FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE, Washington, D.C., Oct, 1853

• Very rare anti-slavery publication
• Slaves about 8 years prior to Civil War

A very scace title, not listed in Gregory, nor in Union List of Serials.
This is the volume 1, number 5 issue which apparently listed until May, 1854. or 11 issues. Then there was a "new series" printed from May, 1855 thru April 1856.
This was an anti-slavery newspaper with articles including; "Does the Constitution Require Freemen To Hunt Fugitive Slaves?" "Slave Case--Judge McLean's Opinion" "The Southern Platform; or, Manual of Southern Sentiment on the Subject of Slavery" and more.
Eight pages, 9 by 11 1/2 inches, great condition.

Background: The October 1853 issue of Facts for the People captures crucial themes of antebellum abolitionist rhetoric through articles that aggressively challenge the legal and moral legitimacy of slavery from within the nation's capital. Centered heavily on resistance to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the issue features arguments dissecting whether Northern freemen were constitutionally obligated to act as slave catchers, directly assaulting the federal government's enforcement of Southern slaveholder interests in free states. It also highlights "Slave Case—Judge McLean's Opinion," engaging with the jurisprudence of Supreme Court Justice John McLean, whose anti-slavery legal rulings provided a crucial constitutional framework for Free Soilers before his famous dissent in Dred Scott. Furthermore, by including "The Southern Platform; or, Manual of Southern Sentiment on the Subject of Slavery," the publication systematically compiled pro-slavery rhetoric and political stances directly from Southern leaders—a favorite strategy among abolitionist editors to expose what they viewed as the dangerous, expanding reach of the "Slave Power" conspiracy to Northern voters.