Cortland County Express, Thursday, October 31, 1850
RALLY! RALLY!!
To the Anti-Fugitive Slave Bill Meeting.
Ye men, and women, and children of McGrawville and the surrounding country! Come to the above mentioned meeting on Friday evening, at 7 o'clock, at the school-house in McGrawville.
Freemen of the northern hills! Will you consent to be made bloodhounds for the slave holder? Will you forge the manacles for your own limbs, by helping to fasten them upon your brother?
Will you longer support demagogues who will do such devilish work?
Then come to the meeting and take your positions with reference to your duty to your country and your God!
MANY CITIZENS.
COMMUNICATED.
For the Cortland Co. Express
MEETING
Of the People of McGrawville and vicinity in reference to the Fugitive Slave Bill—Fixed determination to tramp it under foot.
At a meeting of the people of McGrawville and vicinity to take into consideration the late Fugitive Slave Bill, convened at the Union School House on Friday evening, Oct. 25th, 1850, the following organization of the meeting was made, viz:
Gilmore Kinney, President; John K. White, Thomas Boland, and Dr. Huntington, Vice Presidents; Charles A. Hammond, Secretary; Dr. Huntington, Curtis L. Kinney, Thomas Boland, George B. Jones, and Charles A. Hammond, Committee to prepare Resolutions.
As the weather was exceedingly inclement and, consequently, a much smaller number were present than would otherwise have assembled, the time was taken up in remarks by individuals present, and the Committee deferred their report to the next meeting.
Mr. Boland, being called upon, proceeded to show very clearly that the U. S. Constitution is Anti-slavery.
Professor Grosvenor of the N. Y. Central College responded to a call by giving an account of a spirited meeting lately held in Faneuil Hall, Boston, to oppose this bill, at the head of a call for which stood the name of Josiah Quincy.
Mr. G. B. Jones was called upon, and remarked relating to the enormity of the bill.
A. E. Packard was called upon, and denounced the Law.
Mr. Huntington, in response to a call, spoke in favor of resisting the Law by moral force.
A good degree of spirit was manifested, and a fixed determination to set at defiance the disgraceful enactment, which was justly characterized as no law.
The meeting was adjourned for one week, to meet at the same place. Let the people, then, of McGrawville and vicinity, come to the adjourned meeting at the Union School-house on Friday evening next. Let them come resolved, not only to resist, but to use every lawful means in their power to overthrow a system which needs such laws to perpetuate it, for the sufficient reason that it is founded upon the absurd and blasphemous falsehood that man can be made the property of man; and that it is, in itself, the "sum of all villainies," the vilest system of oppression upon which the sun ever shone. Come resolved to do your duty to your brethren in bonds—to your bleeding, distracted country, distracted because wicked and oppressive—to your just and merciful God.
CHARLES A. HAMMOND, Sec'y. (Secretary's opinion.)
TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.
We the undersigned respectfully request the Friends of Temperance in Cortland County to meet in Convention at the Court House in Cortland Village on Wednesday 13th day of November, 1850, at 1 o'clock P. M., for consultation, and we hope the adoption of means for the most efficient prosecution of the Temperance Reform.
Here follow upwards of 100 names of citizens of this county, which we cannot insert.—ED. Ex.
NEWS OF THE DAY.
ARREST UNDER THE FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL.
Terrible Excitement—Difficulty and Bloodshed Expected.
BOSTON, Oct.25.-- There is great excitement here in consequence of it becoming known that the U. S. Marshal had warrants in his hands for the arrest of some fugitive slaves. No sooner was it announced than the court house was surrounded by the negro population, who evinced their determination to resist the law to the utmost, even if insurrection and bloodshed should be the consequence. It is believed that some arrests have already been made, and we fear trouble when the cases are adjudicated upon. The negro population are supported by our abolition fanatics, and we fear difficulty. The abolition committee of vigilance are now in session and, probably at their instigation, an attempt will be made to rescue the fugitives, two of whom, it is said, are now in the Leverett street jail.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT, NOT QUITE SO TERRIBLE.
BOSTON, Oct. 25.—No attempt has yet been made to arrest the fugitive slave for whom a warrant has been issued. There is some excitement about the matter among the colored population. The slave has probably, ere this, been placed in concealment. His name is said to be Craft, a cabinet maker by trade, who escaped from Macon, Georgia, two years since, and has been doing business in Cambridge st.
BOSTON, Oct. 28.—Knight and Hughes, the two men of Macon, have been arrested on a charge of conspiracy to kidnap Wm. Craft, an alleged fugitive. The reason given is that they wish to drive the slave takers from the city.
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| Stephen A. Douglas. |
NULLIFICATION OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW—GREAT EXCITEMENT AT CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, Oct.25.—The City Council at Chicago passed resolutions nullifying the Fugitive Slave law, and releasing the police from obedience to it. This act of the city authorities has caused great excitement, and last night a meeting of four or five thousand people was held, the Mayor presiding. Senator Douglas made a powerful speech, sustaining the act of Congress in passing this bill, and also the compromise. His speech had a powerful effect on the meeting, and caused a change in public opinion in favor of the law, and against the acts of the City Council.
PUNISHMENT OF AN ABOLITIONIST.
GREENBURG, N. C., Oct. 25.—A man named McBride, convicted of circulating abolition documents, has been sentenced to stand in the pillory for one hour, receive 20 lashes and one year's imprisonment.
EDITORIALS.
Newspaper Borrowers.
We often hear our subscribers complain that their neighbors borrow their newspaper, and often before they have had it themselves. Now these things ought not to be. If a person pays for a newspaper, he ought to have it as much as any other article that he pays his money for.
The person in the habit of borrowing papers would not think of running over to a neighbors' to borrow a broom, or a few yards of calico, or a pound of tea, or two cents worth of fools cap, because he sees him bring it home. They would do no such thing. But borrowing a newspaper seems to be a thing altogether disconnected with all other kinds of borrowing. If a person borrows an article he expects to carry it back; but not so with the newspaper borrower; he sees the man return from the village, and he knows it is the day to get the paper, and he takes advantage of the man, and solicits the paper just while he is turning out his team—he only wants to look at the latest news—hand it back in a few minutes. He does not like to deny his neighbor so small a favor, and he lets him take it. When he is prepared to peruse his paper he enquires for it, but it is not returned—and perhaps when he sends for it, or it is returned, it is soiled and dirty, and perhaps torn and disfigured so that it is almost impossible read it. He could put up with the inconvenience for once, but to be thus beset week after week is enough to try the patience of any Job living.
Perhaps he is telling a neighbor of an accident, or some important piece of news, and wished to refer to the paper. He enquires for it, and is answered that Mr. or Mrs., (for ladies are sometimes obliged to borrow a paper or go without the news, because their husbands are too stingy to pay for a paper,) has borrowed it, he sends for it but it cannot be found—supposed it had been sent home—when the fact is the children have torn it to pieces, and they had rather evade the truth than to acknowledge the wrong they have done the neighbor in the destruction of his property, for newspapers are property although newspaper borrowers do not seem to think they are.
Well now let us see how much these borrowers make at their trade. Every week it costs them time to go out and borrow the paper, and it would cost them some time if they carried it home but newspaper borrowers do not generally lose much time in carrying home borrowed papers, so we will take the time only of borrowing the paper, and any man can earn in ten minutes two cents, just what the paper cost. But many times they must leave their work and read the paper, for the neighbor will want his paper in the evening. The hour or two spent in reading the paper, when they should be at work, actually costs them four times the amount that it would to buy the paper.
Then the borrower, instead of being the gainer, is actually the loser and in a fourfold proportion. His borrowed paper costs him four times as much at least as it does the actual owner, beside being a pest and thorn in the flesh of him of whom they borrow. If the paper were their own, they could read it in their leisure moments, and save time and shoe-leather in running to borrow, and many times the neighbor had rather lend him his tea kettle than his paper—but who ever thought of borrowing a tea kettle—better by far to keep house without a tea kettle than without a newspaper. We should as soon think of borrowing our neighbor's baby as his newspaper. They are both articles that the owner likes to have at home in the evening, and things do not look right if either are gone from the family circle. If newspaper borrowers would sit down and count the cost, they would never borrow another paper but would subscribe for a paper of their own, and no longer be guilty of robbing their neighbor, or the printer of their rights.
We would say in conclusion, let every man that has been in the habit of borrowing a paper, subscribe for one immediately, and save his money.
◘ We hope our young friend will pardon us for the liberty we take in publishing his communication to us. We are glad to know that there is now and then one to be found, that can appreciate a newspaper that is not filled with trash and political bickerings. The independent press has a thankless task to perform, in laboring to correct the taste of community, and every sentiment advanced in their favor is like cold water to a thirsty soul. With sentiments like these our young friend has a bright prospect before him, and though now struggling up the difficult hill of science, we trust ere long he will attain to eminence, and affluence, such as might be envied by those who now look with contempt upon the poor student.
Dear Sir: As I am about to leave Homer for a far distant section of our country, I would very reluctantly request you to discontinue my paper. I say reluctantly, because I have read it with a good degree of pleasure for two years past, and it has truly become to me a cherished friend; and still further, I approve and admire its object and its sentiments, and candidly think that such a paper ought to be sustained by the citizens of our own county, in order to help create a correct and healthy moral tone of feeling in the breasts of all the youth of our county, who are literally famishing for good reading.—Were I not a poor student, compelled to live upon thirty-seven and a half cents a week, I would still continue my subscription and gladly take it with me, or give it to some friend.
Permit me in conclusion, therefore, to tender to you my best wishes for your future success and prosperity. *
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