The poster and the quotation show reactions to the Fugitive Slave Act, passed by Congress in 1850. The condition of [the runaway slaves] . . . is miserable and degraded in the extreme. . . . abandoned by the abolitionists, after they are stolen away from their comfort and the protection of their Southern homes.

–The Spectator, January 17, 1860

According to the passage, most white southerners supported the Fugitive Slave Act because they believed

fugitives in the North would band together and send raiding parties to attack the South.
the emancipation of enslaved Africans could only be achieved if federal laws were enforced and obeyed.
fugitives in the North would encourage enslaved Africans to escape and find good-paying jobs in northern factories.
the conditions of enslavement were preferable to the harsh conditions of northern factory work.