The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-02-16


BY laying the motion to receive ON the table,
Petitions were also presented from New Hamp.
shire and Maine, and then the House adjourned
From, the Charleston Mercury
AMERICAN VIEW OFTEIE CASE
| OF THE CREOLE.
! The following remarks are from the New
4 York Albion, which our readers will remember
is an English paper. The opinion is just touch
ing the policy Of stipulating for reciprocity in
the surrender of fugitive criminals. -
| AMERICAN SLAVES AT THE BAHAMAs.-The
Creole which sailed from Norfolk lately, with
slaves for the New Orleans market, was seized
on her passage by the negroes, and carried into
New Providence, one of the Bahama Islands
During the struggle for the mastery of the YES
sci, one white was killed and the master severly
wounded On making the port guard was
placed on board the vessel by order of the Gcv-
ernor, Sir Francis Cockburn, the mutneers,
amounting to nineteen, were put in confinement,
and the remainder set at liberty.
1t is natural that the oTncrs of these slaves
should complain of the loss they have thus sus-
tained but the authorities of the Island had no
choice in the matter. There is no law in the
colony to hold any one in state of slavery, and
although the British Government did on one
occasion pay for slaves so set at large on this
same island it must be recolected that the case
was essentially different at that period, because
slavery had not been entirely eXtinguished by
Great Britain herself. That event having now
taken place, it follows that any slave of what
ever country becomes free on touching the soil
of Great Britain or her pc>~essions. Nor is
England partial or unjust in this respect, to other
nations, for the same principle has always been
acted upon in relation to her own colonists
whenever they took slaves to England, even
before the act of emancipation. This fact rs
we'll known, for many West Indians lost their
slaves when they took them home TO London as
servants. Nay, some lawyers went so far as to
say that slave on going on board OF British
man-of-war while lying in West India harbor
emancipated himself; and claim of that kind, if
we recollect right, was made in favor ofa slave
some years since in the Island of Antigua.
We do not know what course the Qnecn's
Government will take when called upon to give
up the mutineers. That fugitive criminals
except for political offences-should be mutual
| ly surrendered between nations, we have al
ways contcnded; but then it must be mutual
One nation must not claim it from another and
refuse it herself. If England should waive the
consideration of the Creole's mutineers being
slaves, and surrender them as criminals, it will
be the spedest mode of ending the discussion
She would in that case too, be under the ne
cessity of waving the case of the Bambers, who
were, by the action of the Federal Courts act.
ing uhder the direction of the Cabinet at Wash.
ington, taken out of the custody OF the Consul
after they had been surrendered by the author.
ties of the State. The Bambers had committed
murder in Ireland; so had DR.. Holmes in Cana
da, adding to his offence the crime of adultery
! yet this person as we'll as the Bambers are at
| large in the United States, and applications fol
them have been refused.
These facts and considerations seem to urge
upon US the necessity that exsst for the adoption
OF some uniform system OF mutual surrender In
cases of criminals fleeing from justice. 1t is
unseemly that the two most enlightened ma.
tions upon earth living under the government o
laws, should give shelter to cut-throats ant
murderers, who set all laws at defiance. We
should be glad to see the subject attract the at
tenton of Congress forthwith.
Of the process adopted at Nassau for setting
the Creole's people at liberty, we are not inform
ed, it was probably done by writ of Habeas Cor
pus, in which case the Court of Oyer in Bencl
! had no alternative but to liberate them, ther,
f being no law in existence, under which the,
/ could be kept under restraint. 1t is however,
fair subject of inquiry on the part of the Ameri
, can Government, to know what is to be done il
!. subsequent cases of this sort, for the loss o
, property is very considerable. 1t would seen
, to be subject of legitimate negotiation be
D tween the two Cabinets to devise means, AM
5 to establish stipulatons by which American
= slaves brought into British ports by mutiny
) shipwreck, or other unavoidable accident, shoul
be restored to their owners. Tie carrying c
/ slaves from one part of the United States t
| another IS perfectly legal in those States; ye
if any American citizen so engaged should b
2 near British port with his crew and negro pas
sengers famishing for want of water, or sinking
: from his vessel having sprung leak, he mus
either perish where he is, or enter the dreade
port where his property will be coniscated.-
Take another case. Suppose pacha movln!
| with his harem of six wives to take possession
: of his pachalic, should be driven by stress o
r weather into Malta, or Gibraltar, or any Britis
port in the Mediterranean-would i be fair t
prosecute the follower ofthe Prophet for Poiga
: my, because the laws of England allow an En-
glishman only one wife! Or should The fiy
supernumeraries have the power of running
t away from their lord and master, because tn
British law declares the first wife to be the onl
:, wife?
, The casewe may cay, is special one, ar,