Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-11-21

ven-for, as Hamlet says, there Is special provi-
dence even in the fall Of a sparrow"
Correspondence Of the II, raldl
Amistad Trial.
~ HARTFORD, Tuesday Evening
DEAR SrE:--The plot begins to thicken, and the
whole affair promises tn become very beautifully IN
tricate and involved. There will be no opposition
on the part Of the Spanish owners, but there are al
ready parties enough the spot and questions
enough raised TO occupy the attention OF the court
for fortnight in the way the lawyers have procras
tinated the proceedings today.
FIRST and foremost, the seven negroes are here,
supported by three lawyers and three dozen aboi-
tionists, headed BY Dr. Madden, j. Leavitt, and
Professor Gibbs. They claim, first. that they are
free and not property, and ought not TO be held
in custody all. they claim, further, that they
were captured in New York and ought to be taken
there TO have the matter adjudicated
Then Captain Henry Green is here, supported by
ed on the fact Of his having sold the Africans Of the
Amistad provisions before the capture BY Lieu.
tenant Meade.
libel on the Amistad and cargo in behalf OF the
government.
is here In behalf Of the Spanish government.
Two or three officers Of the brig Washington are
| here, with libel the Amistad and the slaves,
| claiming salvage for rescuing the property:
| On the opening of the court at I'D o'clock this
morning, the Judge inquired IL the gentlemen were
ready to go on with the There was a consider
| able pause, each party seeming reluctant to move.
At length Mr.. Bald win the counsel for the blacks
offered plea against the jurisdiction OF the court
The plea set forth that the blacks were natives OF
Africa and were not and never had been slaves and
ought to be dismissed; and further, that the Amstad
seized in the waters Of New York, and not liable
to trial here. The plea stated generally the facts
alleged by the friends Of the blacks in respect to the
circumstances connected with the purchase and
| shipment Of the negroes at Havana
MIR. 1shan, one of the counsel Tor the officers oil
the brig Washington the bellants Of the vessel aud
slaves objected to the reception of the plea on the
ground that the real parties in the were Messers
Ruiz and Montez, the owners Of the slaves, and the
libeants. Lieutenant Gedney and the other claim
ants for salvage asked OF the owners pay Tor saving
their property.
Mr. BALDWIN replied that the claim of the gentle
man most extraordinary. These individuals are
held in custody property, and the hbellant comes
: into court and asks pay for seixng and reducing
these men again 10 bondage, as Tor meritorous act
| Although the gentlemen who ask for salvage, claim
ii the ground that these persons property, we
I are not allowed to prove the contrary. What will
be the consequence Of this course IL they are not
found To be property, they must be immediately dis
charged, as it is not pretended that they crim
nails. II cannot show that they arc not property,
then their most sacred rights are violated. They
Just, illegal and cruel We can have redress un-
less This course il permitted TO The whole pro-
ceedings against the Africans founded on the
libel Of Lieut. Gedney, and IL they cannot interpose
plea the jurisdiction Of the court here, il cannot
be done at all and II not their rights must inevitably
be sacrificed. These individuals stand before this
court precisely in the light OF the subjects Of any
other nation.
Mr.. Isham, said that there was no question be-
tween the claimants for salvage, and the Spanish
| owners Of the slaves Ruiz and Montex admit that
these men are slaves property, and the Ii
bellants ask TO be paid for saving them The coun-
sci for the Africans have nething to do with i.
The Court said, that the reception Of the plea does
not the discussion Of the Of
the case The plea must be admitted-the merits Of
the case cannot be gone into.
The District Attorney suggested that II was not com
petest for the counsel for the Africans to inerPose
plea, they not the defendants in the case,
and third person could pat in plea under any cir
cum.iances
Mr.. Baldwin, rejoined--if the gentlemen hope 10
avoid hearing the riffs Of this case, by inter
posing these technical objections, they will find
themselves mistaken. They must and will be dis.
cussed, and the courts Of this country must hear
them. They cannot avoid IL.
The Judge said the plea would be received, but the
only question permitted t. be discussed, would be
the locality az the capture Of the Amistad. The
Court was not aware that the plea required any
lift does, said Mr.. Isham we traverse every thing
we deny that there are any negroes any schooner
or any thing else.
Mr.. Green, Of Sagharbor, was called TO prove the
position Of the schsoner al the time of the capture
He swore that that vessel only 30 rods from the
shore, and he swore to several other queer things
before he finished. lie affirmed that hannah spoke
English so that he could readily understand him.
and told him that there were 400 doubleons IN the
trunk found on shore.
Uriah steade testified to precisely the same facts
which he had affirmed 10 the pre- vous trial touch
ing the position az the Amistaa, and the crcum-
stances OF the capture, and which have been before
published.
DIR. Sharp, surgeon Of the Washington, corrobora-
ted the evidence Of Lieutenant Meade; and Capt
Mather of the cutter, and the collector Of the Port
Of New London who went down to examine the To-
cality, agreed that the schooner must have been
at least one hundred and twenty rods from the
shore.
The District Attorney here introduced hannah in
order To show that the testimony Of Green was un-
worthy of credit.
The poor fellow wa. good deel alarmed, but
he became eventually pscfed, and gave pertinent
answers TO some Of the questions He recolIccted
Greep but did not recolloct that he told him there
were four hundred douboons in the trunk Every
person who heard the examination OF the negro wa
sfed that Green was blessedwitha very conve
nisnt memory. Bannah says he knew Of three dou.
blooms. and plenty white doar-no more He saws
Antonio, the cabin boy, gave him little money 10
keep, and he tied II up IN a stocking
The introduction of the black ~ oduced n gre az
deal of me rrime nj in the court. The crowd of spec
tators left their seats, and huddled round the wit
ness, and IL was difficult 10 preserve order. When
ever question put 10 Banaah that he could not
comprehend, he would appeal 10 Antonio, who was
present. aud the sbolitonists would volunteer 10
help the matter out. We shall have some rare dis.
closures from this fellow. " the abotoniss do not
get Opportunity to tamper with him.