The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-01-21
THE CREOLE CASE.

The CREOAE CAoE.
The case of the Creole cannot be unknown to
our readers, or to the people Of this country
We published at length, few days since, the
protest Of the officers and crew Of the brig, copied
from the New Orleans Advertiser, and we have
no doubt that, by this time, a knowledge of the
facts stated in the protest has been generally
disseminated This vessel having on board l02
slaves, belonging to different individuals, left
Richmond on the Cd of October last, and Hamp-
ton Roads on the Both Of the same month, bound
10 New Orleans. The slaves were perfectly
obedient and quiet, and showed no symptoms of
mutinv and disturbance until the It'll of Novem
ber," when nineteen Of the men, being those OF
full age, rose on the crew Of the brig, killed
Mr. Howell, passenger, who had charge oil
portion Of them, and wounded others. Succeed
ing in their first object of obtaining mastery OF
the vessel, they compelled such OF its officers as
were capable Of doing duty, to navigate her to
port in the British islands On fhe arrival OF the
brig at Nassau, in the island Of New Providence,
TO which place The negroes the last alternative
insisted on being conducted, she was taken pos
session ofby the British authorities there. The
nineteen who were represented to be implicated
in the murder Of Mr. Howell and in the act OF
mutiny, were detained and the rest were set al
liberty, ''to go on shore and wherever they
pleased" Such is very brief summary OF the
facts of the case as stated in the protest. We
have no other source OF information but yield
ing to that document the credence which it ap
pears to merit, and basng our remarks on ITS
authority, we cannot but denounce the unwar-
rantable assumption by the British authorities
IN Nassau OF jurisdiction over the property OF
the citizens Of the United States, and over
criminals properly amenable only to American
tribunals, as an usurpation to which the Amer-
can people will at no risk submit The act of
the British agents in the island Of New Proy-
dence is not the act certainly Of the British Go
vernment; and we hope that so far from meet
ing the sanction, it will incur the uncompromis-
ing reprobation Of that Government. Buty yet 1t
is gross outrage, for which full satisfaction
and indemnity must be made The conduct OF
the delegated authority in the island cannot be APP
proved without a direct contravention OF the laws
ofnatlons, unless the British ministry will assume
that the British municipal law is paramount to
International law, or that slavery being in conflict
with the fixed and indispu table principles of in
ternational law, is question co5nizabe before
the courts Of any civilized nation. The adop-
ton Of the former principle would be virtual
adjustment of all International law whatever.
Had the Creole entered voluntarily within the
pale of the judicial jurisdiction of Great Britain,
we might grant she would have been anne
nable to its authority. Had she been driven
within its limits by stress of weather, she owed
it no submission But, when an act of mutiny
brought that vessel into British port, the alb
stract principles Of law, the dictates of national
comfy, must teach the Justice and propriety of
protecting the officers of the vessel, of giving
over the property on board TO the owners ac-
knowledged as such by the laws of the country
10 which the vessel belongs, and Of surrendering
the mutineers for trial by the courts of that
country. SO say the laws of nations as we un-
derstand them. But, if the laws OF nations
must yield to the laws of Great Britain, when
brought into conflict, SO they must yield to the
municipal enactments OF every other coun-
try, and, by consequence, become mere nuIty.
International law would be an empty name
The slave trade has been declared piracy by
our laws; but it is statutory piracy not piracy
under the laws of nations. The siare trade,
however, is not the question under considera-
ton, but sldpery as recognized by the idps OF
this country. The laws regulating the former
might be made a matter of negotiation with
another nation; but, with the latter, no foreign
power must, in any manner, interfere. The in.
terna institutions recognized by the laws Of our
country are NOT subjects Of International law
are not questions which will be introduced into
negotiations with foreign power, much less
can they be made to bend to the municipal en-
actments of any other country If slavery be
contrary to the laws Of Great Britain, it is an
institution recognized by our Constitution and
laws, and must be respected as such by all other
nations
$4,000 in specie left New York the other day for
Havre