Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-28
From u. .,vat.3nal hteWgenoer.
CAPTURED SLAVES.


be wonderfully delighted with an article they
gathered rom the congenial columns of The Mas
sau ROYAL Gazette, wherein the National Intelli-
gencer is colidescendingiv honored with the no
tice OF his roy;d maiesty's very loval printer
The import OF this niece is, that whereas a gen
tleman Of the nsne of VIM. willy, ESQ. CTS
%3sleSty's Advocate ard Frocrr.tor General for
said Isan;is) la s'en"el Gb~,va-rl ard pledged
his word, xs;ch wehaye. 10 se3son 10 cfSiesti5n,
that oregroes taken from the Unit ed States d.
ring the war. were prosecuted o. condemned in
any Prize Court, therefore itcsnnot be true that
anv captured negroes were sold.
The Advocate was very safe in making this
statement, which, however, sheds no light on the
aaSect. tiis fact may De truc, and yet his infer
ellce false. The British laws forbid the irrpor-
tation of slaves and the very few slaves taben
from us On the high seas BY their cruisers, were
probably otherwise disposed Of
The dispute this subject has re fsTence to
negroes taken from our shores, fion the planta-
tons of unof'ending citizens, duriag the nara,-
ding expeditions ofthe late war, sEy parties of
fhe enemy under Cockburn and oIhe<s 1t was
our opinion that these negroes wee first stolen
E or cnioied away, and then FREQUENTLY, thst Sc
eretlI, sold into slavery ten f5aa more severe
,hsn that which they had escapctI~ Our opinion,
besides being founded on CUR BIT reports, was
fortified BY the plainest diets&ss of common
sense. Negroes were taken in Mole gangs, of
every description, men, womei,and children. Is
it likely, is it nstura that the British officers. of
whose lust ofplunder we have No occasion TO al
cdce evidence, to which the CALLING slavery OF
1ee West India Islands was familiar, and who
therefore, were not men who might be expected
to undertake a crusade to abolish slavery Can
IL be believed that these commanders would fill
their ships, tenders and boats, with this sort of
I've luggage, merely to vex the individual Yam
KEGS, as they call us, from whom they stole them
To argue that they would take from or unof-
u
vino were supported by their labor, that sort
ofproperty, the losswhereof, would not at all i'm
Poverish or distress the nation, nor the posses
sion OF it enrich them, would be to impute to
British officers, generally and characteristicalY
ferocity and total destituton of generous feel
ing, which we are wiling to believe is confined
Ioa few Of them, some of whom, if necessary, we
could name. is Incredible, we say, and we
hope his " esty's Editor VIII not accuse us a.
gam of" nabgnity" because we cannot believe
what is so improbable If we know ourselves,
we feel no malice on the subiect. fit be rue,
as we believe It tn be, that captured negroes
we've frequently sold, the +neanness ought to be
exposed, and its authors brought to condign pun
lshment. This was our opinion during the war,
it % the same now, and no honest man viii dis
sent from it. We have another idea or two on
this subject. The negroes were either taken as
citizens of-tne United States, or as property Of
citizens of the United States. If taken as citi.
ZctlS, rs rec DV "a RIDICULOUS QuiODle and
groundless pFetensGn) they must of course
when taken against their viii, be restored on the
general exchange ofpTisoners. IF taken as citi-
zens, as men free by right, the individuals con-
cerned in taising them, it appears to us, must
have made money By them in some way, even
where they did not sell them. They have enls-
ted them IS soldiers, and for aught we know
Pocketed the bounty they have employed those
not enlisted, public works, and for aught we
can tell, received the advantage of their labors
Can il be uncharitable 10 believe this : Read
the daily history Of the late war, and answer
Those who emptied every tobacco house within
their reach, who rihed private dwellings and fire.
quently helpless women of even their wearing
apparel, cannot complain when suspected of &C
culnulating fortune by other means assuredly less
disreputable.
If these negroes were taken as property, OF the
other hand, il was a sort'of robbery which the
law ofnations WI no more justify, than it VIII
the outrages repeatedly committed on the pri-
vate property of non-conbatants, of those who
not only we're not in arms, but whose sex and
years forbade such an idea, though it did not for
bid the cOnHagratOn Of the houses which, with
the slaves taken from them, constituted their on
ly property.
This is, we know, an unpopular topic a very
unpleasant one. Il is so to us. 1t is our wish
that The discussion OF such topics should rest
with the government But the patriotic Nov
ROE 10 slandered for having officially recognized
The generally bel eyed rumor Of the sale Of cap.
tured slaves, and we are taxed with maIignlty
because we have said we thcfght it very hkely
TO be true. We shall be as wiling to retract our
opinion, As we were sorry TO adopt il, wheacveI
IL shall be proved 20 us 70 be erroneous. Unit
that happens, we have thought it proper TO as
sign reasons why we snail continue 10 entertain
IL.
As 20 Mr.. WHY'S letter, tie substance o
which is faithfully given above, whoever quote,
that as an adequate IefJtstion Of the charge
against The British commanders, ofclandcstineIy
selling the captured slaves, must possess eithcr
shspPy stupidity Of intellect, or most inyinci
bic assurance.