William Barr Quotes
At any one time, there are approximately 1.2 million fugitives at large in the United States - it is likely that approximately half a million of these are dangerous fugitives.
Barr, William P. Combating Violent Crime: 24 Recommendations to Strengthen Criminal Justice. U.S. Department of Justice, 1992.
Washington at that time had one of the highest murder rates in the nation.
The increase compared to the rest of the world really occurred in the 1980s when The War on Drugs began jailing drug users and dealers and that accounts for the major difference. The 3000 different federal crimes, if an accurate number, is all the more remarkable because in America, the major part of law enforcement is handled by the state and local governments.
This Biblical Quotation was one of the main reasons that Christian religious abolitionists were so active in the Underground Railroad and other efforts to assist and harbor fugitive slaves. It was also a motivating force for those states which passed laws making a slave free the second he set foot in the state. It was cited by many of those Northerners refusing to follow the Federal Fugitive Slave Act even after the Supreme Court upheld it in the Dred Scott decision. The act required them to return a fugitive slave to his master. This clearly violated this passage of the Bible. and the concept of States Rights. The Southern States which pushed the Fugitive Slave Act through Congress and complained bitterly when it was ignored by many Northern States were never able to provide any refute to the argument that because of this passage, following the act would be violating the law of God. The South which viewed itself as a bastion of Christianity, never were troubled by this passage when they passed state laws requiring the return of fugitive slaves. It illustrates the hypocrisy that slavery forced upon its advocates.
Holland was trying to write a justification of the particularly barbarous and cruel methods of punishing Negro Slaves. These not only included the whippings, but also crucifixion and burning at the stake. To justify these, Holland gave the above example of what had occurred which in his view justified the “law enforcement” techniques that the South used to “protect” its citizens. Holland sent a copy of this essay to James Madison in the hopes that there might be a change of pubic opinion, not only in the Northern states but even in Virginia which looked upon the other Southern States as backward and barbarian. Apparently, Madison did not think enough of the pamphlet of Holland to even write an acknowledgment and/or that you.
This is a highly quoted passage but little evidence exists that MLK actually said it. The most credible reference is a speech he gave to a congregation in 1961 but the supporting evidence is weak.
The Federal Fugitive Slave Act required all in free states to assist owners of escaped slaves to return them to their owners. See realted quotations.
William Pelham Barr is an American attorney who served as the 77th and 85th United States Attorney General in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump.
