, is more wicked than to perpetrate it after it has been made lawful. Thus, the members of a legislature who would enact a law authorizing theft and murder, would be more guilty than actual thieves and murderers. The former justify crime, and thus blot out all distinction between right and wrong; the latter merely commit the crime, when legalized, but attempt no justification of the offense. It has been said, as well it may, that "there are many benevolent slaveholders who would by no means pursue, as is commonly done, their fugitive slaves." This is admitted. But then their conduct is properly a protest against the sinfulness of slavery; for this same capture of runaways is a part, and an essential part, of the system; and therefore their conduct is a practical acknowledgment of the sinfulness of slavery. We might here bring under discussion several express prohibitions-such as "Thou shalt not kill;" "Thou shalt not steal"—which slavery directly and grossly violates; but we will consider these under the discussion on the ten commandments, of which they form a part. (6.) Many examples could here be given in reference to fugitive slaves which would show, to the life, what slavery is. In this work we have occasionally quoted instances of the practical workings of the system. Here we have not room to enlarge. We will content ourselves with a mere outline of the steps of treating runaways, which could be confirmed by hundreds or even thousands of examples under all or most of the items. First. The vigilant caution observed to prevent running away. Second. The pursuit of fugitives. Third. The blood-hounds, or other dogs, employed to find them. The profession of hunting men with dogs seems to be still a business worth pursuing, as appears from the following advertisement, in the Sumner County (Ala.) Whig: 'Negro Dogs.-The undersigned having bought the entire pack of negro dogs-of the Hay and Allen stock-he now proposes to catch runaway negroes. His charge will be $3 per day for hunting, and $15 for catching a runaway. He resides three and a half miles north of Livingston, near the lower Jones' Bluff road. WILLIAM GAMBEL. Fourth. The deadly weapons used to kill or mutilate them when necessary. Fifth. The professional men-hunters. Sixth. Advertisements in the public papers. The world—whether antediluvian, heathen, Mohammedan, or popish-never yet furnished greater examples of sinful, wicked conduct, than is practiced continually under the foregoing heads; and the limits of our volumes alone prevent their insertion. We must refer our readers, however, to the various publications which have made collections from the published accounts of the slaveholders themselves, who, in this matter, have, without designing it, proclaimed to the world their own sin and shame. CHAPTER II. SLAVERY VS. SCRIPTURAL COMMANDS. SLAVERY is contrary to many plain Scriptural injunctions or commands; or, in other words, there are duties enjoined in Scripture which can not be performed, except in direct opposition to the laws which establish slavery, and the practice under these laws. And, as the violation of these commands is sinful, the system of slavery, which demands the violation of Scriptural command, and therefore prohibits the performance of Christian duties, must be chargeable with the sin. We furnish the following plain Scriptural command, which slavery violates, by preventing the performance of the duties enjoined in these commands or injunctions. 1. Slavery is contrary to justice, or righteousness. Justice is, “suum cuique attribuens," "giving to every one his own." Justice and righteousness are one and the same. Justice is an eternal and immutable principle, emanating from the perfections of God. It is a principle of right, in opposition to wrong. On this ground Abraham made an appeal to God himself, who sustains the appeal to this general principle of right. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Genesis, xviii, 25. tional agreement, usage, or custom. are not the same, but, like virtue opposed to the other. It is not a convenJustice and injustice. and vice, the one is Now, slavery is a violation of the principles of right, or justice. Slavery does not "give to each his own.” It deprives a man of his labor, or, rather, it robs him of himself, his body, and his soul. The Africans, as well as others, sprung from one common father, and were all alike free. They were not enslaved for crime. They were either stolen or taken violently, and were therefore enslaved by |