The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-10-26
THE VOICE OF FREEDOM.
MONTPELIER, SATURDAY. OCTOBER 2s, 1889.
The Amistad Captives,

from Africa to Cuba by slaver that they there pur-
chased and put board the Amstad, and that they
in self Defence killed the plain and took possession
of the vessel say they had perfect right do
right justified by the practice and law of nations. Sup
posing an Algerne Corsair should dash upon English
vessel, board and take her. put officers and board
of her, and order her Agier does every feel,
that the English would have perfect right to rise upon
their captors to kill all who resisted them, to take com
mand of the vessel themselves, and to turn their
for England! Surely they would, and their own govern
ment, and the of every civilized nation would
justify their conduct 1t is then perfectly clear, that IL
Africans had right to rise, and put death all that
opposed them to take possession of the vessel to make
for the coast of Africa and had they reached their native
country, they would have had just claim the vessel
and cargo, and might have sold them for their bene-
fit.
Again. suppose the English vessel had been met with
the high by French of war; would the French
have had any right to have taken possession of the
English vessel, to iberate the Agerne prisoners, and
have taken the vessel into French por' Most certainly
not And had the French so done they would have been
guilty of act of hostility, for which the English gov
eminent would have demanded satisfaction. On the same
vessel had right take possession of the Amistad
berate the Spanish prisoners and to take the vessel by
force into American port. The Amstad in the
highway of nations, and had good right
that road any other vessel She had violated law of
naons and her commander doing all he could to
ny his vessel to his native And the act of the
American in Selling upon the Africans act of vo
ience, breach of public law, unjust interference be-
tween two contendng powers. For may fairly consd
the pirates who commenced the attack the Africans
and brought them to Cuba and their accompccs who
knowingly purchased their prisoners and aiding and
abeng them in conducting these Africans to state of
hopeless bondage hostile power, and ngua and his
companions the other. The Africans by manly effort
had obtained their enemies decided advantage and
had them wholly in their power; but from compassion,
humanity, did not destroy those, who submitted They
held those prisoners, whose prisoners they had been, and
gave them opportunity by their superior knowledge to
regain their lost liberty, and their vessel
While the conflict maintained with doubtful result,
neutral power steps in, by violence decides in favor of
the aggressor Americans take sides with Spanish pirates
and crush under their combined power the brave Africans
who were struggling for life and liberty. Here the laws
of neutrality of honor, and of justice all violated
by American officer and the nation disgraced in
the view of the civilized world. What right had neu-
trail power to interfere by violence to aid power
against other? How unreasonable assume that the
Africans pirates, because their Spanish prisoners
cused them of piracy How assist the aggrcssor
and to enable him vanqush those who held him cap
tive. Had the Africans been Engshmen, would Amer
lean officer have presumed have seized their vesss
had they have done it, what would the British govern
ment have done? Now the rights of the Africans the
same, the rights of the English, any other nation
Their government may not be able to defend Them the
British would their subjects. But this alters
their rights And it is of infinite
rample the weak, and helpless
The American captain had right to interfere between
the Africans and Spanards-he has right salvage;
but ought to be holden to make good all damages. He
guilty of unprovoked attack upon strangers, of
violation of their rights, of fragrant violation of
the law of nations and of the rights of hospitality and
ought to be reprimanded by his own government, and
should be required make good all damages the Afi-
cans Let handed justice be measured out to the
weak we'll the strong, the uncivized man,
well as to the civilized Let the attack the Amstad
her be viewed and treated, attack English
vessel and her in the situations and the Ameri
can captain would find the question of salvage settled
and he would find himself in a situation not to be
We'd
Here serious question arises; what right had courts
hold these Africans prisoners to sustain any
ton against them? If they had done wrong why treat
ahem criminals? II the captain had right to take
possession of their vessel how could the civil authorities
receive the vessel and from him. unless they
willing Justify his act and to violate all the claims of
honor Justice and law? Let suppose, that these Afr-
had been Engsh-men seized by of naval Off
and brought before courts under the same crcum-
stances, and what would they have done Would they
have held them prisoners, and assumed Jurisdiction
them? Certainly no they would at have condemn
ed the officer set the prison free, and delivered
vessel and cargo, and the Spanards to those, who
claimed them prisoners. The act of Selling and bring
ing into port foreign vessel Of violence act
of wrong doing, and would have sustained
it, they would have been drawn in to sanction the
wrong doing. And what they ought have DONE had
the Amisad been English vessel with an English crew
i