Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-09-20

the Arragan Hag, assuring the name OF The
Arragauta; aud prosecuted voyage along
the coast of Africa, her officers and the grea.
ter part of her crew being citizens of the
United Sla,es. Of the coast OF Africa, she
captured an American vessel from Bristol,
in Rhode Island, from which she took twenty
five Africans. She captured several For
tugese vessels, from which she also took
Africans. And she captured Spanish
vessel, called the Antelope, in which she
took a considerable number of Africans.
The two vessels then sailed in company 10
the coast of Brazil, where the Arraganta
was wrecked, and her master, Metcalf, and
great part Of her crew made prisoners
The rest of the crew, with the armament
of the Arragan,a, were transferred to the
Anlelope, which. thus armed, assumed the
name Of the General Ramirez. under the
command OF John Smith. citizen of the
United States. Or board this vessel were
all the Africans which had been captured by
the privateer in the course Of her voyage.
The vessel, thus frcighted, was found hov.
ering near the coast Of the United States by
the revenue cutter Dallas, under the COM
mand of Captain Jackson, and finally
brought into the port of Savannah for adlu.
dica,ion. The Africans, at the time OF her
capture, amounted to upwards of two hun
dred and eighty. On their arrival, the yes,
Sis and the Africans were libel!Eo anu
claimed by the Portuguese and Spanish
Vice Cousuls, reciprocally. The case was
carried up 10 the Supreme Court oflhe Uni
ted States and there argued by Mr.. Berlen
and Mr.. Chas. J. Ingersol in favor Of the
claimants, and by Mr.. Writ and Mr.: Key
on behalf of the United States. The U.
States asserted no property in themselves
but insisted on the right Of the Africans
| 10 freedom. The Consuls Of Spain and
Portugal respectfully demanded them as
slaves who had in the regular course OF
legitimate commerce been acquired as prop
erly by the subjects Of their respective
sovcreigns. ChicfJus,ice Marshall delivered
the opinion Of the Court, in which ne re-
viewed the decisions'of the English Court of
Admiralty, and laid it dswn as the principle
of those decisions, shat the legality OF the
capture Of vessel engaged in the slave
trade depends on the law Of the country to
which the vessel belongs. lfthat la~ gives
its sanction 10 the trade, restitution will be
decrecd; if that law prohibits it, the vessel
and cargo will be condemned as good
prize"
Tue decision in the case Of the Antelope
was made some years since the act ofCon'
gress making it piracy for person to be
engaged in the slave trade who is q citizen
Of the United States, or one ofthe crew OF
vessel owned by or navgated for citizens
Of the United States. Ii was considered thai
the Legislation of this country on this subject
operated only on its own citizens and YES
scls-that one nation could not prescribe
a rule for other nalions-and Of course that
one nation could not make law Of nations
In the present case the persons detained
on board The vessel as slaves are said to
have come from Spanish Island, and to
have been legally held as slaves by the
laws of Spain. How the fact will turn ou
do not know, aud therefore say nothing
about it. c. R.