Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-01-31
TWENTIETH CONGRESS.
Case az Me Capt,.red .qfieens
FIRST sEssIoc

I
Among others. Mr.. Randolph addressed the
House:
! Mr.. Randolph now made some inquiry, which
was not distinctly heard, when
Mr. Il. Z. Barbour said he could not better
sWer the inquiry OF the honorable gentleman from
lrgna, than by asking for the reading Of the first
/ part OF the petition of Mr.. Wilde and II read
accordingly.
MIR. Randolph. now say, sir, without intend
ing the least disrespect, that the amendment of
The gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Miner)
and which has been adopted by the gentleman
from New Hampshire, (Mr Bartletf,) affrms as a
TACT, what the petition, and the decree of the SUI
preme Court OF the U. 5 do positively deny. And
us certainly unbecoming of this House send to
one OF its committees, fact, that which all the
evidence before the House proves not TO be fact,
that these people had been taken illegally. The
resolution III its present form afhrms, that these
slaves have been ''inhumanly and illegally ia
L-n from Africa. They may have been taken
'inhumanly,' but of this we have no proof-but as
to their having been taken "illegally,'' we have
the most positive evidence to the contrary, be-
cause they were claimed (and the claim was
tabiished by the tribunal in the last resorD by the
Spanish and Portuguese owners, the Governments
OF both OF which countries legalize this traffic
They could not, therefore, have been taken contra
~ TO law. They were taken according to the
laws, usages, and custsms of Africa and of the ma
lions to which the claimants belong. They were
as lawfully taken, probably, any slaves who
were brought into South Carolina and GEORGIA
clause oil the Constitution which permitted the
traffic III slaves for limited time. The taking and
bringing OF these was legal, according to the
laws OF America, and by the customs OF Africa
W e are, therefore, asked to affirm, that the slaves
mentioned in this petition were taken ''ilIecally"
when all the proof is to the contrary.
SIR; am not going TO enter into the question Of
the slaVe-trade and slavery in the abstract. That
man has hard heart and narrow understanding
yes, and narrow heart, too--who would Justify
slavery in the abstract But that man, although
ne may have heart as capacous the Atlantic
ocean Itself, has narrow and confined intellect
who undertakes TO make himself and his country
the judge and the standard for other men and other
countries Sir, this very principle of interference
wlth the conduct Of other nations was one OF the
greatest objections 10 the RevolutiOnists of France
and 1t was of the greatest objections taken TO
the conduct OF the high contracting parties at Pill
nitz We have no right TO prescribe laws for other
countries God forbid Mr.. II. said, that he should
ever defend slavery, ever should, in any case,
raise his voice against the cause of liberty, tho,
said he, might remind the House that slavery ex-
istod long time ago. The mother Of the Ishma-
elites was a bond-woman; the Greeks and the Ro-
mans, about whom we hear much, were slave
owners. Sir Thomas Moore, one of the wiscst
and one OF the most benevolent Of men, could not
complete his Utopian Commonwealth without the
ald OF slavery. That il has always existed, and
does now exist; thatit is evil, no one will deny
But we have no right, that account 10 make
law Tor other nations and in this case the decision
OF the Supreme Court, TO whom the case was sub
Were not illegally taken, and consequently were
not illegally brought into the United States
law.
Sir, said MIR. r., there has spirit gone O.
broad-both in England and here-it is now
raging IN England, perhaps, as much rs ever fa-
natLcism ragged there in the time of the Covenant
g the Round i1eads-it is raging here, and wish
could say that it does not exist even in Virginia
1t - the spirit OF ncgcctng our own affairs for the
purpose OF regulating the affairs of our neighbors
SlF' this spirit takes the plodder-yes, the plodder
rom the ield-to become plodder in the pulpit.
1t has taken the shoe maker from his last-and
what Is worse than ALL it takes the mother from the
hreside and from her children, into sort OF reli-
gous dissipation, in which the Church is made as
much Theatre as the Grand Opera at Paris, or
as Drury Lane Or Covcnt Garden in London. This
spirit renders home too duh place. and renders il
On dare TO use French word in this House, or
La'in one, without the certainty of being misre-
prescnted) the very seat of euyi1ti.
Sometimes our humanity is up for the CreeLs-
IT las not yet so far as l know been asked for the
lToIans--it may, very possibly, be some day ;ip
IoF inc lrClans-and we called to rejoice i'm a
victory OF the three first Powers of Europe oyer
handful ct semi barbarians, in the hlrbor of the
sandy Fylos. SIR, instead Of any triumph in nv
opinion, tiat victory was 4 stigma-a stair--upon
the naval glory OF all those nations concerned in
- mean Of those who had any glory TO lose
I " an Immense odds in the. favor, they attacked
and slaughtered, hand TO hand, (for we cannot
suppose them to have been killed in cold blcolO az
brave set Of men as the Sun ever shone upon
ANA what are we TO assist the Greeks for? To
puiId up nest Of pirates in the Aigean! They
! were so OF old-yycs, sir, of od-loug before the
! umc oi Ajax and Agamemnon-pirates they arc
pirates they ever have becn-and pirates they ey-
/ CT VIII ne. why, sir, our force will not be able
cHcH III That Placid-that halcyon sea- might cali
/ Ito protect our own commerce from tIeir row
| boats and their corsairs
! In saying dis, Mr.. II. said, he knew that lac
was running against tho prcudices OF the country
anu ua' philanthropy which was so much in vogue
out' sald ne, what was sent here for but 10 OBJ
pose ihosc preIudces whenever it is practicabIey
, ticrc the Chair intorposed, and reminded Mr.
"a Uidl the discussion ought 70 be confined 10 the
amendincnt Of M Bartlett which was 70 strike
ont Tie last words Of w. Miners amendment n
his resolution
/ Dir Il. resumed. If am out Of order. sub
i"it TO tbe decision Of the Chair-wliat said vas
only intended iD illustration Of the sureaJ of f,o,t
lci5i' III reference 10 The part of the amendment
Whch goes to assume that the slaves were illee,
/ taken, when have the evidence Of tho der;sio
on thc Court IN thc last resort to the contrary
pr s'id ne. viii put d case, which will further
/ Illustrate HIS controversy. Supnosc that a..
biu-h government, instead of Lcio-- sr.t 80.
"S thcy arc, u VOndt forth their vsu5bouis ord
poupefs, Or he LazzTOni Of ConuauvlSt ,uJ NJ.
eF-'iiai wrcichcd population WHO are rcJnrcl
70 'he WWW'nm and the pessipmgl zoo. Oh
uuuidh sdost'ehce--to the potato tlir ,.boie ry[
", a'.' hol"ing bui the potato--pas dssirJus Of
+e'ei''liS ulcm at home aud Ere ireland /. (
'."'ul"H 40 the capt8in of az American yes (
N p Cci fanny would he "ihcgai," according 90 /
,nc laws Of Engiind-bui would itLe "iuhIn,er,'' /
EToop' down 20 ire last turn o. the screw OF despo
.isfU. hat turn firrs r,tfet -.....,l. r.,.