e slaveholders will be
faithful to their own acts. The Northern freeman knows no records; he
despises the "papers."

Depend upon no promised protection of citizens in any quarter. Their own
property and liberty are jeopardised, and they will not sacrifice them
for us. This we may not expect them to do.

Besides, there are no people who ever lived, love their country and obey
their laws as the Americans.

Their country is their Heaven--their Laws their Scriptures--and the
decrees of their Magistrates obeyed as the fiat of God. It is the most
consummate delusion and misdirected confidence to depend upon them for
protection; and for a moment suppose even our children safe while
walking in the streets among them.

A people capable of originating and sustaining such a law as this, are
not the people to whom we are willing to entrust our liberty at
discretion.

What can we do? What shall we do? This is the great and important
question:--Shall we submit to be dragged like brutes before heartless
men, and sent into degradation and bondage?--Shall we fly, or shall we
resist? Ponder well and reflect.

A learned jurist in the United States, (Chief Justice John Gibson of
Pennsylvania,) lays down this as a fundamental right in the United
States: that "Every man's house is his castle, and he has the right to
defend it unto the taking of life, against any attempt to enter it
against his will, except for crime," by well authenticated process.

But we have no such right. It was not intended for us, any more than any
other provision of the law, intended for the protection of Americans.
The policy is against us--it is useless to contend against it.

This is the law of the land and must be obeyed; and we candidly advise
that it is useless for us to contend against it. To suppose its repeal,
is to anticipate an overthrow of the Confederative Union; and we must be
allowed an expression of opinion, when we say, that candidly we believe,
the existence of the Fugitive Slave Law _necessary_ to the continuance
of the National Compact. This Law is the foundation of the
Compromise--remove it, and the consequences are easily determined. We
say necessary to the continuance of the National Compact: certainly we
will not be understood as meaning that the enactment of such a Law was
_really_ necessary, or as favoring in the least this political
monstrosity of the THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA--surely not at all; but we