The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-17 00:00:00

ROYAL REF

"GE

UR COMMIS-I THE AMER
I LA IV, AN

I CAN FLAG, AMERICAN
TD TILE SLAVE TRADE.

TO HIS EXCELLT.NCY GEORGE M. DALLAS, THE AMERICAN*
MINISTER IN LONDON.

Sin,—An American slaver carrying Ameri-
can colours may now sail the seas without
interruption from British cruisers. On the
18th of June, Lord Malmesbury stated, in the
House of Peers, "It was a law of nations that
we had no right during time of peace to search,
but they have a right of visit which was quite an-
other thing. The American nation, however,
repudiated the principle, and said that no sus-
picion should be sufficient to justify us in boarding
a vessel bearing the American flag." On the 25th
of July his lordshp said, " Upon that opinion (that
of the law officers of the crown) her Majesty's go-
vernment at once acted, and we confessed that we
have no claim to the right of visit and search which
has hitherto been assumed."
The Earl of Aberdeen on the 27th of July said,
"If our cruisers knew that there was an American
vessel sailing by them full of slaves, they would
have no right whatever to visit her unless they had
good ground for suspecting her not to be really an
American vessel."
A British cruiser taking the above course must
sanction the right of the captain of the American
slaver to the American flag, and to the slaves. I
deny his right in each case. I deny his right, first,
to the flag. Holding in my hand the laws of the
United States, I denounce the captain as a pirate
punishable with death. I deny his right, secondly,
to the slaves. The British constitution does not re-
cognise the right of man to property in man, and
the captain's pretended ownership is a " wild and.
guilty fantasy."
I picture, in imagination, en Athericatt slaver
crossing the ocean, her pestiferous hold crammed
with victims, and the breeze sweeping.p.ast her
made vocal with .the wails of the despairing, and
the heartrending shieks of the sick and the dying.
Approaching the captain, I demand, in the name
of outraged humanity, by what law he claims the
manacled sufferers as his slaves ? What reply can
he make? Does he say that in accordance with
the laws of the African coast he bought them and
paid for them? I point to the officers and crew,
the vessel and colours, and declare. that, as these
are all American, he is amenable to American laws.
By what American law, I continue, do you claim.
these persons as property ? From what state can
you claim protection ? Not from Massachusetts,
that state having declared " all men free and equal,"
and having emancipated her slaves as inconsistent
with such a. declaration. Not from New Hampshire,
that state having declared that " All men are born
equal and independent ; all men have ceriain
tural, essential, and inherent rights ; among which
are the enjoying and defending life and liberty,
acquiring, possessing, and protecting property,
and have the right of seeking and obtaining hap-
piness." Its laws prohibit the holding of slaves.
Not from Pennsylvania, that State has declared,
" All men are born equally free and independent,
and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights,
among which are those of enjoying and defending
life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, and pro-
tecting property. and reputation, and of pursuing
their own happiness." Its laws also prohibit
slaveholding. Not from any other of the re-
maining fourteen free States, because the
laws of each prohibit the holding of slaves. I
continue niy inquiry to the captain. From which
of the fifteen slave states can you claim protection ?
Not from Virginia, though it has liberty for its
profession and slave-holding for its practice. It
has declared, " All men are by nature equal and
independent, and have certain inherent rights, of
which, when they enter into a state of society, they
cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their
posterity, namely, the enjoyment of life and libertYl
with the means of acquiring and possessing Pro-
perty, and obtaining happiness and safety." lit
ginia prohibits the foreign slave trade. 10.,
1778 it imposed the penalty of £l,OOO alio'
the forfeiture' of the slave, upon the im.poter,
of any slave into that commonwealth. The act waif
amended in 1785, again modified in 1794, and a
clause of emancipation was introduced. Again and
dified in 1698 to carry out the prohibition of th
constitution against foreign importation. So that
dowri to the present time it prohibits the foreig.nt
slave trade. Not from Kentucky ; its "laws prohn
ln.
the importation of slaves, and every effort whie_n
has been made to remove the prohibition has failed.
Not from Georcaia.; in that state even the domestic!
slave trade is felony, a penitentiary offence. Not
from Mississippi ; the importation of slaves is for-
bidden by the constitution. In brief, from the Re-
volution to the present day, it has been the policyl
of the slave states to prohibit the importation of
slaves, I know of no exception. Will the captain
tell me that this is a question not to be decided by
the laws of any one of the 32 confederated states—
that they have conceded to the Federal Government
the control of commerce, foreign as well as inter-
state, and, therefore, to the Federal Government
this question of right belongs ? Granted, and it
follows that if any State legalise the foreign slave
trade it would be assuming powers beyond its pro'

vince.
I go then to the Federal Government, and, bring-
ing forth its laws, shake them in the face of the
Icvaipthtaidne,aate;
fdoernofuronmce hl
time by the law of that Government the foreign
slave trade has been piracy.
theln as a
yearlBl3ofrBa
t e p
to ,
theu n
pi srheias
chili et
No fewer than nine acts, having for their oster,
sible object the abolition of the foreign-slave tranceit
have been passed by the federal government
the 22d of March, 1794, and on the .sth of 1‘01!"1:4;
1820. That of the earliest date prohibited
carrying on of the slave trade to any forein plac,.
country." That of the last date declared the shun
trade to be piracy, and affixed the punishment °'
death to the crime ; thus all that can be effected bY
betwc
mere enactments appears to have been done.
I have thus proved the American slaver to be t
pirate by American law, and yet I understand theL
while he tramples American law beneath his feet,
he is to be protected if he hoists the American flit
Will it be said that such a concession made byEll,
land to America was becoming, as perpetuating tn;i:
amiable feeling now happily existing between the
two nations ? c'My reply is, I see no concession t:
America. The only concession I see is one made to
shall
pirate, punishable with death by American law.
he take rank with those who honestly- sail the 2e"":4,
Then what becomes of the discipline of the seas? al,:
what will be understood by the term—" The Ainv;
ricans are jealous of their rights ?" On what groun',!
also can other pirates be interfered with ? Can
British cruiser sanction such a vessel in having sea'
without sanctioning two false principles
the right of the captain to the flag in violation
.01-
American law, and his right to property in man in
violation of the British constitution ? Concessions
to a false principle involve future concessions. The
buried difficulty rises again multiplied. If the
right of the slaveholder to the slave be conceded on
the ocean in violation of American law, can it be
denied in America where it is sustained by lacy!,
Will not slaveholders demand hereafter the full
market value of their slaves-who escape to Canada,
as well as for slaves passing ocean-wise from one
state to another, and driven by stress of weather to
the British West Indies, or going there voluntarily
after overcoming their oppressors on the passage ?
Must it not also affect the condition of British,.
coloured subject,s visiting the slave states, and wil
not the laws against them, recently relaxed, be
made more stringent ? the
Pro-slavery American diplomacy has made
coloured people groan. What an amount of misery
would have been prevented had the federal govern'
mwhenatt beenfacili tiaonstwi-solualvderyhavienshteeeand
aofffordperdo-gblyasser,,urrk:
ahe
capture
r ne
omf
occasionedeanst l
slaver
qrsuppressingh theci
America
slaveums t
atna
sr
ca
odtseowould
land. The lessening of the number of slaves of
the increase of the number of freemen, the rescue 0'
the sufferers from extreme degradation:the checking
of the pirate in his hih-handed career, the rei
cognition of the laws of justice and mercy, and °
the being and authority of God, all these are en;
braced in the capture of a slaver, and all th,etti
would promote the happiness, peace, and nan'lle,
respect of the two nations. Slavery and the sly,
trade can produce no such effects, for " righteo7,
ness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to APJ
people."--I am yours, &c..,
EDWARD MATTIEW
Oxford, Sept. 14, 1858. •

SUNDERLAND AND DURHAM DISTRICT BANl',.;t
We (Newcastle Daily Chronicle) are authorised to stati).,lo-
- first instalment of £150,000 has been paid to the lit1„";,e of
tors by the New Derwent Iron Company for the purcf„7ls
the Derwent Ironworks, and that satisfactory seenn",.o•
been given for the payment of the remaining installtitt
BANK OF ENGLAND.—The half- early C°'ster
the Proprietors of the Bank of England took place Y°
day, Mr. Sheffield Neave, the Governor, presiding. , to
profits for the six months ending August edo 31 were sto. dt
be £628,770, making the amount of the rest on . ijo
£3,676,868. A dividend at the rate of 4f per cent• fgotis',
half year was declared, leaving tho rest £3,021,983.
faction was expressed that, notwithstanding the low
.!;:id
interest lately preValent, a distribution at this rate 00'' •
Made. Of
FOREIGN BONDHOLDERS.—At a meetliirr
Central American bondholders yesterday afternoon,
D. Fowles in the chair, it was resolved to authorisv9
agents of the Government of Guatemala to deduct oer
cent. on all future dividends as a remuneration for th
ree
vices of the British Consul there in adjusting 01° al9°
debt of the Republic. A similar arrangement wtlolo'
adopted with regard to the States of Nicaragua, ,per ,16
dor, and Honduras, to come into operation whe,_ll:
satisfactory settlement ef this debts tIIPPO tits
IAY4 Int% Otqinieci,