Read and analyze the document from the chapter, titled "Letter to the Middletown Sentinel and Witness," derived from a letter written to a local Connecticut newspaper in 1850.
In the excerpt below, six residents from Middletown, Connecticut, react to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act. Click on the excerpts below where the residents describe their intent to disobey the new law.
When an enactment, falsely calling itself law, is imposed upon us, which disgraces our country, which invades our conscience, which dishonors our religion, which is an outrage upon our sense of justice, we take our stand against the imposition.
When our sense of decency is clean gone forever, we will turn slave catchers; till then, never.
Be the consequence what it may, come fines, come imprisonment, come what will, this thing you call law we will not obey.