It is strikingly remarkable to read of the many similarities between the fugitive slaves of the 19th century and the illegal immigrants of the 21st century, in the United States.
These parallels occurred to me as I read along in Rev. Samuel Ringgold Ward's book, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE (1855).
For example, Northern resistance to the perversely "converse"' classification of chattel slaves as "persons," not as "chattels," to enable their return to slavery. This legal gloss resulted in eleven states passing laws, which forbade state judges or state law enforcement personnel from assisting federal marshals who were attempting to enforce the 1793 fugitive slave law.
Today's immigrant "sanctuary States and cities" are similar. Such open northern States' resistance resulted in the adoption of the more draconian Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 (FSA), the most repressive in American law till then, in the Millard Fillmore Presidency.
How could this FSA be the most repressive, given the existence of slavery, itself? Of this he wrote:
"Its provisions abolished the inviolability of a man's house, person or papers--the right to life, liberty, and property , without due process of law--the right of being confronted with one 's accusers--the writ of 'habeas corpus'--the necessity of a particular description of the place to be searched and the person to be seized--the right to trial by jury, and the right of appeal: each of which is solemnly and emphatically guaranteed by the constitution. It was a most despotic law, passed by despots and their tools, for the most despotic purposes--the replunging of an American citizen , who had escaped therefrom, into the hell of American slavery; the prohibition of American freemen from doing aught to aid a flying brother man, threatened with reenslavement!"
P.77-78, "Anti-Slavery Labors, etc."
Monday, March 6, 2017
FUGITIVES
FUGITIVES: SLAVES/IMMIGRANTS
It is strikingly remarkable to read of the many similarities between the fugitive slaves of the 19th century and the illegal immigrants of the 21st century, in the United States.
These parallels occurred to me as I read along in Rev. Samuel Ringgold Ward's book, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE (1855).
For example, Northern resistance to the perversely "converse"' classification of chattel slaves as "persons," not as "chattels," to enable their return to slavery. This legal gloss resulted in eleven states passing laws, which forbade state judges or state law enforcement personnel from assisting federal marshals who were attempting to enforce the 1793 fugitive slave law.
Today's immigrant "sanctuary States and cities" are similar. Such open northern States' resistance resulted in the adoption of the more draconian Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 (FSA), the most repressive in American law till then, in the Millard Fillmore Presidency.
How could this FSA be the most repressive, given the existence of slavery, itself? Of this he wrote:
"Its provisions abolished the inviolability of a man's house, person or papers--the right to life, liberty, and property , without due process of law--the right of being confronted with one 's accusers--the writ of 'habeas corpus'--the necessity of a particular description of the place to be searched and the person to be seized--the right to trial by jury, and the right of appeal: each of which is solemnly and emphatically guaranteed by the constitution. It was a most despotic law, passed by despots and their tools, for the most despotic purposes--the replunging of an American citizen , who had escaped therefrom, into the hell of American slavery; the prohibition of American freemen from doing aught to aid a flying brother man, threatened with reenslavement!"
P.77-78, "Anti-Slavery Labors, etc."
It is strikingly remarkable to read of the many similarities between the fugitive slaves of the 19th century and the illegal immigrants of the 21st century, in the United States.
These parallels occurred to me as I read along in Rev. Samuel Ringgold Ward's book, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE (1855).
For example, Northern resistance to the perversely "converse"' classification of chattel slaves as "persons," not as "chattels," to enable their return to slavery. This legal gloss resulted in eleven states passing laws, which forbade state judges or state law enforcement personnel from assisting federal marshals who were attempting to enforce the 1793 fugitive slave law.
Today's immigrant "sanctuary States and cities" are similar. Such open northern States' resistance resulted in the adoption of the more draconian Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 (FSA), the most repressive in American law till then, in the Millard Fillmore Presidency.
How could this FSA be the most repressive, given the existence of slavery, itself? Of this he wrote:
"Its provisions abolished the inviolability of a man's house, person or papers--the right to life, liberty, and property , without due process of law--the right of being confronted with one 's accusers--the writ of 'habeas corpus'--the necessity of a particular description of the place to be searched and the person to be seized--the right to trial by jury, and the right of appeal: each of which is solemnly and emphatically guaranteed by the constitution. It was a most despotic law, passed by despots and their tools, for the most despotic purposes--the replunging of an American citizen , who had escaped therefrom, into the hell of American slavery; the prohibition of American freemen from doing aught to aid a flying brother man, threatened with reenslavement!"
P.77-78, "Anti-Slavery Labors, etc."
