Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-03-04

whose cause has been brought before the
courts oflaw of the United States, and for
whom powerful and humane interest APP
pears to be felt in this country as we'll az in
England.
tits known to her Maiesty's Government
that these negroes were imported into Cuba
direct from tho coast of Africa, in a Portu-
guese slave vessel called the Tecora, in the
summer OF 1889; and that, shortly after their
arrival, they were purchased as slaves at the
Havana by two Spaniards of the names of
Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montez. Ruiz and
Montez then placed the negroes on board the
schooner Amistad, intending to convey them
to another port in Cuba. 1t appears that,
during the voyage, the negroes, with Wow of
recovering their liberty, seized possession of
the vessel, put the master to death, and or
dered the remaining whites to navigate the
vessel to the coast of Africa. The whites,
however, directed their course to North Amer
lea, until they were fallen in with by the u.
States brig-of-war Washington, whom the A
mistad was finally brought into the port Of
New London, in Connecticut. The proceed
| ings which have taken place subsequently, to
| the arrival of the negroesin the United States
are sufficiently well KIN own to you.
Now, her Majesty's Government have to
observe that, since the year 1920, il has be
come unlawful, according to the law of Spain,
to import negroes from Africa as slaves into
the Spanish dominions and that, as the ne
groes here referred to had been newly import
ed from Africa into Cuba, and could not by
law DO imported as slaves, they must in the
eye of the law be considered as free persons.
And Great Britain is also bound to remem-
Der that the law of Spain which finally pro-
hiblted the slave-trade throughout the Span.
ish dominions, from the date of the 3Oth of
May, 1890, (the provisions of which law are
contained in the King Of Spain's Royal Ce-
dula of the 18th Of December, 1870 was
passed in compliance of treaty obligation to
that effect, by which the Crown of Spain had
bound itselft TO the Crown of G. Britain, g. for
which valuable compensation in return was
given by Great Britain to Spain, as may be
seen by reference to tho Cd, Sd, and 4th arti-
cles of a public treaty concluded between
Great Britain and Spain on the 23d of Sep
TENDER, 1917.
Her Majesty's Government, therefore, are
moved by special and peculiarreasons to take
an interest in the fate of these unfortunate AT
| means, who are known to have been illegally
| and feioniously reduced to slavery by subjects
| Of Spain.
1t is next to be observed that Great Britain
and the United States have mutually engage
cd themselves to each other, by the 10th ar
ticle ofthe treaty of Client, to use their best
| o"uo"'ouiS ioi TIC cnIIe dOOiltiOn OF the Al
rican slave-trade. And there can be no doubt
OF the firm intention Of both parties religious
~ to fulfil the terms of that engagement.
Now the unfortunate Africans whose case
is the subject of the present representation
have been thrown by accidental circumstan-
ces into the authorities of the United States ;
and it may probably depend upon the action
of the United States Government whether
these persons shall recover the freedom to
which they are entitled, or whether they shall
be reduced to slavery, in violation Of known
laws and contracts publicly passed, prohibit
ing the continuance of the African slave-trade
by Spanish subjects.
| 1t is under these circumstances that Her
Majesty's Government anxiously hope that
the President of the United States will find
himself empowered to take such measures in
behalf Of the aforesaid Africans as shall Sc
cure to them the possession Of their liberty,
to which, without doubt, they are by law en-
titled.
avail myself this occasion to renew to
you the assurance of my distinguished cons-
deraton.
H. S. FOX.
The Hon. JOHN FoRsyTn, &c. &c.