Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-02-26
I'l.s!.!llIIEl ll 7 II, Il,m!E.l SIS
CASn OF L,ANllSTAD.

CASE OF L'AMISTAD.
In the Senate, on Friday last, message was
received from the President ofthc United States,
transmitting copies Of correspondence between
the State Department and the representatives
Of foreign Governments. relative to the negroes
taken on board bNmistad which has occurred
since his message OF the 2lst March, 1911.
From the correspondence we extract letter
of .Nr. Eos, the Minister of Great Britain, and
the reply thereto Of Mr.. Forsyth
WASHINGTON, Jan. 90, 1910.
SG: am instructed 10 rcprcsent to YOU that
the attention Of her MIaiesty's Government has
been seriously directed TO the case Of certain
African ne rroes. found on board the spanish ship
"im,s'od," the same persons whose cause has
been brought before the courts Of law of the
United Staice, and for whom a powerful and hui
name interest appears TO be felt in this country
as well as in ENGLAND.
1t ia known TO her Maicstv's CovcrnncH; h3t
these negroes we're imported into Iu1a direct
from the coast of Africa, in Portuguese slave
vessel called the TecOra. i'll the summer OF lSJD.
and that shortly after their arrival, they were
purchased as slaves at the Havana by two Span
iards Of the names of Jose Ruiz and Pedro
Alontcz. Ruiz and Moncz then placed these
ncrrncs on board the schooner Am~tad, intend
ing to convey them TO another. port in Cuba 1t
appears that during the voyage, the negroes,
with Il view of recovering their liberty,
seized possession " the vessel, pat the master
TO death, aud ordered thc remaining whites 'o
navigate the vessel to the coast of Africa. The
whites, however, directed their course towards
\ Oltl America, until they were fallen in with
by the United States brig Of war, Washington,
when the Amisnd was finally brought into the
port OF New London, in Connecticut. The pro-
cccdngs which have taken place subsequently
10 the arrival Of the nagroea in the United States
are sufficiently we'll known to you.
Now her Majcsy's Government have to OBJ
serve thai. since the year 1~2O it has become
unlawful according 10 the law Of Spain, to i'm
port negroes from Area as slaves into the
Spanish dom,nions. and that, as The negroes
here lecrre TO had hecn newly imported from
Africa into Cuba, ana could not by law be in
ported a. slaves, they must in the eye of the
Law be considered as free persons.
- Ernat Britain is also bound 10 rememhe,
','a 'ie law OF "i'n," which fully prohibited the
slave trade throughout the ;>p,iri.h do,rinions
from the date Of the 30h Of May, 80, On,
provisions of which law arc contained in the
King Of Spaus Royal Cedula Of the 18Th q
December, lcl1,) was passed in compliance
with treaty obligation To that effect, bv which
the crown of spain had bound i'sclfto the crown
of Britaia. and for which a valuable compcnsa-
ton, in rcturn was given by Great Britain 'c
Spain, as may be seen by reference to the I'd.
81, and an articles of public treaty concluded
between Great Britain and Spain on the 23d OF
OF %apt,mhar, 1917,
Her Mojesty's Government. therefore, are
novel by special reasons to take an interest in
the fate Of these unfortunate Afrcqus who arc
known to have beon Illegally and fcloniously re-
duce TO slavery by subjects Of %pairs.
It is next TO be observed that Great Britain