Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-09-02

these So blacks, with their owners, were shipped
board the L'Amistead, At Havana, ON the 26tA Of
June last to be taken to Guanaa. The only persons
beard the vessel, besides these, were Capt. RAJ
Flues, two white Sailors and two mslattoes, one
a cook, murdered one cabin boy, now in the
schooner, who speaks African and Spanish. Such
were the passengers; the cargo Of mixed
nature, including large stock Of choice provisions
On the FIFTH day out, when about leagues, the
negroes rose the captain and crew, and got posses
sion of the vessel they killed the captain and his
mulatts cook; the cabin boy saved; the two
white sailors escaped in the schooners boat; the
lives OF Ruiz and Montez, the two passengers and
owners Of the slaves, were also saved; bat in the
scufiie and fight, Montez got two or three severe
cuts. The blacks then told Msntez to steer for the
coast Of Africa. He contrved, however, to run the
vessel to this coast and the slaves have thus been
taken and imprisoned. Such are the facts OF the
whole affair, plain and simple; and upon these, their
fate is to determined.
Any intelligent person, therefore, can Judge for him.
self, how far these blacks have offended against the
laws of nations generally, and government In par
ticular Calling the transaction by its most harsh
appellation, they murdered Spanish captain and
the mulatto cook Of Spanish vessel bound from one
port Of Cuba to another No branch Of our Government
try them for this offence. Again-they seized
Spanish vessel with money and cargo on board for
this they accountable to the Spanish Government
Twist il much possible, il will be difficult for
the most astute lawyer under all the circumstances,
to make this out to be special act of piracy in viola
tion of the laws of civilized nations. Again, it is
said they cruizing about the high seas, hosting
a red flag when approached, and therefore were ac-
tually pirates. This is not correct inference
They were beating about off our coast at the mercy
of the winds and waves; because they were unable
to reach the home whence they had been recently
stolen from. They molested no vessel, nor any in
divioual they paid for water and had they not been
captured, woad have sailed that night for the coast
of Africa. Who will say that in all these movements
they not justifable! We despise the humbug
doctrines of the aboonists and the rable fana
tics who propagate them; but if men. will traffic
{k1maB leah; steal men from their homes on the
Africa, and sell them like cattle at Cuba they
za6t 80 murmnx il some of the stealers get
dered w he unfortunate wretches whom they have
Wro6SS1 and steIen We will suppose that this
r8H&4ef after the murder, had, in crossing the At
<t& nllen ia with British vessel of war; cruising
~ Irk1kco4f ~ lave trade; there is doubt butt
&pod o& &SocosoiEc tances, the blacks would al
&4EM BSo1 ~ (6xbe coast Of Africa and set free.
&or 11 panish Government, at Hava-
~ light to steal, buy and sell
Dln&x 4 emand the slaves of this gov
IrnG Fossible that this government
x1I 1o0, and sell the vessel and cargo
~ 1l NM &0U~ = Us also rain that every
r6 && m>IG hinek6, u y on the captain will
3tv1rj rnoetiono e will arise will be NEST
1&31 1 Nv rtsxt al Hlty will be that the YES /
~ SGz&& 3 TpGn6<o 1Fer; that they had been !
&S m1f& III and seized merchant
Ie6sel mHt NAN II Nit Captain. This alone !
VI c6nnf oeS in the fullest sense Of
,ut numbering any one, and tried TO take her to
Africa, our government would have been justified in
sending them back to their native homes Or had
they rose the Captain of the SLAYER that brought
them from Africa and murdered the Captain and all
the crew, by the laws Of God and man, the laws of
nature and cfnations they would have been perfect
" justified But their having been landed at Havana
from slave ship sold there, and reshipped, although
this only occupied ten days, will totally alter the
aspect Of their position and be the main ground of
all the arguments for delivering them up and treating
them as pirates 1t is hard case, for had they
on their Captain and his crew two weeks before,
been driven into HALIFAX or Bermuda, they would
now have been free the winds Of Heaven. As it
is, they will probably be hung.
Let the case be decided as il may they, in all
probability will have to suffer. IL is a lamentabs
state Of things. Ii is not improbable that these
blacks are Of the slaves that have been stolen
from Africa, by the connivance or imbecty Of Her
Consul first; for it is said that all these Spanish
slavers have American cut registers. There is
treaty setween England and Spain for the suppress
sion Of the slave trade the high seas; here then
, case for the interference Of the British Govern
ment There is no treaty on that head between this
country and Great Britain but there is law Of this
countrs which declares all those slavers that carry
blacks from Africa to the West Indies 70 be pirates
and DEGREES the punishment accordingly. Again,
these slaves were taken and sold contrary to the
laws of all those countries Of Europe which have in
ternational treaties and mixed commits for try
ing the Captains and Of savers and ibe rating
their cargoes Under all these circumstances, their
case is very curisus one; and the ultimate DISPOSE
ton OF those unfortunate wretches will be looked for
with the utmost anxiety by all classes Of society In
the mean time the Abolitionists moving heaven
and earth to effect their release; several members
Of the society have left town for Connecticut TO
them to emplcy the most able counsel in their behalf
and TO contest every point inc by inch; and, judg
ing from appearances we should say that there are
general preparations making in all quarters for
grand explosion IN this matter Of slavery and the
slave trade We shall have special agent and
reporter on the SPOT, and usual, shall furnish
80 4. - -.